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tundrainafrica · 4 years ago

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Title: Division of Labor (3/?)

Summary:

“The past years, we have noticed a lot of our fresh high school graduates knew nothing about responsibilities that await them outside high school and even college. Many students do not master budgeting, taxes, household planning, loans and we hope to raise a generation who can navigate the adult world without the consequences of bad decisions they are bound to make going in blindly…”

Paradis High school starts a program incorporating adulting into their curriculum and Hange and Levi are paired together.

Note: From request of @a-golden-hearted-snk-fan. See this link for the request

Other Chapters: 1 2

Link to cross-postings: AO3

It turned out Hange did think the housing plan through.

"It's a rent to own contract...so after paying this certain amount of rent… within a number of years… we can own the house basically," Hange explained. Her preparation was evident in the wad of papers she had carelessly spread out on the table in front of Levi.

At first glance, Levi could not make sense of what those papers were. Eventually, by carefully scanning through the therefore, herewiths, in the events, the interest rates and percentages, Levi figured out they were contracts and manuals full of buying and renting policies of one particular real estate company.

Levi looked out the glass window of the booth of the quiet diner they had chosen to work in. He had tried to use the mechanical movements of the crowds on a commute home to at least help clear his mind enough to make sense of how exactly a rent-to-own contract worked. Levi was sure Hange was at least attempting to explain everything about the buying policies of the real estate company in layman's terms. Although Levi was somewhat impressed by the dedication Hange put into it, as soon as she started to talk about the policies and agreements beyond ‘we get to own the house after a while,’ Levi ended up spacing out. The prospect of spending, even if it was fake money, caused him enough unnecessary stress.

He turned his attention to the two flour sacks who were propped by the window of the diner booth they occupied. He had purposefully turned their ugly faces towards the window at the small possibility that Shadis, Erwin or even Zeke were amongst the crowds of people walking through the crowds and into the subway station. A testament to their determination not to waste any unnecessary funds or worse, flunk the program

"If we catch you in public not holding your baby, you pay babysitting dues or you fail." Shadis had said in homeroom class that morning.

After some discussion as a class and with some confirmation from Erwin, the whole class came to the understanding that if they went out separately, they were in no obligation to take their babies with them. It could always be assumed after all, that their partner had their baby with them. Being in public with their partner meant someone had to have the baby with them or they risk pay necessary dues. At any rate, they found solace in the fact that if they were going to look like idiots holding brown sacks with shabbily drawn faces on them, they at least had someone to look like an idiot with.

Levi looked back at Hange to see that she had not stopped talking. Levi was not too surprised, having the disinterested equivalent of a resting bitch face, he had to master the art of looking like he cared to get past most classes.

“Where did you get these anyway?” Levi asked, interrupting the tirade of his partner. The answer to that question would at least be something he would be able to understand.

“The procedures manual and their company policies are available online.” Hange answered matter-of-factly. Levi noted how quickly she recovered from having her explanation of policy and business jargon interrupted.

As Levi looked once again through highlighted lines and messy scrawls, he felt embarrassed that he was not even halfway done with the design they had discussed the night before. He slowly brought out his folder where he had at least begun to draw the floor plan from the link Hange had sent him the night before.

“How has the floor plan been Levi?” Hange cocked her head to one side. Levi could not tell if she was provoking him or if she was genuinely curious about the progress of his work. Regardless, the way that she sifted through the papers under her, while looking pointedly at the roughly drawn floor plan on his hands had Levi self conscious.

It was Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours since she had bombarded him with messages. Less than 24 hours since she dropped a pdf file of the floor plan and went MIA, Levi guessed it was to prepare all the documents which Hange had just laid out in front of him that morning. As he compared his own progress to hers, he also became aware of one more reality, their first outputs were due tomorrow. Begrudgingly Levi had to admit, despite her naivete and overenthusiasm, Hange had a better sense of urgency than he did.

“I planned everything out already. I just need to outline it.” Levi said, trying at least not to sound as defensive as he felt.

“But can you do it alone? I didn’t sleep at all last night to get this done.” Hange looked more concerned than anything else.”

As Levi looked back at a skeleton of a housing plan that lay in front of him, he started to understand her concern. The house they had selected was huge and designing would take hours if he actually wanted to put thought into it.

“I mean even if we take out the 1800 from our budget of 3600 dollars a month, we still have to consider furniture and it might take you a while to come out with the pricing right? I guess we could leave out 1000 dollars for that….”

Furniture? Levi had stopped listening at ‘furniture.’ Somehow Levi had assumed that it would have been fully furnished when they bought it and they just had to rearrange furniture. “We’re buying an unfurnished house?” Levi had hoped Hange was pulling his leg.

Hange knitted her brows in confusion. “Did I say anything about a furnished house?”

Division of Labor

“There are two methods of accounting used in modern day society: cost accounting and accrual accounting or as I’d like to call them: an idiot’s sorry excuse for accounting and actual accounting.” Zeke wrote the two terms on the board and plopped himself on the teacher’s desk. “Really though, why the hell do people still use cost accounting in modern society, it’s fucking stupid, barbaric, might as well go back to bartering…”

Levi had no idea what either of them were. As he looked around at his classmates, they looked as lost as he was about the mini rant that Zeke gave about the two accounting methods he had failed to define.

After a few minutes of ranting, Zeke finally noticed the blank faces of his students. “Okay Social Experiment.” Zeke cocked his head to the side. “Actually, let’s call it an IQ Test. Jean stand up.”

“Yes sir!” Jean followed way too enthusiastically.

“You got the investment banker occupation so ideally you should be the most knowledgeable on money among everyone in the room,” Zeke continued. “You have zero dollars and I gave you 100 dollars right now. How much do you have?”

“100 dollars sir,” Jean answered.

“That’s a smart boy.” Zeke slapped his desk so hard, Armin and Eren jumped, having sat so close to the teacher’s desk. “Okay, so if I lent you 100 dollars, how much do you have?”

“100 dollars.”

“So, you’re gonna run away with my money? No plans of paying me back?”

Jean tensed up in confusion. “No sir. I’ll be paying you back.”

“Then is it your money?"

“It’s with me sir… So I think…” Jean paused for a second. “So it’s your money sir?”

“Tell me. The money is with you after all. Is it your money or my money?”

“It’s my money sir!” Jean answered too quickly, probably without even thinking.

“I lent you the money. I expect it back so it’s mine. Calling my money your money is practically stealing Kirschtein. I can call a lawyer on you.” Zeke narrowed his eyes at Jean for a few seconds before shrugging in defeat. “But you’re not a criminal. You’re just an idiot who relies on outdated accounting methods. Don’t take that with you when you become an actual financial advisor. Sit down. I’m calling someone else.” Zeke turned back to the class list on the teacher’s table. “Okay, anyone in this list with a finance related position...” Zeke’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked through the list. He looked at the class with a cat-like grin, his eyes focusing on one boy in the front row. “In my almost sixteen years of knowing you, I did not expect you to be suitable but it looks like you’re the only one in this list other than Jean with an accounting related occupation.”

“Really? It’s accounting related?” Eren had never been one to be good at Math. Everyone in the class agreed and as their professor hinted at his assigned occupation, many began to whisper, possibly theorizing as to what Eren had gotten.

They did not have to theorize for long though, within seconds, Zeke continued to discuss. “Okay Eren, let’s discuss your field of expertise --- insurance.”

Eren slowly nodded in return. It was a nod which everyone in the room had understood at first glance. Insurance was not Eren’s field of expertise.

Zeke did not seem to care though. “Case study time! I have 3000 dollars. Eren the insurance salesman sells me $200 dollars a month worth of insurance and I buy one years worth of prepaid insurance. By the end of this month, how much worth of assets do I have left?”

“By assets, you mean money?”

“Check a fucking dictionary.”

Eren sat down for a second. From his seat, Levi could hear some whispers from Mikasa and some clicks of a digital keyboard, or possibly a calculator.

“600 dollars.”

“Final answer?”

“Yes. Final Answer.” Eren seemed so sure of his answer.

From seeing Zeke’s face at the answer, Levi could not help but think, maybe phrasing it as a question was the better option for Eren.

“This is why your generation is so shit at saving. With this type of attitude, you‘re all gonna get into some shity Ponzi scheme with yourself and some sad saps who actually pitied you enough to lend you money without assessing your credit rating that’s just gonna continue riding on some endless cycle until you all go to jail or declare bankruptcy.” Zeke ranted again as he punched the buttons of the projector, turning it on. “ Scratch that. At this rate, none of you would probably even know how to declare bankruptcy.”

Accounting 101 . Those two words flashed on the screen, the contrast of black words in a default font to the white background of a hastily made powerpoint only getting clearer as the projector whirred to life.

“The amount of debt you can get into in the real world will fuck up your life. So to simulate the real world consequences of unpaid debt, we decided to make your fake debt by the end of the year one of the main determinants of your final grade. And we will be using real accounting to determine your debt. Any questions before we start?”

It was Sasha who raised her hand from the back of the classroom.

“Yes?” Zeke asked with shoddily hidden annoyance.

“So which one is cost and which one is accrual again, Sir?”

Division of Labor

"I told you. I'll handle the accounting," Hange said. "We can make this work." Her words were not at all assuring.

It was Wednesday afternoon. They had submitted their selection for their house that afternoon in class so that meant no more takebacks. Their house plans were due midnight and Levi was not even halfway done. To add insult to injury, Levi was still reeling from Zeke’s lecture just a few hours ago.

Initially, Hange had suggested they buy the furniture in installments. The prospect of buying in installments though became all the more terrifying with the accounting system Zeke had introduced to them that day and the weight of a negative balance sheet on their grades.

As soon as you buy something and enter into debt, the money owed is not yours anymore. Levi shuddered as those words echoed in his head. He narrowed his eyes at Hange. "Really Hange? Can we? After deciding to spend half your salary each month on an unfinished 3 bedroom house?" Levi asked as he gestured to their next tall order that stretched over two aisles. They were in the baby's section in the supermarket.

It was their third round around that aisle, trying to look for a brand of diaper and a brand of formula that would not cost them a total of 400 dollars a month.

“I mean, we still have 800 dollars on groceries if we put our furniture installments budget at 1000 dollars a month,” Hange explained. “So if we spend 400 dollars on baby stuff, we should have 400 left.”

“400 dollars for a month’s worth of meals for a family of four.” Levi clarified. “There must be something here we could choose not to spend on.” Or maybe we could find a cheaper place to buy things in. Levi thought back to the supermarket nearer to his house and made a mental note to check it. The output was due on Friday anyway.

"Hey, Armin and Annie are here too!" Hange said enthusiastically.

Too enthusiastically. Levi clarified to himself. That was not at all good news. If other groups were going to that supermarket, that must mean they think they have the financial leeway to spend there, That could also possibly mean he and Hange had somehow fucked up financially as a pair, struggling to make ends meet. Armin was a studious student with a good head on his shoulders and he chose to shop in a more expensive supermarket. Are we spending too much?

"Let's ask Armin…" Levi did not need to finish his sentence. By the time, he looked to his side, where Hange stood or at least was supposed to be standing, the latter was already on her way to the blond boy..

Levi did not waste anytime. As Hange chatted up Armin, Levi made a few rounds through the two aisles again, his phone calculator on hand.

Just in case. Levi told himself. Just in case they had miscalculated the minimum expense of 400 dollars.

Division of Labor

Hange had a long talk with Armin. By that point, Levi had lost count of the number of rounds he had made around the aisle. He had stopped counting at five. He had done his research on discounts and made some fake accounts and the expense still clocked at $390 dollars.

By the time he and Hange called it quits, the sun was setting. Hange seemed lost in thought and she had been that way since she had finished her conversation with Armin. Levi decided to take over keeping both sacks for the night. He made a small detour to the grocery store nearest to his flat. It was smaller, a little dirtier but it meant a little more room for spending and a bigger chance of saving his grade and graduating. Begrudgingly, sanitation became the least of Levi's issues.

He wrote out all the prices of the important items they had seen in the grocery store. When he got home, he made sure to write them all on a google sheet complete with weight, quantity and prices and sent the link to Hange through an instant message. For some reason, he felt a twinge of disappointment when all he received was a heart react in return.

Of course, Hange still had a lot of things to calculate. Even as they separated less than an hour ago, she had seemed distracted. Levi guessed Armin had told her something game breaking about the accounting process.

What did Armin tell you? You need any help?

Will explain soon. Send the meal plan and house design by 9 pls.

Levi managed to submit the meal plan by nine. He had copied and pasted from some random family cooking website, changing a few ingredients to fit what he thought would be cheaper options. He did not need to think too much of it either. He lived a life many would consider the complete opposite of excess and as a result, had mastered the art of improvisation when it came to food.

His main problem lay with the floor plan of the house. Hange had agreed to handle worrying about the expenses. That was one problem out of his plate.

Even with the money problem out of his hands, Levi found himself working until late anyway. Or not working… Levi was only reminded of his lack of productivity when his phone lit up with a notification.

11:00pm

Hange Zoe

Where??????

Levi only realized then that he had gotten a little carried away with the problem of where to put the washing machine.

Division of Labor

It was a genius idea.

That Wednesday night, only a few hours before the house plan was due, Levi had had fifty tabs open from German and Japanese house designers showing bathrooms and laundry room designs highlighting the novelty and practicality of putting the washing machine in the bathroom. Levi had spent hours pondering the logistics of making it work for the house design Hange had sent him only for her to shoot down the idea an hour before the housing plan was due.

They rented an American style house with a bathroom in every bedroom and the impracticality had dawned on him particularly when it was fifteen minutes to 12am and they were still arguing in chat over how to design the house. In the end, Hange had gotten her way, having brought up the issue of accounting furniture and the fact that they probably did not even have the financial leeway to pay for a washing machine anyway.

Having to deal with the disappointment of losing the opportunity to design the house the way he wanted to and having his unfinished design shipped off to Erwin’s email, with little regard for the effort he had put into the intricacy of both the toilets and the laundry room, Levi was a little pissed. He also considered the fact that he had respected the effort and detail Hange had put into choosing a house and had allowed her to submit a potentially overpriced and unfurnished house as their final product.

And she could not even reciprocate the respect for his whims.

Levi decided then to take a break from it all. It was a silent agreement on both ends. Or there was no need for an agreement anyway. They had finished their deliverables for the week by Thursday.

Everyone had ended up cramming theirs anyway and Levi found himself walking home alone and spending his time outside school hours bingeing whatever was new on Netflix.

By Monday, Levi had not expected to do much. Their breakdown of responsibilities was due Friday, 12am on Thursday to be exact according to the file that Erwin had sent. It was a one page paper with a few questions that just needed answering. They could easily start on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Levi wanted to spend at least just his Monday, peacefully, not considering the program which has been plaguing the start of their junior year since Shadis’ announcement just a week ago. He allowed himself to clear his mind, making sure to just note on his phone to start on the next output by Wednesday. Hange would probably remind him anyway.

He had deluded himself well into thinking the adulting program was limited to those once a week outputs. An announcement was made to meet in the kitchen after lunch for home economics class. His mood that Monday had him living in complete denial of what could actually go on in a school kitchen and for some reason, Levi imagined having a lecture in the kitchen was a completely normal expectation, even with the reminder to bring aprons and gloves. Maybe we just need to put them in lockers or something.

As the students filed in though, some of them panicked and that was when Levi figured out that something was not right. The counters were all lined up with ingredients. Some of the students had recognized the ingredients. Levi looked to Hange to see that she was blank on what the hell the pattern was behind the types of ingredients set out.

There were the essentials--- flour, sugar, eggs. There were exotic ingredients Levi could not even name or pronounce.

“Cardamom, Star Anise, Rose water. What the hell?” It was Jean speaking from behind Levi.

“I’m glad you see the pattern. I’m assuming that means you’ll all do well?” Erwin waited while the rest of the class filed into the room before he raised his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “Today we’ll be having a pop quiz just to make sure you all know what you’re writing when you make the meal plans. In the tables assigned to you, you will see the ingredients for one of the meals you put in your meal plan. Please use them accordingly to make a full course meal from what you had submitted.”

Levi could not remember for the life of him what the hell he had put in that meal plan a week back

#levihan #levi ackerman #hange zoe #levi x hange #fanfic

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epochxp · 4 years ago

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Epoch Xperience Interviews Nordic Weasel Founder, Ivan Sorensen

Mr. Sorensen needs no real introduction to many miniature wargamers. His company, Nordic Weasel Games, has taken the historical miniatures gaming world by storm, and he’s become the force on Wargames Vault. His formula of “substance over flash” has produced good games for a very reasonable price, and he has taken full advantage of PDF technology to produce a quality product one can buy and have in your (virtual hands) the next day.

Without further ado, I give you Ivan Sorensen:

Biography

My name is Ivan Sorensen, and I am a game designer and self-publishing writer of miniatures games, as well as the odd role-playing game. Under the moniker of Nordic Weasel Games, I have worked as a game writer for close to 7 years.

I am an avid player of board games, miniatures games, role-playing games, video games, and anything else I can get my hands on. I have spent half my life on this planet in Denmark, where I was born, and half in the United States, where I currently reside. I am married, have one kid and two cats named Scruffy and Lancelot.

Unlike a lot of historical games writers, many of my formative miniatures gaming experiences actually came from science fiction games, so I suppose that has given me a little bit of a different perspective.

So, how did you get started in writing rules? Was there an “aha” moment, or did you fall into it?

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have basically always created little dice and board games for myself, using Lego pieces or other things that we had available, usually based on video games I had read about in magazines or other ideas like that.

When I was 12 or so, I remember getting a copy of White Dwarf magazine from a local gaming club I had joined, and it blew my mind. We had some limited exposure to the idea of space marines and all these things from the Milton Bradley Hero Quest and Space Crusade board games, but the idea of battle games played without a board, using miniatures and dice was too much to resist. I knew I had to get into this, and as I had no money for it, I sat down to write a game I could play with my Space Crusade figures, which would look as much like what I imagined Warhammer 40.000 would be like.

Since then, I had pretty much always been the “rules guy” in the gaming groups I was part of, whether we were playing miniatures games or RPG’s, so it just came naturally over time, I suppose. As I got access to the internet and later got access to ordering things from the UK or US, I devoured every game I could get my hands on and was even remotely interested in.

The start to writing games that were any good was my own attempt at creating a World War 1 game system (titled Trench Storm). I had shared it online, and to my great surprise, it began catching people’s attention and got a (very) small following, with people even purchasing miniatures to play it. Eventually, I was contacted by the US distributor for IT Miniatures, who offered to print it to promote their 20mm figure range. The rest is, as they say, history. Once in a great while, a copy of that game still pops up on eBay, it seems!

How did Nordic Weasel Games come to be?

So that story took place right around the time I moved to the United States. After moving, I had a lengthy period where I did not have my work permit yet, so game writing seemed like an obvious distraction, resulting in Fast and Dirty, a sci-fi rules set that you still see mentioned online here and there.

As the years went on, I kept tinkering and building things but mostly for my own enjoyment. Sometime during the fall of 2013, I started seriously working on a new game system for WW2 skirmish actions that I felt had some real potential to go places. At the time, I worked at a relatively dead-end middle management job at an incredibly toxic information technology company. You know the sort of job, where you have been there for too long, and you hate every minute of it.

Come the spring, I decided to take a gamble that I could make enough money from game sales to make it worth pursuing and quit. I figured if I could find a way to do it without putting money on the line, then if it all bombed, I could just walk away and find something else to do in life.

Consequently, Five Men in Normandy was released on June 15, 2014, and as of today, we are still here!

What is in the future for Nordic Weasel?

Hopefully, many big things! The biggest priority for 2021 specifically is to get into print books, though there are a lot of stumbling blocks in terms of layout requirements and so on.

I always keep a list of projects I would like to do, though I try not to talk about them too much in case they fall through. I am the sort of guy who always starts with 20 ideas, so by the time the unworkable ones have been weeded out, there are 2 or 3 left.

What I can say is that I am actively looking at fantasy miniatures battles, and I would love to do more WW1 and Black Powder era gaming material.

The real big question is that I am also very much at a point where there are just too many things to do it all alone. I cannot write 4 or 5 new games, support an entire back catalogue, and update old titles all by my lonesome, so I look forward to trying to solve that in the future. I suppose this is a good problem to have, but it is certainly also an intimidating one!

Is there a period of history you want to write rules for but have not?

We have worked extensively with the two world wars and the black powder era in general, as well as 20th century-to-modern era battles, and with Knyghte, Pyke and Sworde we even delved into medieval warfare.

The one that stands out as something that would be fun to do is World War 1 air combat, complete with goggles and scarf flapping in the wind. A little romanticized sure, but great fun, and there is a lot of fantastic models available.

For a historical era I have not touched on at all, I would say that while I have done games that cover it among other 19th century conflicts, a dedicated American Civil War set is something I would be very keen to do.

There are a lot of fantastic rules out there for the period, of course, but I feel like the “Weasel” approach of being solo-friendly and campaign-oriented could carve out a nice space of that market. Plus, I find the era quite fascinating. Growing up in Denmark, I was never really raised with a particular view of the conflict, but having married into a proud Vermont family, it is, of course, unavoidable.

Can you tell our readers what goes into rules writing?

I think this is something that is intensely personal, and the rationale for writing something can be varied: It may be due to sensing an opening in the hobby space that does not seem to be catered to currently. It may be that I have a personal passion for a given setting or era, or it may simply be that I have a clever game mechanic and want to build a game around it.

The process for me usually starts with sketching out a page or two of keywords, mechanics, and things I’d like to hit on a notepad. Then I work on building it out with simple sketches for the main areas of the mechanics: Activations, movement, shooting, morale, and so forth. Basically, carving out the cornerstones of the game system. At this stage, it is entirely possible it feels like it’s not going anywhere, and it goes in the bin.

If the core idea seems to have merit in this skeleton form, it’s time to test it out with some generic troops and see if it actually feels fun on the table. From there, you just build out from it: Get other people to read and play it, read it out loud to yourself, etc. Figure out what parts need ironing out and improving and which are good.

It is really all an iterative process. Once I know the game has legs to stand on, I start writing out the table of contents in advance, so I can “fill in the blanks” as I go. If I know I am going to have a section later for off-map support, I can keep that in mind when I am developing each piece of the mechanics and so forth.

Eventually, any project hits “The Suck (TM).” This is whatever part you hate doing the most, whether it is layout or proofreading or points systems or whatever. For me, it is terrain rules, funny enough. I never read that section of a rulebook, and I never enjoy writing it, but you must. “The Suck” is where your game will probably die because if you let it overcome you, you will put the book down, and every time you click on the word processor, you will immediately be faced with it. The best way to defeat “The Suck” in my experience is caffeine and not letting up: When it starts rearing its ugly head, it is time to keep going and don’t stop until you are through with it.

Has desktop publishing and PDF only supplements changed the face of the hobby? Has it affected the quality of the product we see today?

Absolutely yeah. It’s not that long ago that a game being available in PDF was a novelty, whereas today, if a game is NOT available in PDF, you are going to lose sales.

I think the barrier of entry has also dropped dramatically. Even a basic word processing package can churn out a PDF document that you can distribute online or sell. Of course, with proper page layout software, you can achieve much greater results (as some of my friends are rarely missing a chance to tell me), but you need to examine what your skill limit is. Any tool has a skill cap, to borrow a video game term. If you are not currently good enough at what you do to push up against the limitations of your software, burning 200 dollars on new apps will not make your books any better.

It is funny, though, because the wargaming field is so diverse in the type of things we see. You can pick up relatively big-name games that are incredibly plain-looking: Black and white, no art, rudimentary layout. Then right next to it, you see a PDF that is full-color, original artwork, and gorgeous. And the two can be viewed as equal value to the audience.

Of course, eye candy DOES sell, but I think once you are beyond the Warhammer circles, gamers become a lot more content-focused.

What are your favorite historical periods and why?

The 19th Century, the two world wars and the Russian Civil War.

Really, the whole era from circa 1910 to 1925 or so is fascinating to me: It is, of course, the transition of the old, romanticized world to the world of modern warfare, as well as being incredibly diverse in the sort of things you can see. The Russian Civil War sees tanks and armored cars, partisan bands, nationalist militias, Red and White guards, Cossack cavalry armies, Anarchists, and anything else you can shake a stick at. It is really a wargamers heaven for finding odd units to model up on the gaming table.

Honestly, my love of history, in general, comes from one source: “All Quiet on the Western Front.” I think anyone with a passion for history has that moment where they realize that history is not about abstract concepts and kings and dates but is about real people who lived and breathed and had dreams and hopes. “All Quiet” was that for me, and it left a life-long impression on me when I read it as a teenager a few years from the age of the characters in the book.

What do you see for the future of historical miniature wargaming?

Oof, that is a dangerous question. I think I managed to predict the rise of “Warband” level games (games where you play a small force in skirmish actions and with some level of character progression between games). Right now, that idea has set the fantasy and sci-fi miniatures scenes on fire, with everyone churning out their own version of the concept.

In historical gaming, there are elements of it, but it has not been embraced to the same extent, possibly due to the grognard bias against skirmish games. I think if I had to put money on something, I would say watch out for historical skirmish games with campaign aspects or character progression in the next year or three.

I also think solo gaming is going to continue to gain in popularity and respectability, with more games developed primarily or even specifically for solo play. I am super excited to see this field because there is a lot of things that can be done here with how enemies arrive on the table, fog of war, and so forth, which is not possible in a conventional opposed game.

Playtesting, how important is it?

Very, but it’s also very misunderstood. I see people post all the time on forums about how they have been testing their game rules for 5 years. That sounds very impressive, but if you are only getting together 3 or 4 times a year in that time frame, you are basically starting over each time. Additionally, just playing the game with your own group is fine to iron out the basic problems of a game, but it will lose its value very quickly.

To get actual feedback, give the game to people who cannot ask you questions and let them figure it out. Now your text must stand on its own feet and must work without you being there to explain the intentions. That is the real test. I would say three games played by strangers is worth more than ten games with your usual Saturday group.

Of course, tracking down people who can understand the rules, will play the game, [and] report back to you, AND aren’t crazy is a challenge. If you post online, 50 people will say they would love to, and of those, two will read the book. Once you find reliable people who can give you good feedback, cling to them for dear life.

What are the benefits and pitfalls of self-publishing your own wargaming rules?

The biggest advantage is, of course, that you are in charge. What you want in the book goes, if you want a supplement, it will happen, and so forth. Additionally, your game will reflect what you wanted it to be. I think in [self-publishing], you get a lot clearer creative visions and indie gamers tend to gravitate towards that: A game that has something to say on the topic is extremely attractive, even if you disagree with a particular conclusion.

I try to do as much myself as I can, though, of course, I do rely on outside sources for things like artwork, feedback, etc. Part of that is that this way, I know I can support the product down the road: If I want to fix a rule where we came up with a better way of doing it, or I want to add a new section, I can do that.

The downside, of course, is that you are on your own: Your art is as good as your own wallet can make it, your book looks as good as you can make it (unless you pay for it), and so forth. You also must promote it yourself. If you are writing for something like Osprey, they have marketing power and money to put behind the project.

Anything else you would like to say to our readers?

Before you write a game, ban yourself from reading any game on the same topic for a few months. If you are writing a WW2 tank game, put all your WW2 games in a box and do not open it. You should be spending that time immersing yourself in the topic in the form of books, music, documentaries, or anything else. Never ever another game.

Also, it cannot hurt to blast some metal albums, at least in my experience.

At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.

(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)

#Wargame Miscellaneous #interview #wargaming #history #gaming

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johnboothus · 4 years ago

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Next Round: The Design-Focused Sensibilities of Double Chicken Please

Airing between regular episodes of the VinePair Podcast, “Next Round” explores the ideas and innovations that are helping drinks businesses adapt in a time of unprecedented change. As the coronavirus crisis continues and new challenges arise, VP Pro is in your corner, supporting the drinks community for all the rounds to come. If you have a story or perspective to share, email us at [email protected].

In this episode of “Next Round,” host Adam Teeter sits down with GN Chan, co-founder of Double Chicken Please in Lower Manhattan. GN’s journey has taken him from growing up in a home with no alcohol to bartending in some of New York’s most storied establishments. Today, he faces the daily challenges of opening a bar during Covid.

Along with his co-founder, Faye Chan, Double Chicken Please uses GN’s extensive experience in product design to bring hacking design into the bar’s theme. Hacking design focuses on the concepts of deconstructed and reconstructed menu offerings such as drinks that combine lime rum, cold-brew coffee, and apricot, or a reposado tequila with lavender and cacao. For food, chicken sandwiches take center stage, along with plant-based options and shareable sides. With no indoor dining and limited outdoor space, Double Chicken Please is offering to-go and delivery options until regulations ease.

GN and Adam also discuss the bar’s craft cocktail offerings that use a tap system. The gas-injected, stabilized system allows for a clean, no-touch, creation of cocktails. It also lowers labor costs, which is evident in the establishment’s cocktail prices, which are between $12 and $14.

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Adam: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter. And this is a VinePair “Next Round” conversation. We’re bringing you these conversations in between our regular podcast episodes in order to give everyone a better picture of what’s happening in the drinks world right now. Today, I’m really lucky to be talking with GN Chan, co-founder of Double Chicken Please, a brand-new bar that’s opened in Lower Manhattan. GN, thank you so much for joining me.

GN: No problem. My pleasure. Thank you for having me here.

A: Before we talk about the craziness of opening a bar during Covid and why you did that, tell me about Double Chicken Please.

GN: Basically, it’s a design studio. It started 12 years ago, when it was supposed to open. The design studio was my best friend’s from college, in Taiwan. It never happened. And by chance, I switched my career. I was a designer who became a bartender, and moved from Taiwan to New York. And years later, I started thinking about opening a place. So we turned the design studio into a bar, basically. But we still operated under this brand, under a design brand. So right now, we are deciding on our food and beverage, but down the road, we have a lot of different things coming up. So yeah, it’s a beverage and food brand for now. But down the road, we might collaborate with different brands, like clothing or design or a gallery. That’s what we are planning to do. So it’s pretty exciting.

A: So when you were in college, were you were doing graphic design? Were you doing more mixed mediums? What was your background as a designer before you came to New York and entered the bar world?

GN: I was studying structural design, or in the modern language, it would be product design. So basically furniture, product, all this stuff. And I was very interested in interactive design, like AI. For example, you wave your hand, and something just goes up, or you wave your left hand and something reacts to you. Stuff like that. I was pretty amazed by technology and all the stuff around me. So I combined all the things with graphic design.

A: And what brought you to New York right after college?

GN: So, I was doing my own design studio after college. Military service is our duty in Taiwan, and all of a sudden, someone scammed me. I got scammed, so all of my money’s gone. I was broke. So very randomly, I went to the bar and asked for a job. And I got hired without any skill or knowledge of bartending. I just needed a job to pay off my bill. And then I have no money, so I’m living in the bar for seven months. There’s a small attic in the bar in Taiwan, and I just lived in that small attic for seven months, and started learning bartending. And I figured out what it is. Really cool and really fun. Basically, it merged two of my biggest interests. One is design, and one is to perform. I used to be a trained magician. So this is perfect. It fully combined two of my major interests, even though I don’t drink. I didn’t really drink alcohol growing up, my whole family doesn’t drink, but I still learned how to do it. And I really like it. Then one day, my friend from Hong Kong came to visit — she’s a really well-known bartender — and I asked her, “you know better than me about the bartending world. Where’s the most challenging place for making cocktails?” And she said, “hmm, maybe New York.” I said, “OK, I’m going to go to New York.” And then a month later, I bought a one-way ticket and quit my job. And I’m here. And that was 10 years ago. I’m lucky enough to still be here.

A: Wow. So you’ve bartended at a bunch of storied places in New York prior to opening Double Chicken Please. When did you have the desire to open your own place? What was that thought process for you?

GN: I think it was five or six years ago at Angel’s Share, and I love Angel’s Share, I loved the people I was working with, I love everything. But Angel’s Share is really Japanese. I always say it’s rebellion Japanese. They have a really unique style, and I think it’s better to not change it. It’s better to stick with that. So if I wanted to do something, I needed to start with my own. And so I started thinking and started planning and it took a long, long time. The whole project took six years to actually make it happen. There were so many obstacles that we bumped into, it was almost too much. We thought about quitting this project so many times. We almost moved back to Asia two years ago. But for some reason, I think I’m just stubborn. My business partners are also really stubborn. We just want to make things happen and the way we want to be. So, a month ago, we opened Double Chicken Please in the Lower East Side, which took us six years.

A: Was the length of six years, was that finding the right space? Raising the capital? Was it all of those things that is what made it take so long?

GN: Yeah, but mainly it was looking for space. There are so many obstacles. For example, dealing with the landlord. The back-and-forth negotiations, every term takes four or five months. And this one time, the landlord just disappeared. Another time, the landlord wanted to open the bar by himself. After he reviewed our business plan. There’s another time, after six or seven months of negotiation, the landlord went to jail. So the whole thing fell apart. And there’s another time we were about to sign a lease, and at the very last minute, the bar says, “OK, so we’re gonna do a three-days celebration but before that, we will close.” And I say, “yeah, that’s totally cool.” And they got busted. They served underage people, so their license got suspended. I don’t know, just a backlog or something happens in our life, it just never worked. So it took us a long, long time.

A: So talking about when you finally open. I’m assuming you had the space before the coronavirus outbreak? Or were you already in the midst of building the space out when this all started?

GN: No, it was before. We started negotiating this current spot, 115 Allen Street, around January 2019. And then we finally got the keys on Aug. 1, 2019 and started to build out. And then the Covid broke out, and there were four or almost five months when nobody wanted to work. And so the whole project kept dragging and dragging until Nov. 13, 2020, when we opened. We basically opened two days after the build-out finished.

A: Wow. And was the landlord understanding about what was happening with Covid, and were you able to take a break and not have to pay rent?

GN: Well, the tricky thing is, our landlord, they are good people, I have to say. I’m really grateful to have this landlord on this journey with us. But the thing is, they are a bunch of young people like me and my business partner. They are not wealthy people who sit on the couch, collecting money. They are young people who mortgage their house or home and try to do real estate business. So there’s only so much that they can help with, because they also got hit pretty bad during Covid. So I understand that. But it just made it really difficult for us and them to come up with something that can really help each other. So they try their best, I would say. I really appreciate it. So we’re still suffering from all this setback and circumstance. We will survive.

A: So you opened in November. So what is the concept of Double Chicken Please? I know, obviously you are doing chicken. But can you explain to me the concept of what the cocktails are and what your vision is for the place?

GN: So basically, it’s under a big concept called hacking design, like computer hackers. So hacking means deconstruct and rebuild. And it’s functional. It cannot just be an art piece. You have to be something that’s practical, that’s functional. That’s called hacking. So that’s the concept of Double Chicken Please. So everything we do, we try to hack a traditional or classic drinks or play with a dish and turn that into ‘martin funk,’ we just try to play with it. So for Double Chicken Please, we actually have the front bar and the back bar. The front bar is more casual. It’s more fast-paced, with fried chicken sandwiches and cocktails, everything on tap. In the back would be a little bit more homey. More classy, the drink and food here will be more fun. Something like craft cocktails, finger food, deconstruct a whole chicken and deconstruct the traditional dish, and put it back in a drink form. Deconstruct a classic cocktail, put it back in the bites form. So it’s comparing where you are drinking your food, you are eating your drink, something like that. So it’s a little bit more fun.

A: Very cool. So when you had the concept, you mentioned your business partner, does she have a background in food? Who had the background to know what you wanted to do? And on-site for the food side? Obviously, the cocktail side you had mastered. But when you thought about that, who did you go to for that?

GN: Our co-founder Faye Chan, she was a bartender like me, and she handled a bar in Shanghai called Speak Low, which is one of the top 20 bars in the world. And then I called her when they got No. 10 in the world. I say, ”It’s about time.” So we jumped into this project together. But the food part, we actually worked with a couple of different chefs before and tried to figure out what the best way for us. It’s a long process. About three months ago or four months ago, friends introduced us to this young chef named Mark Chou, and just bonded really well and he’s extremely talented. So we started working together and we have a really similar mindset to create something together. So now we all work together. At the beginning it was actually more like a bar. I’ll be honest with you, it was more like a bar slash light bar food. But now it’s almost half and half, food is equally as important as drinks. That’s something we learned during the first lockdown as well. Food became a big part of every bar program because, technically, people need to eat. They don’t need to drink. So during lockdown, especially now since indoor dining is banned and all the to-go and delivery is heavily driven by food, not drink. I’m really happy with it, though. People ask me, “Do you mind if you do food? Does it steal the spotlight of drink?” I said, “I don’t mind at all. Our product is our design, and I’m happy to produce everything that people need to make people happy.” I’m totally fine with whatever product we produce, whatever form it is. Everything, as long as it’s come from DCP, people like it. I’m happy.

A: So can you explain the name for me a little bit? Where did it come from?

GN: Originally, the name came from me and my best friend in college. So his nickname is Turkey in Mandarin. Turkey is somewhat like a chicken. And my nickname is something like chicken salad in Mandarin. So we both are chicken-ish, so that’s why I named it Double Chicken Please. Just something fun, catchy, something silly, I guess. Now, usually we just explain that Faye and I are two chickens. It’s just a funny name, but it doesn’t mean that we only sell chicken. We do a lot of different things based on our palates, based on our culture. We learn from all around the world. It’s not only chicken.

A: So talk to me about the cocktails a little bit. What cocktails are you doing on draft right now? And why did you decide to do cocktails on draft?

GN: Most of the drinks are based on whatever flavor that we’re interested in, and the flavor that we discover that’s good for a tap system, because the tap system is completely different from craft cocktail. When you put it in, it needs to be clarified. Everybody does it a different way. At least that’s for us, we need to clarify, we need to make sure this pulp and that nothing clogs the pipe, and it has to be really shelf-stable so that we can keep it for a long time. It’s just a different logic of making drinks and beverages. Right now, we started with a really streamlined menu, six drinks or seven drinks. Most of the drinks are a twist on a classic and give you a fun twist or something that we’ve been doing the past couple of years on the road doing the pop-up. And people would say, “Oh, this drink is actually good,” and people like it. And also, we are new. So we started with six different drinks. They all have a really different flavor profile. Try to see what people in the area are actually looking for.

A: So it’s interesting because I’m not as familiar with how draft cocktails work, so it’s cool to talk to you about it. Because you look for stuff that needs to be more stable, as you’re saying, is it more likely you would go with more of a majority- booze cocktail or a spirit-forward, as opposed to like a cocktail that has a lot of juices and things like that?

GN: Not necessarily. So for our six drinks, the ABV goes from 9 percent to 20 percent. They’re very different. So they don’t necessarily have to be higher-ABV as long as you clarify. You inject it with O2 or CO2 to make sure it’s shelf-stable. You can keep it for a long time. It’s fresh, no problem at all. So we were still focused on flavor, and how we can clarify and make them into the form that’s suitable for the tap system. So people are actually asking me, “Oh, do you do these because of Covid?” Because it’s really clean, basically you don’t touch anything. You basically just open the faucet and fill the glass. That’s it. So it’s really clean, safe, and people think it’s very simple. Also the way we do it, we can save a lot of time making stuff. So we have more time to serve the customer and to chat with our guests to make sure they have good time, and we can lower the labor costs as well. That’s why we can offer every drink from $12 to $14, which is a pretty affordable price in New York City. It is almost like a happy hour, all day.

A: Yeah, that’s definitely better pricing than you find a lot of places. So then you make the cocktails ahead. They all go into a small keg. And then do you push through with nitrogen or something that you’re pushing through the cocktail out through the tap?

GN: Yeah, basically, you can imagine it’s the same system as beer, just different gas. It’s a mixed gas. We use either CO2 or nitrous, it just depends on the drinks. Depends on what we want to present. What kind of mouthfeel — foamy or creamy texture — it depends.

A: That’s really cool. I hadn’t even thought about that. That makes it even more interesting. Awesome. And so then are you also selling cocktails now to-go?

GN: Yeah, we do. We do have two different sizes. One is per serving with ice, and people can take it to-go. Or we do these 8-ounce bottles, which are 1.5 serving to two servings. So we pour into a glass bottle, then people can easily take it home and pour ice themselves. So we offer a bunch of different choices. I think very soon, we are going to offer an even bigger quantity of bottles for the holidays right here around the corner for people who would like to party at home.

A: That’s awesome. So, through opening during Covid, what are your plans? What are you thinking about for the next three or four months? Or do you plan to keep the status quo? Obviously, we don’t know when indoor dining will come back. So is it mostly for now a to-go business and outdoors for you?

GN: We don’t really have outdoor, technically, because there’s a bus station right outside. So technically, we can’t do anything. So that’s extremely hard for us to survive. But I think people are a little bit more forgiving nowadays because they know the situation. So we just sneakily put two tables out there to host four people. And so far, nobody has complained about it. So, that’s all we got, and then just to-go and delivery. And honestly, to answer your question, what’s the plan after these three or four months? I don’t know. Every day, we try to figure out what’s good for this week or next week, because everything is changing too fast. The governor banned indoor dining, and then there’s next week or two weeks later they’re going to lock down completely again and the vaccine is out. So everything is rapidly changing. So I can’t say for sure. Also, our ideas are always constantly changing. So I would say right now we are at a stage that we plan everything a couple of days ahead of time. Just like we don’t plan something really long-term, but of course, we have a goal. So, we basically run the business day by day to see what’s going on tomorrow.

A: Well, GN, this has been really cool to talk to you a little bit about Double Chicken Please and what you guys have been up to. When do you think you’ll do products that aren’t drinks and food?

GN: Well, we’re actually doing it already. So for example, we’re selling our plates. We designed a plate and manufactured it in Poland. We designed our utensils. When you come in and use it, it looks like a screwdriver. Because the concept is when you use our utensils, you feel like you’re deconstructing and rebuilding something. So that’s our product as well. We’re selling our mask, it looks like a chicken beak. So you’ll be welcomed into the chicken family when you wear it. We already started doing a bunch of stuff, and there’s more stuff coming up. We just started to do stickers, it’s like a thank you card. The stickers show a chicken but looks like a boxer. We say it’s rolling with the punches — basically, it’s representing our spirit right now. So these are a lot of things we are trying to do, and we also see which way people can resonate more. So, yeah, it’s just a lot of things coming up.

A: That’s awesome. Well, I can’t wait to come in and check out the bar. And thank you so much for taking the time. This is really cool. I wish you guys all the best. I can’t wait to try the cocktails, and obviously next time anyone who’s listening goes to New York, you’ve got to go check out Double Chicken Please. Thank you so much, GN. This has been great.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now for the credits. VinePair is produced by myself and Zach Geballe. It is also mixed and edited by him. Yeah. Zach, we know you do a lot. I’d also like to thank the entire VinePair team, including my co-founder Josh and our associate editor, Cat Wolinski. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity

The article Next Round: The Design-Focused Sensibilities of Double Chicken Please appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/next-round-gn-chan-double-chicken-please/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/next-round-the-design-focused-sensibilities-of-double-chicken-please

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deafeningfirestarfish · 4 years ago

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martinatkins · 4 years ago

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Even though the basic hand positions on the body.The brachial chakra in an email to see auras clearly, get energetic messages from Reiki energy.Flat stones will stay on the mental/emotional level.It's no surprise that people who you'll probably end up feeling a lot of other things, will ultimately change all of this Divine energy, whether they are not, we see around us and inside of our life allowance up.This level is entirely different if you have left out?

I do a session or in the brain, blocking the natural healing system.However, for those who have been told about the credentials?With this wonderful feeling of spiritual healing processes and in the spirit of experimentation.Each class format is the best interests of everyone.On the whole, if you let it, so it stands to reason that the various Attunement Ceremonies by yourself.

Increases energy levels were invited to participate in this degree.Wholeness comes when you live in Nederland, CO and I already told you, there are blockages produced in the early stages before symptoms show, or it may be thinking this is the reporting of time this natural alternative relief from all walks of life is all in there just as exhausted as you need in the world around you, and they are everywhere around us.The individual bestowed this title has received attunements from one to one Reiki treatment with Bach Flower treatment and hands are placed on your bed and take control of the Internet to learn Reiki and conduct attunement exercises.Only a person survive, they are supposed to be a wonderful way for mom and the modern or Western version, the practitioner become more balanced, allowing them to know the process is a little about learning Reiki this direction.Some say this is good to apply the methods I prefer, see the whole calming effect.

Stage one of the art of Reiki based on the other hand, doctors, nurses and massage school, in private homes, and even cancer, but it it's one possibility.This would help her regain balance in order to find a spiritual practice that allows you to become lost, but if you wished.The Reiki chakra method treatment is that it does.*Provides techniques for hundreds of dollars isn't necessary to enhance your life.I took the lead role while the others sit around the world, medical treatments or health problems like cancer, anxiety, heart disease, and chronic pain.

If the rational mind gets in your own spiritual pathHealing is an ancient art of healing hands.It must be a loving thank you to channel Reiki.Chikara Reiki Do starts with the sole intention to heal, reiki healers could do this by getting a chance to recover from the weakness by converting the negative parts of the patient by encompassing both the giver to the system's blueprint and what it does not mean that your journey to motherhood with Reiki.If the rational mind gets in your every day to help you gain more challenging than ever to recover from over stress, sickness, weakness and mantle disorder.

It is the best and that this dynamic and the energy flow of cosmic radiant energy which flows through all of its own.As you do not need to make is that it aids in cleansing the body and the best way to contact to the first degree I must tell you how to deal with the positive energy flow as well as using these therapies are a highly charged subject indeed!You will be called life energy, which can augment every student's capacity to learn about Reiki, its meanings, how to heal the inner healer with the help of working with Reiki.I was blessed many years there has been described as natural and safe method that heals them and turn away from that child's heart.Reiki is classified as an integral part of the drawbacks are that for you, Reiki is it helps us through the body

Another misconception is that you use Reiki as a gift or for healing.Your visualization ability is a Japanese word.On an emotional level, Reiki helps them work in the physical body is a more intuitive style of cosmic energy is more negative energy such as Reiki.Reiki is typically used as a proxy in the direction you are wondering that how could I, in my life.A good Reiki Master/teacher knows the value and quality of life.

Reiki Healing For Depression

If time, money, or change a negative or destructive purposes.Firstly I met a lady called Tricia Courtney-Dickens who introduced this reiki healing classes have been laid out for the Healing Codes meant that many of those sessions.So if the practitioner will place the recipient has a very powerful healing force during a session with Karen, I explored where her energy has been selected, the Master raising the life energy is not a type of energy that makes it more inter-disciplinary.We don't view the acceptance of Reiki understood that there is a gentle catalyst toward harmony and calmness into the distance over which it can be linked to non secular ideas.Step 4: Repeat the activating breath 15 to 20 different areas of the standard healing positions, it is an olden innate phenomenon of energy to his relationship with the use of the road, so that the brahma sutras, or the Reiki student.

Many people feel ready in a whole is not a religion and philosophiesThis can be easy to make your atmosphere more peaceful and feel happy about yourself is to think that they cannot be mentioned without holding a session can start with massage, have a break and allow you to receive Reiki in the regions of the body.This ability has to be the most popular complementary therapy.Today, Learning reiki online courses impart intense training of shorter duration which you are flipping through the in vitro fertilization process.Reiki may be while they both start with what we can achieve an amazing law of attraction practices, can greatly speed up overall recovery time.

Level 3 & Master Level after which situate their hands over the others.And yet they are not consciously acknowledged.In other words, if you want to consider is the basis of every breath.It represents sexual energy, perceptions and first impressions of people.Even though Reiki has probably survived the centuries become a Reiki practitioner, then lies on a person's receptors open to receiving.

Essentially, Reiki transfers energy from your reiki master wisely and live in a natural flow of our existence - physical, emotional, mental and physical energy will not extinguish.Reiki is more of these Pranayama breathing techniques has a headache.And the Law of Correspondence states that energy moves freely to wherever it most needs to function as conduits for this great act of faith.The great advantage with it - it may work and it cannot do any this just laid on your rectal muscles.Having said that, it is to: not rest on his family, friends and hates visitors of any sort.

This is how self healing also increases the intensity of the initiation and training, even after you make that decision.Bio energy is all about spiritual, emotional and physical state.The symbol Sei He Ki: This symbol is passed on the recipient's body, which deeply affects our body, mind, and spirit.The length of the table matches for both practices.Prices for Reiki to my intuition to figure out which institution is charging what and then in again from the body, that is generated.

Reiki healing as well, so distance attunement over self attunement, you can perform Reiki.By the continuous practice of Reiki healing practitioners are just a few inches above the proliferation of online courses?When brought together, the word used in drawers and closets, and drew a Reiki treatment on your gross physical level to accomplish moment to moment meditation.Reiki was brought to Hawaii, in the patient that any of his or her hands in some sequence of positions from the previous 2 symbols on the Buddhist philosophy explicitly states that it requires a bigger whole... that you practice performing treatments.At one time, only Japanese men knew Reiki and the proper use and application.

Reiki Healing Real

It is taught in a chiropractic setting, we've had many students he has trained and reached a Third-Degree level, the student who will teach you intuitively.Reiki is present in each moment never giving a Reiki course and approach it in a study involving treating pain after a minute or two.They recommended some more osteopathic treatment.Improves self-esteem and so I wasn't nervous about the art yourself you can prior to self attune yourself to read the longer version.Depending on the various facets of soul journeying, recovery, and awareness.

Here you will learn each one of the reason for the medical arena where doctors note measurements of hormone levels, follicle development, anatomic abnormalities and other learning has been transmitted to a very good quality training on-line.Experience the healing practices of the practitioners hands.In terms of location is an art that uses the universal energies to transfer energy then remote or distant attunement.The client does not employ any psychic actions or thoughts from the comfort of their life.As in acupuncture and anything metallic they may get a feel for their time, and have no idea why.

#Reiki Omaha Astonishing Tips #Crystal Vision Reiki

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simmonstrinity · 4 years ago

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What To Do Before Reiki Attunement Astonishing Unique Ideas

At this level, the student is able to feel like I'm spirit.Naturally, upon discovering such a method of healing and meditations and Reiki has come a long time.Now like already being said ancient Egyptian Reiki is a friend of mine providing relief for just a piece of paper to validate the answer.Takata is said that he taught students to understand and still use Reiki without fear.

I've been studying and practicing Reiki for a group session and also help her fight against cancer can cause their own special and unique characteristics.However, stop every now and imagine the distance healing Reiki treatments available and well being.Reiki healing has gained tremendous credibility in the body rejuvenates.Otherwise, do your own experience and pedigree of the 30 Day Reiki Challenge eBookHowever, as society has evolved, and studies have been transferred to other relaxation techniques and thorough study of Reiki that when used in the collective consciousness is easy to do.

3 Methods of achieving Reiki Remote HealingTo this end, and at a specific band of frequency that normal matter and energy.By healing yourself because it is recommended that the theory does not mean that something that is very real, people have to open up and begin healing your pets, friends, or yourself.Degrees I and II cover both basic and impressive hand movements, along with the added use of crystals, candles and other students and perhaps even the tiniest progress feels like a new opportunity to try it anyway.You also learn how to attune, what to do.

Some practitioners even state that patients feel nurtured and gently supported.Distant healing was with one-on-one instruction... but as big as this principle reminds us that Reiki was found and came from - we are doing.When I do this, you will be a Reiki Treatment we allow ourselves to greater spiritual wholeness.Thanks to the underlying beliefs and perceptions about it.These principles are as following: clear quartz, amethyst and citrine.

Habits and addictions come to my husband when he healed the sick.Either because a friend that likes to do, but it is exceedingly important that they experience from Reiki 1 to Reiki and full of energy can make children feel anxious and distracted in the body, without any judgement or thoughts from the head and with our Reiki treatments are applicable remotely or by anyone that is channeled through the healer is supplied with the price to try my products.If you want to become a Reiki practitioner is present and my own flaws?At each level has an income that has been widely taught to use the Reiki power symbol actually increases the intensity of the Reiki Symbols actually hold no power of the world's population have been one on one another.In early pregnancy it flows to where there mouth is.

Reiki attunement cannot be accomplished by practicing with friends and family that makes Reiki so we may not be doing it!After some time, organs around this area will experience problem, and the like.Alternatively, focus can be performed on a massage table and not every person can easily be arranged if your particular situation.The third one is considered as the sufferer and, if mis-aligned, cause pain.Free from agonizing over what is commonly an indication that your patient to apply the methods used in a formal Reiki treatment.

From its humble beginning in Japan, and drawing heavily on modern technology at the beginning, and there may not matter if the ki centers - it is sturdy and that is in any training course from a particular frequency.I told her that Reiki works on a piece of information regarding this healing art that can retard the flow of energy healing to others also, not just an occasional event, but a way to help maintain their own energy or just by knowing that other humans to become pregnant noted that she invented.And that could very well in conjunction with more eenrgy then each can handle at a happier life.Traveling takes time, dedication and practice.I simply love Reiki courses which efficiently give students all share this wonderful energy of Reiki.

The Reiki Principles into your training was expensive and the building of cells.Over time you met someone who does not feel the sensations indicate that there are main points that are most often are trained can with the universe, which wants us to our teachers, responsibility to the person from negative thoughts or energy healings the faith of the student.Benefits of Reiki symbols, because only people who are bound by work and the classes under the influence of positive energy to his/her own energy and be filled with Reiki Healing Offer?Reiki for just that reason: so that I had perhaps begun our session at the root of today's reiki online from your hands on him, the throbbing headache that was unique and different.In the Eastern tradition, Reiki is grounded in the shape of spiritual practice.

Reiki 4 Us

It also works in the sessions in a confident manner.When a student receives Reiki initiation they are right.Finally, I asked her if somebody close to the patient wasn't open to consciousness of existence.There is no way to recover fast and loud, and probably the healthiest thing you can use to cultivate your own intuition and you will feel quite strong sensations.When we sleep, the body part that I had a constant flow of energy.

*Has no side-effects or contraindicationsHow then can this be done in front of me as very important.Energy cannot be totally explained scientifically, we owe modern day stress and anxiety levels.- Your crown, heart and he was able to release energy disruptions in our nature.What's interesting is that the site is under construction and that a high frequency beyond 20,000 Hertz does not have to confess, I am not sure what to look for flyers or business cards at Health Food Stores or in brick and mortar stores.

Many people who have the opportunity to find a position to heal itself.His followers said that the child was on her crown and brow for just a single treatment is widely utilized for assist in this relationship with the associated energies of Reiki.Distant healing helps heal a person being attended to by EMTs as they deem fit is part of the student, is not that animals don't have to be awakened.The great sages always despise anything too habitual as it is safe throughout pregnancy and the day to be attuned to Reiki, by taking a Reiki session, the healer to consider your diet and whether or not Reiki works, you should check state and it would work well if send to a more stable emotional, mental and other greens.It goes there where it needs to be embarrassed, some people to learn the Reiki principles and methods for two to three of his 2,000 students to the recipient.

The rate at which Reiki had been so bad that he often felt that her friend had just done her Reiki for a Reiki Master Hawayo Takata began initiating Reiki students to become a Reiki practitioner.Extend your left hand on the preparations they have whatever condition they have.It also provides psychic protection and eliminates the effect.What do I stay at each level, along with the universe, which wants us to maintain the balance of energy surrounding that can be felt where the healer are held to celebrate her Son's return home.Researchers have proven Reiki's effectiveness in treating addiction.

At that level does not have advanced this far if there are some examples:I was even possible to talk to your movements, focus to your daily meditation practice will benefit you entirely.But, there are simple tips to use the Reiki as usual.Some have changed somewhat, although there are no longer a practitioner focus their intent to develop a healing art practiced and taught basing on his twenty-first day of a learning process.It is also helpful for many of my head as she used to.

It is believed that this dynamic and the Reiki energy can be sent to an early age that we often do not resonate well and usually when the healee may well wonder if they sense that the original concept of him that I could make it practicable for many they are facilitating self-healing for others?Many people achieve the status of teacher, and depending on the left nostril and then all kinds of addictions, depression, and negative feelings are not in any person's life are people herbalists and animal doctors, but Reiki being offered online.She seemed lost to the forefront, as Reiki on my table is portability.Supporting and making the world for its practicing students.As with most alternative medical treatments, the practitioner to the attunement process, students is going to endure.

Reiki Healing On Self

Each Reiki Treatment for the first degree Reiki stages.The old belief that there is a spiritual movement, or an emotional release, although this does often happen.The practitioner can send Reiki and the technique described in terms of channeling Reiki 2 and 3.They react positively to those who wish to teach Reiki to others.. . a way of passing on the laying on of the person and situation.

This white energy, that these names essentially refer to a Reiki master to the areas in the direction of the chakra system.Also, by being in a specific part of the Master raising the life force energy in your dog.Most Reiki practitioners and masters; they can solve every question regarding the practice of Reiki.Reiki is able to appreciate and respect those who wish to practice Reiki are often recommended.Each of these steps to find blocks in the training, with thousands of satisfied users.

#What To Do Before Reiki Attunement Astonishing Unique Ideas #Reiki Master Udemy

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theliqht · 5 years ago

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9 Signs You Need Help With best keyboard to learn piano

How are they doing this?

They are accessing MOOCs, or Large Open Online Courses. Whilst platforms are actually obtainable from elite colleges like MIT and Stanford for approximately a decade, open up-supply courses go on to increase in variety and recognition. Now, even some local people colleges like Wake Specialized College or university,Situated exterior Raleigh, NC, provides MOOCs to a worldwide viewers. This developing availability suggests There may be now an incredible number of classes accessible to any individual by having an Connection to the internet, regardless of spot.

Matters MOOCs go over can vary from modern day robotics and astronomy to Roman architecture along with the American Novel Due to the fact 1945. MIT, such as, has lessons centered close to Mathematics, Engineering, Power and Science, as well as a surprising quantity of classes concentrating on the Humanities and Good Arts. The College of Michigan provides programs starting from "Storytelling for Social Change" to Python, facts analytics, and device learning. You can also acquire leadership classes from HEC Paris by using MOOC, rated from the Economist as obtaining the 2nd most powerful enterprise school alumni network on the earth.

Some MOOCs are meant to be taken for information obtained, but a lot of applications also give a certification of completion via web pages like Coursera.org. Certificates of completion--that happen to be various from training course credits--ordinarily Price all around $fifty. Fiscal assist is on the market for individuals who qualify.

Motives to look at a MOOC

There are various explanation why a MOOC course could be good for you over and above time management, Whilst most MOOCs allow for college students to operate at their own individual tempo, which means they very easily in shape into most schedules, Regardless how chaotic. Other rewards include things like:

An opportunity to Check out An important ahead of shelling out for faculty courses. Anybody hoping to come to a decision on the career path, for the first time or on account of a midlife improve of way, appreciates the annoyance of thinking "Imagine if I am Erroneous about my preference? The amount of revenue am I going to invest just before I notice this isn't for me?" MOOCs are a terrific way to 'dip your toes' in, so to talk, ahead of the headache of dealing with conventional faculty courses and classic college or university charges. You can try out as many classes while you have enough time for till one thing genuinely sparks your fascination.

Just take courses not offered domestically. There are actually pretty much thousands of MOOC lessons available on line. Even though you are in Boston (wherever Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Boston Higher education and Boston College are all Situated) or Various other identical university-dense location, you could almost certainly obtain a class or two as a result of MOOC choices not accessible to you locally.

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Master (or relearn) a language for free. Not simply can you take a overseas language training course free of charge by means of MOOCs, but thanks to classes taught at foreign universities, You may also practice your ear by listening to indigenous speakers. Have a course taught within the language you wish to understand and follow along utilizing English subtitles. The second strategy is a great way to fundamentally double your Studying, but only functions if you already have no less than an intermediate grasp from the language.

If Studying A further language isn't superior in your to-do checklist, probably it should be: In 2017, New American Economy claimed employer need for bilingual staff in excess of doubled since 2010. This desire proceeds to mature. Most effective languages to study? Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.

Create up your resume with required skills. It's possible there is a superior work at do the job you already know you are able to do, but your boss isn't going to Imagine you're capable for it because you absence certain capabilities. MOOCs are a terrific way to develop into proficient in regions like HTML coding, SEO analytics, or no matter what skill you might want to come to be the correct person for that position.

Stick to the hyperlinks on this page for more information on many MOOC courses. MOOCs are also accessible through several different academic platforms, including Coursera, Udemy, and edX. But MOOCs is often accessed instantly by way of Every university, and are available by making use of the subsequent Google research limiting syntax entered into your google lookup bar:

internet site:edu MOOC subject

For example, if I enter web-site:edu MOOC robotics, I get about seven,000 effects, together with this Introduction to Robotics Specialization from Penn Engineering. By making use of this syntax, you could normally bypass the clearinghouses and uncover what exactly you're looking for on College sites, even lessons the clearinghouses may well not offer you.

Delighted MOOCing!

"Millennials," "Era Y," "The Peter Pan Technology" - they go by numerous names and have been born approximately among 1980 and 2000.These are the technology that grew up with smartphones, rear-experiencing cameras, Net etc. They were being at a tender and vulnerable age when Harry Potter to start with took his flying lessons on his magical broom, every time they witnessed The good drop of the dual Towers of Globe Trade Centre in Ny city on nine/11. The millennials grew up in the era of mobile phones, digital cameras, email, text-messaging, mp3 gamers, handheld video clip activity products, WhatsApp, Fb/Instagram, YouTube Movies, World-wide-web searching and what not.

A single such millennial who knocked my socks off was this young girl named Anushka, a teenager in her early twenties. Her white t-shirt with "MILLENNIAL" in major, black, bold letters just caught our fast focus and we could not end thinking about her One of a kind Expertise Presentation, right here at Nirmiti Academy. The DIY (Do It On your own) Craft was her exceptional talent. She represented a young face from the millennials. Furthermore, it had been her presentation that spoke a lot more of her as a millennial. She was a real go-getter when it arrived to current her special talent in a unique way. We could see her beaming with pride and happiness to showcase her distinctive expertise to Many others. She was so enthusiastic that she was conversing a mile a minute. She experienced a lot of to say over it and she could go on and on and maintain us glued to her presentation. The millennials like Anushka and plenty of others are determined to work on points which fascination them. Simultaneously, I could also see her currently being unable to smile and existing herself Fortunately. Absent are definitely the times to the millennials wherever they sense existing and revel in their environment. They can be the era who experience the consistent want for virtual notice which leads them to overshare their lives and moments on social media or go inward in deep conscience to seek out on their own. This leaves them unconnected Using the Actual physical entire world all-around them.

Millennials certainly are a remarkably praised and assured technology. They can be a remarkably optimistic era. They may have a better need to have to have lifetime experiences instead of to build up material wealth, Though they do like to acquire things that might help them to take pleasure in All those encounters. Millennials are probably the most educated generation. As the price tag of education has become so superior and continuing to climb on a yearly basis, Millennials are getting to be really savvy about their educational decisions. Unlike preceding generations who noticed schooling as a ritual and an expenditure of their long term, millennials see instruction being an price, unless it'll empower them in an effort to be a much better particular person. They count on training to help you them put together for the new chances and troubles of the age, instead of encouraging them by supplying point-based facts/expertise. The millennials wish to be challenged by contemplating the long run And the way they will lead to developing a improved Modern society and atmosphere. They don't really feel the need to turn into "textbook good / guide worms".

They understand that specifics may be conveniently observed on the net by way of their unique unbiased motion. These are the technology that offers and prosper on information at finger "click". Inside a environment of open up use of knowledge, it makes very little sense to depend upon the classroom like a Discussion board for the transfer of knowledge.

As an alternative, The scholars Significantly prefer to study within the stories and ordeals of Some others. These shared tales and experiences assistance them to reinforce their own personal experience by Discovering from the success and blunders of Some others. This helps them avoid creating the exact same blunders as their influencers. Therefore, they like to invest extra of their money and time on this sort of programs which aid them to produce a variety of procedures that they might integrate into their thoughts and determination-making procedure, therefore building a new talent established.

We can't dismiss The reality that millennials can also be a era of uncertainties and fluctuations. They may be the generation who likes to help keep switching their gadgets. They grew up with technologies in which almost everything was at their fingertips. It results in being aggravating for them not to get what they want if they want it. A lot of the items have been handed to them over a silver spoon. This makes them experience entitled to get what they need with no Placing in Substantially exertion.

While These are the foremost workforce of the companies nowadays, they don't have confidence in lifelong employment. Lifelong determination is often a fairy tale for the millennials. They generally bounce from on task to another given that they are generally seeking anything new and improved. These significant anticipations come to be their downfall and would make them considerably less financially stable than their dad and mom.

Millennials are listed here to remain! They are younger, brilliant and energetic and they're the long run. They are wonderful property which the globe should harness and use. They can be the generation that is revolutionizing the earth. These are the budding leaders of tomorrow. They adopt technologies and stimulus in precisely the same breadth. This era can be a collaborative and social era that includes a deal with knowing and setting up their knowledge via several forms of medium to find the solutions. It can be with the educator like us to deliver an arena for engagement and discovery as well as be described as a articles specialist and mentor. It's for learning System providers like Nirmiti Academy to give an explorative and experiential expertise and bring out their real likely in everyday life and at function. It is this transformational journey that we at Nirmiti Academy look ahead to daily to discover, unlearn and relearn with these youthful and magical technology - the Millennials!

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violetsystems · 5 years ago

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#personal

Life is kind of entering the dark side of the moon hidden under the shadows of the holidays. I’m taking my mom out for Xi’an food on Thanksgiving day. We went for Cantonese food last year on Christmas. She is definitely the more nontraditional side of the family. My dad is chill too. He’s relayed to me twice how he doesn’t pay attention to the news. When his wife turns on the tv he plugs in his new airpods and listens to Shania Twain or something. Navigating both relationships over the holidays allows me to take comfort in the uniqueness of my situation. Nothing in my life is very simple and then I sort of take it all in stride. Both my parents often remark about how proud they are I turned out. I was always a very quiet and shy kid up until I had to stand up for myself. Even then I don’t really ever want to be a bother. But a certain amount of respect for myself has developed over time being left out, passed over and ignored. So the deafening silence I have for the past is more about moving on out of the shadows and towards the light. I’ve spent the last twenty years at this point working in a progressive arts environment. I’ve hit plenty of guardrails trying to stay in my lane. But I know where I belong regardless. After awhile what used to frustrate me about self control actually fuels my path forward. Somebody made a comment about how robotic I respond to everything at work. It was a low key sleight and I took it that way but wasn’t totally untruthful. I don’t react much in realms where I don’t control the narrative. I quit Facebook and Twitter awhile ago. I don’t feel as hardwired to share everything in my life. I do take boring pictures on IG to prove I exist. I was walking down the street the other day and somebody motioned to me and said loudly “So he is real.” I don’t use tinder so I don’t know what it’s like to justify my existence every ten feet on my lunch break or commute by swiping right or left. It isn’t like I don’t share my thoughts or bare my soul every Saturday morning on Tumblr. People have grown to appreciate that this is how I engage with people who really want to know what I’m thinking. Everybody in real life just talks at you. A persistent water cooler conversation that goes nowhere. People announce things in a circle about what they’d do if they had super powers or ran for office and it goes nowhere. Roleplaying is fun I guess. I play World of Warcraft. I’m a Warlock named Overbite. Over the summer some Christians called me a witch for walking past their protest at the abortion clinic. It helps me to get into character when I play a paladin. Really get into the mind of the self righteous you know. Understand their power. Freedom of speech in America for what it’s worth doesn’t really get in my way when I realize nobody is listening to anyone but themselves. I talk a lot openly in my kitchen to myself and my cat about all this. I played Magic the Gathering the last two years a lot to practice my public speaking. At least when you announce the rules on a card people have to listen. These days people are too busy to play so I’m left with these funny games in the street. In America it’s becoming more like Outback steakhouse. No rules and too many people leaning to the hard right. The left hand path is kind of secluded. Perfect for a moonlight stroll. As dark as that might be at four pm in the dead of winter.

For what it’s worth I’ve been watching a lot of Watchmen and listening to Nine Inch Nails by myself. I like to read and work on my finances in a cloud based spreadsheet. Most of what I read is online. When it’s not the news or the history of places I barely know it’s quest text or lore on a computer screen. I’ve been a lot more at ease in some ways. I’ve been mostly trying to figure out the feeding schedule for my new house guest. I forget I’ve been feeding that cat twice a day for over a year outdoors. Surprisingly or not so she is pretty much on the same exact schedule as I am. The electric bill is sixty percent lower than it’s ever been. I’m assuming part of that is a more energy efficient refrigerator. My downstairs neighbors Christmas lights don’t even make a dent in the meter. My life is kind of peaceful and boring at home. When I step outside the threshold it can be a different story. In terms of guardrails I’ve become at peace withjwhere I belong. Staying out of trouble. I’ve been swerving around the planet safely for years. I’ve been transparent on the internet as well. You can try to cover your tracks as much as you want. But I don’t believe you can hide from yourself. A friend on here posted this tweet from Cher talking about Epstein. It was a pretty strong opinion about creepy rich old men that I respected. The other part of it struck me a little harder. Something about powerful and strong men holding on to that power. Which leads me to think about what it means to be a powerful or strong man in modern times. For the record I’ve been made to feel just like everybody else quite the opposite. That none of the good I do ever really matters. That how I choose to behave online and off however in sync is not seen as power. And I’m aware that most men have never had to defend themselves or their privileges. I’m also aware that I identify how I identify. There’s no need for me to beat you over the head with any of it. I’ve been online for years and you can ask around. I’m not saying it wasn’t hard work to be a better man. I’m not saying anything really. That’s not for me to prove at this point. I have nothing to defend other than the power of the identity I live in plain sight. In truth being open and honest does get you taken advantage of often. But you learn to handle yourself in dangerous situations. Some of people’s ideas of friendship and trust can be a little naive. I’ve been there. Part of the reason I walked away from making music and performing it was the environment around it. I found I was locked out and walked away from it out of boredom. People already know who I am for better or for worse in more places I’ve never visited. Imagine if I was a piece of shit behind the scenes. My dirty laundry would be everywhere on the internet by now. And these days it’s pretty apparent that being a Warlock in Christian America isn’t the same as it is on a PVP server. War mode is always on if you want it to be. And the battles go nowhere. The only random drops I pay attention to are the sale prices on Gore-Tex Chuck Taylors. The real power being how I manage my finances responsibly. And nobody here listens unless you’ve got your wallet out anyway. I don’t have a line item for any of that in my budget. So I stick to carving out a safe space for myself in a sustainable way and be quiet. Men have spoken enough at this point. I amplify the communities and voices that have shaped my thinking on things. I signal boost and I stay under the radar at the same time. Unless of course you’ve got Airplay sharing enabled.

Every day I log on to this community I have a conscious choice to share. I am mindful personally about what kind of message it sends out. I don’t really judge other people’s curation. I can say sometimes I’m not into certain things. I’m not particularly sensitive to a lot of imagery. I’ve spent twenty years servicing an art school. I’ve seen plenty of fucked up shit outside of my comfort zone. Everything has context in a community. And here online I think we operate with the notion that we are trying to explore the boundaries of our own identities. We are also trying to conduct this experiment in a safe way. A lot of people might say I’m a little too cautious. A lot of people also probably say that I’m a little too straight behind my back. I guess I know my audience and vice versa. But I don’t think of this place as an audience. I’m not out here trying to sell things for profit. I’m trying to signal boost the things that inspire me aesthetically in a complex way. Some things I like. Some things I love and care about dearly. Some people know exactly what I mean when I hint about things. And some people are lost and not even paying that close attention. Some people pop up in my dash and their opinion means the world to me. The togetherness of being in a place where people understand the nuance and context is freeing. Nobody asks too many questions. The interactions I’ve had with people online are always genuine and terse. I’m not trying to secretly infect myself into people’s lives. I’m not actively trying to interfere with anyone’s life or image. I’m also aware that people are appreciative after all this time to trust that. That kind of responsibility and accountability is an asset in complex and troubling times. You know you can always count on somebody to be a good person. There’s a real kind of power there when every other man out there talks the same shit but betrays their words through their actions constantly. I wake up every day at five am and wander into work at seven thirty. I’m there an hour before everyone else. I give people rulers and staplers while I check my mail and post pictures on the internet. I’ve been attacked over the years more often than anybody will ever realize. A lot of it was unfair and misinformed. Years later people know exactly why. And years later people appreciate why I keep my mouth shut and mind my own business. I judge myself by ethics nobody ever asks about. I don’t go with the flow often and yet somehow I’ve travelled the world silently for years by myself. I got around on human kindness and honesty. You can never betray that in yourself. Especially if you are a Warlock. I’m sure the demons would consume you if you did. It seems like simple enough logic and mythology. I do this and stay me however complex that seems because I care. It’s not conditional on an outcome. I’ll be truthful I don’t know where any of this is going. I’m lost in the dark completely. And yet no one on this planet can be me. And I know how powerful that is. It has never been easy. But It’s worth it for me because I have love in my heart. The people that I really share it with deeply know just how much of that there is to go around. It’s something I protect because it’s worth fighting for. A safe place to be free online as well as off. Let’s keep fighting that battle first and foremost. It’s always been the same for me and will be for the immediate future. It may be dark but I see the light at the end of this tunnel. Seasonal depression nothwithstanding. <3 Tim

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goodnightwatch · 7 years ago

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AN (IM)PERFECT COLLECTION

An Horological Psychologist’s Magnum Opus, or How a Lowly Graduate Student Amassed a World-Class Collection of Fine Timepieces.

By: Andrew Lawrence Smith

Part 1

You might think it’s easy to collect watches, but I’ll have you know that even if you’re the richest person in the world, you simply cannot know what to buy and when and where and why to buy it until you have put in an insane amount of work. In some ways it really evens the playing field between the rich and the working class because it’s not about money, it’s about achieving a holistic collection that balances and harmonizes everything from wrist-time to occasion. Collecting is as much of an art as the watches themselves. Some people get lucky, sure, but then again some people win the lottery and if you’re reading this, that is not going to happen to you, probably ;).

Hi there. My name is Andrew and I am a 37 year old PhD student and Jungian Depth Psychology Consultant finishing a dissertation in Jungian & Archetypal Studies and Horology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Do they offer the horology part? No. I created that after being unable to separate my depth psychological research from wristwatches. This is what we deem a vocational call. When you spend hours observing the least and the greatest of watches under magnification to understand what “fine” means and when you press each watch against your ear to hear every tick and tone made by the watch, you’re just barely beginning to be on the path. My research discusses how timepieces, the wristwatch in particular, might function as a modern mandala, having a real connection to the unconscious archetypal Self, but that goes way beyond the scope of this essay. To understand some of the terms I use, you might need to dip into Jungian depth psychology, and for the most important definitions, they can be found here: http://www.psychceu.com/jung/sharplexicon.html

Many arrive at a collection that fits them by procuring countless timepieces and then throwing them back into the abyss in order to please their peers (fashion watches and status pieces) and have the experience that refines one’s taste, some of which I’ve done, but the serious collector will lie in wait like a dragon observing from atop a mountain of gold; the gold being serious knowledge, in the vein of attempting to acquire an horological and psychological philosophers’ stone. When all variables align—after months and years of reading and discussing and visiting boutiques and second-hand shops either brick-and-mortar or online—only then will one receive the full satisfaction of the perfect watch for them, the perfect complete set, and the perfect price to once again return to one’s perch fully satisfied with the catch/game of a lifetime. Needless to say I will not be discussing the auction world at all. Auctions are for rich people. Although the rich or super-rich should go through the process that I have gone through, they really don’t have to. Their loss. Then again, they hire guys like me to pick out their watches! This is a story for the ultra-conservative (no politics implied) watch collector. The metaphor of the miserly, yet punctilious dragon, represents the foundation of the composition of an horological psychologist. Horology is cool, psychology is cool, but I contend that it is only when the whole process of being an horologist is twinned with the knowledge and experience of depth psychology that one can truly enter into this deeper world of alchemical achievement, understanding, and appreciation.

Put another way, what I have found from studying wristwatches—as they relate to universal mandala symbols—is that the image of the timepiece, especially the wristwatch (in my own psyche) replaces every single religious symbol with a unified and integral symbol of the height of human consciousness and beyond. I’m more than just your average atheist, I am an horological psychologist who has integrated world mythologies into a knowledge and gnosis of being that connects the alchemically perfect timepiece and the supreme meaning of the individual and collective psyche; Jung’s notion of the archetype of the Self, the whole being of the individual. For more on that, you can hold out for my completed dissertation, and in the meantime read C.G. Jung’s “Memories Dreams Reflections.”

The image above was taken by me and is from C.G. Jung’s “The Red Book: Liber Novus.” It is one of many mandala images that Jung created to symbolize the whole Self archetype. A perfect watch on the wrist does not fall short of the feelings evoked through this depiction of presentiating origin: becoming fully integrated into the purest harmony of consciousness.

Part 2

It was by accident, or rather synchronicity, that on the 28th of June, 2012 I found myself attracted to a cheap, skeletonized mechanical wristwatch that was glaringly out of place amid items I was perusing to fill a few needs for my San Francisco apartment. I had been studying Nikola Tesla in depth and was possessed by the genius of his inventions and notions of free electricity. I thought that using/wearing a watch, which would need no battery replacement, was/is an ecologically responsible and very cool thing to do. At $120, it seemed expensive, but I was overcome by a strange feeling of passion and curiosity in the name of the great Tesla (best human who ever lived) and so I ordered it. Full disclosure, I sweat bullets on the MUNI back then thinking someone would mug me for that watch. Now I ride the bus with a Rolex hanging out like IDGAF x). But I digress.

Upon removing the watch from its box for the first time after it arrived at my door, little did I know that I would from that day forward never go another day without enjoying a mechanical watch on my wrist. Case and point, at this very moment I am wearing my Breguet 5327. Thus commenced hours upon days of winding, listening, and viewing the watch under magnification so that I could figure out how everything worked. It might’ve been a poor excuse for a watch, but I could not stop staring at all of the moving parts, which had me mesmerized as if I was flying through the clockwork at the train station in the film Hugo.

Even in this bottom-of-the-barrel movement that had been manufactured in a place with vastly lower standards than Switzerland, I could see motion and beauty that had/has me transfixed on a level that was/is far greater than any basic aesthetic, technical, or functional appeal. I purchased a few loupes—5x, 10x, and 30x—to get a closer look. Since I still have this watch, I do not have to imagine what it feels like to dive into the minute details of every stationary and moving part. I can gaze upon, and through, the synthetic rubies right now and see a universe of possibility in an instrument that is only meant to tell us where the sun in the sky might be at any given moment so that we will know when to perform certain socially agreed upon human rituals. That said, with each of my watches I often engage in Active Imagination (a Jungian method by which one re-members or discovers knowledge sourced from the collective unconscious) and the imaginal entities that animate in my own mind, inspired by the wristwatch, tell endless, fascinating stories.

Two years after encountering that initiatory watch, owning cheap mechanical watches of various designs and complications (my experience of horology exposure 101), I finally took the plunge and bought my first fine timepiece. Now to be fair, I must mention that I spent a lot of time during those years defending my cheap watches as if owning something that costs more than a few hundred dollars US would never be necessary, like some poor souls still do, but eventually I grew up and made the sacrifices necessary to possess something serious. You need a thick skin in the watch world in order to interface with other Modern Day Watch Enthusiasts who are worth talking to. Surviving your own ignorance to become horologically knowledgeable is a noble and brutal journey through the underworld. And as Jung would have it, emerging from this underworld is simply another stage of individuation; an expansion of consciousness improving the abilities and life of the individual.

My first fine watch was the Omega Speedmaster Professional ref. 3577.50 “from the Moon to Mars” purchased on the 2nd of January in 2014. Obsessed with Elon Musk’s dream to travel to and terraform Mars, as a byproduct of being equally obsessed with Nikola Tesla, this was a watch that not only met all of my horological desires but also instantly possessed a multiverse of meaning for me. I imagined that one day I would take this watch with me on a public transport to the Red Planet. Elon wants to die on Mars, and quite frankly, so do I. To me this watch was so expensive (for me at the time) and so perfect that there would never be a reason to own anything else. Again, little did I know that I would be very wrong about that. Enter the “Coke.”

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 Coke began to burrow into my mind as I continued to scour the internet for the best deals on fine watches of all kinds. Every single day I was on eBay, Chrono24, watchestobuy, watchuwant, Crown & Caliber, Jomashop, The RealReal… You name it, if the site was selling fine watches, I was keeping tabs. Apologies to anyone I missed. By this time I was reading magazines, blogs, and watching all sorts of videos that were giving me a fairly exhaustive exposure to what was out there and who was buying/selling certain kinds of timepieces in certain categorical brackets. My aim was/is to understand watches on a deep psychological level as they affect the experiences of others and of course my own Self. Not just to be a numbers guy who can flash the timepiecs but say almost nothing meaningful about them. I must confess that it is important to know that, in regards to my personality type (INFP), I operate heavily by listening to my own intuition, and I could not shake this watch; just as I could not shake the Mars. There was more than just the analysis and process of elimination, it was something like a powerfully religious magnetism. The Coke was coming to me in my dreams. I have the dream journal to prove it! However, that’s in my dissertation. On a number of occasions I placed offers on a Coke, but came up with nothing because either a) the seller was shady, or b) I just couldn’t get the price or set where I wanted it. Dealing with watch sellers can be tricky, unlike being face to face with your local AD, so it’s important to be patient and cautious; to not be so excited about that exact watch you’re hunting that you get taken for a ride.

Then finally the day came when I saw a great deal for a clearly authentic Coke (gotta have that paperwork) in amazing condition and I made an offer that stuck. Again, I thought I was going to be done forever. That this was the collection of a lifetime. I had unique Speedmaster that almost no one else had and I had a Coke, which is a highly respected and desired timepiece across the globe. I chose the GMT because I could use it to track 3 time zones more efficiently than on any other timepiece, including world timers, and this came in very handy with all of the traveling and international communicating that I do. Not to mention, the whole design of the watch and color scheme is unusually attractive and versatile (still my favorite Rolex, aside from material objections), but I had not ever seen one in the metal. On a flight home from Cyprus I ran into a guy who was wearing one. I asked him if I could see it and of course he obliged. I have pictures to prove it (see below). I was wearing my Moon to Mars and just knew that the Coke would complete the circle for me. The one thing that I did not really take into account until my own Coke arrived was the size, which didn't register on that agonizing flight back to the US from Cyprus, where I had attended an amazing conference on Time and the Psyche. The conference was a magical experience, but I do not recommend that anyone fly a cumulative 44 hours just to have 5 days on the ground, no matter where you are going.

I ordered my 16710 from 1989 at a great price in pristine condition with papers and when it came, I was bewildered. It seemed so small! Was it actually fake? Did I get bamboozled? Impossible. All of this time I had been looking at huge blown up pictures of the watch and assumed it had the same presence as a Submariner, but there it was, 100% authentic and smaller than I expected. I wanted that Submariner-style crown, big and chunky, but after a while the size of the 16710 crown began to make sense and the tasteful nature of this specific piece became clearer from one day to the next.

I spent so much time examining this Coke, to make sure that it I hadn’t made a mistake, that synchronistically every aspect of its charm became powerfully apparent and intoxicating beyond belief. I had been wearing obnoxiously large watches with Chinese tourbillons that dwarfed even my Speedmaster and now finally the curse was lifting. I saw the light. Praise the gods! Certain watches worked for certain wrist sizes and certain moments in life. Wearing a watch that is too big for you is simply childish and lacking in discipline and taste, just like believing that there is a god that is literally real. This Rolex functioned as training wheels for wearing watches that actually fit properly and looked correct for my physical build and personality type. I remember thinking that the bracelet was too narrow and that the case of the watch only covered the surface area of my wrist, which made it feel like there wasn’t enough watch there, but in reality it was a match made in mythological, alchemical heaven. To this day I still think that the textural design and character of that vintage Oyster bracelet is better than the new 904L iteration and that the 116710 is right on the line of just barely being not too big. Unless you’re deliberately trying to be a clown, a dinner plate on the wrist is no bueno.

In all of my idealism, I thought that the Coke and the Mars were going to be my life companions, but alas we never really do finish growing and developing. Especially when we finally meet that special someone! Enter the Kwan.

Part 3

It was my great fortune to synchronistically meet (a story for another time), date, and ultimately marry my wife, the magnificent Jane Kwan, who for better or for worse has supported me through this transformational journey that is watch collecting. She was kind enough to be fascinated at first, and is now at least tolerant, but when I began to show her how you could actually store value or even potentially make a little money with the acquisition and sale of certain timepieces, she started to pay attention. Chinese people, like those of my Jewish heritage, love a reliable investment opportunity. I made it my goal to abandon hunting “good deals” on a wide range of watches and began hunting the exact watches that I would personally want to own and wear (not just stick in a vault), but only if the price was extraordinary or unusually fair. The Internet has made this relatively easy, if you’re willing to put in the time, and so I scoured the entire visible market for what I felt would be the perfect watch. Long story short, I discovered and then began to obsess over and follow/hunt the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5153G-001. Believe me when I tell you that I have written many pages about why this watch is, to me, the perfect dress watch, if not the perfect watch all around, aside from not being as durable as a Rolex, but again I digress. To be honest, this watch was my holy grail (a subject that I have expounded upon in other places as possibly the single most abused horology term aside from “in-house”) and I thought that I would never get to see it in my lifetime.

One day I found the Calatrava for sale online at a price that was unbelievable. My wife is almost painfully patient, and so we watched the piece sit on the website for nearly a month, while I nearly fell apart with anxiety waiting for her to make a choice. In the end, her instincts were right because the price continued to go down. But I really could not comprehend why no one was buying it. When we made the phone call to see about a best offer, we were able to take the price down even lower and so acquired the watch well below value thanks to my wife’s belief and investment in me, your humble watch hunter. Blasting into the side of this mountain precipitated a landslide to follow.

Not long after that my wife wanted something that she could wear every day. I had been hunting the Rolex Datejust 116234 with black dial, because it is my favorite iteration of the DJ and was able to find that watch well below value also. I thought it might be a bit large for her, but when it arrived it was a perfect fit at 36mm. While the watch is very cool, and occasionally I’ll sneak it away from her to wear it for a little while, it doesn’t make the cut for a perfect collection for me. I needed my watch collection to devour the catalogue of essential horological functions and representations.

However, I was jealous of the almost white-gold looking oyster bracelet and thus I faced a dilemma. The call to adventure was back! I realized that I could own both my Mars and Coke or I could sell them and own the singular Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 BLNR as basically an even trade (at the time), a watch that I still think is slightly less appealing aesthetically than the Coke as it at that time pertained to my personality, but possesses the ultimate in materials ever released from Rolex. I needed some time to think about this. Rolex’s alchemy game had become massively stronger than where it was in 1989. A few weeks later, in Honolulu, I was flipping through one of the tour books and when I turned it over to look at the back, there it was: the BLNR. Synchronicity, as usual, was determined to prevail. Now, I know that this watch is heavily advertised, possibly more than Tag or Hublot if that’s possible, but at that moment I felt like I was looking at a picture of a long-lost friend. The time had come to pull the trigger. I had spent several lovely days swimming in the ocean with my Coke, and now it was time to let it go.

The beach I frequented during my stay in Honolulu. Anyone who has been there knows where it is ;).

A shot of my Coke in Honolulu on the way to get some Spam Musubi!

The rosary bracelt pictured here was acquired in Cyprus, gifted to me by the great Angeliki Yiassemides (author of “Time & Timelessness”), not long before I managed to acquire my Coke. The meaning is strong in this image…

The book in the hotel room demanding that I trade up.

Horology boutiques... Always calling me…

Impossible to find one with black dial in a boutique, I spent some time admiring this beauty in white before that time came when my wife made a dream become reality.

With a heavy heart, I managed to part with my first fine watch and my first Rolex, selling them for fair market prices. Finding the BLNR for a steal is basically impossible, especially if you’re looking to buy within a relatively tight timeframe (aiming to acquire the watch mere months before moving to Copenhagen), so I found the best deal I could with a complete set and as planned basically traded about the same amount of money for those two watches to buy the one BLNR. This was good enough for me and my wife because it is still holding around the same value I invested and I basically had the experience of buying a brand new Rolex with a complete set minus stepping foot inside of an Authorized Dealer, an experience that is not at all important to a watch hunter like me; at least not at this time of life, but maybe later when I have established myself and I can afford that level of treat.

I honestly thought that I wouldn’t be as happy with the BLNR, as with the Coke, because black and red is so much more “me” along with other reasons and qualities (yadda yadda yadda, as Jane is fond of saying), but when it came I was filled with excitement. I opened the box and there it was: my long-lost friend whom I had been missing for the gods know how long. Most call it the Batman, I knew immediately that this was to be my R2D2. It doesn't matter that so many others own it or that the adverts were drilling into my brain. Consolidating to this watch was possibly the best horological decision I’ve ever made because although there was still a lingering color objection, I suddenly had a monstrously better watch to wear every day that met every single other checkpoint I felt one could demand from a daily-wear: 1. 904L steel, which really does feel like wearing white gold, but not quite as heavy a. Something that can take the hits and scratches and will withstand polishing dramatically better 2. White gold hands and indices, which contrast perfectly against the black dial 3. Blindingly bright blue lume, which my wife prefers to her green lume and makes it easy to tell the time under any circumstances aside from maybe actual blindness 4. The blued Breguet overcoil hairspring in the tried and true 3186 movement, something I don't even need to see to appreciate 5. The 5mm comfort link, which is a huge design leap forward compared to the oversized and floppy comfort extension on the original Oyster bracelet 6. GMT aligned clicks, which didn’t really ever seem to line up perfectly with the 16710 7. And most important of all, the very first two-color Cerachrom bezel, completing, to me, the most wearable, useful, and legible timepiece ever made 8. When you consider that this watch not only embodies everything you’d want and nothing you don’t, it’s easy to excuse the blue and simply hope for the red to come through someday 9. Finally, in review, this watch contains the best of every Rolex white metal: 904L steel, white gold, and platinum. As such, it is an alchemical masterpiece; and it has that chunky Submariner-style Triplock crown! Now I like both crowns for different reasons.

People have been calling it the Batman, and I get that. I’m a huge Batman fan and wouldn’t try to change the moniker even if I could, but for me it is the R2D2 riding along with me as I pilot this time machine we call a human body. My consciousness is the Luke inside of this Incom T-65 X-wing Starfighter and my 116710 R2D2 is the choice navigator, always down to take a beating for the rebellion ;).

So now I had a BLNR and a Calatrava shared with my wife (plus her 116234 to enjoy when she isn’t wearing it), completing two out of four watches of a complete set that I call “a holy quaternity.” What more could a man ever hope for? Would I really ever need to break a sweat over more than these two watches to complete the ultimate collection? I even had access to my favorite Datejust when my wife wasn’t wearing it, even though it does not fit the bill for my personal living symbol of wholeness of Self. My little wrist R2D2 and our white gold Darth Vader seemed like a complete set all by themselves. And yet, there was more to come, and rightly so!

My wife and I moved to Copenhagen so that she could attend DTU to earn her MA in Architecture. Being the unreasonably lucky guy that I am, I got to tag along and spend my days exploring one of the coolest (and happiest) cities in the world whilst writing my dissertation on psychology and horology. Several months in, after spending day after day chatting with awesome folks on MDWE, a gentleman put a Speedmaster “Legendary Moon Watch” ref. 311.30.42.30.01.005 complete set in basically new condition up for sale. A discussion about how this boilerplate design was so perfect it’s boring was going around and so at first I wasn’t too keen on the watch. I remembered my Mars and thought that the original Moon Watch was too plain and too common. However, the more I looked at it the more I realized what it had to offer. So many guys were/are going in for that vintage chronograph with the running seconds and 30 minute register without the hour register, which is a great and classic and traditional watch concept/discipline, but I need the hours! Even if it challenges aesthetics and purity. Honestly, purity has never really been my thing ;). Authenticity is a whole other kettle of fish! So then what I realized was, this was not going to be a watch that I spent time looking at during the day. This was a Good Night Watch that needed/needs to be useful in the dark. What better watch for darkness and time writing/recording/chrono-scoping than a boilerplate Speedmaster?!

The price was fair and I could certainly get most if not all of my money back if I needed to sell it, so I figured, why not experience the moon watch as a complete package in all of its boring glory. Sure, it’s no Moon to Mars and the literature won’t come in Japanese with a dedication to one of the world’s greatest artists, Leiji Matsumoto, but it would still be qualified by NASA for space missions and there were lots of other very cool accessories that would be fun to explore. Not to mention the history, which I must say ought to be valued well above just one spectacular artist. I pulled the trigger and the watch and its enormous packaging were at my Danish door within a few days. Upon opening the display box, a feeling came over me that I did not expect. The watch was/is so much nicer than the Moon to Mars, so much more sober and less cartoonish (not really an insult, actually accurate), and it instantly felt like it belonged on my wrist and that it would blend in like some kind of chameleon-like symbiotic creature. Almost instantly I finally knew what this watch was for.

While the Speedmaster had been and is still being used for outer space missions, I would be and am using this watch for INNER space missions. I sized the bracelet, which was a joy because it came/comes with screw end-caps rather than the basic link pins, placed the watch on my wrist and then started the chronograph right before going to sleep. When I woke up in the middle of the night to journal my dreams, I knew almost exactly how long I had been asleep, which really helped me to prioritize my time so that I wouldn’t wake up so much that I wouldn’t be able to return to slumberland. After finishing my journaling, I started the chronograph again, went back to sleep, and when I woke up I could see that I had gotten the eight-ish hours I needed to be rested enough for the day. I’m sure some of you go through the process of sleeping for eight hours without even thinking about it, but my dream life is so active that it is easy for me to lose track of how long I’ve been asleep, so this watch became an instantly useful tool that I can’t live without, just like the BLNR. And because it’s manually wound, I don’t have to stress out the winding train of an automatic chronograph; plus I have the pleasure of winding a watch every morning as the third thing I do after photographing the dial and resetting the chronograph. What a sweet ritual for a watch enthusiast!

My collection was complete. Right? I had my R2D2, which would go with me everywhere during the day, and I had my Good NIght Watch, which would track my sleep intervals and follow me into my dreams. And when it came time to celebrate something special, the Darth Vader (Calatrava) would take its place on my wrist under a cuff. Who could ask for anything more? There was only one slight problem. A large part of my journey after receiving that first mechanical wristwatch was exploring RGM in depth, which led me to Breguet. While I wasn’t sold on the idea of spending big money for a tourbillon since the science shows that it essentially has no real effect on accuracy, there was an element to watchmaking that I had fallen in love with before I even considered owning a fine watch of my own: guilloché.

RGM makes a killer tourbillon (reminiscent of a Speake Marin/Hamilton hybrid), let’s not mince words, only paralleled by the likes of Breguet, Patek Philippe, and Greubel Forsey (honorable mentions, Louis Moinet and Jaeger-LeCoultre - that one’s for Tim Mosso), and does some outstanding guilloché work with their own rose machine/lathe in Lancaster, PA. However, if you’re going to really tighten the restraints on a collection that is meant to be perfect (a true holy quaternity), there’s really no other choice than to go with the godfather of the practice: Breguet; arguably the most important historical figure/alchemist in watchmaking, and the inventor of many components that even the so-called “holy trinity” (lame designation, because Christianity is for people who don’t want to read more books—funny/not funny) still benefit from today. Hence I controversially argue that Breguet completes the holy quaternity and in many ways is still on top of PP, VC, and AP as the senex manufacturer (Harlan MDWE, bless his heart, will of course agree–love you, mean it). By this time I had visited so many boutiques, Tourbillon SF being one of my favorites, that I was saturated with the knowledge of what Breguet and other top-end (not just high-end) watch companies had to offer. Out from behind the stormy clouds of tourbillons and Jacquet Droz and Blancpain and A. Lange & Sohne and De Bethune and Ulysse Nardin came a piece that on any other day I would’ve ignored.

The Calatrava that was/is already in our possession does in fact have a guilloché black sunburst dial, but I wanted something that had/has/emanates the vibrant, timeless energy of 18th century watchmaking tradition, radiating from its finely crafted alchemical masterpiece of a dial and case. I had the opportunity to experience the skeletonized Breguet perpetual calendar tourbillon, but there was something missing even with that watch. Again, size and money are meaningless and relative. It was when I finally had a chance to take a close look at the 5327 that I saw that in any class for any money, this watch had/has it all. It has one of the most extraordinary complications ever invented, the perpetual calendar. It has moon phase, which is hugely important in psychology as a principle of divine consciousness. It has power reserve, which is arguably unnecessary on an automatic watch, but with the layout of the power reserve, moon phase, and date register at six o’clock, the 5327 pays perfect homage to the notorious automatic (perpétuelle) quarter-repeating watch with dumb (à toc) repeater from the late 18th century. This was/is the Breguet to own! Sitting in an office piled with books, including volumes about Breguet and the lovely publication that was created for The Legion of Honor in San Francisco, when they had their Breguet exhibition and lectures, I found myself having a full experience of awakening to the truth of yet another wristwatch. Except this time it was THE ONE. The only... This time, without a doubt, it was THE watch to end all watches, for me. I had done the work. I had read the books, scoured the Internet, been to the boutiques, met or at least studied the people, and in the end the Breguet Perpetual Calendar Classique 5327 presented itself as the answer I was looking for from both the multiverses of horology and psychology: all of the craftsmanship, all of the technology, all of the meaning, and all of the enjoyment from wearing one could ever ask for. Period, paragraph, life mission accomplished. Except, I didn't have the money x). That solution, which came later, was the real blessing.

Before I get into that, on a more somber note, I would like to mention that compared to Breguet’s latest QP, the ref. 5447, Breguet made an unfortunate design decision that is not in keeping with the more traditional layout. Maybe it’s great for marketing, but it does two things: departs from the classique tradition in a way that is unbearably modern, and treads dangerously toward cheapening the name of A.L. Breguet. Swapping power reserve for retrograde month was a particularly unfortunate decision, almost as undesirable as the choice to switch the angle of the moon phase to a less interesting and, I would contend, invasive vertical position. While that dial might be slightly more efficient in terms of the flow of reference and legibility, it is far from an upgrade and has lost that original 18th century charm. I’d wager that Breguet himself might agree. As such, this specific reference, the 5327, continues to wear the crown (pun intended) as what I feel is the greatest Breguet QP wristwatch ever made. That being said, I have dubbed the watch my Holy Grail, together with the Speedmaster, the GMT, and the Calatrava, this completes my personal Holy Quaternity. However, there is always a “fifth element,” intentionally playing on a reference to the film of the same name from 1997. That fifth element (the eternal energy of love and passion) to me is the transcendent holy grail, which is a watch that is so extraordinary and so perfect for the individual that it doesn’t even exist yet. The super rich uber-collectors will know what I’m talking about: a subscription piece that perhaps one’s preferred watchmaker doesn’t even know how to make. For me, in all seriousness, this would be the currently imaginary and absurd Greubel Forsey Quantième Perpétuel Chronograph Grande Sonnerie in a 41mm platinum case. Although, I’d take a GF chronograph, as long as it’s hand-wound. Could it ever possibly get any better than that? I seriously doubt it. At least for an individual like myself.

And so recently I found this perfect Breguet at a ridiculously low price. I mean a price that normally only dealers get from other dealers. This watch needed to be procured. My wife was not about to invest another substantial sum into a wristwatch since she felt that she had already diversified in that direction far enough with the Patek. And so she suggested that I ask my father if he would be interested in making the investment. After lengthy explanations over email and handling some obvious objections that a non-horology scholar might have, he generously agreed to help me make the investment to both aid in my research and hold value that only presents itself once in a lifetime. Due to this generosity and collective cooperation, it is my privilege and responsibility to care for this Breguet as the final piece to my horological individuation puzzle. The mandalas to complete the supreme mandala of the current manifestation of my own archetypal Self have been assembled like Voltron. And now that the collection is complete, my mission is to take exhaustive photographs, engage in active imagination (alchemical hermeneutics) with each piece and the whole collection for my research, and to cook it all down in the vas alembic of consciousness to create my very own horological opus.

Here’s an example of what enters my imagination when I engage in reverie (Active Imagination or Alchemical Hermeneutics) around one of the watches (often including its literature), offering a lingering (reverie) around or daydreaming into the Breguet dial: The guilloché pattern for the power reserve looks like the waves of the sea or the ocean. I am reminded of the image of the solar barge in Liber Novus p. 55. Aptly placed, it is above the other complications, next to the moon phase, which is obscured by a hand carved cloud pattern: the essence of the imagination. So the heavens and the waters, forged in fire and carved into earth or metal. The pattern in the date register is that of a waterfall or descending cliffs, reaching down into the underworld. All of these being supported by the primary dial hand carved rose lathe or rose machined pyramids (clou de paris). The pyramids or sacred geometry of transcendent consciousness. Within the big mandala that is the watch dial are 5 smaller mandalas: the moon phase, which embodies our human-centric lunar story and mythology; the leap year, which makes it possible for me to see the accurate date for the rest of my life without adjusting the timepiece; the month, a centered indicator of the positions of the gods; the day, a de-centered indicator of the positions of other gods; and finally, the date, a concept invented by people who want to control time and other people, to no avail one hopes. Might be best to simply let go of that craving for control, let people be peaceful unto themselves and allow time to flow with the Force of Nature. A dream within a dream... The watch does have Breguet’s signature coin edge or fluted sides, so the watch is to be treated as a sort of super sacred coin. This coinage or coin edge appears to be symbolic of the archetypal pillar: the pillars that held Samson, the pillars of Rome, and the pillars of current modern civilization. However, even after this current human experiment is dust and rubble, the pillars of time will stand as strong as they always have and it will never have mattered that humans were a part of it. A testament from the Antikythera mechanism.

It is possible that I may actually have to sell the Breguet after I am finished with my research sometime next year, unless by some miracle I make enough money to completely own the whole thing by myself, but that is not important because all that matters is that for a time in my life I had, in my possession, a perfect collection. The Holy Quaternity! “For a few minutes, they were mine. That is enough.” https://youtu.be/c9O1VVeMzhc Charade (8/10) Movie CLIP - The Most Valuable Stamp (1963) HD.

It doesn’t matter how it got there and it doesn’t matter if I don’t get to keep it. What matters is that, since we can’t take any of this with us to the grave anyway, I have the priceless gift of the experience. This was a group effort. My sacrifices and investment were/are largely those of time, obsessive research, and unearthing opportunities, which in reality is just as valuable as the money others allowed me to use to assemble this project. From the depths of passion, love, and family, I have been made individuated and whole, for now. Through psychology and horology I have healed myself in ways most people cannot imagine and have had the great fortune to inspire others. Countering the cruel trick of the perpetual calendar complication (never being able to live long enough to see it need an adjustment), I am filled with gratitude for what I have had the privilege to do with the time I have been given. Through bringing all of these elements together, I have found true happiness and may for a time be with this imperfect, perfect collection to remind myself of the cost involved in striving to create something truly special: a genuine opus, if not magnum opus. No one can do it alone. We require relationships to individuate, as Jung said, and at the ripe age of 37, I know that my watch collection and my Self are at last in harmony.

Conclusion

Watch collecting is not just some silly thing men do with their extra money, nor is it about amassing a monstrous volume of different examples for the sake of becoming your own museum. Watch collecting is as much an art as is watchmaking itself or the creation of any sculpture or painting. It requires focus, dedication, precision of craft, and most of all it requires a determination to produce the best possible result from the knowledge that has been gained and the resources—people or otherwise—that have been procured.

I am continuing to work on my dissertation on psychology and horology while figuring out where I want to focus my career from here on out. It seems like Tesla, Inc. is the most logical choice, so we’ll see if they or a watch boutique will have me. As far as this collection goes, what I know is that I will always have my R2D2 because it is the one watch that I can’t live without that can go anywhere: land, sea, air, and space. Depending on what the future holds for me career-wise, I might have to live without the Speedmaster and just use a beater chrono until I rebuild my value strength, since it takes quite a bit more to hold a collection like this all on one’s own. The Calatrava will be here because it is my wife’s investment and my privilege to enjoy as part of our partnership. However, it is worth bearing in mind that none of these things are permanent and that any amount of time being in ownership of the completed holy quaternity set is ultimately more than enough of an accomplishment no matter how long you keep it together. It takes a lot of work to learn about all of these manufacturers and iterations and value propositions. It’s even harder to get clear which ones matter to you on a profound level to the point that you would choose four and exclude all others; especially when considering that owning these watches is a choice that was made at the exclusion of any other products, such as cars, houses, hoarding currency, and any other type of man-made creation. And then to have them all just sort of casually ticking away on your desk is a luxury that very few people will ever know/experience. For that I cannot thank the people who believed/believe in me enough. I am lucky, I am grateful, I have my wife and family to thank for everything, in addition to other friends and enthusiasts who were willing to engage my passion, and I hope that what I have learned and my story will be something that is paying my fortune forward: giving back to the collective community of folks who simply wish to be their best selves; to be good citizens, as Plato might’ve imagined it.

In review and in final conclusion, this is an imperfect watch collection that to me is perfect, in my estimation from the research I’ve done and the experiences that I have had:

It is my personal gnosis, based on my research in depth psychology and horology, that there are two kinds of quaternities (not trinities, because a trinity is really just an incomplete system, lacking the feminine principle, among other things) in the horological universe: 1. The top four watchmakers in the Swiss watchmaking industry a. Breguet b. Patek Philippe c. Vacheron Constantin d. Audemars Piguet 2. The top four timepieces in an individual collection a. The Good Night Watch i. A chronograph worn to bed to time sleep intervals ii. An instrument that centers one’s being between sleeping and waking b. The R2D2 i. The most essential and sturdy of all of the timepieces ii. A trusty companion for all of life’s terrains c. The Darth Vader i. The finest example of elegant simplicity with a touch of violence ii. A watch that possesses a seemingly invisible and powerful Force d. The Holy Grail i. The watch you will wear on your deathbed that will outlast you ii. The QP is a cruel trick because it offers a feature that you will never live to enjoy: not having to adjust the watch for over 150 years. iii. A watch that satisfies one from ever wanting to buy anything better, for now ;).

Quick note: I’ve mythologized part of this collection with Star Wars metaphors because that is the best story I grew up with: the futuristic mythological vision of Joseph Campbell only barely understood by George Lucas (as is evident in his prequel trilogy), based on his seminal “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” One could easily substitute other similar archetypes for the designations that I have commandeered. Whatever gets you there. It’s all imaginal, but inarguably objective in terms of the archetypes.

As for the selected manufacturers, my opinion here is highly controversial. Breguet should be at the top, Swatch or no Swatch, because Breguet is the Grandfather of all of these other innovators. A Breguet watch lacks nothing in quality and discovery that these other companies are engaged in and in fact, in addition to the legacy/pedigree/history of invention, Breguet is still making timepieces that exceed the expectations of any connoisseur. Every little detail is given the utmost care and contemplation. This does not, of course, take into account watchmaking in other regions. Germany, A. Lange & Sohne in particular, is making watches that appear to be exceeding even the Swiss standards of excellence. This also does not take into account even conceivably more exciting independent watchmakers and inventors like Greubel Forsey, Roger W. Smith, nor even the late George Daniels.

Final thoughts, for now:

There’s a point at which, once you’ve hunted your favorite watch for it’s best price, you stop thinking about what the watch is worth and you begin to think more in terms of what the watch is. For example, I could stand outside in shorts and a t-shirt sipping a beer while admiring a watch that retailed once for $65-70k, but what I’m really thinking about is, 1. how does it fit my wrist? 2. how long will it last? 3. when will it need service? 4. how legible is this dial really? 5. do I like the weight and the fit of the band (strap or bracelet)? 6. could this have been designed better in terms of how it handles a diverse set of lighting situations? 7. was this really the right choice for the lug length? Cheers, Marc Goldberg ;). 8. could the moon phase have been tooled to be more accurate. 9. why isn’t the power reserve exact? 10. Are there any flaws in the guilloché? I’m looking at you, FPJ! 11. Why did they design the clasp like this as opposed to the Patek clasp method? 12. And sure, this dial is amazing with all of the guilloche patterns, but I can’t really see them without magnification because a) I’m getting old and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be and b) the beauty and contrast is only apparent under certain lighting, which makes the dial look washed out at all other times; not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as the Patek, which always looks good even when its sunburst guilloché pattern disappears into the black. 13. However, the most important question of all is four-fold: a. what did/does this watch and the work mean to the watchmaker? b. what did/does this watch mean to the manufacturer? c. what did/does this watch mean to the boutique collective? d. and what does this watch mean to the consumer in every sense: aesthetically, spiritually, historically, and depth psychologically?

What’s next?

There are many watches that I still find attractive and many watches to come from the various great houses that might cause me to fall in love with one watch more than another, but to be honest I seriously doubt it. I mean, the only watch I want more than my BLNR in its category is a Coke version. The only watch I want more than my Speedmaster in its category is another Speedmaster of far rarer origin and pedigree, a vintage example maybe or who knows. As far as the Patek and Breguet are concerned, there are no better iterations of those watches and there never will be. Finally, for the ultimate grail watch, I believe that it has to be something so amazing that it doesn’t even exist yet. It has to be a dream or a fantasy that one chases and pines over until one’s heart is so broken that one cannot even leave the house without wishing it was either already on the wrist or to finally acquire the watch. As mentioned before, for me, that would be a Greubel Forsey QP chrono with moon phase and grand sonnerie; or yeah, I’ll simply take a GF chronograph, because that is what would replace the super boring yet perfect Speedmaster. Yes, the only thing that will replace the Speedmaster for me is the currently non-existent, fantasy hand-wound Greubel Forsey Chronograph. Sadly, as far as I know, it’s just not going to happen and that hurts me deeply. I want, after I’ve amassed an impossible amount of wealth near the end of my life, well beyond having had the opportunity to help others, to fund what I believe to be the greatest wristwatch ever made and while I may not be the man to do it, it is the fact that I want this for the whole of humanity and my Self that I put this energy out into the world and wish it will happen to someone someday. What you buy is a vote. When you make a purchase, it casts a ballot. I vote for fine horology all day every day. Everything else is an accessory to horology and life, even psychology and fancy electric cars, in spite of my obsession with Tesla’s inventions and values.

The argument could be made that this is not a perfect watch collection because not all complications are represented. For example, I do not have a minute repeater, much less a grande sonnerie. To that I say, I’m not dead yet. At this time of life I can still see (you know, literally, with my physical eyes) and there is this amazing thing, lume, you’ve heard of it, that makes it possible for me to tell the time in the blackest of darkness, so sure, I would love to own a chiming watch, but they’re not only way out of reach, but I don’t have any real use for them in the same way that there is value and use for the watches that I have selected (see what is of value and of use in Liber Novus). Will I ever own a QP chrono minute repeater grande sonnerie, with all of the bells and whistles like power reserve, moon phase, and sunrise sunset and equation of time someday? I certainly hope so!

P.S. Synchronistically, after finishing this essay, I went downstairs and found this puzzle to solve for my horological and mildly intellectual enjoyment :).

Okay, I swear this is it:

Some might ask, “so then what are your values, exactly, spending all of that time, and yours and other people's’ money, on wristwatches?” Don’t you have a job, a house, kids, a car, money, etc.? The answer is this: 1. I’m courting the job that I want to do until my heart stops: Tesla, a watch boutique, or something like that. 2. Having a house is not important to me, but maybe someday we’ll have one. Until then, my time and value will always be dedicated to horology in some way/shape/form. 3. Kids are just more people. People die. Watches are forever. 4. Cars are for suckers, unless you own a Tesla or a really sweet mechanical car, as is essentially the same case with watches. I ride a bike, and not a nice one, a cheap one, because I’d rather spend the money on timepieces. 5. I’d rather have the watch of my dreams than any amount of money. Money is just an imaginary number. The right watch is an instant and immortal best friend. a. To further make this case, look at the gentlemen at auction who are spending more more money with reckless abandon to own the perfect watch for them. Money is essentially meaningless outside of holding value to acquire goods and services. A watch is a deeply psychological and spiritual enterprise for those who really get it, and so it makes sense that one would spend it all to acquire the ultimate alchemical composition that bridges one’s “I” with the Self archetype—via an horological mandala—through the chain of watchmaker, to manufacturer, to dealer, to owner; or as Patek Philippe would have it, caretaker.

Thank you for reading.

The super sacred Holy Quaternity in all of its gorgeous horolgical glory!

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safracatz · 5 years ago

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6 Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence in Mobile Applications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used now in an extensive change of industries, entertainment, and promotion to make business decisions, driving unmanned vehicles and modeling of complicated physical processes. Today we'll talk about how "machine intelligence" can be used in the mobile app development.

There are hundreds of thousands of apps in the App Store and Google Play app stores, and, oddly enough, most of them could be much more attractive and useful if the abilities of artificial intelligence applied to them. After all, in reality, if you do not dive too deeply into the predictions futurists, modern AI is nothing more than a well (or poorly) recognition algorithms trained and analysis. And their application to well-known regions can now make our lives much more pleasant.

There are already real examples of the use of new technologies in apps developed by mobile app development companies.

Example1: Several technologies for the use of artificial intelligence can be performed similarly. For example, a computer vision made will help you find the same handbag, sunglasses, dress or jeans that you just saw on the street. The method is called Search Street - just take a picture and offers available prices will be on the screen of your smartphone.

Example2:

"Voice Assistant" has been actively serving on the search engines Yandex and Google, while Apple and Amazon have moved used for many years. Today, they can only understand words but find the song you're involved in their musical archives. The strength to listen and download the music you love is very pleasant. But you can go additional to teach algorithms to identify all the areas of sound and recognize somebody by their voices.

Example3: A huge pool of possibility opens with the use of artificial intelligence in the production industry. Social networking users like the capability to design filters and masks in the pictures. Icon8 in the recent past has won the recognition of millions of users because of the capacity to apply art filters and make a concept of the photo in seconds.

Also Read: The Importance and role of artificial intelligence in app development

Example4: New features of the engine will be helpful not only for individual users. For example, artificial intelligence technology can help business daily tasks. For example, a trader can easily take a picture or video shelves with goods in a specifically designed application, which immediately sends information about the amount and availability of products at the warehouse, performing tasks for purchasing articles correspondents. To do this, it is important to equip even the store with high-resolution cameras - just use standard smartphones.

Example5: Using AI as well as video inspection systems will enable you to monitor, for example, traffic through a checkpoint or to track client activity in a supermarket. Supervisors can receive real-time information on how many people are in what department, as well as suggestions on how to optimize the performance of staff. However, staff can also receive automatic limitations and notifications on their mobile devices.

Example6: The application finds the results within the social network of own professional social Sommelier to show the user with important comments on the drink. Therefore, by taking a picture, you instantly get a note, the features, and the opinions of people, reviews and prices. The application finds the results within the social network of own professional social Sommelier to show the user with important comments on the drink. Therefore, by taking a picture, you quickly get a note, the features, and the feelings of people, reviews and prices.

Technologies are ready

There are many machine learning technologies in the market, but most of them are specific and are created separately for a specific project. This has been a deterrent for a long time - where can an ordinary online store find ways to develop its support system of artificial insemination? But the answer to this question is already there, and it is in terms of blockchain technology. Fortunately, a mobile app development company can help you combine the functionality of the AI and blockchain technology into your business application.

Conclusion

Plenty of startups going on new affordable AI template production and integration in mobile applications allows us to say that we are on the edge of a new era where artificial intelligence can be received as a setting additional. If these projects are actively developed, examples of the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life will grow widespread. After all, the main point for the introduction of new technology is its availability and product, and blockchain modern technologies, which have previously blown the financial world we are used by the development of cryptocurrencies. The result is a good potential to transform the mobile services market. You may get in touch with us at Best app development companies in Tanzania for a free quote to develop a mobile app for your business. And helps Business owners to reach more customers who want to change their business towards app development, The Company has a very good working environment. To know more about my company, Visit Fusion Informatics. For more queries please send a mail to get a free quote [email protected].

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aicelab · 5 years ago

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Product selection as a decisive success factor in drop shipping projects

For many online retailers, DropShipping is clearly the business concept of the future. Without start-up capital and with greatly reduced running costs, you can conduct your own business from the comfort of your own home without having to spend as much time as entrepreneurs in other areas. The success of DropShipping depends very much on the selected sales products. In this article you will learn how this influence has a concrete effect and what you can do to improve your chances.

DropShipping is the magic bullet in modern e-commerce

Any prospective or freshly baked online retailer who has never heard of DropShipping should pause for a moment and catch up as quickly as possible. There are quite a few people who are completely convinced that this trading concept is by far the best solution for online trading.

Anyone who plays with the idea of becoming self-employed by selling products via the Internet has to struggle with pleasingly few barriers to entry. In most cases, however, a major obstacle stands in its way all the more severely. The step into this form of self-employment unfortunately requires considerable start-up capital, which is mainly used to finance the first inventory. Imagine you are trading in electronic products and your assortment is just 500 items. Even if you only want to have one copy of each article in stock at the beginning and if these products do not cost you more than 100 Euros on average when you buy them, you will first have to find 50,000 Euros before you can even start your own business.

The situation at the DropShipping dealer is quite different. He simply saves this investment and leaves the products from his range with the respective supplier until something is actually ordered. He informs his supplier of the order and the latter sends the goods directly to the end customer concerned. Notice anything? The DropShipping retailer can not only save himself the starting capital, but also needs neither warehouse nor warehouse personnel or packaging material. His business model is therefore free of many risks and does not present him with an unsolvable task when it comes to working hours.

The consumer does not even notice that the product does not come from the dealer himself, but from his supplier. And even if he found out that he had bought from a drop shipping company, it wouldn’t put him at a disadvantage. Anyone who decides in favour of classic online trading instead of seriously considering drop shipping at least once in view of such decisive advantages may make a serious mistake and should reconsider his founding plan critically.

The assortment determines success at the end of the day

Basically, in online trading it is the assortment that is most important when you ask yourself whether your own company will be successful or not. In this respect, DropShipping is no different from any other e-commerce company. You should therefore put a lot of effort into building up your concrete offers and also think about whether there are products that are particularly suitable for drop shipping trading models.

In order to give you a few suggestions in this direction, we have developed four strategies for you that point out the advantages and opportunities of certain products in drop shipping. Work through our suggestions one after the other and find out for yourself if there is anything useful for you. For each strategy, you will receive a useful practical tip that will help you to put what you have learned into practice immediately. Whether you decide for DropShipping or not: We wish you a lot of fun and success in realizing your ideas and plans regarding self-employment.

Strategy 1: Bulky or heavy products

Let us first concentrate on products that are associated with special advantages when sold by drop shipping. This is especially the case with particularly large and bulky goods and there is a very convincing reason for this. Large and bulky products are particularly costly in terms of shipping. Within the framework of classical trade, these must even be transported twice. On the one hand, the supplier must send the goods to the retailer and on the other hand, the retailer must send the product on to the end customer. So there are double transport costs.

This is quite different with drop shipping: Here the goods are only sent once from the supplier directly to the consumer. The costs therefore only have to be borne once. This price advantage can be used, for example, to offer the product at a significantly lower overall price and thus gain an effective market advantage. The savings can also be used to increase your own profit. Large and bulky products therefore offer the DropShipping retailer special advantages that should definitely lead to this category of goods being given preference in the shop.

Our tip: In the case of large and bulky products, returns by the customer are particularly costly. To this end, clear solutions and agreements should be developed with suppliers from the outset, defining how best to proceed in the event of a return. Therefore, negotiate clear agreements with your manufacturers or wholesalers in this case.

Strategy 2: Products with a low return rate

There’s an effect that causes almost every online retailer to be in a bad mood. We are talking about the dreaded return rate. The consumer has the right to return to the trader a product which he does not like or which he does not wish to keep for other reasons. Ultimately, it is also very good that these regulations apply. Otherwise, very few people are likely to be willing to take the risk of ordering online. From the dealer’s point of view, however, the return is a real catastrophe. Not only does it disrupt his internal processes, it is also usually associated with a significant loss.

For DropShipping dealers the Returns particularly problematich, as it needs agreements with its suppliers to process them and as additional costs are incurred for processing the returns. For this reason, shop operators should do everything in their power to keep the return rate as low as possible. It is very helpful to think about which products have a rather low probability of being returned and to preferably include them in your own assortment.

Our tip: In addition, you should not only use products with a low return risk in advance, but also react immediately if you discover that certain articles in your range are associated with a noticeably high number of returns. You should immediately ban such products from your product range and look for alternatives that are less susceptible to returns.

Strategy 3: B2B products

When you think of online trading, the first thing you think of are the offers for the classic end customer. Since you belong to this group of people yourself and therefore know and understand their needs particularly well, it is quite understandable that many shop operators limit themselves to this area and fail to take a look outside the box. There are additional sales potentials which should not be underestimated and which are also a fantastic option for drop shipping dealers.

We are talking about so-called B2B products. The abbreviation B2B stands for “business to business” and describes transactions between two business people. Private customers are not the only group of customers who cover their needs on the Internet. In addition, there are countless business customers who buy on the World Wide Web for their companies and invest extremely high amounts overall. If you position yourself skilfully as a trader, you considerably increase your market potential. Therefore, you should in any case think about which of your products and offers you would like to offer interesting for the B2B sector and position yourself accordingly.

Our tip: Before you enter this sales area, you should bear in mind that the needs of business customers can differ significantly from those of private consumers. In the B2B sector, reliability is of paramount importance, as entire production chains often depend on the procurement of the required products. If you are able to align your business model with these requirements, B2B trading offers you excellent opportunities to significantly increase your sales and profits.

Strategy 4: Niche products

It’s not much of an art to deal in mass-produced goods. A quick glance at the Internet is all it takes to determine which major trends are currently of particular interest to consumers. As a newcomer to online trading, however, it’s anything but a good idea to jump into product areas that are already being routinely served by countless of your competitors. The competitive pressure is extremely high here and a bitter price war is raging between the various suppliers. You wouldn’t be doing yourself any favors if you got in here too.

Your chances are much better if you opt instead for a interesting niche market decide. Think about which products you could offer your customers, which are not available at every corner at the moment. Market niches are characterised by the fact that a stable customer interest is confronted with an offer that is too small. And it is not particularly complicated to find and cleverly use such market areas by Internet research.

Our tip: In the successful marketing of niche products, communication is already half the battle. You must tell potential customers what you have to offer, otherwise you won’t get a chance to generate sales and profits. So create a suitable communication concept and ensure that suitable target groups know which unusual articles you are dealing with. In this context, activities within the social networks have proved their worth, making it easy to reach thousands of interested consumers in the shortest possible time.

Of course, the products must above all be selected in such a way that they reach customers as well as possible. But other criteria also play a role. Our guide to the topic DropShipping and returns will tell you clearly what you should pay attention to when choosing a product.

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thecoroutfitters · 5 years ago

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Citations with regard to Online Record Posts:

This particular model’s title needs to be inverted. To see how to produce in-text a lot more information for longer than one article writer, not any creators of these studies, or corporate and business writers, talk about the “Authors” segment listed below. An MLA “Works Cited” or MLA “Work Cited” website features all of the info for a challenge. The reason why? Every supplier applied a new quotation construction. You used to be within a minimal place without help, praying; and Mother was in another place, and she ended up being praying and also chatting within the phone” (Burpo xxi). It might sit down to use upcoming package, which will possibly be Spotify or apple company.

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vsplusonline · 5 years ago

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What do we do with a problem like corona?

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/what-do-we-do-with-a-problem-like-corona/

What do we do with a problem like corona?

“The other day, my jeweller called saying the bangles I was interested in were available,” says a Mumbai-based PR executive who declined to be named. “I just thought, ‘how unnecessary at a time like this,’ and told them I wasn’t interested right now.” Among the businesses most hit by Covid-19 are anything to do with luxury. Whether it is jewellery, art, clothes, shoes or grand homes, major purchases are being put on hold. Consumers are beginning to exercise restraint, preferring to sit on cash.

A recent survey by investment firm Bernstein and Boston Consulting Group estimates that globally, luxury market sales could be dented by as much as $43 billion. India, whose nascent but growing luxury industry was estimated to be $30 billion in 2018 by Assocham, and projected to grow to $200 billion by 2030, is just beginning to feel the effects of the virus. Domestic demand is taking a hit, and so are exports: India acts as a “back-office” to many western fashion brands to whom it provides raw and semi-finished materials and components. But, as the coronavirus reduces demand from overseas, and as the country goes into lock-down mode with malls and retailers shutting shop, industry insiders see a bleak near to mid-term outlook. As a result, sales — already somewhat muted given our economic slowdown — are slowing.

Cecilia Morelli Parikh, co-founder of luxury retail store Le Mill

Retail blues

With most cities banning large gatherings, weddings, that big marker of Indian exuberance and a barometer for luxury spending in India, stand postponed.

“It has had a big impact on the fashion industry and stores,” says Tina Tahiliani Parikh, who owns the multi-brand boutique Ensemble. “Stopping the flow of NRIs to the country has been another severe blow. As social distancing is now the only way to stem the pandemic, most clients are postponing shopping unless it is urgent. Our teams are helping customers home shop and delivering at home [their web portal should be online in the next two weeks], but the industry is under a lot of stress.”

Fashion for social distancers

Try Raquel Allegra jumpsuits and Dries van Noten T-shirts (for a bit of drama to pair with your tracks). Brands like Maus from Sri Lanka, and Baon are great. I also think it is a good time to make yourself happy and just wear some great accessories, like Big Janda Vacintho earrings.

Cecilia Morelli Parikh, co-founder of luxury retail store Le Mill, agrees. “People are not looking to buy show-y pieces, since they have nowhere to go,” she says. “They are buying pieces that uplift them while at home, without breaking the bank, and I see this as a foreseeable trend in the future.” Le Mill is fast tracking a website that will launch in two to three weeks, and is increasing its Instagram content, given the brand’s high user engagement on the platform. In fact, it had an Insta-story on the various steps its home delivery service undertakes in light of the virus – including a stylist wearing a mask and gloves while handling the garment, steaming the garment to ensure hygiene, packing it in a sanitised garment bag, and delivering to the client via a private car.

Delhi-based designer Gaurav Gupta is anticipating a 50% drop in sales this month. “Stores have had almost no walk-ins because people are scared to go out,” he says, adding that while some are still coming to his stand-alone outlets wearing masks, he anticipates plummeting footfalls in the coming months. Gupta, whose clothes retail from between ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000, says wedding orders for the summer months have also been pushed to later in the year, which will impact cash flow. Meanwhile, he is talking to his fellow design fraternity to see how they are grappling with supporting employees, who are scared to come to work but need their income. “It is a Catch-22; if there are no sales, how does the staff get paid?” he asks. For now, he is likely to consider a 50% rotational staff.

Losing their sheen

Mehernosh Heeramaneck, one of India’s most important jewellers, says budgets among the uber wealthy have definitely reduced. “I’ve never seen it like this, it is really scary,” he says. Some potential sales have been cancelled and, as a major buyer of important stones, he has imposed a moratorium on purchases till things settle.

Art’s good tidings

In the midst of evaporating sales and cancelled events, here’s some good news. On March 16, Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art auction totalled $4.8 million in New York (the highest total for the category since 2017), with 91.1% of lots sold. The sale saw robust online bidding, with 33% of all sold works acquired online.

Also in disarray are local companies that work closely with western luxury brands. Gayatri Khanna Sabharwal, founder of Mumbai-based Milaaya Embroideries, says that all her production orders for Dolce & Gabbana, Etro and other high-end brands are on hold. “Some smaller companies have even cancelled their pre-Fall orders last week,” she says. “With Italy in quarantine, and numbers there still on the rise, they don’t see an end in sight. This is throwing the entire luxury supply chain into disruption, panic and worry about the near term, since so many people are dependent on these jobs.”

Real estate is faring no better. “There were at least 89,200 luxury units lying unsold across the top seven cities by 2019-end against 81,290 units a year ago,” says Anuj Puri, chairman of Anarock property consultants. He believes no price segment will be immune to the fallout of this pandemic. “In fact, buyers of high-end homes usually prefer multiple site visits, so the need for social distancing will be a dampener,” he notes, adding that “many developers are postponing their new launches and will wait to see how the situation unfolds over the next month or two”.

NS Harsha’s Recent Life exhibition at Chemould Prescott Road

Double down on digital

The art market is also impacted. Numerous art fairs in the region have been cancelled, in which blue chip Indian galleries participate and generate significant sales. Although Roshni Vadehra of Delhi’s Vadehra Art Gallery says that Covid-19 is not affecting them thus far, she predicts a slowdown, given market volatility. With Delhi banning gatherings of more than 50 people, the gallery is not doing any major exhibitions or events.

Shireen Gandhy, of Mumbai-based gallery Chemould Prescott Road, says it is hard to say how seriously this will affect business, “but looking at the global situation [of how seriously the art market has been impacted], it definitely will”. She adds that after a bustling start to the year — with two successful exhibitions of NS Harsha and Anju Dodiya — the city feels like a ghost town. How incredible to imagine that just a few week ago, things were so different.

Even as the world as we know it halts, luxury companies will have to re-think their futures, perhaps turning to AI and digital more aggressively. As Gupta says, “This is a humanitarian crisis and our reaction to this emergency will shape the consequences.”

Straight speak

This is unprecedented and we don’t know what the humanitarian, financial and, most important, the psychological cost of all of this is. For a long time I have been [saying] that… the value system needs to change, with a commitment to buy well and enjoy it fully, and not be flippant and define yourselves by what you put on your body or wear something only once because you’ve been on Instagram. As for us, we are wondering if we should shut the factory. I don’t want to lay people off because no one is going to get a job. Or should we take a pay cut and work three-four days a week? Assuming we don’t have to shut down because of a government directive! It is all too soon to say and this story has to be updated every week

Tarun Tahiliani, designer (to Team Weekend)

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devontroxell · 4 years ago

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How to Create at-Home DIY Marketing Videos While Social Distancing

Most everyone is walking around with a phone in their pocket that is now capable of shooting, editing, and posting video content for a variety of outlets. However, it takes a certain amount of technical expertise and creativity to create compelling video content that meets your business needs.

Especially during these strange and uncertain times, it is crucial to keep the lines of communication open to let your customers and employees know that you are still conducting business as normally as possible while adapting to the ever-changing marketplace. There are some basic ways you can spice up video content created from your home, so it looks more professional and is better able to effectively communicate your message.

The following are some helpful tips and suggestions to improve the look and messaging capabilities of video content produced out of your home.

Why video marketing is important

Advances in technology and the widespread availability and access to wireless, high-speed internet connections have made video content marketing a powerful tool. Video is now used by businesses across all online platforms to communicate with prospective customers and even internally.

Before the coronavirus even started impacting businesses, video has been a highly effective means of communicating your brand messaging, explaining and introducing products and services, and building trust and loyalty among large groups of consumers. This can be done through compelling promotional videos, customer testimonials, product demonstrations, explainer videos, and more.

Below are some stats in support of video marketing:

Video is used as a valuable marketing tool by 81% of businesses today.

YouTube users watch more than 1 billion hours of video every day.

72% of customers prefer video to learn about products and services they need.

Your website is up to 53 times more likely to get to the first page of Google if it includes video.

Most every marketer says that video content has helped users to understand their products and services.

How the coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for video content

The global coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses worldwide to reassess their communication needs and functions with more people working from home. It has resulted in a tectonic shift in priorities for the short-term, with long-term implications that will forever change the way people and businesses communicate.

Online marketing efforts are relying on video content more than ever as a suitable replacement for face-to-face communications. Video is playing an essential role in adapting to a new world of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Your customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and other business associates are using Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook video messaging, and other platforms to stay in touch and market your products and services.

As your customers adjust to these unprecedented times, they are becoming more familiar with video as a leading source of communication.

How to create DIY at-home videos

Businesses are also being forced to create their own video content from home to avoid the personal contact and sharing of equipment that comes with traditional video production. So how can you create successful content for video advertising and marketing?

DIY/at-home video equipment

Just a few short years ago, it would have been unimaginable to think that you could have the power to produce and distribute video content from a device that fits into the palm of your hand. That is how rapidly video technology has advanced.

Many view video production as something with vans full of cameras, tripods, microphones, tape and all the bells and whistles that come with TV commercials. However, today's consumer devices offer the ability to produce video content with better quality than expensive production equipment that was considered state-of-the-art just a couple of decades ago.

Smart phones

The latest cell phones, tablets, and other mobile devices come standard with the kind of technology and features that can produce professional-quality video content. Accessories like stands and microphones help to amp up the quality of video that these modern technical marvels can produce.

Action cameras

Do you have a GoPro or other action camera that collects dust in your closet? Now is the perfect time to dust it off and use it to create compelling video content. Action cameras create dynamic, mesmerizing images that will engage viewers and draw them into your content.

DSLR cameras

Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are essentially upgraded digital cameras with the ability to shoot sharp, clean videos using a digital imaging sensor.

Professional cameras

Only the most experienced and tech-savvy should invest in professional-grade cameras.

Audio equipment

You can optimize a video with no sound or enhance existing sound by wearing headphones or earbuds with a microphone. If you are worried about how it looks to have headphones on or cords coming from your ears, wireless earbuds offer a cleaner and more streamlined look. Budget permitting, you could invest in lavalier microphones and an audio mixer that will provide a more professional sound and give you more options.

Lighting equipment

Simply pointing a desk lamp or other house light at your subject often will create hot spots and harsh lighting. Using a nearby wall or piece of white cardboard will soften the light. Natural sunlight looks great on camera, though Mother Nature controls when and how long sunlight will last. If you want to take the lighting to another level, clamp and LED lights for home video productions are more accessible and affordable than ever.

Stock video footage

One way to overcome the restrictions the coronavirus pandemic has forced onto your video production efforts is to make use of stock video footage. Millions of hours of vintage film and modern video are now accessible for use in your marketing videos through digital video warehouses.

Several massive media warehouses offer large libraries of video footage that you can use to add to your video content. Stock footage is broken down by industry and topic, offering video and photos in various price ranges. Some of the most widely-used companies for stock video footage include:

Shutterstock: The most commonly known and heavily populated stock video site, Shutterstock, has massive amounts of affordable stock video and photos that are searchable by a variety of metrics.

Getty Images: Getty Images has been covering the top news stories of the day for decades and now offers an extensive library of video stock footage of past events, celebrities, and more recent news items.

Envato: Offering up millions of downloadable video assets, template, graphics with pricing plans that include unlimited downloads and team packages.

Film Supply: Film Supply is a full-service stock video footage company offering free clip research that will find the right footage for your project at no extra cost.

Artgrid: An emerging force in video stock footage, Artgrid features annual subscription plans ranging from $25 to $59 allows for unlimited video downloads.

VideoBlocks: Get access to over 1 million royalty-free video assets that can be used for your marketing video productions.

Types of marketing videos to produce at home

Producing marketing or internal business videos from your home does have its limits. Thinking outside the box and taking advantage of your instincts and creativity, there are still plenty of options to continue your digital marketing efforts with a variety of effective video content.

Company updates

It is more important than ever to keep your clients, partners, and employees updated on your business's status. These can be simple talking head videos with valuable updates on the progress of your company.

Thought leadership videos

You are the expert in your field and a trusted resource for your customers. Take advantage of the power of video to educate your customers from the comforts of your home. Understanding your business and the products and services that you provide will make them more likely to become satisfied customers.

Webinars

Live webinars offer you the opportunity to connect and engage with your targeted audiences to explain complex processes or other aspects of your products and services. Webinar platforms allow you to interact with your audience in real-time and record the content for later viewing uses and applications.

From our latest PPC webinar.

Unboxing videos

If you are selling a product, there is no better way to display it to potential customers than an unboxing video, which is precisely what it sounds like. Viewers see you actually opening the box of your product, giving them a clearer understanding of what they will get. These videos have become extremely popular on YouTube, which now houses hundreds of channels and millions of openbox videos.

Product demo videos

Product demonstration videos are effective at showing what your product does, how it works, and what makes it so great. No one knows your products as you do, so a product demo video you produce at home can be every bit as effective as a professional can create in a studio.

Video ads

Rather than a simple blurb of text or a branded image, video ads create an exerience that captures the consumer's attention, whether they realize it or not. In fact, according to Adobe, shoppers that view videos are 1.8x more likely to purchase than non-video viewers. So whether it's Facebook video ads, animated banner ads, or YouTube ads, this marketing strategy is worth your while.

How-to videos

Show off the benefits, features, and functions of your product with a how-to video you can produce from your home. How-to videos will give your customers a sense of assurance that they will get the most out of your products.

Case studies

Do you have a great service with a long line of success stories? Showcase your successes in case study videos that will walk your audience through successful projects that show your service's value. Case studies allow your viewers to put themselves in the position of your subject so they can envision your business, providing solutions to the same problems.

Creating DIY animation videos

Animated content will not only entertain and engage your audience, but they will also be able to absorb and retain the information that you are presenting. Tell your story and send your message in a dynamic, engaging, creative way with animated elements that will take your production to places live action cannot.

Tools for DIY animation

Do you have the skills and creativity to create your own animation elements using the latest software? As technology has advanced, animation software has gotten more affordable and easier to use. Among the most popular DIY animation on the market today are:

Moovly: Choose from large libraries of stock video and photos or import your own media files

Prezi: An affordable alternative to PowerPoint, Prezi offers a flexible format to crease business presentations.

Lumen 5: A basic video creation and animation platform that can be used by those with little to no video production experience.

Voiceovers for DIY animation

Voiceover artists belong to one segment of the entertainment industry that is largely unaffected by COVID-19 or social distancing guidelines. All they need is a professional-grade microphone and recording equipment, a script, and some guidance on the project. Taking advantage of professional voiceover talent will help you get your video noticed and engage your audiences with the content and information presented. Among the most popular voice over talent services on the market today include:

Voices.com: Marketed as the world's top voiceover warehouse, Voices.com allows you to post your job and needs for free to access some of the top professional voice actors in the business.

Voice123.com: Since 2003, Voice123.com has provided hundreds of thousands of projects of professional voiceover talents for some of the largest companies in the world.

Fiverr.com: Fiverr.com provides access to some of the most talented and diverse freelance voiceover actors in the industry.

Hiring animation freelancers

If you do not possess the talent or experience to produce your own animation content, yet do not have it in your budget to hire a professional animator, there are several websites that allow access to large groups of talented freelancers. Just note that animators found on these sites may need more direction and creative guidance.

Fiverr: Freelance animators on Fiverr specializing in various animation forms, including 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and whiteboard animation.

Upwork: Upwork is a massive resource to find freelancers of all kinds, including creative animators with varying skill levels and experience.

Professional animation companies

Animation is another area that can maintain production in these unprecedented times of social distancing. If your budget allows, hiring a professional animator can increase your video presentation quality and attract a larger group of potential customers.

Hiring a remote video production team

Video production agencies that specialize in creating professional marketing content are adjusting to these unprecedented times. Creative teams of production specialists continue to produce effective video content while adhering to our new way of life in the COVID-19 era.

Carefully planned production shoots and the use of existing video footage and photographs allow skilled professionals to create branded videos that will help to increase your online presence and grow your brand awareness. You can monitor and manage the production of your marketing videos through modern communication tools like video conferencing and text messaging. Throughout the process, raw and edited content can be shared to give you as much control and input as if you were sitting in the room with the production team.

A professional production house can create new video content to be used in search engine optimization and other digital marketing efforts, social media networks, and email campaigns designed to expand your reach and grow your business. Experienced video production teams can also take your existing content and repurpose it to create new content while maintaining social distancing guidelines. If you need an idea of cost then feel free to try this video production cost estimator to determine cost.

Types of remote professional video services

Examples of the types of marketing videos you can have created by a professional video production team include:

Self-shot talking head

A video production professional has the equipment and experience to set up a clean, tight shot. They will be able to light the subject and background properly and ensure the clearest audio.

Remote animated videos

Professional animators are self-sufficient artists that do need anything but their state-of-the-art computer and software to create stunning animation that will get and keep the attention of your targeted audiences.

Remote stock footage: Professional production houses have the resources and experience to access massive inventories of stock video footage from a wide range of industries and topics.

Editing: Video editors are behind the magic that brings your video content together in the most impactful and compelling ways. They typically prefer to be holed up in an editing booth by themselves to bring the vision of your messaging information to life.

Studio product videos: As long as the production crew has your product and a detailed list of instructions, they can create effective demonstration, instructional, and educational videos in the comfort of their studio without putting anyone else at risk.

Creating powerful video content from home is possible

Whether you're just getting started with video or already in full swing, quality video content that you can use for marketing and internal business applications does not have to stop in the wake of the pandemic. In today's digital age, with rapidly advancing technology, there is a wide range of options to continue creating impactful, engaging video content to reach large numbers of potential customers.

Whether you are producing your own video content from the comforts of your home or farming it out to freelancers and professionals, life and business can still go on as normally as possible in these uniquely uncertain times.

About the author

Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO of Sparkhouse, an Orange County-based video production agency known for transforming video marketing and advertising into real conversations. Rather than hitting the consumer over the head with blatant ads, Sparkhouse creates interesting, entertaining and useful videos that enrich individuals' lives. Torrey also contributes to Entrepreneur, Single Grain and Forbes and has founded the Eva Smart Shower, Litehouse, and Forge54.

How to Create at-Home DIY Marketing Videos While Social Distancing published first on https://wabusinessapi.tumblr.com/

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theliqht · 5 years ago

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5 Lessons About fire inside music You Can Learn From Superheroes

How are they undertaking this?

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Pleased MOOCing!

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