#e-commerce rules

[bollywoodupdates]

Flipkart sees multi-fold jump in customer purchases using credit facilities

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Flipkart | (Photo: Shutterstock) 2 min read Last Updated : Sep 28 2024 | 10:51 PM IST E-commerce company Flipkart on Saturday said it saw a multi-fold jump in customers’ purchases using credit facilities during the first two days of its annual festive season sale ‘The Big Billion Days’. The Walmart group firm recorded 27 times jump in the…

[just2bruce]

US Customs checks every e-commerce parcel

Air freight from the Far East to the US is slowing up because US Customs is detaining cargo to check every e-commerce parcel. That’s because a lot of drugs and fentanyl-manufacturing equipment has been discovered in shipments of smaller e-commerce packages, mostly from China. The de minimis rule, which says that packages of value less than $800 and smaller size are subject to different import…

[grrajeshkumar]

Ultimate Guide: Legal Compliance for E-commerce in India [2024]

To start and run an e-commerce store in India, you need to comply with various rules, laws, and regulations. Here’s a categorized overview of the major ones: Business Registration and Licensing: Obtain a valid business registration (e.g., Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Private Limited Company, or One-Person Company) Apply for relevant trade licenses from the concerned state/local…

[prokopetz]

Okay, so: there's a local restaurant whose online ordering process involves various selecting various sauces to be included with one's order – so many units of teriyaki sauce, so many units of hot sauce, so may units of peanut sauce, and so forth.

The idea is supposed to be that you can select any combination of sauces you want, as long as it adds up to no more than four units. However, what the app actually required is that you select exactly four units of sauces; it wouldn't let you submit the ordering form if the total wasn't exactly four.

Just today I discovered that they seem to have fixed it... not by correcting the errant validation rule, but by adding a "no sauce" option, which counts toward the required total of four.

Thus, it's now possible to place an order with, say, two units of teriyaki sauce rather than four by entering 2x "teriyaki sauce" and 2x "no sauce". Similarly, an order with no sauce at all is 4x "no sauce".

This is quite possibly the least intuitive ordering process I've ever encountered, and I've literally worked in e-commerce.

[ifindtaxpro]

🛍️ E-commerce businesses, are you up to date on state sales tax and nexus rules? Stay compliant in the digital marketplace by understanding the complexities and leveraging technology.

[centrally-unplanned]

To talk about monopoly & antitrust, I want to start off with your first day in Econ 101, when you learn "how prices work". The toy model that nearly everyone learns as one of the first things ever is that classic supply-and-demand graph of price and quantity; you know it, I don't need to show it. And in relation to how firms set price in a market, the explanation you get is something like:

"In a world with perfect information, zero transaction costs, rational agents, and no barriers to entry, new firms and/or increased output will enter the market until marginal price equals marginal cost"

This (seemingly) portrays a model where new companies "entering the market" is how prices go down. Like say there are Firms A, B, and C, engaging in oligopolistic pricing for a normal good; what happens is some new Firm X (with the same production costs) emerges with the sole business strategy of "offer prices lower than them because they are skimming" and it drives everyone's prices down in a race to the bottom. That, in a sense, competition between identical firms drives the price equilibrium.

That isn't very true, not in practice and not even theoretically; the 101 stuff just sort of biases you to see it that way. Firm X above is being rational in one way but silly in others; why would it enter a market where its competitors are making healthy profits just to fuck that up, knowing it has no advantage they can't immediately replicate in response? And pay all the fixed costs other firms have already paid to make that 0.1% profit? In real life firms almost never do this, they compete over (actual or perceived) advantage or market segmentation. And it also means that - if all firms are truly the same in a market - cooperating on price, far from being aberrant behavior, is the natural thing to do. Why would I look at my rival firm and lower my price to "undercut" them, knowing that they 100% can just lower it too? We both lose, immediately. In practice, companies often set their prices by looking at the prices of competing firms and matching them!

Many things actually drive the price equilibrium of course, but one of the biggest - and most useful for our purposes - is the substitution effect. If companies defacto cooperate on prices all the time, why is the price not infinity? Well because if you are selling steaks and set the price to infinity, I'm not gonna buy it! I can just buy chicken, for me it's pretty much the same. And chicken is cheaper to make than steak. As a chicken firm, I totally can set my price under your steak and you can never, ever match it; that is a real advantage, one from asymmetries of production. The price of steak is driven by the need to compete with chicken much more than it is driven by the need to compete with "other steaks". And so on down a chain of a million desires and costs and needs.

So to wrap this around to antitrust, there is a common idea out there that monopolistic pricing is increasing from the past because if I look at different industries, so many of them today are consolidated into 2-3 big firms. Your grocery stores are all Giant or Safeway or w/e it is in your city, if you are buying a TV Samsung & LG are half the entire US market. How could these companies not collude on price? Of course they do, and they don't need explicit agreements that would violate extant FTC regulations to do it; they can just softly communicate and feel out cooperation. So you gotta break them up and change the rules so they can't do that.

The trap is thinking this is any different if it was 10 firms - it really isn't! Maybe marginally, sure, and if it was 2000 firms yeah okay the sheer chaos would probably create some price churn; but in the past prices were not driven down by the diversity of firms making price cooperation impossible. The long history of guilds, business associations, chambers of commerce, and so on shows that they had plenty of avenues for cooperation - and often did straight-up set prices. Meanwhile, when Wal-Mart, Target, Aldi, and others all cut prices at around the same time, they are not mainly competing with each other. If they were they would just mutually agree to not do that, without even saying anything! How stupid do you think they are? That isn't hard to do. Instead they are competing with Amazon; with boutique local stores; with restaurants; with the changing price of labor; with shifting consumer sentiment and expectations. The industry concentration doesn't matter.

Until it does of course! Because what is the substitution good for oil? They exist of course, but they ain't cheap; people will still buy gas at gigantic ranges of prices. Here, the fundamental structure of the market is monopolistic - and also a geopolitical clusterfuck, but let's not get into that. Producers openly rig prices sometimes, and antitrust actively regulates against it, and it is a hot mess of governments and companies and all that. Are people who hold patents engaging in monopoly pricing? Obviously, that is the point of patents! It is by design; but there are tons of arguments to be made around creeping exploitation of the IP system. Sometimes hundreds of firms in a dominant market niche will offer complex, bundled products where the price of each piece of obfuscated and the value is subjective, but consensus is you can't not buy the product or you will be screwed and since you can't tell what the product even is, let alone how valuable it is, you can't object when they set the price - I hear these are called "universities", but they go by other names in other sectors.

All of the above are something like "monopolies", which maybe are getting worse over time, but they are monopolies for different, product-specific reasons. I think there is a good deal of FTC work and other reforms that could be done in the US to identify areas where this kind of rent extraction is happening. But what it doesn't look like is opposing blanket industry consolidation. And in fact the correlation is honestly pretty weak. Because identical firm competition does not drive the price equilibrium.

[writers-potion]

I'm writing a sci-fi story about a space freight hauler with a heavy focus on the economy. Any tips for writing a complex fictional economy and all of it's intricacies and inner-workings?

Constructing a Fictional Economy

The economy is all about: How is the limited financial/natural/human resources distributed between various parties?

So, the most important question you should be able to answer are:

Who are the "have"s and "have-not"s?

What's "expensive" and what's "commonplace"?

What are the rules(laws, taxes, trade) of this game?

Building Blocks of the Economic System

Type of economic system. Even if your fictional economy is made up, it will need to be based on the existing systems: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, feudalism, barter, etc.

Currency and monetary systems: the currency can be in various forms like gols, silver, digital, fiat, other commodity, etc. Estalish a central bank (or equivalent) responsible for monetary policy

Exchange rates

Inflation

Domestic and International trade: Trade policies and treaties. Transportation, communication infrastructure

Labour and employment: labor force trends, employment opportunities, workers rights. Consider the role of education, training and skill development in the labour market

The government's role: Fiscal policy(tax rate?), market regulation, social welfare, pension plans, etc.

Impact of Technology: Examine the role of tech in productivity, automation and job displacement. How does the digital economy and e-commerce shape the world?

Economic history: what are some historical events (like The Great Depresion and the 2008 Housing Crisis) that left lasting impacts on the psychologial workings of your economy?

For a comprehensive economic system, you'll need to consider ideally all of the above. However, depending on the characteristics of your country, you will need to concentrate on some more than others. i.e. a country heavily dependent on exports will care a lot more about the exchange rate and how to keep it stable.

For Fantasy Economies:

Social status: The haves and have-nots in fantasy world will be much more clear-cut, often with little room for movement up and down the socioeconoic ladder.

Scaricity. What is a resource that is hard to come by?

Geographical Characteristics: The setting will play a huge role in deciding what your country has and doesn't. Mountains and seas will determine time and cost of trade. Climatic conditions will determine shelf life of food items.

Impact of Magic: Magic can determine the cost of obtaining certain commodities. How does teleportation magic impact trade?

For Sci-Fi Economies Related to Space Exploration

Thankfully, space exploitation is slowly becoming a reality, we can now identify the factors we'll need to consider:

Economics of space waste: How large is the space waste problem? Is it recycled or resold? Any regulations about disposing of space wste?

New Energy: Is there any new clean energy? Is energy scarce?

Investors: Who/which country are the giants of space travel?

Ownership: Who "owns" space? How do you draw the borders between territories in space?

New class of workers: How are people working in space treated? Skilled or unskilled?

Relationship between space and Earth: Are resources mined in space and brought back to Earth, or is there a plan to live in space permanently?

What are some new professional niches?

What's the military implication of space exploitation? What new weapons, networks and spying techniques?

Also, consider:

Impact of space travel on food security, gender equality, racial equality

Impact of space travel on education.

Impact of space travel on the entertainment industry. Perhaps shooting monters in space isn't just a virtual thing anymore?

What are some indsutries that decline due to space travel?

I suggest reading up the Economic Impact Report from NASA, and futuristic reports from business consultants like McKinsey.

If space exploitation is a relatiely new technology that not everyone has access to, the workings of the economy will be skewed to benefit large investors and tech giants. As more regulations appear and prices go down, it will be further be integrated into the various industries, eventually becoming a new style of living.

[astrojulia]

Tarot Cards as Professions

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Major Arcanas:

The Fool: Work with abroad, connections with imports, language teacher, multinationals, entrepreneur, intern, college student, art major.

The Magician: Entrepreneur, job that needs skill with the hands (acupuncture, hairdresser, artisan), actor, salesperson, influencer.

The High Priestess: Education, especially children, nutrition, psychology, cook, housewife, food engineering, toy factory, fortuneteller, spiritual advisor, librarian.

The Empress: Management, business administration, foreign trade, secretariat, translation, decoration, stay-at-home mom, model, cook, farmer.

The Emperor: Business administration, work related to areas of technological innovation, the military or sportsmen, CEO, tycoon.

The Hierophant: Philanthropic areas, ONGs, religious work, social work, diplomacy, and a degree, journalism, writer, editor, priest, spiritual guru, politician.

The Lovers: Sales area in any sector, tourism, theater, advertising, the arts in general, porn star, stripper, masseuse.

The Chariot: Activities related to transport, cars, the latest technology, chauffeur, mechanic, athlete.

Strength: Aesthetics, physical education and various body therapies, medicine, zoologist.

The Hermit: Teacher, writer, doctor, antique dealer, restorer, librarian, gardener.

Wheel of Fortune: Financial market, exchange offices, casinos, lottery houses, stock exchanges, and areas related to public relations, hospitality, game show host.

Justice: Public jobs, won through competitions, politics, police, with government positions, in the diplomatic area, law, insurance company worker.

The Hanged Man: Nurse, auditor, inspector, porter, secretariat, general assistants, yoga instructor, prison guard, philanthropist.

Death: Doctor, farmer, geologist, business administrator, gardener, accountant, assassin, death row executioner, surgeon.

Temperance: Working with liquids in general or with what is transported in liquid form such as alcoholic beverages, medicines, juices. chemist, chef, food critic, regional or even international traffic.

The Devil: Does not limit the individual to a professional wing, so he can also go to extremes for the desire he has, such as landlord, drug lord, sex trafficker.

The Tower: Social assistance, humanitarian aid, medicine, firefighter, police officer, construction worker.

The Star: Music, painting, sculpture, poetry, cinema, makeup artist, dressmaker, beautician, agent, promoter, sound artist, astronomer, harpist, dealer, meteorologist.

The Moon: Oceanographers, sailors, fishermen, owners of bars and restaurants or nightclubs, artists in general, medium, hypnotist, psychiatrist.

The Sun: Motivational speaker, entertainer, comedian, social relationships, work with the public, artist in general, member of society.

Judgment: Work done at home, connection with the law, lawyer, judge, work with disabled or people excluded from society, social assistance, board member, executive producer, director.

The World: Pharmacist, massage therapist, scientist, teacher, community leader, religious leader or priest, fashion designer, makeup artist, interior decorator.

Wands:

Creative industries such as advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

Entrepreneurship and starting your own business.

Athletics, sports coaching, or physical training.

Outdoor jobs like park ranger or tour guide.

Event planning or organizing.

Firefighters or rescue workers.

Ace of Wands: Entrepreneur, startup founder, motivational speaker, fitness coach, personal trainer.

Two of Wands: Business strategist, project manager, travel agent, international consultant, import/export specialist.

Three of Wands: Sales representative, marketing manager, e-commerce entrepreneur, market researcher, international trade coordinator.

Four of Wands: Event planner, wedding coordinator, party organizer, festival manager, hospitality industry professional.

Five of Wands: Conflict resolution specialist, mediator, lawyer, debate coach, competitive sports coach.

Six of Wands: Public relations manager, spokesperson, social media influencer, motivational speaker, winning athlete.

Seven of Wands: Defense attorney, human rights activist, political campaigner, advocate, civil liberties lawyer.

Eight of Wands: Courier, delivery driver, airline pilot, travel blogger, expedition guide.

Nine of Wands: Security guard, bodyguard, soldier, endurance athlete, self-defense instructor.

Ten of Wands: Overworked entrepreneur, project manager, event organizer, professional organizer, heavy equipment operator.

Page of Wands: Assistant in a creative field, aspiring artist, intern in a startup, social media coordinator, apprentice.

Knight of Wands: Travel journalist, adventure tour guide, professional athlete, race car driver, stunt performer.

Queen of Wands: CEO, business owner, charismatic leader, life coach, influential speaker.

King of Wands: Executive manager, entrepreneur, leadership coach, consultant, director of a creative agency.

Cups:

Counseling, therapy, or social work.

Hospitality industry, including restaurant management and bartending.

Wedding planner or event coordinator.

Artistic fields like poetry, writing, or acting.

Healing professions such as nursing or holistic therapy.

Psychologist or counselor specializing in emotions and relationships.

Ace of Cups: Therapist, counselor, social worker, holistic healer, emotional support specialist.

Two of Cups: Marriage counselor, matchmaker, relationship coach, wedding planner, love psychic.

Three of Cups: Event organizer, party planner, celebratory event coordinator, community organizer.

Four of Cups: Meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, spiritual counselor, psychologist, therapist.

Five of Cups: Grief counselor, trauma therapist, hospice worker, emotional healing practitioner, bereavement support.

Six of Cups: Child psychologist, teacher, daycare worker, children's book author, pediatric nurse.

Seven of Cups: Creative writer, fantasy novelist, imaginative artist, dream analyst, visionary.

Eight of Cups: Travel blogger, adventure seeker, spiritual pilgrim, explorer, wanderlust photographer.

Nine of Cups: Life coach, happiness consultant, gratitude coach, self-help author, wellness retreat organizer.

Ten of Cups: Family therapist, marriage and family counselor, foster care advocate, wedding planner, family mediator.

Page of Cups: Creative writer, artist in training, intuitive healer, aspiring therapist, dream interpreter.

Knight of Cups: Actor, romantic poet, musician, art therapist, love and relationship coach.

Queen of Cups: Psychic reader, intuitive healer, counselor, compassionate caregiver, therapist.

King of Cups: Therapist, counselor, intuitive mentor, emotional intelligence trainer, psychologist.

Swords:

Legal professions like lawyers, judges, or law enforcement officers.

Journalists, reporters, or investigators.

IT specialists, computer programmers, or hackers.

Teachers or professors specializing in critical thinking or philosophy.

Military or defense-related careers.

Strategic planners or analysts.

Ace of Swords: Lawyer, judge, legal consultant, investigative journalist, strategic planner.

Two of Swords: Mediator, conflict resolution specialist, negotiator, diplomat, relationship counselor.

Three of Swords: Divorce lawyer, grief counselor, trauma therapist, emotional healer, heart surgeon.

Four of Swords: Rest and relaxation specialist, meditation teacher, spiritual retreat organizer, yoga instructor.

Five of Swords: Military strategist, competitive sports coach, lawyer specializing in litigation, debate coach.

Six of Swords: Travel agent, relocation consultant, therapist specializing in transitions, boat captain.

Seven of Swords: Private investigator, spy, intelligence analyst, cybersecurity expert, undercover agent.

Eight of Swords: Social justice lawyer, human rights advocate, disability rights activist, therapist specializing in limiting beliefs.

Nine of Swords: Insomnia specialist, anxiety therapist, nightmare counselor, sleep coach, mental health counselor.

Ten of Swords: Surgeon, coroner, forensic scientist, mortician, grief counselor.

Page of Swords: Researcher, journalist, fact-checker, apprentice in a legal field, investigative reporter.

Knight of Swords: Military officer, police officer, attorney, competitive fencer, conflict resolution specialist.

Queen of Swords: Judge, lawyer, critic, journalist, literary agent.

King of Swords: Judge, attorney, CEO, strategist, military general.

Pentacles:

Financial advisors or investment bankers.

Real estate agents or property developers.

Agriculture, farming, or gardening.

Architects, builders, or construction workers.

Conservationists or environmentalists.

Accountants or bookkeepers.

Ace of Pentacles: Financial advisor, investment banker, wealth manager, entrepreneur, luxury goods retailer.

Two of Pentacles: Financial analyst, accountant, bookkeeper, event planner, stock trader.

Three of Pentacles: Architect, contractor, project manager, teamwork facilitator, craftsman.

Four of Pentacles: Wealth manager, investor, financial planner, asset protection specialist, treasurer.

Five of Pentacles: Social worker, philanthropist, charity organizer, financial counselor, volunteer.

Six of Pentacles: Philanthropist, humanitarian worker, non-profit manager, social worker, charitable fundraiser.

Seven of Pentacles: Gardener, farmer, agricultural consultant, sustainability expert, botanist.

Eight of Pentacles: Craftsperson, artisan, apprentice, skilled tradesperson, technical trainer.

Nine of Pentacles: Luxury brand manager, independent business owner, successful entrepreneur, vineyard owner, art collector.

Ten of Pentacles: Real estate developer, property investor, family business owner, generational wealth manager, financial advisor.

Page of Pentacles: Intern, student, apprentice in a practical field, aspiring entrepreneur, entry-level employee.

Knight of Pentacles: Accountant, financial planner, farmer, skilled tradesperson, meticulous worker.

Queen of Pentacles: CEO, business owner, property developer, hospitality industry entrepreneur, financial advisor.

King of Pentacles: CEO, business mogul, successful investor, high-level executive, financial consultant.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[magewritesstories]

[ ᴊᴇꜱꜱ ᴍᴀʀɪᴀɴᴏ ] ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴇᴀᴛ ɪᴛꜱᴇʟꜰ

summary: jess moves back to stars hollow to open a new branch of truncheon books in his hometown, and tries not to murder the girl living in the apartment above him and the town enjoys watching another grumpy business owner fall in love with a bubbly inn manager. TW: none note: in love with him and not even in a funny way, i need a jess

“Are you sure this is the place you want?” Andrew asked for what felt like the millionth time. The bookstore owner gave the 25-year-old a nervous stare as he signed the last few papers.

“Yes, Andrew, for the millionth time, this is the place.” Jess sighed, he couldn’t blame the man for his hesitance, he hadn’t exactly left a good impression on the people of Stars Hollow while living there.

Out of all the places he’d imagined settling down, Stars Hollow, Connecticut was incredibly low on the list. 

But he couldn’t deny the fact that it was a good commerce town, people passed through on business or on their way to Hartford all the time. So when his friends asked him where they should open a new branch of their bookstore, it was the first place he thought of.

Once all the paperwork was finished, Jess had spent the week driving back-and-forth from Philadelphia to Stars Hollow and everything was finally done. 

Andrew took papers, “Okay, I’ll get these to Kirk—” He moved to grab his bags— “Have you met Y/N yet?”

Jess shook his head, Y/N the mysterious person that lived in the apartment above the bookstore, “Nope, haven’t run into her yet.” Andrew nodded, “Well, I better get going.”

Once the older man had left, Jess turned to the bookstore. There were cardboard boxes everywhere, and all the bookshelves had been emptied along with the walls, where the hanging bookshelves had made place for paintings.

Jess started to unload the first box of books when Luke walked in, with you tailing behind him.

“Oh come on, don’t lie,” You insisted, “It is so a different brand.”

The older man sighed, maneuvering his way through the mounds of boxes. “Y/N, for the last time: I’ve been using the same brand of coffee for the past twenty years.”

You crossed your arms, “Liar, I know you did something different with it.”

“Well fine, you got me, I put drugs in yours hoping they would shut you up,” Luke deadpanned, handing Jess a paper bag, “Here’s your lunch.”

You turned to him as well, “Oh, you must be Jess!” You exclaimed excitedly, “I’m Y/N, I live upstairs.”

You stretched out your hand for him to shake. Jess stared at you, it was 9 in the morning, how were you so upbeat already?

“This is the part where you take my hand and tell me it’s nice to meet me,” You whisper jokingly. “Jess Mariano,” He replied, shaking your hand as you give him a bright smile.

“Don’t you have places to be?” Luke questioned, staring at you. You raise an eyebrow at him, “What’re you talking about?”

The older man sighed exasperatedly, “The Inn.” Your E/C went wide in realisation, “Michel’s going to kill me!”

Without another word, you ran towards the door, almost tripping over a box of paintings on your way out, “Sorry!” You excused, and quite frankly Jess wasn’t sure if you were talking to the box or him.

“Wow,” He breathed as he watched you made your way down the street, only to stop halfway to pet Babette’s cat before resuming your run.

Luke nodded, a small smile on his face, “Yeah, that girl’s a storm with skin,” He replied, “So, you need any help with these boxes?”

Jess groaned as Voulez-Vous played loudly upstairs. He couldn’t say anything about it yet, though, per Stars Hollow rules you were allowed to play music as loud as you wanted to until 10 PM.

When Toxic started playing he had enough. He made his way up the creaky stairs. You’d left your door open, and Jess took it as a sign to go inside. 

You were standing on your couch, singing along to the song, using your spatula as a mic. Jess watched you jump off and spin around, before finally coming to a halt in front of him.

“Oh, Jess, hi!” You grinned, not even slightly flustered, “Can I help you?” 

“Yes, you can, by turning that god awful music down.”

Your eyes went wide, “Shit, is it ten already?” He shook his head, “No, you just have bad taste in music.”

You laughed, “Right, you’re the kind of guy that listens exclusively to Metallica and Iron Maiden,” You teased, “Hey, I’m making cookies, you want some?  They’re almost done.”

“What I want is for you to turn down the music,” He deadpanned, arms crossed over his chest. You shrugged, “‘Kay, Roommate.” You reached for the stereo and turned down the music.

“Are you my roommate, ‘cause you’re not the landlord, you rent the place too, but you don’t sleep here— or your not supposed to, I’ve seen you sleeping on the couch— but your not my neighbour either,” You rambled, smiling at him.

“Just keep the music down,” He grumbled, “And if you have to play it at max volume, play some decent music.”

An hour after your little encounter, you came skipping down the steps, a plate of cookies in hand. “You never told me whether you wanted the cookies or not,” You said, putting the plate down, “So I brought them anyway.”

The black-haired man stared between the plate of cookies and your bright smile in confusion. Finally he rolled his chair away from the desk and grabbed something out of the drawer near him.

“Here,” He said, handing you a CD he’d burned himself, “Some acceptable music I think you’d like.”

You inspected the plastic case and grinned, “Thank you.” With one last sunbeam of a smile you turned around and practically skipped up the steps to you apartement.

[amtalchemy]

Results of Bhavat Bhavam (house to house technique): An alternative perspective

Bhavat Bhavam is a house to house technique in Vedic Astrology when you see the results of a ruling house by seeing the Bhavat Bhavam house from moving the same number of houses from the numerical house it rules. In my perspective, it's the reverse where the ruling house shows the results and strength of the Bhavat Bhavam house. It goes according as followed:

1st from the 1H is the 1H - strong character, health, and self-knowledge leads to strong and active 1H in influence and vitality

2nd from the 2H is the 3H - strong speech / voice, wealth and resources, and drive to obtain finances (2H) leads to strong and active 3H in communication and ability to create wealth through marketing, sales, writing, e-commerce, diversifying skills / income streams, etc

3rd from the 3H is the 5H - strong communication skills and dexterity (3H) leads to strong and active 5H in self-expression, creativity, and creative intelligence

4th from the 4H is the 7H - strong emotional support of mother/family and domestic comfort (4H) leads to strong, healthy, and active 7H in relationships and marriage

5th from the 5H is the 9H - strong creative intelligence (5H) leads to strong and active higher intelligence and philosophical thinking

6th from the 6H is the 11H - strong work ethic (6H) leads to strong and active 11H in fulfillment of wishes and financial gains

7th from the 7H is the 1H - strong relationship-building skills with other people (7H) leads to strong 1H in leadership and influence

8th from the 8H is the 3H - strong occultic knowledge / power and metaphysical insight and perspective of the world (8H) leads to strong and active 3H in manifestations, magic, and anything evolving communication or building things digitally like coding / software engineering to manifest things

9th from the 9H is the 5H - strong philosophical knowledge and education (9H) leads to strong, heightened, and active 5H in creative thinking

10th from the 10H is the 7H - strong status and reputation (10H) leads to strong and active 7H in popularity and social fame and trust in relationships

11th from the 11H is the 9H - strong network circle and financial gains in life (11H) leads to strong and active 9H in luck

12th from the 12H is the 11H - strong service / acts of selflessness and expenditure / investment of time, energy, and resources (12H) leads to strong and active 11H in financial and social gains

[radonx9]

just saw (what i presume to be) a young artist asking another artist if it was “okay” to vent all their negative emotions into art.

i am pleading and begging younger artists to read one (1) book on art history or go to an art gallery for their own sake because jesus christ.

you understand that... that is the entire point of art, right?

art does not exist to sell products, to make money, or to only be about making the artist/audience feel good.

art exists to describe the indescribable, the transcendental, the whole range of human expression in all it’s beauty and all it’s bleakness without concern for markets or commerce or any of that shit because that raw expression of being is yours and to a certain extent it’s something you feel needs to be shared with the world.

or not! you can just draw and paint shit and you don’t have to show it to ANYONE because THERE ARE NO FUCKING RULES.

like you guys realise that goya painted the black paintings for a fucking reason, right? van gogh?? the german expressionists? surrealism??? fucking GUERNICA???

don’t let literally One Guy on The Internet (who probably has no undersranding of art to begin with, let’s be honest) dictate what you “can” and “cannot” do. this is not an inquisition, you will not be put on trial because you drew vent art one time or because you drew a nude study or furries or anime or porn or fan art or w/e

make cool stuff, weird stuff, make stuff for yourself, make stuff purely for your own enjoyment or for all mankind, make stuff to connect yourself and others to something beyond words

BECOME UNMARKETABLE, MAKE SOMETHING WEIRD TODAY

[helloitstsyu]

you get to wear a mask | Tom Cruise [fluff]

my masterlist

Summary : As a celebrity, it's nearly impossible to go and to do normal life activities in public. So, as his girlfriend, you offer Tom a solution.

Pairing : Tom Cruise x female!businesswoman!reader

A/N : it's my first fluff y'all🥹, i hope you like it as much i love writing it. this makes me giggle so much as i imagine it. I wanna know what you think abt this one, talk to me, babes!

WC : 3157

"Babe! I'm gonna go run some errands, do you want something specifically?" You shout as you gather your things before you head out the door.

Tom walks downstairs. He just had finished making a phone call with none other than his creative partner, Christopher McQuarrie. Ever since he landed in Los Angeles this morning, he's been occupied with work phone calls.

"Where are you going?" He asks.

Lifting your head up you see your boyfriend walking towards you, he leans against the doorway of your kitchen and put his hands inside his trousers pocket.

"Grocery, we literally have nothing in here,"

You're a thriving businesswoman. A CEO of an e-commerce fashion startup. You constantly hopping between big cities for work, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris, that's why you decided you expand your assets and buying apartments in each city so that you don't waste your money for expensive hotel expenses. Hence, why you don't have anything in your LA home since you haven't lived here for the past few months.

Tom pouts, "I just finished my calls, and now you wanna leave me,"

You and Tom have somewhat of a long distance relationship. With him caught up and busy filming and you running your business. It took extra effort to spend time together with your man. Though, two of you are keeping one important rule, never spend apart for 2 weeks. And for so long you've been living to that.

You smile as Tom gives you puppy dog eyes. "Why? You wanna come with me?" You smirk.

Tom smiles, "If it means i get to spend more time with you, yes," Tom steps forward and pulling you closer by your hips, "But, you know... i don't think whole food is Tom Cruise friendly,"

You chuckle as Tom place a sweet kiss on your cheek, "i missed you so much, baby,"

Suddenly, the brightest ideas come to your mind.

"I have an idea..." You smile and wiggle your brows.

Tom crook his head as he sees that mischievous grin on your face. For as he thought, you might be plotting something that beyonds the world's expectations.

"This is not what i had in mind when you said you have an idea," Tom protests as you sit down in front of him. You turn your makeup bag upside down, and all of your makeup products rain to the floor.

"You get to wear a mask, Ethan, you love when you got to wear a mask, don't you,"

Tom sighs "Never i thought someone would use that line to turn against me,"

"Tommy, you love when i throws you movies references at you,"

Tom chuckles and shakes his head. You take your phone and turn on the camera. You start recording and put your phone on the coffee table, rest it to a coffee mug so it stands still perfectly.

"What are you doing? Why are you taping this?" Tom asks.

"So we can have memory to look back to," You said as you prop the camera.

"Nonono, NO! you're not recording this," Tom reaches to your phone.

"Thomas!" You slap his and before it can reach your phone.

Witnessing the look you have on your face and the shift in your tone, Tom feels like he just seen your inner mother gothel. He sighs and just gives in.

"You're not gonna post that, though,"

"Of course i won't! It'll be our sweet secret memory, yep?" You smile at him, and Tom only smiles back sarcastically.

"Oh, come on, Thomas! It's not like you haven't got your makeup done for carpets or films anyway,"

You take a few pumps of your foundation to the back of your hand. Dotting the product on several spots of his face, then you start spreading it evenly using your brush.

"Yeah? Well, my makeup artist doesn't have that devilish-mischievous grin on their faces,"

"Baby... i need you to trust me," you said seriously.

Tom grunts and stops protesting.

"This is definitely the wrong shade... you're much tanner than me,"

"Oh, great," He rolls his eyes.

You chuckle, "How do you usually have your makeup on?" You ask.

Taking your fenty cream contour, you swipe them on the back of your hand and mix it with the foundation to create darker shade. Et Voila, the perfect match to his skin.

"Just- what do you call it? concealer?... maybe a little foundation if needed, like if i haven't gotten enough sleep,"

"Yeah? You never have like a full face of makeup? Character makeup?" You ask again as you still apply foundation all over his skin.

"Um... not really, maybe for vanilla sky,"

"Oh yeah! i remember that... that was a scary face though, tell me bout it,"

Tom starts to tell the story about the David Aames makeup he had on Vanila Sky. Well, as you thought, work does stop him from protesting and whining like an annoyed little boy.

You giggle after finishing spreading the foundation and concealer evenly all over his face. His skin looks so good, better than yours even. He has such perfect, well taken care of skin.

You take your face pallette next.

"What's that?" Tom asks.

"My fenty contour and highlight stick, it's to redefine the shadows and highlights of your face, cause after i finish applying foundation, your face now is all in one flat tone." You said as you apply the bronzer and contour to his cheek and forehead.

Tom thinks for a moment, "Why are you teaching me this stuff as if I'm gonna need to do makeup to myself?"

You laugh. "Well, baby, you never know... maybe someday your makeup artist catches a cold before red carpet," Tom chuckles and shakes his head.

You continue to apply contour and highlighter on his face. After setting it all with a translucent powder and put some blush on his cheeks, Tom reopens his eyes with you grinning widely.

"You look different," you giggle.

Tom takes a peek on your phone screen to look at what his face looks like.

"Babe, you can't look yet!" You stop him from peeking, but he managed to get a glimpse of what he looks like.

"Oh god! You supposed to make me look unrecognizable, not girly!"

"Your skin looks beautiful tho, you have such nice skin,"

Tom rolls his eyes and grunts.

"Why do i agree to this," Tom mutters.

"Well, darling, you do this because you lo—" Your words stop at the tip of your tongue when you realize the L word hasn't come out yet. None of you have said the L word you've only been with him for a few months.

Tom realizes how your expression drops. He knows what you were about to say. The quick expression shifts on your face from cheerful to a saddened look, sends rushes of pain inside his veins.

"...I mean... You'd do this because you're an adrenaline junkie... right? You like challenging yourself. But i guess you don't have to... i-if you don't really want to," you look down at the scattering makeup products on the floor.

That makes his heart break.

These past few months, Tom has been feeling that bubbling-odd feeling inside him building. He knows he's hooked in deeply. He can't stop thinking of you. You're constantly on his mind, and he admires you deeply. He just hasn't got enough balls to say the word to your face. He's afraid that he's moving too fast.

Tom takes your hand, which is holding a blush brush.

"Come on, need more blush," he smiles.

Beat drops. Even that got your heart swims in wonders. Giggling again, you apply a little more blush to his face, and soon, the apples of his cheek look like a blushing porcelain doll.

Next step, eyebrows. You always love his thick eyebrows. You think it's a statement of him. You take your brow gel, and you brush his brow upwards, and diagonally, you try your best to make them look good.

"I always wanted to do your brows... but it's kinda hard though," you mutter. "Hmm... yeah they look good enough,"

And to make you happy, of course he gives in and lets you do everything to his face. Tom looks at you deeply. Those eyes that he's been giving you for the past 5 minutes starts to make your heart beats faster and your palm sweating. Those eyes are the reason you're here. Everytime Tom looks at you like this, you swear you feel like you've been sent to heaven.

"Stop that!" You chuckle and cover his eyes. He knows you get butterflies when he gives you those eyes and he adores that you try to pretend as if you're not flustered.

Tom chuckles, "I'm not doing anything, darling,"

"Shut up, help hold me this, Tom," you said, handing him an open eyeshadow palette.

"Close your eyes for me, sweet," you kindly ask.

Tom follows all that you said. You begin applying eyeshadow to his eyelids. Deciding to go for an angel eyes look to complement those beautiful emerald eyes.

"Ow! What is that?" Tom asks, look you back in the eyes.

"Just powder," you apply the other eye the same color of eyeshadow too.

"OW! It's like burning," Tom narrows his eyes.

"No, it's not!" You grin

"Right where you just put it, it's burning... seriously!"

You stop applying them and sit back straight. Looking at his eyelids, you try to find if something is wrong, if there's any redness or anything.

"Is it still?" You ask.

"Yes!" Tom grins

You chuckle nervously, "What if you're allergic?"

Just when you start to think he's being serious, you can see shift in his eyes. "What if?!"

"Don't lie to me! I can tell when you're acting!"

"I'm serious!" Tom exclaims, but the grin still stays on his face.

You apply more to his crease.

"Arrghhh," Tom yelps.

"Tommy, stop it! I can smell you lying!" You slap his shoulder, and Tom laughs.

You take your favorite maybelline mascara and your magical shu uemura eyelash curler.

"Wait, what's that? That looks dangerous!" Tom holds your hand down.

"Just an eyelash curler,"

"Nnonono,... don't bringing that thing near my eyes," Tom pushes away your hand.

"Tom,... tommy, relax, just trust me, Baby, come on," you try to stop him from pushing your hand away.

And again, he gives in.

"Look down," you told him to do, adorably, Tom misunderstood and buck his head down.

Pulling his head back straight, you chuckle, "No, baby, you look down with your eyes not with your head,"

"Don't poke my eyes,"

"I won't... i need you to relax, okay?" Tom nods,

"Aaahh..." Tom squeals as you clamp those beautiful long lashes.

You can't stop laughing to your sweet boyfriend's funny reaction. The fact that you have an older boyfriend, a grown man, more than that, your boyfriend is the freaking Tom Cruise. The guy who did daring stunts as his way to pay the check. Now you got him squealing like a big baby. Thank God you tape this moment.

"Okay, okay... I'm done," you said,

Tom sighs hard, "Jesus Christ! it was scarier than hanging on the side of a plane!"

You feel like your stomach starts to get hurt from all the non-stop laughter. This is the best thing that ever happened in your life. Tom Cruise, finally admitting to be scared of something.

"Okay, baby, Mascara, now this will be tricky, just trust me on this one, keep your eyes down and still, ready?" You ask.

"Wait, is that like waterproof? Can it come off?" Tom stops you.

"No, it'll come off,"

"How do i get it off?" He asks.

"You just rub it,"

Tom takes a long deep breath, "Okay, go" he said.

You start applying a good amount of mascara to his lashes. Rolling the wand on his lashes.

"I don't like it..." Tom whines like a big baby sissy.

You can't help but to laugh out loud.

"Aaaahh..., i don't like it," Tom cries again as you put mascara on to his other eye.

Feels like you have a full abs workout. Even you're tearing up from laughing too much.

Now, Tom looks gorgeous, jeez, he looks like a freaking poster model. His eyelashes are snatched and thick long. The sparkly pink and bronze eyeshadows makes his green eyes pop even brighter. Guess you were right, you always thought he'd be pretty too as a girl just as much as he is as a man. He has such a good genes.

You giggle, "you look so pretty, Tommy!" you smile.

"I'm gonna have to contour your nose though. You have such a manly nose, babe," you said as you picked up your go-to fenty contour stick again.

"Um... yeah?! because I'm a man??... I have a freaking annaconda under my pants,"

You gasp, eyes widen in shock, "TOMMY!" You slap his shoulder.

Tom laughs upon watching how your cheek burns in red cherry color. Tom loves to tease you and catch you off guard like that, making you flustered and burn in red.

"Can't believe you said that," you apply the contour again on his nose.

"Well, you like it, don't you?" Tom chuckles.

"I meant you have such a distinct nose! That's such a Tom Cruise nose,"

You blend the contour on his nose. Trying to make it look somewhat different than his famous nose. Tom can't stop grinning widely at you.

As you focus on making his nose look different, Tom looks at you deeply with that look again. The corner of his lips slightly curls up, his tender gaze glued still on you. His hands are on your thighs, softly caressing your smooth skin with his thumb. You feel butterflies fluttering inside of you again.

You giggle, "Can you stop looking at me with those eyes!" You cover his eyes with your hand again,

"What eyes?" Tom smiles wider, he holds your hand down and leans in to place a kiss on your cheek.

"Tom..." You giggle.

"Do i make you nervous or something, Miss Makeup Artist?"

You giggle as Tom sends attacks of sweet kisses on your cheek and neck.

"Tommy, come on, you're not done yet,"

Tom chuckles and sit back straight again. You steal a kiss before you put a nude pink colored lipstick on that lips. Then, you're all done with his makeup.

"There you go... oohhh look at you girl, you look so beautiful!!" You giggle.

Tom looks over at your phone screen. His jaw hangs wide open when he finds the result of your work on his face.

"Oh my lord!" Tom exclaims in a southern accent, which earning you to laugh even louder.

"Darling, what did you do to me?! I look like my sisters!"

You're rolling all over the floor. Bursting in loud laughter. Your stomach hurt and you can't stop some tears to spill out.

"Oh wait, i forgot one thing!" You take your setting spray and spray it to his face.

"What- does it make it not wash off?!" Tom asks.

You grin widely and nod, "Yeah,"

His jaw hangs and eyes widen, "Are you serious?!" Tom crooks his head to the side.

You chuckle, "Yeah... it won't wash off for 6 hours," You lie.

"DARLING!" Tom tickles your waist.

You laugh and hold down his hands. You hand Tom a mirror. He looks at his face closer with wide eyes. Scanning the details of artwork on his face. His eyes nearly bulges out off his head.

"SWEET JESUS! My eyes are scaring me!... Look at my lashes, they grew 2 inches more!"

You for sure can not feel your stomach. Your cheek burns from laughing too much. Feels like the muscles there have their own workouts.

Afterwards, you told Tom to change his clothes with your pink baggy hoodie. Your big hoodie still fits him like a normal-well-fitted hoodie, though this one is better  than his previous outfits that hug his body tightly, showing all of his muscles. You also insist Tom to put on your Jessica Rabbit's wig that you have, and you once use them for a Halloween party.

Later that day, You managed to take Tom Cruise grocery shopping in downtown Los Angeles without one person recognizing him. It was a mission accomplished. Well, some of the people there give him a weird look though.

Before you went to bed, you sent McQ the selfie of you and Tammy (you said to McQ Tammy was your new friend), and he too can not tell who's next to you at first! Took McQ a couple of minutes and a closer look before he texted back, "THAT'S TOM?! YO WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Tom comes out from the bathroom. "Honey! You send McQ the pictures?!"

"What pictures?" You act dumb as you eat your strawberries that you bought earlier.

"Oh you know what I'm talking about," He narrows his eyes and have his hand on his hips.

You giggle again, "yeah..."

"Y/N Y/LN!"

"Oh come on, Thomas, no need to be dramatic here, sweetie. McQ couldn't recognize you that means i did a great job... you too honey! You just went grocery shopping! I'm proud of you!" You come to him and kiss his cheek.

"That was your best acting too, baby," you tease him again. Gives him a playful wink as you click your tongue.

Tom looks at you still. His shoulders drop slowly as his gaze soften at you.

"Thank God, i love you," he said.

You feel your heart skipped a beat, and the clock stops ticking for a moment. You look back at his eyes with wide eyes. You stop chewing the frozen strawberry inside your mouth.

"What?" You ask with your mouth stuffed full.

"Of course i do, you're my dream come true, I was just afraid to say that too soon, but i can't help it any longer. And I don't expect you to say—"

Tom smiles and sits next to you, "You heard me... i love you, Y/N... i love you so much that i let you do shit to my face,"

Tears start to brimming in your eyes. You feel your heart warming up. Tom runs his fingers through your hair.

"... and I'd let you do it all over again if it means i get to be with you, i love you, darling," he smiles.

Swallowing the strawberry inside your mouth. Tears finally falls to your cheek, to which Tom quickly wipes away. "Y-you... love me?" You ask softly.

"I love you!" You cut him immediately.

Tom freezes for a moment before he smiles, "What?" He asks.

You smile, "I know i said to take this slow, but... but i love you,... Gosh, i love you so much, Tom,"

Tom smiles, wraps his hands around you, and brings you forward for a kiss.

ะ.⋆⸙͎۪۫⋆༶⋆⸙͎۪۫˙კ¸⊹

Tagging :

@malavera @call-sign-shark @tomsf18 @moondustfairies @katherineswritingsblog

[grrajeshkumar]

E-commerce Laws and Compliances in India: A Deep Dive into Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules

The rapid growth of e-commerce in India has brought about a multitude of opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. However, with this growth comes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the laws and compliances that govern the e-commerce sector. One critical aspect that businesses must adhere to is the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules. In this blog post, we will delve…

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from The American Prospect:

The Clean Air Act (CAA) has been fiercely opposed by polluters and their allies since its passage in 1970. Industry has never quite stopped fighting to prevent the government from protecting American lives and communities at the expense of even a bit of their profits. But over the past few years, opposition to the law has reached new feverish heights. Multiple cases seeking to gut the CAA have been filed by (or with the support of) oil and gas organizations, their dark-money front groups, and their political allies since 2022.

The ringleaders of this effort are the usual trade groups driving climate apocalypse, including the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the American Petroleum Institute (API), as well as oil giants themselves, like ExxonMobil.

Yet the coordinated attacks on this lifesaving, popular, and historically successful regulation go beyond the singularly destructive interests of the oil industry alone. And they go beyond the federal rule too, and are working their way into litigation against state enactments of the CAA.

Of course, many of the companies driving these suits are some of the biggest names in corporate greenwashing, like Amazon, FedEx, SoCalGas, and more.

These companies have continuously insisted that they are committed to leading the clean-energy transition, even while they fight for the right to poison the general public for profit, and have endeavored—at every turn—to destroy any opportunity the public may have to pursue recourse for it.

Last year, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) threatened a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) over the state regulator’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule.

The rule, which would mandate a “phased-in transition toward zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles,” threatens the transportation sector’s historically noxious way of doing business; the sector accounts for more than 35 percent of California’s nitrogen oxide emissions and nearly a quarter of California’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions. CARB’s rule could go a long way toward actualizing rapid reductions in the state’s annually generated emissions.

However, later that year EMA and some major truck manufacturers reached an agreement with CARB not to sue over the rules, in exchange for the state’s loosening of some near-term emissions reductions standards.

EMA has by and large kept its promise to not intervene with the regulation in courts, but litigation challenging CARB’s rule would soon be picked up by the California Trucking Association (CTA). Enforcement of the rule has since been on hold, as CARB waits to be issued an ACF-related waiver from the EPA in return for CTA not filing for preliminary injunction against the law.

Even despite these agreements, some of EMA’s own members—and even some of those specifically signed on to the CARB deal—pop up on CTA’s member rolls, as per CTA’s own 2023 membership directory. Daimler Trucks North America and Navistar, Inc., are specifically listed as Allied Members of CTA for 2023.

Amazon is listed among CTA’s Carrier Members, while separately making routine promises to be a partner in the fight against climate change. While Amazon announced its “Climate Pledge” in 2019 of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 to great fanfare, and has since branded itself a climate leader, the Center for Investigative Reporting has detailed how the e-commerce giant is overselling its green credentials by drastically undercounting its carbon emissions.

In truth, Amazon’s emissions have increased more than 40 percent in the time since it issued the pledge. Amazon also remains the largest emitter of the “Big Five” tech companies, producing no less than 16.2 million metric tons of CO2 every year. Without question, the corporation should be regarded as an industry leader in greenwashing, rather than in actual climate action.

FedEx is also a CTA Carrier-level member. Like Amazon, the company has also made promises “to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2040,” an initiative FedEx has labeled “Priority Earth.” In the years since, FedEx has funneled intensive time and resources into lobbying directly against climate action while pushing its net-zero greenwashing narrative.

UPS is another CTA Carrier-level member. UPS has historically been less effusive in its climate promises than have other corporations on this list, but the delivery giant has continuously reinforced its stance that “everyone shares responsibility to improve energy efficiency and to reduce GHG emissions in the atmosphere.”

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT ECOMMERCE NEWS (INCLUDING ETSY), LATE JULY 2024

Things have been hectic so this is a long one update - all the Etsy and other ecommerce news from the past month, broken down for your convenience!

Next week could be a big Etsy news week, with the 2nd quarter report being released, and the mature items ban kicking in. I'm also working on analysis of the new Creativity Standards, but we may not have more substantial information on those until Etsy makes another move. Right now the categories are a mess, but that could change.

A reminder that you can receive more timely updates plus exclusive content - including live chats with me on select topics such as Etsy's new Creativity Standards - by supporting my Patreon: patreon.com/CindyLouWho2

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

The European Union is considering making packages valued under 150 euros subject to customs duties when entering the EU. This is widely seen as a way to reduce Shein and Temu orders. 

The Etsy Creativity Standards announced on July 9th have a lot going on; here is my short summary so far. [post by me on Patreon] While I would not worry too much about this just yet, I expect them to be more important in the near future.  Etsy adding "Made by", "Handpicked by" to every listing is currently full of errors, but more disturbingly, even when a seller points out these errors with arguments from the written policy, Etsy Support is sometimes insisting that the designations are correct. For example, original paintings are lumped in with AI designs and digital downloads. [Post by me on LinkedIn] 

Amazon is imposing new rules regarding on-time delivery rates (OTDR); sellers that do not meet the standard of 90% on time delivery will not be able to continue selling. Businesses are exempted if they use the following tools: Shipping Settings Automation, Automated handling time, and Amazon Buy Shipping. Amazon is allowing only 5 days after shipment for products to arrive within the US. You can read the announcement and vigorous forum discussion here, and EcommerceBytes did a summary of the changes and some complaints.

ETSY NEWS 

As Etsy's widespread ban on many adult-themed products is about to take effect on Monday, I considered why Etsy felt the need to take far more drastic steps than Amazon & eBay has in the same markets. [post by me on Tumblr] The upcoming ban started by getting media attention from Mashable, and quickly escalated to the New York Times [not a gift link; soft paywall]. Etsy is still not commenting on why they are doing this. From the NYT article: "Even before the ban, it was getting harder to run his business, Mr. Goldstein said. So, he thought, “Why don’t we just make our own marketplace?” This year, he started the website Spicerack as an independent alternative to Etsy. The online boutique already has about 75 sellers, which are vetted to make sure they’re not “dropshippers” or simultaneously listing products on e-commerce behemoths like AliExpress or Amazon. Mr. Goldstein said that Spicerack is in the process of adding about 100 more sellers, half of whom signed up when the Etsy ban was announced." From the BBC: “In many countries there is pressure on platforms, sometimes backed by new legislation, to do more to prevent under-18s from encountering explicit content, and to remove illegal or "harmful" content from their platforms. Payment processors are also increasingly wary of working with platforms that enable sex based commerce....those concerns could be addressed by more clearly labelling and separating adult product listings..." The Guardian interviewed a few sellers who are affected.

While Etsy previously stated that the new shop set-up fee would be $15 USD, they quietly changed that, to whatever they feel like charging. [post by me on Patreon]

In case you missed it, the new listing form seems to be triggering Etsy Ads campaigns to start without the seller’s knowledge. [post by me on LinkedIn] Since my post, there are still more reports of this happening, and even more. 

I regret to inform you that Etsy’s Search Analytics are going to disappear after August 14 [post by me on LinkedIn], per a banner on the page.

Canadian sellers will have to pay a 1.15% “Regulatory Operating Fee” on all of their sales income (including shipping and gift wrap) starting August 15. This is likely due to a new law taxing large ecommerce platforms 3% of their Canadian income, which came into effect June 28. The tax applies retroactively back to the beginning of 2022, so Etsy is likely overcharging us to cover those earlier amounts. 

Sellers having difficulties with the domestic pricing tool not working correctly may want to try these tips from an Etsy forum thread: Set the domestic price to the global price amount, save, and then go back in and change the domestic price to your preferred amount, then save again. This apparently works for both new and existing listings, but there are 3 drawbacks: 1) it is time-consuming, 2) it needs to be done any time a listing is changed/edited (including renewals), and 3) it doesn’t seem to work for France. (I don’t ship to France so I cannot test the last point.) Remember, if you have a sale go through for the wrong price, contact Etsy and demand to be compensated the difference. 

Still don’t believe that Etsy is serious about shipping on time? See this Reddit thread by a seller who ignored a 30-day warning, so all of their items were removed from search. From this screenshot, it appears their average order value was fairly high, but that doesn’t mean Etsy will tolerate late shipping from shops with cheaper items, so beware. 

Etsy is testing filtering out digital items from search results unless the terms match a digital item search. See Etsy forum threads here and also here. 

A new academic study calls out Etsy and other online marketplaces for allowing illegally-killed bats to be sold on their sites. “We refute any assertion that the online bat trade is ethical. Again, statements that bats were captive-bred are absurd—bat farms are nonexistent—and it would be impossible for suppliers to find bats that have died naturally in the kind of condition and numbers needed to supply an ornamental trade. These bats were hunted.” The New York Times has also now covered this story [soft paywall]. 

The virtual seller education event Etsy Up is scheduled for September 10. You can register here, but there is no program yet. Usually this event has almost nothing worthwhile for experienced shops, and Etsy generally uses it to push their paid services and integrations along with basic info. 

Etsy is looking for sellers to join their Advocacy program and “share your story”. Beware that sometimes Etsy’s “advocacy” is as much for Etsy as for its sellers, so they are looking for stories that fit Etsy’s own goals. 

The Etsy Design Awards have opened; the final date for submissions is August 8. 

Etsy’s second quarter results for 2024 will be released July 31.

ECOMMERCE NEWS (minus social media)

General

Shein and Temu are facing investigations under the EU’s Digital Services Act. “In a press release, the EU said it’s asking Shein and Temu for more information about measures they’ve taken to meet DSA obligations related to what’s known as “Notice and Action” mechanisms, which should allow users to notify the marketplaces of illegal products.It has also requested info related to the design of their online interfaces, which the pan-EU law mandates must not deceive or manipulate users, such as via so-called “dark patterns”.” Temu is also being sued by Arkansas for having an invasive app that is accused of harvesting data without user permissions. “According to the complaint, Temu is allegedly obscuring its unauthorized access to data through misleading terms of use and privacy policies that do not alert users to the full scope of data that the app can potentially collect. That includes not telling users about tracking granular locations for no defined purpose and collecting "even biometric information such as users’ fingerprints."

Amazon

Amazon now has an AI shopping “assistant” on its US app, called Rufus. “Customers can ask questions about products, comparisons and buying considerations. The AI can provide suggestions for specific tasks or projects.” As per usual with AI, “tests show Rufus doesn’t always provide accurate information.” A review from Marketplace Pulse notes that “Amazon’s AI assistant fails to help shoppers find the best product among the millions in the catalog. It transforms broad questions like “What are the best cycling gloves for winter?” into a few links to product searches — the same searches a shopper could have typed themselves. It refuses to make product recommendations, show specific products, or suggest from the thousands of options. It can’t directly answer the question, “What are the cheapest batteries for my TV remote?”

Any sellers who had items removed for being plants or seeds when they actually aren’t should follow the instructions linked to here to get the situation resolved. An Amazon employee warned sellers: “Please do not acknowledge the violations as these will result in the deactivation of your listings.” Affected businesses should instead appeal the flags.  

Amazon is planning a discount drop shipping from China section, widely seen to be competition to Temu and Shein. However, “[i]t is not clear if these shipments will be made using a U.S. trade provision that exempts individual packages worth less than $800 from U.S. customs duties.”

The European Commission has asked Amazon for more information on “recommender systems, ads transparency provisions and risk assessment measures.” 

Only 1% of US Amazon sellers also offer their items outside of North America. “Due to its proximity to the U.S., Canada has more successful sellers from the U.S. than Canada.” If you have a unique product, this could be an opportunity.  Amazon returns are creating huge workloads for UPS stores and other retailers that accept them. “Amazon “makes up about one-tenth of our profits, but it takes up about 90 percent of the working day,” said Jeremy Walker, a store associate who worked at a UPS Store near Dallas that received between 300 and 600 returns per day.”

Depop

After trying it out in the UK, Depop is removing selling fees for the United States, starting July 15. Payment processing fees still apply. “[B]buyers will now be charged a "marketplace fee" of up to 5% plus a fixed amount up to $1.”

An interview with Depop CEO Kruti Patel Goyal reveals they plan “to bring Depop to a bigger and broader audience over time.” 

eBay

eBay is slowly rolling out changes to the Active Listings page. 

eBay sellers can now get cash advance loans through Liberis, the balance of which gets paid as a percentage of the seller's sales. 

New sellers in the UK might see “automated feedback” on some of their orders, to "help [users] buy and sell with confidence". It will say "This seller successfully completed an order", and is removed once the actual buyer leaves feedback. 

Michaels MakerPlace

Abby Glassenberg reviews Michaels’ MakerPlace popups inside their retail stores. Results seem mixed.

Shopify

A few hundred thousand Shopify users may have had their names, addresses and other data put up for sale on July 3 after a breach. Shopify denies it had any security issues and claims the data came from a third-party app. There was a known data breach at Evolve Bank and Trust in June; that institution is a supporting partner for Shopify Balance. It does appear that Shopify is notifying the affected individuals.

Walmart Walmart is adding pre-owned collectibles to its marketplace. “Eligible categories include Toys (Figures, Dolls, Trains, Plushies, Games, LEGO, Funko, Diecast Cars & Hot Wheels); Media & Music (Movies, Vinyl, Music, SteelBooks, Musical Instruments & Entertainment Replicas); Trading Cards; Comic Books & Books; Sports Memorabilia; and Coins.”

All Other Marketplaces

Indiegogo is opening an ecommerce website for items created through crowdfunding campaigns on the platform, called IndieShop. 

Etsy-owned Reverb now has an “outlet” page, where businesses can sell off their overstock, seconds and out-of-date models for 20% off and free shipping. Most products sold through the main portion of Reverb are used, not new, so this competes with regular sellers. 

Not sure if selling on Faire is right for your business? Here’s a handmade-focussed review of the wholesale site.

Payment Processing

Klarna is now available through Adobe Commerce (previously Magento). 

Shipping

USPS rates for labels on most platforms went up July 1, ahead of the previously-announced July 14th increases. Ina Steiner re-posted the numbers from eBay and Pirate Ship. 

USPS released the addresses and other data of logged-in Informed Delivery users to Meta, LinkedIn and Snap. The company claims it didn’t know the data transfer was happening. 

The free USPS Priority medium shipping tubes are no longer being made, but you can still order existing stock. 

Royal Mail’s Tracked 28 & 48 are now available at post offices. 

UPS’s holiday surcharge rates for the US have been released; the lower surcharges start September 29th.

Shippo has new Canada Post rates from now until January, and the Tracked Packet rates to everywhere but the United States are cheaper than Etsy’s (which are based on Level 4 of Solutions for Small Business). Remember that Shippo makes you pay for a higher tier of service if you use over 30 labels per month.

[uboat53]

Cabinet Endorsements

One thing that's flown a bit below the radar in this election is that former cabinet members haven't been acting like they usually do. Normally, former cabinet members will automatically endorse their former boss for re-election, but Trump's have not been doing that.

This is of particular interest because, while we, the voters, get to see the President give speeches and the like, we don't actually work with him. Presumably a cabinet member is someone who agrees with the president and who the president trusts and who gets to work closely with the president, so their opinion of the president is an important benchmark.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 44 former cabinet members of the Donald J. Trump administration and the 2 former cabinet members of the Joseph R. Biden administration. I'll put an (E) next to the ones that have endorsed their former boss, an (H) next to the ones who haven't yet, and an (R) next to the ones who have outright refused to do so.

Cabinet Members of the Donald J. Trump Administration (R) VP Mike Pence (H) Sec. State Rex Tillerson (H) Sec. State/CIA Director Mike Pompeo (E) Sec. Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) Sec. Defense James Mattis (H) Sec. Defense Patrick Shanahan (nominated) (R) Sec. Defense Mark Esper (H) Sec. Defense Christopher Miller (acting) (H) AG Jeff Sessions (R) AG William Barr (H) AG Jeffrey Rosen (acting) (E) Sec. Interior Ryan Zinke (H) Sec. Interior David Bernhardt (H) Sec. Agriculture Sonny Perdue (E) Sec. Commerce Wilbur Ross (H) Sec. Labor Andrew Puzder (nominated) (H) Sec. Labor Alex Acosta (H) Sec. Labor Eugene Scalia (H) Sec. HHS Tom Price (H) Sec. HHS Alex Azar (H) Sec. HHS Pete Gaynor (E) Sec. HUD Ben Carson (H) Sec. Transporation Elaine Chao (H) Sec. Transportation Steven Bradbury (acting) (H) Sec. Energy Rick Perry (H) Sec. Energy Dan Brouillette (H) Sec. Education Besty DeVos (H) Sec. Education Mick Zais (acting) (H) Sec. VA David Shulkin (E) Sec. VA Ronny Jackson (nominated) (H) Sec. VA Robert Wilkie (R) Sec. HS John Kelly (H) Sec. HS Kirstjen Nielsen (H) Sec. HS Chad Wolf (nominated) (E) US Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer (H) DNI Dan Coats (H) DNI John Ratcliffe (H) UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (H) OMB Directory Mick Mulvaney (E) OMB Director Russel Vought (H) CIA Director Gina Haspel (H) EPA Admin. Scott Pruitt (H) EPA Admin. Andrew Wheeler (H) SBA Admin. Linda McMahon (H) SBA Admin. Jovita Caranza

Cabinet Members of the Joseph R. Biden Administration (E) Sec. Labor Marty Walsh (E) OMB Director Neera Tanden (nominated) (H) Office of Science and Tech. Director Eric Lander

The first thing we notice, obviously, is that there are a whole lot more former Trump cabinet members. This is partially because Biden is still in office so his 23 current cabinet members are not counted (it'd be a huge surprise if they didn't endorse him and they probably wouldn't still be working for him if they didn't), but it's also because Trump had way above average turnover for cabinet officials, 19 in the first four years not including the 5 who resigned due to his handling of the 2020 election results (not included because Biden hasn't reached that point in his first term yet), while Biden has had far below average turnover, only 3 so far.

So a lot more people shuffling in and out of the Trump administration, but we also notice a ton more H's than E's there. Heck, there's almost as many R's among Trump's people as there are E's (5 to 7). Meanwhile, Biden's shooting 2 for 3 and the third one hasn't (at least not that I could find) ruled out endorsing him.

Keep in mind, endorsing the nominee of your party is pretty much the bare minimum that any party operative needs to do. Imagine if you applied for a job somewhere, the first question was "do you think this company should be in business", and you answered "no". You probably wouldn't be getting a job there. In other words, refusing to endorse has some big consequences for the people doing it, not just costing them a job in the potential next Republican presidency, but locking them out of the party entirely, and yet a good deal of the people who worked for Trump disliked working with him so much that they're doing it anyways.

As I said, this tends to fly below the radar because it's kind of a formulaic ritual; of course members of the President's party who are closely tied to him are going to endorse him for re-election! That's why you should pay attention now that most of the people who've worked with Trump aren't doing so. It says something, something big.