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theotherjourney7 · 3 years

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“Haven't been able to post yet, it's been a difficult weekend to process. I worked for David Amess in Parliament, and ahead of the tributes in the House tomorrow I wanted to post my own...

Seeing every photo being shared, he's always smiling, usually with a dog in tow, beautifully sums up the man. He taught me lots about politics, but the most important thing he taught me was to start with kindness and the only thing that matters is how many people you help everything else in politics is just ego. Everyone’s talked of his kindness this weekend, I can’t add much, the cross-party tributes speak for themselves. Walking round Parliament with him was an exhausting affair, constantly stopping to say hello, he knew everyone every MP and Lord, every Commons clerk, the kitchen staff, the door keepers. He'd been there so long he was able to point out people in Portcullis House and say ‘I knew his dad back in the 80s’…

For constituents, he had time for everyone. No problem was too big or small. He was there to listen and help. He knew so many personally by name. He kept a list of all the constituents who’d thanked him for his help to send a handwritten Christmas card every year…

When making speeches in Westminster, he always made sure to pay tribute to whoever had brought the issue to his attention. Name-checking the constituent or campaigner personally in Parliament...

I also had the perpetual task when writing speeches for Sir David to make sure that every speech, no matter what the topic, issue or campaign, could end with the immortal words '...And that's why Southend should become a city!'

So much has been made of his love of animals and campaigns for animal rights. It's the reason I went to work for him. He was about 20 years ahead of the crowd on opposing fox-hunting, and had done so much to improve legislation for all animals in this country...

With half a dozen budgies and fish, his Westminster office was constant chorus. Despite being reminded by officials for decades that animals were not allowed in Parliament, they remained. One day we came into the office to find Maggie the budgie had perished he put her in a box and took her home on the train to Essex to be buried in his garden. I'll never forgot the day spent on the phone to the Qatari Ambassador to negotiate whether David could bring back a rescue turtle from the country in his hand luggage...

Most of all, he had the most infectious sense of fun. There was so much laughter in his office. Decorations were serious business. We had to climb outside to put up an inflatable Santa over the balcony every year, one year it broke free and flew across Parliament Square...

At Halloween, an animatic monster outside his office door loudly greeted anyone who passed the corridor. Cabinet Ministers were frequently startled as the zombie came to life and screamed ‘mwahahaha’ at them...

He had a school-boyish charm and loved a practical joke. On my first day, a bit overwhelmed, I came to my desk to find David had left an antique chamber pot as a welcoming present, chuckling to himself as he tried to convince me the all ladies toilets were out of order...

For Christmas, he bought and wrapped presents for my two cats. He got them Christmas stockings filled with weapons-grade catnip imported from China. They love them and are still playing with them two years later. Here's Marcus enjoying his just today, such a sweet legacy

I’ve spent most of my short journalistic and campaigning career writing about the very worst MPs, those who use their position to hurt and abuse under the guise of public service. It has been a joy to finally be able to write about one of the very best. RIP Sir David Amess”-Becky Paton

#life #real life #uk news #uk #sir david amess #member of parliament #house of commons #may he rest in peace

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aliworldtrade · 3 years

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Guangzhou Asia Inflatables Limited

86-20-34704480 86 130 5446 8032

16-601, Lane 2, Shajiao Middle Road, Xiajiao Village, Luopu St., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Guangzhou Asia Inflatable Toys Co., Limited Inflatable Water Park Manufacturer, China Inflatable Water Sport Exporter. More than 9 years experience of manufacturing inflatable advertising, such as Christmas Inflatable, Easter Inflatable, Halloween Inflatable and Party or Event Inflatable Decoration. More than 9 years experience of manufacturing Inflatable Moonwalk, Bouncy Castles, Water Slide, Giant inflatable slide and Interactive Games, etc. More then 6 years experience to make Inflatable Sealed Advertising products, such as inflatable military tents, inflatable bubble tents, inflatable camping tent, inflatable pool dome tents, inflatable buoys, inflatable air track, inflatable arch, inflatable billboard,inflatable balloon,inflatable bottles, inflatable water park, inflatable mirror balls, inflatable models,inflatable water games, inflatable bubble soccers, inflatable lighting decorations,inflatable sports games,inflatable advertising tents, outdoor inflatables.Each one inflatable unit is confirmed by 3D-Design before the manufacture. Also we offers CE/UL approved blowers to comply with different market requirements. OEM & ODM is always Welcome!

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thegreenwolf · 7 years

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Note: This article was first posted over at my now-defunct Patheos blog. Due to contractual disagreements, which included them refusing to remove my posts from their site after repeated requests, I am moving some of my writing over here. Please link to this version of the article rather than the Patheos one. Thank you!

Ah, mid-August, how I love thee. It’s the height of summer here in the U.S., with barbecues and campouts and calling the air conditioning repair company because the HVAC is down again. My garden is overflowing with fresh produce and I have no idea how we’re going to eat all this kale, but I’m going to make it work. And all the kiddies are trying to squeeze the last remnants of summer vacation out before having to go back to school. Even the stores are getting in on the act, with shelves and displays full of backpacks and pencils and all that other stuff on the school supply list that just arrived in the mail.

Of course, the back to school displays have been up since the fifth of July. But soon enough (probably just after Labor Day) it’ll be time shopping for Halloween, or so the chain stores say. (Sure, it’s a little early to be talking about this, but I have to beat the stores to the punch!) You can expect endless lines of green-faced witches, styrofoam tombstones, little plastic cauldrons, and strings of Christmas-style lights with translucent smiling skulls and ghosts. Right on cue, the feeds on my social media profiles–Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter–will be full of squealing pagans all excited about “Look at all this Halloween stuff I got from Michael’s for just twenty bucks! They had a sale!” and “I got this cute gargoyle statue with red LED eyes at Wal-mart!” (In fact, I’ve already seen a few posts–apparently Michael’s already has their Halloween stuff out. Yikes.)

Most of the time I just hold my tongue and cringe. The very same pagans who have been reblogging and sharing calls to action about fracking in Canada and human rights abuses in Gaza are proudly displaying cheap, chintzy tchotchkes that are the products of environmental degradation and slave labor. It’s a peculiar sort of cognitive dissonance driven by materialism and rampant consumerism without reflection. It would be one thing if there were no alternative options, or if it were over something necessary to life like access to food or water, or even something educational like books. No, these cheap, mass-produced items (only slightly different from the ones offered last year) are purely luxuries, and not even luxuries in the traditional sense of actually being worth something.

And they come out of a well of toxicity. Those cute plastic window decals are derived from the petroleum industry, which severely damages the environment throughout the entire process of harvesting, processing, and using oil. Fossil fuels are also implicated in a whole host of human rights abuses. That cheap metal candle holder with the flying witch cut out? It was made from metals that were probably unsustainably mined, producing countless toxins and destroying nearby waterways and habitats.

These materials are then turned into purely decorative items, usually by poorly paid and abused slave labor in China and elsewhere. In 2012, an Oregon woman bought a set of Halloween decorations from K-Mart. Inside it was a letter written by one of the workers, detailing the horrible conditions at the factory. It is almost certain that this year’s shiny new decorations from Michael’s and the like are made by similarly abused workers.

And what’s it take to get all these trinkets from China to the United States? Generally they’re sent by giant freight ships across the Pacific Ocean, ships which create a massive amount of pollution and devastate wildlife and marine plants; the noise from these ships also interferes with whales’ ability to communicate with each other, particularly as the sound is often on the same frequency that the whales use.

How else can these big box chain stores sell you their tacky items at low, low prices except through abuses to the environment and our fellow human beings? When you get to pay $5.99 for a packet of paper plates with smiling black cats on them, or get a buy one get one free pair of resin skeleton candle holders, you’re not paying the full price for these things. Other living beings are your coupons, and future generations of humans and other living beings will be paying the price for your purchase for decades, if not centuries, to come.

The sad thing is, there are plenty of alternatives to the crap you’ll find on the big box shelves, and yet millions of people convince themselves they just have to have these useless, toxic items, to include people who claim they venerate nature and believe all people should be treated equally and humanely. It would be one thing if we were talking about something necessary to human existence, like food or water access, or if these were carefully hand-crafted pieces bought directly from the artist. But we’re compromising the environment and each other over things nobody actually needs, and which can be easily replaced by better options.

Want to break the cycle of damaging consumerism? Make your own decorations and costumes using recycled and reclaimed materials, and invite your friends and family to get in on it. Here’s one set of tutorials, and here’s another, and some more over here, and those are just three of the first links that popped up when I Googled “how to make Halloween decorations with recycled materials”. If you want to get really artsy about it, try sculpting your own scary skeletons and witches out of recycled paper mache instead of buying the resin ones from the chain stores.

If you don’t feel you’re artistic enough, consider going through Etsy* or other avenues to patronize artists who make holiday wares. You can ask them about where their materials come from, request custom work, and you’ll be giving money to an individual person, not a nameless corporation. Chances are whatever they make will be better constructed than the cheaply made offerings at the stores, and so will last much longer. It may be more of a financial investment in the beginning, but it pays off in the long run.

Remember, too, that Halloween (Samhain) was originally a harvest festival, and many pagans still celebrate it as such today. This means that edibles like squash, sugar pumpkins and apples all make great decorations. You may also be able to find corn stalks from local farmers, and fall leaves are always abundant wherever deciduous trees grow. Once Halloween is over, you can eat the vegetables and fruit, and compost the rest.

If you absolutely must decorate your home in poor-quality, mass-produced Halloween kitsch, consider checking out Goodwill and other thrift stores in your area. Plenty of people offload their old holiday decorations when they move or clean house, and every year I see aisles full of perfectly serviceable secondhand Halloween items available for cheap. A lot of it will end up thrown out because there’s just too much to go around, and too many people insist on heading to Target to buy brand new costumes and decor (most of which will probably end up tossed, or donated and then tossed, in a few years). If for whatever reason you’d be horrified if your friends knew you went thrift shopping *gasp*, you don’t have to tell them the truth of where that inflatable vampire came from. Just tell them you bought it at the Halloween Superstore a few years ago.

Halloween can still be full of fun decorations and playful costumes, and those of you so inclined can still make your home look like October year-round. But with a little care and consideration, we can make this year’s Halloween better for the entire planet, and take some power away from the truly scary monsters that we face in our world today.

* Please be aware that Etsy now allows mass-produced items. You may have to be a little careful in shopping there. Generally speaking, if it’s cheap, it’s probably mass produced.

Did you enjoy this read? Consider supporting this self-employed author and artist by buying my books, or checking out my Etsy shop, or purchasing the Tarot of Bones! You can also get exclusive content, art in the mail, and more by being my Patron on Patreon!

#pagan #witch #Halloween #environment #October #mine

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biofunmy · 5 years

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This Amazon Customer Has Received Hundreds Of Free Products In Exchange For 5-Star Reviews

Bryan Anselm for BuzzFeed News

Jessica receiving Amazon packages, Nov. 9.

Jessica — not her real name — has spent well over $15,000 on Amazon this year, buying everything from Halloween decorations to a queen-size inflatable mattress. She’s purchased over 700 products, including three vacuum cleaners, six desk chairs, and no fewer than 26 pairs of earbuds. And even though most of the products are cheaply made, she’s given each a 5-star review. The twentysomething who lives on the East Coast isn’t a bad judge of quality — the companies that sell these products on Amazon reimburse her for the purchases.

Although the loot may be free to her, Jessica’s habit does come with a cost — if you’ve considered buying an Instant Pot recently, her 5-star review, complete with photos and a video, might have nudged you toward a knockoff instead of the real thing. It’s entirely fake, but Jessica told BuzzFeed News she doesn’t think she’s gaming the system; she’s trying to help brands grow their businesses in Amazon’s massive marketplace. “I’m just a pawn in their marketing scheme,” she said.

Third-party sellers know what it takes to make it on Amazon: Get good reviews and a high search ranking. But attracting genuine customers is tough, so some sellers use a reliable cheat — bribes. Because of Amazon’s vast scale, inscrutable algorithms, and capricious enforcement of its own rules, unscrupulous sellers and paid shills largely get away with it.

Amazon has banned giving away free products in exchange for reviews, so Jessica requested anonymity out of fear that the company would suspend her account.

Sellers reach out to Jessica through targeted Facebook ads touting free items or dedicated review groups with thousands of members, and give her a specific set of instructions to purchase their products on Amazon. After she leaves a 5-star review, the sellers reimburse her via PayPal or an Amazon gift card, and let her keep the items she reviews.

Jessica’s activity, as far as Amazon is concerned, looks legitimate. She makes purchases from her own Amazon account and credit card, so her reviews are labeled as a “verified purchase.” After the sellers confirm Jessica has left a 5-star review, the payment is made out of Amazon’s view. The credit card, an Amazon-branded rewards card, gives Jessica an extra bonus for the purchase. In other words, third-party sellers aren’t the only ones paying her to leave fake reviews and superficially boost sales — Amazon is too.

BuzzFeed News sent Amazon a detailed list of questions about how it polices inauthentic reviews. A company spokesperson responded with the same statement it provided for our Oct. 14 report on Amazon sellers using Facebook chatbots to cheat its review system. The statement noted that the site had prevented more than 13 million attempts to post inauthentic reviews, and that it “took action” against more than 5 million sellers’ accounts for review manipulation.

But consultants who work with Amazon’s third-party sellers say that the bad actors continue to exploit blind spots in the system, and do so without virtually any consequences. Meanwhile, Jessica, and many reviewers like her, benefit from the sellers’ willingness to cheat.

Bryan Anselm for BuzzFeed News

A table in the back corner of the dining room of Jessica’s two-family home is buried under a mountain of clutter — a faux leather purse, a vacuum, a salad spinner, a foot spa, and kids’ toys. Bits of miscellany are haphazardly sorted in big plastic bins underneath the rummage. The items on top are Amazon products Jessica hasn’t reviewed yet. The items below the table have already been refunded and are up for grabs by family and friends.

Almost every day, Jessica’s boyfriend of eight years begrudgingly hauls Amazon packages in from the porch. “He hates it,” she told BuzzFeed News. But Jessica proudly points to all the items she’s acquired for their new house: “I got our new showerhead, shower organizer, side tables, coat rack, coat hangers. … We would have had to pay for all that stuff.”

After her boyfriend brings them in, Jessica opens the boxes, removes products from their packaging, assembles them, and takes photographs. Later, she’ll write reviews while she and her boyfriend watch TV. Jessica told BuzzFeed News she tries to be thoughtful about what she writes (although never mentions outright that a product is bad) — but no matter what she says, each review receives the same rating: 5 stars.

It’s a lot to keep track of. Jessica is constantly brokering deals with sellers (and, occasionally, hounding them for payment) through email, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Many sellers tell her the exact keywords to search for on Amazon to more closely simulate an actual Amazon purchase. The method — searching for a keyword and adding the item to a shopping cart — also elevates the product’s profile in search results.

Sellers instruct Jessica not to review products for at least five to six days after receiving the item to make the review appear more authentic. She meticulously records into an Excel spreadsheet each product, its target review date, the item’s delivery date, whether she’s taken a photo or submitted a review, what she paid, the reimbursement paid by the seller, and the amount she lost or made in the transaction, among other pieces of information.

The spreadsheet helps Jessica make sure she’s on top of due dates and getting paid on time. BuzzFeed News reviewed the document, which showed 117 open orders that hadn’t been refunded yet. A column titled “Total currently out of pocket” — or what she’s still owed — amounted to $2,282.01.

Contact this reporter with information or tips about Amazon via email at [email protected].

On Amazon, third-party sellers look for any advantage they can get and, by enlisting customers like Jessica, they can generate seemingly authentic sales and reviews — fast.

Most of the products on Amazon aren’t sold by Amazon itself. Millions of independent third-party sellers use the platform to distribute their wares. Look on any product page and somewhere below the price you’ll likely see: “Sold by [Store Name] and Fulfilled by Amazon.” These merchandisers get access to Amazon’s customers. In turn, the company gets a cut of their sales.

Amazon reported that in 2018, customers spent $160 billion on items from third-party sellers — 58% of all sales on the site. More than 1 million sellers joined Amazon marketplaces around the world that year, according to e-commerce data firm Marketplace Pulse. In this year’s shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wrote: “Third-party sellers are kicking our first party butt. Badly.”

With thousands of new sellers signing up every day, there is a lot of competition — much of which comes from China. A Wall Street Journal story found that in 2018, a new product from China was uploaded every 1/50th of a second.

That’s why some third-party sellers are willing to give away products for free. Their hope is that, in doing so, they’ll gain a competitive edge that’ll attract more customers.

What Jessica does helps sellers in two ways. First, it bolsters their reviews, which convince customers to buy. It also inflates another consequential Amazon metric: an item’s sales rank, which represents a product’s number of sales compared to similar listings.

The scheme — according to Ryan Flannagan, the CEO of Nuanced Media, a consultancy firm for independent sellers on Amazon — is designed to dupe the site’s algorithm by creating the illusion that a product flying off the shelves. “As people purchase more, the listing becomes more visible to customers [in a search]. Sales velocity gives the product that flywheel effect,” Flannagan explained.

An Amazon spokesperson said, “Customer reviews do not have a consequential impact on search ranking,” adding that availability and the frequency of sales are also factors.

“The cheapest, easiest way to make money is to cheat.”

While that may be true, reviews have a huge impact on sales, which do affect search ranking, according to John LeBaron, chief revenue officer of Pattern, an e-commerce consulting firm. A study by the firm found that a 1-star increase in a product’s average rating led to a 26% jump in sales.

LeBaron said that a high ranking in a search can be worth tens of thousands of dollars in monthly revenue. A Pattern analysis found that for the search term “men’s sunglasses,” the top five vendors each rake in $60,000 per month on average; the top 10 sellers earn $53,000, and products on the first page make $42,000. “That’s what makes spending money on free products worth it for these blackhat sellers,” LeBaron said.

Attracting genuine customers to a listing is expensive and doesn’t guarantee good reviews. “The cheapest, easiest way to [make money] is to cheat. Unless Amazon takes an aggressive approach, it’s going to continue to flourish,” said LeBaron. “It’s really detrimental to people playing by the rules.”

Bryan Anselm for BuzzFeed News

Jessica doesn’t have many vices. She doesn’t drink or smoke. In her spare time, she goes out to trivia nights, watches movies with friends, and reads. Her childhood best friend, Christina, described her as “very outgoing” and “sweet.”

Her review habit started with a Facebook ad, a common marketing method for sellers’ fake review programs, she said. The ad, which was for free measuring spoons, included a link that opened Facebook Messenger. She clicked and started chatting with the seller. After she received the spoons and wrote a review, the seller promptly sent her a PayPal refund. She was hooked.

“After that, the ads for free stuff just multiplied tenfold,” she said.

Sellers started inviting Jessica to private Facebook groups with names like “Secret Rebate Club” and “AMZ Freebies.” One of the groups has nearly 30,000 members. She now participates in dozens of groups. From other members, who are reviewers themselves, Jessica learned about websites like Hundsonvine and a more selective, referral-only program called Fullyrebate, both of which she now participates in.

“I like getting stuff.”

Jessica said the majority of sellers she messages with are Chinese. They respond to messages only between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Eastern time, which are working hours — 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. — on Beijing time. During Golden Week, a Chinese holiday, the administrators of multiple Facebook pages noted that refunds would not be issued and representatives would not be available to respond to inquiries while they observe the national days of rest. Facebook is technically blocked in China, so sellers access the site using a virtual private network. Occasionally, sellers will go dark for a few days because of issues with their VPN.

Since reviewing the measuring spoon set, Jessica has written about hundreds of products. “I like getting stuff. It’s like Christmas every day here,” she explained. Jessica’s upstairs neighbor recently complimented her new cat water fountain. She responded, “No problem, I’ll get you one.”

Jessica gives away many of the items she reviews, and she has made about $150 by selling products on Facebook Marketplace. She’s donated clothes that don’t fit and handed off the rest to family members or friends. “I like being able to give my friends things without breaking the bank,” she said. The reviewing allows her to regularly treat the people in her life; she hasn’t had to buy a birthday gift all year.

As an Amazon Prime member with an Amazon Chase credit card, Jessica is, ironically, rewarded for exploiting the company’s blind spots. She’s made hundreds of dollars through the Amazon card’s cashback benefit as a result of the purchases, which come at nearly no cost to her.

She receives about $100 in cash rewards every month. She could make more — but some items for review are purchased with Amazon gift cards, which don’t count toward rewards. Jessica plows that money right back into Amazon for her own purchases, typically Kindle books and, most recently, an Instant Pot pressure cooker (not the off-brand version she got for free).

“I really don’t think I’m making money on it at all. I’m pretty sure I’m losing money,” Jessica said while looking over her spreadsheet. “I’m pretty sure I’m at a 10% loss. But I’m okay with it, because I’ve gotten a whole bunch of new stuff.”

Jessica has rated almost every item she has been commissioned 5 stars, except for one, a crossbody purse that shipped with a broken magnet. She rated the purse 3 stars and received a $20 refund from the seller anyway.

But Jessica is conflicted. On the one hand, she sees the Chinese sellers as small business owners who are doing what they have to do to make it on the platform. In chats reviewed by BuzzFeed News, the sellers use language like “This will help our small business out a lot!” and “We’re a small family business selling on Amazon” as an appeal to reviewers.

According to Jessica, a number of the off-brand products that she has reviewed — especially items like clothes and home goods — are perfectly adequate. “It’s their way of marketing,” she said, adding that “the products aren’t necessarily worse than something you’d buy with a name brand on it.”

But sometimes the products are worse, and Jessica still rates them 5 stars. “I haven’t found a thermometer by doing this that works correctly — they all give me different readings,” she said. Jessica is afraid to use the electronic appliances she receives, which often come with incomprehensible instructions written in both English and Chinese. She took photos of one product, a foot spa, without adding water or plugging it in.

Jessica also doesn’t trust health and beauty products on the site, because of her boyfriend, a chemist, who has found toxic ingredients in analyses of unregulated products.

A coworker at Jessica’s day job once asked her about a keratin hair mask she had seen Jessica review. But Jessica hadn’t actually used the mask, and explained how the hustle really works. “She was noticeably disappointed that she trusted the review. I really felt bad!” Jessica said. She offered the coworker her unused bottle.

“I definitely feel like I have to keep [the reviewing] a secret from people who have strong morals,” Jessica added.

But reviewing is becoming too time-consuming and risky (sometimes sellers will disappear without sending her the promised money), so Jessica is starting to find freebies through other channels. Rather than dealing with sellers on an ad hoc basis herself, she now prefers to go through rebate platforms like RebateKey, even if it means waiting for longer periods of time — past the return window — for her money.

Rebate websites offer Amazon products at deep discounts or for free and streamline the process for giveaway seekers like Jessica. The fake purchases increase the item’s sales rank, which can help attract more genuine sales. To receive a full refund, she agrees to buy the item on Amazon within a certain time period, submits her order number to the seller as proof of purchase, and, most importantly, promises to not return the item. The websites wait 35 days, after Amazon’s return window closes, to refund Jessica through PayPal, and don’t require a review.

An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s stance on rebate sites, but Chris McCabe, a former Amazon employee turned consultant for sellers, said it’s against the company’s seller code of conduct. McCabe knows this — his clients have had their accounts frozen after using the sites to manipulate an item’s sales rank. (The suspended sellers are required to name the rebate site they used as a part of Amazon’s reinstatement process, he said.)

“For honest brands, [the rebate sites] are a devastating loophole,” commented James Thomson, another former Amazon employee who is now with Buy Box Experts, a consultancy for sellers.

Bryan Anselm for BuzzFeed News

Even if she’s caught, Jessica said, at least she’ll still be able to shop: “If they catch me, I’ve heard from other people that they wipe your review history but they don’t disable your account.”

Jessica thinks it’s worth the risk. She loves getting free stuff, even when it turns out to be junk: “It’s mostly for the thrill of buying. I haven’t had the need to do any retail therapy all year.”

Through reviewing herself, Jessica now knows that many Amazon reviews are inauthentic. Despite that, she pays for a $119 annual Prime membership and uses the site for personal purchases, separate from her fake reviews. But she doesn’t consider reviews while browsing: “When I see an off-brand product that’s Amazon’s Choice, [that label] doesn’t mean anything to me anymore,” she said.

“Every day, customers on Amazon are being shown things that aren’t true.”

But reviews are meaningful to many Amazon shoppers. Despite the company’s claims of policing millions of bogus reviews, the persistence of Facebook groups dedicated to generating illegitimate reviews of products, the rebate sites, and people like Jessica suggest that many, many more are posted every day. Even savvy customers will have trouble discerning genuine reviews from commissioned ones, and unsuspecting patrons will be duped into buying cheap products with inflated ratings.

Fake reviews and sales immediately penalize honest businesses, but they ultimately hurt the site’s shoppers, Thomson said: “Every day, customers on Amazon are being shown things that aren’t true. They will lose trust in the site.”

Short of shutting down the rebate websites, Thomson thinks that sellers, who flout the rules with impunity, should be kicked off for breaking the rules — but that Amazon also needs to penalize customers like Jessica: “Amazon needs to suffocate the consumer demand for free stuff.” ●

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joannrochaus · 6 years

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Is a skull-shaped asteroid headed for Earth this Halloween?

Asteroid 2015 TB145 passed our planet three years ago. It missed us by just 300,000 miles and was visible to those with good telescopes. Eerily, it visited us on Halloween and looked very much like a skull.

This time around, however, the asteroid will not be in a Halloween mood. It will be twenty-five million miles away and will appear as a “dot of light,” according to NASA. Its shape may have changed due to collisions with other celestial objects. And it won’t be at its closest to us until November 11, well after Halloween.

A neighborhood our Founders envisioned

While the asteroid won’t be celebrating Halloween, my neighbors will. One already has “ghosts” hanging from their trees and a giant inflatable dragon breathing fire at those who pass by. If history holds, there will soon be dozens of houses in our area displaying a variety of goblins, ghosts, and ghouls.

It’s apparently not too early for Thanksgiving, either. A home in our neighborhood is displaying the word Thankful for passersby to see. Personally, I prefer their decoration to the lawn dragon.

As the November elections draw closer, we’re seeing more and more homes with yard signs supporting one or the other of our senatorial candidates. Campaign signs for state offices are proliferating as well.

While our Founders may not have imagined lawn dragons, this kind of opinionated diversity is just what they intended.

A parable made of bricks

In a monarchy such as the English system our Founders rejected, the king retains authority because his subjects fear his power and hope he will serve their interests. Governments in China, North Korea, Cuba, and Russia stay in power through the same means.

It is different in a republic like America, a system built on consensual self-interest. We elect those leaders we believe will best meet our needs. We support our country and trust that our country will serve us.

How is that working for us these days?

I was walking in our neighborhood yesterday and came upon a brick mailbox that appeared to be intact from the front but was falling apart in the back. Bricks were lying on the lawn, victims of decaying mortar.

I wondered if the mailbox is a parable for our day.

The mortar that holds us together

The mortar that holds our democracy together is trust in democracy. Are we seeing an erosion in such trust?

Curated news feeds expose us only to the reports and opinions we choose. I know people who only listen to Fox News or CNN and would never consider changing.

In addition, our 24/7 news cycle is starved for content and has given more people a platform than ever before. The more strident their voices, the more profitable their shows.

And support for the institutions that bind our nation together has been declining for decades. The Vietnam War and Watergate undermined trust in our government. Corporate corruption such as the Enron scandal has damaged trust in business. Moral failures by clergy members have eroded confidence in denominational and religious leaders.

It’s not surprising that trust in our government, once at nearly 80 percent, is now below 20 percent, a historic low. Fifty percent of Americans were members of a Protestant church in 2003; the number has fallen to 36 percent today while the number with no religion has nearly doubled from 12 percent to 21 percent.

Our unique contribution to culture

I don’t know if Americans can or will regain the trust in institutions that has historically held us together. But I do know that Christians must not be identified primarily with these institutions.

Perhaps we’re seeing a decline in religious affiliation today because we’re offering the wrong value proposition. Too many people think we’re inviting them to join and support just another institution, political party, or social cause.

Our only unique contribution to culture is our invitation to a personal relationship with our Lord. Nothing else we do matters as much. Everything else we do, others can imitate.

For people to believe that they need a personal relationship with Jesus, however, they must first see that such a relationship has been transforming for us. They will know we are Christians by the “fruit of the Spirit” we display (Galatians 5:22-23). They will be attracted to Jesus when they see Jesus making a difference in us.

I became a Christian because I wanted what I saw in Christians. Forty-five years later, I remain grateful for believers who lived so authentically and joyfully that their faith was contagious.

Julian of Norwich: “The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.”

Will your life and influence honor God today?

The post Is a skull-shaped asteroid headed for Earth this Halloween? appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/skull-shaped-asteroid-headed-earth-halloween/ source https://denisonforum.tumblr.com/post/178663328842

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denisonforum · 6 years

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Is a skull-shaped asteroid headed for Earth this Halloween?

A neighborhood our Founders envisioned

It’s apparently not too early for Thanksgiving, either. A home in our neighborhood is displaying the word Thankful for passersby to see. Personally, I prefer their decoration to the lawn dragon.

While our Founders may not have imagined lawn dragons, this kind of opinionated diversity is just what they intended.

A parable made of bricks

How is that working for us these days?

I wondered if the mailbox is a parable for our day.

The mortar that holds us together

The mortar that holds our democracy together is trust in democracy. Are we seeing an erosion in such trust?

Curated news feeds expose us only to the reports and opinions we choose. I know people who only listen to Fox News or CNN and would never consider changing.

In addition, our 24/7 news cycle is starved for content and has given more people a platform than ever before. The more strident their voices, the more profitable their shows.

Our unique contribution to culture

Our only unique contribution to culture is our invitation to a personal relationship with our Lord. Nothing else we do matters as much. Everything else we do, others can imitate.

I became a Christian because I wanted what I saw in Christians. Forty-five years later, I remain grateful for believers who lived so authentically and joyfully that their faith was contagious.

Julian of Norwich: “The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.”

Will your life and influence honor God today?

The post Is a skull-shaped asteroid headed for Earth this Halloween? appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/skull-shaped-asteroid-headed-earth-halloween/

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jifsy · 7 years

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Halloween Costumes and Shopping Ideas Direct from USA and China

Halloween is not just about going for Trick-Or-Treating, scaring your neighbours in order to receive hard-earned candy! Without a doubt, Halloween has gotta be the only one time throughout the entire year where you can play dress-up to your heart’s content — without the fear of getting ridiculed or labelled as slutty! Already thinking long and hard of what to dress up as for this year’s upcoming Halloween? Help is here!

Let’s get you acquainted with our extensive list of Halloween costume ideas to jolt your inspiration, shall we? Not to worry, we’ve got both adults’ and children’s sections covered!

For the Kids

Does your son adore all the Avengers of Marvel Cinematic Universe? Then perhaps dressing him up as one Little Avenger will delight him totally!

Kids Avengers Costume, $11.17

Kids Avengers Cape & Mask, from $2.05

For parents who want a slightly more hassle-free option to dress their kid in, consider getting this set of Avengers cape, mask and props!

Boys Assorted Spiderman Suit Costume, from $11.69

Ahhh, Spidey is back! Whether its Tom Holland’s, Andrew Garfield’s or the all-time favorite Tobey Maguire’s version you have to admit it was every young boy’s dream to be Spiderman. Fulfill your son’s longtime wish by letting him be clad in this skintight Spidey spandex suit! (Please note that the ability to shoot spiderwebs while wearing it is not guaranteed.)

Keeping in line with the superhero theme, how could we leave out our heroes from the DC Universe! Think your daughter will look ultra adorable dressed up as Wonder Woman? We think so too! Consider getting a few sets of this costume series to use or exchange with her fellow kindergarten classmates. There are also Batman and Superman options for the boys too!

Kids Assorted Superhero Costume with Cape, from $11.93

Flash Superhero Costume, from $9.24

Dress your entire family up as a superhero clan of Flash for any Halloween event and you guys will be bound to win the overall Best Dressed Family award! ⚡ Perhaps, you can try emulating The Incredibles next year?

Kids Assorted Inflatable Costumes, from $17.90

Let your child bring laughter to the crowd when you dress him or her up paired with these inflatable props! Best to provide your child with your own mode of transportation as we believe it’d be rather hard to go about taking public transport dressed like this.

Boys Assorted Medieval Knights/Warriors Costume (Props included) from, $14.08

If your son’s favourite Lego series is Nexo Knights or Ninjago then you wouldn’t go wrong if you decide to dress him up as a stealthy ninja warrior or a charming young knight complete with a sword to hold!

Girls Frozen-inspired Elsa/Anna Costume (Props included) from $4.24

Nope, the Frozen fever is far from being over… we know, we’re all tired of hearing young girls belt out the tune of Let It Go… but they just can’t seem to let it go! (Pun totally intended, heh ) So if you’re a parent to one, why not dress her up as her favourite character of Princess Anna or Queen Elsa? ❄⛄❄

For the Adults

Who says Halloween’s just for the kids? While we ‘adults’ won’t be going door to door trick or treating, it be fun to dress up and get into character every once in a while be it to accompany the kids or for a friend’s party.

Character Costumes

Ancient Chinese Scary Costume, from $9.13

Planning to scare off as many people as possible? Stick to the classics, tried and tested and turn up as an ancient Chinese vampire or Sadako. ☠️ #brutal Props sold separately but we definitely like this option!

Pennywise Clown Costume, $168.34

No surprises here, with the recent film adaptation of Stephen King’s IT topping the box office 2 weeks in a row scaring adults and kids alike, you are bound to see countless clown costumers this Halloween. (Taking over from last year’s Harlequinn from DC’s Suicide Squad) So why not up your game with this epic Pennywise clown costume set complete with boots, which will set you back at least S$160. But hey, go big or go home right? – A red balloon for you?

Men Grim Reaper Cloak, from $7.93

Or you can opt to take on the character of L from the highly popular Japanese Manga – Death Note or the deathly Grim Reaper with this black cloak. As for the ladies, whether you want to channel your inner Mother Gothel or Red Riding Hood, we’ll leave it up to you to decide on the colour of this cloak.

Ladies Cloak with Hood, from $3.25

Disney Princess Costume, from $17.54

While on the theme of fairy tales, here are some dresses we found perfect for Disney fangirls (or ladies) who would still very much like to experience a day of being Fair Princess. Snow white, Cinderella, or Sleeping beauty? You decide!

Unisex Super Mario Costume, from $9.13

Love mushrooms? Then why not choose to be Super Mario or Luigi for a day this Halloween?

Men Arabic Sheik Attire, from $11.46

Maybe you can only dream of being as rich as an Arabian prince (a.k.a. Sheik) from an oil-rich Middle Eastern kingdom in your sleep, but there’s no stopping you from dressing up as one this Halloween!

Oktoberfest Traditional Costume Dress, from $15.87

With Oktoberfest not too far away from Halloween, getting this traditional German beer maid costume might just be a clever option!

Themed Party Costumes

Get ready to have a swashbuckling good time at any Halloween party you’re choosing to attend by going as Captain Jack Sparrow, swigging some whisky by the bottle. Or replicate the look of the Flint Stones family by turning up to any Halloween event dressed in these garbs. Various designs available for couples planning on getting matchy outfits.

Pirate Costume, from $6.97

Stone Age Costume, from $5.91

For couples wanting to nail the easiest couple wear for Halloween, look no further than wearing these comfy onesies! What’s more? You can easily head to a sleepover party right after the night of Halloween festivities!

Assorted Animal Onesie, from $14.05

This cape and eye mask set is ideal for those who want to participate in some form of dress-up for Halloween, but not be decked out in an entire costume from head to toe. Compliment your kid’s superhero outfit too with the wide selections.

Assorted Superhero Cape Cloak (Eye mask included), from $4.33

Another variation of the cape set, but this time with some props (i.e. Thor’s mighty hammer lookalike) to hold in your hand!

Assorted Avengers Props, from $10.74

Inflatable Costume Suits

Planning to win the title of “Funniest Halloween Costume”? Then donning these variations of inflatable costume will aid you greatly! Best if you choose the one which will instantly transform you into a hilariously big-sized Sumo Wrestler! 🤣

Inflatable Sumo Costume Suit, from $15.51

Inflatable Funny Costume Suit, from $19.09

More choices for you to select from if you want to go the route of wearing an inflatable costume suit!

BONUS: Props, Masks & Accessories!

Assorted Full Face Mask, from .32

Weapon Props, from .18

Pumpkin LED Light, from .89

Plastic Goblet Mug, from

Spider Wall Stickers, from .37

Compliment your Halloween outfits with scary face masks, weapon props and accessories. Our top picks include the Guy Fawkes and Jigsaw masks paired with toy axe or machete. You can also take it up a notch and make your home unique and extra creepy with several Halloween home decor items from wall stickers to pumpkin-shaped LED lights and dinnerware.

With that, we hope you’ve gotten a lot of inspiration on how best to dress for this upcoming Halloween! Have a frightful scare fest this October!

Start shopping for your Halloween costumes, house decoration items and props now!

ezbuy is Singapore’s first and largest global shopping platform with the widest product variety at the lowest prices industry-wide.

The post Halloween Costumes and Shopping Ideas Direct from USA and China appeared first on Online Shopping Blog by ezbuy Singapore.

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