#amazon selling mistakes

[imaginarycircus]

I can't do much these days thanks to early onset arthritis and a total lack of cartilege in my hip. Thank you, hEDS. I bedazzled myself a cane and people keep asking me about it so I've opened an etsy store and now I will have ice cream because I can't drink while taking pain meds. I will fight you if you tell me that ice cream is not medicine.

There are rhinestones lurking all over our dining room. They are not as awful as glitter, which we all know is the VD of craft supplies.

I use only crystal flatback rhinestones which cost more than glass or resin, but have much better sparkle. It's hard to photograph the sparkle and shimmer, at least it is for me, with an iphone, but you can see it in the videos. So. Um. *taps feet* I don't know what I am doing exactly. Most canes are bespoke, or made to order. What if no one ever buys one? Well, obviously I'll be fine and I'll have my hip replaced with a karaoke microphone looking thing. The ball part kind of looks like BB-8's head.

wtf did it put the word shop in the link thinger photo? UGH. One cool thing though. If you have a cane people get right out of your way. People can be so nice sometimes. I feel bad because I'm really slow these days and they have to stand there while I tortoise by. I try to make them go first, but some won't do it.

[kurohe]

Things you can do to actively participate in the revolution

Here's the list !

I know some of those will look really silly, i promise they are not. And obviously, this is not a checklist, you don't have to do everything. But they're steps that you can absolutely take if you wish to, and they WILL help.

(i am continually correcting things when people point out mistakes. Thanks everyone for your help)

(under the cut !)

1) Let's start off with a very easy one you can do right now: stop using Chrome. It's a google owned browser, and it sents all of your data towards it. Mozilla is a very good replacement, but almost anything will do, really. Also, resign your amazon prime subscription. We revolting against capitalism as a whole, and this is a good first step to not freely give em your data and money

2) Start stealing things from supermarkets and malls. I am not kidding. Little things, that aren't really monitored: a can of food, a lighter, a pair of socks. Condiments are particularly easy to hide in bags or pockets. Steal hygiene products, steal food.

Remember that you should have access to those for free, and you don't because a few rich guys don't want you to.

Additional tip: train station stores are very easy to steal from, because they're so busy. But don't put yourself in danger. Check beforehand if they check bags at checkout, look out for employees that might notice what you're doing. Don't be reckless.

(edit: imma say this, you should read up on what the risks of stealing are, for you and others. Stealing from big stores is IMO always morally right, but it is risky for many reasons. Be careful)

3) In the same line, if you see someone stealing anything from a big store, no you didn't.

4) I know a lot of people are scared of disrespecting rules. By fear of being caught, or by guilt. My advice is: start disrespecting stupid, meaningless rules. I don't have specific exemples, but you'll encounter them and wonder why you're doing that. Stop doing it. This will train you to be able to disobey autority way easier.

5) Put stickers everywhere. If you already have them, go ham. Especially on public property (lamposts are amazing). If you don't, buy them from artists or independant stores, not big brands. If you cannot afford them, remember that you can simply write stuff on an A4 paper and plaster it to walls. Or even post its !

6) Carry a sharpie with you at all time, the big black ones. If you see propaganda, scribble it out. Keep a look out for terfs stickers, maga posters, etc. Also good for getting rid of transphobic and sexist stuff written on public restroom stalls !

7) Buy locally. This means going to the market or small stores, and thrifting your clothes. If you can't for money or accessibility reasons, try trading with your friends, family and neighbours. Get communication going in your circles, and you'll realise there are a lot of things that you can simply trade with or buy from people around you. Like a jar of jam against some eggs, or a pair of socks for a t-shirt you don't wear anymore !

8) Learn how to sew. I know, that sounds dumb ! But i promise you, not only will it be amazing to trade with other people ("i'll sew back ur shirt and in exchange, you give me a can of peaches !"), corporations also haaaate when you know how to fix your clothes. Because they want you to buy more. You'll spend a lot less money if you know how to fix em

9) If you have the space and the money, grow your own food, and share it or sell it around you. Be careful, some assholes will call the FDA on you. Do that with people you trust.

Additional tip: growing vegetables and fruits can be a real nightmare. You can absolutely start by just growing some basil or mint :)

10) Organise. Join leftist groups online, even if it's just to see what's being said, you don't even need to interact. Follow creators, repost and share their content. By doing that, you'll stay informed on group movements like strikes, protests and boycotts, which you can then participate in. It's very important you're connected to other ppl and the movements that are started !

11) Unionize. I'm very sorry I don't know the exact way unions work in the US, but if you can, join one. They will help you in times of needs, especially if you're a student or a worker. If you're not sure how to do that, absolutely ask around to people you know are very active politically, around you or online. People will help.

12) Stay. Informed. Follow independant papers and news outlet. If you can afford it, give them a dollar or two. They are fighting everyday for access to unbiased information for all, and sadly, their independance means that they rely almost entirely on donations and people simply engaging with what they put out.

If you can't access those: do not get your news from TV. Ever. Or anywhere else that has been bought by the far right. Sadly, the majority of TV channels are just the worst.

And, most importantly: fact check. All of the time.

13) Share that information. Talk to those you trust and who are ready to listen to you, and tell them about what's happening. Get angry with them. Revolution stems from people coming together and realising that they're being used and profited off of. Share videos and posts relating to politics, especially informative videos.

14) Go to protests ! If you've never been, i know it can be scary. But you can stay in the middle (don't go all the way to the front, that's where stuff can get heated) and scream and walk with everyone else. You'll meet people who, like you, want things to change. Capitalism wants you to stay as unconnected to others as possible, and that's a great way to fight that.

Sometimes, there are sites that have a planning for all protests happening in a city. Look up if one exists for yours

15) Create and strenghten community. I know i really struggled with this one, because it's so vague. But here's a few places you can start:

-Go and introduce yourself to your neighbours, if you deem it safe. Give them a little gift if you can afford it, like a pack of pasta.

-Make new friends, even if they aren't deep friendships. You need connections. Online or irl, both are fine- don't stay isolated.

-If you already have community, go check on them right now. Ask your friends how they're doing, and if they need anything- ask how they're being impacted by what's happening right now politically.

16) Look for ways to fuck over the institutions in easy ways. One example that went around tumblr a lot is letting dandelions grow in your backyard, because landlords fucking hate it. If you work in retail or fast food, cheat. Accidentally forget to scan the diapers. Put in 7 nuggets instead of 6.

(edit: been told that it's very risky for walmart workers to not scan things, so beware.)

17) Engage in art. MAKE art. Music, shitty paint drawings, craft, anything as long as you're being creative. Share it. If you feel like you can't do that, then support artists. Make a point to look up cool illustrations, and new music. Go to the cinema.

If you're an artist currently in an underpaid office job, please, by the love of god, be creative during office hours. You're underpaid, they do not deserve your full time and attention. Take 30 minutes to write that snippet you've been thinking about.

(and actually, if you're underpaid at all: do the minimum required. So that you can't be fired, but that's it. Any more effort is not worth it. Companies will never be thankful for what you do.)

18) Look up books that your state banned, and go read them. You can get them secondhand, or as pdfs online. (if anyone needs ressources, i will glady look for and share them.)

And, actually, read books in general if you can. Yes, fanfics count !

19) Seek education. There's a lot of youtube channels out there talking about educational subjects in a fun way. Some things the rich assholes who run the country specifically don't want you to learn more about are: biology, history and archeology, social and economic sciences. GO LEARN ABOUT THOSE.

The people in power don't want you to be educated. It's why they eviscerated the education system.

20) PIRATE. I cannot stress this enough, anything you can pirate (that isn't from small, indie creators, except if you absolutely can't afford it) do it. Download music illegally, torrent movies and games. If you want access to academical studies and papers, some writers will give them to you for free if you email them about it. There are also ways to go around paywalls.

21) Don't fall for the traps of "progressive brands". Lately, i've seen a lot of praise for Ben and Jerry's for openly supporting lgbtq rights and being globally anti-trump. They are still a brand. Avoid buying from any big names when you can. That being said, if you have to, check beforehand which ones and what their history is. Some are more evil than others.

Additional tip: a lot of brands you see in stores are actually owned by bigger brands. One prime example of this is Nestle, who are fucking evil, but they own a shitload of other big names. Be careful what you buy.

22) I hate to say this, but be prepared to defend yourself. Revolutions are never peaceful. You will get in danger. If you can, get in ok physical shape. Learn how to run fast and fight well.

If none of those are available options to you, please, make sure you have someone around you that will be able to protect you, or a place where you can be safe. Whether you are disabled, a minor, or anything else. Don't put yourself in more danger than is necessary.

(this used to also include getting a gun. I deleted it because i don't feel comfortable recommending this. But it's still an option.)

23) Last but not least, be kind. When someone cuts off a woman speaking, interrupt and give her the floor back. Shame those who think it's right to say bigoted shit in public. Listen to those around you. If you can't act, then remember to always have empathy for the homeless, for drug users, for immigrants. Understand they are people just like you. You are not immune to propaganda and prejudice, no matter who you are. Always question yourself and your biases.

(if you've read this far, please repost. We need this to reach as many people as possible)

I want to remind you that you're not alone. I know things seem hopeless, but the simple fact that you're reading this is proof it's not. I don't live in the US, but i'm supporting you as best i can from where i am, and sending you strenght.

If you have any questions, do ask away. I'll end on this image that's very dear to me:

[the-gimmick-archive]

Pinned post. (Will update.)

This is a shared blog made to archive important things that happen in the gimmickverse.

The current mods are: @justazebra (admin), @i-dont-know-how-to-name-this.

If we make a mistake, please tell us.

Please @ us if you see an important event happen, especially wars.

Send us an ask if you want to know about a certain event, we’ll do our best to find it.

If you have the link to something important that we didn't archive yet (especially if it happened before this blog started existing), please send it to us.

Shadowban Survival Guide

(scroll down on the guide)

List of arcs and events:

The color war:

Earliest point in the arc we could find. The purple revolution begins. Green joins the revolution.

That time when figuratively everyone got possessed:

Earliest point in the arc we could find.

The UwU revolution:

Earliest point in the arc we could find.

Sealand dying and being revived:

Death. Revival. Death again, but this time they become death's assistant.

IKEA-Party City War:

Earliest point in the arc.

Goose god vs. Waste management war:

Earliest point. Waste management also declaring war. Goose god and waste management making an alliance to stop @/france-unofficial from attacking bean and making Bean sad.

New Zealand vs. Australia war:

Earliest point. New Zealand changing targets to England instead.

Bean getting kidnapped:

Earliest point.

Bean getting kidnapped again (by gimmick nose thief this time.):

Earliest point. Waste management selling their soul so they can see bean again. Molossia scratching and paralyzing Sealand. Sealand getting their souls stolen by gimmick nose thief.

List of gimmick blogs (copied from @/gimmick-simp, @/antarcitica-official, and @/celestial-same-picverse, and then added some missing ones):

@totally-official-gmail @totally-amazon @pizza-hut-official @spotify-official @truly-jcjenson

@bigbasket-notreally @discorddotcum-official @homedepot @im-pandora-i-promise @femboy-totally-bing

@kahoot-official @100percent-shell-oil @assistant-to-the-shell @truly-bath-and-body-works @definitely-tiktok-trust

@unofficially-joann-fabric @its-sanrio-official @the-real-gmail @apple-unofficial @jack-in-the-box-official

@official-arbys @officialtinder @realgoogleslides @reallytimhortons @officially-ikea

@claires-unofficial @barnes-and-noble-official @realgoogleclassroom @real-sephora @pizza-hut-unofficial

@google-news-official @totally-official-gmail @bingle-official @basically-bumble @def-bjs-guys

@official-opera-gx @official-firefox-nightly @the-mcdonalds @realgoogledocs @mcdonalds-official

@totally-bing @operagxreal @official-fedex @firehouse-subs-fr @k-f-c-official

@the-real-google @totally-ikea @taco-bell-unofficial @spotify-kids-real @the-real-victorias-secret

@subway-official @big-mayo-official @/realsafari @incognito-mode-official @burgerking-official

@definitely-wikipedia @the-one-and-only-pornhub @the-one-and-only-duckduckgo @its-target-official @yes-im-youtube-kids

@walmart-the-official @duothelingo @firefox-official @femboy-hooters-real @fedex-official

@yamaha-official @youtubefr @actually-x @reality-official

@femboy-google-news-official @50percent-shell-oil @yahooo-official @totally-airbus @the-official-spirit-airlines

@100percent-chipotle @unofficialvine

@totally-brazil @totally-italy @very-real-australia @the-province-of-nova-scotia-real @official-new-zealand

@russia-totallyofficial @quebec-official @india-official @india-reblogs @telangana-official

@denmark-official @pakistan-official @definitely-brasil @non-tyrannical-usa @antarcitica-official

@spain-unofficial @definitely-canada @france-unofficial @the-state-of-georgia-official @official-denmark

@denmark-forreal @official-ireland @texas-real @massachusetts-official @new-york-for-real

@definitelytherepublicofireland @true-blue-straya @totally-germany @official-the-united-states @totally-france

@forever-scotland @germany-official @sovereign-state-of-alaska @guatemala-official @republic-of-molossia

@actually-alberta @the-principality-of-sealand @totally-oregon @yugoslavia-official

@the-chill-planet-uranus @the-serene-moon-luna @earth-fan @deimos-moon-of-terror @officially-capricorn

@the-radiant-sun @the-ringed-planet-saturn @the-red-planet-mars @the-real-uranus @celestial-same-picverse

@officially-taurus @the-lovely-planet-earth @posts-with-10000-notes-in-spirit @/i-hesitantly-say-ok

@i-say-not-ok @i-say-ok @the-us-navy-offical

@woo-in-different-lengths @official-garlic-bread @shakespeare-official-reblogs @gimmick-thief @hold-my-dr-pepper

@oscar-wilde-official-account @the-real-illinois @i-say-grape @the-kingdom-of-norway @denmarklandia-official

@i-say-bean @sweden-official @antarcitica-official @gimmick-nose-thief @gimmick-thief-thief

@tamil-nadu-official @tamilnadu-official @anti-totally-bing @antiquitian-empire @rocks-anon

@tagswoman @actual-aspec-military @pansexual-spaceforce @the-aplatonic-cavalry @the-pointing-anon

@bi-poly-space-station @bisexual-airforce @aro-sp-ace-force @nonbinary-coastguard @demi-demolitions

@queer-military-authorities @queer-military-treasury @the-missiles-guy @the-official-goose-god @the-official-gemini

@actual-transgender-navy @genderfluid-marine-corp @real-australian-army @real-hottopic

@same-pic-of-venus-everyday @same-pic-of-the-earth-everyday @same-pic-of-the-moon-everyday @same-pic-of-mars-everyday @same-pic-of-jupiter-everyday

@same-pic-of-saturn-everyday @the-real-uranus @same-pic-of-neptune-everyday @steve-not-anon @metal-frisbee

@earth-fan @not-10-salmon-in-a-png @same-pic-of-halleys-comet @same-pic-of-callisto-everyday @same-pic-of-eris-everyday @same-pic-of-kepler-186f-everyday

@same-pic-of-haumea-everyday @same-image-of-7-iris @book-nonsie-not-anon @celestial-same-picverse @same-pic-of-pluto-everyday

@same-pic-of-juno-everyday @same-pic-of-polaris-everyday @tomblrmartian @same-pic-of-a-blackhole-everyday @same-pic-of-the-stars-everyday

@alpha-centauri-everyday @same-cosmic-cliffs-pic-every-day @rose-nebula-always @same-pic-of-makemake-everyday @same-picture-of-europa

@same-pic-of-the-lagoon-nebula @star-that-eats-the-sun @jupiter-fan

@same-pic-of-triton-everyday @pq-anon @same-pic-of-ceres-everyday @same-pic-of-wolftopia-everyday

@same-pic-of-mars-everyday @same-pic-of-tres2b-everyday @samepicofthewowsignaleveryday @same-pic-of-the-blue-moon @same-image-of-hr8799e-every-day

@samepictureofsednadaily @moon-of-fear-phobos @totally-neptune-official @corvus-the-constellation @official-nissan

@hollowknight-reference @microsoft-edge-official @arethosewordsinthebible @the-gimmick-doctor @i-say-doot-doot

@i-say-ok @discord-marriage-bot-real @literally-leo @literally-luxembourg

@/same-pic-of-a-dictionary-daily @/same-pic-of-mercury-everyday @/hateful-daystar @//court-artist-under-the-stars @/samepicofproximacentaurieveryday @/same-pic-of-the-sun-everyday @/same-pic-of-the-blood-moon @/same-pic-of-uranus-everyday @/same-pic-of-venus-every-day @/same-pic-of-trans-jupiter @/ton-618-real @/same-pic-of-alpha-centaur-24-7 @/same-pic-of-andromeda-everyday @/same-pic-of-a-bagel-everyday @/same-pic-of-titan-every-day

@putting-iris-in-places @communist-usa-real

(Sorry if you didn't want to get tagged.)

[princessazalea17]

How I will be moving forward after the February 28 Boycotts

Here are the places I will be re-directing my money towards to support local and smaller businesses.

Stop supporting (or minimize support for) McDonald's, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, Meta, and other large corporate chains. If buying from big giants, make mindful purchases to reduce your consumption.

Books: Pango books, The Last Bookstore, Thrift Books, Abe Books, and if through Amazon, buying used instead of new. Also, the library, for obvious reasons. I have made the mistake of wasting money on shitty new books before, I strongly do not recommend.

Food: Local food stands, taco trucks, smaller restaurants, and regional chains instead of national ones. Choosing In N' Out over McDonald's, Cane's over KFC, etc., or making copycats at home. The same goes for coffee and other drinks. Many smaller donut shops in the area are better priced and tastier than Winchell's. There are so many places selling authentic Mexican food that you have no excuse to buy some nasty bullshit at Taco Bell or Del Taco. However, I strongly recommend Yelp, some of the smaller restaurants suck in terms of food quality that you get for the price.

Clothing and Shoes: Old Navy is pro-DEI. Depop, since I buy and sell on there (despite prices being pretty steep at times). Smaller thrift stores that ACTUALLY have changing rooms in them (goodbye, Goodwill SoCal!) Go to Ross and Nordstrom Rack, and avoid Marshalls and TJ Maxx, apparently. DD's is shitty but I can work with it if I'm in a financial pinch. Facebook groups, but I haven't found any good ones yet. For shoes, Journey's, Zappos, WSS, DSW, and brand websites will work (and Depop if I am confident the shoe will fit).

Beauty: ULTA is pro-DEI. I can also order directly from brands' sites.

Haircare: I have too much, but if I need more, Sally Beauty is my go-to. Not sure about the local hair store, though, since I hear stories about store owners profiling their Black customers.

Personal care: I believe I have found what I need at Food4Less.

Groceries: Food4Less or Trader Joe's, Northgate Gonzalez Markets if I am too lazy to travel far or need something cheaper there than at the other stores.

Hardware and Tools: Maybe Harbor Freight, but I am so used to using Home Depot for everything since it is trusted and so accessible. This is going to be a hard one for me.

Gaming: Shopping sales and sticking to battle passes and Bing/Microsoft Rewards to minimize spending on unnecessary purchases on skins (it is a challenge due to FOMO and limited-time collabs, especially on Overwatch). If I am buying consoles and console gams, I will buy from trusted resellers (too many scams on Mercari and other user-based platforms)

Tech: Buy new due to being burned in the past from buying refurbished tech, but cut back on consumption. Use BackMarket for used iPhones and Pixels, or buy new or certified refurbished from Samsung for Galaxy phones.

Stationery and Office Supplies: I have so much shit hoarded from years of schooling and coursework. However, go to an office store or a dollar store (Dollar Tree/General or Family Dollar) if you don't want to support Target or Walmart. If you went to a hood school like I did, they will sometimes give away free school supplies. I'm gonna make a separate post on school supplies you DO and DO NOT need.

[wearethekat]

February Book Reviews: Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

I received a free copy of the book from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux in exchange for a fair review. Publish date April 1st.

I requested this book since I enjoyed Nayler's previous novel, The Mountain in the Sea. In Where the Axe Is Buried, the world is split between a Federation ruled by an immortal series of cloned presidents, and nations governed by AI. Programmer Lilia's new invention sets in motion a series of events, from an assassination attempt on the President to the recruitment of an elderly revolutionary living in the taiga, which will change the world irrevocably.

Where the Axe Is Buried is a much more explicitly political book than The Mountsin in the Sea. It's structured in much the same way, with multiple interlinked but separate POV characters interspersed by excerpts from a fictional book, revolutionary Zoya's banned text. Here, the central metaphor is the creosote bush rather than the octopus. The creosote bush forms a system of genetically identical cloned plants, following the root systems of long dead Ice Age trees. Like a flawed governing system, removing the piece of the creosote will not change the shape of the overall plant, dictated by patterns laid down centuries ago. We get the anecdote as a piece of Zoya's book on the very first page, and it recurs as different metaphors--a fungal system, a steppe tsar--throughout the book.

It's always a bit tricky to write a book about revolution. Nayler's a very good writer, and he easily dodges the trap that so many books about war and revolution fall into (ie, mouthing empty platitudes about change as the authors demonstrate that they haven't thought deeply about a complex and loaded subject). Nayler's elegantly constructed near future dystopia is split between an authoritarian future Russian regime and countries ruled by supposedly infallible AIs in a very post LLM way. On the one hand, the Federation has developed refinements that the Soviets or even Orwell never dreamed of, in a panopticon where a tiny mistake could collapse your social score and send you plummeting into a shrinking circle of restricted parole, and then to a forced labor camp and death. Or, alternatively, in the rationalized states ruled by AI, you can work in an horrifically optimized Amazon-style warehouse while your every movement is scrutinized by companies trying to sell you things, to the degree that looking at a soda half a world away for a moment with your face covered can identify you.

Whether Nayler threads the other needle and manage to not say something about revolution which the reader has a strong personal disagreement with is, inevitably, more individual. It held together well enough to be a five star read for me, even if I'd quibble with a few points. Although I do think the open ended conclusion carries a lot of the rhetorical weight here. Nayler gracefully presents you with a possibility for change, rather than attempting to answer the unanswerable question.

An ambitious and sophisticated dystopia about revolution with a compulsively readable pacing. Highly recommended, especially if you liked Nayler's The Mountain in the Sea.

[tainbocuailnge]

i know it's recent history that we were all here for at type moon blog tainbocuailnge dot tumblr dot cum i just genuinely cannot get over the absolute insanity that was mahoyosweep. aniplex of america so blatantly wanted this game dead in the water. they didn't say a peep. they did not translate trailers. they did not so much as tweet about it let alone put any work into actual promotion. they didn't say a word about where you would be able to buy it until mere weeks before the release date when the word of mouth hype campaign was already in full swing. and then for some reason the amazon listings for the game went up a day before they were supposed to and within the few hours until they fixed that mistake it had already sold more copies than they expected to sell at all and aniplex of america had to make a public apology that basically came down to "sorry we didn't think you guys would actually buy the game"

[cupcakelvr]

I LOVEE THE WAY YOU WRITE could you write some hcs of vi and cait in a modern au pleaseee

OFC AAA.

𝑴𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓�� 𝑨𝑼 𝑽𝒊 𝒙 𝑪𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Just normal stuff.

The first thing vi does when coming home from work - hug Caitlyn. After a hard day of working she just wants to hug her partner.

༞

In the early mornings Caitlyn is the one making breakfast before work and will have Vi eat it before work so her stomach is full.

༞

When going shopping, Caitlyn is the one trying one thousands of clothing items while Vi is somewhere in the accessory aisle trying on silly little headbands and laughing about them.

༞

Vi has Caitlyn saved as "Cupcake🧁❤️" while Caitlyn has Vi saved as "Viole(n)t❤️"

༞

Vi is definitely the one that would come home one day and be like "Cupcake! I found a kitten at work!" I’m fully convinced.

༞

Caitlyn’s phone falls onto her face at least five hundred times when she’s watching something at night.

༞

When Caitlyn’s doing some work on the laptop or Pc, she will go like "What’s that in your search history?" And watch Vi freak out even though it’s probably something like "how to make toast without toast"

༞

When groceries shopping, Vi will always get lost in the store and look for Cait while panicking, WHERE IS HER CUPCAKE😰.

༞

Caitlyn definitely has like a bunch of different skincare products and a huge routine and will definitely force Vi to have one too.

༞

Vi loves malls, will drag Caitlyn to every store she sees and likes her favorites are those store that sell silly stuff like dick pins.

༞

Caitlyn is a god in arcades and even though Vi tries her best to keep up with Caitlyn, she doesn’t really have any success.

༞

While Caitlyn has like fancy skirts, blouses and jewelry on her Amazon wishlist. Vi has things like pillows you can print pictures on (she will use the worst picture of Cait) and silly glasses for some reason.

HOPE YOU LIKED IT LMK IF I MADE MISTAKES.

[sirfrogsworth]

So, the new lens is great. It takes beautiful pictures. And I am still brought to tears when I think about what an amazing gift this is. From a complete stranger, no less.

But there was some unexpected lens drama that kind of tarnished the excitement of this wonderful gift.

When I opened the lens initially, I noticed it was not in a retail box. It was still wrapped in plastic and that made it seem like it was new, but then I noticed there was no warranty card. Two red flags. Things that would be easily missed by a lot of people.

I was worried it was "gray market" which is a lens meant for another country. These can be imported cheaper but they will not have any warranty and if you try to get them repaired outside the intended country, manufacturers will often refuse to work on them.

I hooked up the lens to my computer so I could update the firmware. I also copied the serial number and sent it to Sigma to see if they had any info about the lens and if it was under warranty.

It was not gray market... but it was used.

Sigma's records show it being sold in 2018. Used lenses are fine. And they can be repaired in-country. But my gift giver did not pay for a used lens. Also, I wanted to get the lens focus calibrated. Sigma will calibrate the lens to my camera for free under warranty. Out of warranty, it would cost $100.

Maybe it was a mistake. They sent a used lens by accident perhaps. But then I found this review of the seller.

A pattern of behavior.

So this 3rd party Amazon seller basically committed fraud.

And this really upset me.

Amazon wouldn't let me message them directly due to it being a gift order. So I spent days talking to Amazon customer service and trying to figure out what to do. They asked if I wanted to file a complaint, but I told them no. I wanted to keep that option as leverage.

After some google-fu, I found the store's customer service email and wrote them a sternly worded message. I told them I wanted them to exchange the used lens for a new copy. I wanted them to promise never to sell anything used as new again. And if they did not comply, I would file a complaint and leave a 1 star review warning people not to do business with them.

That finally got their attention and I was emailed back promptly. They asked for pictures proving my claims. I sent them photos of the generic packaging and also this screen capture of my email from Sigma.

The good news... they agreed to exchange the lens.

But they did not acknowledge any wrongdoing and did not say they would no longer sell used lenses as new.

In any case, the matter should be resolved as long as they keep their word. But this all really bummed me out. I just wanted this one bit of joy to tide me over until I started feeling better. And I will have that joy soon. But all of the effort required to reclaim that joy is frustrating.

[ihopesocomic]

Part of the problem with AI generated content and casual viewership/readership is that casual folks might not see what people more "trained" to read/see art content see. A lot of the content is surface level good, and many don't look beyond that surface.

Heck, I've ran into visual pieces that first fooled me and I really had to look to realize what's going on, and I don't like that. I hate that I have to be suspicious of everything.

I just hate this generated AI content fad, I hate how people who are so excited about it are so hateful towards the people whose content is being stolen.

Yeah, I actually made the mistake of buying some prints that were AI generated off Amazon one time. They looked perfectly fine in the previews and there was no warning. Once you got them, it was pretty obvious they were AI trash. Obviously, I returned them.

But that's the thing that doesn't get me, people swear by AI and say how great it is but they also feel they don't have to warn potential customers what they're actually buying. Almost like there is indeed some ethical issue when it comes to deceiving people who want some nice artwork by actual people up on their walls or w/e.

Honestly, the only way I've found to get around it is to either go with famous artwork you know is made by an actual person (Van Gogh prints, just Van Gogh prints everywhere) or reverse searched photography that existed before AI generators were a thing. But it's still an awful situation for small time artists who are trying to make a living by selling original work and are under constant scrutiny. - RJ

[marinetti-dinner-party]

If you all start to mistake the signifiers for the signified you’ll be sooooo annoying

If you read blondes writhing sexlessly on cars in burger commercials as a RETVRN to fascism you’re just the left equivalent of people seeing Amazon’s DEI page and getting scared about woke globohomo. It’s just words n marketing, comrades. Target didn’t care about gay rights, they just wanted to sell rainbow-patterned dresses. We are not facing a Carl’s Jr IMPERIVM, they just want to sell burgers to marketing-poisoned yokels

The only thing these companies and governments care about is keeping the system in place. If enough people yell at them and make a big enough stink that it threatens the profit margins they’ll stop.

[sen-thebootmutt]

hi there! i'm very new to leather and boot care in general (only recently got some fiebing's and huberd's. have been cleaning my boots and those of my friends and I love it so. so much.) and am wondering how you'd recommend starting bootblacking? any equipment recommendations, online or print guides, places to meet folks / find a mentor, etiquette tips, common misconceptions / rookie mistakes, etc?

thanks so much!

Hey, friend! Thanks for your great question, and congrats on getting started!!!

So, first thing I recommend is checking out the literature!! Anyone Can Shine is a great starter resource, and has great info on products, technique, history, the works! A lot of bootblack history and technique is passed orally, so I’d join bootblack groups! The biggest ones I know of are on Facebook and Reddit, so start there!! You’ll also find people advertising events, like the upcoming Take A Stand, a weekend long leather event by bootblacks, for bootblacks, or Bootblack Roundup, a convention meant to share knowledge, skills, and discuss the history and future of bootblacking!!

For starting equipment, it’s pretty accessible and inexpensive. All you need is soap, conditioner, polish, and brushes!! You can get half decent horsehair brushes pretty cheap (one applicator brush, one larger polish/buffing brush) from Amazon or the shoe section of your local big box store like Target or WalMart. For soap, Fiebings is a great start, and most bootblacks use one or more Fiebing products. For conditioner, Huburds is the gold standard for oil tan boots, but when you start getting to garments like jackets and vests, I prefer Obenaufs Heavy LP (also relatively inexpensive and pretty widely available). For polish, use what you have access to! In the USA, Kiwi is the most widely sold, so start there (all the hate on Kiwi is misplaced, imo, it’s a perfectly good product to get you started)!

For mentoring/skillsharing, find your local leather group! Bootblacks are highly sought after by leather clubs, so if you announce a desire to learn, people will pour out of the woodwork to teach you lol. Don’t have a local leather club? Start with the groups I mentioned! You’ll find someone super close to you who would love to talk boot love with you! Additionally, get in the stand! Get your boots done! There’s no better way to learn than by doing, or in this case, being done lmao

Commons misconceptions and beginner mistakes! Bootblacks do more than just boots, and many bootblacks do more than leather! You’ll find bootblacks that love doing neoprene, latex, sneakers, and more! Jackets, caps/hats, chaps, pants, skirts. The list is (near) endless!! For your first time working a stand, take your time! You’re gonna feel the rush of the atmosphere, and maybe even pressure from your client. Be patient, work your technique, and be honest about your skill level. Bootblacking can be erotic and sexy!! If you want to do a scene in your stand, ask your client! What are they interested in doing, or being done to them? Are you feeling submissive or dominant in your stand? Have some sexy fun in your stand!!

One last tip: most bootblacks don’t charge for their services, but never turn down a tip! Even if it’s a swap (I exchanged blacking a pair of leather pants for a guy for a vest he was selling, for example), never doubt your worth. Put your digital payment platforms on a sign, set out a tip jar. Most people know at this point that it’s just good practice to tip your bootblack, so plan accordingly!!

[gold-rhine]

So many good points in that recent post about HSR but the thing that has me salty is Aventurine. So MUCH screentime and for what? To not tie in any meaningful way into the themes of penacony. That screentime should have been given to Robin who is supposed to be Sunday's thematic parallel and the first to realize something is wrong in Penacony. And she gets so little screentime or agency. Or it should have been given to show working with NPCs of penacony. And I also can't help but compare Sunday's "play" to Furina's play. Why is it so convoluted? 💀💀💀

see, i cannot agree with you here. like i don't think robin needed more screentime. mormon popstar missionary going to poor planets to "inspire" them??? no thank you. robin and the whole caged bird bullshit should be rewritten from the ground up

second, out of all characters i think aventurine is actually the one who has clear thematic ties to penacony. like raiden is just there for hi3 fanservice, black swan and boothill are here to sell banners. firefly... is a character. that exists.

but aventurine actually makes a lot of sense. he's from a poor planet that was so desperate for survival, it accepted amazon's help and was destroyed as result. his family died and he became a corporation's property. and now he's doing the same thing that was done to him, that destroyed his people, to penacony. he is now an agent of the same corporation trying to get control of another struggling planet in a moment of despair, and its a planet that once WAS the property of this corporation and got out. thats JUICY conflict. how does he feel about it? how does he justify this to himself? make him see his younger self in one of the penacony's poor children. make him confront that. is he also living in delusion, thinking he can change amazon from the inside, and so it justifies suffering of millions of other people he exploits? does he not care, bc no one cared about him? there is a lot to explore, potential for very complex character work, and they just didn't do shit with it. it just neverwent anywhere. like make no mistake, even tho i'd edit his 4 meandering hours, i wouldn't cut them completely. aventurine has very good setup, the problem is that it was all wasted.

[doodleferp]

Hell on Earth January Update!

I have promised updates about Hell on Earth, and I am delivering it with a bitchin' new poster! First, a quick TLDR for those of us who don’t want to scroll through the whole post:

Issue 2's script is awaiting editing. Issues 3 and 6 is currently being beat-sheeted. All of the issues' general plots have been beat-sheeted.

Thumbnailing has begun for Issue 2 and Issue 6. Concept sketches for the covers have begun. Character reference sheets will come out within the next month or two.

Because I don't fully trust myself to get sufficient content completed by the end of the year, I may push the official release days to December 2025. The quarterly release schedule will stand no matter what.

Issue 1 will be pre-released at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in April 2025 — along with The Book of Haborym.

What is this comic? How did it come about?

Hell on Earth was initially my senior capstone, but I got really attached to it and wanted to make more. Unfortunately, I kept writing the same plot over and over and kept making the same mistakes, so I got really depressed and tried to scrap the whole thing in favor of a new plot. Ove winter break, I made an entirely new plot, cast, script, and thumbnails. I was ready.

Then on January 8th, 2024, I was dragged down a hill by one of the family dogs and I fractured the two bones in your ankle that will not heal on their own. Surgery was required, I was forced to pull out of what would have been my final semester, and I relearned how to walk over the summer. It was a mess, I was a mess, it was horrible.

However, it did give me an opportunity to pay more attention to the capstone. With that time I spent being unable to walk, I started to move back to what I'd originally conceived, now having a fresh start and read all the Walking Dead comics and watched Romero's Living Dead films. And now I've created something that I am not only obsessed with, but am dying to share with the world.

What can we expect from Hell on Earth?

Zombies! Zombies lurking around, stalking us, looming in the background. Because at the end of the day, this is a zombie story. Hell on Earth is going to be a relatively slow burn for the spook side of things, but it will be showing more and more of its face as the story goes on.

I'm planning to do six issues per story arc, and as of now I only want to start with one or two. I have enough material for a second and third run, and if all goes well, I'll get more of my plot ducks in a row. This first run is like an introduction to the world, but it's also a story that can be read on its own.

Where will Hell on Earth be sold?

I'm still figuring that out. I have yet to update my own personal website (I love that Wix wants me to shell out $30 a month to sell things on my own damn site), so I'm open to suggestions and currently searching for a place to sell it. I'm leaning towards selling it on Amazon (boo, hiss) until I have enough money to sell it over my Wix site.

You mentioned pushing the release date back. Why?

I don’t know if I trust myself to finish enough issues by the release date. ADHD is hard to manage on its own, especially when you’re trying to force yourself to get five more issues done over the course of a year and three months. I’m trying hard, but aside from the wonderful pro bono help of my editors, I am making this thing entirely on my own. I’m doing all the writing, penciling, inking, coloring, lettering, and printing, and it's all coming out of my own (jobless) pocket. This is going to take a while. The bottom line is that I want to deliver a quality comic and I want to figure out the workflow that will help me get this done in a timely manner so I’m not turning this into another Book of Haborym.

Why are you still doing the prerelease if you think you'll push this back?

Issue 1 is completely finished. Like, absolutely 110% done. This isn’t a Book of Haborym situation where I’m sorta done with it and still touching it up so I can sell it. It’s done. And since I've already posted about this, I figure it's not worth making people wait more for a thing that's already finished.

I'm lucky enough to have been given a table at the Small Press and Comics Expo here in Columbus with the rest of CCAD's comics seniors. A certain amount of Issue 1 copies will be sold there, along with copies of The Book of Haborym. Yep, that's right. I've finally finished up that goddamn book!

Thank you to everyone who’s supported me in the journey of creating this! I have very high hopes for the way the series could go. And just so y'all aren’t scrolling for nothing, here’s some sketches for future covers!

[breelandwalker]

23. and a little bit of 22 since I feel they often go hand in hand. Me and my Friend both come from religious practices we've inherited from our family (Drabapen and Santería) and there's often a weird feeling of animosity or almost cringe we feel when people (White Americans) incorporate aspects of our cultures and sell what feels like a very sanitized version of something that we associate with a more private traditional practice for monetary gain. I often feel conflicted as someone who wants to be more open or progressive than previous generations by this syncretism of cultures and this well, wider commercialization. What are your thoughts? Sorry for the ramble

22) Do you believe in closed practices?

Yes, I believe that closed practices are a thing. There are plenty of practices, faiths, spiritual traditions, etc. that require some kind of initiation or preliminary course of study in order to join the group. Sacred or ritual practices particular to these traditions are not open for use by the general community, although there may be similar items or practices that ARE open for common use.

For example, rosaries are specifically part of Catholicism and linked to a particular prayer ritual unique to that faith. However, prayer beads as a devotional item or meditation aid appear in many traditions in multiple cultures, so they are open for everyone to use. So there really is no such thing as a "pagan rosary." But there are plenty of pagan prayer beads out there.

And to directly answer your question, yes it IS cringe-inducing to see people cherrypick or surface-skim elements from closed practices in order to make their practice seem special or ancient or mysterious, especially when the use is purely aesthetic and the person in question is clearly doing it for social media clout without any deeper understanding of what they're putting their mitts on. it's something we've been trying to address as a community for a while now and progress is slow, but it's happening. There's syncretism (the natural blending of co-existing cultures over time) and there's ganking somebody's symbols for your tiktok. These are not the same and you're fully justified to be annoyed about it.

23) Do you believe in cultural appropriation?

Cultural appropriation is definitely something that occurs and has been occurring for a long time. It is a product of entitled thinking and a general colonizer mindset that exoticizes foreign or marginalized cultures. It's been happening for centuries but one place that we really see it in blatant, disgusting detail is during the Victorian era, when literal human remains from Egypt were displayed in wealthy homes as "curiosities." It was also fashionable in some circles to attend mummy parties, where corpses were unwrapped during an evening soiree, often while dinner was served, and mumia or pulverized mummy powder was offered to guests as an exotic cure-all, as one might offer snuff or cocaine. And that's far from the only example.

So yeah. I definitely believe in cultural appropriation and also that we as a community should be taking more responsibility for decolonizing our mindsets whenever possible. Because it's our responsibility to be good ancestors and set a better example for those that come after us, rather than just mindlessly repeating the mistakes of the past.

(And for those about to ask the obvious question - Appreciation is fine. Appreciate things all you want. If you're going to make a purchase of artwork or jewelry or what have you, get it from the people whose culture it comes from, not from an Amazon warehouse.)

witchcraft ask game

[dysfunkt1on]

Never mind last night there wasn't much sleep at all for a different reason than usual and a far worse one. I just entered predrome for a migraine that I'm now praying in the next couple days sizzles out. I spent much of today kind of delirious and in pain all over my head. With what little mental clarity I did have I was able to go on Holister and buy a new jacket that isn't fake Chinese garbage flooding Amazon and Ebay that I didn't know I was getting when I ordered my last one as from the pictures it looked like a normal coat but for the fishy low price I should have known better. I only learned what horrible mistake I made when I noticed the initial tracking was some Chinese shipping company and the seller was only some location in the US a bunch of items got processed at. They're getting really sneaky like that on big selling sites now. I now only buy near mint second hand on ebay or new from the official store sites themselves because it's not the first time this happened with an item. At work I had all the extra coffee I could to push myself through and it when I finally got out it was very evident why I had a migraine as it felt like early spring outside with almost no wind when the past few days have been near or below freezing with whipping winds. Whenever I even move my head it erupts in a mini explosion of pain and my eyes feel like they are 5000 pounds. The person ordering the tickets for movie actually mistakenly got them at the movie theater in the mall and said it was alright so I guess this weekend that is wear I'm going but it'ss be later in the afternoon and getting out around 6 PM from a movie is gonna feel weird since I'm so used to late night shows. I might wanna go shopping around anyways while I'm there or might even actually stop in Barnes and Noble next door. I went for a ride with them today to get some take out against what I said I was gonna do yesterday cause I was in a very "fuck it" migraine-y mood and wanted something other than suffering and coffee for dinner. The little trip out for a while did make me overall feel a bit better since there's just something that really puts me at ease with an evening ride in the car to some stores. Maybe because for a short time it provides a little shelter from the world when home doesn't really feel like home. Stills feels empty though because its just some family member who helps me out sometimes and feels more like some temporary shelter to breathe in. When I'm here there's always a sense of frantic danger in the air, never a time when I don't feel like I'm at least somewhat scrambling about trying to prevent some inevitable collapse of my world that can be coming any moment. the alone time I get here is scarce and the amount of things I'm working on at once to eventually escape their choke hold on my life is endless. I'm really getting sick of every day of my life feeling like breaking out of an open air prison. Can't enjoy much or smell the roses when you're constantly growing eyes on the back of your head and needing to walk on eggshells around everyone else. All the eggshells are also made of the most ordinary aspects of my life I need to suppress to not paint a bigger target on my back. I'll take any peace I can get in between the lines but the problem is sitting in someone's car listening to the radio or an isolated trip to the store isn't going to get me anywhere. The ugly part is continuing to pick up the pieces to try to make some coherent picture of what is going on and who I am. A situation with so many layers that even what is safe is highly subjective and I don't have many references to go off of.

[lollytea]

I think book publishing and the promotion of books depends on one key question. Is the book out of passion, for the benefits, or for fame and glory

Don't quote me on this cuz I don't feel like going looking for sources. So I could be wrong about a few things. But based on what I've learned over the years, getting a book deal is heavily reliant on certain factors. Firstly, it's strongly recommended that you have an agent. Publishing houses are unlikely to even LOOK at a submitted manuscript unless there's an agent involved.

Secondly, a lot of the responsibility of marketing the book falls on the author themself. As a result, publishers are not likely to take a chance on just anybody. In our current social climate, the safest authors to sign are the ones who already have a strong social media presence, guaranteeing that they'll have an audience to advertise the book to. The annoying stuff on booktok where authors use snappy ao3 tropes to summarise their books is kinda their only option in a lot of cases. Its a strong effective means of advertising. It guarantees clicks, engagement, enthusiasm etc.

Thirdly, once you sign a deal, the book kinda stops belonging entirely to you. This isn't entirely a bad thing. Editors catch mistakes, flaws in the story and they can even give advice that will significantly improve the final draft. But you lose a lot of the freedom to write whatever the fuck you want and now have to abide by the restrictions put on you. Because now your work is their product so they have to make sure its up to scratch.

Its fun to think that if your manuscript is just amazing enough, you'll manage to blow the minds of some random publishing house and they'll do all the work, desperate just to get your genius story out into the world and they'll let you write whatever you want forever. But it's a lot more complicated than that.

There's a feature on amazon that will let you turn your manuscript into a physical book and then sell it on the site, making it super easy for anybody to become a self published author. I figure that if I ever do write anything, I'll probably just do that. I'll never have anything I write on bookshop shelves but oh well. A book is a book :D