#customs and duties

[tortoisesshells]

for the oc asks: 8, 23, 28, 30? Show Me Her.

8. do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

Two! Her given name is Elinor, and she refers to herself as Nellie - derived from her name, obviously, and what her late husband called her. Growing up, her older brother called her Nora (after hearing their late mother call her that) but, given that her brother lives half a world away in Nassau, she rarely ever hears it, and generally has mixed feelings about it. Nellie's pretty ferociously compartmentalized, and choosing nicknames is part of that mental effort: her life in Boston as a well-to-do merchant captain's wife and now widow is Nellie Treat's life; the hardscrabble life she had before she married up was Nora Coggeshall's life, and never the twain shall meet. Except for the parts where they emphatically do, which is always awkward and laden with moral crisis.

23. how would you describe their voice? can they sing?

d'you know, in the years I've had Nellie, I've never really ever thought of what her voice sounds like? I think she has a very measured, soft way of talking, and she's taken great pains to fit into life in Boston. She can probably sing a little, as long as there's not too high or low of a note!

28. how do they show that they care about someone? how do they express that they don't like someone?

Looking after their material well-being: have they been fed? do they need tea or coffee or switchel? has someone checked their school lessons - she'll teach herself latin so she can correct grammar. are their clothes clean and in good repair? has someone checked the numbers in their account books recently? do they need someone to lie to the authorities for them? save them from drowning in Boston Harbor? do they have something to read? Don't rely on her for any kind of emotional support beyond her presence, though. Nellie tends not to express dislike, because she's very aware of how precarious her position is and she's desperate, not stupid. The best she'll usually do is avoid the hell out of someone she's unable to play nice with, but she did push that guy overboard once. So the gamut is "cutting but oblique remarks to a safe third party" to "manslaughter".

30. do they smell like anything notable?

Lavender! The headaches persist, but so does she.

OC Ask Game!

[taytaysteps]

PEOPLE! IMPORTANT QUESTION!!!

So, if I wanted to get a TTPD album here in India, what kind of customs, taxes, duties, etc would I need to pay?

Like do others of you who buy the albums here, how has your experience been? In the past I have heard instances of people paying double the actual album prices for international albums. So, I really need to know. This is the first time I am buying something offshore.

(I really can't afford to deal with hefty dues and fees)

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-fi prompt from @liberwolf:

Could you explain Tariff's , like who pays them and what they do to a country?

Well, I can definitely guess where this question is coming from.

Honestly, I was pretty excited to get this prompt, because it's one I can answer and was part of my studies focus in college. International business was my thing, and the issues of comparative advantage (along with Power Purchasing Parity) were one of the things I liked to explore.

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

At their simplest, tariffs are an import tax. The United States has had tariffs as low as 5%, and at other times as high as 44% on most goods, such as during the Civil War. The purpose of a tariff is in two parts: generating revenue for the government, and protectionism.

Let's first explore how a tariff works. If you want to be confused, then you need to have never taken an economics class, and look at this graph:

(src)

So let's undo that confusion.

The simplest examples are raw or basic materials such as steel, cotton, or wine.

First, without tariffs:

Let us say that Country A and Country B both produce steel, and it is of similar quality, and in both cases cost $100 per unit. Transportation from one country to the other is $50/unit, so you can either buy domestically for $100, or internationally for $150. So you buy domestically.

Now, Country B discovers a new place to mine iron very easily, and so their cost for steel drops to $60/unit due to increased ease of access. Country A can either purchase domestically for $100, or internationally for $110 (incl. shipping), which is much more even. Still, it is more cost-effective to purchase domestically, and so Country A isn't worried.

Transportation technology is improved, dropping the shipping costs to $30/unit. A person from Country A can buy: Domestic: $100 International: $60+$30 = $90 Purchasing steel from Country B is now cheaper than purchasing it from Country A, regardless of where you live.

Citizens in Country A, in order to reduce costs for domestic construction, begin to purchase their steel from Country B. As a result, money flows from Country A to B, and the domestic steel industry in Country A begins to feel the strain as demand dwindles.

In this scenario, with no tariffs, Country A begins to rely on B for their steel, which causes a loss of jobs (steelworkers, miners), loss of infrastructure (closing of mines and factories), and an outflow of funds to another country. As a result, Country A sees itself as losing money to B, while also growing increasingly reliant on their trading partner for the crucial good that is steel. If something happens to drive up the price of B's steel again, like political upheaval or a natural disaster, it will be difficult to quickly ramp up the production of steel in Country A's domestic facilities again.

What if a tariff is introduced early?

Alternately, the dropping of complete costs for purchase of steel from Country B could be counteracted with tariffs. Let's say we do a 25% tariff on that steel. This tariff is placed on the value of the steel, not the end cost, so:

$60 + (0.25 x $60) + $30 = $105/unit

Suddenly, with the implementation of a 25% tariff on steel from Country B, the domestic market is once again competitive. People can still buy from Country B if they would like, but Country A is less worried about the potential impacts to the domestic market.

The above example is done in regards to a mature market that has not yet begun to dwindle. The infrastructure and labor is still present, and is being preemptively protected against possible loss of industry to purchasing abroad.

What happens if the tariff is not implemented until after the market has dwindled?

Let's say that the domestic market was not protected by the tariff until several decades on. Country A's domestic production, in response to increased purchasing from abroad, has dwindled to one third of what it was before the change in pricing incentivized purchase from B. Prices have, for the sake of keeping this example simple, remained at $100(A) and $60(B) in that time. However, transportation has likely become better, so transportation is down to $20, meaning that total cost for steel from B is $80, accelerating the turn from domestic steel to international.

So, what happens if you suddenly implement a tariff on international steel? Shall we say, 40%?

$60 + (0.4 x 60) + 20 = $104

It's more expensive to order from abroad! Wow! Let's purchase domestically instead, because these prices add up!

But the production is only a third of what it used to be, and domestic mines and factories for refining the iron into steel can't keep up. They're scaling, sure, but that takes time. Because demand is suddenly triple of the supply, the cost skyrockets, and so steel in Country A is now $150/unit! The price will hopefully come down eventually, as factories and mines get back in gear, but will the people setting prices let that happen?

So industries that have begun to rely on international steel, which had come to $80/unit prior to the tariff, are facing the sudden impact of a cost increase of at least $25/unit (B with tariff) or the demand-driven price increase of domestic (nearly double the pre-tariff cost of steel from B), which is an increase of at least 30% what they were paying prior to the tariff.

There are possible other aspects here, such as government subsidies to buoy the domestic steel industry until it catches back up, or possibly Country B eating some of the costs so that people still buy from them (selling for $50 instead of $60 to mitigate some of the price hike, and maintain a loyal customer base), but that's not a direct impact of the tariff.

Who pays for tariffs?

Ultimately, this is a tax on a product (as opposed to a tax on profits or capital themselves, which has other effects), which means the majority of the cost is passed on directly to the consume.

As I said, we could see the producers in Country B cut their costs a little bit to maintain a loyal customer base, but depending on their trade relationships with other countries, they are just as likely to stop trading with Country A altogether in order to focus on more profitable markets.

So why do we not put tariffs on everything?

Well... for that, we get into the question of production efficiency, or in this case, comparative advantage.

Let's say we have two small, neighboring countries, C and D, that have negligible transportation costs and similar industries. Both have extensive farmland, and both have a history of growing grapes for wine, and goats for wool. Country C is a little further north than D, so it has more rocky grasses that are good for goats, while D has more fertile plains that are good for growing grapes.

Let's say that they have an equal workforce of 500,000 of people. I'm going to say that 10,000 people working full time for a year is 1 unit of labor. So, Country C and Country D have between the 100 units of labor, and 50 each.

The cost of 1 unit of wool = the cost of 1 unit of wine

Country C, having better land for goats, can produce 4 units of wool for every unit of labor, and 2 units of wine for every unit of labor.

Meanwhile, Country D, having better land for grapes, can produce 2 units of wool per unit of labor, and 4 units of wine per unit of labor.

If they each devote exactly half their workforce to each product, then:

Country C: 100 units of wool, 50 units of wine Country D: 50 units of wool, 100 units of wine

Totaling 150 units of each product.

However, if each devotes all of their workforce to the product they're better at...

Country C: 200 units of wool, no wine Country D: no wool, 200 units of wine

and when they trade with each other, they each end up with 100 units of each product, which is a doubling of what their less-efficient labor would have resulted in!

The real world is obviously much more complicated, but in this example, we can see the pros of outsourcing some of your production to another country to focus on your own specialties.

Extreme examples of this IRL are countries where most of the economy rests on one product, such as middle-eastern petro-states that are now struggling to diversify their economies in order to not get left behind in the transition to green energy, or Taiwan's role as the world's primary producer of semiconductors being its 'silicon shield' against China.

Comparative advantage can be used well, such as our Unnamed Countries (that are definitely not the classic example of England and Portugal, with goats instead of sheep) up in the example. With each economy focusing on its specialty, there is a greater yield of both products, meaning a greater bounty for both countries.

However, should something happen to Country C up there, like an earthquake that kills half the goats, they are suddenly left with barely enough wool to clothe themselves, and nothing for Country D, which now has a surplus of wine and no wool.

So you do have to keep some domestic industry, because Bad Things Can Happen. And if we want to avoid the steel example of a collapse in the given industry, tariffs might be needed.

Are export tariffs a thing?

Yes, but they are much rarer, and can largely be defined as "oh my god, everyone please stop getting rid of this really important resource by selling it to foreigners for a big buck, we are depleting this crucial resource."

So what's the big confusion right now?

Donald Trump has, on a number of occasions, talked about 'making China pay' tariffs on the goods they import into the US. This has led to a belief that is not entirely unreasonable, that China would be the side paying the tariffs.

The view this statement engenders is that a tariff is a bit like paying a rental fee for a seller's table at an event: the producer or merchant pays the host (or landlord or what have you) a fee to sell their product on the premises. This could be a farmer's market, a renaissance faire, a comic book convention, whatever. If you want to sell at the event, you have to pay a fee to get a space to set up your table.

In the eyes of the people who listened to Trump, the tariff is that fee. China is paying the United States for access to the market.

And, technically, that's not entirely wrong. China is thus paying to enter the US market. It's just the money to pay that fee needs to come from somewhere, and like most taxes on goods, that fee comes from the consumer.

So... what now?

Well, a lot of smaller US companies that rely on cheap goods made in China are buying up non-perishables while they can, before the tariffs hit. Long-term, manufacturers in the US that rely on parts and tools manufactured in China are going to feel the squeeze once that frontloaded stock is depleted.

Some companies are large enough to take the hit on their own end, still selling at cheap rates to the consumer, because they can offset those costs with other parts of their empire... at least until smaller competitors are driven out of business, at which point they can start jacking up their prices since there are no options left. You may look at that and think, "huh, isn't that the modus operandi for Walmart and Amazon already?" and yes. It is. We are very much anticipating a 'rich get richer, poor go out of business' situation with these tariffs.

The tariffs will also impact larger companies, including non-US ones like Zara (Spanish) and H&M (Swedish), if they have a huge reliance on Chinese production to supply their huge market in the United States.

If you're interested in the repercussions that people expect from these proposed tariffs on Chinese goods, I'd suggest listening to or watching the November 8th, 2024 episode of Morning Brew Daily (I linked to YouTube, but it's also available on Spotify, Nebula, the Morning Brew website, and other podcast platforms).

[enchi-elm]

Please, if you love maritime fiction and a slow burn set firmly in the historically correct culture of the, say, late 1710s, please read this. There is smuggling and black linen and soft-spoken intrigue.

Nellie paid attention, but badly wanted to ask what it mattered, how the Commodore’s engagement had ended – it seemed to have been a cause of pain, and that was that. She tried to piece what she knew of the man together with these stories – a thing meant nothing without context, without setting. “How close,” she started, frowning, “How close to – what he did to put himself in disgrace?” “Impossible to say with any precision. Close.” “Did the one cause the other?” Her aunt raised an eyebrow and smiled, approvingly. “The pertinent question indeed, my dear, but – ” In came Susannah and Polly with a fresh kettle for their tea, and that was the end of that. Just as well. Commodore Norrington was setting himself up as her chief opponent in Boston’s way of business, and she would have to know at least some parts of the man in order to evade his grasp. But this? Broken engagements and matters of the heart were the kind of secrets she hated to deal in – it made her feel like a spy or intriguer or blackmailer, to use those rumors to her own advantage. As she was now.

(Excerpts from Customs and Duties by @tortoisesshells)

[AO3 link in source]

[befuddled-calico-whump]

anyone who calls service industry jobs unskilled labor has never watched a teenager wrangle a burrito the size of an infant into one square foot of aluminum foil

[tomorrowusa]

A nickname for Donald Trump which we should use often: TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out). According to Lawrence O'Donnell, the usage of TACO is spreading in the financial services community.

If you wish to annoy Trumpsters while (hopefully) educating them, play this vid within earshot of them.

[jinxneo]

Bell (BOCW) Pixel Heart Emojis:

Borderless:

Sorry if the quality is off! This is my first emoji post and I’m still figuring things out. Anybody is free to use with credit but I will not tolerate these being used in the context of shipping.

🔔 How to credit me when using my emojis

If using on discord, please add “**jn**” separated by an underscore in the emoji name. (like jn_emojiname or emojiname_jn)

If using anywhere else, please link to my blog

[x3no9]

This is what happened before my MakaYuri bakery AU fic lol. Thank you @LiShDranthon for this comm, you are a genius. Lol.

[last-starry-sky]

another a+ youtube video inspo pull: Uber eats bike delivery Simon.

imagine ordering some greasy delivery at the ass crack of morning (after a night out/sick/just wanting to treat yourself) only instead of sneaking downstairs to grab your food, you run right into your delivery man: all six feet, 200+lbs of him. You’re spiraling because you’re hungry af and absolutely certain this man in all black, gloves, and a fucking mask is a commando sent to kill you if you open the door. In reality, the second he saw you lurking around like a skrunkly stray cat in last nights clothes and sweat-mussed hair; he was in love.

[tomialtooth]

To have a face is to have personhood. So by making Bell wear a balaclava, Bell's personhood and identity is denied.

Bell's balaclava therefore serves two purposes. In universe it serves both as a tool to sever the connection between Bell and their former identity and to dehumanize them to the rest of the safe house crew. Getting attached to Bell is dangerous and it's easy to get attached to something with a face. By removing Bell's face from the equation with the Balaclava it becomes easier for Park and Adler to avoid becoming attached to Bell.

Out of universe it allows the player to imagine however they want Bell to look like without having to add actual character model customization to the game.

[joliejoles]

Sound from Animaudios . Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)

I can confidently say that he would make food better than me.

[tortoisesshells]

for the oc ask game: 6, 10, 11, & 17 please!

6. how do they wear their hair? do they care a lot how their hair looks?

Usually braided and pinned up under a cap, befitting her station and status as a widow. She doesn't care much about her hair, though she's beginning to worry about about her hair thinning and greying as a function of age, grief, and burning the candle at both ends.

10. If they wear jewelry, what kind? do they prefer silver or gold? do they have a favorite gem?

She wears two black enamel and gold mourning rings (one for her late husband, one for the daughter who passed at the same time) on a daily basis, and not much else - maybe a glass imitation coral bead necklace; on special occasions, she'll break out the pearl drop earrings and a fake pearl necklace. She doesn't have enough to have a preference, but she suspects she looks better in gold.

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

We're both emotionally underdeveloped Yankees with questionable taste in men, but that's about it! Well - actually. To the third question, I do think we'd get along, since she and I tend to prioritize getting along amicably and avoid open conflict - we're both far more likely to say something bitchy to a confidant while not overtly challenging a situation we don't want to be in.

Nellie's far more proactive than I am, I will say. I think I'd have curled up and died after 2/3rds of what she's been through, but she's much more hard-nosed than I am.

17. how did they spend their summers/free time as a child?

Running away from her chores to maraud through Newport with the other neighborhood urchins, and somewhat inevitably developing a life-long aversion to public hangings. Which is unfortunate for someone who's committed at least one hanging offense.

OC Ask Game!

[machveil]

hello CoD Tumblr, hugs and kisses🎃✨

Halloween is around the corner… Ghost and König need costume suggestions, feel free to comment some👻

[roachy-draws]

Being in the "afterlife" and not a game, unlike his Ghost and Soap, life can get boring... SO WHY NOT OPEN A LEMONADE STAND!

The only thing missing is the uh...the customers... Oh.

[justdreamypacis]

Custom paci (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

[munchin-cheese]

I want to make König from Call of duty in The Sims 4 ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢

Please help me ;_; I've been waiting for I don't know how long for anyone to make custom content of König in the sims but nothing !

I tried to find good cc too and also nothing. Like nothing looks good or looks like him. I've seen a very tiny amounts of other Call of duty characters in The Sims 4 but no König ૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა (maybe one actually).

If you have any cc, downloadable sim, you think would match him or was even made for him please tell me ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧. (The fact I've seen him on roblox but not on my silly sim game is outrageous)

I'm willing to even pay for commissions I've never done that before but he's a comfort character (just like Elliot Stardew valley) and I don't want to play Call of duty <( ⸝⸝•̀ - •́⸝⸝)>