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VICE SCRIPT: Game Theory for The Venetian Macao, China (Trapping Aesthetic for Tennis) 14K

BIO

My Name is Adrian Blake-Trotman. I am Indo-Mediterranean Caribbean Born in Toronto but From Barbados and Haiti. I am a Beta-arbitrage Mergers & Acquisitions Banker that Specializes in Commodities. I have Understanding Financial Markets by Université de Genève and Monetary Policy in the Asian-Pacific by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with No Gr. 12 Math or Intro to Linear Algebra; I built a mathematical learning style by using Japanese Candlesticks Bullish Engulfing Discounted Cash Flow Charts for Poker. I Operate TAX AVOIDANCE through Freelance Mergers & Acquisitions through an Enterprise Foundation and Investment Trust. My background is Agriculture Working Class, I've worked in Kitchens and Grocery Stores. My goal is to connect the Democratic Republic of the Congo to two tax havens; Haiti & Seychelles to stabilize the Diamond Trade and more Important the Commodities Market. Through Mercantilism Agriculture Hedge Fund as a Central Bank, Options Volatility Exchange, Lab Grown Re-sale Market, Decentralized Currency and Fiat Money, Hospitality & Gaming. Also To form a Socioeconomic Status Agriculture Working Class; Blue, Pink, and White Collar Jobs. I am Modelling my Cartel off of Wall Street for De Beers but is owned and operated by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM); The Casino de Monte-Carlo is owned and operated by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), a public company in which the government of Monaco and the ruling princely family have a majority interest. The company also owns the principal hotels, sports clubs, food service establishments, and nightclubs throughout the Principality. The Société des Bains de Mer operates in the accommodation, dining, entertainment, and gambling services. SBM manages and owns casinos, hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, spas, beach clubs, and golf clubs. Fifty-two of their fifty-eight properties are located in Monaco. The concept of state-corporate crime refers to crimes that result from the relationship between the policies of the state and the policies and practices of commercially motivated corporations. The term was coined by Kramer and Michalowski in 1990.

FUTURISM NUIT BLANCHE STRIP

Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane, and the industrial city.

Nuit Blanche (White Night) is an annual all-night or night-time arts festival of a city. A Nuit Blanche typically has museums, private and public art galleries, and other cultural institutions open and free of charge, with the centre of the city itself being turned into a de facto art gallery, providing space for art installations, performances (music, film, dance, performance art), themed social gatherings, and other activities.

Tennis-Art Movement VICE SCRIPT: Culinary Arts** (Trampoline), Graffiti** (Trampoline), Olfactory Arts** (Trampoline), Photography** (Trampoline), Fashion Design, Dramatic Arts, Theater Arts (Short Film Series), Shibuya Punk/Jet Set Radio/Drive (2011 film) Video Game by Gran Turismo Series first-party video game development studio & Sports Book Celebrity Drift Racing Mini Airports, and Raves-Nuit Blanche Gambling Strip (Acid Gardens). Influence's Muesuem has Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsy, Stussy-Patagonia-Billionaire Boys Club, Freebandz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jimi Hendrix, Nelson Mandela, Nigo, Pharrell, Kazunori Yamauchi, and Keiichi Tsuchiya.

THE ARNAULT MODEL: BALANCING FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE AND CREATIVITY

Over the next three decades, as he brought the best luxury brands in fashion, cosmetics, and beverages under the LVMH umbrella, Arnault proceeded to make “a series of brilliant business decisions” that “can only be called masterful.” Even his critics were impressed by “his ability to manage creativity for the sake of profit and growth.” Industry observers frequently credit his outstanding success in a highly competitive industry to the fact that—unlike other global CEOs—Arnault understands both the creative and the financial aspects of running a luxury business

Financed through Real Estate and Convertible Bonds

The Creation of Star Brands

In a 2001 Harvard Business Review interview, Arnault explained his famous business process, which—unlike the traditional fashion industry—requires financial discipline as well as creativity. The entire focus of Arnault's teams is the creation of “star brands” that must meet a high bar for four artistic and financial criteria: LVMH brands must be “timeless, modern, fast-growing, and highly profitable.” In practice, “profitable creativity” means that “star brands are born only when a company manages to make products that ‘speak to the ages’ but feel ‘intensely modern’ and ‘sell fast and furiously, all while raking in profits

Although the LVMH process begins with "radical innovation—an unpredictable, messy, highly emotional activity” on the creative end, as soon as “it comes to getting creativity onto shelves—chaos is banished,” and the company imposes "strict discipline on manufacturing processes, meticulously planning all 1,000 tasks in the construction of one purse.”

The genius of Arnault’s process is that, although the "front end of a star brand—the innovation…the creative process, the advertising—is very, very expensive,” the “back end of the process in the atelier (the factory)” is a place of "amazing discipline and rigor” that drives “high profitability behind the scenes.” Brands with “unbelievably high quality” require “unbelievably high productivity,” so “every single motion, every step of every process is carefully planned with the most modern and complete engineering technology.”

For example, when Arnault automated production at Vuitton, he drove that venerable old brand to the top spot on Fashionista’s list of the world's best-selling luxury brands in 2011, with a value of $24.3 billion—more than twice the amount of its nearest competitor.

As he spent “lavishly” on advertising, Arnault "rigorously" controlled costs by leveraging every possible synergy across the group: Kenzo manufactured a Christian Lacroix line; Givenchy manufactured a Kenzo perfume, and Guerlain created the first Vuitton perfume.

Creative Talent Management

As Arnault built LVMH into the world's largest luxury conglomerate, he hired new design talent for star brands that “speak to the ages” but “feel intensely modern”: from Céline, Kenzo, Guerlain, and Givenchy to Loewe, Thomas Pink, Fendi, and DKNY.

Because his model requires that “the counterbalance to creativity must be commerce,” Arnault “never hesitated to reign in, or outright terminate, creative executives who did not produce.” Since the early days at Dior, he has often replaced creative executives with non-traditional talent and then shuffled them across his brands to help him identify opportunities to drive profit—no matter how unpopular.

For example, at Givenchy in 1995, Arnault brought in a “fashion industry darling” and “notorious wild child,” British designer John Galliano, to replace Hubert de Givenchy, the industry icon “credited with defining simple elegance for an entire generation of women, (including) Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and the Duchess of Windsor.”

Within a year, Arnault moved Galliano, the first British designer in French haute couture, from Givenchy to Christian Dior to replace Gianfranco Ferré, the Italian couturier who had led Dior design since the late 1980s. Other non-traditional Arnault hires included installing 27-year-old Alexander McQueen (another British designer) at Givenchy and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, where he gave the American designer a mandate to challenge LVMH’s competitors, Prada and Gucci.

Although those iconoclastic designers later left LVMH, they had served Arnault’s purpose: interest in his traditional fashion houses had been jumpstarted by the early 21st century.

HOW TO STABILIZE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, CÔTE D'IVOIRE, MOROCCO, ALGERIA, TUNISIA, LIBYA, EGYPT, REPUBLIC OF CABO VERDE, SEYCHELLOIS, AND HAITIAN CURRENCY (SWISS CENTRAL BANKING CASE STUDY: INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE DUAL SPORTS SYSTEM: INDIVIDUAL SPORT; COMMODITIES PURSE SYSTEM TENNIS/TEAM SPORTS; TECHNOLOGY TOURISM CRICKET) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRLA2X6WBM&t=22s FOR INES CHAIEB

Documentary: Bioeconomy Meta-Analysis/Case Study 25-Year (Chapters) Social Experiment; Agriculture Working Class Pegged to Loblaws-Joe Fresh Purse System Tennis-Art Movement for Dopamine, Ambush, Influencer Marketing, and Destroys Starving Artist

Biotechnology Central Hedge Fund with Bulge Brackets Oligopolistic System Hyper Inflation Vehicle Fiat Currency: Strict Negative Interest Rates for Investments; Debt/Equity Business Loan Period and Construction Loan/Tax Benefits Programs, Investment Trusts & Enterprise Foundations are Common Corporate Tax Avoidance Practices, and Raise Denominator of Currency & Print Currency for Insurance Companies for Building Process

Real Estate is Rental For Sociocultural Theory of Development to Challenge Trust Fund Kid Stereotypes

Paris-Bay Area, California AgriCivil Engineering

Agrichemical and Biotechnology Khakistocracy Monopolies

Latin and Mandarin are Languages

Car Purse System Tennis as National Sport: Free Internet with International Corporate Sponsor Purse Bid/Height Class System UBS/HSBC Tennis Gardens, Camps, Orphanages, Polytheist Churches; Attach to Commodities Market; and Gaming-Hospitality Beta Arbitrage, DCF +EV, Live Betting Options Trading Turf Accountant Gambling. Treat Tennis Tournaments as Car Shows and BE THE BUGATTI. Play on Lipolysis. Vertical Integration Trademark Collaborations are Restaurant Clientele Grocery Chain, Mattresses, Fougère with Mineral & Floral Bar Soap, High Fat-Mineral Shaving Cream, Deodorant, and Mineral Aftershave/Water. Uniform: Grafitti Graphic Mock Knightsneck (Turtleneck) Crew Neck, Drawstring Mesh Shorts, High Socks, Continental Grip Long Sleeve Trapeziod (Hex) Compression Garments, and Blade Runner Sneakers with Rubber Clog Interior. Rugby Union Influence Variants Rugby union has spawned several variants of the full-contact, 15-a-side game. The two most common differences in adapted versions are fewer players and reduced player contact.

Knightsneck Material: Viscose, Nylon, Elastane

Mercantilism Fiat Currency Pegging: Foreign Exchange Rate to Diamond Peg Currency

UBS & HSBC Market Extension Vertical Integration Bank Mergers Lottery Industries: STEM-Mergers & Acquisitions Agriculture Industry, Lobbyist, Culinary Arts, Photography, Design Technology, Market Volume Pegged Decentralized Finance, Real Estate Finance-Economics, Capital Gains Tax Haven, Corporate Tax Haven, Inheritance Tax Haven, Short Film Series Taxi Driver Lessons, Fragrance House, Art Ports, and Gaming-Hospitality

Diamond-Commodities Exchange Modelled Off of CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). Founded in 1973, the CBOE Options Exchange is the world's largest options exchange with contracts focusing on individual equities, indexes, and interest rates. Debit/Credit Spread Options, Cash-secured Puts, and Investment Trust the Commodities Market with Volatility Prediction.

Business Capital is a Collaborative Environment through Generalized Education (Agri STEM AND Agri M & A)

Socioeconomic Status Agriculture Working Class Immigrants; Replace Jury Duty to Construction Duty

Traditional Tennis Training (Fascia-Elastic Force); Supplement Hydrolyzed Collagen-HA Acid mTAA or BCAA (mTOR Amino Acid or Branched-chain Amino Acid), Tennis Specific Resistance HIIT Weighted Vest, Isometric-Plyometric Weighted Jump Rope, Isometric-Mobility Tennis (Pullup) Bands [Replace Boxing Bags] & Med Ball Hybrid Muscle Fibre Elasticity and Elastic Force: Something that is elastic can return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed. This property is called elasticity. As you stretch or compress an elastic material like a bungee cord, it resists the change in shape. It exerts a counterforce in the opposite direction. This force is called elastic force. The farther the material is stretched or compressed, the greater the elastic force becomes. As soon as the stretching or compressing force is released, the elastic force causes the material to spring back to its original shape. Collagen Athletes: Researchers found that a year of daily collagen peptides supplementation measurably increased bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and in the upper femur. The women also had higher levels of a blood biomarker that indicates bone formation. Collagen provides resistance to tension and stretch, which commonly occur in fascial tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, sheaths, muscular fascia, and deeper fascial sub-layers. mTOR controls the growth and production (or 'synthesis') of protein in various types of cells, including muscle cells (muscle fibers). Enlargement of muscle fibers (hypertrophy) relies upon mTOR signaling. It, therefore, plays an important role in muscle gains following exercise. Leucine and essential amino acids appear to stimulate human muscle protein synthesis primarily by activating the mTOR signaling pathway. Adequate mobility allows you to train optimally. Another one of the commonly acknowledged L-arginine benefits is its contribution to muscle growth, as it is needed for the synthesis of most proteins. While the muscle mass increases, L-arginine also signals muscle cells, encourages the release of growth hormone and promotes a fast metabolism. Vitamin K2 activates the osteocalcin proteins that put calcium into bones. Without Vitamin K2, calcium cannot do its job properly. Arginine is an important amino acid that plays a role in height growth. It promotes the multiplication of cells at the growth plate in bones to help bones grow longer. It creates the potential for you to train for strength and muscle mass in the most effective way possible. Without enough mobility, you will have to compromise on certain movement patterns and find workarounds to challenge muscles in certain positions.

The roles of gender and personality factors in vandalism and scrawl-graffiti among Swedish adolescents; Abstract: A total of 360 upper secondary school students in Sweden were divided into three grouping variables: gender (male, female), vandalism (involved, not involved), and scrawl-graffiti (involved, not involved). Relevant to the discussion of whether or not scrawl-graffiti may be construed as vandalism or art, the aim of the study was to explore whether or not personality factors known to be linked to vandalism in general (such as impulsivity, affectivity, emotional disability, and optimism) are related also to involvement in scrawl-graffiti, and, furthermore, how the gender factor relates to vandalism and scrawl-graffiti, respectively. The analysis showed that impulsiveness was a significant variable related to vandalism as well as to scrawl-graffiti. Further analysis indicated that vandalism was predicted by non-planning impulsiveness whereas scrawl-graffiti was predicted by motor impulsiveness. Analyses showed also that there were significant gender differences related to both vandalism and scrawl-graffiti, whereby male participants were significantly more involved in vandalism than female participants, while the latter were significantly more involved in scrawl-graffiti than the former.

Sports Book For UEFA Through Switzerland

Culinary Arts, Olfactory Arts, Graffiti, and Photography (COGP) as National Arts

Culinary Arts 2-Year Program With High School Diploma

Mediterranean Ingredients Italien-French Cuisine: Coconut, Nuts, or Cheese Roux (Culinary)

Planned Parenting For MAO-A Father: XYY or Triple X Syndrome, ACTN3 Gene, MSTN Gene, and Mercury Cusp Births for Artistic Athletes (Virgo-Leo, Virgo-Libra, Gemini-Taurus, and Gemini-Cancer)

**Alternative Sports Pairs: X Games-Volleyball, Golf-Baseball, Muay Thai-Rugby, Tour de France-Football

A ROUND OF PAR GAME THEORY NETWORK

Beta Arbitrage with Convertible Bonds Compounding

Key Ingredients

Player's: Futures Exchange and Investor

Actions: Issue payments under any circumstances

Payoffs: Exchange - Larger Market Volume, Investor - Larger Assets Under Management or Profits

Representation

Extensive Form includes timing of moves. Player's move sequentially, represented as a tree (timing). Chess: the white player moves, then the black player can see White's move and react

Theory

There's a common expression of higher the risk, higher the reward; but in finance it should be higher reward, higher risk because people's savings are involved. This is why I created The Round of Par Games Theory Network where the intended score should always be 0. Nobody wins and nobody loses between investor and stock exchange, just a nice friendly draw. The Investors assets under management grows and the Exchange's Market Volume Grows.

Let's break down the Components:

Beta Arbitrage

Investor: Beta Arbitrage involves longing in one market and shorting in a DIFFERENT market. The example is longing Company A in the stock market but then going to Company A in the options market and placing a put/short option. Either way the Investor earns a profit.

Exchange: The Futures Exchange benefits because now not only is equity on the stock market is being bought but the options market has a larger volume.

Convertible Bond Compounding

Investor: By compounding through Convertible Bonds not only are you going to be paid back your money because creditors are first on the company's bankruptcy list unlike investors, but it's an easier way to buy more shares for growth investing while not diving head first.

Exchange: The Futures Exchange benefits because now not only is equity on the stock market is being bought, but the bond market has a larger volume.

LANGUAGES

Mandarin

Latin

INDUSTRY WORTH FOR COMMODITIES (AGRICULTURE WORKING CLASS)

In 2012, Forbes reported that $21 trillion was Off-Shored

In 2017 the equivalent of at least 10% of the world’s GDP is in offshore banks, and that number is probably higher due to the opaqueness of the world’s global tax havens, according to a research report release this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The estimated amount of money laundered globally in one year is 2 - 5% of global GDP, or $800 billion - $2 trillion in current US dollars.

Taxes in the US – The federal government collected revenues of $3.5 trillion in 2019—equal to about 16.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) (figure 2). Over the past 50 years, federal revenue has averaged 17.4 percent of GDP, ranging from 20.0 percent (in 2000) to 14.6 percent (most recently in 2009 and 2010).

The foreign exchange or forex market is the largest financial market in the world – larger even than the stock market, with a daily volume of $6.6 trillion, according to the 2019 Triennial Central Bank Survey of FX and OTC derivatives markets.

In 2019, for example, the sales value of rough diamonds amounted to some 13.9 billion U.S. dollars worldwide. After polishing, the value increased by nearly double to 26.7 billion U.S. dollars. In 2019, the global diamond jewelry market value was approximately 79 billion U.S. dollars.

Global Cut Flowers Market to Reach $41. 1 Billion by 2027.

The global coffee market was valued at USD 102.02 billion in 2020

According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global cocoa market generated $12.8 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $15.5 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 4.3% from 2021 to 2027

The global water and wastewater market was valued at 263.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. The market is projected to reach a value almost 500 billion U.S. dollars by 2028 at a CAGR of 7.3 percent in the 2021 to 2028 period.

For the year 2020, Worldwide Cotton Market was US$ 38.54 Billion. Global Cotton Market is expected to reach US$ 46.56 Billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 2.74% from 2020 to 2027.

The global waste management market size was valued at $1,612.0 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $2,483.0 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 3.4% from 2021 to 2030

According to Brandessence Market Research, the Energy Drink market size reached USD 61.23 billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 99.62 Billion by 2027.

LEGAL DEFENSE

Smurfing: Reverse Onus, Challenge Mens Rea and Actus Rea, Press Malicious Prosecution Charges, Financial Settlement

RICO Legal Disputes Trademark (30 for 30 Court): Undisclosed Settlement; 1 large sum ($30 million) broken into a 3-part settlement, Not going to trial settlement (guaranteed payment for being brought into court), Case being unsealed settlement (if the case gets reopened), and Testimony settlement (in court testimony in reopened case). The non-disclosure agreement (NDA); Agreement to 10 years jail time for every broken NDA, NDA on Case, NDA on Testifying, and NDA on Settlement. Sealed Federal Cases: Have legal matters sealed by the court to prevent leaked information to media and Precedence for RICO

CRIME COLLAR

White-Blue collar crime is a subgroup of white-collar crime White Collar Crime, a term reportedly first coined in 1939, is synonymous with the full range of frauds committed by business and government professionals. Blue-collar crime is a term used to describe crimes that are committed primarily by people who are from a lower social class. This is in contrast to white-collar crime, which refers to crime that is usually committed by people from a higher social class.

SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Agriculture Working Class Immigrants Socioeconomic Status Focused Key Players in Commodities Market*

Polytheism (Zeus, Poseidon, and Ogou-Athena)*

Births: Mercury-Venus, MSTN Gene, ACTN3 Gene, XYY Syndrome, or Triple X Syndrome

Māori All Blacks Sports Culture and Tennis is National Sport*

Jumping for Cardio*

Poker Brain*

REITs/Real Estate ETF Investors with Index Credit or Debit Spreads Options Trading*

Mergers and Acquisitions Exploratory School System*

Sand-Based Calisthenics kallos sthenos (beautiful strength) Interval Training: Isometric-Plyometric, Circuit Training: Isometric-Isotonic, and Isometric-Mobility

Tofu is Protein of Choice

Fish/Seafood is Meat of Choice

Blueberry is consumed at every breakfast

Mineral Water instead of Spring Water

Coconut Syrup as Sugar Replacement

Business News is a part of The Cigar Culture

Sports Gambling for Extra Revenue Stream instead of Lottery Tickets when in Working Class

Hydrolyzed Collagen-BCAA is the Main Sports Medicine

Brokerage Accounts with First 10 Investments as Bond Funds and REITs

TAMMBRGC LIFESTYLE BRAND RACKET

Tennis (Trampoline)

Acting (Short Film Series: Aesthetic Taxi Game, Character: Expansive Mood Villain)

Modeling (Brand Activation Models)

Music (Psychedelic Festival Trap)

Ballet (Females Only)

Rings Gymnastics (Males Only)

Graffiti (Art)

Cooking (Endorsements)

LVMH-On Running and ONE Championship Collaboration Company For Tax Mergers Law; Market-extension merger: Two companies that sell the same products in different markets. 4.2.2 Corporate Taxation At the corporate level, the tax treatment of a merger or acquisition depends on whether the acquiring firm elects to treat the acquired firm as being absorbed into the parent with its tax attributes intact, or first being liquidated and then received in the form of its component assets.

What Is Vertical Integration? Vertical integration is a strategy that allows a company to streamline its operations by taking direct ownership of various stages of its production process rather than relying on external contractors or suppliers. A company may achieve vertical integration by acquiring or establishing its own suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, or retail locations rather than outsourcing them. However, vertical integration may be considered risky potential disadvantages due to the significant initial capital investment required.

Analysis Discounted Cash Flow (DCF): A key valuation tool in M&A, a discounted cash flow (DFC) analysis determines a company's current value, according to its estimated future cash flows. Forecasted free cash flows (net income + depreciation/amortization (capital expenditures) change in working capital) are discounted to a present value using the company's weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Admittedly, DCF is tricky to get right, but few tools can rival this valuation method.

VŒUX DE CHAMPAGNE SOGNI CAVIALI

Description: Beta-arbitrage Mergers & Acquisitions Cartel that commits Mediterranean-Caribbean and Afro-Mediterranean Socioeconomic Status Development Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction (CPR) Unit Charities, Protection Racket, Paramilitary Financing, Lobbyist-Investment Trust, Commodities Management, Gambling & Diamond Trafficking, Rolex Re-sale Market, Real Estate Brokerage, Graffiti Art Port, Smurfing, Nike Sports & Fashion Corporate Espionage and Larceny Business Model Reengineering, and AMMMBRGC Contract Racketeering Through Enterprise Foundations

Activities: Executive Council for Mayor, Culinary Arts, Grey Market Fashion, Trap Shooting Gambling Tournaments, Mixed Martial Arts, Corporate Sponsor EdTech, Grocery Insurance & Electronic Financial Data Interchange, Diamond Encrusted Accessories Collaboration with LVMH, OTC Beta-arbitrage Branch Bracket, OTC Exchange (Commodities, Sports Betting Investment Trust, Real Estate Investment Trust, Cuisine Real Estate Investment Trust, Forex Pairs Contract for Difference, Retail/Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust, Credit Swap Options Endorsement Index), TAMMBRGC Youtube Distribution Channel (Gambling News Network, Noir Short Film Series [Shakespearean Crime], Cooking Channel, Sports Resort Real Estate, Sports/Modelling/Acting Business Case Study Video Essay, Brand Activation Modelling, Calisthenics Workout Class, Sports Science Lessons, Graffiti Tourism, Music Videos, Natural Resources Documentaries, Hype Beast Re-Sale Market, Rolex Business Case Study Video Essays, Business Conferences).

DIAMOND TRAFFICKING

The WFDB Trade And Business Committee

The Trade and Business Committee makes recommendations to the Executive Committee concerning industry relations with financial institutions worldwide, lab-grown diamonds, Know Your Customer and the System of Warranties.

Idea 1: Luxury Goods Encrusted Items Investment Service and Auction. Example: Hermès Bag, Investment System: Masterworks, Auction System: Information Catwalks with models then bidding in a separate room with Video Replay for YouTube.

Idea 2: A sightholder is a company on the De Beers Global Sightholder Sales's (DBGSS) list of authorized bulk purchasers of rough diamonds. De Beers Group made this list, the second largest miner of diamonds. DBGSS was previously known as DTC (Diamond Trading Company). In May 2006, DTC released a list of the 93 sightholders on its website. High Fashion Accessories Aggregator Business Model with Auction and Re-sale.

Business Model

The London Metal Exchange (LME) which is based in Hong Kong is a commodities exchange that deals in metals futures and options. It is the largest exchange for options and futures contracts for base metals, which include aluminum, zinc, lead, copper, and nickel. The exchange also facilitates trading of precious metals like gold and silver.

Originally known as the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the exchange changed its name in 2017 as part of a rebranding effort by its holding company, CBOE Global Markets. Traders refer to the exchange as the CBOE ("see-bo"). CBOE is also the originator of the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), the most widely used and recognized proxy for market volatility.

ABC Exchange (Alumina, Beryllium, Carbon): There are four types of precious stones: diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Each type has its own specific chemical and physical properties. Diamonds are made from carbon, rubies and sapphires from alumina and emeralds from beryllium.

Diamond Monopoly

My Vertical Integration Mergers: Company’s Diamond Mines, Merger Manufacturers, Company’s Distribution, and Merger Hospitality and Gaming Diamond Exchange

The Diamond Standard

Influence: Agricultural Bank of China is active in commercial banking, investment banking, and insurance services.

Mercantilism was a form of economic nationalism that sought to increase the prosperity and power of a nation through restrictive trade practices. Its goal was to increase the supply of a state's gold and silver with exports rather than to deplete it through imports. It also sought to support domestic employment.

The bio-economy is defined as the economic activity associated with the invention, development, production; and use of primarily bio-based products, bio-based production processes, and/or biotechnology-based intellectual property.

Industries Association; Hospitality and Gaming: Daily and Monthly Revenue Streams, Capital Gains Taxing: Create Offshore revenue through trading and Blockchain is a volatile market for good liquidity. FOREX Vehicle Currency: Low Interest Rates means currency will be traded against other currencies, Shorting own currency to get foreign currency and exchanging returns to domestic currency stabilize exchange rate and Currency Basket

Interest Rate Pegging: Environmental alternative to gold, Surplus item during Quantitative Easing, and Low Interest Rates lead to spending and loans for investment which means buying and trading diamonds will balloon

Mine Options: Credit spreads and debit spreads are different spread strategies that can be used when investing in options. Both are vertical spreads or positions that are made up entirely of calls or entirely of puts with long and short options at different strikes. They both require buying and selling options (with the same security) with the same expiration date but different strike prices.

Diamond Mine Investment Group: Mines can create private Investment Groups. Items within Group: diamond retail, diamond trading, industrial diamond manufacturing sectors

Lab-created diamonds are grown in controlled laboratory environments using advanced technology that replicates the conditions under which diamonds naturally develop beneath the Earth's crust. These lab-grown diamonds consist almost entirely of carbon atoms and are arranged in a diamond crystal structure.

Fougère INVESTMENT TRUST (EXAMPLE)

Description

Fougère Listing Through Discounted Cash Flow for Fougère Agriculture Investment Trust; Pay a minimum of 90% of taxable income in the form of shareholder dividends each year, and Give Sample Bottles to Each Investor.

Underwriting Products Value $200

Formula Appreciating In Value

Collector's Edition

Less than 5000 models made

Masterwork Investing Platform (reference)

Masterworks is making the world of art a little less exclusive by offering everyday investors the chance to own a fraction of these high-priced investments with a much smaller amount of money.

Through the fine art investing platform, users can purchase (and trade) shares in what the company has defined as "blue-chip" art: masterpieces from artists like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Banksy, Kaws, Jean-Michel Basquiat and more.

How Masterworks functions (reference)

Masterworks provides an affordable way to invest in art. What was once an option reserved exclusively for wealthy investors is now accessible to investors of all types. Here's how the platform works:

Masterworks will purchase a painting and file it with the SEC as a public offering, or IPO, similar to how a company goes public. Shares of the painting are then made available for purchase on the Masterworks website for as little as $20 per share. The company says it launches about one new painting every four to five days.

The platform stands out, especially for using propriety data to determine which artist markets have the most momentum, focusing on the very high-end segment of the art market that has predictable returns, the company says. Meanwhile, its research team works in the background to calculate appreciation rates, correlation, and loss rates.

Masterworks even recently added a secondary market, too, where investors can trade shares in paintings. Plus, Masterworks lets you invest your IRA earnings into their fine art through its partnership with Alto IRA, an alternative asset investing platform.

Industrial Embassy

Business Model: Insurance companies base their business models around assuming and diversifying risk. The essential insurance model involves pooling risk from individual payers and redistributing it across a larger portfolio. Most insurance companies generate revenue in two ways: Charging premiums in exchange for insurance coverage, then reinvesting those premiums into other interest-generating assets. Like all private businesses, insurance companies try to market effectively and minimize administrative costs. Types of Insurance: Mining, Manufacturing, Retail, Logistics

Financing is the process of providing funds for business activities, making purchases, or investing. Financial institutions, such as banks, are in the business of providing capital to businesses, consumers, and investors to help them achieve their goals. The use of financing is vital in any economic system, as it allows companies to purchase products out of their immediate reach. Equity financing is the process of raising capital through the sale of shares. Companies raise money because they might have a short-term need to pay bills or have a long-term goal and require funds to invest in their growth. By selling shares, a company is effectively selling ownership in their company in return for cash. Advantages of Equity Financing; Funding your business through investors has several advantages, including the following: The biggest advantage is that you do not have to pay back the money. If your business enters bankruptcy, your investor or investors are not creditors. They are part-owners in your company, and because of that, their money is lost along with your company. You do not have to make monthly payments, so there is often more cash on hand for operating expenses. Investors understand that it takes time to build a business. You will get the money you need without the pressure of having to see your product or business thriving within a short amount of time.

Planning Permission and Building Regulations Courses: Planning permission assesses whether the development fits in with local and national policies and whether it would cause unacceptable harm, for example, to neighbours' quality of life. Whereas building control covers the structural aspects of development and progress throughout the construction

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN PARAMILITARY FINANCING

Military Payments

Security Operations (SercOps) Payment: $150,000 yearly salary: Receives $100,000 salary; the other $50,000 is used for a branch-managed investment portfolio and investment trust

Discharge Payment: $75,000 yearly salary for Armoured Car Guard and Driver, Receives $50,000 salary; other $25,000 is used for branch-managed investment portfolio and investment trust

Military Funding: Bioeconomy Agriculture Central Hedge Fund Equity Given

Payment is in Fixed Currency

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DEVELOPMENT CONFLICT PREVENTION AND RECONSTRUCTION (CPR) UNIT CENTERS

Corporate Sponsor: M & A Schools (Mergers and Acquisitions) & Retirement-preparatory School

Cross-Curriculum

STEM education is the cross-curricular study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and the application of those subjects in real-world contexts.

Studying Style

I use Interleaving Studying for Generalist Kinaesthetic Learners.

Transition to Interleaving Studying: Online PowerPoint Presentation, Video Essays, Case Studies & Meta-analyses over Books to present Information as a country, Less Paper Use, Courses on Different PowerPoint Studying Styles, Make country a Business & Finance Culture and Technological Advanced, Overview at Beginning; Program Learning Concept Check During Quizzes at the End for Courses, Spaced Learning on concept checks before exiting the course.

A great example of when to use interleaving is sports, for instance, tennis. Instead of just practicing backhands in one session, you can interleave backhands, forehands, and volleys to get increased results. Another great example can be found in science classes, where interleaving math, physics, and chemistry, for example, can provide you with an advanced understanding of all 3 fields.

Spaced learning is a learning method in which highly condensed learning content is repeated three times, with two 10-minute breaks during which distractor activities such as physical activities are performed by the students. It is based on the temporal pattern of stimuli for creating long-term memories reported by R. Douglas Fields in Scientific American in 2005.

Spacing boosts learning by spreading lessons and retrieval opportunities out over time so learning is not crammed all at once. By returning to content every so often, students' knowledge has had time to rest and be refreshed.

The two concepts are similar but essentially spacing is revision throughout the course, whereas interleaving is switching between ideas while you study. Although interleaving and spacing are different interventions, the two are linked because interleaving inherently introduces spacing. These two concepts will create student-athletes

The best part about interleaving is that it is almost a universal aid in learning

Evidence suggests that spaced practice is more effective for long-term retrieval.

Interleaving Studying forces the brain to continually retrieve because each practice attempt is different from the last, so rote responses pulled from short-term memory won’t work.

Multiple choice test is an example of measuring retrieval by A. reconstruction. B. recognition.

Chess

Increasing Intelligence: Fluid and crystallized intelligence are constructs originally conceptualized by Raymond Cattell. The concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence were further developed by Cattell and his former student John L. Horn. Crystallized intelligence. This refers to your vocabulary, knowledge, and skills. Crystallized intelligence typically increases as you get older. Fluid intelligence, also known as fluid reasoning, fluid intelligence is your ability to reason and think abstractly. Fluid intelligence refers to basic processes of reasoning and other mental activities that depend only minimally on prior learning (such as formal and informal education) and acculturation. Horn notes that it is formless, and can "flow into" a wide variety of cognitive activities Tasks measuring fluid reasoning require the ability to solve abstract reasoning problems. Examples of tasks that measure fluid intelligence include figure classifications, figural analyses, number and letter series, matrices, and paired associates. Crystallized intelligence refers to learned procedures and knowledge. It reflects the effects of experience and acculturation. Horn notes that crystallized ability is a "precipitate out of experience," resulting from the prior application of fluid ability that has been combined with the intelligence of culture. Examples of tasks that measure crystallized intelligence are vocabulary, general information, abstract word analogies, and the mechanics of language.

Bullet Chess: The rules for bullet chess aren't different from those of a regular chess game. Bullet chess refers to games played with time controls that are faster than 3 minutes per player. The most popular forms of bullet chess are 1|0 (one minute with no increment per player) or 2|1 (two minutes with a one-second increment per player). Increment (also known as bonus and Fischer since former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer patented this timing method)—a specified amount of time is added to the players main time each move, unless the player's main time ran out before they completed their move.

Chess Benefits: It has been suggested by different scientists that chess involves, and possibly boosts, cognitive abilities such as working memory, fluid intelligence, and concentration capacity. Besides, chess may be beneficial for mathematical ability and, more widely, academic achievement by enhancing concentration and problem-solving skills.

Life-History Strategy

Life history theory posits that behavioral adaptation to various environmental (ecological and/or social) conditions encountered during childhood is regulated by a wide variety of different traits resulting in various behavioral strategies. Unpredictable and harsh conditions tend to produce fast life history strategies, characterized by early maturation, a higher number of sexual partners to whom one is less attached, and less parenting of offspring. Unpredictability and harshness not only affects dispositional social and emotional functioning, but may also promote the development of personality traits linked to higher rates of instability in social relationships or more self-interested behavior. Similarly, detrimental childhood experiences, such as poor parental care or high parent-child conflict, affect personality development and may create a more distrustful, malicious interpersonal style. The aim of this brief review is to survey and summarize findings on the impact of negative early-life experiences on the development of personality and fast life history strategies. By demonstrating that there are parallels in adaptations to adversity in these two domains, we hope to lend weight to current and future attempts to provide a comprehensive insight of personality traits and functions at the ultimate and proximate levels.

The Savant Skills Curriculum

Savant gifts, or splinter skills, may be exhibited in the following skill areas or domains: memory, hyperlexia (ie, the exceptional ability to read, spell and write), art, music, mechanical or spatial skill, calendar calculation, mathematical calculation, sensory sensitivity, athletic performance, and computer ability. These skills may be remarkable in contrast to the disability of autism, or may be in fact prodigious when viewed in relation to the non-disabled person.

Learning Centers

Enrichment centers require you to be aware of your students' learning styles (Kinesthetic) as well as their knowledge about a topic. The enrichment center can provide individual students with varied activities or combination of activities that differ from those pursued by other students. As such, the center becomes an individualized approach to the promotion of the topic.

Skill Centers Skill centers are typically used at the elementary level, more so than at the secondary level. Students may work on math facts, phonics elements, or other tasks requiring memorization and/or repetition.

Interest and Exploratory Centers: Interest and exploratory centers differ from enrichment and skill development centers in that they are designed to capitalize on the interests of students. They may not necessarily match the content of the textbook or the curriculum; instead they provide students with hands-on experiences they can pursue at their own pace and level of curiosity. These types of centers can be set up throughout the classroom, with students engaging in their own selection of activities during free time, upon arrival in the morning, as a “free-choice” activity during the day, or just prior to dismissal. These centers allow students to engage in meaningful discoveries that match their individual interests.

Programmed Learning

The way a teaching machine works is: It asks you a question. If you give the right answer, it goes on to the next question. If you give the wrong answer, it tells you why the answer is wrong and tells you to go back and try again. This is called "programmed learning".

Programmed learning, educational technique characterized by self-paced, self-administered instruction presented in logical sequence and with much repetition of concepts. Programmed learning received its major impetus from the work done in the mid-1950s by the American behavioral psychologist B.F.

Exploratory Learning (Singapore Field Trips)

The Choice Theory Culture:

Is an expected way of being or living

Encourages positive choices which lead to healthy relationships

Is relationship based and collaborative

Is not about controlling behavior, rather promoting personal responsibility

Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset Theory

Growth Mindset: “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. With a growth mindset, students continually work to improve their skills, leading to greater growth and ultimately, success. The key is to get students to tune into that growth mindset.

Dweck writes, “In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome. They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues. Maybe they haven’t found the cure for cancer, but the search was deeply meaningful,” (Dweck, 2015).

Poker as Intro to Portfolio Building

Famous Fund Managers who played Poker

Steven A. Cohen (born June 11, 1956) is an American hedge fund manager and owner of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball since September 14, 2020, owning roughly 97.2% of the team. He is the founder of hedge fund Point72 Asset Management and now-closed S.A.C. Capital Advisors, both based in Stamford, Connecticut. Cohen grew up in Great Neck, New York, where his father was a dress manufacturer in Manhattan's garment district, and his mother was a piano teacher. He is the third of seven brothers and sisters. He took a liking to poker as a high school student, often betting his own money in tournaments, and credits the game with teaching him "how to take risks." Cohen graduated from John L. Miller Great Neck North High School in 1974, where he played on the school's soccer team. Cohen received an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. While in school, Cohen was initiated as a brother of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's Theta chapter where he served as treasurer. While in school, a friend helped him open a brokerage account with $1,000 of his tuition money.

Carl Icahn is one of the most recognisable and successful investors in the world, having far outperformed the market on an annualised basis since 1968; at a rate which, by some measures, has him ahead of Warren Buffett. Carl Icahn was born on the 16th February 1936 in Queens, New York. It was a beach neighbourhood and a poor area. His mother was a pianist, but dropped her dreams of pursuing it as a career and instead chose a more stable job as a school teacher. His father also became a substitute teacher. As you may expect with both parents involved in education, Carl was extremely studious. At high school, he didn’t involve himself in many activities such as sports and clubs, instead he had set himself the big goal of making it to an Ivy League university; something most people in his area had no chance of doing. His teacher didn’t even think it was worth him applying, but this made him even more determined to be different. He had a mind-set that he wanted to be the best at everything. Icahn’s parents said they would only pay for university if he got into one of the top Ivy League universities. Although no one thought he stood a chance, he managed to enrol at Princeton University and studied philosophy as his major. His parents fulfilled their promise and paid for his Princeton fees but couldn’t stretch to anything else such as his accommodation or food. Instead, Carl got himself a summer job at a Cabana club in his neighbourhood to fund his living costs. It was at the Cabana club that he learnt how to play poker and joined in the games regularly. He says at the start he didn’t know how to play, but then he read 3 poker books in 2 weeks and became the best player there, taking home huge winning each summer. He says: “To me, it was a big game, big stakes. Every summer I won about $2,000, which was like $50,000 back in the ‘50s”

Brain Training: How Regular Poker Play Could Help Soccer Stars Succeed: An athlete’s brain is their most vital organ. It controls how the body functions, and it needs to be cultivated and disciplined just like the muscles do. Those in the industry are constantly searching for new ways to help soccer players get their heads in the game, and it turns out that poker can help immensely. By sharpening cognitive function, increasing social awareness, and improving mental endurance, poker enables athletes to rise to the occasion for peak performance on the field.

Conflict Prevention & Reconstruction Unit Psychology

Reintegration of child soldiers should emphasize three components: family reunification, psychosocial support and education, and economic opportunity. Family reunification—or, where that is not possible, foster placement or support for independent living—is crucial to successful reintegration.

Children are reintegrated into community life through the provision of psychosocial support, life skills classes and basic vocational training. At the end of the program, participants are provided with small grants to start businesses.

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is a theory that explains this kind of transformation following trauma. It was developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, in the mid-1990s, and holds that people who endure psychological struggle following adversity can often see positive growth afterward. Post-traumatic growth often happens naturally, Tedeschi says, but it can be facilitated in five ways: through education (rethinking ourselves, our world, and our future), emotional regulation (managing our negative emotions and reflecting on successes and possibilities), disclosure (articulating what is happening and its effects), narrative development (shaping the story of a trauma and deriving hope from famous stories of crucible leadership), and service (finding work that benefits others).

People who have experienced posttraumatic growth report changes in the following 5 factors: Appreciation of life; Relating to others; Personal strength; New possibilities; and Spiritual, existential or philosophical changes

Although posttraumatic growth often happens naturally, without psychotherapy or other formal intervention, it can be facilitated in five ways: through education, emotional regulation, disclosure, narrative development, and service.

Forgeard found that the form of cognitive processing was critical in explaining growth after trauma. Intrusive forms of rumination caused a decline in multiple areas of growth, whereas deliberate rumination led to an increase in five domains of posttraumatic growth. Deliberate rumination involves perceiving multilateral sides of the stressful experience including value, meaning, and significance (Calhoun et al., 2000; Cann et al., 2011), and may also decrease the discrepancy between global and situational meanings, as it promote finding meaning. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) & Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a recommended psychotherapy

The two psychological traits which indicate a higher likelihood of experiencing post-traumatic growth are openness to experience and extraversion. Novelty seeking is positively associated with the Big Five personality trait of "extraversion," and to a lesser extent “openness to experience,” but is inversely associated with "conscientiousness." Online poker players are high sensation seekers who gamble to experience strong feelings and arousal, whereas impulsivity plays an important role in developing and maintaining pathological gambling.

CORPORATE SPONSOR: BETA-ARBITRAGE M & A EXAM

Poker Contest: Bankroll Budget*

Math Contest: Linear Algebra Contest, Probability and Ratios

Investment Management Contest: Decentralized Portfolio Building Simulation

Latin and Mandarin Technical Analysis Settings Fair: Year-Long Competition

Blues Ocean Strategy Game Theory Network Mergers & Acquisitions Contest: Macau Game Theory - The course includes modules in areas such as: Essentials of M&A, Due diligence training, Business valuation training, post-merger integration planning

Machine Learning Contest: Quantitative Aptitude

Winners Get a Full Ride to Internships (Licenes Courses I'm Gonna Make with Established Schools and Banks) Freshman Class is made of the contest winners: Mergers & Acquisitions Generalization with Corporate Sponsor; Understanding Capital Markets, Game Theory, Investment Model & Analysis, Quantitative Aptitude, Hedging Techniques, Foreign Language, Business Engineering, Business Models & Reengineering, Offshore Law, Blue Ocean Strategy, Investment Management with Python (Machine Learning)

Ages: 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 20

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

Socioeconomic status is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation.

EdTech

Business Model: Grants, corporate sponsorships, and recruiting business FutureLearn is another MOOC heavyweight with 210+ partners that include universities, humanitarian foundations, and large businesses. Some startups even rely on corporate sponsorship as their main business model

Generalist Education

TAMMBRGC: Tennis, Acting, Modelling, Music, Ballet (Female), Rings Gymnastics (Male), Graffiti (Art), Cooking (Gastronomy)

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

M&A: Merger, Acquisitions

Welfare Investment Program

Fund through Rental Properties: Bond Funds, REITs

Credit Building Program: Line of Credit Deposit Program

Job Placement for Agriculture Working Class

Agricultural Industry means an industrial activity involving the processing, cleaning, packing or storage of the results from agricultural production. The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also "Designation of workers by collar colour") include blue-collar jobs, and most pink-collar jobs. Members of the working class rely exclusively upon earnings from wage labour; thus, according to more inclusive definitions, the category can include almost all of the working population of industrialized economies, as well as those employed in the urban areas (cities, towns, villages) of non-industrialized economies or in the rural workforce.

As with many terms describing social class, working class is defined and used in many different ways. The most general definition, used by many socialists, is that the working class includes all those who have nothing to sell but their labour. These people used to be referred to as the proletariat. In that sense, the working class today includes both white and blue-collar workers, manual and menial workers of all types, excluding only individuals who derive their livelihood from business ownership and the labour of others. The term, which is primarily used to evoke images of laborers suffering "class disadvantage in spite of their individual effort," can also have racial connotations. These racial connotations imply diverse themes of poverty that imply whether one is deserving of aid.

COMMODITIES REAL ESTATE

Insurance Premium, Financial Electronic Data Interchange, Royalties, Lease, & Gross Sale Payments for Restaurant Clientele/Cook Book Meal Delivery Grocery Stores and Delivery Food Courts:

A lease payment is the equivalent of the monthly rent, which is formally dictated under a contract between two parties, granting one participant the legal right to use the other individual's real estate holdings, manufacturing equipment, computers, software, or other fixed assets, for a specified amount of time.

Gross sales refer to the grand total of all sales transactions over a given time period. This doesn't include the cost-of-sales or deductions (like returns or allowance). To calculate a company's gross sales, add up the total sales revenue for a specified period of time—monthly, quarterly, or annually.

A franchise (or franchising) is a method of distributing products or services involving a franchisor, who establishes the brand's trademark or trade name and a business system, and a franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchisor's name and system. Royalties are the amount someone pays you to use your property after you subtract the expenses you have for the property.

(My Name) Macaroni Au Gratin; Pot Roux: Soy Flour and Garlic-Basil Goat Butter, Cheese Sauce: Broccoli, Spinach, Seasoned Sundried Tomato, Sweet Onion, Goat Milk Kefit, Multi-Mix Cheese (Goat Brie-Aged Goat Gouda-Nababbo), Pumpkin Seeds; Stove Pasta: Soy Rigatoni; And Oven Crust Well Done: Diced Onion Aged Parmesan Panko-Chia Seed; How To Eat: Eat Rigatoni and Save Veggies For Left Over Roux

Goat Milk Kefir & Honey-Caramel Tofu Iced Espresso

Coconut Bowl Soy Sauce Fried Rice

Soy Cookies-Ice Goat Milk Vanilla Bean Kefir Sandwich

Specifically, goat butter contains plenty of fat-soluble vitamins, among which the most important vitamins are A, E and especially K2. Goat milk kefir presents a better-to-assimilate calcium for our bodies. This is because of the Vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 helps assimilate calcium. Bacterial fermentation (which happens in making kefir) produces vitamin K2.

CONFLUENCE FOREX & COMMODITIES BETA-ARBITRAGE FORMULA

Trading Psychology: Play Defense, Focus on preserving capital instead of gaining capital

Position Trading: Currency being used, Shorting Low-Interest Currency against High-Value Currency Or Currency Being used, Shorting Low Interest/High-Value Currency against High-Interest Currency. Examples: Carry-Roll Down Bonds, CFD Forex Gold

Swing Trading: Use mt4/mt5 With Heiken Ashi Charts, Setting at 14 or 21 Momentum Indicator above 0 as Divergence Oscillator and VSA as Reversal Oscillator and Trade when bullish candlesticks above 200 exponential moving average and/or 20 exponential moving average (EMA) on H1 (Hourly) Time Frame; use H4 (4 Hours) and D1 (1 Day) as reference. Works for Oil & Gold Commodities

Master Supply and Demand (S&D) Zones (banks use this)

Candlestick Patterns for Momentum: Bearish Engulfing, Hanging Man, Shooting Star Three Crows, Evening Star, (Short). Bullish Engulfing, The Bearish Inverted Hammer or Regular Hammer (Regardless of Colour), Morning Star, and Piercing Line (Long) are extremely Important

Candlestick Patterns for VSA When Volume Spikes Down and Price is Up Bearish: Shooting Star, Doji, Hanging Man, Doji-Star

Candlestick Patterns for VSA When Volume Spikes Up and Price is Down Bullish: Hammer, Inverted Hammer, Doji, Doji-Star

S&D Reversal Patterns: The Drop-Base-Rally is a bullish reversal pattern, The Rally-Base-Drop is a bearish reversal pattern

S&D Continuation patterns: The Rally-Base-Rally is a bullish continuation pattern, The Drop-Base-Rally is a bearish continuation pattern

Swing Trading Time Frame H1 (Hourly) Reference D1 and H4 to locate supply and demand zones Pivot Points and VSA

Heiken Ashi Candlesticks Much easier to read candlestick charts and analyze market trends

Using Pivot Points for Prediction A pivot point is a technical analysis indicator, or calculations, used to determine the overall trend of the market over different time frames Works for commodities

Exponential Moving Average (EMA) 200 Day 20 Day

Momentum Indicator Settings 14 or 21

Volume Spread Analysis (VSA Trading) Entry 4 Steps: Identify the trend, Identify the sign of weakness in an existing uptrend, Wait to test the weakness for confirmation for the continuation of the uptrend, Look for any bullish reversal candlestick pattern for entry.

Relative Strength Index (RSI) Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a momentum indicator. It is a single line ranging from 0 to 100 which indicates when the stock is overbought or oversold in the market. If the reading is above 70, it indicates an overbought market and if the reading is below 30, it is an oversold market. RSI is also used to estimate the trend of the market, if RSI is above 50, the market is an uptrend and if the RSI is below 50, the market is a downtrend.

Commodity Channel Index Commodity Channel Index identifies new trends in the market. It has values of 0, +100, and -100. If the value is positive, it indicates uptrend, if the CCI is negative, it indicates that the market is in the downtrend. CCI is coupled with RSI to obtain information about overbought and oversold stocks.

What is Cash-and-Carry-Arbitrage? Cash-and-carry-arbitrage is a market-neutral strategy combining the purchase of a long position in an asset such as a stock or commodity, and the sale (short) of a position in a futures contract on that same underlying asset. A cash-secured put is an income options strategy that involves writing a put option on a stock or ETF and simultaneously putting aside the capital to buy the stock if you are assigned.

What are Gold CFD? A contract for difference (CFD) is a popular type of derivative that allows you to trade on margin, providing you with greater exposure to the gold market. Instead of purchasing gold itself, you buy or sell units for a given financial instrument depending on whether you think the underlying price will rise or fall.

What is Quanto Option? The Quanto option is a cash-settled, cross-currency derivative in which the underlying asset has a payoff in one country, but the payoff is converted to another currency in which the option is settled.

Hedging Strategies: Forex and Commodities CFD, Crude Oil Cash-secured Put Options (Binary Options)

DAILY FANTASY SPORTS CONTEST TURF ACCOUNTANT

Beta-Arbitrage Parlay and Single Bets (PROFITS FOR BOOKMAKER)

+EV DCF Round Robin (Investment)

Live Betting Options Trading (Balance Sheets)

Draft Kings is My Influence

Global Sports Betting Market Will Reach USD 155.49 Billion By 2024: Zion Market Research

MY BOOKIE LIVE BETTING TRADEMARK

The Ladder

Modeled Off Of Shout Options, A shout option allows the holder to lock in a certain amount in profit while retaining future upside potential on the position. Multi-Leg Options, Multi-leg option strategies involve using two or more options in a single strategy and order. Leverage, leverage is any technique involving borrowing funds to buy things, hoping that future profits will be many times more than the cost of borrowing.

Bettor places a wage on an Over Base Amount. Multi-leg Upsides are met with discounted live betting that has full value. If the live bet isn't met the bettor loses the upside wager.

Helps with balance sheets

BRANCH BRACKET DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW PORTFOLIO BET SLIP

+EV Round Robin instead of WACC Portfolio

$5 Units

GAME THEORY OPTIMAL POKER WITH LOOSE AGGRESSIVE & GROWTH INVESTING

Growth Investing Strategy & Game Theory

Japanese Candlestick Charts: Bullish Engulfing

Discounted Cash Flow Model: EV (Expected Value replaces WACC)

Mixed Strategy

Fold Equity

Community Cards

Companies Charts and Historical Financials

Royal Flush

Straight Flush

4 of a Kind

Full House

Flush

Hands

FCF of Companies

Strategy

Every chart starts with a green candlestick

Depending on your hand the second candlestick is either green or red

Green for the top 5 hands: Listed above

Red for the bottom 5 hands

If it's green invest by betting

If it's red fold

The third candlestick depends on the Flop

The fourth candlestick depends on The Turn

As more money gets betted the Green candlestick gets larger

After The Flop risk-assessment and probability needs to be accounted for

After The Flop, The Turn, and The River it is possible for a red candlestick to appear because of a fold or a better hand because you lost money. Judge how much money you lost by the size of the candlesticks growth

Tony Dunst Tips

Learn to think in Big Blinds, Opponents are Effective Big Blinds

Identify Player Types then Adjust

Study Big Blind Defense Frequency (Hand Ranges)

Work on Bubble and Final Table Play (Independent Chip Model)

Build 3 Betting Ranges

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS & TENNIS SPORTS PERFORMANCE FOR KINAESTHETIC LEARNERS

Tennis Physiological Age System for Both Genders: Plyometric High-Intensity Interval Training Through Cross Training, Wingspan Through Cross Training, Unstable Surface Muscle Recruitment Contrast Training, Isometric-Plyometric-Sprint-or-Vertical Jump Contrast Conditioning, Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) Weighted Jump Rope Respiratory Conditioning, Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Cycling, Fascia and Central Pattern Generator Skill Development, Stretch-Reflex Elastic Strength Training, Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), Stimulus-Fatigue-Recovery-Adaptation for Supercompensation, Autophagy Recovery, High Fat and High Carb with Lipolysis Supplement Nutrition: 3 Fuels of Energy in Oxygen, Fat, and Glucose, Convert Hybrid Muscle Fibers

Stretch Goal of Having a Physiological Age of 25

Volleyball is an aerobic sport with additional anaerobic demands. This will require volleyball players to work both energy systems, making cardiorespiratory conditioning very important. The aerobic, or lower intensity training, will help build a strong cardio base that is needed for a long match. A study done on college athletes showed that gymnasts and volleyball players had significantly higher bone mineral density than swimmers, which is considered a low-impact sport.

Collagen Athletes: Researchers found that a year of daily collagen peptides supplementation measurably increased bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and in the upper femur. The women also had higher levels of a blood biomarker that indicates bone formation. Collagen provides resistance to tension and stretch, which commonly occur in fascial tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, sheaths, muscular fascia and deeper fascial sub-layers. Julio Jones and Cam Newton do Fascia Beach Workouts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unm5dvlcqL4

Anta Sports Fashion Collab Circuits (Graffiti Fashion Week and Trade Show): Key City Tournaments

Planned Pregnancy: Mercury-Venus Cusp, MSTN Gene, ACTN3 Gene, and XYY Syndrome or Triple X Syndrome

TENNIS POSITION

A Baseliner plays from the back of the tennis court, around/behind/within the baseline, preferring to hit groundstrokes, thereby allowing themselves more time to react to their opponent's shots, rather than to come up to the net (except in certain situations).

WORKOUT SPLITS

Upper/Lower-Offense/Defense, Upper/Lower-Defense/Offense

SUISSE CONTRAST SUPERSETS TRAINING

Wall Sit-Low Split Step/Squat Jack Weighted Jump Rope 10 sec:50 Reps

Tendon stiffness may influence the Rate Force of Development by affecting the time lag between muscle activation and muscle force production. For example, Waugh et al showed that the electromechanical delay was inversely correlated with tendon stiffness, while RFD was positively correlated to stiffness[8]. That study also found that tendon stiffness accounts for 35% of RFD variability in children. Plyometric and isometric training are commonly studied for their effects on musculotendinous stiffness. https://www.sportsmith.co/articles/combining-plyometrics-and-isometric-training-to-improve-tendon-stiffness-and-performance/#:~:text=Plyometric%20training%20is%20effective%20in,effective%20in%20improving%20tendon%20stiffness.

Pre-workout Supplement Hydrolyzed Collagen-BCAA to Build Fascia.

Fascia-Elastic Force Defensive Stance HIIT Isometric-Plyometric & Isometric-Mobility Acompany's Defensive Workout. Sauna Suits (Full Body), Gymnastic Rings (Upper Body), Battle Ropes (Upper Body), Med Ball (Core), Tennis [Resistance] Bands {Replaces Punching Bags} (Full Body), Sledgehammer (Ful Body), Weighted Vest (Full Body), and Weighted Jump Rope (Full Body). Keto BHB & Hydrolyzed Collagen HA Acid BCAA is Pre-Workout and Hydrolyzed Collagen HA Acid mTAA is Post Workout Supplement. This Will Be Known as Traditional Tennis Training and referred to as Tennis Physique.

TENNIS PSYCHOLOGY

Self ONE is the Organizer, Self TWO is the Doer

Initiative in a chess position belongs to the player who can make threats that cannot be ignored, thus putting the opponent in the position of having to spend turns responding to threats rather than creating new threats.

In chess, prophylaxis consists of a move or series of moves done by a player to prevent their opponent from taking some action. Such preventative moves, or prophylactic moves, aim not only to improve one's position but also to restrict the opponent in improving their own.

In chess, someone who is considered to be "losing", "has a worse position" or has a more "passive position" is going to try to stir up some trouble for the opponent.

RACKET POCKET DRILLS

Racket Pocket Check Position: Scapular Pinch, Palm Down; 2 Step Right-Left Priming Footwork showing the Bottom of the Shoe to Load Hips (Reverse for Backhand) [Chop Feet to get on Back Foot to Set Up Priming Footwork]): Back Hip Quick-Chest Safe (Shoulder Angle Side Arm), Power-Slice (Trophy Pose Knob Cast)

Creep Drill: Adjust the Tennis Ball Machine as Fast as Possible. Start From a Normal Distance and after Succesfull Contact Move Closer. When Speed Is Too Difficult, Do the Same Thing From That Spot Backwards.

Return Adjustability: Use 3 different colored balls. One represents a slow runner the other is a medium runner/well-hit ball and the third is a fast runner. The Central Pattern Generator is also neuroplastic. That is, the timing, sequence, and control of your movement patterns can be changed, refined, and perfected but this takes time. 75% intensity for 2-4 weeks

TENNIS TRACKING DEFENSE

Court Cutting:

Ball Tracking: Use a combination of “soft focus”, transition to “hard focus” and gentle “pursuit movement” to track each and every target. Start in a Dorsiflexion Tall Athletic Position, Shift Hips to an x not +, and Run a Route to a Spot to receive the Shot.

How to Attack the Ball: One-handed Striking (Make a Check Mark with Base and Racket Pocket as Check) Before the Contact Point, Keep Racket Arm Straight While Running, and Make Contact with the Ball in Front of Body. Generate momentum toward Bound Lines Before Making Contact Ball.

TENNIS SPIRAL STRIKES

Racket Pocket (Check Position): Back Hip Quick or Chest Safe (Shoulder Angle)

Scapular Pinch with Palm Down, 2 Step Right-Left Priming Footwork showing the Bottom of the Shoe to Load Hips (Reverse for Baackhand) [Chop Feet to get on Back Foot to Set Up Priming Footwork], Glute Pull, and Tricep Extension with Wrist Pronation or Supination. Flex Core Rotation from Rest to* Movement

SWEET SPOT CONTACT

Choke Up On Racket, Catch Ball In Sidearm Pronation/Supination Throwing Method, Racket Sweet Spot Is Extension Of Hand.

SPORTS INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION

Citizenship By Investment Mercantilism Program: Enterprise Foundations; Hospitality-Gaming Agriculture Vertical Integration & Real Estate, Offshore Biotechnology Holdings Company Investment Trust

HSBC/UBS TENNIS PURSE/HEIGHT CLASS SYSTEM SEMI-PRO LEAGUE

A remodeling of national tournament circuits for Business Purposes and the path to Turing Pro or International shows and tournaments, Mediterranean Games, and ultimately the Olympics. Rugby Union Influence Variants Rugby union has spawned several variants of the full-contact, 15-a-side game. The two most common differences in adapted versions are fewer players and reduced player contact. I added a Car Purse System; People are Investing in Car Shows. The Human System has 12 Systems, and a Car has 8. BE THE BUGATTI.

Starter Kit

10 Uniform Kits, 3 Pairs of Shoes, a Racket, a Tennis Ball Case, and a Defense Workout Bundle

Qualification

50 Wins, 13 Years Old Minimum

Development

Fascia Hybrid Fibre Type Bone Density Training: Isometric-Contrast Training, Jump Rope As Main Cardio, Calisthenics Dynamic Effort Method, Joint Preparation Exercises, Elastic Force-Stretch Shortening Cycle Tennis (Resistance) Bands, Straight Arm Exercises, and Tennis-Volleyball

Residency

1-year residency to simulate Olympic/School Lifestyle

Campus

Tennis-focused Campus: Medical Center, Tennisology Sports Science Building, Commodities Corporate Finance Building, Cafeteria, Fitness Center, Training Space, and Business Meetings Plaza

Education

Financial Times Triad: Psychology Sessions

Polgár Experiment: Operant Conditioning, Learning Centers, Programmed Learning

Monthly Tournament & Venues

Purse Qualifiers: This term refers to the amount of money, agreed upon before the fight, that each fighter is to be paid for completing the fight. The amount of money to be paid to each fighter can be different and can include different clauses. For example, one fighter may be entitled to a certain percentage of the pay-per-view revenue that the event may generate. Purse-Gambling: Beta-Arbitrage, DCF +EV, Live Betting Options Trading

Tournament Style Round Robin: Financial Incentives for Top 4 Finishers

Venue Location: Financial District

Membership

After residency tennis players go back to camps with experience but are now members

Members are invited to all tournaments

Tournament Spectator Invitation

Corporations

Real Estate Expos

ATP or WTA Tournament Host

Oligopolistic Banks

Scholarships

Any non-playing ESTJ personality receives a full scholarship to Tennis Gardens and an Inside track to Agri STEM & Mergers and Acquisitions Finance Hiring

ESTJ Personality is the Executive Personality

ESTJs typically thrive in leadership roles, and they have a reputation as reliable, highly organized entrepreneurs who love logic-driven policies and procedures. Sometimes referred to as The Executive, the ESTJ personality type includes natural-born leaders with the skills and work ethic required to succeed.

Business Engineering (Macroeconomics And Tribes Social Organism For Microeconomics Marketing)

Free To Play (F2P) Mean? Free to play (F2P) refers to a business model for online games in which the game designers do not charge the user or player in order to join the game. Instead, they hope to bring in revenue from advertisements or in-game sales, such as payment for upgrades, special abilities, special items, and expansion packs.

In a franchained business model (a short-term chain, long-term franchise), the company deliberately launched its operations by keeping tight ownership on the main assets, while those are established, thus choosing a chain model. Once operations are running and established, the company divests its ownership and opts instead for a franchising model.

**A Blue Sea strategy instead tries to redefine value, not for a whole market, but only for a small group of people craving for that value to be provided.

The aggregator business model is basically a network notion that connects a big number of unorganized merchants to a single major site with a unique corporate image. This platform connects providers with their customers but under a particular firm. Merchandising and/or speciality co-ops are often the actual clientele of such aggregator-based organizations. As a consequence of the aggregator business model, these specialist firms can obtain clients for a charge or reward.Generally, a B2C aggregator does not have its own manufacturing unit; instead, it depends on its power to make a site that allows buyers to compare prices and specifications of rival manufacturers before purchasing after completing comprehensive research.The Aggregator Business Model is built on the foundation of trust. For instance, if you're a provider, an aggregator will negotiate an agreement with you and offer your services to their customers under their identity. It is referred to as a network marketing scheme. Each of the services provided by the aggregator has its own network since the aggregator is a business. The services are standardized and structured, despite numerous providers providing them. Travel Industry Aggregators: A tourism aggregator is a service or application that analyses many web pages for savings and summarizes the output in one place. For instance, if you wished to book a cheap flight from Australia to Seattle, you could sit down and look at a lot of airline companies, which would take ages or you could also use a tool like Tripadvisor to look for thousands of flights in one go.

The razor-razorblade model is a pricing tactic in which a dependent good is sold at a loss (or at cost) and a paired consumable good generates the profits. Also known as a razor and blades business model, the pricing and marketing strategy is designed to generate reliable, recurring income by locking a consumer onto a platform or proprietary tool for a long period. It is often employed with consumable goods, such as razors and their proprietary blades. The concept is similar to the "freemium," in which digital products and services (e.g., email, games, or messaging) are given away for free with the expectation of making money later on upgraded services or added features.

Match NBA and FIFA shoe deals by allowing players to wear their own Leather Strapbacks. Rebrand Hat Culture to Loyalty Check Culture (LC or Loyalty Check for short)

Club Card (Starbucks Gift Card Remodeled)

Scan and Swipe Card

Treat as Monetary Policy for Bubble or Recession, Through Price Saving/Sale Percentage For Tribe

Keynesian: Keynesian economics was founded mainly based on the works of John Maynard Keynes and was the beginning of macroeconomics as a separate area of study from microeconomics. Keynesians focus on aggregate demand as the principal factor in issues like unemployment and the business cycle. Keynesian economists believe that the business cycle can be managed by active government intervention through fiscal policy, where governments spend more in recessions to stimulate demand or spend less in expansions to decrease it. They also believe in monetary policy, where a central bank stimulates lending with lower rates or restricts it with higher ones. Keynesian economists also believe that certain rigidities in the system, particularly sticky prices, prevent the proper clearing of supply and demand.

PayPal Influence: Scheduled Payments and Club member Discounts. At Restaurants and Ticket price match for raves plus discount

AGRICULTURE WORKING CLASS TENNIS-DEVELOPMENT GROCERY STORE TEMPLATE

Leadership Program

Put high quality employees on management track

Put minority supervisors in place for diverse equality

Offer di-biasing training to create fair opportunity for everyone

Collectivistic Culture Traits

A few common traits of collectivist cultures include:

Individuals define themselves in relation to others (for example, “I am a member of…”).

Group loyalty is encouraged.

Decisions are based on what is best for the group.

Working as a group and supporting others is essential.

Greater emphasis is placed on common goals than on individual pursuits.

The rights of Departments comes before those of the individual.

Work Week and Payroll System

4-Day Work Week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; Be realistic with tasks your giving people but shorter deadlines will lead to more productivity

Individual Project Days (IPD): Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday; Give people time to work on their own projects this will lead to my company growing and adding different departments

Two-Tier System: A two-tier system is a type of payroll system in which one group of workers receives lower wages and/or employee benefits than another. The employer wishes to establish a pay-for-performance or merit-pay wage scheme that compensates more productive employees without increasing overall wage costs.

Employee Relationship

Employee's titles are Independent Leader or Group Leader

Offer university certificate through customer training (MOOC)

Articulating the strategy in human terms—what capabilities the company will need to build, and what skills are required to do so—not only helps the company focus on how to develop the right talent, but it allows individuals to understand how their role fits into the overall strategy and allows them to see their work in a much more fundamentally connected way.

CORPORATE TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

168 Hours

168 hours — that’s the number of hours there are in a week. And that’s how author Laura Vanderkam proposes we look at our schedule — one week at a time. By reorganizing your time according to your priorities, you can cut down on misused time that comes from misplaced priorities or excuses.

Vanderkam believes that we actually have more time than we think and so we can devote more time to the things we’ve always wanted to do but never quite found the time to do so.

Divergent Pomodoro Technique

Developed in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is centered on the idea that work should be broken down and completed in intervals separated by short breaks. That is, you work for 25 minutes, then take a five minutes break. Each of these 25-minute periods is called a “Pomodoro”, named after the Italian word for tomato. (Cirillo had used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, hence the name.) After 4 Pomodori, you take a longer break of 15–20 minutes. Of course, nothing should interrupt an ongoing Pomodoro.

The philosophy behind this technique is simple — frequent breaks can improve mental agility, letting you feel refreshed and recharged, ready to tackle new tasks. More importantly, it minimizes any distractions, which these days come in the form of a Facebook message or a tweet. Pomodoro forces these distractions to wait so that you can focus on your task. This also translates to higher productivity in getting work done, and you can have more time to do other things.

Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, "non-linear" manner, such that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. Following divergent thinking, ideas, and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a "correct" solution. Activities that promote divergent thinking include Creating Lists of Questions*, setting aside time for thinking and meditation, Music/Intoxicated Brainstorming*, subject mapping, bubble mapping, Keeping a Journal*, playing tabletop role-playing games

The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple tool for considering the long-term outcomes of your daily tasks and focusing on what will make you most effective, not just most productive. It helps you visualize all your tasks in a matrix of urgent/important. All of your day-to-day tasks and bigger projects will fall into one of these four quadrants: Urgent & Important tasks/projects to be completed immediately; Not Urgent & Important tasks/projects to be scheduled on your calendar; Urgent & Unimportant tasks/projects to be delegated to someone else; Not Urgent & Unimportant tasks/projects to be deleted

In the real world, the distinction between urgent/non-urgent, important/not important is much murkier than under experimental conditions. Urgent matters are those that require immediate action. These are the visible issues that pop up and demand your attention NOW. Often, urgent matters come with clear consequences for not completing these tasks. Urgent tasks are unavoidable, but spending too much time putting out fires can produce a great deal of stress and could result in burnout. Important matters, on the other hand, are those that contribute to long-term goals and life values. These items require planning and thoughtful action. When you focus on important matters you manage your time, energy, and attention rather than mindlessly expanding these resources. What is important is subjective and depends on your own values and personal goals. No one else can define what is important for you.

SWOT Analysis

What Is a SWOT Analysis? SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, and so a SWOT analysis is a technique for assessing these four aspects of your business. SWOT Analysis is a tool that can help you to analyze what your company does best now, and to devise a successful strategy for the future.

HOW TO BUILD A SPORT-SPECIFIC WORKOUT FOR GROCERY PERFORMANCE CENTERS

Template

Pre-workout Supplement Hydrolyzed Collagen-BCAA and Wear 10lb Vest

Self Analysis: Scrimmage Plus/Minus System (Ranked Clients vs Non-Ranked Clients)

Report cards: Ontario report cards and fall progress report cards outline six learning skills and work habits throughout Grades 1 to 12: Responsibility, Organization, Independent work, Collaboration, Initiative, Self-regulation

The emphasis on these skills and habits reflect that students need to learn more than just facts if they want to succeed in postsecondary education and the world of work. At school students are learning to take initiative, think critically, solve problems, work independently, be self-reliant and work in a team.

Performance Center Grades Category (Chess Initiative Rally Percentage): Off Court; Initiative, Self-regulation, Independent Work/On Court (Test); Responsibility, Organization, Collaboration

Test Possession (Test within a Test) Offense, Tracking Defense

SWOT: Strengths, What you Are Good At; Weaknesses, What you Are Not Good At; Opportunities, Improve, Expand, and Grow; Threats, What can Keep You off the Court

Eisenhower Matrix: Urgent/Important (Threats), Urgent/Not Important (Weaknesses), Not Urgent/Important (Opportunities), Not Urgent/Not Important (Strenghts)

ATP & WTA TENNIS TOURNAMENT (DEBUT OPEN & FIRST TIER SERIES) [INVITE ONLY]

Debut Open locations: Rotating Key City Locations, Africa, India, Asia and South America

Locations: Bid to Host

Debut Open

Reason For Tournament

You see the NBA constantly replacing superstars and showcasing the next generation, this tournament brings tennis that opportunity.

Tournament Details

Participants are 23 years of age or younger

Hold tournament as the last tournament before the Australian open

Host during Christmas break

Equal Pay for men and women

High cash earnings for winners and low earnings for losers to offset high earnings for winning

Benefits Of Having A Grand Slam Outside of America and Europe

Increase global relations by gathering advertisements and sponsors for tournament

Broadcasting deal can be greater because if a cable company is owned

The core audience going forward for the next generation will be greater

This increases the network of fans

First Tier Series

Reason for Tournament

Tennis has tournaments all over the world but most people can't name the bottom 5 players of the top 10 rankings. This fixes that.

Tournament Details (First Tier Series) {all-star equivalent}

Point of the tournament is to show the world the difference between good and great

5 Game Series

Top 10 invite only

Teams of 5, every participant has 1 match three sets

All matches are played

Themes: Males vs Females, Mixed Male and Female Teams, Ranking Lottery Draft with Captains

Skills Competition: Hardest Serve, Accuracy Challenge, Best Return,

Fan Media Day

Player's kit endorser must make themed outfit

Player's Pay rates are by ranking

Profit Strategies (both)

Broadcasting Rights

Sponsorships/Advertisers

Ticket and Concession

Equal Pay and No Capital Gains Tax to attract star Women Players

No Capital Gains Tax so players lower their appearance fee

Pay Quarter Finalist to run to the 3-day clinic

Have a YouTube channel where players give fundamental tips, fitness tips, Diet tips, mental strategies, and book recommendations

Have an Umpire Clinic and application in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Attach hospitality and casino industries to tickets to draw crowds

LIVE BROADCASTING AND STREAMING COMPANY

Allow people to create their own highlights for social media and YouTube through streaming service but they have to purchase 1 Year Pass of live Broadcasting

In service editing software: Offer different graphics and effects; In Service Cost for Different Packages.Different camera angles; In Service Cost for Different Packages. Add in-rings mics to differentiate from sports network's highlights. Chapters Feature: Everytime a Significant Event in the Event Happens a Bookmark is Made for Highlight Creation, Easier to create highlights, and Subscribers can create their own bookmarks

Pre-made music to create fight mix: Take percentage of revenue from social media and YouTube highlights

Streaming Service: For an up front fee subscribers can get distribution rights to create highlights. Make money from: Live Broadcast, Highlights, Subscription, Distribution Rights, In Subscription Cost

Potential Hiring Process: People are paying to be content creators from all over the world this leads to more diverse content creating staff. Sell this as a way to hire people without a physical resume. YouTube can lead to employment

Bet Night Hour Program: Betting Analysis on Tournament, Predictions, Bets that were Placed Globally, Live Television

CARTEL THEORY

HSBC Bank Holding Company Equity Financing

What Is a Bank Holding Company? A bank holding company is a corporation that owns a controlling interest in one or more banks but does not itself offer banking services. Holding companies do not run the day-to-day operations of the banks they own. However, they exercise control over management and company policies. They can hire and fire managers, set and evaluate strategies, and monitor the performance of subsidiaries’ businesses.

What Is Equity Financing? Equity financing is the process of raising capital through the sale of shares. Companies raise money because they might have a short-term need to pay bills or have a long-term goal and require funds to invest in their growth. By selling shares, a company is effectively selling ownership in their company in return for cash. Equity financing comes from many sources: for example, an entrepreneur's friends and family, investors, or an initial public offering (IPO). An IPO is a process that private companies undergo to offer shares of their business to the public in a new stock issuance. Public share issuance allows a company to raise capital from public investors.

Palmiers Noirs Rivals

United Kingdom

Jews

Luxembourg (EU Blacklist Creator)

Latin Kings

Sinaloa Cartel

Sonora Cartel

Colombian Cartels

Neymar

Banker Title

Croupier Comptable: An investment banker who has experienced decadence through Casino Capitalism

Palmiers Noirs Structure

Clandestine Cell System

A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as law enforcement or military units).

In a cell structure, each of the small group of people in the cell know the identities of the people only in their own cell. Thus any cell member who is apprehended and interrogated (or who is a mole) will not likely know the identities of the higher-ranking individuals in the organization.

The structure of a clandestine cell system can range from a strict hierarchy to an extremely distributed organization, depending on the group's ideology, its operational area, the communications technologies available, and the nature of the mission.

Criminal organizations, undercover operations, and unconventional warfare units led by special forces may also use this sort of organizational structure.

Infrastructure cells

Any clandestine or covert service, especially a non-national one, needs a variety of technical and administrative functions, such as: Recruitment/training, Forged documents/counterfeit currency, Finance/Fundraising, Communications, Transportation/Logistics, Safehouses, Reconnaissance/Counter-surveillance, Operational planning, Arms and ammunition, and Psychological operations

A national intelligence service has a support organization to deal with services like finance, logistics, facilities (e.g., safehouses), information technology, communications, training, weapons and explosives, medical services, etc. Transportation alone is a huge function, including the need to buy tickets without drawing suspicion, and, where appropriate, using private vehicles. Finance includes the need to transfer money without coming to the attention of financial security organizations.

Cartel Definition

Cartel is an ambiguous concept, which usually refers to a combination or agreement between rivals, but – derived from this – also designates organized crime. The main use of ‘cartel’ is that of an anticompetitive association in the economy.

Price cartels engage in price fixing, normally to raise prices for a commodity above the competitive price level.

Cartel Theory

Cartel theory is usually understood as the doctrine of economic cartels. However, since the concept of 'cartel' does not have to be limited to the field of the economy, doctrines on non-economic cartels are conceivable in principle. Such exist already in the form of the state cartel theory and the cartel party theory. For the pre-modern cartels, which existed as rules for tournaments, duels and court games or in the form of inter-state fairness agreements, there was no scientific theory. Such has developed since the 1880s for the scope of the economy, driven by the need to understand and classify the mass emergence of entrepreneurial cartels. Within the economic cartel theory, one can distinguish a classical and a modern phase. The break between the two was set through the enforcement of a general cartel ban after the Second World War by the US government.

Constituent characteristics and exclusion criteria for cartels

Constituent criteria for cartels would be the following: The members are, at the same time, partners as well as competitors (so do e.g. enterprises, states, parties, duelists, tournament knights). These members can be individual persons or organizations. The members of a cartel are independent of each other, negotiating their interests with each other and against each other. So there have to be at least two participants and they determine their interests autonomously. The members of a cartel know each other; they have a direct relationship, in particular they communicate with each other.

Exclusion criteria for cartels would be the following: There is a "hierarchical" or other strong "dependency relationship among the participants": a drug mafia that is organized hierarchically and managed by a single boss can't be a drug cartel in the sense of a real "cartel". KLikewise, a business corporation can't be a "cartel" due to its central management, which controls its subsidiaries. Furthermore, an OPEC, in which all adherents would be dependent on the largest member (since long: Saudi Arabia) would no longer be a "cartel". Similarly, colonial empires from a motherland and colonies do not constitute a "state cartel". The union of competitors, in their entirety or via important members of its association, is dependent on an outside power. A strict, state-mandated compulsory cartel without freedom of choice between the partners would not be a (real) cartel. A suitable example is the "Deutsche Wagenbau-Vereinigung" (German Railway Cars Association), which was organized in the 1920s by the "Deutsche Reichsbahn" (German Imperial Railways) – its "market opponent". The combination takes place between actors of different levels. Thus, the concerted actions of employers’ associations and trade unions in some industrialized countries was not a cartel, because the allies there were no homogenous competitors. The alleged members of a suspected cartel do not know each other, but only randomly show a parallel behavior: “Cartels of the godless”, “cartels of maintenance deniers” or “silent cartels” are therefore usually no real cartels, but pure verbal abuse formulas.

MACAU ECONOMICS

Science

Science of Aesthetics

Nutritional Biochemistry

Vertical-Rotational Force Kinetic Chain

Biomechanics

Sports Medicine

Technology

Biotechnology

FinTeach

RealTeach

Merger & Acquisition EdTech

Engineering

Business Engineering (Tribes Organism and Keynesian Macroeconomics)

Construction Management

Business Model Reengineering

Mathematics (Decentralized Central Banking)

Investment Management

Monetary Policy & Central Banking

Wolf Packs are Generalist

David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.

Wolves are habitat “generalists,” meaning they can adapt to living in many kinds of habitat. They basically need two things to thrive: abundant prey and human tolerance.

Trophic Cascade, an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling. (Diamond Trafficking in Macau)

A keystone species is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. Keystone species have low functional redundancy. (Diamonds Trafficking in Macau)

Unpredictable and harsh conditions tend to produce fast life history strategies, characterized by early maturation, a higher number of sexual partners to whom one is less attached, and less parenting of offspring.

MANDELA/BASQUIAT ARTS (PHOTOGRAPHY, OLFACTORY, CULINARY) YOUTH PRISON SYSTEM

Nelson Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail at the brutal Robben Island Prison. Confined to a small cell without a bed or plumbing, he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry.

If you work in Agriculture You'll Always Have a Food Mindset.

THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR BY THOMAS J. STANLEY (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

What’s in it for me? Find out how wrong you are about the way millionaires live.

Millionaires are ostentatious. They live a glamorous life, with private jets and luxury cars, hidden away in enormous mansions in the exclusive Hollywood hills.

Or is that all fantasy? The truth is far from the bling and bright lights. Most millionaires in America actually live what most people would call a normal lifestyle. What’s more interesting, though, is that living modestly is what made them millionaires in the first place.

These blinks show you that if you’re dedicated and clever enough to plan your finances correctly, you too can follow the path to riches that many a millionaire has walked before you.

In these blinks, you’ll learn why the guy driving a Bentley probably earns less than you do; exactly when you should start saving your cash; and why lazy kids get the biggest piece of their millionaire parents’ pie.

Many millionaires don’t live the high life. They budget wisely to maintain their affluence.

If you were a millionaire, you wouldn’t hesitate to wear Prada and drink Champagne every day for breakfast, right? But despite the stereotypes, many actual millionaires purchase fewer expensive items than you do – and they are happy doing so.

If you want to become a millionaire, you’ve got to learn to save responsibly at the moment when you first start to earn more money than you need to live on.

The majority of self-made millionaires have modest backgrounds and achieved great wealth by saving their monthly earnings and avoiding spending cash on stuff they didn’t need. This simple rule is one way you too could become a millionaire, without ever actually making a million dollars a year.

People become millionaires by controlling their budget and maintaining their affluence in the same way. They’re also practiced at thinking long term and planning for the future.

A survey of millionaires found that for every 100 millionaires who weren't budgeting and thinking about their financial future, there were 120 millionaires who certainly were.

Planning and structuring expenses is key if you want to become a millionaire. To start, set a goal, such as having a certain amount of cash tucked away for retirement. Then budget your expenses, living costs and investments.

Mrs. and Mr. Rule are millionaires, and their main goal is to be financially independent when they’re ready to retire. By this time, they want to have saved some $5 million.

To make this happen, the couple cleverly allocates their time and money so that they can continue to invest in their business while earning and saving money that can be used toward real estate purchases or home renovation projects.

Millionaires know where and how to spend their cash. Invest in what you know!

How do millionaires choose what to invest in? Clever millionaires know that dishing out on medical care for their family and investing in methods to make a business more productive is the way to go.

Although these millionaires are often frugal in other respects, price is not an issue when it comes to buying investment services, getting tax advice or spending on medical care for themselves and their loved ones.

Likewise, they know to buy products or services that improve their businesses, such as additional office space or computer software.

Take millionaire Mr. South. He says he would never buy a Rolls Royce for himself, because in his lower-middle-class neighborhood, it would turn too many heads. Instead, he understands that using his money to pay for his grandchildren’s dental care makes far more financial sense. Smart spending also means smart planning. Millionaires spend a greater amount of time planning investments and often reap more benefits from them than those who neglect to plan. Moreover, if you want to increase your wealth by investing in specific businesses, you’ll need to plan as well as get some expertise. Everyone has at least one area in which they have considerable knowledge, so use this to your advantage when investing. For example, Mrs. Smith is an auctioneer who specializes in commercial real estate. Which industry should she invest in? Commercial real estate, of course. Mr. Long however knows a lot about antique furniture. Should he invest in high-tech securities? Probably not, as he should stick to what he knows best.

Many millionaires share their wealth with their children, even though it can hinder them.

We’ve seen how millionaires live, but what about the children of millionaires?

In most cases, millionaire parents don’t raise their kids with much financial support. Although many millionaires are thrifty, they spend a great deal on economic outpatient care. This means their children receive monthly cash gifts, have the costs of medical treatments and education covered, and so on.

But the more money adult children of affluent parents receive, the less they save, and vice versa.

By financially supporting adult children, some millionaires cause them to be financially dependent and hamper them from being able to budget intelligently.

Did you know that more than 46 percent of wealthy Americans support their adult children and/or grandchildren by offering gifts or cash of at least $15,000 each year?

For example, since she was married, Mary gets $15,000 annually from her parents. She and her husband are in their early 50s, own expensive cars, live in a great neighborhood, are country club members and are involved in a number of non-profit organizations.

From the outside, they look like millionaires, yet they’ve never earned more than $60,000 a year.

The amount of money you spend and save also influences your children’s purchasing behavior. Every family has their own do’s and don’ts for investing and purchasing, and these budgets affect children who emulate their parents’ financial habits.

So teach your children how to invest well and how to spend wisely!

For instance, John is an under-accumulator of wealth (UAW). Whenever he gets a paycheck, he spends the money on designer clothes, a habit he learned from his parents who used to shop every Saturday. They bought just for the sake of buying, and now so does John.

The most financially dependent children receive the largest share of the family inheritance.

Who will receive your money after you die? A lot of millionaires claim it will be divided equally between their children. But in reality, some people are more likely to inherit than others.

Housewives are one such group. Millionaires or affluent parents are aware of the fact that women tend to earn less than men, so they pass more money down to them. Especially housewives, who may have been “daddy’s girl” since childhood or didn’t finish college. They’re significantly more likely to receive a considerable inheritance.

Consider Alice, who was always her father’s favorite. When she married a man who earned only a modest income, and quit school to stay at home with her two children, her father started economic outpatient care because he wouldn’t allow his daughter to live in a home that didn’t measure up to his upper-middle class image.

In addition to women who stay at home, unemployed adult children often receive more cash gifts and inheritance than do working siblings.

In many cases, the children of millionaires are unemployed or “professional students” who have never held a job, choosing instead to study all their life. Parents regard these children as requiring more financial support than their more independent siblings.

Many cash gifts also are drawn from over-funded college savings accounts, which, when a child quits school, were no longer needed.

Take Paul and Peter, brothers and children of a millionaire couple. Paul became an entrepreneur and moved far away from home, and became financially independent as he refused cash from his parents.

Peter, however, moved back to his parents’ home after graduating from college as he didn’t want to be employed full-time. So now he receives cash gifts for housing, food, clothing and transportation from his parents.

It’s no surprise then, that after the death of their parents, the financially dependent Peter received the inheritance.

Final summary

The key message in this book: The typical millionaire isn’t all Hollywood glitz and glamour. Many live well below their means, saving and budgeting money diligently and spending it intelligently. If you consistently adhere to these simple standards, you too could become a millionaire.

THE POWER OF HABIT BY CHARLES DUHIGG (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

What’s in it for me? Learn to pick up or drop any habit you wish.

You’ve made the decision: no more cigarettes! Or maybe it’s: no more junk food! For a couple of weeks, things go swimmingly. You’re proud of yourself. But then, one day, the craving suddenly overpowers you – and, before you know it, you’re back to your old habits.

Sound familiar? If so, you already know the power of habits.

But where does the power of habits come from? As you’ll see in these blinks, habits go deep into the human brain and psyche and influence our lives in a myriad of ways. And while they make our lives a whole lot easier – just imagine if you had to figure out how to open a door every time you encountered one – habits can also cause problems and even ruin lives.

Luckily, by learning how habits work, you can begin to overcome their power. So let’s delve into the world of habits!

In these blinks, you’ll learn why anticipation is at the root of habit formation; what resisting marshmallows can tell us about habits; and what the LATTE method is.

Habits are simple cue-routine-reward loops that save effort.

In the 1990s, a group of researchers at MIT were studying mice to learn more about how habits are formed in the brain. The mice had to find their way to a piece of chocolate that’d been placed at the end of a T-shaped maze. Using special equipment, the researchers could monitor the brain activity of the mice as they sniffed their way to the chocolate.

When the mice were first put in the maze, their brain activity spiked. They could smell the chocolate and they began searching for it. When the researchers repeated the experiment, however, they noticed something interesting.

As the mice gradually learned where the chocolate was and memorized how to get there – go straight, then turn left – their brain activity decreased.

This process of turning a sequence of actions into an automatic routine is known as “chunking,” and it forms the basis of all habit formation. Its evolutionary role is clear and crucial: it allows the brain to save energy and perform common tasks efficiently.

Hence, even a complicated act that demands concentration at first, like finding a piece of chocolate in a maze or backing out of the driveway, eventually becomes an effortless habit. In fact, according to a 2006 paper by a researcher at Duke University, as many as 40 percent of the actions we perform each day are based on habit.

In general, any habit can be broken down into a three-part loop: First, you sense an external cue – say, your alarm clock ringing. This creates an overall spike in your brain activity as your brain decides which habit is appropriate for the situation. Next comes the routine, meaning the activity you’re used to performing when faced with this particular cue. You march into the bathroom and brush your teeth with your brain virtually on autopilot. Finally, you get a reward – a feeling of success and, in this case, a minty-fresh tingling sensation in your mouth. Your overall brain activity increases again as your brain registers the successful completion of the activity and reinforces the link between the cue and the routine.

Habits are incredibly resilient. In some cases, people with extensive brain damage can still adhere to their old habits. Just consider Eugene, a man with severe brain damage caused by encephalitis. When asked to point at the door leading to the kitchen from his living room, he couldn’t do it. But when asked what he would do if he were hungry, he walked straight into the kitchen and took down a jar of nuts from one of the cabinets.

Eugene could do this because learning and maintaining habits happens in the basal ganglia, a small neurological structure embedded deep in the brain. Even if the rest of the brain is damaged, the basal ganglia can function normally.

Unfortunately, this resilience means that, even if you successfully kick a bad habit, like smoking, you will always be at risk of relapsing.

Habits stick because they create craving.

Imagine this scenario: every afternoon for the past year, you’ve bought and eaten a delicious, sugar-laden chocolate-chip cookie from the cafeteria at your workplace. Call it a just reward for a hard day’s work.

Unfortunately, as a few friends have already pointed out, you’ve started putting on weight. So you decide to kick the habit. But how do you imagine you’ll feel that first afternoon, walking past the cafeteria without indulging? Odds are, you will either eat “just one more cookie” or you’ll go home in a distinctly grumpy mood.

Kicking a bad habit is hard because you develop a craving for the reward at the end of the habit loop. Research from the 1990s conducted by the neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz shows how this works at the level of the brain. Schultz was studying the brain activity of a macaque monkey named Julio, who was learning to perform various tasks. In one experiment, Julio was placed in a chair in front of a screen. Whenever some colored shapes were shown on the screen, Julio’s task was to pull a lever. When he did, a drop of blackberry juice (Julio loved blackberry juice) would drip down on his lips through a tube.

At first, Julio didn’t pay much attention to the screen. But when he happened to pull the lever at the right moment, thus triggering the blackberry-juice reward, his brain activity spiked, showing a strong pleasure response.

As Julio gradually grasped the connection between seeing the shapes on the screen, pulling the lever and getting the blackberry juice, he not only stared at the screen, but Schultz noticed that, as soon as the shapes appeared, there was a spike in Julio’s brain activity similar to when he actually received the reward. In other words, his brain had begun anticipating the reward. This anticipation is the neurological basis of craving and helps explain why habits are so powerful.

Schultz then altered the experiment. Now, as Julio pulled the lever, either no juice would come or it would come in a diluted form. In Julio’s brain, Schultz could now observe neurological patterns associated with desire and frustration. Julio got decidedly mopey when he didn’t get his reward, just as you might if you forewent your cherished end-of-the-day cookie.

The good news is that craving works for forming good habits as well. For instance, a 2002 study from New Mexico State University showed that people who manage to exercise habitually actually crave something from the exercise, be it an endorphin rush in the brain, a sense of accomplishment or the treat they allow themselves afterward. This craving is what solidifies the habit; cues and rewards alone are not enough.

Given the power of habits, it should come as no surprise that companies work hard to understand and create such cravings in consumers. A pioneer of this tactic is Claude Hopkins, the man who popularized Pepsodent toothpaste when countless other toothpaste brands had failed. He provided a reward that created craving: namely, the cool, tingling sensation that we’ve come to expect toothpaste to have. That sensation not only “proved” that the product worked in consumers’ minds; it also became a tangible reward that they began to crave.

To change a habit, substitute the routine for another and believe in the change.

As anyone trying to give up cigarettes will tell you, when the craving for nicotine hits, it’s hard to ignore. That’s why the golden rule for quitting any habit is this: don’t try to resist the craving; redirect it. In other words, you should keep the same cues and rewards, but change the routine that occurs as a result of the craving.

Several studies on former smokers have shown that, by identifying the cues and rewards around their smoking habit and replacing the routine with one that has a similar reward, such as doing some push-ups, eating a piece of Nicorette or simply relaxing for a few minutes, the chances of staying smoke-free increases significantly.

One organization that uses this method to great effect is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which may have helped as many as ten million alcoholics achieve sobriety.

AA asks participants to list what exactly they crave from drinking. Usually, factors like relaxation and companionship are far more important than the actual intoxication. AA then provides new routines that address those cravings, such as going to meetings and talking to sponsors for companionship. The idea is to replace drinking with something less harmful.

However, research on AA members shows that, although this method works well in general, it alone is not enough. In the early 2000s, a group of researchers at California’s Alcohol Research Group noticed a distinct pattern in their interviews with AA members. A frequent response was that the habit-replacement method worked wonders, but, as soon as a stressful event occurred, the old habit was simply too strong to resist, no matter how long the respondent had been in the program.

For example, one recovering alcoholic had been sober for years when his mother called to say she had cancer. After hanging up, he left work and went directly to a bar, and then, in his own words, was “pretty much drunk for the next two years.”

Further research has indicated that those who resist relapse and remain sober often rely on belief. This is why spirituality and God feature prominently in AA philosophy. But it’s not necessarily the religious component itself that helps people stay sober. Believing in God also helps participants believe in the possibility of change for themselves, which makes them stronger in the face of stressful life events.

Change can be achieved by focusing on keystone habits and achieving small wins.

When former government bureaucrat Paul O’Neill became the CEO of the ailing aluminum company Alcoa in 1987, investors were skeptical. And O’Neill didn’t improve matters when, during an investor meeting in a swanky luxury hotel in Manhattan, he declared that, rather than focusing on profits and revenues, he intended to make workplace safety his number-one priority. One investor immediately called his clients and said, “The board put a crazy hippie in charge and he’s going to kill the company.”

O’Neill tried to explain his reasoning to the lukewarm investors. No amount of talk would reduce injury rates at Alcoa, he argued. Sure, most CEOs claimed to care about workplace safety. But empty words would never lead to the formation of a company-wide habit, which is what would be necessary for real change.

O’Neill knew that habits exist in organizations. And he knew that changing an organization’s direction is a matter of changing its habits. He was also aware that not all habits are equal. Some habits, known as keystone habits, are more important than others because adhering to them creates positive effects that spill over into other areas.

By insisting that worker safety come first, managers and employees would have to think about how the manufacturing process could be safer and how safety suggestions could best be communicated to everyone. The end result would be a highly streamlined, and hence profitable, production organization.

Despite the investors’ initial doubts, O’Neill’s approach proved to be a huge success. By the time O’Neill retired in 2000, Alcoa’s annual net income had increased fivefold.

Keystone habits can help individuals change, too. For instance, research indicates that doctors have a hard time getting obese people to make a broad change in their lifestyle. However, when patients focus on developing one keystone habit, such as keeping a meticulous food journal, other positive habits start to take root as well.

Keystone habits work by providing small wins – that is, early successes that are fairly easy to attain. Developing a keystone habit helps you believe that improvement is possible in other spheres of life, too, which can trigger a cascade of positive change.

Willpower is the most important keystone habit.

In the 1960s, researchers at Stanford conducted what would become a very famous study. A large group of four-year-olds was brought, one by one, into a room. In the room, there was a table with a marshmallow on it. A researcher gave each child a choice: either eat the marshmallow now or wait a few minutes and have two marshmallows instead. The researcher then left the room for 15 minutes. Only about 30 percent of the children managed not to devour the marshmallow in the researcher’s absence.

But here’s the interesting part. When, years later, the researchers tracked down the study’s participants, who were now adults, they found that those who had exhibited the greatest willpower and waited the full 15 minutes had ended up with the best grades in school, were more popular on average and were less likely to have drug addictions. Willpower, it seemed, was a keystone habit that could be applied to other parts of life, too.

More recent studies have shown similar results. For instance, a 2005 study on eighth-graders showed that students exhibiting high levels of willpower had better grades on average and were more likely to get into selective schools.

So willpower is a key habit in life. However, as you might have noticed if you’ve ever tried to start exercising more, willpower can be highly inconsistent. Some days, hitting the gym is a breeze; on others, leaving the sofa is nigh impossible. Why is that?

It turns out that willpower is actually like a muscle: it can tire. If you exhaust it by concentrating on, say, a tedious spreadsheet at work, you might have no willpower left when you get home. But the analogy goes even further: by engaging in habits that demand resolution – say, adhering to a strict diet – you can actually strengthen your willpower. Call it a willpower workout.

Other factors can also affect your willpower. For example, Starbucks found that, on most days, all of its employees had the willpower to smile and be cheerful, regardless of how they felt. But when things became stressful – for example, when a customer began screaming – they would soon lose their cool. Based on research, executives at the company determined that if baristas mentally prepared for unpleasant situations and planned out how to overcome them, they could muster enough willpower to follow the plan even when under pressure.

To help them, Starbucks developed the aptly named LATTE method, which outlines a series of steps to take in a stressful situation: Listening to the customer, Acknowledging their complaint, Taking action, Thanking the customer, and, lastly, Explaining why the issue occurred. By practicing this method over and over, Starbucks baristas learn exactly what to do should a stressful situation arise, and can stay cool.

Other studies have shown that a lack of autonomy also adversely affects willpower. If people do something because they are ordered to rather than by choice, their willpower muscle will get tired much quicker.

Organizational habits can be dangerous, but a crisis can change them.

In November of 1987, a commuter at the King’s Cross station in London approached a ticket collector and said he’d just seen a piece of burning tissue by one of the building’s escalators. Rather than investigating the matter or notifying the department responsible for fire safety, the ticket collector did nothing. He simply returned to his workstation, thinking it was someone else’s responsibility.

This was perhaps not so surprising. Responsibilities in running the London underground were divided into several clear-cut areas, and, as a result, staff had formed an organizational habit of staying within departmental bounds. Over the decades, an intricate, hierarchical system of bosses and sub-bosses, each highly protective of his authority, had emerged. The nearly 20,000 employees of the London Underground knew not to encroach on each other’s terrain.

Under the surface, most organizations are like this: battlegrounds on which individuals clamor for power and rewards. So, in order to keep the peace, we develop certain habits, such as minding one’s own business.

Soon after the ticket collector returned to work as usual, a huge fireball erupted into the ticket hall. But no one present knew how to use the sprinkler system or had the authority to use the fire extinguishers. The rescuers, who were eventually called in after a long series of failures to act by several employees at the station, described passengers so badly burned that their skin came off when touched. In the end, 31 people lost their lives.

The failure at the heart of this tragedy was that, despite its complicated system of responsibility distribution, no single employee or department at the London Underground had an overview responsibility for the safety of passengers.

But even such tragedies can have a silver lining: crises offer a unique chance to reform organizational habits by providing a sense of emergency.

This is why good leaders often actively prolong a sense of crisis or even exacerbate it. In investigating the King’s Cross station fire, special investigator Desmond Fennel found that many potentially lifesaving changes had been proposed years earlier, but none had been implemented. When Fennel encountered resistance to his suggestions, too, he turned the whole investigation into a media circus – a crisis that enabled him to implement the changes. Today, every station has a manager whose main responsibility is passenger safety.

Companies take advantage of habits in their marketing.

Picture yourself walking into your local supermarket. What’s the first thing you encounter? In all likelihood, it’s fresh fruits and vegetables, laid out in lush piles. If you consider this for a second, it doesn’t make much sense. As fruit and veggies tend to be soft and are easily damaged by other products put in the cart, they ought to be displayed closer to the registers. But marketers figured out long ago that, if we begin our shopping by filling our carts with fresh, healthy items, we’re more likely to buy unhealthier products, like snacks and cookies, as we continue to shop.

This might seem pretty obvious. But retailers have figured out far subtler ways to influence customers’ purchasing habits. For example, here’s a surprising fact: most people instinctively turn right when entering a store. That’s why retailers put their most profitable products to the right of the entrance.

As sophisticated as these methods are, however, they have one big drawback; they’re all one-size-fits-all and don’t account for differences in the purchasing behavior of individual customers. Over the past few decades, however, increasingly sophisticated technology and data-collection have made it possible to target customers with breathtaking precision. One of the true masters of this game is the American retailer Target, which serves millions of shoppers annually and collects terabytes of data on them.

In the early 2000s, the company decided to use the full force of its data to target a particular segment of the population long known to be one of the most profitable: new parents. To get a leg up on its competitors, however, Target wanted to do more than market to new parents; it wanted to draw in expecting parents before their babies had even arrived. To accomplish this, it set out to determine pregnant women’s purchasing habits.

In the end, Target’s analysis worked so well that it marketed to a pregnant teenage girl who hadn’t yet told her family about her situation. Target sent her baby-related coupons, prompting her father to pay the local Target manager an angry visit: “She’s still in high school,” he said. “Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?!” When the truth came out, it was the abashed father’s turn to apologize.

But Target soon realized that people resented being spied upon. For its baby coupons to work, it figured out a clever way to bury them amid random and unrelated offers for things like lawnmowers and wine glasses; the offers had to seem like the familiar, untargeted ones.

Indeed, when trying to sell anything new, companies will do their best to make it seem familiar. For example, radio DJs can guarantee a new song becomes popular by playing it sandwiched between two existing hit songs. New habits or products are far more likely to be accepted if they don’t seem new.

Target got a lot of flack for its invasive approach to marketing, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a smashing success. Due in large part to its work with targeting pregnant women, the company’s revenues grew from $44 billion in 2002 to $65 billion in 2009.

Movements are born from strong ties, peer pressure and new habits.

In 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested and charged, and the events that followed made her a civil-rights icon.

Interestingly, her case, though it’s become the most famous, was neither unique nor the first. Many others had already been arrested for the same reason. So why did Parks’s arrest spark a bus boycott that lasted over a year?

First of all, Rosa Parks was especially well-liked in the community and had an unusually broad array of friends. She belonged to many clubs and societies and was closely connected to all kinds of people, from professors to field hands. For instance, she served as the secretary of the local NAACP chapter, was deeply involved in a youth organization at a Lutheran church close to where she lived and spent her spare time providing poor families with dressmaking services, all while still finding time to make gown alterations for young debutantes from wealthy white families. In fact, she was so active in her community that her husband would sometimes say she ate at potlucks more often than at home.

Parks had what is known in sociology studies as strong ties – that is, first-hand relationships with plenty of people from across different social segments of her community. These ties not only bailed her out of jail; they spread word of her arrest throughout Montgomery’s social strata, thus sparking the bus boycott.

But her friends alone could not have sustained a lengthy boycott. Enter peer pressure. In addition to strong ties, social spheres also comprise weak ties, meaning acquaintances rather than friends. It is mostly via weak ties that peer pressure is exerted. When a person’s larger network of friends and acquaintances support a movement, it is harder to opt out.

Eventually, commitment to the boycott began waning in the black community, as city officials began introducing new carpooling rules to make life without buses increasingly difficult. This is when the final component was added: a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocating nonviolence and asking participants to embrace and forgive their oppressors. Based on this message, people began to form new habits, such as independently organizing church meetings and peaceful protests. They made the movement a self-propelling force.

We bear the responsibility for changing our habits.

One night in 2008, Brian Thomas strangled his wife to death. Distraught, he promptly turned himself in and was prosecuted for murder. His defense? He was experiencing something scientists refer to as sleep terrors.

Research has shown that, unlike sleepwalking, during which people might get up from bed and start acting out impulses, when a person experiences sleep terrors, the brain effectively shuts down, leaving only the most primitive neurological regions active.

Since he was in this state, Thomas thought he was strangling a burglar who was attacking his wife. In court, the defense argued that the instant Thomas thought someone was hurting his wife, it triggered an automatic response – an attempt to protect her. In other words, he followed a habit.

Around the same time, Angie Bachman was sued by the casino company Harrah’s for half a million dollars in outstanding gambling debts. This was after she had already gambled away her home and her million-dollar inheritance.

In court, Bachman argued that she, too, was merely following a habit. Gambling felt good, so when Harrah’s sent her tempting offers for free trips to the casino, she couldn’t resist. (Note that Harrah’s knew she was a compulsive gambler who had already declared bankruptcy.)

In the end, Thomas was acquitted and many, including the trial judge, expressed great sympathy for him. Bachman, on the other hand, lost her case and was the object of considerable public scorn.

Both Thomas and Bachman could quite plausibly claim: “It wasn’t me. It was my habits!” So why was only one of them acquitted?

Quite simply, once we become aware of a harmful habit, it becomes our responsibility to address and change it. Thomas didn’t know he would hurt anyone in his sleep. Bachman, however, knew she had a gambling habit, and could have avoided Harrah’s offers by participating in an exclusion program that would’ve prohibited gambling companies from marketing to her.

Final summary

The key message in these blinks: Following habits is not only a key part of our lives but also a key part of organizations and companies. All habits comprise a cue-routine-reward loop, and the easiest way to change this is to substitute something else for the routine while keeping the cue and reward the same. Achieving lasting change in life is difficult, but it can be done by focusing on important keystone habits such as willpower.

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY BY RENÉE MAUBORGNE AND W. CHAN KIM (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

What’s in it for me? Conquer uncontested market space.

Every business asks themselves the same question: how can we beat out the competition? And almost every business comes up with the same answer: we need to become bigger, better, and faster to outperform our rivals.

But what if your business didn’t have to beat the competition because there wasn’t any? What if you could enjoy unlimited growth without worrying about limited demand? This isn’t some idle fantasy but a strategic approach that a handful of successful businesses have already made reality. How did they do it? And how can your business do the same? This short Blink will give you a taste.

Escape your competition by setting sail to a blue ocean.

When you establish a new business, competition can be brutal. Whether you’re selling wine, audio books, or life insurance, the market for a product can only get so big. So you’re left to fight with hundreds of other companies for your share of a limited demand. No surprise that America’s most popular business TV show is called Shark Tank! Markets today are like oceans, swarming with hungry companies ready to kill each other. There’s so much blood in the water, we can call these markets red oceans.

But every once in a while, a company emerges that seems to sail past all the competition. These are businesses that rise fast, grow uncontested, and seem to play by their own rules. What are they doing differently?

Well, instead of fighting over scraps in red oceans, these businesses navigate uncharted territory: blue oceans. You can think of blue oceans as all the markets we haven’t yet discovered, for products and services that don’t yet exist. Demand isn’t limited because demand isn’t there – it has to be created. But this isn’t a handicap, it’s an opportunity. Because if the size of your market isn’t limited, neither are your growth and profits.

In blue oceans, the water isn’t bloodied by cut-throat competition. It’s deep, clear, and full of undiscovered potential. The blue ocean strategy gives you the methodology and tools to conquer such uncontested markets. The basic tenet is this: It’s true that the space in a certain industry might be limited. But who’s to say that a business can’t create an entirely new industry?

Let’s look at an example of this in action: famous Canadian circus company Cirque du Soleil. With its extraordinary variety shows, Cirque du Soleil has entertained millions of people worldwide. On top of that, it’s made record profits. Not something you would expect from a circus company! How did the company do it?

Well, Cirque du Soleil did two interesting things. First, it got rid of the old circus staple of animal acts. Then, it supplemented its human acts with live music and compelling storylines. The first move reduced costs while the second introduced exciting new elements into the world of circus. In effect, Cirque du Soleil created a blue ocean: it carved out an entirely new market for artistic theater experiences. And people love it.

Lower your costs and differentiate yourself.

Perhaps you find the example of a circus company a bit too eclectic? No problem. There are thousands of other businesses that have successfully implemented a blue ocean strategy. Companies like Ford, Nintendo, Netflix, Nespresso, Yellow Tail, Southwest Airlines, and even The Body Shop. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how they succeeded.

But first, a few more words about red oceans. In red oceans – industries that are already established – everyone plays by agreed rules. Not so long ago, these rules might have looked something like this: “Movies can be bought or rented.” “Wine needs to have an air of sophistication.” “Air travel is expensive.” But in blue oceans, none of these rules apply. Blue oceans are actively shaped by the actions of the industry players who create them.

Let’s be clear – you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to establish a blue ocean. Often, a few little tweaks are enough to set a product apart from its competitors and create a new market. It’s really quite simple: Take a close look at your industry as it is right now. Then think about which factors you can Raise, Eliminate, Reduce, and Create. Let’s go through these points step-by-step with examples.

Raise. Think about how you can elevate the product quality, price point, or service standards of your industry. Southwest Airlines did this when it became the first US airline to make domestic flights quick, easy, and affordable for everyone.

Eliminate. Consider which aspects of your product or service can be cut completely. Remember how Cirque du Soleil got rid of costly and unethical animal acts? Every industry has some outdated practice they’d be better off abandoning.

Reduce. Look at which production processes, product features or service offers you can reduce. Australian wine brand Yellow Tail, for instance, decided to reduce its focus on prestigious vineyards and the aging process in favor of affordable wines with broad appeal.

Create. Brainstorm what new features you can offer your customers. Netflix is a premium example of this that barely needs an explanation: it was the first company to offer on-demand streaming for movies and TV shows.

Ideally, considering these questions will help you do two things: lower your costs and differentiate your business from the competition. And that’s really all you need to create a blue ocean. Even more so, if your company keeps addressing these four factors – that’s raise, eliminate, reduce, and create –, it will stay one step ahead of the competition at all times.

Final summary

In this short Blink, you’ve learned about the difference between red and blue oceans. Rather than competing for limited market space, successful businesses often capture new markets with unlimited potential. They’re discovered by raising, eliminating, reducing, and creating industry factors in a way that lowers costs and sets your business apart from the competition.

ORIGINALS BY ADAM GRANT (COURTESY OF BLINKIST) [THE HOW]

What’s in it for me? Embrace the original in you!

We have all heard of that elusive quality known as “originality.” But while it remains something highly coveted, referring to someone as an “original” can also bring up connotations of eccentricity or weirdness.

So, can there be originality without originals?

These blinks look at the ways in which you can be non-conformist and original without getting shunned, as well as some of the originals who have challenged the status quo and pushed innovation throughout history.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

how your choice of web browser can indicate whether you’re original or not; why advocating against your innovative idea is a great way to get people on board; and how procrastination paved the way for one of the most famous speeches in history.

Originality is your key to a fulfilling career.

Look in any dictionary and it’ll tell you that originality is the quality of having a unique or singular character. But what’s an original? In today’s context, originals are people who not only dream up novel ideas and shake up the status quo, but who also take the initiative to make their unique vision a reality.

Even the smallest things can identify an original. Economist Michael Housman discovered in his research that a certain percentage of customer service employees stayed in their jobs far longer than others. Seeking clues, he discovered a surprising link between how long someone kept their job and their choice of internet browser. Sounds crazy, right?

Get this: employees who installed browsers other than the default Internet Explorer were not only more likely to keep their jobs, they were also more likely to take initiative, confront challenges and find new solutions. In the end, the tendency to install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox was tied to problem-solving abilities that, in turn, allowed these employees to stay in their jobs an average of 15 percent longer.

As for the other employees who simply used built-in browsers, they approached their roles in the same conventional way as they used the internet. They accepted the standards given to them and were unable to solve problems, which eventually made them sick of their jobs.

If you want to survive in the working world, your best bet is to become an original. The good news is, anyone can do it. Though we might not all be able to found our own companies, compose a musical masterpiece or alter the course of history with a stirring speech, we all have unique ideas with the potential to improve our work, our communities and our relationships.

Putting new ideas out there requires courage and the determination not to back down when you want change to happen. The first step toward becoming an original is overcoming your fear of taking action and standing up for your own ideas. But how? Find out in the next blinks.

Quantity leads to quality when it comes to generating great ideas.

Legend has it that physicist Isaac Newton was relaxing under a tree when an apple fell on his head. In a flash of brilliance, Newton was inspired to develop his law of universal gravitation. Unfortunately, great ideas like this usually don’t fall from trees; new ideas require hard work.

When it comes to idea generation, what’s more important – quantity or quality? As it happens, they’re equally important, specifically because quantity paves the way for quality in brainstorming. Psychologist Dean Simonton, renowned for his study of creative productivity, demonstrated in his research that highly creative individuals don’t necessarily produce better ideas; rather, they just make more of them.

By creating a larger volume of work, they had a higher probability of developing a small handful of brilliant ideas. For instance, Picasso’s entire body of work includes countless rugs and prints, 2,800 ceramics, 1,800 paintings, 1,200 sculptures and more than 12,000 drawings. And yet, only a small number of these pieces gave Picasso his success and status as an international art icon.

In other words, when it comes to quantity and quality, you can’t have one without the other!

Another of Simonton’s findings demonstrated that even geniuses can’t tell which of their works will become timeless classics and which ones will flop. So, again, the more you produce, the better. Simonton found that Beethoven judged his work quite differently than later experts did. Comparing letters where Beethoven rated 70 of his own compositions with the evaluations of contemporary critics, Simonton calculated that Beethoven had disagreed with them about 33 percent of the time!

Generating ideas, and lots of them, is the first step to unlocking your creative potential. But you shouldn’t see your brain as a creativity factory, pumping out original ideas the way cars are manufactured on an assembly line.

To create great ideas, we need to take it slow. That could mean taking a detour and procrastinating, or just making the time here and there to relax under a tree!

Procrastination can work creative wonders when you use it strategically.

Procrastinating, we’re told, is your productivity’s arch-nemesis; but is this really the case?

Leaving stuff to the last minute makes us more creative by forcing us to improvise. Would you have guessed that Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous line was the result of procrastination? King was set to give a speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, but didn’t even start writing the speech until the night before.

King’s iconic “I have a dream” line was partially improvised – gospel singer Mahalia Jackson cried out during King’s speech, imploring him, “Tell them about the dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!” King abandoned his script and began to speak freely about his inspiring vision of the American future.

King’s speech is a fantastic example of the Zeigarnik effect. The phenomenon, named after Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, describes the way that our mind stays open to new ideas and insights, even after we attempt to finish a task and give up. Essentially, King’s unfinished speech left room for his brain to come up with brilliant lines.

For great originals, procrastination is a key strategy. It allows them to make gradual progress while remaining open to a range of possibilities. Leonardo da Vinci is another example of history’s prolific procrastinators. He began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503, then abandoned the project before returning to the painting some years later. The Mona Lisa was finally completed in 1519, 16 years later!

Historian William Pannapacker believes that this allowed da Vinci to procrastinate in a calculated way, experimenting with optical illusions and new painting techniques. Without this experimentation, and the procrastination that created the space for it, we may never have had the Mona Lisa or other brilliant works by original thinkers.

Admitting your weaknesses during a pitch will garner you more support.

Have you ever gotten a less-than-encouraging response to what you thought was your best idea yet? Rest assured, it’s not always because your idea is useless! There are a few common factors behind rejections.

For one thing, voicing an opinion that threatens to upset the status quo can be a threat to your business career and your network. A massive study conducted across nonprofit, service, retail and manufacturing companies revealed that the more frequently employees voiced their ideas and concerns to their superiors, the less likely they were to receive raises and promotions over a two-year period.

This is quite a troubling trend! So, what can you do to get people on board with your ideas? Strangely enough, your best option is to tell people why they should not accept your proposals. Start by being open about the shortcomings of your projects; this will surprise your audience and show them that you’re an honest person regardless of the situation.

This is what entrepreneur couple Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman did when presenting their online parenting magazine and blog network “Babble” to potential backers. To their audience’s great surprise, Griscom was up-front and told them that their website’s user engagement was lower than they’d expected, 40 percent of the news on the site was taken up by seemingly irrelevant celebrity gossip and their back end was in major need of an update.

Though it sounds like they were shooting themselves in the foot, investors were charmed by their approach. They trusted them, and Babble brought in $3.3 million in funding before being acquired by Disney in 2011.

Make radical ideas familiar by getting them out there often and finding common points of reference.

Do you think you look better in the mirror or in a candid photo? Most of us would prefer the reflection we see in the bathroom. Photos of ourselves can be cringeworthy and off-putting. Why is this? Well, because we’re seeing ourselves from an unfamiliar angle. It’s a classic human tendency to reject things that aren’t familiar to us – even our own images!

As you might have guessed, this presents another hurdle to dreaming up original ideas. But there are strategies you can implement to make even the most conventional coworker feel comfortable with your unorthodox solutions.

One of these is the mere exposure effect, where repeating yourself will give others time to warm up to your ideas. Research shows that exposing people to new ideas more often will make them more receptive over time. So, speak up and repeat yourself!

To make this easier, keep your ideas short and snappy, blend them with other ideas to show their different applications and be prepared to keep pushing your solutions for as long as necessary. Keep at it, and you’ll be surprised by how your peers’ responses improve!

Another useful strategy for making new ideas seem less controversial is to frame them in a familiar context. When the idea for the animated classic The Lion King was first pitched to Disney, producers were initially turned off by its dark storyline.

But in a meeting between scriptwriters and Disney executives, CEO Michael Eisner and producer Maureen Donley turned things around by highlighting the film’s similarities to Shakespeare’s King Lear and Hamlet. This was enough to persuade the producers, who were much more enthusiastic once the unconventional storyline was tied to a common point of reference.

The Lion King went on to become 1994’s highest-grossing film and the recipient of two Academy Awards. This example illustrates how great ideas can become a reality when their novelty is offset with familiar elements to win support.

The best collaborators are the ones that love to prove you wrong.

Regardless of what you’re pursuing, if you only listen to people who praise you, you probably won’t get very far. It might not be pleasant, but sometimes you need a bit of criticism to help you grow.

This was illustrated in a pivotal experiment by psychologist Charlan Nemeth. Groups of participants were asked to hire one of three possible job candidates. The first candidate, John, was presented as having the best skillset for the job.

Even so, some of the participants showed a preference for the less qualified candidate, Ringo. But when some participants argued in favor of the third candidate, George, the chance that the participants would end up hiring the best-qualified candidate quadrupled. How can we make sense of this?

By throwing a minority opinion into the mix that differs from the two leading views, the consensus is disrupted. Group members are then pushed to assess the situation for themselves and not simply follow what others are thinking. This is a great strategy to break up groupthink and encourage everyone to share their real opinions.

Groupthink occurs when people organized in groups prioritize avoiding conflict and reaching consensus over making the best choice possible. This concept, developed by Yale research psychologist Lester Irving Janis, is the underlying problem in poor team decision making. Another way to prevent groupthink hindering your own creativity is to surround yourself with people who constantly question your ideas.

This was the strategy used by Ben Kohlmann, a founding member of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC), when his team began to work on innovative ideas for the navy. They succeeded in creating a whole range of creative solutions and were even the first to bring a 3D printer on a ship to print spare parts in case something broke while at sea.

This creativity wouldn’t have been possible without the powerful group dynamic that emerged as a result of Kohlmann’s calculated decision making. He chose junior officers with a track record of facing discipline as a result of challenging authority. Though these officers all had their own backgrounds and objectives, uniting their disruptive mindset with a common goal created the perfect environment for creativity.

Learn to disguise your ideas to get the supporters you need.

Though you might have a network of people who share the same goals and values as you, it’s no guarantee that they’ll support your ideas. If you want dependable allies, you need to win over your peers by hitting the right tone in your messaging. The trick is not to go over the top, but also to keep people interested.

Though we tend to think that common goals are what brings a team together, research has shown that the opposite is true. Dartmouth College psychologists Judith White and Ellen Langer illustrate this finding through the theory of horizontal hostility; this is a form of prejudice that surfaces in relationships between members of the same minority group.

For instance, the most dedicated members of radical political groups tend to attack each other more than they confront impostors and sell-outs within their movement, even though they share the same set of core values.

You can avoid horizontal hostility in your team by making your ideas seem a little less radical. To do this, you’ll need a disguise – or even a Trojan horse! The goal is, after all, not to convince people to change their attitudes entirely, but to connect with the values you know they already believe in.

Meredith Perry, the inventor of wireless power solutions for charging electronic equipment, received little support when she first presented her ideas to her physics professors and engineers. They all unanimously agreed that it was simply not possible at the time to charge electronic devices through waves passing through the air. So what did Perry do? She changed her tactics and used a Trojan horse.

By disguising her idea and telling people that she simply wanted to design a transducer, and not one that sent power wirelessly, she received a lot more support: her idea was interesting, but not too far-fetched. Collaborators and funders were much more willing to team up with her, and Perry was able to create her product and company, uBeam, which today provides innovative wireless charging solutions.

As we can see, it’s not enough simply to have creative ideas – you have to know how to find the right supporters and collaborators to make them a reality.

Final summary

The key message in this book: Unleash your creative potential by developing lots of ideas and sharing your best ones with others. To further boost your creativity, surround yourself with disruptive thinkers and make them feel comfortable about sharing their opinions. Learn to make your original idea seem familiar, accessible and appealing to get the support you need, and you’ll be ready to turn your unique plans into real-world solutions.

RANGE BY DAVID EPSTEIN (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

What’s in it for me? Learn why taking a wide-ranging approach to life will pay off.

In our complex and cutthroat world, there’s a lot of pressure to get a head start and specialize early. Many successful people, such as Tiger Woods, start to focus on one path early in life. But delve a little deeper, and it becomes clear that it’s generalists, not specialists, who are primed to excel.

Generalists may take a little longer to find their path in life, but they are more creative, can make connections between diverse fields that specialists cannot. This makes them more innovative and, ultimately, more impactful.

Drawing on examples from medicine to academia to sport, these blinks explore how breadth and range are far more powerful than specialized expertise. They also show that experts often judge their own fields more narrowly than open-minded, intellectually curious amateurs do.

In these blinks, you’ll learn; what comic books have to tell us about the ingredients of success, how the complexity of modern life has changed the way we think, and why you should be a Roger; not a Tiger.

Starting early and specializing is fashionable, but has dubious merit.

At the age of ten months old, Tiger Woods picked up his first miniature golf club. At two, he showed off his golf drive on national television. Later that same year, he entered and won his first tournament in the under ten category. Tiger Woods embodies a now popular idea that the key to success in life is to specialize, get a head start and practice intensively.

This trend toward specialization doesn’t only show up in the sports world. In fact, it’s also true of academia, our complex financial system and medicine. Oncologists, for example, now rarely focus on cancer alone. Rather, they specialize in cancer of a particular organ. The writer and surgeon Atul Gawande notes that when doctors joke about right-ear surgeons, we shouldn’t be so quick to assume they don’t actually exist.

But is specializing really the way to go? Simply put, no. In many walks of life, building up experience in just one field doesn’t help performance. In a 2009 paper, psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Gary Klein explored the connection between experience and performance.

Klein shows that experience counts in certain fields. For firefighters, for example, years of focused experience trains them to recognize patterns in the behavior of flames, which enables them to make 80 percent of their on-the-job decisions instinctively in seconds.

But Kahneman found that in other areas, experience counted for nothing. Studying the assessment of officer candidates in the Israeli Defence Forces, he found that recruiters’ predictions of a recruit’s future performance, based on physical and mental abilities, were no more reliable than guesswork. Crucially, as the recruiters received more and more feedback after multiple recruitment rounds, they didn’t get any better at making predictions. Kahneman concluded that there was a complete disconnect between experience and performance.

Some fields of life resemble golf or firefighting. While not necessarily easy, they offer recurring patterns or simple rules that govern decision-making. But there are many more fields of life, like army recruitment, that are much more nebulous and require the creativity and flexibility that generalization offers.

Experimentation is as reliable a route to expertise as early specialization.

In 2006, a now 31-year-old Tiger Woods watched Roger Federer win the US Open final for the third year in a row. Both were at the peak of their powers. As they sipped champagne together in the locker room afterward, Federer felt he had never connected with someone who understood his feeling of invincibility so well. They became firm friends. But, as Roger later told a biographer, his story was very different from Tiger’s.

Roger’s mom was a tennis coach, but if she ever felt tempted to coach him, she resisted it. As a young boy, he dabbled in squash, skiing, wrestling, skateboarding, basketball, tennis and badminton. Later, he gave credit to this range of sports experience for helping his hand-eye coordination and athleticism.

Over time, he found that he liked sports with balls. He moved toward tennis as a teenager, but not intensively. In fact, when his instructors recognized his talent and tried to move him to a group of older players, he asked to stay in the group with his friends. Roger Federer’s winding path to tennis success points to the fact that sampling, rather than specialization, can often be the best route to eventual success.

And plenty of evidence across multiple disciplines supports this. This is true even in an area like music, where plenty of outstanding musicians do specialize young. World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, for instance, started playing music at a very young age. But what many people don’t know is that Ma first tried violin and piano, and only moved to the cello because he didn’t like the first two.

Yo-Yo Ma isn’t alone in this. In a study of students at a British boarding school, music psychologist John Sloboda found that every one of the students who attended structured music lessons early in their development was categorized by the school as “average,” while not one was “exceptional.” In contrast, those children identified as exceptional were those who had tried out three instruments.

So, if you haven’t yet found your calling, experiment. You could take Vincent van Gogh as inspiration. He tried everything from working in bookstores to teaching and art dealing to preaching before finding his calling as an artist who changed painting forever.

Let’s find out how this works.

Living in a complex world has increased the average person’s IQ and ability to think abstractly.

In 1981, James Flynn, a professor of political studies from the beautiful hilly town of Dunedin in New Zealand, changed the way we think about thinking.

Flynn stumbled upon reports of IQ test scores of American troops that showed dramatic improvement between the two World Wars. The same score that placed a World War I soldier in the 50th percentile would only land him in the 22nd percentile of World War II troops. Intrigued, Flynn asked researchers in other countries for data. He received IQ test results from the Netherlands that showed similarly huge leaps from generation to generation. He then compiled data from 14 other nations.

In what’s now known as the Flynn effect, this research reveals an average three-point increase in IQ every decade in over 30 countries. But what causes this rapid rise? The work of a Russian psychologist, Alexander Luria, gives us an idea.

In 1931, the Soviet Union was changing rapidly. Remote, essentially premodern villages operating in ways unchanged for centuries were converted to collective farms with industrialized development, planned production and division of labor.

Luria capitalized on this rate of change to conduct unique studies. In one experiment, he asked villagers to sort wools into groups. In more modern villages, people would happily group similar pieces of wool, like those in different shades of blue. But in the remote, still premodern villages, participants simply refused to do so. According to them, each piece of wool was different – it was an impossible task!

Other questions involving conceptual thinking got a similar response. One villager, named Rakmat, was shown a picture of three adults and one child and asked which person did not belong. But Rakmat didn’t think about the question abstractly, as we would, and identify the child as different. Instead, he insisted that the boy must stay with the adults and help them with their work.

Luria’s findings were clear. The more exposure to modernization, the greater the ability to make conceptual connections between objects or abstract notions. Today, our minds are constantly dealing with abstract concepts. We glance at a download progress bar on our computer, for example, and instantly understand its meaning. Our minds are better at understanding a breadth of topics and making connections between ideas than ever before.

And yet, we continue to narrow our conceptual focus.

If you want it to stick, learning should be slow and hard, not quick and easy.

The teachers you liked the most in your educational career might be the ones who taught you the least. A study of teaching at the US Air Force Academy tracked the progress of thousands of students working with hundreds of different professors, starting with Calculus I classes. It found that the professors whose students’ got better grades on the exam were also highly rated in student evaluations. The professors whose students did not receive good grades received harsher student feedback.

But when the economists conducting the study looked at long-term results, there was a twist. The professors who received positive feedback had a net negative effect on their students in the long run. In contrast, those professors who received worse feedback actually inspired better student performance later on.

Rather than teaching to the test, these professors appeared to be facilitating a deeper understanding of underlying math concepts. It made their classes frustrating and difficult, hence the poor grades and student evaluations. But it paid off in the long run. Those professors were using desirable difficulties – harder, but ultimately more rewarding, ways to learn.

There are certain techniques we can all use that embrace desirable difficulties. One such technique is spacing, which means leaving time between learning something and practicing it. Consider a 1987 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. This study separated Spanish students into two groups, testing one group on vocabulary that they had learned the same day, and the other group weeks later. Eight years later, and with no further study in the interim, the two groups were tested again. The results showed that the latter group could remember over 200 percent more words.

Even short-term spacing is effective. In a 1972 study, researchers at Iowa State University read people a series of words. The first group of participants was asked to recite the words straight away. Another group was asked to recite them after being distracted for fifteen seconds by some simple math problems.

The first group did considerably better than the group that was distracted. But later the same day, the participants were asked to write down each word they could recall. This time, the group that previously performed worse did the best. The process of working hard to recall the information in the first instance had helped them move it from short-term to long-term memory.

So, don’t get too excited by quick progress when you learn. Embrace hard, slow learning. It will pay off in the long run.

A narrow focus is unhelpful, and a remedy for this is to think outside the box.

In some environments, dealing with specialists is desirable. If you need an operation, you probably want a doctor who specializes in the procedure and has done it many times before. However, as we benefit from more reflection and thinking, this narrow focus can be unhelpful.

For example, cardiologists use stents – metal tubes that hold blood vessels open – to treat chest pain so often that they often do so reflexively, even in situations that may be dangerous or inappropriate. This explains a 2015 study by Dr. Anupam Jena of Harvard Medical School. The study found that patients with cardiac arrest or heart failure were actually less likely to die if they were admitted to hospital while top cardiologists were away.

Other fields also point to the benefits of looking at problems with an outside view, rather than the inside view dictated by your own particular specialty.

In a study by University of Sydney professor Dan Lovallo, private equity investors were asked to provide a detailed assessment of businesses they were considering investing in, including their estimated return on investment. The investors were then asked to write notes about some other projects with broad similarities, like another tech start-up or an infrastructure project.

It turned out that the investors’ estimates of returns for the businesses they were actually planning to invest in were around 50 percent higher than for those alternative projects they had identified but not looked at in detail. The investors were shocked to discover the differences, and quickly slashed their estimated profit for their original potential investments.

As further psychological research has repeatedly shown, the more details we consider about something, the more extreme our judgments become. In one example, students rated a university higher when told that only certain science departments, rather than all science departments, were ranked in the national top ten.

Clearly, failing to see things from a broad perspective can lead to some bad calls.

A breadth of experience and interest drives innovation.

Comic books can tell us a surprising amount about range and success. When Dartmouth business professor Alva Taylor and Henrik Greve from the Norwegian School of Management decided to examine the impact of individual breadth on creative impact, they chose to study comics.

Tracking the careers of comic creators and the commercial success of thousands of comic books from 1971 onward, they made some predictions about what would boost the average value of a comic. They predicted that the more comics a creator made, the better the comics would be. Further, they thought that the more resources a publisher had, the higher quality and more successful its product would be.

All these assumptions were wrong. Neither experience nor financial resources bred success. What did drive success was the breadth of a comic creator’s experience across comic genres. Of 22 genres, the more a creator had worked in, from comedy to crime, fantasy to non-fiction, the more successful they were. But this link between breadth and success isn’t just the case in creative or artistic worlds.

Andy Ouderkirk, an inventor at the multinational company 3M, was named Innovator of the Year in 2013 and has been named on 170 patents, a proxy for creative success. He became fascinated with what generates successful and inventive teams, so he started to do some research. He found that the inventors who were most likely to succeed within 3M and win the company’s Carlton Award, which recognized innovation, were not specialists. They were polymaths, people with one area of depth, but a great deal of expertise in other areas as well.

These polymaths tended to have many patents in their area of focus, but also repeatedly took expertise gathered in one area and applied it to another. A study of prestigious scientists led by Robert Root Bernstein, a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University, confirm Ouderkirk’s findings. Comparing Nobel prize-winning scientists to other scientists, the figures show that Nobel laureates are a full 22 times more likely to be an amateur actor, magician, dancer or performer.

So, for any hiring managers out there looking for fresh talent, here’s a plea. Don’t just look for people who fit into your clearly-defined slots. Make some space for those who don’t fit so clearly into any one category. Their breadth of experience might be invaluable.

The experts and pundits that our society listens to are usually hopeless at making predictions.

During 20 years of the Cold War, world-renowned forecasting expert Philip Tetlock collected and assessed the predictions of 284 experts. He concluded that experts are absolutely terrible at making predictions about anything.

Tetlock found that an expert’s years of experience, academic degree and even ability to access classified information made no difference. When experts said that some potential event was impossible, it happened in 15 percent of cases. Events declared to be an absolute sure thing failed to occur 25 percent of the time.

And worryingly for anyone who listens to cable news, Tetlock found that there was a perverse and inverse relationship between fame and accuracy. The more an expert appeared in the news, the more likely they were to be wrong, or as Tetlock famously put it, “roughly as accurate as a dart-throwing chimpanzee.”

One of the problems was that many of the experts’ focus was too narrow. Having spent entire careers studying a single issue – say, US-Soviet relations – they tended to have explicit theories about how it worked. So, what makes a better forecaster of future events? Well, researchers like psychologist Jonathan Baron point to active open-mindedness – a willingness to question your own beliefs. Most of us fail at this, and can’t override our strong instinct to cherry-pick evidence that confirms our existing beliefs.

Consider a study run by Yale professor Dan Kahan. Pro and anti-Brexit voters were first tasked with interpreting a set of statistics about the effectiveness of a skin cream. Most participants completed the task successfully. But when presented with the same numbers framed as the link between crime and immigration, many of the participants misinterpreted the statistics according to their political beliefs. The same study has yielded similar results in the US on the topic of gun control.

So, how exactly can we combat our tendency to stick to our existing beliefs, despite the evidence? Kahan argues that one personality feature is important if we want to stay open-minded and think clearly about the world around us. Instead of scientific knowledge – how much you know – emphasize scientific curiosity – a desire to learn more, willingness to look at new evidence and ability to think with a genuinely open mind.

Now, let’s consider how we can embrace this kind of curiosity.

To be more of a generalist, you need to change your attitude toward learning and success.

See if you can answer this question correctly. Disease X has a prevalence of one in 1,000 people. The test for the disease has a false positive rate of five percent. What is the chance that someone receiving a positive test result has the disease?

If your answer was two percent, or 1.96 to be precise, you got it right. And in doing so, you did better than the 75 percent of physicians and students at Harvard and Boston University who got it wrong. Their most frequent answer was 95 percent.

The problem is straightforward if you know how to think about it. In a sample of 10,000 people, ten will have the disease and get a true positive. Five percent, or 500 people, will get a false positive. So out of the 510 people with a positive result, only 10, or 1.96% are ill. Sadly, many students aren’t taught to think openly about such problems. And this, according to Arturo Casadevall – a star in the world of microbiology and immunology – has to change.

In a new role at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Casadevall is developing programs focused on an interdisciplinary understanding of topics such as philosophy, ethics, statistics and logic. One course, called “How do we Know What is True,” examines different types of evidence in various academic disciplines. “Anatomy of Scientific Error” encourages students to hunt for signs of misconduct or poor methodology in scientific research.

Casadevall hopes that, with a more rigorous grounding in reasoning and multidisciplinary thinking, students will be better prepared to make a real impact on our economy and society.

Of course, not all of us hold senior academic positions like Casadevall. What can we do to expand our range? Well, one thing is to embrace failure. Dean Keith Simonton, a creativity researcher, has shown that the more work creators produce, the more failures they produce, but they are also more likely to produce a superstar success. Thomas Edison, for instance, held over 1,000 patents, many of which were ultimately failures. But his successes, like the light bulb, were revolutionary.

Treading a wide-roaming, disorderly path of experimentation may not always bring instant results. But it may just be the best route to greatness in the end.

Final summary

The key message in these blinks: Embracing range, experimentation and breadth of experience is often a better road to success than specialization. Range demands patience, open-mindedness and scientific curiosity. If we can foster and exemplify these, the chances that we will generate major innovations and contribute significantly to our economy and society increase.

THINKING IN BETS BY ANNIE DUKES (COURTESY OF BLINKIST) CROUPIER COMPTABLE PSYCHOLOGY

Human minds tend to confuse decisions with their outcomes, which makes it hard to see mistakes clearly.

Super Bowl XLIX ended in controversy. With 26 seconds left in the game, everyone expected Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll to tell his quarterback, Russell Wilson, to hand the ball off. Instead, he told Wilson to pass. The ball was intercepted, the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl, and, by the next day, public opinion about Carroll had turned nasty. The headline in the Seattle Times read: “Seahawks Lost Because of the Worst Call in Super Bowl History”!

But it wasn’t really Carroll’s decision that was being judged. Given the circumstances, it was actually a fairly reasonable call. It was the fact that it didn’t work.

Poker players call this tendency to confuse the quality of a decision with the quality of its outcome resulting, and it’s a dangerous tendency.

A bad decision can lead to a good outcome, after all, and good decisions can lead to bad outcomes

In fact, decisions are rarely 100 percent right or wrong. Our decision-making is like poker players’ bets. We bet on future outcomes based on what we believe is most likely to occur.

So why not look at it this way? If our decisions are bets, we can start to let go of the idea that we’re 100 percent “right” or “wrong," and start to say, “I’m not sure.” This opens us up to thinking in terms of probability, which is far more useful.Volunteering at a charity poker tournament, the author once explained to the crowd that player A’s cards would win 76 percent of the time, giving the other player a 24 percent chance to win. When player B won, a spectator yelled out that she’d been wrong. But, she explained, she’d said that player B’s hand would win 24 percent of the time. She wasn’t wrong. It was just that the actual outcome fell within that 24 percent margin.

If we want to seek out truth, we have to work around our hardwired tendency to believe what we hear.

We all want to make good decisions. But saying, “I believe X to be the best option” first requires good-quality beliefs. Good-quality beliefs are ideas about X that are informed and well thought-out. But we can’t expect to form good-quality beliefs with lazy thinking. Instead, we have to be willing to do some work in the form of truth-seeking. That means we have to strive for truth and objectivity, even when something doesn’t align with the beliefs we hold.

Focusing on accuracy and acknowledging uncertainty is a lot more like truth-seeking, which gets us beyond our resistance to new information and gives us something better on which to bet.

We can learn a lot from outcomes, but it’s difficult to know which have something to teach us.

The best way to learn is often by reviewing our mistakes. Likewise, if we want to improve our future outcomes, we’ll have to do some outcome fielding. Outcome fielding is looking at outcomes to see what we can learn from them.

To become more objective about outcomes, we need to change our habits.

Habits work in neurological loops that have three parts: cue, routine and reward. As Pulitzer-prize-winning reporter Charles Duhigg points out in his book The Power of Habit, the key to changing a habit is to work with this structure, leaving the cue and reward alone but changing the routine.

We can improve our decision-making by being part of a group, but it needs to be the right kind of group.

We’ve all got blind spots, which makes truth-seeking hard. But it’s a little easier when we enlist the help of a group. After all, others can often pick out our errors more easily than we can.

But to be effective, a group dedicated to examining decisions isn’t like any other. It has to have a clear focus, a commitment to objectivity and open-mindedness, and a clear charter that all members understand.

In a decision-examining group committed to objective accuracy, this kind of change is self-reinforcing. Increasing objectivity leads to approval within the group, which then motivates us to strive for ever-greater accuracy by harnessing the deep-seated need for group approval that we all share.

To work together productively, a group needs CUDOS.

Shared commitment and clear guidelines help define a good-quality decision-examining group. But once you’ve got that group, how do you work within it?

You can start by giving each other CUDOS.

CUDOS are the brainchild of influential sociologist Merton R. Schkolnick, guidelines that he thought should shape the scientific community. And they happen also to be an ideal template for groups dedicated to truth-seeking. The C in CUDOS stands for communism. If a group is going to examine decisions together, then it’s important that each member shares all relevant information and strives to be as transparent as possible to get the best analysis. It’s only natural that we are tempted to leave out details that make us look bad, but incomplete information is a tool of our bias. U stands for universalism – using the same standards for evaluating all information, no matter where it came from. When she was starting out in poker, the author tended to discount unfamiliar strategies used by players that she’d labeled as “bad.” But she soon suspected that she was missing something and started forcing herself to identify something that every “bad” player did well. This helped her learn valuable new strategies that she might have missed and understand her opponents much more deeply. D is for disinterestedness and it’s about avoiding bias. As American physicist Richard Feynman noted, we view a situation differently if we already know the outcome. Even a hint of what happens in the end tends to bias our analysis. The author’s poker group taught her to be vigilant about this. But, teaching poker seminars for beginners, she would ask students to examine decision-making by describing specific hands that she’d played, omitting the outcome as a matter of habit. It left students on the edge of their seats, reminding them that outcomes were beside the point! “OS” is for organized skepticism, a trait that exemplifies thinking in bets. In a good group, this means collegial, non-confrontational examination of what we really do and don’t know, which keeps everyone focused on improving their reasoning. Centuries ago, the Catholic church put this into practice by hiring individuals to argue against sainthood during the canonization process – that’s where we get the phrase “devil’s advocate.”

If you know that your group is committed to CUDOS, you’ll be more accountable to these standards in the future. And the future, as we’ll see, can make us a lot smarter about our decisions.

To make better decisions, we need to spend some time in the future.

Temporal Discounting – making decisions that favor our immediate desires at the expense of our future self – is something we all do.

We can also recruit our future feelings using journalist Suzy Welch’s “10-10-10.” A 10-10-10 brings the future into the present by making us ask ourselves, at a moment of decision, how we’ll feel about it in ten minutes, ten months and ten years. We imagine being accountable for our decision in the future and motivate ourselves to avoid any potential regret we might feel.

Backcasting, imagining a future in which everything has worked out, and our goals have been achieved, and then asking, “How did we get there?" This leads to imagining the decisions that have led us to success and also recognizing when our desired outcome requires some unlikely things to happen. If that’s the case, we can either adjust our goals or figure out how to make those things more likely.

Premortems are when we imagine that we’ve failed and ask, “What went wrong?" This helps us identify the possibilities that backcasting might have missed. Over more than 20 years of research, NYU psychology professor Gabrielle Oettingen has consistently found that people who imagine the obstacles to their goals, rather than achieving those goals, are more likely to succeed.

Final summary

The key message in these blinks: You might not be a gambler, but that’s no reason not to think in bets. Whether or not there’s money involved, bets make us take a harder look at how much certainty there is in the things we believe, consider alternatives and stay open to changing our minds for the sake of accuracy. So let go of “right” and “wrong” when it’s decision time, accept that things are always somewhat uncertain and make the best bet you can.

Side Note: I think there is a link between Poker and Financial Psychopathy & Cerebral Narcissism because of the Rewiring of the Brian Benefits of Poker through Dopamine Release.

PITCH ANYTHING BY OREN KLASS (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

PITCH ANYTHING is a fast-paced narrative packed with crystal clear examples illustrating the unique S.T.R.O.N.G. Method, which takes advantage of how the brain really works by Setting the Frame; Telling the Story; Revealing the Intrigue; Offering the Prize; Nailing the Hookpoint; and Getting a Decision.

You must tailor your pitch to the audience’s croc brains.

Everyone should learn to pitch ideas well. In every profession, from dentistry to investment banking, there comes a time when you must convince someone of something. Unfortunately, there is a gap between what we are trying to tell our audience and how they perceive it. To understand this gap and overcome it, we must look at the evolution of the human brain.

Basically, the human brain has evolved in three separate stages, resulting in three distinct parts: the primitive reptilian part, the croc brain, developed first. It’s a simple device primarily focused on survival and it can generate strong emotions, like the desire to flee a predator. Next, the midbrain developed. It allows us to understand more complex situations, such as social interactions. Finally, the sophisticated neocortex evolved, facilitating reasoning and analysis to understand complex things.

When you pitch, you use your neocortex to put into words the ideas you are trying to convey. Unfortunately, your audience doesn’t at first process these ideas with their neocortices. Instead, it is the audience’s primitive croc brains that receive the ideas and they ignore everything that is not new and exciting. Worse still, if your message seems abstract and unfathomable to the croc brain, it might perceive the message as a threat. This will make your audience want to flee to escape the situation.

This is why you must tailor your pitch to the croc brain. Since croc brains are simple, your message should be clear, concrete and focused on the big picture. You also need to ensure the croc brain sees your message as something positive and novel, which deserves to be passed on to the higher brain structures.

To secure your target’s attention, you must create desire and tension.

The one critical thing you need throughout your pitch is the attention of your target. To successfully attain this, research has shown that you must evoke two sensations in your pitch: desire and tension. Desire arises when you offer your target a reward, and tension arises when you show them they might lose something, like an opportunity, as a result of this social encounter. On a neurological level, this effectively floods your target’s brain with two neurotransmitters: dopamine and norepinephrine.

Dopamine is a chemical associated with anticipating rewards — desire. One such reward would be the pleasure of understanding something new, such as solving a puzzle. Thus, to increase the level of dopamine in your target’s brain, you must introduce novelty through a pleasant surprise, like an unexpected yet entertaining product demo.

Norepinephrine, on the other hand, is the chemical responsible for alertness and it creates tension in the target. If your pitch convinces them that there is a lot at stake here, their brains will be flooded with norepinephrine.

To create tension, you must create a bit of low level conflict with a push-pull strategy. This means first saying something to push the target away, like, “Maybe we aren’t a good match for each other.” You then counter this by pulling the target back toward you with something like, “But if we are, that would be terrific.”

This push-pull dynamic creates alertness in the target, as they sense that they might lose this opportunity. Depending on the situation, you may use very powerful push-pull statements, especially if you sense your target’s attention beginning to wane.

To control a meeting, you must first establish frame control.

Different people will see any given situation from a different perspective or point of view based on their intelligence, ethics and values. These perspectives are called frames, and they dictate how we perceive social situations such as meetings and sales pitches. Frames also determine who controls those situations.

When two people meet, their individual frames crash into each other. Only one frame can survive such an encounter — the stronger one. For example, let’s assume a cop pulls you over for speeding. He has a strong moral-authority frame and you only have a weak “I’m so sorry officer”-frame. It is clear that when your frames clash, his frame will prevail. This means he will control every aspect of the encounter: from its duration to its content and tone.

You will often face a similar clash of frames in a business environment; for example, a customer may be focused on the price of your product while you are focused on its quality. You will both try to get the other to focus on what you think is important.

If it is your frame that survives this clash, you will have frame control in the situation meaning your ideas and statements will be accepted as facts by the customer. This is a crucial advantage in any pitch. Without frame control, you are unlikely to convince anyone of anything.

You will often encounter the power frame, time frame and analyst frame, hence you must know how to counter them.

In a pitch or sales meeting you will often encounter certain archetypes of frames, and it is important you choose strong with which to counter them.

Typically, your target will use the power frame which exudes arrogance. You must not do anything that validates the other person’s power. Instead, use small acts of defiance and denial to bust the frame; for example, by yanking your presentation material away from the target if they do not seem to be taking it seriously.

Another oft-used frame is the time frame, where your customer asserts control over time: “I only have ten more minutes.” This is meant to push you off balance, but you can always counter with: “That’s fine, I only have five.”

A particularly lethal frame is the analyst frame, denoted by a fixation on details and numbers. If your opponent is in this frame, they will likely insist on drilling down into minor technical and financial details, effectively bogging down your pitch.

In such situations, give a direct but high-level answer to the question asked and get right back to your pitch. Analysis comes later. Before more questions come up, counter the analyst frame with your own intrigue frame. This basically means you tell a compelling personal story and leave it unfinished as a cliffhanger: “… so there we were, in a pitch black, falling airplane with no idea what was going to happen. Anyway, back to the pitch …" This redirects the focus of the room onto you and makes the discussion personal once again.

Use prizing to make the target seek your acceptance.

The most important frame you should be able to use is the prize frame, as it works in a variety of situations against many opposing frames.

Typically when you’re selling something or pitching an idea, your target will tend to see their money as the “prize” of the meeting, something you have to fight for. You must reframe the situation so that you are the prize and they would be lucky to do business with you.

Because people tend to want things they can’t have, prizing yourself will make your target work for your acceptance instead of the other way around. BMW does this with a special-edition M3. The company demands prospective buyers sign a contract assuring they will take proper care of the car, otherwise they cannot buy one.

In a pitching situation, never engage in behavior that makes it seem as if you are chasing the target, for example by agreeing to last minute schedule changes or trying to prematurely close the deal by saying things like, “So, what do you think so far?” Such behavior only reinforces the impression that the target is the prize. Instead, get your target to explicitly qualify themselves to you; for example, you could say, “I am very particular about with whom I work. Why should I do business with you?” This usually catches them off guard and they start trying to impress you.

Stack frames to trigger hot cognitions.

Contrary to popular belief, we are more prone to making choices instinctively than through rational analysis. In fact, we often make a decision about something before we even fully understand it and only later come up with reasons for that decision. These gut calls are called hot cognitions, whereas the decisions arrived at through rational reasoning are known as cold cognitions.

After you’ve introduced your big pitch idea, you want to trigger hot cognitions within your target. These will make him or her want what you have to offer in mere seconds, instead of analyzing your pitch for days to reach a rational, cold decision. You trigger the hot cognitions by stacking frames, meaning you introduce multiple frames in quick succession.

The first frame is the intrigue frame: you tell your target a compelling story, a personal narrative where a dilemma is solved. At the crucial juncture, you stop telling the story, leaving your target on the edge of their seat, ensuring their full attention.

Next, you pile on the prize frame, where you flip the tables on the target: instead of trying to impress them, make them qualify themselves to you. You could say something like, “This deal has so many investors after it, I have to choose who to take on board.”

After this, you stack on the time frame by adding time pressure to the pitch: “Unfortunately, this is a limited-time offer, and the train, so to speak, is leaving the station on Monday.” This will make the target feel like they are losing an opportunity, at which point they will want it even more.

By triggering all these hot cognitions in the target, you will leave them drooling for what you have to offer.

Don’t be needy – make the target chase you.

Neediness, otherwise known as validation-seeking behavior, is a sign of weakness and it can be absolutely fatal to your pitch. If you act needy, the audience will sense you are weak and their primitive croc brains will classify your proposal as a threat – to their money. This can easily push you into a vicious cycle where the audience becomes more and more distant due to your neediness, which in turn makes you anxious and even needier!

To negate neediness, you can use a simple three-step formula based on the movie The Tao of Steve, where the protagonist, Dex, follows a pseudo-Taoist philosophy to pick up women.

First, try to eliminate your desires, at least in the eyes of the target. If they have something you desperately want, this will translate as neediness in you. To negate this, make it clear to the target that you do not need them.

Second, focus on the things you do well, your strengths. Demonstrate something that showcases your excellence. Dex, for instance, was great with children and made sure the target of his affections saw this. Similarly, you must demonstrate excellence in front of your target.

Third, withdraw. At the crucial moment when your target expects you to chase them for their money, withdraw instead by saying something like, “I’m not totally convinced we’re a good match for each other.” This will make them chase you, much like the women in the Tao of Steve chased Dex.

To pitch effectively, you must attain situational alpha status.

Status plays a vital part in any social encounter. In any meeting, a dominant member known as an alpha emerges, while others take subordinate beta-positions. It is very difficult to be persuasive from a beta-position; hence, you must grab alpha status.

Though some elements of status, like your reputation or wealth, are quite stable, situational status can vary immensely; for example, while a successful surgeon has considerably higher social status than a golf teacher, the teacher is still the alpha during a golf lesson.

Often your pitch targets will lay so-called beta traps to force you into the situational beta position; for example, being made to wait in the lobby is a classic beta trap.

You must try to ignore these traps and avoid doing anything that enforces your opponent’s alpha status. Instead, use small acts of defiance and denial to grab the situational alpha status for yourself as soon as you can.

Say a customer has made you wait in the lobby. Once in the meeting room, you could begin examining some papers on the table in front of you. When the customer peeks at them, you could yank them away and say something like, “Nope, not until I’m ready.” If done in a good-natured, half-joking manner, this enforces your alpha position.

Once you have alpha status, you must then steer the discussion into a direction where you are the expert, much like the golf professional talks about golf, not heart surgery, when teaching the surgeon. To solidify your status, force your opponent to say something that reinforces your alpha position with a good-natured jest, like, “Remind me, why on earth should I work with you guys on this?”

Keep your pitch short and simple.

Before you begin any pitch, let your target know you will keep the presentation short. This will put them at ease. When Watson and Crick presented their Nobel Prize-winning idea of the DNA helix, they only needed five minutes. If you know what you are doing, you can pitch anything in twenty.

Start your pitch by introducing yourself. This does not mean rattling off your entire résumé but just outlining your greatest successes, like projects where you really did something impressive.

Most people will be tempted to jump right to the “big idea” for which they’re trying to get financing. But before you get to it, you should address one crucial concern in your target’s mind. Namely, you must explain why now is the right time to invest.

Rather than a long and complex analysis, simply outline the economic, social and technological forces which make your deal unmissable right now. Economic forces that benefit your pitch, for example, could be your target customers becoming wealthier and interest rates going down, the social forces could be the rising consumer concern for the environment, and the technological force could be the development of the electric car. You must present these forces in a way that shows a window of opportunity has recently opened but will not remain open forever.

The three forces set the stage and paint a backstory for your big idea, which should also be kept brief and simple. Use an established “recipe” for this: “For [target customers] who are dissatisfied with [current offerings on the market]. My product is a [new idea] that provides [solution to key problem] unlike [competing product]. My product has [key product features].”

That’s it. The time for details comes later.

Final summary

The key message in this book is: In any social encounter where you aim to be persuasive, it is vital that you seize control of the situation and ensure the target sees your pitch through the frame of mind you have chosen. At the same time, you must cater your pitch so that on a neurological level, the target’s brain works for you, not against you.

TRIBES BY SETH GODIN (COURTESY OF BLINKIST)

All Tribes Share 3 Components

A Group of People

A Common Cause

At least one Leader who Represents and Organizes the Tribe

The most important feature for a tribe is the shared cause.

A tribe’s shared cause leads its members to internalize the tribe’s values and ideas as their own. These internalized incentives make tribe members into driven believers instead of mere followers

Don’t engineer your ideas for the masses: make it exclusive and meaningful for a distinct group of people.

Apple set out to produce a new kind of phone that almost no one would initially like, but that a few people would really love.

With today’s technology, everyone can form and lead a tribe.

The first thing to know is that people need to be able to communicate intensely about their shared cause. This means that communication can’t just be vertical – between you (the leader) and the individual tribe members – more importantly, it must be horizontal, between tribe members.

With today’s technology, you have everything you need to facilitate both vertical and horizontal communication. Websites, blogs and social networks allow you not only to spread your cause, but also provide the room and the tools for your tribe to communicate, share ideas and organize. For example, you can use Basecamp to organize projects, and Twitter to share brief updates about developments. At the same time, these websites allow you to set ground rules for participation, and align everyone with your common vision by setting specific goals.

If you have a meaningful cause and the will to lead, people will follow.

Have you ever wondered how many people make up a movement? The answer is around 1,000: that’s the amount of true believers you need for a group to keep moving.

Creating a movement is about organizing an existing yearning into a way that tribe members can connect with each other, and form a movement under your leadership.

As former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley defines it, a movement contains three elements: A narrative that tells the story of the future you’re trying to build; a connection between the leader and the tribe and among the tribe members; and something to do – the fewer limits, the better.

When forming a tribe, don’t worry about making it grow – concentrate on tightening connections.

At least in the beginning, a tribe’s biggest advantage is not its size, but the multiple connections between the members, the leader and the outside world.

In fact, a tribe has four different directions of communication: Leader to tribe, tribe to leader, tribe members to one another and tribe member to outsider. Normal marketing pales in comparison, with communication generally only in one direction: company to market.

The most important of these directions is the communication between members. And this is where tightening a tribe comes in.

Tightening a tribe means bringing members closer together by facilitating communication and tightening their common bonds. You can do this by transforming a shared interest into one passionate goal, and by providing a platform for members to easily connect with each other.

Or you can harness the power of insiders and outsiders. To create a feeling of cohesion, you have to develop a culture of insiders – which inevitably excludes others. This allows the tribe to differentiate itself from other tribes, and create a stronger sense of internal identification.

Leadership is about stepping into a vacuum and creating motion.

For a tribe to form there has to be a particular change that people want to see made. This need for change has to come from a certain discomfort with the status quo, from a sense that there is something missing in the world. A leader steps right into this discomfort zone – the vacuum – and starts to organize so people will follow him.

Leaders do this despite the risks because of two things: they have faith in the cause and they know that innovation is always more effective the earlier it happens – so the sooner the better.

To make the world a better place, we need more heretics and less sheepwalkers.

What we need in the world are more heretics: people who question the status quo and the existing dogmas, and take action without asking for permission. Organizations need more heretics to advocate change from the inside: because if you hire amazing people and give them freedom, they will do amazing things. And tribes need heretics as leaders to break into new territory and help change the world.

SUISSE CAMBRIOLAGE

Scatter Site Shares Appreciation Rights Social Club

KEY MOTIFS

Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Physical Fitness, Force-Velocity Curve Stimulus-Fatigue-Recovery-Adaptation Performance Training, Circuits, Networking, Chaárms or Athena Venus-Mercury Cusp Births, Triple Decker Projects with Sand Rings, Brand Activation Modelling, Sports Larceny & Contract Racketeering, Sports for Orphans Charities, Short Film Series Acting, Polyglot, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Mergers & Acquisitions Bankers Advisory Team

KEY VALUES

Brass Knuckles as Weapons, Decadence, Socratic Methods Game Theory, Poker Country Clubs with Sports Betting Investment Trust, Red Bull Music Festivals, Athletic excellence, Sports Performance Centers, Med Spas, Patchwork Tattoos, Pastel Goth, Pastel Wavy Hair, Video Games, Real Estate Investment Groups, Scatter-site Share Appreciation Rights Social Club, Art House and Management Companies, Business Incubators and Startups Accelerators Collaboration Holding Company, Syncretism of Athena through Occult Magic to Warrior Spirits, Law Education EdTech Sponsor and Provider, Armed Robbery Sports Playbooks, Force-Velocity Curve Physique, Smurfing, Sports Betting, Poker Tournaments, Enterprise Foundations, Rental Properties, and Overview of the Nevada Economy: The top three sectors by total employment are Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2022 was 4.8%.

AESTHETIC THEORIES

Subjective

Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions

Precarious Balance

Precariously: If something is happening or positioned precariously, it's in danger. A glass could be precariously balanced on the edge of a table. If something is on the verge of danger, then the word precariously fits.

Semblance

Semblance is generally used to suggest a contrast between outward appearance and inner reality.

Phantasmagorical

Having a fantastic or deceptive appearance

adjective. having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination. having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern.

Law of Polarity in Relationships

In any successful relationship that has an intimate connection and sexual attraction, there is polarity. What does this mean exactly? Polarity in relationships is the spark that occurs between two opposing energies: masculine and feminine. Gender does not affect whether you have masculine or feminine energy.

Second Reflection

Burden Aesthetics with Intentions

The Second Reflection lays hold of the Technical Procedures

CRIMINOLOGY THEORIES

Choice Theory: The belief that individuals choose to commit a crime, looking at the opportunities before them, weighing the benefit versus the punishment, and deciding whether to proceed or not.

Classical Theory: Similar to the choice theory, this theory ascertains that people think before they proceed with criminal actions; that when one commits a crime, it is because the individual decided that it was advantageous to commit the crime.

Critical Theory: Critical theory upholds the belief that a small few, the elite of the society, decide laws and the definition of crime; those who commit crimes disagree with the laws that were created to keep control of them.

Labeling Theory: Those who follow the labeling theory of criminology ascribe to the fact that an individual will become what he is labeled or what others expect him to become; the danger comes from calling a crime a crime and a criminal a criminal.

Life Course Theory: The theory that a person’s “course” in life is determined by short (transitory) and long (trajectory) events in his life, and crime can result when a transitory event causes stress in a person’s life causing him to commit a crime against society.

Positivist Theory: The positivist rejects the idea that each individual makes a conscious, rational choice to commit a crime; rather, some individuals are abnormal in intelligence, social acceptance, or some other way, and that causes them to commit crime.

Rational Choice Theory: Reasons that an individual thinks through each action, deciding on whether it would be worth the risk of committing a crime to reap the benefits of that crime, whether the goal be financial, pleasure, or some other beneficial result.

Routine Activity Theory: Followers of the routine activity theory believe that crime is inevitable, and that if the target is attractive enough, crime will happen; effective measures must be in place to deter crime from happening.

Social Learning Theory: Social learning indicates that individuals learn from those around them; they base their morals and activities on what they see others in their social environment doing.

Strain Theory: The theory holds that individuals will turn to a life of crime when they are strained, or when they are unable to achieve the goals of the society, whether power, finance, or some other desirable goal.

Trait Theory: Those who follow the trait theory believe that individuals have certain traits that will contribute to whether or not they are capable of committing a crime when pushed in a certain direction, or when they are in duress.

Consensual or Victimless Crime: Consensual crime refers to crimes that do not directly harm other individuals or property. Rather, individuals choose to participate in risky behaviors that may be considered against the law. This includes indulging in drug use, prostitution, or obscenity.

VICE SCRIPT MOVEMENT

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brainfuzzz · 1 year

Text

Becoming A Pirate Ch. 1 "I Promise."

AU where the East, South, West, and Noth Blue is land masses all connected by the Grand Line. Luffy goes to a Naval Academy to follow in Shank's footsteps with the goal to become the pirate king. Crocodile and Dragon are married, Whitebeard is Crocodile's dad/Luffy's grandpop. Shakky is a warlord so that Boa can be a student. Robin and Franky are going to be the same age as the others. Happier timeline in AU.

This was 100% inspired by the noodle commercial.

Having the ability to sleep through virtually anything is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a trait shared by his father and grandfather that was unfortunately inherited down to Luffy. In his 17 years of life, he’s discovered many sounds that fail to wake him from his deep slumber: the wind, heavy thunderstorms, distant gun shots, loud vehicles speeding past his house, his parents yelling after losing him at the park, his grandpa yelling after losing him on a hike, his brothers yelling after losing him on a different hike, and pretty much all public transportation. His alarm, unfortunately, is also among these sounds. So, on the one day that Luffy had actually planned on getting up early… he sleeps in.

Luffy doesn’t jump out of bed, but rather flings himself from the mattress. Unfortunately, he does this headfirst, so instead of potentially landing on his feet, he instead falls face first onto the hardwood floor. He hits hard causing the small house to shake.

“What was that?” His dad calls from downstairs.

Luffy fumbles towards his nightstand for his phone. It’s nearly 7:30. He runs an aggravated hand through his messy hair and shouts, “Nothing!”

In a mad dash to get ready, he scrambles to his dresser and grabs his brand new uniform that his pa had neatly laid out the night before. He tugs the stiff itchy fabric over his head while simultaneously shoving legs into perfectly ironed pants. Once clothed he pauses to glance at his reflection in the cracked full body mirror hanging on the closet door. His uniform is already covered in wrinkles thanks to his hurry to get dressed, but other than that it’s fine. Afterall, Luffy has never been one to care about wrinkles. His pa on the other hand might strangle him. The uniform itself is a near copy of the marine uniform except on the back it has NA in large blue letters. Luffy can’t help but wrinkle his nose at the thought of wearing a marine uniform, but eventually he lets it go and crosses over to his nightstand to pick up his straw hat. He stares at it for a long moment, letting distant memories echo in his mind. He gives a small grin and places it on his head.

The floorboards on the stairs creak under his feet until he skips the last two steps, hopping to the first floor. He takes an immediate right into the kitchen where Dragon is setting a large plate of bacon on the table that is already piled with food.

Dragon glances up at Luffy and frowns with an arched brow, “How did you already wrinkle it? Your pa isn’t going to be happy.”

“I tried keeping it pressed but,” Before he’s even fully seated at the table, Luffy is stuffing his face. When he swallows his large bite he says, “I woke up late.”

Dragon chuckles with the shake of his head while leaning against the small island separating the dining room and the kitchen. “You have less than 30 minutes to make it there you know? If you’re lucky your pa will get up soon and take you.”

Luffy swallows another large mouthful of eggs, bacon, and bread, “No thanks. I don’t wanna be the only one being dropped off by his parents.”

Dragon rolls his eyes with a shrug and turns to walk around the island. The floorboards in the hall creak as his other father, Crocodile, steps into the kitchen. He’s holding up two ascots with a serious expression.

“Which one of these looks best?” he holds them up more as Dragon glances over his shoulder.

“The right one.” Dragon turns back to the dishes. Crocodile fastens his ascot around his collar before sitting next to Luffy. He eyes him suspiciously before frowning deeper.

“How did you manage to already wrinkle your uniform?” his pa turns in his chair making escape impossible. Luffy darts his eyes away and stuffs a pancake into his mouth using it as an excuse to not answer. Crocodile pinches Luffy’s ear, “Like having a full mouth has ever stopped you from talking before!”

Luffy continues to stuff his mouth in a nervous habit and says, “’mm ‘ory!”

Crocodile rests back in his chair with an exhausted sigh, “I should just be glad it made it through the night.”

Dragon slides a cup of coffee towards Crocodile and a glass of milk to Luffy. They both sip it graciously as Dragon sits on Luffy’s other side with a cup of coffee of his own. He passes Crocodile a copy of today’s newspaper and before long they both drift into their usual morning silence. Soon the only sounds are of the birds chirping outside the kitchen window, the windchime over the back deck, and Luffy’s obsessive chewing. After one last large bite, Luffy gets up from his chair.

“See ya!” He starts for the door making his parents put their papers down.

“If you let me finish my coffee, I’ll take you.” Crocodile says by the time Luffy has reached the front door.

“Nah!” Luffy calls back as he slips on his sandals.

“Have a nice day and be safe!” Dragon is calling by the time Luffy has swung open the front door and stepping out into the morning sun.

Luffy and his parents live in a small 2 story home that sits on a hill overlooking the wide open ocean. Down the grassy hill following a winding dirt road is his grandpa’s house only a few feet from the oceanside cliff. The only other people who live this far from Foosha village is Dadan and her mountain bandits, making this their own private quiet peace of paradise. Luffy stares out at the watery horizon, picturing himself setting sail just like his older brothers did. But just as he’s about to let himself get swept away in his daydream, his phone buzzes, reminding him of how late he already is. He shakes his head and starts running down the road to the tunnel of trees and towards Foosha Village.

Foosha Village is a small town based in the Goa district of the East Blue. There are four major territories known as the East Blue, the South Blue, the West Blue, and the North Blue. And in these territories are districts ruled by kings or some other higher ranking official, depending on its size. And within those districts are small towns like Foosha Village. By the time Luffy makes his way out of the tunnel of trees, he can spot the bus already waiting at the edge of town. Luffy takes a deep breath and charges full speed. Luckily there’s a line waiting to board, giving him some time to catch his breath.

“Luffy? What are you doing here so early?”

Luffy lifts his head to find Makino smiling at him. He returns her smile and says, “It’s my first day at the academy.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Makino starts reaching into her bag to retrieve a box and hands it to him. “I meant to give you this the last time I saw you. It’s a congratulations gift from me and the mayor. We’re rooting for you!”

Luffy rubs the back of his neck with a slight blush. “You didn’t have to Makino.”

“Nonsense, I know how much it means to you. Good luck on becoming a pi—” She stops herself before leaning in closer and whispering, “Good luck on becoming a pirate!”

By now its Luffy’s turn to board the bus. He steps up onto the first step and gives her a big grin, “I’m not just gonna become a great pirate, I’m gonna become the king of the pirates!”

Makino gives a nervous laugh as a few bystanders flinch at Luffy’s words. But before anything else can be said, the bus doors close and soon Foosha Village is in the distance.

The ride to the Goa district capital is a long and peaceful drive over slightly bumpy dirt roads and small bridges. They pass by countless windmills, rice fields, large pastures filled with cattle, and different thick forests that provide shade from the morning sun. But even with the calm of the quiet bus, Luffy can feel his excitement growing. He glances down at his phone. Illuminating on his cracked phone screen over a picture of him, Ace, and Sabo from the last summer they worked on his grandpop’s ship is two messages—one from each of his brothers.

Luffy, try not to cry on your first day! – Ace

Don’t listen to anything Ace told you. You’ll do great. – Sabo

And then,

But also, don’t cry on your first day. – Sabo

Luffy snorts a laugh and sends them both the middle finger emoji before sliding his phone back in his pocket. Luffy has been waiting for this day for a long time. While it might not be setting sail on a ship of his own, it is the first major stepping stone to becoming a pirate. The Marine Naval Academy is one of the most elite schools you can get into. They promote themselves by highlighting all the successful marines that have come out of it. But what they don’t promote is all the successful pirates that have gone there too. Among them are both his parents—a famous warlord and revolutionary—and both his brothers. But more importantly, Gol D. Roger graduated from the academy and went on to become king of the pirates. Luffy rests his head back against the old leather bus seat and stares at the edge of his straw hat.

Shanks went there too.

His thoughts are interrupted when the bus comes to a stop. The Goa capital surrounds the bus with its tall building and paved streets. Luffy can’t get off fast enough. He can’t remember a time he’s been so happy to be in the capital. Usually, he only comes to cause trouble with Ace and Sabo. But today he’s just passing through. Because at the end of the capital is a long tunnel that leads to the Grand Line.

Luffy runs down the street, making a few people jump away afraid that he might run them over in his hurry. The semi empty streets slowly begin to fill as he soon finds himself joining the morning commute through the tunnel. A large fence separates the people walking and those lucky enough to have a vehicle. Luffy wonders absently while shoulder to shoulder with the dense crowd if one of the cars going by is his pa. While Luffy stares at the cars driving past, light beams in his eye, pulling his attention away as the tunnel opens up to the Grand Line.

The Grand Line is a massive city that stretches along the large land mass that connects the 4 territories. Unlike the East Blue with wide open spaces, easy country sides, and green as far as the eye can see, the Grand Line is almost entirely city. Tall skyscrapers that seemingly stretch all the way to the sky sprout nearly everywhere. The roads are filled with heavy traffic while the streets are always bursting with thick crowds. There are countless of water ways for the mermaids and fishmen along with those who travel by yagara. Overhead in the airways people drive bon chari’s or ride flying fish. Luffy crosses a bridge over a water lane as a large screen displays one of Uta’s new songs from her new album. A little further down he sees a store promoting Doflamingo’s new line of sunglasses while on the other side of the street he notices a large cutout of Moria Gecko promoting his line of stuffed toys.

Luffy rolls his eyes. The warlords are supposed to be serious pirates pardoned by the marines to help balance the powers of the 4 emperors. But more often than not, he sees them promoting a new business or brand they’ve signed on with. While waiting at a crosswalk he notices a screen in a shop window showcasing his pa’s casino. A small group of girls stop to admire his pa’s looks. Luffy makes a face and turns away.

When he finally reaches the train that should take him to the academy, Luffy’s unable to sit still. He shifts his weight from side to side while constantly checking the time on his phone. His brothers messaged him back but he’s too antsy to even read them. He drags his fingers down his face in impatient frustration when he notices a girl bump into a man a few feet away from him. The girl looks about his age with short orange hair. She smiles and apologizes to the man but when she turns to do so, he sees her reach into the man’s pocket and pull out his wallet. When the girl turns to walk away, their eyes meet. She pauses for a moment before lifting a finger to her lips and giving him a wink with a smile. When someone steps between them and moves out of the way again, she’s gone.

Luffy stares at the spot where the girl had been until the train pulls up and opens its doors. He steps into the train and manages to steal a seat. He plops down and pats his hands on his knees, starting to realize for the first time just how uncomfortable this uniform really is. He tugs at the handkerchief around his collar while tapping his foot. When the train finally starts moving, a new surge of excitement bursts through his chest making it impossible to stop smiling.

“Ugh, how can he sleep like that in a public space?” a woman hisses near him. Luffy lifts his head to see her whispering angrily to her friend. He follows their gaze to a green haired boy sitting a few seats down with his head tilted all the way back, mouth open, manspreading, and snoring louder than his dad Dragon. Luffy leans forward when he realizes the boy is wearing a Naval Academy uniform. He opens his mouth to call out to him when he realizes that if he’s asleep he probably won’t hear him. So instead, he rests back against the hard bus seat letting out a disappointed puff of air.

The train comes to a slow stop before it reaches Luffy’s destination. Luffy lets out another puff of air while watching people exit and enter the train. Further down, the boy sleeping snorts awake and leans forward on his knees. He rubs the back of his neck with a yawn and gets to his feet. Luffy watches the boy slowly exit the train in a groggy shuffle. Luffy finds himself standing and stepping off the train just before the doors close. The boy grumbles some sleepy words while blinking away the last of his sleep.

“Hey,” Luffy says startling the boy.

“Where the hell did you come from?” the boy yells with one hand darting down to the three swords hanging from his waist.

“You’re going to the Naval Academy, right?” Luffy points to his uniform.

The boy frowns with a raised brow, “So what if I am?”

“So, why’d you get off here? The Academy is one stop away.” This makes the boy tense up as he realizes his mistake.

“Well why the hell did you get off?” he shouts with his face growing red. It suddenly dawns on Luffy that he also got off at the wrong stop.

“I’m going to be late!” Luffy screams. They both start running but when they get to the bottom of the stairs, Luffy turns left while the boy turns right. Luffy skids to a stop and calls out, “Hey, you’re going the wrong way!”

The boy flinches and changes direction. They run side by side through the city streets in a complete panic. While doing so, they accidently crash through a cart causing vegetables to scatter into the road. At some point they leap over a parked car, angering the driver and both nearly fall into a water lane when they nearly miscalculate the distance after deciding walking across the bridge would take to long. The boy keeps wanting to turn down different alleys causing Luffy to grab his collar and yank him back on the right path. But finally, finally, after dashing up a set of stairs—skipping three steps at a time—they reach the Academy.

“I made it!” Luffy cheers with his arms outstretched towards the sky. The white stone building towers above them with big bold blue letters spelling out Marine Naval Academy. The boy with green hair stands at his side smiling up at the building with a hand loosely resting on his swords. They bask in the sun, taking in the moment… until the bell rings and they realize that they are the only ones standing in front of the building.

“Damn it!” the green haired boy shouts as they return to their panicked running. They bust through the front doors and dash down the pristine blue and white halls. They come to a stop in front of the auditorium doors. “I bet the assembly has already started!”

“Yeah, so we should be really quiet and try and sneak inside.” Luffy says right before kicking the double doors open causing a loud bang.

An auditorium full of students and teachers all slowly turn their heads to stare at them. At the front on a stage, Fleet Admiral Sengoku stands in front of a microphone in the middle of giving his speech. He narrows his eyes at them. Just behind Sengoku are two rows of seats. One row has the high ranking marines including his grandpa Garp who slaps a hand over his face at the sight of Luffy. On the other side is the 7 warlords including his pa Crocodile who is giving him a death glare. Luffy presses his lips tightly together with his foot still in the air from kicking the doors open.

“What was that about being quiet?” the green haired boy hisses at his side.

“Yeah… my bad.”

They quickly rush over to the closest set of empty chairs and take a seat. Admiral Sengoku clears his throat and continues with his opening speech. Luffy tunes out before he can even tune in to whatever the admiral is saying. Instead, he gets distracted by all the people in the crowd and the people up on the stage. The green haired boy lasts two minutes before yawning and immediately falling asleep. Luffy glances up where his pa sits. He’s thankfully stopped glaring at Luffy and has settled into a neutral bored expression. Doflamingo sits next to him with a wide grin. When he leans over to whisper something into Crocodile’s ear, Crocodile closes his eyes in clear annoyance before lifting up out of his seat. Shakky seems to have a silent understanding of the situation and gets up to switch seats with Crocodile. Doflamingo frowns and faces forward for the rest of the assembly.

Nothing else interesting happens for the rest of the assembly. By the time it ends, Luffy’s almost succumbed to sleep as well. When they’re signaled to stand, he smacks the boy next to him awake before they both stumble to their feet.

“Here at the Marine Naval Academy we hold ourselves to a higher standard. We expect great things from all of you.” And with that, Admiral Sengoku gives a proud salute, prompting the students to do the same, bringing the welcoming of the new school year ceremony to an end.

“So how are we supposed to know where to go next?” the boy asks while they glance around the crowd of students who have begun to slowly sift out of the auditorium.

“Oh!” Luffy says when he sees a table that reads registration. He grabs the boy’s collar and drags him to the table. The two marines behind the table flinch when they appear. “We’re here to register!”

“Geez, late on the first day and interrupting the fleet admiral’s speech. You two must be trying to get expelled.” The pink haired one says while grabbing a stack of paper.

The marine next to him with a long goatee and heart shaped sunglasses leans back in his chair, “At the very least, detention on the first day.”

Luffy and the boy say nothing.

“Alright, what’re names so I can find out who’s the lucky son of a bitch who gets to teach you two.” The pink haired marine leans against his brass knuckle fist.

“Monkey D. Luffy.”

“Roronoa Zoro.” The green haired boy says.

“So, your names Zoro? I’m Luffy.” Luffy holds his hand out. Zoro stares at it for a second before giving a smirk and shaking it.

“Luffy huh? Well thanks for pointing me in the right direction.”

“Oh yeah, I did that a lot. You’re really bad with directions.” Luffy turns back to the table while Zoro tenses and grits his teeth. The marine with pink hair flips through a stack of paper until he stops and pulls one out. He reads over it for a second before bursting out in laughter. The marine beside him lets his seat fall forward so all legs are on the ground.

“What is it?” the other asks while taking the paper out of the pink haired marine’s hand. He reads over it before bursting out in laughter himself.

“Oh, he’s gonna love you two,” the pink haired marine wipes a tear away. “You’re both in room 12A. Goodluck.”

“You’re going to need it!” the other calls as Luffy and Zoro start to exit the auditorium.

“Those guys are weird.” Luffy says as they walk.

“They’re marines, what’d you expect?” Zoro stuffs his hands in his pockets as they turn down a different hall. Luffy stares at Zoro for a moment.

“Does that mean you don’t want to be a marine?” Luffy asks. Zoro arches a brow and gives a slight grin.

“I have no intention of becoming some lousy marine.” Zoro comes to a stop so that he can face Luffy. “I’m going to be the world’s greatest swordsman.”

Luffy stares at him for a long moment. Then he smiles. “Okay, I’ve decided.”

“Decided what?”

Luffy starts walking again before saying, “You’re going to join my pirate crew.”

“What? You can’t just decide that!” Zoro shouts while speed walking to catch up.

“Yeah, I can, I just did.” Luffy grins.

“And did you say pirate crew? Why the hell would I want to join up with a bunch of criminals?”

“So what? The current greatest swordsman is a pirate. What’s the big deal?” Luffy shrugs making Zoro pause for a moment.

“Well when you put it that way…” he trails off in thought before asking, “Why do you want to become a pirate anyway?”

Luffy stops right in front of room 12A. He looks at Zoro from over his shoulder and says with a smile, “Because I’m going to be king of the pirates.”

He opens the door and steps through with Zoro close behind. The commotion of the room draws both of their attention. It seems Luffy and Zoro are also the last two to reach the classroom as nearly every seat is already filled. A small table is next to the teacher’s desk near the front with place cards on them. Luffy and Zoro both pick up the cards with their names on it.

“Hey, I’m number 16 and your 17.” Luffy and Zoro hold their cards next to each other. They walk toward the back of the room, noticeably aware of the eyes following them. When they find a table with the numbers 15, 16, and 17, Luffy plops down in the middle seat. The person sitting in the number 15 place shifts away from him, making him take notice. When he recognizes the girl, he smiles and says a little too loudly, “Hey, you’re the thief from before!”

The orange haired girl from the train tenses as heads begin to turn in their direction. The girl springs forward and slaps a hand over Luffy’s mouth.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she hisses. Luffy says something but it’s muffled by her hand. Zoro props his chin up on the desk with his hand.

“You two know each other or something?” he asks with a yawn.

“Hell no, I don’t know him.” The girl sits back in her chair with her arms folded over her uniform. Luffy rubs his jaw confused.

“I thought it was really cool how you stole that guy’s wall—” before he can finish, she has slapped a hand over his mouth again.

“Would you stop that! Not everyone in this class needs to know!” she doesn’t remove her hand until Luffy gives an understanding nod.

“I’m Luffy by the way.” He says while pointing his thumb behind him. “And this is Zoro.”

“Names Nami. Just don’t go blabbing around school that I’m a thief and we’ll get along just fine.” She turns her head to face the front.

Luffy gives a grin and a chuckle, “Sure thing, Nami!”

When the door to the classroom opens again, a marine with slicked back white hair steps into the room. Everyone falls into a deep silence. He closes the door to the classroom with a bang making some of the students in the front jump in their seat. Luffy rests both his arms on the table already getting bored.

“I am Captain Smoker and I’ll be the one teaching you sad excuses for marines for the next year. You may address me as Captain or Captain Smoker and nothing else, got it?” Smoker drops a stack of papers on his desk causing another loud noise but this time the ones who jumped only flinch. Luffy absently wonders when lunch time will be. “I’m going to give roll call. Sound off when you hear your name.”

He begins listing off everyone in the class, but Luffy doesn’t listen because he’s realized his chair has a wobbly leg that when he tilts back, it makes a funny noise. Luffy continues to tilt back on his chair, grinning to the sound as Zoro’s head drops as he drifts back to sleep. A loud bang comes from their desk causing Luffy to let his chair fall forward so all legs are on the floor and Zoro’s eyes to pop open. Smoker stands above them, but Luffy can’t tell if he’s frowning more than usual or if its just his face.

“What the hell are you two doing?” he snarls out through gritted teeth. Luffy glances around trying to see what he’s talking about.

“Just sitting here.” He shrugs but that must not have been the right answer because it just makes Smoker look even madder.

“When I call your names I expect you to answer!” he slams a hand down on the table making the people in the front flinch again but Luffy and Zoro remain unbothered. Smoker looks them over before narrowing his eyes, “Are you wearing a hat in my class? And are those earrings in your ear?”

Luffy pats the top of his head, “Yeah, this hat is real important to me!”

“What’s the big deal if I am?” Zoro crosses his arms giving another yawn. A vein in Smoker’s right temple throbs.

“Hats and earrings are prohibited! Take it off and take them out or they become mine!” Smoker yells making Luffy’s ears ring. This time he and Zoro get the message. Luffy swipes his hat back so that it stays tied around his neck but is off his head, while Zoro begrudgingly takes his earrings out and slips them into his pocket. Suddenly satisfied, Smoker picks up his clipboard and loudly says, “Monkey D. Luffy, here. Roronoa Zoro, here.”

He walks back to the front as Luffy returns to leaning back in his squeaky chair. “What’s his problem?”

“His problem? What’s your problem?” Nami hisses at his side. She rubs her temple looking exhausted. “Are you trying to get kicked out on the first day?”

“Why do people keep saying that?” Zoro asks making Luffy shrug. Nami sighs with the shake of her head. When Smoker reaches the front of the room, he begins class. Everyone starts shuffling through their things to pull out books, paper, and pencils. Luffy pats his pockets realizing he didn’t bring any of that stuff.

“Hey Nami,” Luffy whispers, “I forgot to bring paper and a pen. Can I borrow some?”

“Me too.” Zoro leans over so that they are both looking at her. Nami stares at them dumbfounded.

“How do you forget to bring supplies on the first day?” She stares at them but Luffy and Zoro only shrug making her roll her eyes. “Fine, but its going to cost you 500 berries each.”

“500!” Luffy whisper shouts.

“I don’t have that kind of cash.” Zoro grumbles while Luffy scratches his head.

“I could give you one of my sandals, would that cover it?” Luffy starts to reach for his shoes, but Nami wrinkles her nose.

“No, that won’t cover it.” She turns back to her work.

“Here,” a voice in front of them says as sheets of paper are slid towards Luffy and Zoro. A boy with a long nose rummages through his bag and pulls out two pens and holds them out to them. “You can borrow some from me.”

“Thanks! I’m Luffy, this is Zoro. We really owe you!” Luffy grins as he takes the pen.

“I’m Usopp and don’t mention it. Anything to keep Captain Smoker from getting angry again.” Usopp shrugs while turning to face the front. With pen and paper in hand, Luffy buckles down ready to get serious about school.

Except, as it turns out, school is really, really boring. School has always been boring to Luffy but he had hoped since this was the place where all the really cool and famous pirates came from that it would somehow be different and more exciting. But unfortunately, it’s not. It doesn’t take long for Luffy’s enthusiastic note taking to dwindle off into mindless doodles as he starts to lose interest. Eventually he’s resting his chin on the edge of the table struggling to sit still.

“Zoro… I’m bored.” He glances at him only to realize that Zoro fell asleep almost immediately after Smoker started talking. “Oh, you’re asleep… you suck.”

He glances at Nami but before he can open his mouth she says, “Not my problem.”

He lets out a tired puff of air. He glances around the room trying to find anything entertaining when his eyes land on the guy sitting in front of Zoro. He keeps peeking over his shoulder at Luffy and then facing forward again. Luffy lifts his head intrigued. This time when the guy turns to glance towards him, Luffy is staring straight at him. This makes the guy flinch a little.

“What’re you looking at?” Luffy asks now leaning towards him. The guy frowns.

“I’m not looking at you I’m looking at…” his eyes drift past Luffy and towards Nami as a deep blush spreads across his face. “… I’m looking at the goddess next to you.”

Luffy looks between Nami and the guy. “Oh, you mean Nami? Whatever you say.”

The guy now turns in his chair so he’s half facing Luffy. “Hey, how about we switch seats? You can sit next to this guy who obviously doesn’t have an issue letting you bum off him and I get to sit next to Nami!”

Luffy considers it for a second before going, “Nah.”

“What, why?” Now the guy is fully turned towards Luffy.

Luffy shrugs and lets his chin rest on the table again, “Just don’t wanna.”

The guy frowns and turns to Zoro. He kicks his leg causing him to startle awake.

“What the hell is your problem?” Zoro rubs his leg where the guy had kicked him.

“Switch places with me so I can sit closer to Nami.” The guy demands.

“Screw you I’m not switching seats with anyone.” Zoro recrosses his arms.

Usopp lets out a heavy sigh and says over his shoulder, “Would you three quiet down? You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“Seriously, and I can hear you.” Nami says as she continues to take notes.

“Oh, then Nami how about you switch places with Usopp?” the guy suggests.

“No way, why do I have to move?” Usopp frowns at him.

“No one wants to switch with you so just shut up.” Zoro says and to make sure his point gets across, he kicks the back of the guy’s chair causing a small box to fall out of his bag and slide across the floor. The four of them follow where the box stops in front of someone that they hadn’t realized had approached them. Luffy has returned to making his chair squeak. The four of them tense as Smoker reaches down and picks it up.

“Is this a pack of cigarettes… in my room?” Smoker says through gritted teeth. Its at this moment that Luffy finally sees his teacher glaring over them.

“Oh, what’s up Smoky?” He gives a little wave and in doing so, seals their fates.

The vein in Smoker’s head throbs harder than ever before as he shouts, “DETENTION, ALL OF YOU!”

And that’s how Luffy got himself and four others detention on the first day of school. When the school day is over, they all find themselves walking outside towards the old gymnasium where they’re supposed to report for detention. No one has said a word all day after the incident and Luffy can’t figure out why they’re all in such a bad mood. When they slide open the door to the gym and step inside, Nami and Usopp jump back when a man leaps out from behind a stack of old matts.

“Welcome students to the worst day of your life!” the man shouts excitedly. “I am the great and humble warden of Impel Down and the one to bestow upon you your punishment!”

They stare at him in a long and awkward silence before Luffy says, “Uh, no you’re not. The warden of Impel Down is this big creepy dude with horns.”

The warden impostor flinches as if Luffy had punched him in the gut, “Okay fine! I’m not the warden. I am the vice warden Hannyabal and still deserve some respect!”

“If you’re the vice warden of Impel Down, then why are you here supervising detention?” the blond haired guy asks.

“If you must know the staff at Impel Down is required to volunteer our time at the Academy just like the 7 warlords. We’re usually given the task of supervising detention and in school suspension.” He crosses his arms and frowns at them. “Though we weren’t exactly expecting anyone to get in trouble on the first day. Real overachievers aren’t ya?”

They have nothing to say to this. So Hannyabal turns and gestures to the gym. “For your punishment you’ll be tasked with cleaning this place top to bottom. You’ll clean it until your guardians come and pick you up in an hour. In the meantime, don’t bother me.”

They all gawk in disgust and horror of the state of the old gymnasium. Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs and they’re pretty sure they see something scurry into a crack in the wall. Hannyabal walks over to a chair and sits with his feet propped up on an old desk. Within seconds he’s out like a light and snoring almost as loud as Zoro.

“Geez, I can’t believe we got detention on our first day!” Usopp grumbles while passing out brooms.

“Don’t look at me, it’s curly brow’s fault.” Zoro says as he takes a broom.

“What was that moss head? You’re the one who kicked my bag!” the blond guy yells.

“Would you both shut it? As far as I’m concerned, it’s all your faults. Including you Luffy.” Nami folds her arms while trying to find a semi clean place to sit.

“I still don’t get why we got detention.” Luffy shrugs before pulling his hat on his head.

“What are you doing? If someone sees, you’ll get in trouble.” Usopp says.

“So what? I’m already in detention.” Luffy grabs a broom with a grin. He looks over at the blond guy with the curly eyebrow. “So, you got a name?”

“It’s Sanji.” He says with his hands in his pockets. He pulls out a different pack of cigarettes and slips one in his mouth.

“What is wrong with you?” Usopp shouts.

“What? He’s right. We’re already in trouble, might as well relax.” Sanji lights his cigarette and blows out a steady stream of smoke. Zoro shrugs and puts his earrings back in his ears.

“Honestly, I’m more surprised Captain Smoker was more concerned about your earrings than the 3 swords on your hip.” Nami says as she wipes off some dust on a chair and sits down. “What are you doing with 3 swords anyway?”

“I fight with them, what else?” Zoro shrugs while grabbing two more brooms. Nami rolls her eyes before catching Sanji staring. She gives a sly smile and leans back in her chair.

“Sanji, was it? Do you think you can clean my side of the gym for me? I’m just so tired from the day.” She says while fanning her face with her hand. Sanji immediately perks up.

“Of course, Nami dearest! Anything for you!” Sanji shouts while starting to sweep the floors. Zoro rolls his eyes with a snort making Sanji frown at him. “What? Scared I’ll clean twice as much space faster than you?”

This makes the hair on the back of Zoro’s neck stand on edge. He turns to glare at Sanji, “What was that curly brow?”

Before anyone can stop them, Sanji and Zoro are racing each other to see who can clean the most the fastest. Zoro sweeps with a broom in each hand and one between his teeth.

“What a bunch of morons. But if it gets this place cleaned up faster than who am I to judge.” Usopp shrugs with a smile.

“Yeah,” Luffy agrees as he sweeps his broom back and forth. Usopp smacks the back of his head.

“You’re sweeping with the wrong side of the broom you idiot!” He shouts as Luffy rubs the back of his head.

He gives a “Whoops” and decides to give up on sweeping and join Usopp and Nami who are sitting on the sidelines. He hops up onto a stack of old matts that reek of mildew. Nami and Usopp pull their phones out and get lost in it prompting Luffy to do the same. He sees that he has several new messages.

Did you really get detention on your first day? Sir Monkey D. Luffy we are going to have a talk when you get home. – Pa

To Luffy,

We talked about this. You can’t be getting in trouble like you did in your old school.

Sincerely,

Your Father. – Dad

So, did you cry? – Ace, followed by a later text of a series of laughing emojis.

At least it’s not expulsion – Sabo, he adds a shrugging emoji at the end.

Luffy lets out a groan and runs a hand through his hair. Usopp looks up at him. “What’s wrong.”

“My entire family knows I got detention.” He shows Usopp his phone who takes it and gives a laugh.

“Does your dad really text like he’s writing a letter?” He hands Luffy his phone back. Luffy nods.

“My older brothers have been trying to tell him how to text but he just doesn’t get it.” Luffy slips his phone in his pocket, not feeling like dealing with them right now.

“My mom’s pretty bad at texting too… and really all new technology.” Usopp puts his phone in his pocket as well.

“Same.” Nami adds with a stretch. “So, what’s a troublemaker like you doing at the Naval Academy?”

“Both my dads went here and so did both my older brothers.” Luffy explains while letting his feet dangle over the tall stack of matts.

“My dad went here too but… can I tell you guys a secret?” Usopp leans in so Luffy and Nami do the same. “I’m not here to become a marine. I’m going to become a pirate and great warrior of the sea!”

“Me too!” Luffy hops from his stack of matts.

“Oh really? Well maybe I’ll let you join my crew. They’re already 8,000 strong after all.” He gives a nonchalant shrug. Luffy gasps in awe while Nami shakes her head.

“I hate pirates. Can’t stand them.” She leans on her knees propping her chin up with her hand. Usopp and Luffy stare at her. Before they have a chance to ask why she says, “But you’re not pirates yet… so I guess I can tolerate you.”

“I guess that means you want to become a marine then?” Usopp asks while Luffy leans against the stack of matts. Sanji and Zoro continue to clean the gym, passing by every now and then usually in the middle of insulting the other. The question makes Nami give a small laugh.

“No way, its just…” she tilts her head while staring at a ray of sunlight. “… my mom always wanted either my sister or me to come here.”

They wait for her to go on, but she doesn’t. Not wanting to dredge up any bad memories, their conversation becomes much more lighthearted and easy going. Luffy finds out that Usopp and Nami are from the East Blue and when Zoro and Sanji overhear they reveal that they’re from there too. Usopp comes from a town almost as small as Foosha Village while Nami’s town is a much larger fishing village. Sanji and Zoro return to their competition before they can explain where they come from. Then the conversation turns to movies and music that they each like and before they know it the hour flies by.

Sanji and Zoro both collapse in front of Luffy, Nami, and Usopp. Through their panted breaths they continue to argue over who cleaned the most and the fastest. The gym isn’t spotless but its much better off then it was before. Usopp, Luffy, and Nami have positioned chairs into a half open circle with Nami’s feet lazily propped in Luffy’s lap. Luffy remembered the box Makino had given him earlier that morning and is sharing the chocolate inside.

“There’s no way that’s true.” Nami says with a laugh.

“It is! I heard it from a very reliable source! They say that when the sun goes down if you walk the school halls, you’ll hear the ghost that haunts the Naval Academy! They say he’s the first pirate ever to be executed after the school was built so he stalks the halls singing Binks’s Brew!” Usopp wiggles his fingers with a ghostly groan.

Luffy laughs, “Ooo now I wanna see!”

“Binks’s Brew? That doesn’t sound very scary.” Nami rolls her eyes.

“Brew…? Did someone say brew? I could go for a cold one.” Zoro pants while still being sprawled out on the floor.

“Shut up moss head.” Sanji pants back. They both try to smack each other but neither have the energy. It’s at this moment that the door to the gym opens and a woman with a long nose steps inside.

“Mom,” Usopp says as he stands. “I’ll see you guys later.”

He waves a goodbye and goes to his mother. She gives a polite nod to them and looks unsure if she should wake Hannyabal before ultimately deciding to just leave. The next person to arrive is a woman with the sides of her head shaven. She puts her hands on her hips and stares in Luffy and Nami’s direction.

“Well, that’s me.” Nami says as she stands. She glances back at Luffy. “See you tomorrow.”

Luffy watches her leave before sitting on the floor with Sanji and Zoro. It doesn’t take long before the door opens again and a man with a long blond mustache and peg leg steps inside. Sanji stands with a grunt, saying his goodbyes before leaving. Another 10 minutes goes by before the doors open and a familiar face steps inside.

“Roronoa, lets go.” Warlord Hawkeyes Mihawk says. Zoro rubs the back of his neck as he stands.

“Zoro, is that your dad?” Luffy gasps. Zoro shakes his head.

“No, he’s my sponsor. It’s how I got into this school.” Zoro gives a lazy wave goodbye and stands next to Mihawk who eyes Luffy suspiciously.

“Monkey D. Luffy I presume.” He says.

“Yup, that’s me.” Luffy stares back at him.

“I should have known.” Mihawk finally pulls his eyes away to stare at Hannyabal but only for a second before leading Zoro out of the room. With it just being Luffy, he gets bored quickly. He finds himself wandering around the gym looking for something to entertain himself with. He finds a basketball but its deflated and covered in cobwebs. He then tries poking his head under the stage at the far end of the gym but when he sees big bat wings spread out he shuts the small door and decides that he better not.

30 minutes later when the sun goes down, the door to the gym finally opens. Luffy stops when his grandpa steps inside. He has one hand stuffed into one pocket and frowning at Luffy.

“Let’s go, boy.” He says. Luffy nods and follows his grandpa out leaving a snoring Hannyabal alone in the old gymnasium.

They’re silent the whole car ride through the Grand Line and through the tunnel to the East Blue. It’s not until they leave the Goa capital does his grandpa finally speak.

“So, besides getting detention, how was your first day?” He keeps his eyes on the road as Luffy finally lifts his head and cracks a smile.

“It was really boring, but I made a lot of friends.” He leans back in the passenger seat. His grandpa gives a soft smile and doesn’t say anything else. They’re silent the rest of the way home but the air is much lighter. When they finally pull into his parent’s driveway, Luffy starts to sink back down in his seat dreading what is to come.

“Lets go, kid.” Garp says as he slides out the car. Luffy reluctantly does the same. A warm breeze rustles his hair and hat as he stares at his house. Why is it so dark? Usually, his pa is working in the downstairs office while his dad watches TV in the living room. The only thing normal is the delicious smell of food in the air. His parents have never made him go to bed hungry but he’s always worried one day he’ll tip them over the edge.

He follows his grandpa down the stone path to the front door. His grandpa steps to the side making Luffy enter first. When he steps into the dark entryway, Luffy knows something is off. The entire house is dark and silent. A small surge of panic runs up his chest making him pad the walls until he finds the light switch. When it flicks on, he winces at the sudden brightness as a swarm of people jump out shouting “Surprise!” while someone throws confetti in his face.

“What?” Luffy blinks trying to make sense of what’s going on.

“Congratulations on not getting expelled your first day!” Sabo shouts while pointing to a paper banner across the entryway to the living room reading Congratulations On Not Getting Expelled Your First Day. Ace blows a noisemaker and throws another fistful of confetti in his face while Sabo slips a party hat over Luffy’s straw hat.

“Did you all really think I was going to get expelled my first day?” Luffy shouts.

Ace slings an arm around his shoulders, “More than I believe the sun will rise tomorrow morning.”

“You guys suck.” Luffy pouts but can’t stop himself from grinning. He wanders around the house saying hi to everyone who came. Most are familiar faces from Baroque Works, Dadan’s mountain bandits, and the revolution.

“Straw Boy!” Iva shouts from the back deck. Luffy maneuvers through his small living room filled with people through the open glass doors to find Iva, Bon Clay, Kuma, and his dad standing around a grill. “Glad you made it through your first day.”

“You did make quite the entrance.” Kuma smiles.

“I was fine!” He insists as his dad pats his head with a laugh.

“We’re just messing with you… kind of. Go get something to eat.” His dad points to a long table of food. Luffy’s mouth immediately starts salivating. He piles his plate high with food and takes a seat on the floor in the living room.

“… and he—he got detention the first day?” his pa’s loud laugh nearly makes him choke. He looks across the room to see his pa and Dadan leaning on each other laughing, both clearly drunk.

“Oh, that kid was always trouble.” Dadan says with the wave of a sake bottle. His pa takes a swig of the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

“But he was such a cute kid.” His pa says after a long gulp. That sends them both into a state of gushing over memories of Luffy as a kid. Luffy gives a slight groan but continues eating. Sabo and Ace find Luffy and sit on either side of him.

“So, where’s grandpop?” Luffy asks when he realizes Whitebeard isn’t anywhere to be seen. Ace and Sabo exchange a look.

“Pop’s had something come up. But he wanted to come.” Ace explains.

After that, Sabo steers the conversation to old memories that Ace and Sabo shared while they went to the Academy. Luffy told him about his day and the new friends he had made. His pa eventually made his way over and forced all 3 boys into a clingy bear hug. Crocodile only ever gets mushy when he’s really hammered. Dragon comes to their rescue and coaxes him onto the back deck with the promise of something whispered into his ear. Luffy, Ace, and Sabo didn’t care to find out what that thing was. Through the whole night people celebrated Luffy’s first day at the academy with drinks and good food.

When it finally gets late enough and the last of the guests are gone, Luffy lets himself fall onto the couch in a satisfied exhaustion. He rolls onto his side to poke at his pa’s cheek since he had passed out on the floor. Ace and Sabo shuffle through the house, collecting stray cups and plates.

“Just leave it boys, we can do dishes tomorrow.” Dragon yawns.

“You mind if we stay here tonight?” Sabo asks after a deep stretch. Dragon makes a face to say do you really have to ask?

Ace and Sabo say goodnight while Dragon reaches down to hoist Crocodile over his shoulder. He ruffles Luffy’s hair and says, “Goodnight kid.”

Luffy watches them disappear into their bedroom before settling into the silent stillness of the house. It doesn’t take long before he can hear Dragon’s snoring. Slowly, Luffy pushes himself up and places his feet on the floor. The moon shines in through the glass doors giving him plenty of light as the wind makes the windchimes sing. He walks through the creaky hallway and climbs the steps, wincing every time the stairs announced which step he’s on. He walks into his room and falls into bed before glancing over at the bunkbed. Ace has reclaimed his spot on the top bunk with and arm and a leg dangling over the side while Sabo sleeps like a normal person on the bottom. Luffy smiles and pulls off the part hat and sets it on the nightstand. He then carefully takes his straw hat off and holds it up in the moonlight.

This hat means a lot to me. Promise that you’ll give it back someday when you become a great pirate.

Luffy rests the hat gently on his chest and closes his eyes.

“I promise.”

Read full story HERE on AO3!!!

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contentment-of-cats · 5 months

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Just give me the coffee, I will do the rest.

Loki is settling in. Mostly, he wants to eat and sleep. The few times I have let him out of the Borg Cube, he's been out for 10 minutes, gets overstimulated, and runs back to his Safe Place. Right now he is learning how to play with toys, and loves his scratching posts and pads. He's been through so much. I have asked that the ex get a visit from his karma.

Unpleasant Subject Ahead

Another thing that this whole thing has driven home is how important it is to get your affairs in order - even if you don't have cancer. Loki's mom was getting a divorce and fell so ill so fast that she was unable to make her own medical decisions within days of admission. Even if you are getting a divorce, even with an actual protective order, your spouse is still the legal default person to make decisions for you. They are your legal heir. If you don't have a legal spouse (marriage certificate), it's your adult children, if you have no kids then your parents make those decisions even if you're a legal adult. If you have no immediate family, then your extended family gets called in.

Power of attorney legal and medical

Will for personal property

Living trust for investments and real estate

Medical orders (supersede those of the POA) such as Do Not Resuscitate

A health care directive like this one.

It's hard to think about, but when your surviving extended family is a mess (like mine) you want these things in order. Hell, have them notarized so that a judge can look at the plaintiff and say, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Golden Treadmill

I'm strapping myself in with another 'write to spec' contract. Yep, it's more porn. I negotiated for one every six weeks from February to November. I need to visit Amazon and stock up on barf bags and brain bleach. I did say that I won't write noncon or (yes, this is a thing) racist tropes. It's hard for me to write hardcore body horror. I might be writing horrible porn in order to pay off my medical bills that makes my pussy slam shut like an angry clam, but I have standards. That being said, the editor delivered the advance to my freelance bank account and the outline to my inbox.

Whoo boy.

In my defense, I did not know that 'monster fucking' was commercially viable.

Cat in the Kitchen

Rediscovering food has been a wonder. As promised, my rearranged innards make it trial and error, but the errors seem to be self-correcting. Gut flora does come back, but I have not been brave enough to venture into my spicy Indian, Chinese, and Mexican foods.

I've been making casseroles/hotdish because they freeze well and sometimes the fatigue renders me incapable of anything other than pushing a button.

For casseroles/hotdish you need:

Vegetables: Frozen works fine. Canned is saltier, so if you go canned use 'less salt' brands. If you are using mushrooms, frozen, fresh or dried is best. I find canned mushrooms have a very weird metallic taste.

Starch: Potatoes, rice, pasta/noodles, bread. Yes, tater tots count.

Protein: Can be vegetable protein, beans, canned tuna or salmon, or meat. Smoked salmon is delicious in casseroles and soup, so I go to my local deli on Friday to get lox ends and trimmings.

Sauce: Canned soups (cream of ____), jarred or canned pasta sauce, or packaged cooking sauces and gravies.

Topping: Cornflakes, tater tots, cheese, potato chips, stuffing, etc.

Flavor: Dried herbs, onion and celery, garlic, spices.

Slowcooker meals are great, too, and follow the same rules as casseroles/hotdish. But my favorite caserole dish is my Gran's Lancashire hotpot - lamb neck chops, potatoes, onions, and more sliced potatoes on top for a crispy lid.

Back to work.

#life in general #cats #writing #food #legal health stuff

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cleaningservicessurrey1 · 1 month

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The ultimate guide to end of tenancy and carpet cleaning in Surrey and Surbiton

As your tenancy ends, the importance of a thorough and professional cleaning becomes paramount. Whether you're a tenant looking to protect your deposit, a landlord ready for new occupants, or a homeowner looking to freshen up your space, finding the best end of tenancy and carpet cleaning services in Surrey and Surbiton is crucial. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the area's top services, professional cleaning facilities, and tips for maintaining a pristine home.

The Importance of Professional Finishes in Tenant Cleaning End of tenancy cleaning is not just a routine task; It is a detailed and comprehensive process that ensures that a property is kept idle. Here's why hiring professional end cleaners in Surrey is essential:

Deposit Security: Most tenancy agreements stipulate that the property must be returned in the same condition as it was at the beginning. Professional cleaners help meet this requirement by guaranteeing your deposit back.

Time-saving: Moving out can be a stressful and time-consuming process. Hiring professional cleaners allows you to focus on the steps yourself, leaving the burden of cleaning to the experts.

High standards: Professional finish tenancy cleaners in Surrey use specialized equipment and cleaning solutions to achieve a level of cleanliness that exceeds regular standards.

Landlord Satisfaction: For landlords, a clean property attracts high quality tenants. Professional cleaning ensures that the property is ready for new occupants, reducing vacancy periods.

Top end tenancy cleaners in Surrey and Surbiton When it comes to tenancy cleaning, Surrey and Surbiton boast a number of reputable services. Here are some top providers:

Surrey Cleaners: Known for their meticulous attention to detail, Surrey Cleaners offers a comprehensive end of tenant cleaning service. They cover everything from deep cleaning kitchens and bathrooms to steam cleaning carpets and upholstery.

Pro Cleaners Surbiton: Specializing in finishing tenancy cleaning, Pro Cleaners Surbiton ensures that every nook and cranny is spotless. Their services include carpet and upholstery cleaning, window cleaning and appliance cleaning.

Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services: This local favorite offers customized cleaning packages tailored to meet the specific requirements of the end of the tenant agreement. They are known for their reliable and efficient services.

Why you need carpet cleaning services Carpets are notorious for harboring dirt, dust and allergens. Regular vacuuming helps, but it doesn't remove deep-seated grime. Here's why professional carpet cleaners in Surrey are essential:

Deep Cleaning: Professional carpet cleaners use advanced equipment to remove dirt, dust and allergens that are trapped deep within the fibers.

Stain Removal: Experienced cleaners can tackle stubborn stains that cannot be removed by regular cleaning, restoring your carpet to its former glory.

Extend carpet life: Regular professional cleaning extends the life of your carpet, preserves its appearance and saves you money in the long run.

Health Benefits: Clean carpets improve indoor air quality, reducing the risk of allergies and respiratory problems.

Best Carpet Cleaners in Surrey Finding the best carpet cleaners in Surrey ensures that your home stays fresh and clean. Here are some top recommendations:

Surrey Carpet Care: This company offers top-notch carpet cleaning services using eco-friendly products. They specialize in both residential and commercial carpet cleaning, ensuring a deep clean every time.

All Star Cleaning Services: Known for their thorough and reliable service, All Star Cleaning Services uses state-of-the-art equipment to clean carpets and remove stubborn stains.

Surbiton Carpet Cleaners: Based in Surbiton, they offer carpet cleaning services tailored to meet individual needs. Their expertise ensures that your carpet looks brand new.

Comprehensive House Cleaning in Surbiton House cleaning in Surbiton encompasses a wide range of services designed to keep your home in top condition. From regular maintenance to one-time deep cleans, professional cleaners ensure your space is always welcoming and healthy.

Regular Cleaning: Ideal for maintaining cleanliness and order, regular cleaning services include dusting, vacuuming, mopping and cleaning bathrooms and kitchens.

Deep Cleaning: This service goes beyond the surface to tackle hidden dirt and grime. Deep cleaning includes scrubbing tiles, cleaning inside appliances and reaching under furniture.

Move-in/move-out cleaning: Whether you are moving into a new home or leaving one, this service ensures that the property is spotless. It is a comprehensive cleaning of every room and surface

Why choose professional cleaning services in Surrey? Choosing professional cleaning services in Surrey offers many benefits:

Skills and Experience: Professional cleaners have the skills and knowledge to tackle any cleaning challenge ensuring high standards of cleanliness.

Time Efficiency: Save time and energy by letting professionals handle cleaning tasks, allowing you to focus on more important tasks.

Customizable services: Many cleaning companies offer customized packages to meet your specific needs, be it regular maintenance or a one-time deep clean.

Peace of mind: Knowing your home has been cleaned to the highest standards provides peace of mind, especially if you have a busy lifestyle.

Tips for maintaining a clean house While professional cleaning services are invaluable, maintaining cleanliness between visits is important Here are some tips to keep your home spotless:

Tidy Up Regularly: Tidy up every day for a few minutes to prevent clutter.

Spot Cleaning: Addresses spills immediately and stains may not be permanent.

Routine Cleaning Schedule: Establish regular cleaning schedules for tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, and mopping.

Declutter regularly: Declutter your home regularly to create a more organized and clean living space.

Use doormats: Placing doormats at entrances reduces the amount of dirt tracked into your home.

In conclusion, whether you need tenant cleaning, carpet cleaning, or general house cleaning services, Surrey and Surbiton offer a plethora of professional options. These services not only ensure your home is spotless but also save you time and effort. By choosing the right cleaning services and maintaining a clean environment, you can enjoy a spotless, welcoming home year-round.

Contact Info: End of Tenancy Cleaning Surrey Address: Flat 3, Athelstan House, 20 Saxon Close, Surbiton, United Kingdom Phone: 0203 441 7181 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.cleaningservicessurrey.co.uk/

External Links Facebook.com Twitter.com Pinterest.com Instagram.com Youtube.com

#end of tenancy cleaners surbiton #house cleaning surbiton

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raspberry--fool · 1 year

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oc intros: andrea polilles <3

so andrea is the main character in sic semper tyrannis!

sjdbsnsn just look at her. what a loser <3 anyways

she’s grumpy and snarky and takes pleasure in being rude

she’s also incredibly rash and a little violent, but she’s not irrational – she’s actually very logical

she absolutely despises the emyrian empire (the empire which has conquered her country) and in particular the sentries (the armed police used to oppress anyone opposing emyrian rule by continuing to worship arlieni gods or observing their traditions and festivals)

andrea was born with the ability to see spirits – these are nature-related entities worshipped in the arlieni religion who normally take the form of colourful, glowing animals; they tend to leech off the energy of humans, so if they’re at a festival they’ll be positive but in a fight they turn malevolent; normal humans can’t see them – but she can’t interact with them

at the time the story begins, both her parents are dead: her father was killed in the war against emyr; her mother was executed after being caught worshipping at a secret shrine for an arlieni deity

she is living in a tiny garret and working as a scullery maid in the kitchens of the local baron

her inciting incident is that her best friend, rila, is taken by a sentry and in the fight to get him back she meets a bear spirit who actually speaks to her

they form a connection which allows andrea to use the powers of the bear

eventually, after various shenanigans, she is recruited to the revolution that is trying to liberate arlien

picrew credits below (save for the second one, which i believe has been deleted but was called ‘jeliceous’s oc maker’):

#writing #my ocs #picrew #andrea polilles #sst

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reallygrossstuff · 1 year

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Not a Tumblr request, this one comes from a friend on Discord. It ended up being longer than I expected, but it was fun to write and I hope you guys like it too.

It was hard to get peace and quiet on demand, but whether because he'd asked on his wriggling day or because his friends had given up on trying to get him out of the house more than once a week, he didn't know. Either way, he'd managed to carve out the day for just himself, and he fully intended to use it doing what he loved best.

That being, sit on his ass all day and eat junk food while watching comfort television.

Already he was off to a good start. He'd pulled out a frozen grubloaf that was meant to serve four and resolved to feel no guilt about it, even when he paired it with popcorn and grubsauce and a tub of ice cream he'd forgotten about and needed to clear out before it expired.

When that assortment didn't last him until noon, Karkat resolved to bring more food back during the next commercial break, just to cut down on pointless trips to the kitchen. More popcorn was poured into the same bowl until it almost overfilled and topped off with yet more grubsauce. Two more grubloaves were taken from the fridge, since the first one had only reminded him why he liked this specific brand so much. He took out the bottle of soda that John had left over the last time he'd come to visit, just in case he got thirsty before needing to get up again. He retrieved the 'birthday' cake that John had insisted on baking for him, delivered the day before when Karkat had still been interested in physical interaction.

Finally, just in case he ran out of food during a crucial moment and couldn't get up, Karkat piled a few bags of chips on top of his haul for emergencies.

Returning to the couch, Karkat worked himself back into the comfortable groove he'd already made in it, turning his eyes once more to the screen. His usual channel was just about to start a marathon of one of his favourite movie series, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss a second of it on his wriggling day.

So he didn't.

And he didn't.

The first movie ended, and Karkat didn't look away from the screen.

The popcorn bowl emptied again. Karkat mopped up the leftover sauce with a slice of grubloaf without looking away from the screen.

Half the cake was gone. Karkat picked icing off of his lip during the second movie's dramatic climax, and kept his eyes on the screen.

The first grubloaf made him thirsty. He chugged a good portion of the soda without thinking, ignoring the sugary spillage from the corner of his mouth. He kept watching.

Craving a change in flavour, he opened the chips early, digging his fingers deep into each bag and sucking the dust from them once he hit the bottom.

Halfway through the third movie, Karkat ran out of cake. He used the first slice of his other grubloaf to shovel the leftover crumbs and icing into his mouth.

The loaf didn't make it through the fourth movie; tired of the distraction of pulling chunks from it, Karkat had begun to eat it like a candy bar, tearing bits off the loaf with his teeth. It was faster that way, and sated his appetite enough that the soda alone was able to carry him to the end of that movie.

Karkat grimaced when the title track of the fifth movie played. It was his least favourite in the series, and he didn't have much patience for it when it soured everything that came before. He'd watched enough of this anyway, it was probably a good time to get up and start on dinner. Leaning to the side, Karkat reached for the TV remote-

-which clattered off the couch cushion and onto the floor at just the right angle to bump the battery cover off, letting both of its batteries roll in different directions.

Typical. Karkat should've known, even if his friends had seen sense, the world was still out for him. He was honestly lucky it had taken this long for anything to go wrong.

Karkat put his hands on either side of himself, pushed upwards, and frowned as nothing happened.

Why had nothing happened? Had his feet fallen asleep. Karkat stomped each of them, pleased to find no hint of pins and needles on either side, but his frown deepened as he felt himself... wobble from the sudden movement. What the hell?

Looking down at himself for the first time in... an unfortunately long while, the reason for that wobble became clear; Karkat was stuffed. His stomach wasn't naturally flat, but its shape now made him feel like he'd been fucking svelte before. His gut hung out of the bottom of his sweater, overfilling his lap so the sides drooped out over the couch cushions. It was a three-seater, but with Karkat in his preferred spot right in the middle, he wondered if someone could even halfway fit in the space he was leaving on either side.

The whole of Karkat's exposed middle was slightly red, the skin growing taut from how much it'd been made to stretch. Now that Karkat wasn't distracted (he refused on principle to look at the television while the movie was still on screen), he could feel a slight but growing soreness, more present below his navel where his underbelly crammed against his waistband. At his sides, where he thought he'd been wiping his fingers on his sweater, long smears of grubsauce and frosting marked his skin, the oldest of them already starting to dry.

Karkat was shocked, but more than that he was pissed that this had managed to happen literally under his nose. Had he really gotten so engrossed in watching TV that he didn't notice he was stuffing himself like a roast dinner? He tried to raise himself to standing once more, but between the extra few pounds clinging to his middle and the deep groove he'd formed in the couch after almost ten hours, he just couldn't get the leverage to rise. Frustrated, he slapped the side of his gut with his open palm.

OUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPPP!!!

Face burning, Karkat brought both hands to his mouth as if he could cram the body-shaking eruption back down his throat. Looking down, he saw the faintest impression of his own hand where he'd slapped himself, the tightly-stretched skin immediately heating from the impact.

So he couldn't move, couldn't even touch himself for fear of bringing a neighbour's wrath down upon him, and to top it all of he was stuck sat in front of the worst movie created by troll or human hands. On his wriggling day, to boot.

Grumbling murderously to himself, Karkat slowly worked a hand into his back pocket, trying not to disturb his stomach too much as he dug beneath himself for his phone. Hopefully he could think of someone to call that wouldn't be fucking obnoxious about this.

#really gross stuff #karkat vantas #fatstuck #stuffing

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rabbitcruiser · 4 months

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National Ranch Day

Usually a sidekick for a variety of other foods, National Ranch Day brings that delightful flavor of this delicious dressing to the forefront of attention. No longer a condiment or an afterthought, ranch dressing is definitely the special guest star of the day!

History of National Ranch Day

The story of ranch dressing dates back several decades, to the late 1940s. In fact, the claim to the first creation of this strictly American condiment goes to a man named Steve Henson who originally thought of the concoction of buttermilk and herbs when he was working in Alaska.

After moving to California and purchasing the Hidden Valley dude ranch in California, Henson started serving and selling his salad dressing commercially. The company grew through mail-order and started to become very popular throughout the United States.

Ranch style dressing was originally sold as dry packets of herbs and spices that were meant to be mixed with milk and mayonnaise. Today, it can still be found in this powdered style, which is particularly easy for travel, or it can be purchased in bottles that are pre-mixed and ready to eat.

Now, one of the most popular salad dressings and condiments that is sold in the United States. Beyond just pouring it on top of salads, ranch dressing has some other versatile serving options that can’t be beat!

National Ranch Day is here to show appreciation for and pay attention to the deliciousness of ranch dressing.

How to Celebrate National Ranch Day

Take a break from boring and enjoy National Ranch Day with lots of fun and different ways to celebrate. Get started with some of these ideas:

Enjoy Ranch Dressing

One of the best things that can be done in honor of National Ranch Day is to include it in any and every meal and snack eaten on this day! Of course, ranch dressing can be poured on top of a delicious and nutritious salad, but there are other ways to eat it also.

Make it up into a delicious dip for veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and celery. Or use it for dipping items like chicken nuggets or fish sticks. Other ideas for eating ranch might include drizzling it on top of tasty pizza or a pile of french fries. Some people like to put ranch dressing on corn on the cob, or even on top of chili. Of course, it is delicious with buffalo wings!

Whatever way is preferred, this is definitely the day for getting creative with ranch dressing.

Hold a Ranch Dressing Taste Test

National Ranch Dressing Day is a great time to have fun checking out which ranch dressing is the best one of all. It might be fun to host a ranch dressing taste test in the breakroom at work or just in the kitchen at home. Have coworkers or friends participate in a blind taste test, have each person vote on which one is best, and then name the winning brand as the reigning champion!

Source

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swastikprofessionals · 5 hours

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Commercial Kitchen Equipment in Delhi

Swastik Professionals, a leading name in the industry, specializes in providing top-notch commercial kitchen equipment in Delhi. Our extensive range includes everything from advanced cooking ranges to high-efficiency refrigeration units, ensuring your kitchen operates seamlessly. With a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, we cater to the diverse needs of restaurants, hotels, and cafes. Choose Swastik Professionals for reliable, durable, and innovative commercial kitchen equipment in Delhi, designed to elevate your culinary experience.

#Kitchen #restaurant #kitchen equipment #best commercial kitchen brands #tumblr trends

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mrswoodcraft · 1 year

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Exquisite Plywood: MRS Woodcraft - Leading Manufacturers in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and UP

Discover exquisite plywood options from the leading manufacturers in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh - MRS Woodcraft. With their commitment to quality and craftsmanship, MRS Woodcraft is renowned for producing top-notch plywood sheets that are perfect for various applications. Whether you're looking for plywood for your kitchen, commercial projects, or any other woodworking needs, MRS Woodcraft offers the best quality plywood. Explore a wide range of plywood types and find the perfect match for your requirements. With their extensive experience and dedication to excellence, MRS Woodcraft has established itself as one of the best plywood brands in India. Visit their plywood shop near you and experience the superior quality and reliability of their products. Trust MRS Woodcraft, the top plywood company in India, to provide you with exceptional plywood that exceeds your expectations.

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khushiaxisworld · 1 year

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Khushi Creation Builders & Developers, a most significant Lifestyle full of Luxury and Leisure specifications crafted for the connoisseurs. Once you enter here, you will completely desert yourself to the relaxed and rejuvenated designed spaces, its represent best facilities, amenities and an exceptional lifestyle.

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18-roses · 1 year

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Croupier Comptable: Game Theory for The Venetian Macao, China (Trapping Aesthetic for Volleyball) 14K

BIO

THE ARNAULT MODEL: BALANCING FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE AND CREATIVITY

Financed through Real Estate and Convertible Bonds

The Creation of Star Brands

Creative Talent Management

Although those iconoclastic designers later left LVMH, they had served Arnault’s purpose: interest in his traditional fashion houses had been jumpstarted by the early 21st century.

HOW TO STABILIZE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, SEYCHELLOIS, AND HAITIAN CURRENCY (INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE BUT FOR MMA & COMMODITIES NOT CRICKET & TECHNOLOGY MODEL)

Bioeconomy Agriculture Central Hedge Fund with Agriculture Bulge Brackets Oligopolistic System Hyper Inflation Vehicle Fiat Currency: Strict Negative Interest Rates for Investments; Debt/Equity Business Loan Period and Construction Loan/Tax Benefits Programs, Investment Trusts & Enterprise Foundations are Common Corporate Tax Avoidance Practices, and Raise Denominator of Currency & Print Currency for Insurance Companies for Building Process

Combat Sport as National Sport: Free Internet with Corporate Sponsor Purse Bid System Mixed Martial Arts Camps, Orphanages, Polytheist Churches, Gaming-Hospitality; and +EV Gambling

Mercantilism Fiat Currency Pegging: Foreign Exchange Rate to Diamond Peg Currency

Market Extension Vertical Integration Mergers Lottery

Industries: Mergers & Acquisitions Agriculture Industry, Decentralized Finance, Real Estate Finance and Economics, Capital Gains Tax Haven, Corporate Tax Haven, Inheritance Tax Haven, Art Ports, and Gaming-Hospitality

Blockchain Diamond-Metal Exchange Modelled Off of CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). Founded in 1973, the CBOE Options Exchange is the world's largest options exchange with contracts focusing on individual equities, indexes, and interest rates. Credit Spread Options and Blockchain the Commodities Market.

Business Capital is a Collaborative Environment through Generalized Education (STEM AND M & A)

Socioeconomic Status Agriculture Working Class Immigrants

XYY or Triple X Syndrome, ACTN3 Gene, MSTN Gene, and Mercury-Venus Births

A ROUND OF PAR GAME THEORY NETWORK

Beta Arbitrage with Convertible Bonds Compounding

Key Ingredients

Player's: Futures Exchange and Investor

Actions: Issue payments under any circumstances

Payoffs: Exchange - Larger Market Volume, Investor - Larger Assets Under Management or Profits

Representation

Extensive Form includes timing of moves. Player's move sequentially, represented as a tree (timing). Chess: the white player moves, then the black player can see White's move and react

Theory

Let's break down the Components:

Beta Arbitrage

Exchange: The Futures Exchange benefits because now not only is equity on the stock market is being bought but the options market has a larger volume.

Convertible Bond Compounding

Exchange: The Futures Exchange benefits because now not only is equity on the stock market is being bought, but the bond market has a larger volume.

LANGUAGES

Mandarin

Latin

INDUSTRY WORTH FOR COMMODITIES (AGRICULTURE WORKING CLASS)

In 2012, Forbes reported that $21 trillion was Off-Shored

The estimated amount of money laundered globally in one year is 2 - 5% of global GDP, or $800 billion - $2 trillion in current US dollars.

Global Cut Flowers Market to Reach $41. 1 Billion by 2027.

The global coffee market was valued at USD 102.02 billion in 2020,

Global Vanilla Market Is Expected to be worth Around USD 735 Million By 2026

The global tobacco market size was estimated at USD 932.11 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 949.82 billion in 2021.

For the year 2020, Worldwide Cotton Market was US$ 38.54 Billion. Global Cotton Market is expected to reach US$ 46.56 Billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 2.74% from 2020 to 2027.

The global waste management market size was valued at $1,612.0 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $2,483.0 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 3.4% from 2021 to 2030

According to Brandessence Market Research, the Energy Drink market size reached USD 61.23 billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 99.62 Billion by 2027.

LEGAL DEFENSE

Smurfing: Reverse Onus, Challenge Mens Rea and Actus Rea, Press Malicious Prosecution Charges, Financial Settlement

CRIME COLLAR

SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Agriculture Working Class Immigrants Socioeconomic Status Focused Key Players in Commodities Market*

Polytheism (Zeus, Poseidon, and Ogou-Athena)*

Births: Mercury-Venus, MSTN Gene, ACTN3 Gene, XYY Syndrome, or Triple X Syndrome

Māori All Blacks Sports Culture and Volleyball is National Sport*

Jumping for Cardio*

Poker Brain*

REITs/Real Estate ETF Investors with Index Credit or Debit Spreads Options Trading*

Mergers and Acquisitions Exploratory School System*

Sand-Based Calisthenics kallos sthenos (beautiful strength) Interval Training: Isometric-Plyometric, Circuit Training: Isometric-Isotonic, and Isometric-Mobility

Tofu is Protein of Choice

Fish/Seafood is Meat of Choice

Blueberry is consumed at every breakfast

Mineral Water instead of Spring Water

Coconut Syrup as Sugar Replacement

Business News is a part of The Cigar Culture

Sports Gambling for Extra Revenue Stream instead of Lottery Tickets when in Working Class

Hydrolyzed Collagen-Leucine is the Main Sports Medicine

Brokerage Accounts with First 10 Investments as Bond Funds and REITs

VAMMMBRGC LIFESTYLE BRAND RACKET

Volleyball (Trampoline)

Acting (Short Film Series: Aesthetic Taxi Game, Character: Expansive Mood Villain)

Modeling (Brand Activation Models)

Music (Psychedelic Festival Trap)

Martial Arts

Ballet (Females Only)

Rings Gymnastics (Males Only)

Graffiti (Art)

Cooking (Endorsements)

LVMH-Lacoste Collaboration Company For Tax Mergers Law; Market-extension merger: Two companies that sell the same products in different markets. 4.2.2 Corporate Taxation At the corporate level, the tax treatment of a merger or acquisition depends on whether the acquiring firm elects to treat the acquired firm as being absorbed into the parent with its tax attributes intact, or first being liquidated and then received in the form of its component assets.

VŒUX DE CHAMPAGNE SOGNI CAVIALI

Description: Beta-arbitrage Mergers & Acquisitions Cartel that commits Mediterranean-Caribbean and Afro-Mediterranean Socioeconomic Status Development Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction (CPR) Unit Charities, Protection Racket, Paramilitary Financing, Lobbyist-Investment Trust, Commodities Management, Gambling & Diamond Trafficking, Rolex Re-sale Market, Real Estate Brokerage, Graffiti Art Port, Smurfing, Nike Sports & Fashion Corporate Espionage and Larceny Business Model Reengineering, and VAMMMBRGC Contract Racketeering Through Enterprise Foundations

Activities: Executive Council for Mayor, Culinary Arts, Grey Market Fashion, Trap Shooting Gambling Tournaments, Volleyball Tournaments, Corporate Sponsor EdTech, Grocery Insurance & Electronic Financial Data Interchange, Diamond Encrusted Accessories Collaboration with LVMH, OTC Beta-arbitrage Branch Bracket, OTC Exchange (Commodities, Sports Betting Investment Trust, Real Estate Investment Trust, Cuisine Real Estate Investment Trust, Forex Pairs Contract for Difference, Retail/Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust, Credit Swap Options Endorsement Index), VAMMMBRGC Youtube Distribution Channel (Gambling News Network, Noir Short Film Series [Shakespearean Crime], Cooking Channel, Sports Resort Real Estate, Sports/Modelling/Acting Business Case Study Video Essay, Brand Activation Modelling, Combat Sports, Calisthenics Workout Class, Sports Science Lessons, Graffiti Tourism, Music Videos, Natural Resources Documentaries, Hype Beast Re-Sale Market, Rolex Business Case Study Video Essays, Business Conferences).

DIAMOND TRAFFICKING

The WFDB Trade And Business Committee

Business Model

Diamond Monopoly

My Vertical Integration Mergers: Company’s Diamond Mines, Merger Manufacturers, Company’s Distribution, and Merger Hospitality and Gaming Diamond Exchange

The Diamond Standard

Influence: Agricultural Bank of China is active in commercial banking, investment banking, and insurance services.

Diamond Mine Investment Group: Mines can create private Investment Groups. Items within Group: diamond retail, diamond trading, industrial diamond manufacturing sectors

DIAMOND ROLEX INVESTMENT TRUST (EXAMPLE)

Description

Watch Listing Through Discounted Cash Flow for Rolex Drop Culture or Re-Sale Market

Underwriting Products

$50,000 in value

Collector's Edition

Less than 20 models made

Masterwork Investing Platform (reference)

Masterworks is making the world of art a little less exclusive by offering everyday investors the chance to own a fraction of these high-priced investments with a much smaller amount of money.

How Masterworks functions (reference)

Masterworks provides an affordable way to invest in art. What was once an option reserved exclusively for wealthy investors is now accessible to investors of all types. Here's how the platform works:

Industrial Embassy

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN PARAMILITARY FINANCING

Military Payments

Sercurity Operations (SercOps) Payment: $150,000 yearly salary: Receives $100,000 salary; other $50,000 is used for branch-managed investment portfolio and investment trust

Discharge Payment: $75,000 yearly salary for Armoured Car Guard and Driver, Receives $50,000 salary; other $25,000 is used for branch-managed investment portfolio and investment trust

Military Funding: Central Hedge Fund Equity Given

Payment is in Fixed Currency

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DEVELOPMENT CONFLICT PREVENTION AND RECONSTRUCTION (CPR) UNIT CENTERS

Corporate Sponsor: M & A Schools (Mergers and Acquisitions) & Retirement-preparatory School

Cross-Curriculum

STEM education is the cross-curricular study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and the application of those subjects in real-world contexts.

Studying Style

I use Interleaving Studying for Generalist Kinaesthetic Learners.

The best part about interleaving is that it is almost a universal aid in learning

Evidence suggests that spaced practice is more effective for long-term retrieval.

Interleaving Studying forces the brain to continually retrieve because each practice attempt is different from the last, so rote responses pulled from short-term memory won’t work.

Multiple choice test is an example of measuring retrieval by A. reconstruction. B. recognition.

Chess

Life-History Strategy

The Savant Skills Curriculum

Learning Centers

Programmed Learning

Exploratory Learning (Singapore Field Trips)

The Choice Theory Culture:

Is an expected way of being or living

Encourages positive choices which lead to healthy relationships

Is relationship based and collaborative

Is not about controlling behavior, rather promoting personal responsibility

Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset Theory

Poker as Intro to Portfolio Building

Famous Fund Managers who played Poker

Conflict Prevention & Reconstruction Unit Psychology

CORPORATE SPONSOR: BETA-ARBITRAGE M & A EXAM

Poker Contest: Bankroll Budget*

Math Contest: Linear Algebra Contest, Probability and Ratios

Investment Management Contest: Decentralized Portfolio Building Simulation

Latin and Mandarin Technical Analysis Settings Fair: Year-Long Competition

Machine Learning Contest: Quantitative Aptitude

Ages: 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 20

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

Socioeconomic status is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation.

EdTech

Generalist Education

VAMMMBRGC: Volleyball, Acting, Modelling, Music, Martial Arts, Ballet (Female), Rings Gymnastics (Male), Graffiti (Art), Cooking (Gastronomy)

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

M&A: Merger, Acquasitions

Welfare Investment Program

Fund through Rental Properties: Bond Funds, REITs

Credit Building Program: Line of Credit Deposit Program

Job Placement for Agriculture Working Class

COMMODITIES REAL ESTATE

Insurance Premium, Financial Electronic Data Interchange, Royalties, Lease, & Gross Sale Payments for Restaurant Clientele Grocery Stores and Delivery Food Courts:

A franchise (or franchising) is a method of distributing products or services involving a franchisor, who establishes the brand's trademark or trade name and a business system, and a franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchisor's name and system. Royalties is the amount someone pays you to use your property, after you subtract the expenses you have for the property.

CONFLUENCE FOREX & COMMODITIES BETA-ARBITRAGE FORMULA

Trading Psychology: Play Defense, Focus on preserving capital instead of gaining capital

Master Supply and Demand (S&D) Zones (banks use this)

Candlestick Patterns for VSA When Volume Spikes Down and Price is Up Bearish: Shooting Star, Doji, Hanging Man, Doji-Star

Candlestick Patterns for VSA When Volume Spikes Up and Price is Down Bullish: Hammer, Inverted Hammer, Doji, Doji-Star

S&D Reversal Patterns: The Drop-Base-Rally is a bullish reversal pattern, The Rally-Base-Drop is a bearish reversal pattern

S&D Continuation patterns: The Rally-Base-Rally is a bullish continuation pattern, The Drop-Base-Rally is a bearish continuation pattern

Swing Trading Time Frame H1 (Hourly) Reference D1 and H4 to locate supply and demand zones Pivot Points and VSA

Heiken Ashi Candlesticks Much easier to read candlestick charts and analyze market trends

Using Pivot Points for Prediction A pivot point is a technical analysis indicator, or calculations, used to determine the overall trend of the market over different time frames Works for commodities

Exponential Moving Average (EMA) 200 Day 20 Day

Momentum Indicator Settings 14 or 21

Hedging Strategies: Forex and Commodities CFD, Crude Oil Cash-secured Put Options (Binary Options)

TURF ACCOUNTANT

Beta-Arbitrage (PROFITS FOR BOOKMAKER)

+EV (Investment)

Live Betting (Balance Sheets)

BRANCH BRACKET DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW PORTFOLIO BET SLIP

+EV Round Robin instead of WACC Portfolio

$5 Units

GAME THEORY OPTIMAL POKER WITH LOOSE AGGRESSIVE & GROWTH INVESTING

Growth Investing Strategy & Game Theory

Japanese Candlestick Charts: Bullish Engulfing

Discounted Cash Flow Model: EV (Expected Value replaces WACC)

Mixed Strategy

Fold Equity

Community Cards

Companies Charts and Historical Financials

Royal Flush

Straight Flush

4 of a Kind

Full House

Flush

Hands

FCF of Companies

Strategy

Every chart starts with a green candlestick

Depending on your hand the second candlestick is either green or red

Green for the top 5 hands: Listed above

Red for the bottom 5 hands

If it's green invest by betting

If it's red fold

The third candlestick depends on the Flop

The fourth candlestick depends on The Turn

As more money gets betted the Green candlestick gets larger

After The Flop risk-assessment and probability needs to be accounted for

Tony Dunst Tips

Learn to think in Big Blinds, Opponents are Effective Big Blinds

Identify Player Types then Adjust

Study Big Blind Defense Frequency (Hand Ranges)

Work on Bubble and Final Table Play (Independent Chip Model)

Build 3 Betting Ranges

AFRO-MEDITERRANEAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS VOLLEYBALL SPORTS PERFORMANCE FOR KINAESTHETIC LEARNERS

Volleyball Physiological Age System for Both Genders: Plyometric High-Intensity Interval Training Through Cross Training, Wingspan Through Cross Training, Unstable Surface Muscle Recruitment Contrast Training, Isometric-Plyometric-Sprint-or-Vertical Jump Contrast Conditioning, Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) Weighted Jump Rope Respiratory Conditioning, Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Cycling, Fascia and Central Pattern Generator Skill Development, Stretch-Reflex Elastic Strength Training, Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), Stimulus-Fatigue-Recovery-Adaptation for Supercompensation, Autophagy Recovery, High Fat and High Carb with Lipolysis Supplement Nutrition: 3 Fuels of Energy in Oxygen, Fat, and Glucose, Convert Hybrid Muscle Fibers

Stretch Goal of Having a Physiological Age of 25

Offensive Systems 5-1 System Rotation 1: Setter Starts in Right Back, Rotation Offense to Middle Front, Run One Man or Two Man Routes, Call out Formations

Defensive Systems Middle Back Systems: The Set is important to determine if there’s enough time for one man, two man, or three man block. Shots to Plan for: Dink, Off-speed, and Angle. Setting Blocks: Mix Sequencing of Jump Two Man and Three Man Back

Anta Sports Fashion Collab Circuits (Graffiti Beachwear Fashion Week and Trade Show): Key City Tournaments