#Business Insight

[raffaellopalandri]

My new Blog: Strategic Growth Insights

Great news! I have just launched a new blog called Strategic Growth Insights. Go have a look! In this blog, I will share my Business Strategy tips and insight so as to help you grow and achieve the result you want and deserve.

[auditorsun]

ProvidusBank and Unity Bank Merger: Bold Move or Risky Gamble for Shareholders?

The announcement of the approved framework for the merger between ProvidusBank Limited and Unity Bank Plc by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) signals a significant consolidation within the Nigerian banking sector. This merger is strategically positioned to enhance the footprint of ProvidusBank, leveraging the existing branch network and customer base of Unity Bank to create a more robust…

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

A phone call between brothers (takes place AFTER this incident and Fiddleford's phone call)

Sorry if this is OOC!

[homo-ousios]

Ewan McGregor’s worst movies are Star Wars and Silk, because he’s forced to play a tragic moron having no sex whatsoever and crying.

Ewan McGregor’s best movies, however, are Velvet Goldmine, The Pillow Book, and Moulin Rouge, because he’s allowed to spread his wings and play a tragic moron having sloppy freaky idiot sex. and crying.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

always enjoyed the Chess Set In The Foreground perspective framing used here

now also noting like, huh, a chess set in a general store just visited by marigold competitors who killed one of their guys and are now on the way back from their rendezvous point w/suppliers

[wickmitz]

rereading some of volume two for the analysis post ( i’m not as familiar with it as i’d like to be! ) and just noticed how similar their poses are here. both touching one arm with a singular paw, brows furrowing while their tails curl around them … it’s an active distancing, a defensive physical change. the hurt feelings are very palpable here!!

[thepersonalquotes]

Sometimes a step back or away from an idea, task or project brings even more perspective, insight and clarity.

Rasheed Ogunlaru

[feroluce]

Me: I wonder what Hook calls Sampo in the Japanese dub? Probably oji-san, since it's shushu in the original Chinese?

Hook: Sampo-ojichan!!

Oji is "uncle," which is hilarious because Hook calls Natasha by "older sister" when she wants something. So Hook either just really wants to get on Natasha's good side, or she takes Sampo at face value when he refers to himself as an old man. She trusts him a lot and takes him at his word and she calls him as such!

And Sampo calls Hook either ojou-san or oujo-san (I can't find the Japanese sub to see the spelling, and I can't tell them apart by ear)!

One spelling, oujo, means "princess," it's how you would refer to royalty. The other, ojou, (which I assume is what he's actually saying) is something you call the young lady of a high-class family with a high social standing. In Genshin Impact, the intro scene for a popular ship, chilumi, shows Childe calling Lumine ojou-chan, which the English dub translated as "girlie." Since Sampo uses -san instead of -chan, his is more formal and respectful, it's more like "young lady."

...It's also how you would refer to the daughter of a yakuza leader, which I love, since Hook leads her own little gang (the Moles) skzhkskdkd

But it really gets me in the heart, because! Hook is generally looked at as a delinquent by most adults. Which I mean. Not without good reason, she

calls Natasha an old witch

frequently sneaks out into the Fragmentum

has left graffiti all over the side of the orphanage

was constantly picking fights with other kids

beat a man unconscious for stealing from her dad

and has already picked up on how business gets done in the Underworld, and uses/actively participates in it to get what she wants- she basically acts an information broker

like Hook earns her reputation haha. The Underground is lucky that what Hook wants is just like. Candy and toys and to play hide-and-seek. I'm sure she'll have the capability to raise all kinds of hell and be more like an actual gang leader when she's older, even if she chooses not to act on it.

So Sampo calling her so politely and respectfully is really sweet and cute! Yes, he's polite and respectful with everyone, but that's just it- he treats Hook much like he does everyone else. He doesn't tell her to buzz off because she's a kid. He doesn't lie or try to cheat her or assume she's naive because of her age. He never talks down to her. He really does just treat her like a respected business partner and he takes her seriously, which Hook really seems to appreciate. And even when Sampo does treat her like a kid, it's not in a negative way; he guides her on little adventures and chats with her and takes her for joy rides on his moped. All of which Hook also really appreciates, since everyone else is too busy trying to get by to make time to play with her. She absolutely adores him.

I hope they officially join forces someday and terrorize all of Belobog with their shenanigans JSKJZNDKSJ

So Hook calls Sampo "Uncle Sampo" in a particularly affectionate/endeared tone, and Sampo calls Hook "Young Miss Hook" in a very respectful tone! And to reiterate:

[cupidskissx]

“I know you wanted this win. One day you’ll get it … Imagine how sweet that will taste. Redemption. Proving all the doubters that you can actually drive the streets you grew up on.”

— Monaco Malaise (2022)

[wulfhalls]

DAEMYRA FIGHT SCENE OF THE SHOW!!!! OF ALL OF TELEVISION ARE U JOKING!!!!!!! IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE PLAY!!!!! THEY GAVE ME MARITAL WOES DAS KAMMERSPIEL?!?? BRO I FEEL DELIRIOUS THIS IS HOW GOOD THIS SHOW COULD BE IF U LET SCENES BREATHE!!!! ACTORS OF TOP OF THEIR CRAFT ACTINGGG. THE STAGGING OF IT HOEMYGODDDDDDDD I LOVE U TELEVISION

[auditorsun]

Nigeria's President Urged to Sell Oil Assets and Refineries

According to a presidential advisory committee report, a sale of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ‘s assets would help President Bola Tinubu meet an ambitious campaign pledge to nearly triple oil production to 4 million barrels a day by 2030. A recent report recommends that Nigeria’s state energy company sell off assets, such as oil block stakes, to raise billions of dollars.…

[exasperatedoctopus]

Whenever an episode has Lwaxana guest-starring I start filled with dread, for she is the most second-hand-embarrassment-generating person I’ve ever seen. By the end of the episode, I am filled with glee and soft fluffy feelings because Lwaxana is also the coolest lady I ever met.

This happens every time. Every. Single. Time.

[thepersonalwords]

All Disruption starts with introspection.

Jay Samit

[accio-victuuri]

Xiao Zhan Marie Claire Cover story | Rules & Inches

When I say the word "future",

The first syllable is in the past.

When I say the word "silence",

I've broken it.

When I say the word "nothing",

I have created something that nothingness itself can grasp.

——Vislava Szymborska, "The Three Strangest Words"

Xiao Zhan held up a handheld fan to dry the sweat from the filming. When the photographer signaled the start, he stepped forward, stepped back, walked again, and continued to retreat. The props on his back are like airplanes, and his eyes are constantly searching for the camera, and he is like a naughty child exploring an unknown world. Every time I go back and forth, I am thinking about the more refined possibilities between advancement and retreat.

It’s hard not to notice Xiao Zhan’s sense of proportion. When being interviewed, he has a catchphrase: "Can you say this?" Or, as if to confirm himself, "You can say it like this." He also reflects on himself all the time. For example, I repeatedly remind myself not to let my performance become inertia. Once I get used to it, it will develop into terrible inertia. For example, he often emphasizes that he doesn't like to make mysteries, and he may not understand many truths. What he shares is only his sincere daily feelings. For another example, when he heard a crew member commenting on his "striving for excellence", he responded that he had not yet reached "refinement" and only wanted to "benefit".

Xiao Zhan spoke slowly and eloquently. He did not have a thunderous and fiery personality. He chatted calmly and had the ancient style of a benevolent gentleman. He's not tight at all. They chatted all over the world, and when they got to the point where they were enjoying themselves, they naturally leaned back on the chair and gently held their right legs with both hands. The content of the chat ranged from the unchanging emotions contained in the golden songs of the times to AI, the views on human beings, as well as his own performances and life experiences.

In 2023, three TV series starring Xiao Zhan will be broadcast one after another. He played the colorful father, the lonely and cold eldest son, and the newcomer who struggled in the workplace. Every time he enters a crew, he will dream about real scenes and real pressure related to filming. After the dream is over, he sinks himself into the heart of the character and performs it, leaving vivid memories and feelings.

There is a ruler in the heart and a square inch outside the body. What's appropriate is Xiao Zhan's inner view, his precise view of work, life and himself. A few inches away is Xiao Zhan's external perspective, his perceptual understanding of the past, time, space and the world. Between the length and the shortness of a ruler, heaven and earth appear.

======

Three TV series have been aired and new dramas are being filmed. For actor Xiao Zhan, 2023 is a fruitful year.

Occasionally, when he looks back on his career as an actor, Xiao Zhan will be in a daze for a moment. In the blink of an eye, it seems that he has been there for a long time. Almost every time he shoots a movie, he has a routine: dreaming. I dreamed about memorizing lines, dreaming about acting against a director, or even dreaming about taking a math test, but couldn’t solve any of the questions on the paper, and then I woke up with a start.

Xiao Zhan felt that this was caused by pressure, and he accepted it calmly. Perhaps there is another reason. Deep down in his heart, he does not regard himself as a qualified actor, but always puts himself in the position of a newcomer, with an attitude of learning and exploration. Therefore, every time he goes to a crew, he has the experience of starting all over again.

Xiao Zhan is very wary of inertia. Sometimes he also advises himself not to be under so much pressure, not to get into trouble, and to try to be more relaxed. But once he realizes that he starts to rely on performance models, experiences and habits, he will remind himself that taking things for granted is dangerous. After a long time of inertia, inertia will occur, and inertia will lead to "taken for granted". Therefore, every time he interprets a role, he always has to gain some freshness.

Xiao Chunsheng in "Where Dreams Begin" is a character full of freshness. Because there are extremely obvious differences between him and Xiao Zhan himself. Xiao Chunsheng is a young man in Beijing in the 1970s, which is completely different from the era and environment in which Xiao Zhan grew up.

Military coats, "28 big bar" bicycles, the ice surface of Shichahai, and the transformation from a young boy to a middle-aged entrepreneur are not familiar to Xiao Zhan. To this day, Xiao Zhan can still see "traces" of Xiao Chunsheng: when it comes to the character Chen Hongjun in the play, he always says "Hong Jun'er". Those were the Beijing movies and Er Huayin that I practiced when filming started. "Ouch" and "Ouch" were all words on Xiao Zhan's lips.

The language, objects and sense of time are all okay. For Xiao Zhan, the biggest difference from Xiao Chunsheng is his personality. He is an "I person" who enjoys being alone, while Xiao Chunsheng is the complete opposite. He makes many friends and loves to socialize too much. Measured by today's standards, this extreme warm-heartedness often means a lack of a sense of boundaries. "The times are developing faster and faster. Today's young people are living a fast-paced life and will not easily cross the boundaries of getting along." Xiao Zhan commented, "But Xiao Chunsheng is an extremely meddlesome person, so it is easy to offend Someone else." When he read the script, he was quite intimidated by this role and felt that it would be difficult to act like it. But after hesitating for a long time, a thought suddenly caught his attention: Maybe the qualities we care about today contain exactly what we need.

Fresh, this is Xiao Zhan’s summary of Xiao Chunsheng and his contemporaries. "If you hate them, you hate them. If you like them, you like them. Don't you think the colors of each of them are particularly bright?" he asked. Even now, when thinking back to some scenes in "The Sea in Dreams", he still feels that the characters are shining brightly and vividly.

After playing Xiao Chunsheng, a person who is far away from current values, Xiao Zhan also gained something in terms of mentality: don't be afraid of making mistakes. He said: "A truly lovable character will have imperfections." During the filming, he once asked the director if it was particularly annoying for Xiao Chunsheng to worry so much about others. The director told him that it was precisely because of this "annoyance" that he was Xiao Chunsheng, and "annoyance" was his charm.

The director's words suddenly awakened Xiao Zhan. Sometimes he would fall into a strange circle, hoping to avoid and correct the imperfections of the character. "When you change it like this, the character itself loses its charm." Xiao Zhan said, "So I think you should not be afraid when doing homework for the character. Be enthusiastic when you should be enthusiastic, and cross the boundary when you should. If you always consider the character's The shortcoming is, thinking about what will happen if the audience scolds me, it will be difficult to act." Because actors play roles, not personalities.

Not being afraid of flaws, to some extent, also means the courage and ability to seek truth. "Sunshine by my Side" is Xiao Zhan's first appearance in an urban workplace drama. His reason for taking on this drama is simple: modern dramas are too close to reality and everyone is living it, so it is difficult to perform it to make everyone believe it. Because he was unsure and confident, he firmly believed that he would learn something after "gnawing" it down. Thus, the character Sheng Yang came into being.

"Sunshine by my Side" made Xiao Zhan realize that urban dramas rely heavily on the cooperation between actors. Because it is more life-like, every point will not be stuck, and the lines and performances will be slightly adjusted. "We are all living people, and we do not exist to maintain a persona. What everyone does, says, and expresses emotions are natural, reasonable, and flowing. If you change, my performance will also change. It will change accordingly." Xiao Zhan said that this kind of creative coupling eliminates the possibility of actors being rigid and mechanical, so it is a fresh and fun experience.

Sheng Yang is a designer, which happens to be the job that Xiao Zhan has done. With personal experience, flexibility during performance can be guaranteed. "When Shengyang wanted to draw the design drawings, I would actually draw them there. Sometimes I would tell them, art teacher, your layers seem to be locked and I can't move." Xiao Zhan recalled, " Because it's his own life, he's better at it. Can you say that? Okay." He never forgets his sense of proportion when it comes to his true feelings.

Xiao Zhan is no stranger to TV series with fantasy themes. "Yuguyao" is the most recent example. For him, acting in a play with such an imaginary background requires a process of starting from scratch. Facing a green screen, if you want to imagine extreme weather or breathtaking scenery, you need to create it yourself. As for whether the state is real and whether the emotion is subtle, more often than not, one has to trust the evaluation made by the director behind the monitor.

Whether it is a costume drama or a modern drama, Xiao Zhan always has a clear understanding of the script and characters. "There are always few good things at any time, which is why people always say that they are rare." He recalled his observations over the years, "Some scripts may be considered good by the industry, but the market feedback may not be so good. Everyone What is the definition of good? Is it good sales or good word-of-mouth? It's hard to judge." Therefore, what he can do now is to return to his own understanding and feelings and choose what he thinks is the best. Role. As for what role he most wants to play, Xiao Zhan said: "I have been mentioning it for many years, a cute and charming villain, if I get the chance."

=======

When reading the script of "Where Dreams Begin", Xiao Zhan's mind would be filled with photos of his parents when they were young.

Dad is riding a bicycle, and mom is sitting in the back seat, wearing a red skirt and a white shirt. When passing a big rock, my father took a photo of my mother as a souvenir. She smiles brightly in the camera, looking like a bright girl. When it was his turn to play the role of his parents in their youth, he tried his best to restore the freshness and even madness of youth. He did not want to deliberately portray the story in a rigid and serious direction just because it was a story about his father's generation.

Xiao Zhan seems to have a special sense of time. He is nostalgic. Whether singing in variety shows and evening parties, or listening to them in private, he always has a preference for old songs. They are memorable, rich in meaning, and give him space to think.

When he was a child, he didn't have much pocket money, so Xiao Zhan would go to the video store to rent CDs, or exchange CDs and tapes with his classmates. The prices can still be clearly remembered to this day. To this day, he still has the CD player and Walkman he used back then in his home. Sometimes, he returns to wired headphones because they are convenient and easy to find. In the dead of night, he would occasionally think of objects that were gradually disappearing in the torrent of time. Being alone, with his heart flowing, is his comfortable state.

Xiao Zhan said that he is a very homely person and has to stay at home. During his spare time, he just works out and watches movies. He never regards watching movies as a task. He watches everything regardless of genre, whether it is popular movies such as popcorn movies or niche movies such as art films. Recently, he watched "The Fall", the best film at the 2023 Cannes International Film Festival.

Around New Year, he often revisits "Love Actually" and watches it again every two or three years. The reason is also very straightforward. The family, love, and friendship in the movie all convey truth, goodness and beauty, which makes people feel heart-warming when watching them.

"Don't you think that the emotions between people have never changed? Old movies will always be read and watched, and old songs will always be listened to over and over again, because the emotions sung by truly classic works remain unchanged through the ages. Only sincerity can move people." Xiao Zhan seemed to have a sudden inspiration and compared it with AI, "I think AI cannot replace humans. Maybe its technology can one day surpass the limits of humans, but that kind of complex emotions , humans far surpass computers. It can be said that humans are the most accurate, mysterious, and complex supercomputers."

Xiao Zhan will pay attention to AI, just like he pays attention to all new things in the world that are deeply related to people. He watched the news and read things written by AI. The depth of thought and logic of thinking made him incredible. Perhaps, in some job competitions, the threat of AI to human beings is already close at hand, but he still firmly believes that AI cannot replace face-to-face communication between people, whether it is immediacy or complexity.

When these distant concerns about new things are temporarily put aside, Xiao Zhan also has his own expectations for the world.

When filming "Ace Troops" a few years ago, in order to play a soldier who was concerned with the national image, Xiao Zhan observed and trained in the army for more than a week. He got up at five or six in the morning every day and ate and lived with the soldiers. After performing this play, he felt the cruelty of war and understood the hard-won peace. "I cherish my current life more. This is the truth." Xiao Zhan said. Therefore, the current vision of world peace may also be related to infinite distances and countless people.

As for his expectations for himself, he outlined it more simply: "I have done very well in 2023, and I hope I can maintain it." After thinking for a while, he added: "In 2024, I hope to love myself more and care more. Some of my own feelings and thoughts. This sentence is not only for myself, but also for everyone."

In Xiao Zhan's mind, he is different on screen and in real life. In private, he will not modify himself too much, nor will he dress too brightly. He just wants to be natural and true to himself.

"Just like the current chat, just keep it in this comfortable state. I won't change my face and play another person." Xiao Zhan said, "It's too tiring. Too tiring." He repeated twice all over.

A poet wrote, "My heart is slightly larger than the entire universe." Outside Xiao Zhan's small space, there is the restraint of "strategy" and the vastness of "universe".

LINK TO THE ARTICLE

[artmindlens]

Friedrich von Amerling The Dream (Der Traum) 1839

Oedipal Desire: The Mother as Object of Longing

The resting woman represents the maternal figure, the source of warmth, nurture, and desire. Her vulnerable, almost exposed state highlights the seductive aspect of the maternal object, drawing the viewer (or the male subject in the painting) into an unconscious desire to possess or reclaim that intimacy. This taps into the Oedipal longing—an infantile desire to have exclusive closeness with the mother, but in adulthood, this longing is repressed, often felt as a forbidden impulse. The desire to "touch" or possess the mother here is latent but ever-present, reinforced by the red drapery's suggestion of both passion and danger.

In the world of business and leadership, this unconscious dynamic can manifest as an unrecognized desire to control or monopolize success—success being symbolized by the nurturing mother. Leaders may unconsciously view their achievements or the success of their company as something to possess fully, desiring closeness to power or wealth but without the ability to admit their impulses openly. The result can be a controlling leadership style, rooted in fear of losing that closeness or being overshadowed by rivals or authority figures, in the same way that the paternal figure in the Oedipal triad represents competition and constraint.

Authority and Repression: The Shadow of the Father

The shadowy figure behind the woman, possibly a religious or paternal figure, represents the father or authority that represses the subject’s desire for the mother. This figure’s hand gestures evoke a kind of moral judgment or limitation on the subject’s desire, indicating that while the maternal figure is desirable, acting on that desire carries consequence. The presence of this shadow, looming over the woman, reminds the subject of their place within the social order—the limitations imposed by authority, rules, or even guilt.

In business, this could manifest as the unconscious fear of breaking rules or overstepping boundaries. Leaders influenced by this dynamic may find themselves pulled between their desire for expansion and success (symbolized by the maternal figure) and their fear of punishment or failure (symbolized by the paternal shadow). This could lead to stagnation in decision-making, where the leader hesitates to take bold risks for fear of losing control or facing backlash from regulatory bodies or other authority figures. The red curtain amplifies this tension, adding an element of aggression or anger to the dynamic, suggesting that these repressed desires may explode impulsively if not managed carefully.

Emotional and Business Impact: Fear of Desire and Consequence

For leaders drawn to this painting, the Oedipal dynamic may result in a leadership style marked by ambivalence—desiring to move forward but feeling paralyzed by an unconscious fear of authority or the repercussions of success. This emotional tension might cause a leader to act impulsively at times, driven by a need to claim what they desire (whether that be wealth, success, or influence), only to retract or stall when faced with the fear of losing control or being punished by external forces, such as competitors or regulators.

Additionally, the emotional experience tied to this painting might reflect a leader’s struggle with internal conflict: the desire for more success, for more power, or closer relationships with subordinates (the “mother” symbol) countered by an internalized guilt or fear of stepping out of line (the “father” or authority figure). The tension between red, symbolizing aggression, and the softness of the woman, could translate into erratic decision-making, where moments of bold action are immediately followed by retreat or guilt, leading to an inconsistent or unpredictable leadership approach.

Final Reflection: The Oedipal Struggle in Leadership

This painting, when viewed through the Oedipal Complex, symbolizes the push and pull between desire and authority, between ambition and repression. Leaders may find themselves unconsciously grappling with the fear of overstepping boundaries, even as they yearn for the success and control they desire. In finance or corporate environments, this unresolved internal struggle can lead to conflicting strategies—where the leader pushes toward success, only to self-sabotage or hesitate when faced with the consequences of their actions.

Ultimately, the Oedipal dynamics reflected in this painting suggest that in business, the key challenge may be finding a balance between ambition and regulation, between desire and the constraints of authority. Leaders influenced by this dynamic must be wary of impulsive actions driven by unconscious desires, as well as the fear of failure or punishment that may lead them to stagnation. Balancing these forces is essential to fostering a healthy, stable business environment.

[viiridiangreen]