The Seventh Cloud

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026

When PETA confronted Lindsay Lohan : The 2008 Fur Protest Explained




Animal rights activists PETA caught Lohan wearing a fur coat in Paris, and as expected, PETA supporters confronted her.


People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has attacked Lindsay Lohan in the past due to her fashion taste in using animal fur. Back in 2008, Lohan was heading to a club in Paris. This is where an anti-fur campaigner and PETA supporter showered Lohan with flour. 


Lohan's friend/girlfriend at the time was also furious, apparently she was also covered with flour. She posted a message on the then-popular social media platform, MySpace. MySpace, to defend her then girlfriend. She said: “The girl who threw [the flour] acted like an animal herself.” “I take that back; it’s an insult to animals to group her in with them; my dog is FAR more civilized than that person,” she added “I think there are plenty of families that could have used that flour for a meal. Nice job, lady.” Biscuits, anyone?

According to Los Angeles Daily News, Lohan was initially "mortified and then furious" before the club owner helped vacuum the flour off her blue sequined dress and black fur stole.



PETA never apologized;I think no one really expected that. They made more comments mocking her and her fashion style and choices: 

"Lindsay Lohan might be able to ignore images of bloody animals skinned alive for their pelts, but we hope a dash of flour will help her rise to the occasion and forsake fur once and for all." 

 

PETA pointed out that Lohan had already earned a spot on their 2008 Worst-Dressed List, where they previously stated there was "no road to recovery for the foxes who are anally electrocuted so that you can look skanky." 


Is Lindsay Lohan wearing real fur nowadays?


The shift among high-end luxury brands from using real animal materials to faux fur and leather began in earnest in the 2010s. Of course, this battle was always around.  We will never know if Lohan stopped using animal materials in her clothes because of a change of heart, because the internet hate became a strong force to "cancel" celebrities or because her favorite brands also had to stop using those materials, but apparently she now uses faux fur.
By the mid-2020s, top luxury design houses (like Michael Kors) adopted firm fur-free policies, and Lohan's current stylists now consistently dress her in ethical, faux-fur alternatives.

 


Lindsay is not the first celebrity, and won't be the last, to be targeted by protesters or animal defenders. Another situation that comes to mind is when Kim Kardashian was also confronted with flour by an anti-fur activist and PETA supporter. The activist called her "fur hag, she and her sister were accused of using real fur. 


Nearly two decades later, the incident remains one of the most memorable celebrity protests of the 2000s. Whether viewed as effective activism or an unnecessary publicity stunt, it reflected a period when fashion, celebrity culture, and animal rights collided in increasingly public ways. Today, the fashion industry is very different. 

How do we know if brands sell real fur and leather products to wealthy customers behind the counter?

 


Here is how the system actually operates and how consumers can look past the public marketing.
Distinct Corporate Alliances
Not all luxury houses have banned fur. The industry is divided by corporate ownership, and they are quite transparent about it. If you see fur in a high-end salon, it is likely because that specific brand never promised to stop using it.
  • The Kering Group: Brands under this umbrella—including Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta—have strict, group-wide public bans on animal fur. [
  • The LVMH Conglomerate: This powerhouse—which owns Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi—explicitly allows its designers creative freedom to use real fur, provided it is ethically traced via programs like Furmark. They do not hide this; they sell it openly to their top clientele. source: here

How to Verify the Material Yourself

If you are holding a luxury garment and want to confirm what it is made of, use these physical checks:
Test Method Real Fur / LeatherFaux Fur / Leather
The Base TestPush the hair apart. Real fur is rooted into animal skin/leather.Pushing the hair apart reveals a woven, threaded fabric backing.
The Burn TestSingeing a stray strand smells like burning human hair.Singeing a strand smells like melting chemical plastic.
The TextureFeels completely smooth, soft, and slick to the touch.Can feel slightly coarse, uniform, or sticky in humid air.


Source: here




Tuesday, July 7, 2026

What happened to Schapelle Corby ?

 


Years ago, in 2008 to be exact, I talked about Schapelle Corby. Schapelle is an Australian woman who was jailed in Bali,Indonesia for nine years after being accused of drug trafficking. Corby has publicly maintained that the drugs were planted in her bodyboard bag and that she did not know about them.

Corby was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to 20 years in jail. In May 2012, she was granted a five-year sentence reduction. Corby was released on parole on 10 February 2014 after serving nine years in prison. On 27 May 2017, she was deported and returned to Australia.



The case was really big in Australia; there were many calls to set Schapelle free or for her to be allowed to go back to her country. During this media frenzy, there were a few rumors accusing her whole family of being drug traffickers and dealers, dragging them into the controversy back at home.

While jailed, Schapelle suffered from mental health issues and needed medication to keep her healthy and sane. As you can imagine, Schapelle's situation also took a toll on her family. They had to keep paying for legal fees—probably for her safety—and her sister had to travel to Bali many times. Her sister ultimately established her life there while Schapelle was in jail, all to be there for her.



Once she went back to Australia, many reporters were waiting for her. She had to spend many weeks hiding because she first needed to deal with the past nine years spent in a jail in a different country. Corby settled on Queensland's Gold Coast, where she has kept a relatively low profile.

Because of Australian Proceeds of Crime laws, she was strictly prohibited from cashing in or profiting from any media arrangements regarding her conviction or time in prison. Australia's Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 features strict provisions called "literary proceeds orders." These laws ensure that a person cannot financially exploit their criminal notoriety.



Currently, Schapelle is single and has even shared publicly that she’s looking for love. Her most famous relationship was a long-term romance with Ben Panangian, an Indonesian surfer and paddleboard instructor she met back in 2006 while she was in Kerobokan Prison.

Since returning to Australia, Schapelle Corby has rebuilt a quieter life on Queensland's Gold Coast. While she is well known for creating and selling beach-inspired epoxy resin art clocks through Instagram, she has explained that it is a creative hobby rather than her main source of income, and she continues to work a regular day job. Corby has also returned briefly to public life through appearances on SAS Australia (2020) and Dancing with the Stars (2021). In 2019, she was required to forfeit earnings from the updated edition of her autobiography, My Story, under Australia's Proceeds of Crime Act. Today, one of her most consistent public contributions is encouraging Australians to donate blood, regularly sharing her own donations to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood network and promoting the importance of giving blood to help others.

She co-wrote a book with Australian journalist Kathryn Bonella in 2006, and in 2019, they presented an updated version of the book. She keeps working on her life and letting people know that she is innocent because, according to her, she was wrongfully accused, nowadays she mainly keeps a quiet life.

Today, Schapelle Corby's story is no longer just about one of Australia's most controversial criminal cases. It is also a story of rebuilding a life after years of intense public scrutiny, finding normality, and quietly moving forward. Whether viewed with sympathy or skepticism, her journey continues to spark debate about justice, redemption, and the lasting impact of media attention.

Have you ever heard about this story? Did you believe her ?

 


Monday, June 29, 2026

Apeman: This Commentary on Modern Society Was Written 56 Years Ago

 


Have you ever felt like life doesn’t matter, or more broadly, like humanity doesn’t matter? We grant ourselves so much importance, but when we look around at the rules of society, our human “rules”, that sometimes rarely make sense. In appearance, we have evolved, but we remain the same homo sapiens found in history books or museums; we have simply changed our surroundings and rules for everything, to govern each other.

The Illusion of Progress


The world’s population has multiplied to the point where many hesitate to even start a family. There are so many of us, and we are all haunted, living in fear that there won’t be enough for everyone to survive.

We believe we are completely free because we don’t live behind bars, yet a part of civilized life is another form of mental captivity. We chase luxuries and strive for sophistication, yet these pale in comparison to the true beauty and luxury of the nature we are currently destroying.  

We feel unsafe, worried, and anxious.  We live in an unstable society, defined by economic hardship and incompetent leaders. We are closer to a global catastrophe, yet many think that progress means building expensive cities and industries that contaminate our forests and poison our water.

The Search for Sanity

At the end of the day, we all want someone by our side on our team, our connection to sanity in a  world that feels increasingly wrong. We want to feel safe and cared for.

In a society that often measures success through productivity and possessions, genuine human connection can feel like a rare luxury. We are searching for someone who reminds us that we are not alone in questioning the direction the world is taking. Someone to face the chaos with. 

Everything you've just read is my personal interpretation of The Kinks' "Apeman." It was released in 1970—56 years ago—yet its lyrics feel as relevant and urgent today as they did when they were first written.




-Do you feel like we’ve evolved as a society, or are we just living in a more complex 'cage'? 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. 

Now, listen to this song while you read the lyrics:




The Kinks - Apeman

I think I'm sophisticated 'cause I'm living my life
Like a good homo sapiens
But all around me everybody's multiplying and
They're walking round like flies man
So I'm no better than the animals sitting
In the cages in the zoo man
'Cause compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees
I am an apeman

I think I'm so educated and I'm so civilized
'Cause I'm a strict vegetarian
But with the over-population and inflation and starvation
And the crazy politicians
I don't feel safe in this world no more
I don't want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an apeman

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodoo man, oh I'm an apeman
'Cause compared to the sun that sits in the sky
Compared to the clouds as they roll by
Compared to the bugs and the spiders and flies I am an apeman

In man's evolution he's created the city
And the motor traffic rumble
But give me half a chance and I'd be taking off my clothes
And living in the jungle
'Cause the only time that I feel at ease
Is swinging up and down in the coconut trees
Oh what a life of luxury to be like an apeman

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodoo man, oh I'm an apeman
I look out the window but I can't see the sky
The air pollution is a-fogging eyes
I want to get out of this city alive and make like an apeman

Oh come on and love me, be my apeman girl
And we'll be so happy in my apeman world

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodoo man, oh I'm an apeman
I'll be your Tarzan, you'll be my Jane
I'll keep you warm and you'll keep me sane
We'll sit in the trees and eat bananas all day, just like an apeman

I'm an apeman, I'm an ape, apeman, oh I'm an apeman
I'm a King Kong man, I'm a voodoo man, oh I'm an apeman
I don't feel safe in this world no more
I don't want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an apeman



Monday, June 8, 2026

Beyond the Coffee Table: Style Your Space with Dark Academia Goth Decor books

 


There is a distinct shift happening in interior design right now. The sterile, ultra-bright minimalist look is quietly stepping aside for something much richer, warmer, and arguably more intellectual: Dark Academia. People don't want to be told anymore how to dress, how to style your closet and your home, we are tired of the algorithm and the trends. We are aiming to be again unique and different.

Centered around a love for literature, vintage details, and a moody palette, this aesthetic relies heavily on layers. And the most critical layer of all? Books. But you don't need a sprawling, floor-to-ceiling library from the 19th century to capture that energy. A curated stack of notebooks with the right visual edge can transform a flat surface into a vignette that tells a story.




Why Curated Notebooks Are the Ultimate "Secret Weapon" for Styling

We’ve all seen standard, mass-produced coffee table books. They are beautiful, but they often lack a certain personal bite. If your style leans toward the alternative, the elegant, or the slightly macabre, standard home decor stores don't always hit the mark.

That is where specialized  notebooks come in. Instead of just buying a book for its size, choosing notebooks with freaky-morbid titles and striking goth imagery serves two purposes at once:

  • The Aesthetic Anchor: A bold, edgy cover acts as a conversation starter on a coffee table, a nightstand, or a media console. Stacking two or three horizontally builds height and structure in your room styling.

  • Everyday Utility: Unlike traditional luxury coffee table books that sit untouched for years, these double as actual journals, sketchbooks, or daily planners. They look expensive from the outside, but they are fully functional on the inside.




Simple Ways to Style Your Gothic Aesthetic Books

If you are trying to lean into a moodier room setup, a few small styling tweaks can make a massive difference. Try using your notebooks as design accents in these high-traffic areas:

1. The Low-Profile Table Stack

Place a stack of three notebooks on your coffee table or entryway console. Place the largest book on the bottom and graduate to the smallest on top. To finish the look, place a brass candle holder, a small specimen jar, or a dried crystal cluster directly on top of the stack to add texture and variance.

2. Vertical Shelf Breathing Room

Bookshelves don't just have to hold books vertically. Break up long rows of novels by turning a few of your favorite gothic fashion notebooks face-out, displaying the cover art like a framed print. This adds breathing room to heavy shelving and catches the eye immediately.

3. The Moody Nightstand Vignette

Pair a single, beautifully dark notebook with a dim lamp and a ceramic mug. It immediately evokes that late-night, studious dark academia vibe—giving you a beautiful view right before bed and an easy place to write down your thoughts or dreams.

Check out these notebooks ! 












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