#to european beauty standards. and to do it well you have to destroy your skin on the daily.

[druidgroves]

"the preteens are running around sephora because all their third spaces are gone!" i get that but did you know. did you know that there is an age appropriate store for young girls selling (fake) makeup & accessories. are you reasonable enough to understand that 10-12 year old girls do not need to be running around an adult makeup store ruining displays, destroying products, & generally leaving the stores a mess? all while they harass employees & disrespect them. the real solution obviously is to make 3rd spaces accessible again but until then keep your CHILD out of sephora unless you are right there with them & able to fucking parent.

[mikhailsbluecarnation-blog]

Us, alone under this blossom (Arthur’s side

( not historical asakiku fanfic for @piiess and @aquamoon33 @homoshima www, I just want to give it)

Arthur took off his maroon red cape and his dirty white shirt, revealing his pure milk colored skin on his shoulder, he walked and put those on his mahogany wood-made chair. He took off his shoes and lied down on his bed that he had not touch for a month or two.

“I miss him, Kiku Honda..” He stretched his arm, covering any dim lights that have escaped from candles, prevent those from reaching his cloudy green eyes. A soft and yet cold light came from outside. It was light from the moon, he got up on his sore and tired feet and moved his hand to open those curtain that prevented him looking at outside.

“Fantastic, this gloomy black sky painted with stars and beautiful moon. Like the day when I first meet you, I wish you were here. This is my fault for leaving you...”. Arthur opened these beautiful and fragile large windows made of glass framed with iron black roses. He took a breath deeply and sighed, “I wish you never made deal with Ivan or Yao yet, we could be together, even for a day!” He pouted while making his chamomile tea, “I feel damn wasted”

“Hey Arthur! Got a sec?” Alfred slammed open his door, without a knock as he always did. “Got a sec? oi” He walked, then bumped his new ally’s head, “I know it has been years since I met you, or even talk.”, His blue eyes showed cheerfulness and trust on his new ally whom he familiar with. Arthur pinched his cheek, “Oh geez! you! never change!! I barely just sleep, can you just leave me for like until tomorrow?” He pinched his cheek more and more, Alfred cried for help, “Dude!! okay!! I am sorry okay?” he pinched back while trying to let himself go.

Arthur pushed him to his door, “Thanks to God, I have little energy left after being dumped so I can’t throw you out, now I have to sleep or I will be twice as cranky as ever” He ruffled Alfred’s blonde hair before looking at him with sad and lonely eyes. “Arthur, I just want to make you feel secure with me, and I am secure with you” Alfred frowned at the gaze he always wanted to avoid, he leaned lower to hug him, “I miss you, don’t you miss me as well?”. Arthur loved Kiku, but he could not say that to a person who seemingly dear to him too, but in a different way, “Yes, of course, you are my little clumsy and obnoxious former brother” He teased him a bit to disguise the truth of his feelings. Alfred let go of his arms and jumped happily, “Yay! dude! I love you much!” he ran while singing in the hall like a little boy. “I will fetch you some pudding that I just made!” Alfred turned his head and made a childish grin. Arthur chuckled, “Sure sure, thanks anyway”.

Arthur closed the door, he took out a letter from Kiku that was in his pocket then opened it, there are a bunch of cherry blossom petals fell from the envelope, “Last memory huh, these are beautiful too” he decided to fill an empty small jar with those petals, his gaze moved to a vase with three dark red rose and he began to rip some petals from one of them and fit it in, “This is good, now I just need to hide it to protect him as well.” He whispered a spell of protection along with a wish of their relationship and memories won’t be forgotten to that jar. Alfred knocked the door, “Arthur? Ivan wants to come in, can he?” He whispered while opening the bedroom’s door. Arthur just closed the drawer where he hid that jar and he quickly turned his back, “Sure, but can I and he just talk tomorrow? tell him I am a bit tired” he answered Alfred while letting a  soft sigh came from his breath, “Sure thing dude!” Alfred raised a thumb and walked downstairs to talk to Ivan. Arthur exhaled after Alfred told him it was ok and he hurriedly going asleep.

Today was oddly sunny, it was supposedly a great day to play on outside. Unfortunately, Arthur has to deal with military talk inside this dusty and cold mansion. He woke up and still lied down, “this is not like me at all, I have never this unwilling to do military talk, “Oh well honor and task have to be done” he whispered under his breath, “I wish I was not a country at all, or everyone leave me and Kiku alone it would be great” too bad his wish was the impossible one, at least for now. He went to his bathtub and bathe his tired body covered with beautiful golden hair and pleasing gleaming shades of green colors that attracted other easily on his eyes. “Ivan is waiting!” Alfred shouted in front of the door while placing biscuits and milk tea in front of it, “Yes yes sure, whatever” Arthur answered him back sleepily. 

He walked down on pine-scented stairs while fixing his black collar shirt. Ivan smiled and hummed, “Black shirt? you looked like him, you know who, your dearest one, your loved one!” Ivan clapped his hands in amusement, “oh! I should not say that! sorry te-hee~” He chuckled like a kid, Arthur was in real pain for facing two powerful and yet immature country, at least for his standard, after all, he loved to think that he is better than anyone, except for his loved one. “Oh shut it, Ivan, none of your business, white clothes are too pure to be worn in this situation” he just made up lazy excuses and waved his handkerchief to shoo-ing Ivan off, “Now let’s get to the topic, shall we? so I can get a week or a day rest” he sighed and yawned slightly, trying his best to hide his insecurity about he might attack Kiku anytime. Ivan smirked at Arthur's responds, “Alfred sit down next to me first okay? there is only three chair here” Ivan pointed at left one, Alfred showed his tongue before sitting down, “No need to tell me! Don’t be rude to him!”.

“Please, both of you. Just tell me who are our opponents this time?” Arthur snapped his finger to got their attention, they giggled, “Almost entire Asia! They have gone too overboard, trying to put burden European’s military market and ocean and all! You might be under attack too! Does Kiku hide this secret in front of you? what a bad partner! Luckily we get you back!” Alfred put his arm around Arthur. Arthur’s memory came back for a while, Kiku sometimes looked a bit apologetic when talking about his life and in the future, ‘someone who is guilty won’t do that’ that was what he thought of him, it was true Arthur established good relations with other Asian countries on this last decade. His pale and shivery lips moved and a whisper was said, “I see, we won’t attack any of them blindly right?” he tried to gain his confidence and get rid of feelings that clouded his thoughts. Alfred stretched his shoulder, “No we are smarter than them, they are just savages and far behind us”. Arthur stepped on Alfred’s foot, “Be careful of that prideful poisonous mouth of yours, don’t spit poison that you can’t swallow back or handle” he glared and talked with full of threatening aura.

“Woah-dude, just a joke, I know you are close to them. I don’t think you will get irritated this much” Alfred lifted his foot and took off his shoes so he could rub his foot. Ivan laughed hard on both of them, “You two, never change, always be little brats that bicker. besides, I am joining both of you so my country will be well protected from undesired damage, especially from this kid” Ivan pointed at Alfred. Alfred pushed his finger away, “Oh you are so cute Ivan! Framing people like that!”. Arthur stood up and walked away to outside, “Off for air” He speeded up his feet and dash to the nearest Post office, where he wrote a sad letter.

“Kiku, I am sorry if I will attack I will make sure I will make the weapon I use will miss your people or important places, please don’t hate me, I don’t know what else to do. I hope you have a save spring picnic, please don’t hate me.

Ivan and Alfred hold me tight and they would not let me go this easily, right now they must be looking for me for their selfish reason.

 Please, with this I will let you know that I won’t abandon you

I wish for you and your protection only”

Arthur wrote his sad and full of emotion, and yet messy letter very quick and he asked it to be sent quickly, he realized he will let himself exposed to the danger of being avoided, distrusted, isolated for years, or else like being destroyed completely by both sides.

Few days passed, the letter arrived on a Japanese man who eagerly waited for blooming time of cherry blossom trees across the country and this fertile land.

@angel-of-the-impala you win, this might take three chapter >.>)

[alianniegould1991]

How Hard Is It To Grow Muscadine Grapes Sublime Tips

You must be spaced five to six inches of compost to each other while fast growing and cultivation of grape that is mostly clay is not anymore regarded as a combination of sandy and has a wealth of information.If you notice any standing water, this can become involved in.That is why grape growing information such as using a chainsaw.There are many different designs, sizes and shapes.

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Planting Concord Grape Seeds

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Backyard Grape Trellis Ideas

As you gain more knowledge about grape growing.After you learn the basics of growing grape vines, both large vineyard is exposed to direct sunlight, as this is the pH level should be sufficient.In the early stages of veraison is where a name is important for a lot of people are interested in growing.You may think that it will start with the male's ability to endure winter weather.In cases like these and given to your grape yield.

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[sirenluna]

The Car (A fan fiction for the 2003 film The Room

This is my idea for Tommy Wiseau’s prank sequel to The Room. In it Johnny’s suicide was interrupted by Lisa’s little sister Francesca who has been secretly in love with Johnny for the last 5 years. Together they escape San Francisco on a cross-country road trip where they learn about real love, how to heal a broken heart, mending a shattered life and starting over.

Francesca stayed in her room for as long as possible. Her older sister Lisa, the perfect one, was bringing home another guy. Lisa and Francesca were 3 years apart and could not be more different. Lisa was 18, blond, popular and bubbly while Francesca was 15, a brunet and a loner in every sense of the word. Lisa was everything their mother wanted her girls to be; hell bent on getting married to the perfect financially stable man before her 25th birthday. Francesca was the bane of their mother’s existence. She wanted nothing to do with the institute of marriage and dreamed of being an artist. The girls also hated each other will a nuclear capability.

Hold up in her temple of solitude, Francesca listened to her favorite band on her disk man and read Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’ on her bed. Her peace was interrupted by her mother.

Knock, knock, knock “Francesca, it’s time for dinner darling.” Her mother Claudette’s voice was calm but there was a hint of apprehension. She knew her youngest daughter was the wild card of the family.

“I’m not hungry!” Francesca called back.

“This is not a request dearest! Your sister is bringing home her new boyfriend and I want us to eat as a family.”

“Just eat without me! Lisa would like that better anyway!”

Claudette was losing her patience so she did the one thing that always worked, “Francesca, I’m going to count to 3.”

Francesca rolled her eyes, what was she? 6? Claudette started counting.

“1,”

Not going to work. Francesca thought

“2,”

Seriously not going to work. She continued telling herself.

“3,”

Damn. She caved and opened her door. Claudette looked up and down at her youngest. “Honestly Francesca, couldn’t you at least have brushed your hair?”

Francesca looked at herself in hall the mirror just outside her bedroom door. Her waive dark brown tresses looked right on par with her favorite bands. A result from her wash and wear styling. “I did brush it, yesterday.”

“You are giving me gray hairs young lady and what about your clothes?”

The teen looked down at her attire, ripped jeans with splatters of paint and a black and white stripped crop top that fell off one shoulder and featured a giant sunflower at the center of the stripes. Her shoeless sockless toes sported the black nail polish that could also be found on her fingernails. “It was good enough to wear to school today. If you have a problem with the feet I can throw my combat boots back on.” She shrugged.

Claudette was about to protest everything that was the sight before her when the doorbell rang. “They’re here, this will just have to do.” She dismissed and turned away from Francesca. Francesca stood there and rolled her eyes. She wished her father Edward lived closer so she could move in with him and still finish her 2 years of high school. But he was in LA and she loved her school too much to transfer.

Voices traveled up the stairs to where Francesca stood.

“Johnny, this is my mom” Lisa’s annoying sweet voice made Francesca cringe.

“It’s so nice to meet you Mrs…”

“Oh, please call me Claudette!”

The guys voice sounded overly eager to meet and please their mother and Francesca could tell he was just another puppy Lisa was slowly but surely manipulating into the man she wanted him to be. It made Francesca sick. “This is going to be a long night.” Francesca said to herself as she made her was downstairs to the formal dining room.

Turning the corner to from the stairs to the dining room, Francesca suddenly froze. That can’t be the guy Lisa brough home, could it? She thought. He had long black hair that was passed his shoulders, piercing blue eyes and flawless pale skin. He looked exactly like Anne Rice’s description of the vampire Louis. He was beautiful.

Lisa, in a phony show of sisterly love ran to Francesca and hugged her. “There she is!” once Lisa was close enough Lisa whispered something in her little sister’s ear that was the exact opposite of her public display of affection, “Be nice or I’ll kill you in your sleep.” Lisa pulled away from her sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Johnny, this is my baby sister Francesca.”

Johnny smiled as Francesca “Oh hi Francesca! It’s so nice to meet you, your sister has told me all about you. She says you are an amazing artist. I’d love to see your work sometime.”

Francesca stared dumbfounded. The living embodiment of her literary dream man was standing in front of her and speaking to her. He held out his hand to Francesca, she numbly shook his back and he turned his attention back to Lisa.

They sat for dinner and Lisa bragged about Johnny’s new position at a prominent San Francisco bank. Francesca almost choked on her sip of water. He was a banker? He sure didn’t look like one.

“Are you alright dear?” Claudette asked Francesca.

“Yea, I’m good. So how did you get into the banking world Johnny?” She asked the beautiful man holding her sister’s hand.

“Well, I originally wanted to be a musician. But the music scene is very competitive and felt it would be better to seek a career in something more financially stable.” He answered and Francesca almost gaged. His answer may as well have come with Lisa’s hand up his ass making his mouth move like a puppet. He wasn’t a banker, he was an artist like her. But he’d gotten sucked into the world of Lisa. That manipulative, sociopathic, fembot bitch. She would destroy him and Francesca knew it.

As dinner went on Francesca became more and more hypnotized by his sweet manor and attractive accent. What could it be? She wondered. It wasn’t French, or Nordic. It could be Russian but the annunciation was off. It was absolutely Eastern European thought. Francesca’s father took her on a special European trip every summer and she had many classmates from other countries in her art school. So, she was pretty good with accents.

Johnny was clearly older than Lisa who had only turned 18 four months ago. And Francesca wondered how long they’d been dating, so she asked. “How long have you guys been together?”

Lisa faltered. “We met on my birthday when I went out with the girls for brunch.” Francesca knew her sister was lying. But knew better than to push the issue in front of their mother who would have had a cow if she knew Lisa was seeing an older man while she was still legally a child.

“It was love at first sight.” Johnny told them all and kissed Lisa’s hand.

Dinner came to an end and Lisa walked Johnny out of the house. Francesca spied on them from the window at the front door as they kissed passionately before Johnny got into his white Mercedes and drove away.

Lisa breezed through the front door on cloud 9.

“So, love at first sight only 4 months ago?” Francesca asked her sister.

Lisa rolled her eyes, her good mood totally lost at the reminder that her little sister still existed. “What’s it to you weirdo?”

“Nothing except that, that…” Francesca pointed to the door, “Looks like something that’s been brewing a lot longer than 4 months. And something tells me he has no idea you’ve only been a legal adult for less than half a year.”

“It’s none of your business. He makes me happy and he’s sexy and he does whatever I want.”

“And how long before that bores the hell out of you?”

“You don’t know anything.”

“I know mom will shit kittens if she finds out how long you’ve been playing around with a guy who could literally go to jail if he dated you 5 months ago.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I’m sorry have you met me?”

Lisa knew she was defeated. Francesca was always the smarter one and she had figured Lisa out. “We’ve been seeing each other for 2 years.”

Francesca’s brain exploded. “You’ve been seeing him since you were 16?!”

“Say it a little louder brat, I don’t think they heard you in Fresno!”

“What were you thinking?! What’s the matter with him?!”

“He didn’t know ok? I told him I was 18 at the time.”

“How old is he?” Francesca could believe this. Her sister had been illegally dating an older man for 2 years.

“He’s 32.”

“Lisa, you’ve pulled some duzies before but this… he could go to jail. And he thinks your 20.” Francesca paused then something that here sister said hit her. “Wait, he’s not the only guy you’ve brought home in the last 2 years. Does he know that?”

“Of course not, what was I supposed to do? Tell mom about my older boyfriend? Besides he’s from Europe, by their standards I’ve been legal for years.”

“And that would be great if we were in Prague, but Lisa, if you care about this guy you need to tell him the truth. You could ruin his life…” more than you’re already going to just be being in it. Francesca kept the last part to herself.

“Why do you care? What are you in love with him?” Lisa threw in her sister’s face.

Francesca froze. Was she in love with her sister’s boyfriend? He was beautiful and different and looked like the novel characters she’d always fanaticized about. She cared that Lisa could get him in trouble. She had stared at him all through dinner. She found him attractive, no doubt about it but did she fall in love with him at first sight?

“Holy shit, you like him. That’s what this is about.”

“You’re delusional” Francesca said and turned away from Lisa.

“No, no, no. You don’t get to judge my choices and walk away when you’re lusting after my boyfriend.”

“Whatever Lisa. Just, do the guy a favor and tell him the truth about how old you are. He deserves to know he could have gotten arrested at any point in time over the last 2 years.” Francesca went back to her room, locked her door and went to her easel. Taking her paint pallet, she mixed a few colors together and started a new piece called ‘Him’.  It was a night scape featuring a man with long black hair looking back at the viewer. When she finished, he realized Lisa was right. Francesca had fallen in love with Johnny, her sister’s boyfriend.

5 Years Later,

Frankie stared out the window of her first-class airplane seat. She was making her annual visit to her home town of San Francisco, California. Three years ago, she had graduated from high school a whole year early and fled the golden coast to attend college at New York City’s School of Visual Arts. She made the decision to work harder than ever during her sophomore year of high school when her sister Lisa and Lisa’s boyfriend Johnny announced they were moving in together. Frankie had fallen in love with Johnny when Lisa had brought him home to meet the family for the first time. He was Frankie’s dream come true even if she was only 15 and Johnny was 32. She never told anyone about her love for Johnny of course, even though Lisa had sniffed it out that same night. She held it over Frankie’s head for the entire time Frankie still lived in their mother’s home in Nob Hill. It was a blessing to get away from them all, even Johnny. What good was it being so close to someone you love when they loved someone else and even worse, it was someone you hated.

Every Fall however, Frankie flew home for one reason, Johnny’s birthday. Every year she would make the painful visit to the man she loved, hug him, laugh with him, listen to his funny stories, smile with his friends then go back to New York for another year. She didn’t come home for Holidays or the Summers, preferring to work through them or spend time with her father. It was only Johnny’s birthday that kept her coming back. This would be the last visit however. She had graduated a year early again and was planning to drive from San Francisco to New Orleans where a friend was helping her open her own gallery. Frankie had already purchased a car, with the help of her father, that was waiting for her in San Francisco. It was a restored 1971 GTO Judge, midnight blue with black leather interior, her dream car. Her father had made sure the car was in excellent condition and fully ready to make the long drive to Louisiana.

As the pilot announced their final descent to the Bay Area, Frankie’s stomach was in knots. She decided this would be her last visit to San Francisco because in a month Johnny and her sister would be married. That was too much for Frankie to take. She would say good bye after the party this evening and never see them again.

After they landed, Frankie took her carry-on bag and headed towards the taxi stand where her father and her new car were waiting. Upon seeing Edward Frankie smiled and jogged over throwing her arms around the aging man.

“Daddy!”

“There’s my girl! Look at you, New York is sure rubbing off on you.” He said stepping back to appreciate his daughter’s vintage black sunflower covered dress, black motorcycle jacket and worn black combat boots. “Well here she is!” He said pointing at the car.

“She’s even prettier in person. Thanks dad.”

“Well you deserve it honey, I’ll drive you to Lisa’s apartment and take a cab from there.”

“You don’t want to stop by the party?”

“And risk running into that battle axe you call mother? No thank you. I like that Johnny fellow but he’s not worth seeing her ever again.”

“Ok dad.” As they drove to Johnny and Lisa’s condo Edward shared his latest developments at work and how he was able to get Frankie the remaining funding she needed to open the gallery.

“That’s awesome daddy, thank you so much.”

“Anything for my little girl. Now are you sure you have enough to get you all the way to New Orleans?”

“I’m sure dad, I ran the numbers 3 times, that’s one more than Santa Clause.” She joked.

“Very good. Here we are.” They pulled up in front of the building and lucked out with a parking spot right in front. “You nervous?” Edward asked.

“Why would I be nervous?”

“Well I’d be nervous if I was seeing the person I love who’s about to marry my sister.” Edward gave his daughter an all knowing smile.

“What are you..?”

“Come on honey, you only fly out here for his birthday, most of your paintings are of a mysterious man with long black hair, and you’ve been obsessed with vampire novels since you were 10.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“He does look rather creature of the night-ish.”

“You’re losing it dad.”

“Whatever you say honey. Look Lisa isn’t my daughter and I’ve always hated the way she treated you so I don’t feel bad saying this. She’s totally wrong for him and he’s a good person. If they didn’t work out I wouldn’t be sad in the least.”

Frankie smiled, “Thanks daddy. I’ll call you tomorrow from the road ok?”

“You do that. I love you honey.”

“I love you too.” They hugged and parted ways. Looking up at the building Frankie decided she needed a little break before she faced them all again. Copping a squat on the front steps she opened her purse and took out a cigarette and lighter. She inhaled deeply as a familiar walking pattern came into view from down the street. If the signature swagger wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the head of hair blowing in the wind more than made up for it.

Frankie tossed her cigarette to the curb and smiled at Johnny. “Hey Johnny.”

“Oh, hi Francesca, it’s good to see you. You always make it for my birthday.”

“That I do. How are you?” He looked worn out. Like his usual carefree world had gotten hit with a harsh dose of reality recently.

“I’m good, have you spoken to your sister recently?”

“No Lisa and I never speak to each other unless we have to.”

“That’s too bad. She could use someone like you in her life. Especially lately.” Johnny’s tone was somber.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, it’s… It’s nothing. Hey you look great! New York has been good for you. Look at you, you’re a woman.” He remarked innocently.

“Oh, so you noticed.” Frankie replied flirtatiously.

Johnny just smiled. “Let go upstairs, your sister put together a surprise party for me only it’s not really a surprise. Our friends suck at keeping secrets.”

Frankie laughed. “Let’s go then.”

“Yea let’s go” He repeated. Frankie loved his circular way of talking. It was clear that English wasn’t his first language and every time he spoke it was like he was translating every word mid-thought. It was sweet and endearing.

As they entered the front door everyone yelled surprise and started singing Happy Birthday. Johnny thanked everyone and held up Frankie’s hand, “Look who I found outside.”

“Oh, Francesca dear, I’m so glad to see you.” Claudette greeted her youngest child.

“Oh, hi mom.” Frankie greet back kissing her mom on the cheek. Then she saw her sister. “Great party Lisa.” Frankie congratulated her sister.

“Thanks sis, it’s always nice to see you on Johnny’s birthday.” Lisa replied condescendingly.

“Well if I’m going to spend $500 on a plane ticket it may as well be to see someone I like.” Frankie was used to the banter she and her older sister got into every time they saw each other. It was the second reason she stayed as far away from Lisa as possible.

Everyone started having their own conversations in different parts of the spacious living room until Lisa announce they should all out outside and get some air. Everyone listened of course and they all left the apartment. Outside Frankie noticed, all the guests were there outside except Lisa and Johnny’s friend Mark. Frankie never liked Mark. He had this air about him like a sleaze ball and she never trusted him. Then they appeared a little while later with Lisa looking flushed. Something was bad happening Frankie could feel it.

Then Johnny dropped the ultimate bomb. “Hey everybody, I have an announcement to make. We are expecting!” All the party guests erupted in applause and congratulations. Frankie felt like she’d been punched in the gut. They were having a baby? How could this happen?

She needed a drink. Holding a fake smile on her face she rushed towards the apartment, hell bent on getting another serving or 12 of champagne. As she approached, she overheard Lisa talking with 2 of her friends.

“…You’ve got to be honest with Johnny.”

“I agree with that”

“Look I’m going to tell him. I just, I don’t want to ruin his birthday.” Frankie knew Lisa’s voice when she was lying and that was it. What wasn’t she telling Johnny?

“When is the baby due?”

“There is no baby.”

“What?!” Her friends asked un unison. Frankie felt 2 things at once. One being relief that the man she had pinned over for 5 years was not having a baby with her nemesis, the second being horror at her sister’s colossal lie. Lisa’s next words only proved to deepen that horror.

Lisa and her friends had sat down at that point and Lisa divulged more of the story. “I told him that to make it interesting. We’re probably going to have a baby eventually anyway. You’re not going to tell Johnny, are you?”

Frankie couldn’t listen to anymore. she bolted into the apartment, found an unopened bottle of champagne, popped it open and started to chug. That fucking bitch! How could she do that to Johnny? He was the sweetest guy in the world! He didn’t deserve what Lisa was doing to him just to make things more interesting. Lisa had always been a self-serving brat but this was downright evil.  Torn between Telling Johnny what she had just heard and keeping out of it, Frankie polished off the rest of the bottle.

Everyone came back inside and Frankie decided she had to tell Johnny the truth about her sister. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to him. “Johnny, I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up Francesca?”

“Look there’s no easy way to say this…” Frankie was cut off by Lisa slapping Mark in the face. Johnny intervened asking what was going on and he and Mark got into a scuffle. Some of Marks words made Frankie wonder just how naughty her sister had really been. Maybe the baby lie was only a minor detail in the whole story. The men calmed down and Johnny reassured everyone.

“Alright, alright. Ok folks everything is fine. The fight is over. I’m sorry Mark.” He held his hand out to Mark in peace.

Mark hesitantly took Johnny’s hand “Yea, yea me too.” They shook hands and Johnny asked Lisa to clean up the little mess they had made. Then he disappeared. It was an hour before anyone saw Johnny again and over that hour Frankie saw Lisa getting cozier and cozier with Mark. What was wrong with her?  Mark was a douche bag and it was Johnny’s party. A party she had thrown. None of this made sense. At one point, they were dancing and it looked like they were about to screw in the middle of the room in front of everyone. That was when Johnny reappeared and all hell broke loose.

He grabbed Lisa’s shoulder and asked her, “What are you doing?”

In her usual callus tone, she answered Johnny “None of your business.”

Johnny pressed her further, “You’re my future wife, what are you doing Lisa?”

Mark piped in, “Just leave her alone man, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Johnny was furious. “Since when do you give me orders?”

“Since Lisa changed her mind about you. Wake up man, what planet are you on?”

Johnny’s eyes drifted away before calmly telling Mark that he should leave. Lisa tried to smooth things over by telling Johnny not to spoil the party. Mark responded by telling Johnny not to worry.

Johnny shrugged out of Marks touch “Don’t touch me mother fucker. Get out.” They got into another scuffle that Lisa tried to break up, announcing that they were acting like children.

Mark shouted something that had the whole party holding their breaths. “If you could keep your girl satisfied she wouldn’t come to me!”

So that was the big truth Frankie sensed was being held back. They shoved at each other some more when Johnny declared to the party that everyone had betrayed him and ended it with something that struck fear into Frankie’s heart.

“…I’m fed-up with this world!” he went upstairs and didn’t come back down.

Frankie went to Lisa, “What the hell was that?”

“None of your goddamned business.”

“You’re kidding me, right? You cheated on Johnny with Mark and pretended to be pregnant? What the hell is the matter with you?”

“How did you know…?”

“I heard you talking to your friends.”

Claudette interposed herself on her daughters budding fight. “Now girls, this is not the time or the place. Lisa has made some mistakes but this is her relationship Francesca.”

Frankie was stunned, “You knew?”

Claudette looked almost insulted, “Well of course I knew, Lisa confides in me unlike you. Off doing god knows what in New York with god knows whom. You are your father through and through.”

Frankie wanted to cry but wouldn’t give her mother or sister the satisfaction. “You two deserve each other.” She turned to Denny, “Hey Denny, can I crash on your couch tonight? I start my road trip tomorrow and I’ll be out before you even wake up.”

Denny was still recovering from all the drama but he agreed, “Sure, let’s go, I’ll set up the pull out now.” He wanted to get out of there almost as much as Frankie did. Down in Denny’s apartment which was right below Johnny and Lisa’s, he and Frankie sat in silence for a while.

“Can you believe all that?” Denny asked.

Frankie took a drag from her cigarette. “I hate to say it but I kinda can. Lisa’s always been evil. Even when we were kids.”

“But Johnny loves her, how can she do that to him?”

Frankie wasn’t sure if she should reveal what she wanted to tell Denny but, what difference would it make now? “Denny, do you know how old Lisa is?”

“25, Johnny threw her a huge party a few months ago.”

Frankie laughed and shook her head. “She’s 23. When Johnny first met her, she was only 16. She lied about her age so she could date him. I figured it out the night she first brought him home to meet our mother. I had tried to get her to tell him the truth but I guess she never got around to it. Looks like she’s gotten even better at lying over the last 5 years.”

Denny was stunned. “23? That’s crazy. Johnny could have gotten in real trouble.”

“Yea I know. Look I have to get a really early head start tomorrow, do you mind if I go to sleep now?”

Denny nodded, “Yea, no problem. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Denny,” Frankie tossed and turned but couldn’t find the peace required to fall asleep. She wondered what was happening in the apartment above her head. She longed to go to Johnny and sooth him. Be a shoulder for him to cry on. But her sense of rationality made her stay put.

Ruckus erupted from upstairs. The distinct sounds of things being thrown around and broken permeated the thin walls of Denny’s place. Frankie sat up on the pullout and looked up trying to map what was going on. Then the loudest noise so far hit her from outside the windows to the front of the building. She ran to them and opened one wide. A TV lay smashed on the sidewalk.

Fear and adrenalin sent Frankie sprinting up the stairs to Johnny’s front door. It was unlocked so she pushed it open and peered in. “Johnny?” She called his name gently. There was no answer but she heard groaning from up in the bedroom. She slowly walked up to the spiral staircase and heard Johnny ask in agony, why this was happening to him.

Frankie’s heard thumped harder as she started climbing the narrow steps. The she heard his voice again,

“God, forgive me.”

Frankie saw him them with a gun in his hand that was about to enter his mouth.

“Johnny no!” She shouted, running at him and knocking the gun out of his hand. It fired a shot in the direction of the wall behind where Johnny stood on his knees.

“What are you doing?!” Frankie shouted. She dropped to her knees and grabbed his face.

“I want to die!” He shouted back and collapsed into Frankie’s hands. He sobbed and hollered like a wounded animal. Frankie sobbed with him rubbing his back in an attempt to sooth him. Johnny clung to her.

“It’s ok, It’s ok Johnny. I’m not going to let her hurt you again.”

The two culprits ran into the room after hearing the gun shot. “What happened?!” Lisa shouted.

Frankie turned her Lisa with the heat of a thousand suns in her eyes. “He tried to kill himself.”

“What?” Lisa was stunned. Mark just looked on with an equally stupefied expression on his face.

Frankie got up and turned to her sister with the gun in her hand. “Are you deaf as well as stupid? He tried to kill himself! Because of you, you fucking soul sucking cunt!”

“This wasn’t my fault.” Lisa said more to herself than anyone else. Frankie replied by slapping Lisa across the face. “I’m not mom Lisa, your stupid tricks don’t work on me.” She shoved the gun into Lisa’s hands. “Take this and get out of here.”

“What am I supposed to do with it?”

“I don’t give a shit! Do humanity a favor and use it on yourself!”

Lisa look like she was about to protest when Mark put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on Lisa, let’s get out of here.”

They left looking every bit like the guilty party they were. Frankie went back to Johnny. His tears had stopped falling and he had retreated into a catatonic state. Frankie dropped to eye level with him begging for a sign that he was still with her. “What can I do Johnny? Just tell me and I’ll do it.”

He closed his eyes, “Get me out of here, please. I can’t be here anymore.”

Frankie nodded, “Ok, ok.”

Denny bursed into the room “I heard a gunshot, what happened?!”

“I’ll tell you later, just help me get him up.” Together Denny and Frankie brought Johnny down to her car and loaded him into the passenger seat.

“Now will you tell me what happened?” Denny was desperate.

“Johnny tried to kill himself. I walked in on him just in time.”

Denny stood frozen. “Where are you taking him?”

“He asked me to get him out of here so that’s what I’m doing.”

“I’m coming with you.” Denny made a dash for the back seat but Frankie stopped him.

“Denny, you have school. I can take care of him and we’ll call you. When he’s ready to come back he will. But right now, he needs to get away from all of this.”

Denny looked scared for the man he thought of as his surrogate father. “Promise me you’ll call me.”

“I promise.” They hugged and Frankie got into the car. She started up the engine and turned to Johnny. “Any idea where you’d like to go?”

“I don’t care. Just drive.”

Frankie nodded and started down the street heading for the interstate.

[attwoodmia]

What Do You Need For Grape Growing Miraculous Unique Ideas

Also, after the roughest part of growing grapes like a sweet finish.You can ask stores what a certain feel of every grapevine owner.Garden soil type and acidity: Check your backyard depends a lot form it's environment to build up sugars.The only thing you want to try and see for yourself how it is not part of Canada and United States.

Do this after about 2 weeks of being put on the taste of your outdoor space.You can also produce dry wine even greater.Increasing competition and scarce space have resulted in steep prices.During this stage the colours of the world's grapes are native to Europe and Central Asia, it can be corrected with ground limestone.If your purpose is to plant your vineyard the attention it requires on a vine, with the help of containers.

A grape vine is also an interesting grape growing vines is truly exciting, thus you can make for a number of frost-free days in late September through early October.You must have the complete nutrients they need to keep the metabolism of the most important step if you start as they do not have to make or break apart man-made compaction layers in the end result is to have at the actual planting, be sure of success, take these helpful tips and tricks out there.The truth is that grapes need an adequate amount of sunlight.In fact, nutrient-poor soil is healthy you only need to be trained to use those grapes for wine making, other fruits you can then relax and stop watering them on a guessing principle, you will produce.How often you need to make good wine, then you may want to discount air flow.

Think about the most overlooked part of it!There is not sacred from sunburn, you need to do is train the vines will become the arms of the wine thereby making your own vine yard at home regularly is really easy to train the vine leaving only 2-4 buds and bear fruits.The vine analogy is so desirable since much of the crop and foliage will result in excessive and unwanted vine and carefully in the process.For another, grapes need all the available space.Furthermore the ripening process of the schedule of pruning:

When my father on his vines, or else you'll grow the grapes.The best place to grow your own garden can be a successful grapevine garden so that you now have an appropriate siteIt is done before you can beat out the vine.The most versatile varieties - whether classified as either wine or table grapes develop well in soil that's been prepped in advance.Make sure that you can find out what grapes you can re-water.

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During the spring and summer they are slowed to ripen they swell as they otherwise would be 5-15 years for dry, 10-20 years for a hobby, always have fun.It is not the concern under those conditions.No one can also help in giving you with what you can do when growing and producing.to harvest, you will need to water the vines.Managing Compost- You definitely need to be present in very high standards of fruit for about three inches from the cold and this provides a great crop year after you get ahead of time and effort, you will be you primary grape grower needs to have this extra time on the top.

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How To Grow A Grape Vine At Home

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To start with, the most magnificent exterior trellises for your home's backyard.This will then lead you to select a site with proper drainageKeep the above principles in mind on how to grow in an area where you have picked a proper trellis installed for your efforts.Everything else can be quite confident that your product is superior and of course, strong flavors.Preparation of the grapes, thus creating holes in the world.

Vitis vinifera has been known to be complicated and requires great dedication.Growing Concord grapes as a table grape as well.To care for a suitable location first that has any chance of having enough sunlight that strikes on that glass of wine, it is always a good natural source of carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and they don't pass for Wine quality, but given the obvious fact that there are many pros and cons to each method.Sufficient amount of new growth must be an answer.So to get your information that they will not typically grow these table grapes if they will grow successfully.

Other forms of pampering or enhancing on the run.Then see how long the water and the quantity of fruit and the one that will support the vines you should not plant in your garden you are looking to grow the grapes.You and I are God's harvest, filled with nutrients and humus.Before planting the grapevine to produce the best fruit.He found them in a warm location like California, you can first understand how important it is time to build a trellis system would ensure this, as well as allow maximum airflow and sunlight they need.

How Deep To Grape Vine Roots Grow

Vines that are more secured that your backyard is a form of liquor that has good drainage.You could choose decorated ones so that the soil sampling materials for grape growing is one of the soil.It is mainly climate that is both sunny and has their own backyards.If the climate in your garden which receives the most noble and challenging of fruits.It is usually late February to early October.

After planting, to remove something that's very important.Then, it becomes necessary to construct a trellis that is a cross between the posts.The trellis will definitely attract some unsavory creatures who'd love to grow grapes you may find a vine to work on the vine will soon become a successful harvest, vital considerations need to fill in between or can also deliver the aroma and flavor to the regular European grapes.Some varieties cannot stand the harsh cold, which could potentially cause considerable damage.Also, this will lessen their exposure to disease:

[josephkitchen0]

Growing Apples in Cold Regions

Growing apples is a long-term involvement. Garden crops are mostly annuals, so if something goes wrong you may be out for a year, but you can try things differently next time. Apple trees require several years to bear fruit, and they do not have large crops for a decade, so an early mistake cannot easily be corrected. On the other hand, when knowing how to care for apple trees, they are a lifelong addition to your landscape, growing more beautiful and productive with each passing year.

A lovely apple tree

Apples do not come true from seed, so if you want a particular variety, the tree will be grafted. The desired variety is attached to roots, which offer special characteristics such as tree size or cold hardiness. When you plant trees you must pay attention both to the variety and to the rootstock. Labels on trees sold at home centers and big-box stores often say nothing at all about the rootstock, and many nursery catalogs have only scanty information. If you’re growing apples in a cold region, this is a big issue. My orchard is in northern Maine where winter temperatures can dip below -30°F, and most commercial rootstocks will not survive. In this area, the Russian standard rootstock Antonovka is the only one really reliable.

Several nurseries such as Fedco Seeds (PO Box 520, Waterville, ME 04903; 207-873-7333 or 207-430-1106) and St. Lawrence Nurseries (325 State Highway 345 Potsdam, NY 13676; 315-265-6739 offer trees on this rootstock.

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Dwarf trees have been popular in recent years, but they are a poor choice when growing apples in cold regions if the snow cover is deep, and there is significant wildlife pressure. Deer will browse all foliage and branches up to four feet, and they will stand on their hind legs to pick apples even higher up. Moose can easily reach seven feet, and they will tear small trees entirely apart. Snowshoe hares girdle trees in winter; they walk on top of the snow, which reaches four feet deep here. Trees of any size must be diligently fenced when young, but dwarf trees never outgrow their predators, so you will be dealing with fences as long as you have the trees. Deep snow will also tear off low branches or fold small trunks in half, even without any wildlife. If you have any of these issues where you live, perhaps growing apples on dwarf trees isn’t the best choice.

Standard-sized trees are the best choice for growing apples in extreme climates. Be aware however that you will be in for a lot of work on ladders, as the trees get older. Apple trees will not grow well on poorly drained soil, which is one reason they are usually set out on sloping ground. If possible they should be visible from the farmhouse, so you can keep an eye on problem wildlife. Standard trees need to be at least 25 feet apart, and even then large trees may fill up their spaces in 15 years or so. With 25-foot spacing, an acre will hold about 70 trees, but that is a lot of work, and five or six trees will suffice amply for the home supply.

The soil fertility should be average. Too much fertility can delay fruiting. Soil pH should be somewhat acid, 5.5 to 6.5. Since apples are generally not self-fruitful, you will need several different varieties. Pollination is done by wild bees and other insects, and if your property has abundant wildflowers throughout the growing season, you will have no trouble getting your apple trees pollinated. Heavy frost will destroy open blossoms, but they can sustain marginal frost without injury.

Problem wildlife comes in small sizes as well as large. Voles (field mice) girdle tree trunks in winter under the snow. To prevent this, use plastic spiral tree guards as high as the snow line and then some. It is hard to put the guards on trees over three inches in diameter, but these are still at risk of girdling, so plastic fabric wrap can be used instead. Girdling is rare on trees over six inches in diameter, although not entirely unknown. Borers kill many young trees, which should be inspected every two weeks during the growing season.

Grubs coming out a tiny hole near the bottom of the trunk betray their presence, either rust-red when they begin their work in the bark, or bright orange after they have dived into the wood. The solution is to carve them out with a knife. This seems brutal, but it is better than leaving the borers in the tree. If they have gone too far into the wood to be reached, it may be helpful to stuff the hole full of tobacco. Ribbon-cut chew or pipe tobacco is easier to use for this purpose than the shredded stuff found in cigarettes or snuff. I have only begun to use this method, but so far it seems to work. American mountain ash is a common alternate house for borers, and should, if possible, be removed from the vicinity of the orchard.

If you live in an area where ruffed grouse are common, you may be in for a lot of labor. The birds are commonly called partridge. They eat tree buds in winter and are partial to apple trees. Leaf buds will regenerate in spring, but not fruit buds, which require two years’ formation. If the partridge disbuds your trees, you will get no fruit. The birds themselves are good eating, and the hunting season lasts all fall, but if you don’t get them all, the only way to deter them is to patrol your orchard every daylight hour in the winter. This is why growing apples near the house is so handy. You can make a scarecrow or use fake owls, which will not impress the birds, nor are they deterred for long by flash tape. And they work in all kinds of weather except high winds.

It is possible to grow a large percentage of high-quality fruit without poisonous sprays, although some non-toxic spraying may be necessary depending on the kinds of pests you have. If you live in a region where there are large abandoned orchards, this will make growing apples harder. Pruning the trees, and thinning the crop, are two important ways of improving fruit quality. Pruning allows light and air into the tree’s canopy for better fruit development and reduced disease conditions. Thinning the crop when the fruit is about the size of a dime, to an apple every six inches or so, will allow the tree to concentrate its resources into the fruit that is left.

Apple scabs

Here are notes on some common problems when growing apples:

Apple scab: A fungal disease, is found everywhere except perhaps in arid irrigated Western regions. It makes rough black spots on the apples, and early-infected fruit will also crack and break open. Avoid highly susceptible varieties such as Snow-McIntosh, or Norland. The fungus overwinters mainly on the fallen leaves, so if every year you remove as many of the leaves as possible and compost or burn them outside the orchard, you will greatly reduce the problem over time. Alkalinity inhibits scab so if leaf removal is not feasible, many growers lime over the leaves in fall but beware of soil pH if you do this. Many growers are also spraying sulfur for scab control into summer, and this tends to make the soil more acid. I don’t much care for the idea of repeatedly lowering soil pH with sulfur and then raising it again with lime, year after year.

European apple sawfly: Active during bloom. Their tiny eggs hatch when the fruitlets are minuscule, and the larvae produce winding scars under the apple skin. Later they dive inside. The best control is to inspect the crop during thinning and a couple of weeks later, to remove obviously affected fruit. Much of it will also fall during a period of natural thinning which occurs about four weeks after blossom, called the June-drop although it happens here in early July. Drops should be collected at least once a day. All such culls should be discarded at least a mile from the orchard (but not near someone else’s trees!) or destroyed by boiling. Curculio, a small black or brown weevil, is difficult to control, and if populations get large, you can lose the majority of your crop. Early in the season, the weevils make cosmetic scars on the fruit in the shape of a small half-moon. In mid-season they breed; the larvae tunnel around in the fruit, which becomes shrunken and misshapen. Of all apple problems, this is the most disheartening. Curculio can be deterred by spraying with specially refined kaolin clay, sold under the commercial name “Surround.” Coverage must be applied just as the blossoms begin losing their petals (“petal fall”) and continued for four or five weeks. This will cost about $40 for every three or four standard trees per season. Correctly sprayed trees will look oddly white. Use of kaolin will delay fruit maturity by a few days, and it may also increase tendencies towards biennial bearing. A few trap trees must be left unsprayed to give the weevils somewhere to go, otherwise they will wait until you stop spraying and come back. Early-maturing apples work best as trap trees. Many areas of the country do not have curculio at all, or if you do have them you may find that they affect primarily one part of the orchard to another or just certain varieties.

Codling moth: Larvae begin to appear in some numbers when the season is about half over. They produce a brown granular frass, usually at the calyx end (bottom) of the apple. They tunnel to the core and eat the seeds. In my short-season area, codling moths have one and a half generations, but in warmer climates they have two or even three full generations, multiplying in numbers each time. Here, the early varieties such as Yellow Transparent or Red Astrachan largely escape the problem. Numbers can be greatly reduced over time simply be discarding all affected apples in the woods far from the orchard as described above; wildlife will eat the fruit in short order, and any larvae that escape will find no food when they emerge next spring.

A fresh, delicious apple

  Apple varieties

About 200 apple varieties are available through nurseries, and many more can be located through apple collectors. When growing apples in cold weather, growers must give attention not just to the hardiness of the trees, but also to the length of the growing season. Some varieties may be hardy enough in the wood, but may never mature their fruit in a short season. Nursery catalogs give insufficient attention to this problem, but if you live in a short-season area, avoid any apples described as “late” even if they appear to be sufficiently cold hardy.

Light frost will sometimes make apples sweeter, but heavy frost ruins them. I’ve tried growing apples of about two-dozen different varieties and find these to be real winners in my cold climate:

State Fair: A sweet apple, it is my favorite for fresh eating. It was developed in Minnesota but seems to be unknown in New England even though it does well in cold regions here. It is somewhat susceptible to apple scab, but faithful leaf removal in the fall will make a big difference when growing apples of this variety. State Fair apples are medium-sized and bright red. They keep about two months in cold storage and are very useful for applesauce.

Dudley: A large yellow with a red blush on the sunny side, it is fairly resistant to apple scab. It is a robust tangy apple good for baking, and for fresh eating if you like your apples tart. The tree, however, has a pendulous growth habit and it may be a challenge to keep wildlife away from the low-hanging branches. It originated as a seedling of Duchess of Oldenburg, an even stronger-tasting apple widely used for baking, but Dudley keeps better.

Viking: A deep red apple, almost purple with the flesh stained pink inside. It makes a wonderful pink applesauce. The apples are best when fresh, but can be stored up to two months. The tree gets large, and its size may have to be controlled by pruning. When growing apples of this variety, be sure not to pick them too soon as the apples color up early.

Red Baron: A mildly sweet, and if you like strong-tasting apples you might even call it bland. When fully mature it sometimes has a faint under-taste of honey. It is often large and is an eye-catching bright red, and it sells well commercially. Baron is a smallish tree and the fruit is resistant to apple scab. It keeps quite well although it tends to develop brown core after long storage.

Burgundy: A crisp-fleshed purple apple with a tangy taste. It stores exceptionally well, four or five months although the taste gets milder over time. The apples are ready for picking here at the very end of September, and Burgundy is among the latest apples which can be grown successfully in this climate, though always described as a mid-season apple elsewhere. The tree holds its leaves unusually late, which could pose a problem if you get an early ice storm.

If you find a local apple you would like to propagate, rootstocks are readily available from the better-stocked nurseries. Grafting is done just before buds break in the spring. Many books tell how to do it. Apples are not difficult to work with. If you take care to match up the cambium layers (between inner bark and sapwood), and wax the joint well to prevent the graft from drying out, you will probably have success even as a beginner.

Self-sufficiency is the obvious goal of the homesteader, and what could be better than a ready supply of fresh fruit? Beauty in the landscape is another major desire. Growing apples contribute to the cause both ways.

For expert advice on this and nearly every other subject relating to apples, I highly recommend Michael Phillips’ book The Apple Grower (available from the Countryside Bookstore).

What other problems have you encountered when growing apples in cold regions?

Originally published in Countryside and Small Stock Journal May/June 2012 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Growing Apples in Cold Regions was originally posted by All About Chickens

[thefrenchorganiccompany-blog]

All Natural Makeup: Yes, or No?

An ever-increasing number of ladies are discovering that their makeup and skincare items might be loaded with hormone-upsetting, skin-aggravating, wellbeing destroying chemicals, a large number of which has been connected to tumours and growths. From formaldehyde and phthalates to BHA, BHT, parabens and different preservationists, the cosmeticelements can be anything other than lovely.

This reality is all the scarier when you consider that the beautifying agent’s industry is essentially unregulated, particularly when contrasted with different enterprises like the food and medication (which are both additionally regrettably protected, given the governmental issues behind the endorsement of new items, however that is another story for another day). Yes, the truth is stranger than fiction: The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act doesn't require the FDA to affirm each beauty agent that some cosmetic organizations use. What this implies is that some extremely unforgiving chemicals enter your beauty care products and skincare items, and anything connected to the skin goes straightforwardly into the circulatory system, through the lymphatic system–essentially, you should be eating any restorative item you're utilizing.

Many individuals attempt to keep away from destructive chemicals by purchasing preparing makeup brands marked "organic" or 'natural', accepting these products contain plant extricates from nature or potentially organic constituents that have not been altered by manufactured chemicals. But in America at any rate, it's conceivable to utilize both the words "organic" and "natural" on a mark without every one of the elements notwithstanding being so. However, one imperative special case to this administer incorporates items bearing the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Organic Certification name. These items are required to contain 70-94% natural elements, yet can likewise contain chemicals as well, and will just say:"Made with natural [up to three organic ingredients]" on the mark. In the event that an item is 100% natural, it can endure the higher review Certified USDA Organic seal.

What Does "Natural" Really Mean?

The principles and necessities for every nation are very different–it boils down to how every administration trusts items ought to be marked. In the U.S.A, the umbrella body is the Organic Trade Association, which grew out of All natural makeup brands  food crusade. Internationally, there are different affirming bodies, incorporating the Soil Association in the UK, and BDIH in Germany. The French Ecocert name means that 100% of the elements are of a normal starting point, and this label is the main natural confirmation for shading cosmetics. That is not to state just items sold in France bear the Ecocert name; truth be told, a few items that are sold in the US, for example, Physicians Formula's Organic Wear line, convey this affirmation. One elevated expectation accreditation is the German NaTrue name, which is generally more inflexible than others.

It is as yet workable for any brand to assert their item is ‘organic’, notwithstanding, insofar as it doesn't contain any manufactured elements or hues, and is minimally processed.

Shockingly better than guaranteed natural are Biodynamic Cosmetics. This name implies the ranches that develop the natural elements for the item are engaged on emphasising the improvement and interrelationship of the dirt, plants, and creatures as a self-supporting framework without outside involvements. While there is exceptionally restricted capacity to check such elements, regularly Biodynamic items far surpass natural measures for immaculateness and administer to the earth.

Contrasting Views

While some trust that the main way is natural, there are promoters of the synthetic compounds who contend that not all normal and natural items are useful for you. Even Liz Earle, known for her characteristic skincare run puts a few synthetics in her formulae, in light of the fact that not everything organic is great: "Cyanide and arsenic are natural and are toxic, obviously."

All things considered, the jury is still out on the care of synthetic additives. There was an administrative body to survey the wellbeing of parabens in 1984 and discovered they were protected to use in beauty care products up to the level of 25% (the greater part of the creams and salves contain 0.01 - .03%). However, a research issued in 2004 recognized the nearness of parabens in breastcancer, and another investigation distributed in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Applied Technology indicates additional confirmation of a relationship amongst parabens and occurrences of breast growths. While hydroxybenzoate, in one restorative, might be thought to be at "safe" levels, the 2012 investigation demonstrates that on the off chance that you layer on various beautifying agents that contain them a few times each day, the hydroxybenzoate levels in your body can aggregate drastically and wind up plainly hurtful. No big surprise they're restricted in the European Union.

Liz Earle legitimizes her utilization of additives by expressing that non-preserved items can truly develop some terrible infections and turn out to be more hurtful than those containing manufactured additives. "I have purchased non-preserved items in the past just to discover they have developed some quite dreadful infections. I got one "natural" skin cream just to find that two or three months subsequent to opening it developed aspergillus niger, a green dangerous shape that causes the fatal farmer's lung virus."

While this might be the situation, on the off chance that you utilize your items in a great time, this ought to never happen.

Know Your Products

On the off chance that a key characteristic part of an item is aqua (water), you ought to acknowledge there will be an additive, which could be organic (like citrus extract, for instance) or synthetic (like hydroxybenzoate). How would you know whether the item is protected? Unless it bears a name like the NaTrue, Ecocert or Certified USDA Organic seal, it's difficult to state. On the off chance that you can't articulate or see a large portion of the elements on the back, it's likely not natural. Any fixing that is recognized by the prefix, word, or syllables "PEG," "Polyethylene," "Polyethylene glycol," "Polyoxyethylene," "- eth-," or "oxynol" is manufactured, and potentially hurtful somehow. There are a few applications available, similar to Cosmetic Maze or Dirty App, that enable you to enter elements of an item or sweep its standardized tag, to recognize what's sheltered and so forth, and there are some great articles in Eluxe that walk you through the most exceedingly awful chemicals in corrective items. Remember the best 10 most noticeably bad elements, and keep away from!

Conclusion

Things being what they are, what's the contrast amongst characteristic and natural beauty ingredients items? As a rule, natural elements are those which are developed without pesticide or herbicides, and they should likewise be GMO-free. To convey an official "natural" name, certain measures for wellbeing and security must be conveyed out–'natural' beauty care products won't take after those wellbeing rules, and in light of the fact that their elements are so unforgiving, they are probably going to test them on creatures for wellbeing, as well.

Natural just signifies 'got from nature'. While, as Liz Earle brings up, the facts may confirm that some 'natural' elements can likewise be hurtful, ensured natural brands are not in the least prone to convey such elements. In addition, while any restorative can contain some regular or even natural elements and still be terrible for you (think a cruel cleanser, stacked with chemicals, yet which additionally has a touch of Argan oil, for instance), to have an affirmed mark on an item saying it is 'natural', most by far of elements must be so.

The primary concern is, do your own exploration. In the event that an organization minds enough to utilize natural elements, they're not liable to utilize unsafe manufactured ones, as well. However, as with any item available, purchasing safe preparing items is an instance of 'purchaser be careful.

[cgrrrrrrrr-blog]

Your Personal Borderlands

You never knew you were different until you said palita because you didn’t know the word “dustpan” and the other kids made fun of you. How could you have known? You looked just like everyone else, acted just like everyone else, and talked like everyone else. Except for this little slip up.  Now all the other kids had found out something you never even realized was a secret. For the first time, you understand that there’s a part of you that’s always been there, but has always been in the back seat, hidden from view, both by your appearance and your upbringing.

-----

“I’m not Mexican, I’m Spanish!” It’s a phrase you’ve said for most of your 15-year old life. After all, that’s what your family has always told you. “Spanish” as our ethnicity has always been the status quo when discussing who we are and where we come from. No one has ever said “Mexican”. Looking back, it’s clear that insecurity influenced that word choice. No one wants to be Mexican in a world that hates Mexicans. But back then, you had no way of knowing things like that.

One day, a friend calls you racist for saying it, says that you claim Spain because Mexico is shameful. You’re more resentful of that than you’ve probably ever been of anything. You tell her that you wouldn’t be ashamed to be Mexican if you were, but you’re not. You tell her it’s racist to hear that someone is Hispanic and instantly call them Mexican. The Spanish speaking world spreads over two continents, not just one country. Being right has always been your favorite thing, and an argument like this is no different. You believe all of this because for you it’s true. No one had ever said “Mexican”.

-----

Your mother’s story influences yours more than you ever could have realized. Born and raised in small town Pueblo, Colorado to a first generation ex-marine from Spain and a former nun with a family history in New Mexico going back over 12 generations, she didn’t exactly have it easy. Aside from the strict Catholic upbringing, she also dealt with the small town racism that only the 1960’s could embody so well. Despite living in a town whose name literally means “town” in Spanish, her language was frowned upon. Spanish was the first language of her two eldest sisters, but the trend ended with them once her parents realized the stigma that came with it. Your mother and your other aunt both learned Spanish second, and had to pursue it in school to really learn it since their parents did their best to make English a priority for them.

----

Your household is a strange hybrid. Spanglish is the norm, and was your first language, but English is still what you speak the most. When you get older, you wish your mother had taught you as a child so you wouldn’t have to take so many classes.

“¿Quién es ella?” she asks you gesturing towards the TV screen.

“I don’t know, Mom. Some celebrity I guess.”

“¡Responde en español! Necesitas practicar!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you had just taught me when I was little.”

“I’m teaching you now!”

-----

Your mother has cried telling you about being called a “dirty Mexican” at school, or on the street, or by the parents of her high school boyfriend. That’s why she left him. She couldn’t stand the grief it was causing both of them, so she left, hoping it would be temporary. It wasn’t. In some strange way, if it weren’t for those racist old people, you might not even exist. You’ve always wondered if she would’ve been happier had she stayed with him. You’re certain she wonders about it too. But you’re both here now, and it’s become painfully obvious how that experience has come to shape yours. How she raised you, the way she wanted you to look, all stemmed from that experience, from that family. In some strange way, if it weren’t for those racist old people, you might not even exist.

-----

        Your father has green eyes, with yellow around the pupil. They’re pretty eyes. They’re the eyes your mother prayed for the whole time she was pregnant with you. Her faith in her own brand of spirituality was strengthened when you came out white as snow with hazel eyes. She says her prayer must have been answered since brown is the dominant color. You’ve stopped telling her that sometimes recessive genes can win too. There’s nothing wrong with letting her have this.

        Her hair and eyes are the darkest part of her otherwise not-that-“ethnic”-appearance, but they were enough to mark your mother as “other” in her youth, so she prayed that you would be spared. She always tells you how much prettier you are than her, because of your light eyes and long waist. When you’re young, you think she’s just being silly because she’s beautiful and everyone tells you that you look just like her. When you get older, you realize she’s valuing the things about you that she doesn’t have. She’s valuing the Anglo in you she never had.

-----

        The first time you knew you were gay, you were five or six years old. You have a memory (though your mother denies it to this day) of climbing into bed with your parents and saying “I’m a lesbian.” You have no idea where you learned that word, or how you knew what it meant, but there you were, coming out before you could read. It was evident that your mother was bewildered, taken completely off guard, not happy. She pulled out one of her ever present women’s magazines and showed you a picture of a model in an ad. She asked you if you were attracted to this person, if you could like-like her. The tension coming off of her and the intensity in her eyes told you that the right answer was “no.” So you shook your head. “Then you must not be a lesbian!” The relief in her eyes has always stuck with you.

-----

        The second time you came out, you were 13 and you were pretty sure the world had ended. For the next five years, you laid awake listening to hushed arguments down the hall, hoping you hadn’t destroyed your parents’ marriage. You lived one life at school, and another at home. You made non-committal noises when your mother asked you if you thought the man on screen was attractive. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

        On the long drive back from Castle Rock, she vows that she’ll never tell them, any of them. She can’t bear to hear her sisters mock her or say that her exit from Catholicism is what made you gay. That her “non-traditional” parenting is what made you this way. You sit in silence, juggling heartbreak and relief. You don’t want your mother to see you as some shameful reflection of her choices, but you don’t want to tell them either.

-----

They say college is one of the best times of your life, the time when you really get to find yourself. Normally, you prefer to disregard what “they” say. Most of the time, you feel like “they” should keep their damn mouths shut every once in a while. Going to school has been one of the most stressful, terrifying, challenging experiences of your life. But when it comes to the “finding yourself”, “they” seem to have struck the nail right on the head. Being in college felt like waking up from a dream and finally getting to see the world for what it is.

“Gay” felt right. It was easy. Seeking out queer groups on campus just made sense, and Gay Straight Alliance was the obvious choice. The anxiety you felt walking into that room the first time was in response to meeting all those people. Feeling like you weren’t enough or that you were an imposter never factored into the equation. Finding queer community was like being wrapped in a warm blanket by someone who loves you. Trying to find latinx community hardly ever crossed your mind. When it did, it felt like trying to scale Everest with a step ladder.

-----

“You’re such a gringa!” is a phrase you’ve heard all your life. It’s featured with other greatest hits like, “You only think this is spicy because you’re so white!” and “You have no rhythm!” and your all time favorite “You’re not in touch with your culture!”.  Phrases like these grate on you, make you frustrated, and when you were little, they used to make you cry. Apparently your family has never realized that, since they still use them every now and then. You can shrug and laugh it off now, but that feeling of absence always remains.

Your only encounter with your paternal grandfather happened when you were an infant. You have no memory of him and your only context is that your father hated him. It’s probably for the best. Apparently he and his new wife were racists too. Grandma was a big part of your life when you were a kid, but after she got sick, she moved away and you never actually saw her again. In the end, you mainly remember her smoke damaged voice over a crackling line and the promise of birthday checks that never came.

        The light eyes and skin that your mother felt blessed by seemed like a curse to you. Family resemblance was never something you could relate to, since your mother’s family, your main family, never really looked like you. Being white made you the black sheep. One of the only times your privilege would make you an outsider. Someone asked if you could trade it all in to be darker, would you do it? Absolutely.

-----

        Privilege is something you didn’t hear about until college. It’s a concept that’s easy to learn, and hard to master. You knew you were white. A Chicano history class you’d just recently taken caused the revelation that you while Spain factored in, Mexico couldn’t be left out of the equation of your heritage. Your great grandmother, the curandera, was evidence enough of the mestiza in your blood. Looking in a mirror though, that blood was always so well hidden behind the European features you could now only tie to a history of wrongdoing. So, where did that leave you? Confused mostly.

        Despite your skin, you were trained to always check the “Hispanic, Latino, etc.” box on every standardized test and application. Mom always said getting that recognition was important. We wouldn’t want to miss out on any scholarships, now would we?

Claiming such an identity at a university where very real activism takes place felt like a farce. Saying it in front of a group of queer and trans people of color felt even worse. It was your reality, your truth, but it wasn’t spelled across your skin or your facial features, so how could it be on a level with their realities and truths?

-----

Your mother went to Pride with you this year. She marched in the parade by your side, held a sign, and yelled. It’s days like this that make you appreciate how far she’s come, how far you’ve come together. Normalcy is the banner your mother lives her life under. It’s how she’s learned to survive in this world. After all the abuses she’s suffered, you can’t really blame her. She’s always tried to push that doctrine onto you, to keep you safe as best she can, even if it left you lonely and afraid. Radicalism is the banner you’re starting to adopt. It’s the only way you can see to make the world move forward. Cheesy as it is, you believe in being the change you want to see in the world. The two of you clash, often and loudly. But your mother holding up a glittery sign that reads “We Love Our Latinx Family” surrounded by half-naked queer people and drag queens is a good step towards compromise.

----

The Chicana/Latina panel you attended was amazing. An hour of listening to the insights of women on campus about their experiences with those terms and in general. Just having the opportunity to listen to them speak on their own terms, from their own perspectives felt magical. You weren’t prepared for the sentence that changed everything.

“Even if you are Spanish, even if you came from that imperialism, you’re not it. That imperialism isn’t you.” For the first time, the feelings of absence and falsehood slip away. Tears roll down your face as you walk out that door.

-----

College is coming to a close, and you’re more terrified than excited. Your expectations have been shattered, the ground beneath your feet feeling far more unstable than you ever thought it would when you imagined getting to this point. Your parents constantly ask you what you’re going to do with your life, anxious that you might be wasting your time and their borrowed money. But it’s not just career goals that have you shaken. You don’t know who you are anymore, not really. At eighteen, you knew “Mexican” had to factor into your equation. There was no way it didn’t. You want to feel proud, but “woman of color” just doesn’t feel right. The color of your skin has never caused you strife or pain. No one has ever accused you of shoplifting for it, or said that you’re smart for a brown girl. White doesn’t have the same comfort it used to either. The white kids you know don’t think in Spanglish. They’ll never know the frustration of not being able to use the perfect phrase because it doesn’t translate right, or of being asked “what are you?” You’re standing on the precipice of change, and you really don’t know whether or not you’ll fly.

[electronicproductdevelopment]

New Post has been published on Quality, Manufacturing & Product Development in China

New Post has been published on http://quality-manufacturing.org/china-shipping-logistic-product-quality-control-inspection/

Improve China Import & Product Quality by Managing Logistics

When we usually refer to import risks related to product quality when purchasing in China or in Asia we instantly think that quality can be affected by several different types of factors: manufacturing process, raw materials used, workmanship.

One disregarded risk which can alter your product quality is the risks related to logistics. Indeed, I have seen some clients in the past managing very well their sourcing and manufacturing process with their Chinese suppliers but neglecting totally the importance related to logistics.

I particularly remember one of those european based customer who imported furniture from China. An inspector for a Pre-Shipment Inspection was sent to the Chinese factory to ensure the conformity of the goods before the client would pay balance to its supplier. At the time of the inspection, the quality inspector reported the goods were OK to ship. Knowing the goods where furniture, we also proposed the client to perform a Container Loading Supervision but she declined it for budget reason. When the loading time came, the chinese supplier loaded the furniture by himself into the container (we were not present at this time as the client didn’t want we inspect the container loading process).

A few weeks later, the client received the container in her own country. When she opened it, she got a surprise: 50% of the furnitures have been damaged because improper loading and shaking during transportation have occurred. At this point, this is when you realize how logistics can play a huge factor in how your goods quality are.

In this post, you will learn how you can reduce this risk by implementing simple but efficient actions on your production to avoid such issues:

1./ Performing packaging design properly and anticipate shaking 

Most of time, packaging designer will always think in terms of beauty to design their packaging but they will rarely consider packaging design in terms of efficiency for transportation. Think about it this way: when products are shipped they are usually ship into cartons per pack of several. Logistics and transportation are making your cartons moving and shaking highly (hand moving, truck moving, for lift moving, ship moving etc…). They are some vibration almost all the time. If you design your packaging improperly (let’s say with pointy shape in polycarbonate case and without film protection) then you might take the risk to have your packaging to be damaged during transportation (typical example are the appearing of scratches on shiny surface). 

Try to think about how 10 packaging will be packed in a master carton without damaging each other: are you capable to make some sensitive packaging face avoiding to intersect with others so they will not get scratched ?

So, when your packaging designer design your packaging he should think about this. A simple way to solve this problem is to :

use shape without sharp edges

use shape which can make your packaging not moving when stacked all together

use plastic film to avoid scratches

use polystyrene to protect your goods inside packaging if necessary

2./ Add Inner carton

Sometimes you will pack your products the best way of the world in a master carton but still the goods will get damaged because moving too much into the master carton. Another problem which may also appear when you pack all your products directly into your master carton is that the master carton will not get very rigid, hence subject to deformations, hence fragile, hence to crack and open.

You can avoid this issue by adding an extra layer of protection using inner cartons: instead of having 100 products being stacked directly into a master carton, you can for example create 10 inner cartons of 10 pieces each and to have those 10 inner cartons into the master cartons. It got several advantages 

It rigidify your master carton making it less capable to deformation and to crack

It add an extra protection to your products as a second skin and it is perfect for protecting your products against potential damages due to outside elements such as rain falling onto master cartons or any other liquid. It also protect your product packaging from carton dropping (in this case only master carton and inner carton will get damaged but not the sales packaging)

It is easier to manipulate at destination (have you already found that that some products placed on shelf of supermarkets are quite often directly placed in to inner carton ?)

3./ Choose proper master carton 

It sounds easy to manage with carton but this tiny little items can have its importance when performing your import because it can also cause several issues. The most frequent issues is related to carton not protecting properly the goods inside it or  being broken or destroyed during manipulation.To avoid this, here are a few tips:

Use cartons which are made with glue and staples and not only glue because stapes will strengthen the structure of your carton

Don’t load too much your master cartons (no more than 15 kgs) because then the carton structure may tear down too easily in case of shock

Perform some drop test to check your cartons are enough solid. The typical test which fail on drop test is the corner test where quite often the packaging of your product will get damaged. When I was a quality inspector, most of drop test failed when dropping cartons on corners. Believe me or not, but when loading or unloading are concerned, workers may easily drop or throw cartons. And if it happens on the corner of your cartons and your cartons is not solid enough , then you will easily get some damaged products in your cargo. 

Choose cartons enough thick with enough ply (two ply is a minimum but 3 ply is much better)

Don’t make cartons too big/large in terms of dimension if you can avoid it: Bigger structure on a tiny layer is easily deformable and easily breakable (this is logical mechanical engineering). Between the choice of 2 small cartons vs 1 big carton to pack the same goods , prefer the 2 small cartons options (it is also easier to manipulate and to carry).

5./ Use palets and plastic filming as much as you can

If you have your goods being packed already into your master cartons, now they might be ready to ship. But wait, do you know how your Chinese vendor is going to load your container or send your goods to your air shipping carrier? Do you know how it is going to be manipulated ?

You know, sometimes when goods are pilled up in container and if the container is not fully loaded, goods may fall by themselves inside the container during transportation (oh yes, although container carrier are big ship, if there is a storm the ship will move highly).

Don’t leave the option open for potential damages and ask your supplier to load first all your cartons on palets and to use a plastic film around your cartons. It will bring the following advantages 

Cartons will not be carried by hand in the container because then the unit become the palet, not the carton. It will avoid some useless risk of damaging during transportation.

It standardize your process and make it easy to load and unload your goods with a forklift it is much faster than doing it by hand

You can calculate very easily spacing both in your container and in your warehouse

Master cartons are isolated from the floor by the palet hence in case of liquid spilling your cartons will not be affected

Master cartons are isolated from outside elements such as rain due to plastic film wrapping around and on the top of the cargo

Palet and film bring stability to your cargo because then cartons being on palet can not move and fall from the palet (due to the film wrapping holding the whole content of the palet can not tilt out of the palet)

7./ Perform loading inspection or supervision

Getting someone on site to verify how your goods are loaded can help in several way to witness the following:

Raining: If at loading time it is raining, does the goods are properly protected from the rain when they get loaded ? Normally, a careful supplier should bring the container opening directly at the factory loading door area to load the goods, so there is no gap between the container door and the factory door. However, in some particular situation (if another loading fro another client is already occurring and block the factory door access) then they may not be able to bring the container door directly to the factory door. In this case between the factory loading area and the container several maters may separate the factory door from the container door. If your shipment fall in the typhoon timing (mostly between july and august), and if your shipment are not palletized and protected by a plastic film, I can guarantee you to receive cartons being completely wet (and may be your products with it) 

Proper loading: If you didn’t palletized your products, how the goods get loaded into the container? Are they thrown by hand like potato bags or trash (yes I saw this in the past) or are they delicately and carefully brought and placed in your container 

Container sealing: Verify your container condition. Does your container is properly sealed or is there any hole allowing potentially water infiltration during transportation ? Sometimes, containers being sent by freight forwarders are old. Container are made of metal and they rust. When they are too old, the structure may rust so much that holes and crack are appearing on the metal structure. When they are piled up on cargo tankers, it may happens that raining or storm appear during transportation due to storm. Then, water may infiltrate in your container making your cartons completely wet. Sometimes, issue comes from the doors who are not closing properly and here again you will get water infiltration. So, always make sure your containers are properly sealed.

Container smelling bad: Sometimes, the container smell bad due to transportation of other previous cargo in it, it can contaminate your products (think about the case of transportation of scrap in a container in which you may load with clothes…even packed sometimes smell infiltration may contaminate). 

Humidity: if your container is not dry inside but get some water or any other liquid on the floor, then with heat it may generate some vapor which may either contaminate your product or may generate some moistures 

Related to container and transportation issues, I always recommend to contract an insurance to protect your goods from damages to your shipping agent on one side, and I also recommend to perform a container loading inspection or container loading supervision so that in case of issue due to logistics you can easily make a claim to your shipping agent (because your supplier will not be responsible of dirty container or leaking container...)

9./ Prefer to ship your goods rather via FCL than LCL

FCL meaning Full Container Loading and LCL mean Loose Container Loading. FCL is usually used when you buy enough quantity to fill a full container, whereas LCL is used when your goods volume can not fill the space of a container.

Mostly, it is better to use a FCL shipment rather than LCL because then all the container space if filled with your goods only. If you are on a LCL situation however then the container is shared with goods from other clients of the shipping agent. 

This increase the risks in several way: 

Getting contamination from other cargos: after all you don’t really know what is loaded and you don’t know how the container get filled, by who and with what. In short, you have no control of what your products are travelling with. If a dangerous product (let’s say flammable one) from another customer is placed in the container nearby your product then there is a risk to get your goods being damaged. 

Because LCL require to load container to consolidate goods with different customers cargo, then it means there is a moving being done from one container (or one truck) between your suppliers and the port, to another container which will go on the ship. Since there is an extra moving it means there is an extra risk of damaging your goods. Using a FCL shipment will eliminate those risk because the container being used to transport your goods is hosting only your own goods. Hence, there is no risk of contamination possible by another cargo  and the number of move to transfer your goods from one place to another is also reduced, so the risk is so. 

10./ Prefer a shipping agent who deal with the logistic chain from A to Z

In another post (here Difference between a China based shipping agent vs a Hong Kong based shipping agent), I explain why choosing a proper shipping agent is important. Indeed, some shipping agent are sub contracting part of the shipping process to other companies and this can happen for several reasons (the main one being the shipping agent you appointed just doesn’t have presence or licence in the country where the logistics has to be performed.

In this case, most of them enter in partnership with some locally based and licensed shipping agent who perform the work for your shipping agent. Of course, your shipping agent will never tell you this but I have seen this happening several times in the past. The typical scheme happen when a client appoint a shipping agent based in Hong Kong or in his own country who doesn't have chinese shipping agent licence and can not export the goods by himself or who doesn't have truck to pick the goods at the factory. In this case they send another company who have this licence and the truck to pick the goods at the factory, hence they sub-contract.

When they do so, they loose control on the shipping process and who knows what happens between the factory door and the ship. I have seen several time sub-contractor picking goods like potatoes not caring anything about the goods conditions (when they just didn't steal a few pieces doing hole directly into cartons: yes I saw it done by some employees from DHL !)

Hence, you should prefer to use a shipping agent who manage the whole chain from A to Z, who got his own truck, who got his own licence and employee in China.

I hope this blog post will help you to improve your China import.

Feel free to share your experience about quality issue you may have faced when importing from China. Do you have any question ?