#and we couldn’t afford artificial ones

[selfconsciousfangirl]

I don’t remember being much of a Christmas person before. Life always got in the way, like the time I had to sit a university entrance exam on December 23rd. I was either busy working retail or wrapping up the school year and/or being deeply, clinically depressed. I rarely had the time or energy to put up Christmas decorations. Eventually I stopped doing a Christmas tree and focused on my nativity scene instead, which felt more meaningful to me for a variety of reasons. And then my dad died the week before Christmas and I gave up on the whole thing altogether. It took me a while to feel like doing even that much again, and sometimes I don’t end up doing it until December 24th.

Can’t even remember what was the point I was trying to make. I feel a touch disconnected from the seasonal mood, I guess. My dad was fun to buy presents for and got me truly special things. It’s just not the same without him, that’s just all there is to it. We adapt and choose what makes the most sense

[01zfan]

vice | p. wb

stylist!wonbin x actress!reader | 5.7k words

why was this so fun to write LMFAOOO maybe i’m insane for real you guys. this was a request kinda but i went off on my own. needy lil freak wonbin we love you.

contains: metaphors and allusion to drugs, power imbalance (wonbin works for the reader)

at first to wonbin you were like dessert. a sweet treat for the end of the night to take the edge off of his long days.

he first met you after a long bout of unemployment, something that was common in his line of work. stylists were in an abundance these days, and each time wonbin thought he had a gig it fell through. because of his desperation for work, he ended up agreeing to take a job offered to him by his friend. the pay was shit, the photoshoot was in a studio that would take an hour to get to on public transportation, and wonbin was taking a professional step backwards by joining the team as an assistant stylist. he knew he couldn’t afford to say no so he agreed, not even bothering to ask who the subject of the photoshoot was.

when wonbin arrived the next day, he was greeted by the friend that got him the job. like always, wonbin got the rundown of the day and heard that several things had already gone terribly wrong. he nodded and followed closely behind shotaro, trying to understand what the concept of the photoshoot was and what brands they were allotted to use.

wonbin saw you for the first time when shotaro guided him behind the wall where he saw flashing lights and heard camera shutters. he barely got a glance at you, his view obstructed by a photographers and the makeup team that swarmed you between each camera click. wonbin was amazed at the amount of people, nothing like the low-brow photoshoot he was expecting. when he finally weaved through the crowd of people he caught up to shotaro and asked him who you were.

shotaro was taken aback by his question. wonbin saw his friend stop going through the clothing rack to turn towards him with his eyes wide. wonbin was informed through a tight-lipped whisper that you were an up and coming actress, one of the biggest new names on the scene. shotaro told wonbin that he was lucky to land such a good gig and if he was able to get a permanent role on the team he would be more than well off. wonbin looked back to you as he got a fast explanation and rundown of all the things you were featured in. he could see your side profile, how your hair blew in the artificial wind of the fans. 

“you know i don’t watch movies.” wonbin said, still looking towards you. 

“i suggest you at the very least watch hers.” shotaro looked back to the clothing rack, pulling the next outfit off its hangers to have it ready. “she’s pretty talented.” shotaro says.

wonbin found himself more interested you the longer he looked. you knew your angles, working them well for the camera as the raw photos appeared on the prompter. wonbin watched each one come out flawless, how you took the photographers pointers and acted on them immediately. he had seen too many actors in his time know nothing about posing for a camera, treating every photoshoot like it was a movie. but you did it well, maybe a little too well.

wonbin was only pulled away from you when he heard the director of photography call for the next outfit. wonbin turned to shotaro quickly, recalling all of his prior experience as the assistant stylist. shotaro carefully laid the clothes across wonbin’s outstretched arms and wonbin made his way over to you. 

when you looked up at wonbin from the white block you posed on, he was taken aback. he could admit he wasn’t the best judge of character but something about you just seemed to pull him in. you tilted your head and thanked him for the clothes, motioning for him to lay them beside you. wonbin complied immediately, letting the clothes rest in the free space before bowing away back to shotaro. 

the rest of the day was spent like that. wonbin running around like he was a newbie again, doing everything shotaro needed. the only relief he felt was when he would steal your attention for a moment and when he would be your only focus for a second. each time you thanked wonbin he could feel the heat across his cheeks. he didn’t know what it was, everyone else seemed to be fine around you. you had even built up a rapport with shotaro and the rest of the crew. but when it came to wonbin he was a mess, reduced to deep bows and nods of acknowledgment anytime he got your attention.

wonbin pat himself on the back when the work day was over. he came to the conclusion that being in your presence was inherently embarrassing, that he would never be able to overcome his reddening cheeks or hesitant movement when it came to you. wonbin was excited to go, but when shotaro asked him to come in the next day per your request, something in his mind shifted. he suddenly remembered your lingering looks, the way you grazed his hand and said a shy sorry afterwards. wonbin agreed faster than he should’ve, reasoning that he was just grateful to have a job for another day.

when wonbin first saw you outside of work he was experiencing another late night scouring job listings and watching youtube videos to play in the background. you came on his television due to autoplay, something only slightly related to what he was watching prior. regardless, you came on his screen bright eyed with a wide smile, and a bubbly lift to your voice as you introduced yourself to the camera. 

wonbin tried to ignore you at first, to banish your voice to the backburner of his mind as he focused on more important things. you were meant to purely be white noise to occupy his overactive brain but he kept hearing you. the sentences wonbin typed into his job applications turned into whatever you were saying on his television. so he took a break, closing his laptop as he turned his attention to you. he watched a full thirty minute video of you breaking down scenes of a movie you were in. wonbin watched the whole thing intently with zero prior knowledge of the film. the way you spoke was sweet and expressive, the complete opposite of how you treated him. 

he reasoned with himself that he pulled out his phone to figure out more about you. shotaro’s advice to watch a movie of yours played in his mind as he saw the prices to rent your most recent film. he spent twenty dollars he didn’t have to rent it, and he watched the whole thing curled up on his loveseat.

he was becoming obsessed and before he knew it, wonbin’s whole day started revolving around you. the next day wonbin came to work early with a new appreciation for you. he found himself desperately wanting to make a good second impression, to show you that he was really grateful for the opportunity to work under you. wonbin didn’t know why he wanted to show the good side of himself to you so badly, but he arrived to the studio long before your team came. he found himself lingering outside of the studio waiting for shotaro to park his car, but his friend was forgotten when your sleek black car pulled up to the curb. 

wonbin watched you hop out of the car in an outfit to match. he watched you walk through the parking lot with your entourage huddled around you like fans. you were unbothered with your black shades that you only lifted when you made it past the entryway of the studio. you casted a glance to wonbin at the last second, and he continued to turn his head to follow you. he understood in that moment why you were up and coming, you had something that could only be described as it. wonbin realized the second day how refined you were, how much you advocated for yourself. you could wear anything, from the all black street style to the colorful designer brands they had you dressed in for the photoshoot. 

when he got home after working for you he would scour the internet looking for things about you. in an effort to figure you out wonbin had seen your entire filmography within the month and he could recite almost all of your interviews. it had gotten to the point that you were getting in the way of the work he was trying to do and he was almost alarmed that he didn’t care in the slightest. he was lucky that he had been offered a position as your permanent assistant stylist after shotaro put in a good word for him.

as time went on, whatever wonbin had with you had gotten out of hand. he was able to convince himself that he was just learning about you, but he found that he needed more and more. niche interviews didn’t cut it anymore, he was searching the internet high and low for deep cuts of you. that’s when wonbin began to admit to himself he never had much of a sweet tooth. something as sugary as icecream sated his need after a bite or two. if he had to compare his relationship with you now he would compare you to the bottles of liquor or the powdery white substances that he always saw at the parties you steered clear from. you were something he got hooked on and by the time he realized it was too late.

he couldn’t blame you for being addicting, you were simply existing the same way all vices did. if anything it was wonbin’s fault. he wasn’t diligent enough, he didn’t administer you in small doses. drugs weren’t necessarily was bad if you did it in moderation. but your personality and proximity to wonbin made that impossible. he was all in, up to his neck in you and he was only sinking lower and lower.

you were just so much like him and you didn’t even know it. wonbin blamed it on the fact that he couldn’t wear the clothes he actually wanted to wear at work. he had to make sure that he was comfortable, that he could move the way he needed to when gathering clothes or running around on set. what wonbin really wanted to wear to work was the clothes he had in his closet that you also happened to own. he was able to convince himself that it was always completely by coincidence that the clothes you would wear would appear in his closet in his size. like there was someone else blowing his paychecks to have your exact wardrobe. but wonbin wore it well, and he believed that you would agree with him. 

you were mysterious just like him, a little off-putting but alluring nonetheless. you were his carbon copy—if only he could get the words out to tell you that. wonbin was only able to confess to you in his moments of solitude, when your face would flash through his mind like a bolt of lightning. he got used to whispering your name over and over again at night, just to take the edge off. you were all consuming and you didn’t even know it, the same way all vices were. wonbin believed that if he didn’t have you it would only be something worse. 

as wonbin stayed on your team as a stylist, you eventually took off. you booked important movies projected to be blockbuster hits, you were constantly booked for photoshoots and interviews. he was able to stave off his addiction to you by working for you. he was forced to be the most respectful version of himself to be in your good graces. he was lucky you had taken a liking to him to the point that he became your personal assistant. this meant wonbin got the privilege to follow you around all day like a lost puppy, doing your chores and walking your dog when it visited you on set. he fetched your food when you didn’t feel like getting up. wonbin had become your servant, and he didn’t want anything else. 

being your servant meant he got to see the most intimate aspects of your life. he knew who was in your phone, what you wore and where you ate. he was able to see the things you shared in common and the things he suddenly felt himself taking a liking to. 

the best perk was that he was able to sit in your trailer with you while you napped. after everyone else on the stylist and makeup team was shooed out of your trailer for lunch he had the unspoken permission to stay. truthfully it was because you needed someone to be there to wake you up in time. but you were nice enough to let wonbin take a nap on your tiny couch. you retreated to your bed in the back of the trailer while your manager reminded wonbin what time he needed to be back on set. wonbin nodded gently, settling deeper into the couch as his phone vibrated in his hand. 

right as the door closed wonbin slid down his notifications bar to see what it was. a new interview of yours had just dropped, a picture of you in thumbnail smiling wide with your things spread out in front of you. wonbin looked into your area of the trailer over his shoulder. he saw your feet gliding across the mattress as you laid in bed. he wondered if you were on your phone watching videos like he was. whatever you were doing, he just hoped you were distracted enough.

wonbin knew better than to watch your videos while you were in the other room. he had picked up the nasty habit of losing himself when you appeared on the flat dimensions of his phone. it was like you were in the palm of his hands, the adrenaline of feeling you talk right to him made him lose all self control. he would’ve been able to talk himself out of doing something so bold especially when you were less than a yell away. but that’s what happens when people have addictions—they do stupid things because enough is never enough. that’s why even when wonbin was on the job where you were the topic of every sentence you weren’t talked about enough. in the moments when he would literally on his knees fixing your garment he wasn’t worshipping you enough. he needed his fix and he couldn’t wait another moment. so while wonbin chewed on the nail bed of his index finger he clicked on the video with his thumb.

the orientation lock was already off from the night before and automatically went to landscape mode. the intro music crackled through his speakers in the split second it took him to turn it all the way down. wonbin looked behind him quickly to see that your motions had ceased on top of the bed. he sunk further into the mattress and spread his legs trying to keep up appearances for the invisible audience in front of him. wonbin was solely just doing his job, looking closely at your eyes to make sure the makeup came out well on camera and that your hair was styled right. he cursed himself for letting his bluetooth earbuds die, he needed to hear your voice even though he had been hearing it all day. he was forced to settle for the subtitles and reading your lips. glossy and plush, drawing into a smile each time you sheepishly explained another item in your bag. wonbin felt the urge to look over his shoulder again but he didn’t want to miss a moment. 

he abused the rewind ten seconds button while he pushed down on the tent that always formed in his pants like muscle memory. he brought his leg over the other when he saw you pull out the same sunscreen he owned.

wonbin was always in a negative feedback loop when it came to your videos. he would find a part he liked the most, a little moment of you looked at the camera with big eyes when you were asked a question or a small reaction where you would chew on your lip while in deep thought. no matter how short it was wonbin became obsessed, he would rewind it again and again. he saw you look up to the staff behind the camera for approval a million times, rewinding the video just to have it seared into his eyelids. he watched your delicate hands fiddle with each item as you pulled it out of your bag, how you took the time to sincerely explain each one.

he was too distracted by you that he didn’t know you were right behind him, watching him rewind the same part over and over again. as soon as he felt like something was behind him he heard your voice right next to his ear.

“you really are obsessed with me, huh?” you said.

wonbin instantly let his phone drop to the ground and yelled. it was the loudest he had ever been, the sound bounced off of the walls of your trailer and even made you jump. wonbin stood up from your tiny sofa quickly, rubbing his sweaty hands down his pants as he tried to think of an explaination.

“i was just making sure…” wonbin stammered.

all the excuses he had made up in his head for this exact moment were leaving him. he couldn’t think of anything when you cocked your head to the side with that knowing smirk.

“just making sure what?” you mocked.

wonbin felt red hot shame bloom over his entire body. his eyesight felt like it was blurry even though he wore his glasses and he felt short of breath. he was sure you saw the tips of his ears turn red and his hands instinctually clenching. 

you only watched him, not saying anything else as wonbin pathetically tried to think about anything else other than the churning feeling in his stomach. being underneath your scrutinizing gaze only made everything worse. when wonbin tried adjusting his pants your eyes immediately flickered down to what he was so desperately trying to hide.

he didn’t have the time to decipher the look in your eye. he just knew he had to get out of there as soon as possible. wonbin got up from the couch and headed to the door, pulling down his sweater as low as it would go.

“wait.” you said calmly.

wonbin turned around to see that you held his phone in your hand. he could see your video still playing on his screen, your demeanor on the screen completely opposite of your expressionless face. you held out wonbin’s phone slightly, moving it back and forth for emphasis.

“don’t forget this.” you said casually.

when he reached for his phone you let it fall from your hand. wonbin watched his phone fall to the floor, making a dull thud when it made contact with your carpet. he looked up to you, trying to figure out what you wanted from him. the shame coursing through his veins turned to fire as he watched you settle into the same spot wonbin was in on your couch. his phone was right by your foot, a silent dare for him to come closer.

wonbin wasn’t sure if he was still reeling off of you causing his mind to make up things. was your hand that moved to rest on your knee beckoning to him? were your eyes staring at him with intent or disgust? he didn’t know what to do anymore. he felt himself getting weak, getting closer and closer to the ground until he was on his knees in front of you.

he couldn’t mistake the smile that spread across your face as your eyes followed him all the way to the floor. wonbin remembered seeing that exact smile in the first interview he ever watched of you. it was even more intoxicating in person, the different intent in your curled lips made the churning in his stomach worsen. you looked down quickly to his phone that was by your foot and back to his widened eyes.

“come here wonbin.” you moved your foot to lightly hit the edge of his phone where the video of you still played. “come get your phone.” you said.

your words were innocent and you had genuine curiosity across your face when wonbin stayed in place. you’re one hell of an actress wonbin thought to himself. you played the role of someone who was as non-assuming and confused. he tried to figure out what his role in all of this was, who you needed him to be in your movie. he remembered that he was your loyal servant who heeded your every request. so wonbin slowly started closing the space between his body and his phone, crawling on his hands and knees slowly.

when wonbin was close enough to reach his phone he was beside your leg. he kept an eye on you the whole time, now afraid to move an inch underneath your gaze. when you leaned back on the couch wonbin drew in a breath. you opened your mouth and his body straightened and his eyes widened. 

“what do you want to do to me?” you ask.

when wonbin didn’t have the words you tilted your head to the side and batted your eyelashes. you looked so perfect from down here. pure and unsullied like snow. wonbin wanted to lean forward and take you in deep through his nose.

“i want to smell you.” wonbin sniffled.

when you spread your legs further wonbin couldn’t stop himself from shuffling forward on his knees, almost falling to his hands in desperation. before he could touch you, you put up a hand. wonbin stopped instantly, his shaky gaze going up to you.

“you have to be quiet.” you said, holding up a single finger to show that was your one rule.

when wonbin went back on his haunches to nod eagerly. you waited a beat before nodding to wonbin, hands creeping up your legs until they rested on your waist.

instantly wonbin closed the space between your legs and his body. he attached himself to one of them, kissing your jean clad knee before breathing you in deeply. he couldn’t stop himself from groaning, knowing exactly which perfume you had over your body.

“you smell like me.” wonbin murmurs.

“no.” you lift wonbin’s chin so he looks up at you. you see the blush across his cheeks when you shake your head. “you smell like me.”

you lean back on the sofa and wonbin lets his head drop, cheek resting on your knee. you can hear the whimpers bubble from his mouth, how they turn into whiny little groans when his crotch makes contact with your leg. 

“i can’t tell if you wanna fuck me or be me.” you scoff.

wonbin knew he was told to be quiet but he couldn’t help himself. not when he could feel the patchwork of your jeans rub against the most sensitive part of him. he remembers scouring the internet high and low for your pants only to find out they were custom made, one of a kind. something that was previously so unattainable was in the palm of his sweaty shaking hand. 

wonbin pressed his fingers deep into your leg as he shuffled forward to straddle your foot. he felt your skin dimple underneath his grip and you hissed before jolting your leg. the sudden movement made wonbin cry out pitifully, the pleasure of your leg moving against his crotch was so intense it was nearly painful. he moved his head to hang between your two knees as he stilled to catch his breath. he panted while pressing his forehead into the cushion of your sofa, trying his best to regain his composure. you only watched him and laughed, reaching down to manually loosen the white knuckle grip his fingers had on you.

“don’t leave a mark.” wonbin instantly loosened his fingers at your order. “i have a photoshoot tomorrow.” you said.

wonbin nodded because he knew. vogue italia. you were going to be on the cover, you and your costar were going on the spread. they were dressing you in missoni. the direction was were going for was young and fresh, marking a new generation of actresses and you were the leader. he knew and here he was, holding onto you so tight you could break.

“sorry.” your hand wedged between wonbin’s chin and the couch cushion to lift his gaze again. he looked into your dark eyes, having to swallow to try and mend his meek voice. “sorry.” he repeated.

wonbin didn’t move his hips against your leg again as a way to punish himself. he wanted to show you he had some semblance of control, that he was able to follow orders. he didn’t mind acting becoming your dog—by the way he was panting and whining he was already half way there.

“it’s okay.” you said after a beat. 

he was positive you liked torturing him. the glint in your eye never went away, and your lips were stuck in a permanent smirk at his state. wonbin was sure you tsked at him just to see the dejection across his face, that you responded only after short silences to see his pupils shake. he was sure that you unbuttoned your shirt just to watch the color drain from his face and to see his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed nothing. you took the underside of your chest in your hands, pushing them upwards for wonbin to see. 

you were making a show of it just to see him become even more pathetic. you started slowly raising and lowering your leg and pressed your shin into wonbin’s crotch. he looked down at your moving leg, resisting the urge to move his hips by biting his lip.

“keep going.” you said after planting your feet into the ground.

you leg went back to not moving, but wonbin didn’t mind. he made up for it three times back, dragging his crotch on the bottom of your foot and then against your shin. 

it wasn’t long before wonbin was unraveling again, humping your leg like the dog you were turning him into. he didn’t remember what he was like before this, if he was always this desperate. he didn’t remember ever needing something as bad as he needed you. even though he would eventually get off he could tell that he would need more. you opened wonbin’s world simply by sitting in a chair, he knew that he would leave your trailer he’d be thinking about his next high.

the thought of you declining something like this happening again made wonbin want to savor it. he listened well this time, one of his hands clutched the armrest of the couch and the other gripped the cushion between your two knees. he looked away from your chest, afraid that too much of you would lead to an overdose. with his cheek pressed into your knee again wonbin started rutting his hips against your leg, trying to find any stimulation possible. 

“look at me wonbin.”

he brought his chin to rest on your knee, eyes closed as the even tone in your voice made him feel even more pathetic. it was as exhilarating as it was embarrassing, wonbin switched from rutting is hips back to the slow circular motion he started out with. the pain in his pants made him shudder, his straining dick had at some point made it out of the fly of his boxers and pressed into the cold metal of his zipper. he needed to keep his eyes closed, atleast long enough to focus on only one sensation so he didn’t start crying.

“i said look at me, bin.” you ordered.

wonbin opened his eyes, he could tell they were watery by the stinging feeling of tears threatening to break past his waterline.

his face must’ve been pitiful, because he saw the smirk go away as you tilted your head affectionately. you even looked at wonbin like he was a helpless dog. your hands went to his face, and wonbin preened his head off your knee towards your hands to feel your touch faster.

“i bet you would’ve fucking killed anyone who got the job if it wasn’t you.” you cooed.

wonbin closed his eyes to remember the feeling of your fingers holding his face then opened them just as fast. he was nodding at your statement even though your question was fuzzy in his mind.

“that’s what you wanna hear?” wonbin nodded again, not sure what he was agreeing to—he just needed you to keep talking “you probably shouldn’t even be near me.” you say.

for the first time wonbin found himself disagreeing with you. he didn’t know where he was meant to be, he lived day to day and paycheck to paycheck as a freelancer in a highly competitive profession. but he had no doubt in his mind that he was where he was meant to be, desperately humping your leg in your hotel room biting his lip to stay quiet. he just wished he could’ve articulated this to you—or at the very least shook his head. but wonbin was so caught up in that familiar tightening in his stomach that he continued nodded as he started rubbing against your leg faster.

wonbin nestled into your soft hands. he could smell the shae butter and the minty smell of the medicated ointment your coated on your nail beds. he took in another shaky deep breath that he let out when you tucked a piece of hair behind his ear.

“i can’t deny that you’re cute though.” you said.

you pulled your hands away from wonbin and propped your elbows on your thighs. you looked down at him, how he was so close to tears. you could see his large eyes begging you for more, not even bothering to hide it. there was no way this was the same quiet, elusive, and mysterious wonbin shotaro talked about constantly.

wonbin watched you lean forward until chin rested in your hands. his breathy pants got louder and he dug so hard into the cushion he felt his nails starting to bend. as you leaned closer wonbin strained his neck to get closer to your face before letting it fall back to your knee. you were testing him by bringing your face so close. wonbin could see the blemishes in your skin and the eyebags that were beginning to set it from lack of sleep. wonbin wanted to reach out and caress the apples of your cheeks that glowed in front of him.

“you’re beautiful.” your voice is sweet, and wonbin’s eyes look like they are shimmering for you. “you’re the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen actually.” you coo.

wonbin kissed your knee and you can see the drool seeping past his lips in between his heavy moans. you can tell he’s close, his desperate hips move even faster than before and you can see his knuckles turn white from the way he grips the cushion. you rack your mind for the final blow, trying to think of the thing wonbin needs to hear to get him to make a mess in his pants. he parts his swollen lips, a tiny exhale slipping past before he strings his declaration together.

“i’m close.” he whimpers.

“mhm.” you lean close to wonbin, adjusting yourself off the couch so you can whisper directly into his ear. “we’d make a pretty cute couple, don’t ya think?” you smirk.

almost instantly, a prolonged whine erupts from wonbin’s throat. it’s high-pitched and bounces off the walls of your trailer. you feel his hips still against your leg, and wonbin pulls away from you to press his face into your leg. he muffles out the rest of his whines in your denim, and you can feel the drool filtering through the thick fabric to wet your leg. you would tell wonbin that they’re custom made and he needs to be careful, but your sure he already knows that. you only pull away and lean back into the couch to watch the man get lost in pleasure. he gives your leg a few final thrusts, and then he slumps completely against you. 

when wonbin pulls away from your leg to look back up at you, his eyes are still blown out and glassy. his chest rises and falls quickly, but he doesn’t move himself from against your leg. you start buttoning up your shirt and you can tell so clearly that wonbin wants to help you. when you let your hands rest at your sides wonbin gets the hint quickly. he stands up from his spot on the ground with shaking legs, and puts his fidgeting hands to your blouse. he focuses on the fabric as he buttons up your shirt, and you laugh at wonbin finally showing you a shred of shame. when you look up to him you purposefully bat your eyelashes and bring your hands to gently hold his bicep. he freezes against your hand and bites on his bottom lip quickly. when his unsteady hands successfully button your blouse he pulls his hands away quickly and stands in front of you. you can see the small dark splotch in the front of his pants. you motion towards the spot and wonbin looks too, awkwardly shifting on his feet when he notices.

“do you want me to send you home early?” you ask.

wonbin shakes his head no and adjusts his pants but pulling at the material gathered at his upper thigh.

“i’m okay.” wonbin says.

“you know.” you cross your legs and look wonbin up and down. you’re sure you could eat him whole and you’re positive he would let you. but you’re better at hiding your desperation behind smirks and shoulder shrugs. “maybe if you’re good we can do a little more next time.” you say nonchalantly.

wonbin adjusts his pants again when there’s a knock at your door. a moment later your shotaro comes in, takes a look at the both of you and checks the time on his phone.

“lunch is over, are you ready?” he says.

you get up quickly, shaking yourself off and casting one more look to wonbin before looking to shotaro.

“i’m ready.” you say, grinning ear to ear.

[copperbadge]

Every time, you guys. Every time I look into alternatives to Lulu.com for self-publishing I come up with “Wow Lulu really is the best of a bad set of options, huh?” 

Recently, Draft2Digital bought Smashwords in order to bring a print book company under their aegis; they’d formerly only done ebooks. I thought I might investigate them as an alternative to Lulu, which I’ve used for about twelve years now. For ebooks I would venture D2D is probably top of the line. For print books they are....not. 

I’m writing this out half so other folks can see it but half so that in the future I can look this up and remind myself of why I’m still with Lulu. 

TLDR: Not only does Draft2Digital want 60% of my print book royalties where Lulu takes 0%, and $30 for a proof that costs me $11 at Lulu, but I also appear to have solved the problem of why Lulu was making me price my books so goddamn artificially high. Which is like. Honestly the best anti-anxiety drug I’ve experienced this week. 

Basically there are a number of elements that go into self-publishing with a print-on-demand service. For some publishers, there’s a “setup fee” which doesn’t really set anything up, it’s just there to be a fee, everything is done by computer on the back end. Traditionally, Lulu has not charged a setup fee. Smashwords used to charge $50, but Draft2Digital currently waives it. I was heartened by that because the setup fee was keeping me from migrating, since I can afford $50 but I balk at knowing I’m paying them $50 for nothing. 

Next is the cost of printing -- what it costs the company in paper, ink, machinery, labor, etc, to just make a book with no profit. Lulu’s price calculus isn’t super clear and I’ve never bothered looking at what the breakdown is, because they’re pretty up-front -- they tell you in the process of setting the book up how much it’ll cost. In this case, a 140-page 6x9 trade paperback, no frills, which is how all my books are printed, is $5. Draft2Digital doesn’t tell you the flat price anywhere but they do offer the breakdown information; it costs $1.22 flat plus $0.0133 per page. So, for a 140 page book, the at-cost is $3.08. So far so good. 

Now, if you’re going to sell through Lulu, the “at cost” is the minimum price. You won’t make any money but you CAN charge just $5 for a $5 book. Any pricing above that is your cut. So -- let’s price this 140 page trade paperback at $13-$15. That’s a bit high to be honest but let’s just see. At Lulu, your take is roughly $6-$8 based on those prices, because you’re just dropping out the cost of printing from the retail price. 

At Draft2Digital, the same 140-page trade paperback, which remember is quoted as costing roughly $1.20 less to print than Lulu charges, gets you $2.75-$3.50 in royalties per book.

....wait, what? 

So now we need to sidetrack a little but I promise it’s for a reason. One of the motivations for looking into a change to Draft2Digital is that I didn’t like that Lulu was setting higher “minimum prices” than I was accustomed to -- they would tell me the book only cost $5 to print but require me to sell it for $12 or similar, and I couldn’t work out why. I’m an idiot but the penny did finally drop: it’s because when you distribute them outside of Lulu (say, on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or similar) your royalties drop like a stone. $7 in royalties purchased through Lulu comes out to like twenty-five cents purchased through Amazon. So Lulu forces you to price the book at a point where you even GET royalties and don’t end up weirdly owing Amazon money. The “global distribution” is what’s driving that minimum up. 

So in price-quoting a competitor I actually solved the problem with Lulu. 

Which is good, because the fun doesn’t stop there. If you want a proof copy of a book from Lulu, it’s the at-cost of the book, plus tax, plus postage. Buying a proof copy of this book from Lulu would cost me $11. Lulu makes you order a new proof copy every time you make a change, which is shady, but usually I only need to make 1-2 changes across the life of a book, so at most the cost will probably be $35 and for that I’ll get three copies of the book. Draft2Digital doesn’t give you an option. If you want a proof pre-publication, it’s $30 flat. If you want to publish and then buy a copy you can, but you can only make one change to the book every 90 days once it’s published. If you want to make more than one change, it’s $25 every time you upload a new version of the manuscript within that 90 day period.

So Draft2Digital’s books cost less to print but they take a massive cut of your royalties out of the retail cost of the book. If the book costs $3 to print, and I price it at $15, that’s $12 in profit on the book. Of that $12, however, I only receive $4. Draft2Digital literally wants 2/3 of my royalties per book. They want $20 more than Lulu to send me a proof copy. If I need to correct the proof, the correction is free, but I’m assuming the second proof will also cost me $30. Any changes after that, within 90 days, will cost $25 plus $30 for a new proof.

Which means my upfront costs at Lulu are about $35 per published book; to do the same thing at Draft2Digital is between $60 and $105 depending on whether I need to make changes after the second proof copy. And even after that, my royalties at Lulu are just about twice what they would be at Draft2Digital per purchase. 

So, well, Lulu it is. And the problem I was having with Lulu is solved if I decide to just retail through Lulu rather than selling globally. Which...selling globally has done two things that I’m aware of:

1. Fucked up my author page so badly on Amazon that one of my books is still attributed to Kathleen Starbuck, and one of her books is for sale on my author page. 

2. Raised the minimum price I’m allowed to set my books at by like, 40%. 

So I think probably what’s going to happen is going forward my books will be for sale only on Lulu. I can still assign them ISBNs and they still will ship worldwide, and the prices will fall significantly. My deepest apologies to those of you who have paid an artificially inflated price for the last few books; I’m going to fix that going forward, I’m going to go in and try to fix it retroactively in the books that are already on Lulu, and if it’s any consolation at least the cash came to me, and TWO THIRDS OF IT didn’t go to Lulu. 

It’s gonna take me a little time, untangling Lulu’s relationship to other retailers is tricky, but eventually the Shivadh Omnibus and Twelve Points should come down significantly in price, and there ought to be a dollar or two drop for the older books as well. 

This is why it always pays to do the math, even if like me you are dreadful at it. 

[lothli]

III: Cacophaton

He was following me home. I could hear the faint buzzing — not with my ears, but within my brain. The elevated heartbeat, the desperate yearning for everything and nothing. The Long, the man-insect-creature. I tried to lose him.

He continued to follow. To be perfectly honest, shaking him would be near impossible. I needed to confront him.

The streets here were quiet and abandoned. I stopped, and so did he. The buzzing softened.

We stared at each other. He had returned to a more human form, but the faint incongruities remain. He smelled of hemolymph, and the buzzing of insects surrounded him. His eyes were an inky black, with no whites to speak of. They swirled with something unknowable.

He grinned at me before a cacophony of voices spilled out.

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care, I DON'T care, I don't CARE—" "Extra! Extra! Read alllllllll about it!—" "I don't like it here please get me out please get me out please—" "Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not—"

They shrieked, jarringly separate, overlapping, and contradictory. I flinched, backing away instinctively as the barrage continued.

"Do you want to hear a secret? Too bad, too bad! Those are aaaaall mine! But if—" "Step One: Start by pouring the spaghetti into a pot of boiling water. Add a can of motor oil—" "—the rules for distinguishing moths from butterflies are not well established, one very good guiding principle is—" "WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME!?"

My head hurt. Was he even saying anything? Did it matter?

"Stop. Talking." I needed it to stop, but he certainly didn’t obey me.

"What does a caterpillar think when it spins its cocoon? Does it know—" "The modern English word moth comes from Old English moððe—" "It's okay, it's okay. I'm sorry. I can't control it, it's just—" "Non posse à nobis dubitari, quin existamus dum dubitamus—"

I had to remember: he wasn’t human. He was Long and not a hostile one at that. I couldn’t afford to do something hasty. But still, this method of communication was unbearable.

"Please. I cannot understand you when you are like this." Desperately, I tried to bargain with him. He tilted his head a bit, and the endless deluge of voices thins.

"Fine, fine, mortal. Is this good enough?— while moths are notorious for eating clothing, most species do not, and some moth adults do not even —toned it down for you a little. I wouldn't do this if I didn't like — in gi rum imus noc te et con sumi — so. That's about it."

I blinked. It was slightly more comprehensible, but I still struggled to process his words.

"What is it that you want?"

"A little birdy told me that you've been poking around, investigating, cutting up Children. Moths frequently appear to circle artificial lights, although the reason for this behavior (positive phototaxis) is currently unknown. It's not that I don't approve, it's more that — Step Five: Squeeze a dollop of toothpaste into the mixture. Toothpaste — someone as weak as you to do something like that, you feel, understand, get me?"

I was finally starting to understand him. I focused, parsing out that one voice, flitting about, constantly changing, and zeroed in on it. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay. So from what I understand, you think I was being reckless by taking on the Children by myself, but you don't disapprove?"

"Right, right, you got it. And hey! You've actually managed to filter out a single, solitary, unique voice, huh? That's quite impressive, spectacular, great!" he grinned, just slightly too wide.

"Your voice. Do you have any control over the rest of them?" The other voices were still droning on and on, and I gritted my teeth.

"Ah, well, you see, this voice is the one that's trying to actually communicate with you. Everything else, all those other words I speak, are merely random things that have floated into my head and come spilling out." He cricked his neck, the sound reminiscent of an insect being crushed. "They're quite wonderful thoughts, of course. I'd really recommend you try out my spaghetti recipe later, at the very least!"

"And why is this voice the only one that can communicate? Why are the other voices there in the first place?"

He laughed, his cackle echoing through the night air like the buzzing of a thousand moth wings.

"Because, you silly human, you foolish mortal, you are only slightly, marginally interesting. Interesting enough to attract my attention, which is an accomplishment, a feat. But certainly not ALL of my attention. No, no, no, not quite, not nearly, not yet."

"What do you want?"

"You have been cutting up Children, butchering them. And that's great! I hate those damn Winter cultists. They're too stagnant for my tastes, you see. Too... uninteresting. But, that said, your methods are, unfortunately, somewhat lacking. You have a tiny little knife, and you try to stand against Long? That won't work unless you're Long yourself! Which you're not. You're just a mortal who’s a little bit sharp, has a little bit of Edge. And that's no good."

I didn’t like where this was going. There was no way he was suggesting...

"No, no, no. I can tell by your face that you're worried about my ulterior motives, or my plans, or something." The Moth Long’s face scrunched up in disgust. "Are you mocking me? Do you not understand Moth? We don't give two whits about that kind of thing. We're all about the now, and the now is that I'm a bit bored, and you're a bit interesting, and so I want to see how you can cut up these Children of Silence. And I think you want that, too."

"What I want is for the cults to be destroyed. Not simply weakened. Destroyed." And him, too. But I wasn’t stupid enough to say that out loud.

"Good! Good! I hate Winter, and I hate stagnation, and I hate the Dead, and I hate the silence! And one of the best way to destroy something is with Edge! You're quite versed in Edge, aren't you? I can see the scars! The scars on your skin, which you refuse to shed." His eyes gleamed, and I shuddered.

"Edge is a tool, nothing more. But if you're offering, I would be a fool to decline."

He grinned, a wide gash across his face.

"I'll offer a helping hand, a hand, a hand cut off from The Son, a hand that doesn't know itself!"

"It's not a literal hand, I hope," I groaned. I wouldn’t put it past him.

"Nope, not a real one, not quite, not yet. Here." He tosses over a worn ball of iron — no, Taenite-iron. It fit comfortably within my palm. "That's the kinda thing I'm talking about. It's sharp, it's strong, it's heavy, and it will cut through almost anything. A bullet used to hunt monsters, of creatures bigger than any mortal. You can keep it around, let it hone your Edge, or use it. Fire it. Pierce someone with it. Make a nice, new scar."

"I thought you said the best way to destroy something is with Edge." A rounded ball didn’t seem very Edge-like to me.

The Moth Long pretended to make a shocked face. "This is an Edge artifact! I'm hurt. Do you think I'm lying? I'm not. I don't lie, not often, just sometimes, not to you, not yet."

I sighed, eyeing the artifact. On closer inspection, it seemed to be infused with Edge, with a strange sharpness that belied its shape. I pocketed it.

"You're right. I'll take it."

"Excellent. Excellent. I will see you around, then." He stood, and his moth wings burst out from his back. His eyes shone in the dark, and he flew into the sky. He was gone, leaving only a few wayward moths in his wake.

I stared into the night. The first light of dawn was peaking above the buildings. I needed to retreat and rest up. I would have more work to do, and soon.

[bennydwight]

TGAMM Oneshot (Spoilers: S2E3 A Soda to Remember)

Summary: Practically every visit to the Ghost World in the past year had been a result of the Council dragging Scratch under, kicking and screaming the whole way. And now, here he was, seeking them out.

All because of a STUPID soda.

(A oneshot born from a headcanon. As always, ao3 format here)

Scratch hovered, staring at the swirling black portal, and wondered if he might be crazy.

He avoided the Ghost World on principle, too many people he couldn’t just disappear from if he didn’t want to be seen, too many eyes on him, especially now that he wore The Cloak. The food was serviceable at best and the company worse. Plus, practically every visit to the Ghost World in the past year had been a result of the Council dragging him under, kicking and screaming the whole way, so obvious negative connotations there.

And now, here he was, seeking them out.

All because of a stupid old soda.

Most of him was grateful to Molly, and Libby, and Darryl, for risking their safety on their dumb little heist. It showed (in their own obsessive, pushy, annoying way) that they cared for him, and he could appreciate that. But a smaller part regretted the whole ordeal, a pain in the neck that had opened too many doors.

Like this one. To the Ghost World.

Scratch turned away, the portal swirling closed behind him. This was stupid! He shouldn’t even bother making the trip to the Council, all they’d do was stuff him into the robe again and demand he make decisions that weren’t ‘where to hide the caramel ribbon ice cream so Sharon wouldn’t find it’. Lame, unimportant things, and a two minute trip would take two hours, and he had a nap scheduled that he couldn’t afford to miss, and—

A vehicle pulled away outside, the sound drifting in with a breeze that rustled the curtains, and Scratch was slammed into the Memory without warning: curly brown hair, a sunny smile that matched a yellow shirt, artificial strawberry on his tongue. “Every time we drink this soda, we’ll think of each other—”

And just as suddenly, the world crashed down again, leaving him disoriented and annoyed and shaken. He gripped his head in his hands and growled at the dark sensation of loss clawing open his gut, riding out the displaced emotion like a wave of nausea. Why? Why this memory? Why couldn’t he remember something nicer, like a family pet, or a nice meal, or even his own name?

The next portal opened, inches from his nose. Well that was embarrassing, he was making them involuntarily now.

Way too many open doors lately. In his head, in the ether, downstairs whenever Ollie came over. What he wouldn’t give for some closure.

Yeah right. Like he was ever that lucky.

Scratch paced in angry circles, fists flexing at his sides, all the while eyeing the new portal. He moved towards it, backed away. Advance, retreat. He turned his back on the twisting abyss, form tight with stress. No, he wouldn’t go, he’d call it off—

“That way, I’ll never forget you. And you’ll never forget me.”

Spirits below, fine!

He launched himself through the portal before he could change his mind. The Ghost World hit like a smelly, dour slap to the face. Or maybe that was just the vibe of the Council chamber. His four ‘advisors’ sat hunched over their massive curved desk, quill pens in hand, and not a single one of them looked up at his presence. Almost out of habit, Scratch flinched at the empty slot between them, the silhouette of the (former) Chairman looming in negative space before Scratch blinked and the illusion disappeared.

Not foreboding at all.

He waited, hovering over the spot where he was normally summoned. Nada. “A-hem.”

Alistair gestured over his shoulder to that huge, vacuous with his quill. “You know where to be, Scratch.”

Curse these chuckleheads and their rules. “Yeah, no, I’m not ‘Chairmanning’ today,” he fingerquoted. “Taking my two weeks vacation. All year.”

“Then you’re dismissed.”

Oooh no, no one could just dismiss Scratch anymore. “Trust me, I’d love nothing more than to be as far away from you guys as possible, but I got a quick question.”

“Is it about competency,” Bartholomew grinned nastily, “because then it won’t be quick.” The others sniggered loudly at the quip. It wasn’t even that funny! Pete could do better! Fury spiked down Scratch’s arms and back in a ripple of agitated ectoplasm, size swelling briefly as he fought down the urge to adopt a scare form. They’d probably just make some kind of dumb comment about how he could catch up on his scare quota.

There was really no one else in the Ghost World for these questions?

Through gritted teeth, Scratch bit out, “it’s about memories.”

Quills stilled and the Council glanced at each other in that secretive, in-jokey way that made his form bubble. Alistair set down his quill to rest his chin on the bridge of his hands, looking an equal mix of suspicious and smug. “What about memories?”

How to get them back? How to get rid of them forever? Suppression? Answers? All those felt too… personal. “Why do ghosts come here with out memories of their past life?”

Another infuriating round of glances, and Scratch was tempted to put The Cloak on just to yell at them in Scary Chairman Voice when Grimbella said, “All ghosts have memories.”

The world tilted, the metaphorical rug whipped out from his metaphorical feet, and the world dimmed as Scratch’s opacity flickered the slightest bit. All ghosts. A fact. So why didn’t he? “They remember everything?”

“Not exactly,” Lucretia set her quill down in its pot. Had none of them ever heard of pens? “The amount of retained memories change with the ghost, but generally important memories regarding personal identity remain intact.”

He’d intended to come into this conversation casually, but to his humiliation, Scratch burst like a dam. “But why only some memories?” He demanded, floating up to their desk and pacing again. “Why are some more important than others? Who decides? What makes a memory important enough to bring to the afterlife?”

Grimbella answered easily, not one iota of attention paid to his turmoil. “A ghost keeps them based on what they knew in life.”

Oh, if they’d been keeping this from him, he was going to sic the frightmares on them so fast. “What do you mean?”

“The exact details are still being researched,” Alistair admitted with a snooty shrug. “But patterns suggest that a ghost’s memories are most strongly linked to the interpersonal connections that they held in high regard during life.”

“Like you,” Scratch turned on Grimbella, and her cool disinterest brought up another surge of annoyance. “Grunhilda, or whatever. You know your name!” And he got it wrong on purpose out of spite.

A shimmer of satisfaction lit his core as her unflappable brow finally furrowed. “Grimbella,” she corrected icily, and Scratch made a mental note to get her name wrong at every possible opportunity. “It’s true, my family name was very important in my upbringing. Most of my strongest memories are of the pride my parents showed when teaching family history.” She trailed off, wistfully staring into the middle distance with a dreamy look. Gross.

“But names are a low bar,” Bartholomew cut in, casting Grimbella a side-eye. “An interpersonal relationship doesn’t have to be strong for a ghost to remember their name. As long as there was someone to give voice to a name during life, a ghost could remember it after death.”

“Not that you’d know much about that, Scratch,” Alistair pointed out greasily, and the next round of barely contained snickers nearly popped Scratch’s eyes out.

“At least I didn’t get stuck with a name that sounds like it crawled right out of a medieval toilet,” he snapped back.

Up went the quills again, their interest in him noticeably waning. “Don’t get waspish about it,” Alistair’s face hardened. “Some ghosts would kill to be in your position. Not all memories are warm and fuzzy.”

He’d mentioned something about his dad once, hadn’t he? On the list of ‘Things Scratch Cared About’, Alistair’s past was somewhere below ‘amount of carbohydrates in a loaf of garlic bread’, but recent events pulled a twinge of guilt from him.

He’d said he didn’t want to know. That was still true. And it wasn’t. Would he be better or worse if he’d remembered every second of being a lonely, bitter, jaded man in life? He’d still be Scratch either way, right? Except he wouldn’t be, he’d have a human name.

He’d absolutely been Scratch this morning. Now he wasn’t sure. Was anything about him real?

“Scratch?” His head whipped around to Lucretia, half from being torn out of his thoughts and half because he’d never heard her sound so gentle. Almost sympathetic. She still hunched over her book, but pinned him under an unreadable stare. “If it’s any consolation, there have been numerous cases of ghosts discovering more of their memories as their time here lengthens.”

Scratch’s colour shuddered, and he refused to believe it was hopeful. “How?”

“Through intense meditation and unparalleled self-discipline, of course.”

Scratch gagged. “Hard pass.”

Lucretia’s expression clouded back to it’s normal stormy gray. “Then I hope you enjoy your afterlife as a nobody.”

He knew a final dismissal when he heard it (those jerks, still finding a way to snub him even after he became their boss). He wasted no time building a portal back to Molly’s room, and the moment it closed behind him a huge weight lifted from above his head. Hello, Damocles. Ugh, every second he spent in the Ghost World was a second too long.

Something pulled insistently at his mind, and the ripples of his ectoplasm went still. The confusion and uncertainty and sorrow tearing at him as he faced the Council had… just flown away with that weight. He wasn’t a ‘nobody’ in this room, in this house.

He was Scratch McGee.

He had a best friend, and two (three?) good friends. He liked bread and ice cream and comedy, and thought the Crazy Carl movies were overrated, and got into arguments about it. He’d had a sleepover, and ridden a motorcycle, and hadn’t done pottery yet but still kind of wanted to try. He had a family that loved him, and a house, and a town.

Maybe he’d been someone before Scratch. But Scratch had a life too, and it was pretty darn good. A forgotten past didn’t make his present any less real. He had experiences and fun and wants and dreams, like any living person.

Like now, in fact. After dealing with the headache that was the Council, he dreamed of leftover meatloaf and a nap on the couch.

Maybe his past would come up again. Maybe not. But in the meantime, he’d enjoy being Scratch McGee.

 END

[adamwatchesmovies]

Bad Genius (2017)

No matter how difficult your studies might’ve been, they’ll seem like a walk in the park after Bad Genius. The cultural pressures imposed on the young protagonist make you understand why this story about an important test turns into a heist.

Brilliant Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is accepted into a prestigious school. She doesn’t realize that her scholarship covered only the initial application fees, leaving her father to struggle to afford a number of additional payments that weren’t disclosed intially. Out of guilt, Lynn agrees to help some of her friends cheat during their exams, which turns into a highly profitable endeavor. As her clientele grows, so do the stakes, culminating in an elaborate scheme to steal the answers for the STIC.

The culture Bad Genius is based in makes this more than a generic heist film. While there is pressure on everyone to get good grades, the school Lynn attends takes it to another level. After Lynn and Bank (Chanon Santinatornkul) perform well in a TV competition that pits schools against each other, a gigantic banner with their portraits and achievements is hung on the side of the skyscraper-like learning institution for all to see. Talk about pressure. With the corrupt academic officials basically coercing her father into giving them more money, you can see why she succumbs to temptation and decides to help Grace (Eisaya Hosuwan). That leads to Lynn helping Grace and her boyfriend Pat (Teeradon Supapunpinyo) cheat, which leads to loads of people wanting her "help" too. There could’ve been a slight problem with this story. You might care about Lynn but all of her friends are spoiled rich idiots who couldn’t answer a multiple-choice exam if their gift of a brand new car depended on it, so where are the stakes? Thankfully, writers Tanida Hantaweewatana, Vasudhorn Piyaromna and Nattawut Poonpiriya (who also directs) are aware of this potential issue. They team Lynn up with Bank (Chanon Santinatornkul), who also desperately needs the money. He's also from a lower caste, in a country that would never give him or Lynn the chance to move up if it wasn't for this scheme.

Another element that makes Bad Genius unique is that it isn’t all about stealing the STIC answers. At first, the movie is just about Lynn figuring out how she’ll pass her messages to her classmates without the teachers figuring out what’s going on. To anyone who ever read Naruto - or watched the animated series - it’ll remind you of one of the very first chapters, where all of these wild techniques are used to do what is really just a mundane task. The thing is, the tests feel big because of what it means to the people involved.

That's great and the performances are strong. You wouldn’t even know most of the young actors are relatively inexperienced. Then, there’s the direction by Poonpiriya. The film begins with Lynn as she's being confronted about cheating on the STIC. You think the movie is spoiling itself but actually, it’s pulling a fast one on you and when we get to the reveal, it's so good I kind of want any aspiring screenwriters to see this movie just so they can add a new trick to their arsenal.

One aspect of the film that doesn’t quite match the rest is the conclusion. There’s one particular character whose allegiance changes drastically towards the end and while it isn’t completely out of nowhere, it sort of makes you wish the whole film had been done from their point of view. At the very least, you wish they had gotten more screentime so we'd seen more of their journey. There are also a few moments where the tension feels like it’s being ramped up artificially. A cell phone vibrates. Its owner is afraid to pick up because they know the message they've received is incriminating… but the person looking at them doesn’t know that. If they just looked at the phone and casually turned the screen off after two seconds, no one would be the wiser. Their reaction makes you frustrated.

Bad Genius does a terrific job making what should be a no-stakes, boring scene - students taking an exam - into a compelling drama. That alone makes it delightful. While this movie or the true events that inspired it might not get directly remade by Hollywood, it's only a matter of time before someone takes inspiration from it. I say check out Bad Genius before it’s the cool thing to do. (Original Thai with English subtitles, February 4, 2022)

[spoekelse]

Great news everybody! New evil weeaboo tech guy just dropped! And my favourite image is applicable once again!

So, November 6th was a sort of holiday for the Sword Art Online community. Like with Blade Runner, which took place in the distant future of 2019, Sword Art Online began on November 6th, 2022.

(Sword Art Online is a science fiction isekai novel series that was adapted into anime, manga, movies, and games.)

On this fabled day, gamers put on their NerveGear VR headsets, devices that connected to the brain to provide a “full dive” virtual reality experience. But once they logged on, they found out that they couldn’t log out. The creator’s avatar announced to them that if they tried to take the headset off, they would die, and that if they died in the game, they’d die in real life too. The headset would use microwaves to fry the player’s brain.

So what did our guy do?

“The good news is that we are halfway to making a true NerveGear. The bad news is that so far, I have only figured out the half that kills you,” Luckey said.

THE FOOL COULD ONLY FIGURE OUT THE KILLING HALF

You will never be Akihiko Kayaba, you slimy nerd

And as is par for the course, he completely missed the point of Sword Art Online.

Aside from his predictably anarcho-capitalist political views, he is co-founder of defence contractor Anduril Industries

Any defence contractor is naturally disgusting, but this one is deliciously ironic, too! Because what do they specialise in? According to LinkedIn, "national security, defense technology, and artificial intelligence". They use AI in drones for border security. And the villains of Sword Art Online's 4th arc are American defence contractors who want to steal the AI technology developed by fictional company Rath to use to pilot drones.

Anyway, he’s the one who made the deal with Facebook “Meta”, to sell Oculus to them while retaining a huge stake in the company. Before he sold it to Facebook, the Oculus Quest 2 was the affordable VR headset, as it included the necessary computing power, so you didn’t need to connect it to your own device. However, then he made the Facebook deal, to help Zuckerberg’s Metaverse take off. The Oculus Quest 2 is now the Meta Quest 2, and if you buy it, Facebook gets access to all of your data and will surveil you while you use it. You can still buy a version not connected to Meta- rebranded as being “for business use”, and it’s functionally the same- but it costs double. This move was to force the Metaverse onto people.

Basically, he's saying "one day you will be able to die in the Metaverse <3".

I hope he puts on his headset and it kills him.

[xinrenresearch]

The Global Black Light Bullet Camera Market: Shedding Light on Security Innovation

The world of surveillance has seen immense technological evolution, especially as security demands have heightened across sectors. One of the stars of this evolution is the black light bullet camera. These unique devices are transforming security, especially for night-time surveillance, and have become essential in industries from retail to residential to government facilities. This article will dive into the black light bullet camera market, exploring its rise, the technologies driving it, and how it's shaping the future of security.

Full report on: https://www.xinrenresearch.com/reports/global-blacklight-bullet-camera-market/

1. The Rise of Black Light Bullet Cameras

Black light bullet cameras offer several advantages over traditional security cameras. Known for their cylindrical design and outdoor-friendly casing, bullet cameras have been a staple in surveillance. The "black light" variety, however, is a newer development. Leveraging advanced infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) technology, these cameras can capture clear images even in low-light or no-light environments.

This night-vision capability makes them indispensable for businesses and homeowners concerned about after-dark security. Demand has surged, especially in sectors with high-security needs like retail, logistics, and even agriculture, where 24/7 monitoring is essential.

2. Key Drivers of Market Growth

Several factors are propelling the global black light bullet camera market forward. These include:

Increasing Security Threats: Rising crime rates and security breaches in both urban and rural areas have led organizations and individuals to adopt advanced surveillance solutions.

Technological Advancements: The development of sophisticated IR and UV technology, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), has allowed for better image clarity, anomaly detection, and real-time alerts.

Growing Demand for Smart Cities: With governments investing in smart city infrastructure, security cameras like black light bullet cameras are becoming an integral part of urban planning.

Affordability and Accessibility: As technology advances, the costs of black light bullet cameras have decreased, making them accessible for small businesses and homeowners.

3. Innovations Shaping the Market

The black light bullet camera market is ripe with innovation, bringing powerful features to security professionals and everyday users. Here are some of the most exciting developments:

Enhanced Night Vision Capabilities: Traditional IR cameras often produce grainy or distorted images at night. Black light cameras, on the other hand, capture high-resolution images, ensuring details are clear and recognizable even in darkness.

AI-Driven Video Analytics: Many black light bullet cameras now come equipped with AI-powered video analytics. These capabilities include motion detection, face recognition, and even behavioral analysis, allowing cameras to distinguish between regular and suspicious activity.

Integration with IoT and Cloud Storage: The Internet of Things (IoT) has connected devices in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Now, black light bullet cameras can connect to smartphones and tablets, enabling remote access and cloud-based storage for secure, tamper-proof footage.

Durable, Weatherproof Designs: One of the key features of bullet cameras is their robust, weatherproof casings, designed to withstand outdoor conditions. This ensures cameras can provide reliable security year-round, regardless of weather.

4. Market Segmentation

The black light bullet camera market can be segmented by various factors:

By Application: Residential, commercial, industrial, and government.

By Technology: Wired vs. wireless, AI-enabled vs. non-AI-enabled, and different levels of IR/UV capabilities.

By Region: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Each region has unique demands and growth drivers. North America, for instance, is driven by tech-savvy consumers and widespread adoption of smart home security. In contrast, Asia-Pacific’s growth is fueled by urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and a focus on infrastructure.

5. Challenges Facing the Market

Despite its potential, the black light bullet camera market faces several challenges:

Privacy Concerns: Increased surveillance can lead to privacy debates, particularly in residential areas where individuals may feel uncomfortable with extensive monitoring.

Technical Limitations in Extreme Conditions: Although black light cameras are durable, some still struggle in extreme weather or remote locations where power and connectivity can be issues.

Cybersecurity Risks: As these cameras are often connected to networks and the cloud, they are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Manufacturers must invest in robust cybersecurity to protect against data breaches.

Cost Sensitivity: While prices have decreased, black light bullet cameras remain a significant investment for small businesses and residential users, particularly for more advanced models.

6. Future Outlook and Opportunities

The black light bullet camera market is poised for continued growth, driven by advancements in AI, affordability, and integration with smart technology. Here are some key trends to watch:

Adoption of 4K and 8K Resolution Cameras: Higher resolution capabilities mean better image quality, which can aid in identifying suspects and observing minute details. This trend is particularly relevant for sectors with high-security needs, like finance and government.

Energy Efficiency and Solar-Powered Options: As the world moves toward sustainable practices, the security industry is also innovating with low-energy options. Solar-powered black light bullet cameras are expected to become popular in remote or eco-conscious regions.

Hybrid Systems with Drones: Combining stationary black light cameras with drones for broader, more flexible surveillance is an emerging trend. Drones can respond to alerts triggered by the camera system, providing an aerial view for enhanced situational awareness.

Focus on Residential Applications: While commercial use dominates, the residential sector is catching up, with more homeowners opting for black light bullet cameras to improve night-time security.

7. Key Players in the Market

Several leading companies dominate the black light bullet camera market:

Hikvision: Known for its high-quality cameras and innovative AI-driven analytics.

Dahua Technology: Offers a range of black light cameras with night-vision technology and robust designs.

Axis Communications: This Swedish firm is a pioneer in networked surveillance and offers high-end black light bullet cameras for various applications.

Sony and Samsung: Though more known for consumer electronics, these companies have entered the security market, bringing high-resolution technology to black light cameras.

8. Conclusion: The Future of Surveillance in a Black Light World

The global black light bullet camera market is set for impressive growth as demand for reliable, high-quality surveillance intensifies. As this technology evolves, we can expect cameras to become smarter, more energy-efficient, and accessible across a broader range of sectors. While challenges like privacy concerns and cybersecurity threats remain, the potential of black light bullet cameras to provide enhanced security, especially in low-light conditions, cannot be overlooked.

Ultimately, black light bullet cameras are more than just a trend; they are becoming a cornerstone of modern surveillance. With the intersection of AI, IoT, and improved night vision capabilities, these cameras are well-positioned to redefine safety and security on a global scale.

In a world where light and dark often blur, black light bullet cameras bring clarity, safety, and peace of mind—day or night.

Whether you’re a business owner, a city planner, or a homeowner, understanding the black light bullet camera market can help you make informed decisions for the future of your security setup. As the saying goes, “Safety never takes a day off”—and with the right black light bullet camera, neither will you.

More on: https://www.xinrenresearch.com/

[bradleymarshall]

I’m in a deep state of mind

Like under the water

Existential

Not depressed

After that movie

38 million civilian deaths and 15 million military deaths in ww2 alone

And every one of them was afraid to die like you and me

Imagine the guilt surviving while all your friends are dead

Life has little worth on the battlefield

Almost redundant to say

Does our pain compare today

For the man who killed himself on the train tracks in Mordialloc where I was born

Maybe he couldn’t afford to eat in our economic crises and couldn’t Bare being hungry or being responsible for his kids

Of course it doesn’t compare to ww2

But it’s still a death

Imagine 10 million military and 10 million civilian deaths in ww1

2000,000 people who were all afraid of the emptiness and blackness after you stop breathing and you’re heart stops beating

It feels fake this fake world we live in where everyone is artificially safe

One catastrophe

And we’re all back to being barbarians again

Raping and murdering each other

[jcmarchi]

Unlocking new science with devices that control electric power - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unlocking-new-science-with-devices-that-control-electric-power-technology-org/

Unlocking new science with devices that control electric power - Technology Org

Mo Mirvakili PhD ’17 was in the middle of an experiment as a postdoc at MIT when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Grappling with restricted access to laboratory facilities, he transformed his bathroom into a makeshift lab. Arranging a piece of plywood over the bathtub to support power sources and measurement devices, he conducted a study that was later published in Science Robotics, one of the top journals in the field.

The adversity made for a good story, but the truth is that it didn’t take a global pandemic to force Mirvakili to build the equipment he needed to run his experiments. Even when working in some of the most well-funded labs in the world, he needed to piece together tools to bring his experiments to life.

“My journey reflects a broader truth: With determination and resourcefulness, many of us can achieve remarkable things,” he says. “So many people don’t have access to labs yet have great ideas. We need to make it easier for them to bring their experiments to life.”

That’s the idea behind Seron Electronics, a company Mirvakili founded to democratize scientific experimentation. Seron develops scientific equipment that precisely sources and measures power, characterizes materials, and integrates data into a customizable software platform.

By making sophisticated experiments more accessible, Seron aims to spur a new wave of innovation across fields as diverse as microelectronics, clean energy, optics, and biomedicine.

“Our goal is to become one of the leaders in providing accurate and affordable solutions for researchers,” Mirvakili says. “This vision extends beyond academia to include companies, governments, nonprofits, and even high school students. With Seron’s devices, anyone can conduct high-quality experiments, regardless of their background or resources.”

Feeling the need for constant power

Mirvakili earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering, followed by a PhD in mechanical engineering under MIT Professor Ian Hunter, which involved developing a class of high-performance thermal artificial muscles, including nylon artificial muscles. During that time, Mirvakili needed to precisely control the amount of energy that flowed through his experimental setups, but he couldn’t find anything online that would solve his problem.

“I had access to all sorts of high-end equipment in our lab and the department,” Mirvakili recalls. “It’s all the latest, state-of-the-art stuff. But I had to bundle all these outside tools together for my work.”

After completing his PhD, Mirvakili joined Institute Professor Bob Langer’s lab as a postdoc, where he worked directly with Langer on a totally different problem in biomedical engineering. In Langer’s famously prolific lab, he saw researchers struggling to control temperatures at the microscale for a device that was encapsulating drugs.

Mirvakili realized the researchers were ultimately struggling with the same set of problems: the need to precisely control electric current, voltage, and power. Those are also problems Mirvakili has seen in his more recent research into energy storage and solar cells. After speaking with researchers at conferences from around the world to confirm the need was widespread, he started Seron Electronics.

Seron calls the first version of its products the SE Programmable Power Platforms. The platforms allow users to source and measure precisely defined quantities of electrical voltage, current, power, and charge through a desktop application with minimal signal interference, or noise.

The equipment can be used to study things like semiconductor devices, actuators, and energy storage devices, or to precisely charge batteries without damaging their performance.

The equipment can also be used to study material performance because it can measure how materials react to precise electrical stimulation at a high resolution, and for quality control because it can test chips and flag problems.

The use cases are varied, but Seron’s overarching goal is to enable more innovation faster.

“Because our system is so intuitive, you reduce the time to get results,” Mirvakili says. “You can set it up in less than five minutes. It’s plug-and-play. Researchers tell us it speeds things up a lot.”

New frontiers

In a recent paper Mirvakili coauthored with MIT research affiliate Ehsan Haghighat, Seron’s equipment provided constant power to a thermal artificial muscle that integrated machine learning to give it a sort of muscle memory. In another study Mirvakili was not involved in, a nonprofit research organization used Seron’s equipment to identify a new, sustainable sensor material they are in the process of commercializing.

Many uses of the machines have come as a surprise to Seron’s team, and they expect to see a new wave of applications when they release a cheaper, portable version of Seron’s machines this summer. That could include the development of new bedside monitors for patients that can detect diseases, or remote sensors for field work.

Mirvakili thinks part of the beauty of Seron’s devices is that people in the company don’t have to dream up the experiments themselves. Instead, they can focus on providing powerful scientific tools and let the research community decide on the best ways to use them.

“Because of the size and the cost of this new device, it will really open up the possibilities for researchers,” Mirvakili says. “Anyone who has a good idea should be able to turn that idea into reality with our equipment and solutions. In my mind, the applications are really unimaginable and endless.”

Written by Zach Winn

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[sunaleisocial]

Unlocking new science with devices that control electric power

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/unlocking-new-science-with-devices-that-control-electric-power/

Unlocking new science with devices that control electric power

Mo Mirvakili PhD ’17 was in the middle of an experiment as a postdoc at MIT when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Grappling with restricted access to laboratory facilities, he decided to transform his bathroom into a makeshift lab. Arranging a piece of plywood over the bathtub to support power sources and measurement devices, he conducted a study that was later published in Science Robotics, one of the top journals in the field.

The adversity made for a good story, but the truth is that it didn’t take a global pandemic to force Mirvakili to build the equipment he needed to run his experiments. Even when working in some of the most well-funded labs in the world, he needed to piece together tools to bring his experiments to life.

“My journey reflects a broader truth: With determination and resourcefulness, many of us can achieve remarkable things,” he says. “There are so many people who don’t have access to labs yet have great ideas. We need to make it easier for them to bring their experiments to life.”

That’s the idea behind Seron Electronics, a company Mirvakili founded to democratize scientific experimentation. Seron develops scientific equipment that precisely sources and measures power, characterizes materials, and integrates data into a customizable software platform.

By making sophisticated experiments more accessible, Seron aims to spur a new wave of innovation across fields as diverse as microelectronics, clean energy, optics, and biomedicine.

“Our goal is to become one of the leaders in providing accurate and affordable solutions for researchers,” Mirvakili says. “This vision extends beyond academia to include companies, governments, nonprofits, and even high school students. With Seron’s devices, anyone can conduct high-quality experiments, regardless of their background or resources.”

Feeling the need for constant power

Mirvakili earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering, followed by a PhD in mechanical engineering under MIT Professor Ian Hunter, which involved developing a class of high-performance thermal artificial muscles, including nylon artificial muscles. During that time, Mirvakili needed to precisely control the amount of energy that flowed through his experimental setups, but he couldn’t find anything online that would solve his problem.

“I had access to all sorts of high-end equipment in our lab and the department,” Mirvakili recalls. “It’s all the latest, state-of-the-art stuff. But I had to bundle all these outside tools together for my work.”

After completing his PhD, Mirvakili joined Institute Professor Bob Langer’s lab as a postdoc, where he worked directly with Langer on a totally different problem in biomedical engineering. In Langer’s famously prolific lab, he saw researchers struggling to control temperatures at the microscale for a device that was encapsulating drugs.

Mirvakili realized the researchers were ultimately struggling with the same set of problems: the need to precisely control electric current, voltage, and power. Those are also problems Mirvakili has seen in his more recent research into energy storage and solar cells. After speaking with researchers at conferences from around the world to confirm the need was widespread, he started Seron Electronics.

Seron calls the first version of its products the SE Programmable Power Platforms. The platforms allow users to source and measure precisely defined quantities of electrical voltage, current, power, and charge through a desktop application with minimal signal interference, or noise.

The equipment can be used to study things like semiconductor devices, actuators, and energy storage devices, or to precisely charge batteries without damaging their performance.

The equipment can also be used to study material performance because it can measure how materials react to precise electrical stimulation at a high resolution, and for quality control because it can test chips and flag problems.

The use cases are varied, but Seron’s overarching goal is to enable more innovation faster.

“Because our system is so intuitive, you reduce the time to get results,” Mirvakili says. “You can set it up in less than five minutes. It’s plug-and-play. Researchers tell us it speeds things up a lot.”

New frontiers

In a recent paper Mirvakili coauthored with MIT research affiliate Ehsan Haghighat, Seron’s equipment provided constant power to a thermal artificial muscle that integrated machine learning to give it a sort of muscle memory. In another study Mirvakili was not involved in, a nonprofit research organization used Seron’s equipment to identify a new, sustainable sensor material they are in the process of commercializing.

Many uses of the machines have come as a surprise to Seron’s team, and they expect to see a new wave of applications when they release a cheaper, portable version of Seron’s machines this summer. That could include the development of new bedside monitors for patients that can detect diseases, or remote sensors for field work.

Mirvakili thinks part of the beauty of Seron’s devices is that people in the company don’t have to dream up the experiments themselves. Instead, they can focus on providing powerful scientific tools and let the research community decide on the best ways to use them.

“Because of the size and the cost of this new device, it will really open up the possibilities for researchers,” Mirvakili says. “Anyone who has a good idea should be able to turn that idea into reality with our equipment and solutions. In my mind, the applications are really unimaginable and endless.”

[nicklloydnow]

“As Erik Loomis retells the story, mission commander Jerry Carr, science pilot Ed Gibson and pilot William Pogue were in the midst of what would become a record 84-day mission, the last before the spacecraft was to be decommissioned, when they rebelled against NASA’s remorseless work schedule.

They knew before going up that the pace would be punishing -- 84 days of 16 hours each without a break, filled with minute-by-minute scheduling for observations of the sun and Comet Kohoutek, medical tests, photographing of the Earth below, and four spacewalks.

Other astronauts on the ground team, including the commanders of the previous two Skylab missions, advised NASA that the plans were unreasonable. None of the three astronauts on the Skylab 4 mission had been in space before, but NASA hadn’t factored in any time for them to become acclimated to conditions aloft. They were plainly overscheduled. In fact, Pogue almost immediately came down with debilitating nausea.

(…)

Almost instantly the crew fell behind schedule, and with no give in the workload, couldn’t catch up. After a month, Gibson was grousing that the mission resembled “a 33-day fire drill.” Carr informed ground control, “We would never work 16 hours a day for 84 straight days on the ground, and we should not be expected to do it here in space.”

The crew gained the reputation of “complainers,” and their exchanges with Houston lost their civility. Finally, a couple of days after Christmas, Carr wired a manifesto earthward: “We need more time to rest. We need a schedule that is not so packed. We don’t want to exercise after a meal. We need to get things under control.”

Houston’s response was chilly: The crew had to meet its schedule. On Dec. 28, the crew staged its strike. (In some accounts, it’s called a “mutiny,” which is surely too harsh.) Carr turned off the radio link with the ground and crew members spent a full day relaxing, taking things at their own pace and pursuing projects of their own.

The ground crew, stuck at the far end of a dead radio hookup, had no choice but to fume impotently. When Skylab came back online, NASA was much more amenable to discussion. Houston agreed to afford the crew full rest and meal breaks, and replace its minute-by-minute schedules with a list of tasks to be completed, leaving it to the crew to manage its own time.

(…)

But the one-day strike did force a lasting reconsideration of crew management upon NASA, contends Samir Chopra of Brooklyn College. NASA treated the crew as expendable instruments of its schedule, but Skylab 4 showed that when push came to shove the astronauts had all the control in their own hands.

Once in space, they were no longer replaceable robots and had to be treated as responsible partners if the mission was to be completed successfully. “Highly trained military types and scientists fully convinced of the value of their work are likely to push back when placed in an artificially controlled, too-tightly-regulated environment,” Chopra observed. “The lessons here are not just for manned space flight, but for any workplace environment that approximates its conditions, whether in space or on Earth.”

Loomis concludes, however, that the lessons of Skylab 4 have limited application. It’s not common for employees to have the control over management that the crew could exercise merely by turning off their radio, threatening work valued a millions of dollars a day. There wasn’t much to be learned even by 1970s labor activists from the strike in space.

“It’s hard to make new demands of employers when those employers are just going to move the jobs to Mexico, as was happening throughout the 1970s,” Loomis writes. Union organizing was heading into a dark age then, the Skylab strike notwithstanding, thanks to “the rise of conservatism and the growth of the powerful corporate lobby with the open intent of crushing the American labor movement,” he adds. We’re still living with the consequences.”

[pacific-silkscapes]

Using Artificial Plants, Trees, and Silk Floral Arrangements during Home Renovation

silk orchid arrangement in a residential home Home renovation is all about revamping the space according to your taste and aesthetics while still maintaining functionality. One of the significant aspects when it comes to revamping is decorating, and it transforms the visuals of a place with ease. Plants and flowers serve as a refreshing, lively element in any decoration, however, keeping live plants can be quite demanding at times, especially for those who have little to no experience in gardening, and they require a lot of maintenance. With the help of the latest technological advancements, we have managed to create artificial plants and trees, silk floral arrangements, and faux succulents that are as good as the real ones. Nowadays, artificial plants and flowers have become increasingly popular, allowing people the opportunity to add greenery to their homes without worrying about the hassles and expenses of live plants. Incorporating artificial plants during residential remodeling will guarantee that your home is full of life and vibrancy. Here are some reasons why artificial plants might be a good fit for your home renovation project: - Maintenance-free: Artificial trees, silk floral arrangements, and faux succulents don't require any maintenance or care, making sure they stay vibrant and full of life all year round. This makes them a perfect fit for people who may be too busy to look after live plants or those who have pets that like to chew on plants. - Versatility: Artificial plants can be used in any part of the house, whether it be the living room, bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. They can be used for various purposes, including adding some greenery to indoor spaces, hiding unsightly corners, or decorating empty walls. - Realistic Looks: Modern-day Artificial plants and custom trees display almost realistic and lifelike features, from the texture and quality of leaves to the petals, allowing you to bring nature inside without any inconvenience. The guest couldn't even tell the difference! - Affordability: Artificial plants and trees are affordable and readily available compared to live plants, which can be quite expensive or hard to come by. - Sustainable: Artificial plants are an ideal solution for those who care about the environment but don't want to compromise on home aesthetics. Incorporating artificial plants into your home's interior design means that you can contribute to the environment's preservation. In conclusion, artificial plants and trees, silk floral arrangements, and faux succulents can provide the same aesthetic experience as real plants, without any of the worries or hassles associated with live plants. They offer unique solutions to the challenges of living with and caring for plants in our homes. With their portability, realistic looks, versatility, and hassle-free maintenance, artificial plants indeed are an excellent addition to any residential renovation project. For more information regarding remodeling, contact RL Remodeling. For help with artificial plants, trees, and green walls, feel free to contact Pacific Silkscapes. Read the full article

[luckystorein22]

Is all real maple syrup the same?

When it comes to maple syrup, many people assume that all products are created equal. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The quality and taste of real maple syrup can vary widely based on factors such as grade, production method, and source. But is it possible to find real maple syrup that’s high-quality and affordable? Lucky for you, the answer is yes!

First, it’s important to understand what sets real maple syrup apart from the artificial varieties commonly found in grocery stores. Real maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees, which is boiled down to create a thick, sweet liquid. The flavor and color of the syrup depending on the grade, which is determined by factors such as the time of year the sap is harvested and the processing methods used.

At Lucky Store, we offer a variety of real maple syrups that are both delicious and affordable. One of our best-sellers is the Golden Delicate Maple Syrup, which has a light, sweet flavor that’s perfect for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal. This syrup is made from 100% pure maple sap and has a Grade A rating, which means it’s the highest quality available.

If you prefer a darker, more robust maple flavor, our Amber Rich Maple Syrup may be more your style. This syrup has a more pronounced flavor than the Golden Delicate but still maintains a smooth, velvety texture. It’s also made from 100% pure maple sap and has a Grade A rating.

For those looking for a budget-friendly option, our Grade B Maple Syrup is a great choice. While it’s not as refined as the Grade A options, it still has a rich, full flavor that’s perfect for baking or cooking. And because it’s a lower grade, it’s available at a lower price point, making it an excellent choice for those looking to save some money.

So, is all real maple syrup the same? Definitely not! But with Lucky Store’s selection of high-quality, affordable options, you can enjoy the delicious taste of real maple syrup without breaking the bank. Try our Golden Delicate, Amber Rich, or Grade B Maple Syrups today and taste the difference for yourself!

[ammg-old2]

Recently, while seeing a patient in an intensive-care unit at my hospital, I stopped to talk with the critical-care physician on duty, someone I’d known since college. “I’m running a warehouse for the dying,” she said bleakly. Out of the ten patients in her unit, she said, only two were likely to leave the hospital for any length of time. More typical was an almost eighty-year-old woman at the end of her life, with irreversible congestive heart failure, who was in the I.C.U. for the second time in three weeks, drugged to oblivion and tubed in most natural orifices and a few artificial ones. Or the seventy-year-old with a cancer that had metastasized to her lungs and bone, and a fungal pneumonia that arises only in the final phase of the illness. She had chosen to forgo treatment, but her oncologist pushed her to change her mind, and she was put on a ventilator and antibiotics. Another woman, in her eighties, with end-stage respiratory and kidney failure, had been in the unit for two weeks. Her husband had died after a long illness, with a feeding tube and a tracheotomy, and she had mentioned that she didn’t want to die that way. But her children couldn’t let her go, and asked to proceed with the placement of various devices: a permanent tracheotomy, a feeding tube, and a dialysis catheter. So now she just lay there tethered to her pumps, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Almost all these patients had known, for some time, that they had a terminal condition. Yet they—along with their families and doctors—were unprepared for the final stage. “We are having more conversation now about what patients want for the end of their life, by far, than they have had in all their lives to this point,” my friend said. “The problem is that’s way too late.” In 2008, the national Coping with Cancer project published a study showing that terminally ill cancer patients who were put on a mechanical ventilator, given electrical defibrillation or chest compressions, or admitted, near death, to intensive care had a substantially worse quality of life in their last week than those who received no such interventions. And, six months after their death, their caregivers were three times as likely to suffer major depression. Spending one’s final days in an I.C.U. because of terminal illness is for most people a kind of failure. You lie on a ventilator, your every organ shutting down, your mind teetering on delirium and permanently beyond realizing that you will never leave this borrowed, fluorescent place. The end comes with no chance for you to have said goodbye or “It’s O.K.” or “I’m sorry” or “I love you.”

People have concerns besides simply prolonging their lives. Surveys of patients with terminal illness find that their top priorities include, in addition to avoiding suffering, being with family, having the touch of others, being mentally aware, and not becoming a burden to others. Our system of technological medical care has utterly failed to meet these needs, and the cost of this failure is measured in far more than dollars. The hard question we face, then, is not how we can afford this system’s expense. It is how we can build a health-care system that will actually help dying patients achieve what’s most important to them at the end of their lives.

[rankertopgoogle]

cocktail shaker set

Create Colorful Cocktails with Natural Ingredients

Find here the cocktails shaker set and Boston shaker set online at Peak Life Barware, we provide high-quality Barware & Cocktail Shaker Set at low prices. Peaklifebarware.com

Colorful cocktails are the new black. If you're bored of classic cocktails and want to experiment with color, you've come to the right place. In this blog, we’re going to tell you how to make colored cocktails with natural ingredients. We're also throwing in some tips and tricks so that you can craft colorful cocktails like a pro. Whether it's your next cocktail party or just a quiet evening at home, this will help in your go-to drinks for the season. Cocktail Shaker

 Using Natural Ingredients, Make Beautiful Cocktails

Shop for the best Boston shaker set online at Peak Life Barware, we provide cocktails shaker set online at an affordable price. Buy now to get Discount Instantly

Cocktails shaker set Creating colorful cocktails with natural ingredients can be a fun and creative project. Natural ingredients such as fruit purées, juices, and herbs add color, depth, and flavor to cocktails without adding any artificial elements. There are also various food coloring options that can be used in cocktails to create vibrant hues. These ingredients can be used to dye cocktail cherries or simple syrup, which can then be used in cocktails as the basis for garnish or as a coloring agent. In addition to natural ingredients, you can also use simple syrup, bitters, and fruit purées to create colorful cocktail recipes. These ingredients provide great balance and balance of sweetness and acidity in cocktails that are perfect for summer evenings. As you explore the world of natural ingredients and create colorful cocktail recipes, remember to use moderation and choose natural ingredients when possible. This will not only help you create delicious drinks but also make healthier decisions when it comes to food and drinks.

 Barware Set - Cocktail shaker set

Having a bar set at home is like having your own mini cocktail bar. You can mix and mingle cocktails, while enjoying the privacy of your space. Most importantly, it allows you to entertain guests with ease.

Are you looking for the best cocktail shaker and barware sets? Get the most luxurious cocktail shaker and barware sets by Peak Life Barware. boston shaker set

But there’s more to bar sets than mixing cocktails. They’re also great for entertaining guests and for basic bartending skills. To help you get going with your new bar set, we’ve put together a list of home bar essentials and basic bartending skills. Let’s dive into understanding barware sets and how they can help you become a bartender extraordinaire!

 Step up your home bartending game - barware sets

If you're new to the world of barware, there are a few things you should consider before making a purchase. Start by choosing the right bar set based on your needs and budget. You can look for quality materials, such as stainless steel or tempered glass, to create a set that is functional and durable. Additionally, consider accessories such as shaker bottles, strainer spoons, or ice buckets to complete your barware set and make it easy to prepare cocktails. Finally, read reviews of barware sets on websites like Amazon to find the best set for your needs and budget. By taking these steps, you can create a bar set that functions as intended and makes cocktails easy to prepare. Barware set

Boston cocktail shaker set - Buy a high-quality Boston cocktail shaker set at peak life barware, we provide a premium bartender kit & Boston cocktail shaker set.

 How to open up a hard stuck Boston Shaker?

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to shake something vigorously but couldn’t because your shaker was stuck? It is one of the most frustrating experiences. However, do not worry because we are here to help you out. In this blog, we will discuss how to open up a hard-stuck shaker easily with the right tools and techniques. We will also cover what you can do if things don’t go as planned and your shaker doesn’t open up. Best cocktail shaker set

 Why do Boston Shakers get stuck?

Boston shakers are composed of two tins that fit together to form an airtight seal, making them favored by bartenders. The airtight seal of Boston shakers can cause them to get stuck together due to suction when shaking a cocktail. This is because the shaker's tin becomes filled with vapor, which acts as a vacuum and pulls the tin toward the edge of the shaker. To prevent this from happening, bartenders need to be aware of the suction created by the airtight seal of Boston shakers and take steps to prevent it from occurring. By following these simple guidelines, shaker problems can be reduced or eliminated altogether.

 Tools you need to open a stuck Boston shaker

Boston cocktail shaker set For a harder-to-open Boston shaker, bartenders recommend using tin-on-tin shaker for better sealing and faster chilling. A cobbler shaker is made up of three parts: a tin, a top with a built-in strainer, and a cap. To open a stuck shaker, use a rubber mallet or towel-wrapped hammer to gently tap the join between the two pieces until it breaks apart. After cleaning the shaker with warm water and soap by hand, make sure to keep it clean to prevent any residue from building up over time.

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