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infernwetrust · 4 years

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In His Office [Michael Langdon x Fem Reader]

Summary: A recent change in your shift allows for you to have lunch with Michael at his brand new dealership.

Warnings: SMUT, SMUT, SMUT. Swearing. I think that’s about it.

WC: 2.5k

A/N: This idea came to me recently today lol. We all know Michael Langdon isn’t a stranger to a little office sex. I imagined this one with F&R Michael. Thank you for reading! -Juno

Michael walked around his dealership, hands clasped behind his back as he silently studied his employees at work. Not wanting Michael to always stress over his job as the anti-Christ, you convinced him to pursue something else that he was interested in. Why not start a business, he had thought. He decided that he would own a decent sized car lot, divided into 3 sections; luxury, middle-class, and pre-owned vehicles. The business took off well as he constantly won awards throughout the year whether it be for most sales or outstanding customer service.

He could feel the eyes burning into him as he walked passed, from employees and customers alike. He knew he was attractive. He knew that some of his workers wanted to screw him, but he paid their nasty thoughts no mind. He dressed in all black as usual. A black button up shirt that hugged his figure perfectly, tight black jeans, sporting the Michael Kors belt you had gotten him for his birthday, and his favorite pair of black dress shoes to go with it. He never went anywhere without wearing the platinum chain, which proudly displayed his last name, around his neck. That was also a gift from you.

His hands shifted behind his back and his thumb brushed against his wedding band, causing him smile a little bit as he finished walking the floor, returning to his office and taking a seat at his desk. He looked down at the wedding band, reminding himself of the passionate encounter that the two of you had shared a few nights ago.

"Michael..." you whispered against his lips as he lay comfortably between your legs.

"Hmm, my love?" he questioned, his blue eyes meeting yours, his lips not moving an inch away from yours.

"I want you to wear your ring while you make love to me. I want to see it. I want to be reminded of your commitment to me." He smiled against your lips because funny enough, it was something he always thought of too. Normally he would take it off to avoid it flying off his finger due to any sudden hand movements while the two of you got lost in each other.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"I have your weekly sales report, Mr. Langdon." his lovely Ms. Mead said, walking into his office and gently placing the folder on his desk. He smiled warmly at her, taking a bite of his now cold bagel before moving the folder closer to him. It was only right that he made her head of the financials. She was so good with numbers and always had Michael's files correctly placed together.

"Now you know you don't have to call me that." he said to her. "Michael, Mike, even son, works just fine for me."

"I know." she said. "But we're in your place of business, my dear. I will always address you with respect."

"You're too good to me, you know that?" All she could do was smile. "Took care of me when no one else would, never left my side, always provided for me. I won't ever be able to thank you enough." She was going to say something else when Michael's front desk receptionist walked into his office, his shirt drenched in coffee.

"Jeremy what the fuck happened to you?"Michael questioned, furrowing his eyebrows as one of his first impression's of his establishment was now completely a mess. "You can't fucking greet people like that. What type of business do you think I'm running here?"

"There's a woman, in the lobby." he began, out of breath. "She keeps demanding that I direct you to her office and that she's your wife. I think she's crazy, but I tried letting her know that you're a very busy man and that she'd have to call in advance to meet with you, but she wouldn't take no for an answer." A smile crept its way across Michael's face as he snapped his fingers, restoring Jeremy's outfit back to its original state. Yup. That was you.

"Yeah, that sounds like my wife." Michael said, grinning alongside Ms. Mead. "Perhaps you should of listened to her the first time."

"But sir, I was just trying to-,"

"Ah ah. I've heard enough. Walk her back here and make sure you get nothing else thrown on you for the rest of the day or your fired. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir." Jeremy said lowly, turning to exit Michael's office and get you.

"These fucking new hires, huh?" Michael questioned, looking at Ms. Mead.

"You let Jeff and Mutt do the hiring when you really should pass that job along to Gallant. He would make sure the right people were working here."

"That he would. That he would..." Michael agreed, rubbing underneath his chin. And then you walked into the room. With a recent shift change, you now got off at 2PM, which means you were able to meet Michael for his lunches that he took at 2:30. He stared at you, smiling devilishly, running his fingers across his bottom lip.

"You're lucky I don't fire you my fucking self." you said to Jeremy as he escorted you in.

"My apologies, Mrs. Langdon." he said, with his head low.

"Yeah, whatever. You can get out now." He wasted no time, quickly leaving the room, accidentally bumping into the side of the door, causing the 3 of you to giggle. "Ugh, Michael, don't tell me you're still chewing on that bagel I sent you to work with." You walked over to his desk, engulfing Ms. Mead into a tight hug, which she gladly returned before planting a kiss on your cheek.

"I'll leave you two, to it." she said, giving Michael a nod before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Why so bossy today?" Michael questioned, sitting up in his chair and resting his hands on his desk, admiring your unique figure.

"Between work today and your stupid front desk agent, I'm just ready to eat lunch with you and for you to come home."

"It was that bad today?"

"If I could throw my computer out of the window with no consequences, I would." Michael chuckled, grabbing his bag of Panera Bread. You knew his favorite. Turkey Bacon Bravo, with avocado, extra, extra, avocado. Cheddar Broccoli soup and a Coke.

"You and me both, my Queen." Michael grabbed a remote, the one that control the shades in his office. He lowered them, half way, just so that no one walking by would be able to peak in at the two of you. "Staying with me until I get off at 5 or do you just want to take my car and go home and then come back for me?”

"You know I am. I've missed you terribly today."

"Is that why my front desk boy ended up covered in coffee?" The two of you looked at each other with a grin. "A temper just like mine. Mrs. Langdon, I love it, just as much as I love you."

"I love you too." you responded. "My temper is how I keep things in order."

"Mmmm." Michael hummed. "Tell me about it."

After lunch, Michael returned to his duties, going over his sales reports, moving things where they needed to go, and sending out emails and reminders. You loved watching him work. You loved how fast his fingers moved a crossed the keys and how his gaze never broke away from the task at hand. You were mainly focused on his outfit choice for today. You had no idea he would be leaving the house in an outfit that pointed out ALL of his features. Though he was soft, you could still see the full outline of his length through his jeans when he sat down. His chest, outlined against his shirt perfectly, you could just make out his nipples. The size of Michael's thighs drove you insane, that you couldn't help but come over in the chair you were sitting in and start rubbing them.

His focus still didn't break and while you knew he preferred to stay focused on his work, today it didn't seem like he cared. He allowed you to rub his thigh, his breathing slightly increasing as he typed up a inventory report. When he paused for a moment, wanting to crack his knuckles, you took the opportunity to spin his chair around so that it was facing you. The both of you immediately made eye contact, but no words were spoken. You could read his face and he could read yours. You were both on on the same page. He grabbed another remote, this time the stereo remote, turning it on, leaving the music at a reasonable volume.

Your hands were already fumbling with his belt as you got it unclasped. You quickly unbuttoned his jeans, Michael kicking off his shoes and moving them to the side. You pulled them down, bringing his boxers down with his, revealing his semi-hard cock. And all you did was touch him. You knew how much Michael craved you, both intimately and non-intimately. He was weak underneath your touch most of the time. You got on your knees in front of him, hands on his thighs as you slowly took him into your mouth. He let out a Godly sigh, leaning his head back as you got to work on him.

"Ssssh." you said, popping him out of your mouth. "It seems to be a busy day for you. You don't want your customers to know what's going on behind your office doors do you?"

"And what if I do?" Michael questioned, his cock twitching from missing your mouth.

"Well let's pretend you don't. No noises. Can you do that for me, daddy?" Michael's jaw clenched at the name and he bit his lip slightly. Silent Michael was sight to see. While extremely audible Michael was one of your favorites, nothing beat looking up at him and watching as he expressed his pleasure with his face and body.

You took him back into your mouth, slowly bobbing your head up and down on his length. Michael's jaw dropped. He desperately wanted to moan. He wanted you to know how good you were making him feel, but he kept it quiet. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, never taking his eyes off you. He didn't bother to take it off, his chest and torso for the most part exposed, his chain landing perfectly in the middle of chest. You licked up and down the sides of his shaft, using your hand to stroke circles around his spit glazed tip. The sound of the wetness drove the both of you crazy. Your own arousal soaked through your panties.

Putting him back in your mouth, you sucked on just his tip, using both of your hands to stroke the rest of his length. Looking up at him, he looked so beautiful. He was breathing heavily as he peered back down at you, running his hand through his hair, his hips starting to thrust upwards in your hand to try and match your pace. His foot found its way between your legs and using his big toe, he slowly rubbed it across your clit, causing you to moan lowly around him, the vibrations ripping through him.

You were sucking faster now, moving your hands faster. He gripped both sides of his office chair, before deciding to let them go, wanting his hands wrapped up in your hair instead. You moved your hands, knowing what he was wanting to do. Welcoming it. And you loved watching him do it too. His thrusts in your mouth started off slow and gently, before they became rough and fast. You looked up at Michael again, who was now breathing so rapidly you thought that maybe he could be hyperventilating. You could see him mouthing the word fuck over and over and over.

He stood up abruptly, pulling you up with him before smashing his lips onto yours, immediately sliding his tongue into your mouth, the two of you fighting for dominance. He was quick to rid you of your clothes before pulling his shirt all the way off. With a quick wave of his hand, everything that was now on his desk, was on his office sofa, neatly stacked so that he could return to it lately. He picked you up, setting you down on his desk.

"Now can you do the same for me?" he asked, quickly sliding into you, catching you off guard. Sensing your impending loud moan he quickly put a hand over your mouth. "No noises yes? Or I'll stop and we'll have to finish this at home." You nodded against his hand and he slowly moved in and out of you at a rhythmic pace. You pulled him by the back of his neck, closer to you, putting your lips directly against his ear. His hands roamed all over you, squeezing your breasts, playing with your nipples as he gradually increased the pace at which he fucked you. Your hands travelled up and down his back when suddenly he grabbed them, pinning them above your head.

You swore the desk was inching farther and farther away from the area it resided in as he now pounded into you relentlessly and you could help but let out a cry of pleasure, or at least you tried to, but Michael knew you all to well. He used his powers to keep you quiet, your mouth wanting to make noise, but nothing but breaths and pants coming out.

"Poor, girl." Michael said between breaths. "Dishing out challenges you can't even do yourself. Now look, I have to use my powers to keep your mouth shut. Pathetic. You enjoy being my little office toy?" You nodded vigorously. Not only had your shift change allowed you to have lunch with Michael, but it was just the fact that you were now able to spend the rest of his work filled day with him, sex or no sex.

"That's what I thought." he continued, his pounding becoming sloppier and sloppier as he neared his climax, you not following too far behind. When he let your hands go, they immediately found their way to his hair, giving it a sharp tug to which he inhaled sharply to stop himself from cursing. You grabbed him by his throat, pulling him back down towards you as you neared your orgasm, foreheads pressed against each other with nothing but pure love and lust in the both of your eyes.

You let go first, squirming violently against Michael, who sloppily kissed you following his own release shortly after, breathing and panting loudly in each other's mouths. You both rode out your orgasms until the pleasure was completely gone.

"This shift change is going to be so much fun." Michael said as he rested his face in your neck.

"So much fun, Mr. Langdon. So much fun." you said back.

Taglist: @jimmason @angelicmichael @whatcodysaid @theneverendinghunger

#cody fern #american horror story #cody fern imagine #ahs #ahs apocalypse #michael langdon #michael langdon imagine #michael langdon smut #michael langdon x reader

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ogygia · 6 years

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What the fuck is the LBRP?: A guide

Your Reddit occultist friends have mentioned it, it’s popping up on all these Tumblr posts about banishing and stuff, but you still haven’t the foggiest clue: what the fuck is the LBRP?

Fret not: here’s a handy guide. Warning: long post ahead!

Disclaimer: This guide represents the sum total of roughly thirteen years of on-and-off experience with the ritual and my own study and understanding of the Kabbalah and the Golden Dawn system, but emphasis is on the words my own. There will be points that I’m sure other occultists will disagree on, but I’m of the conviction that the principles underlying my understanding of the ritual are unlikely to be controversial among most ceremonial magicians.

So:

What the fuck is the LBRP?

‘LBRP’ stands for the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and is a classic ritual that almost every occultist will come across at some point after they have grown out of their early Silver RavenWolf years. 80s and 90s kids are likely to have first encountered it in that seminal classic Modern Magick, probably in the earlier blue edition that had that ridiculous illustration of a fantastically-robed man drawing a massive blue pentagram before him.

What the fuck is a pentagram?

It’s a five-pointed star as it would look if you drew it with five straight lines (rather than going around the edges and leaving the insides empty).

It’s a symbol commonly associated with modern witchcraft, but it was already important in early Greek thought.

Most occultists are likely to have been introduced to the LBRP as a ‘banishing ritual’ (mainly because that is literally what it is called), or been told that it is the first thing they should learn if they want to learn magick. It is my opinion that this is completely bullshit.

So how the fuck do you do the LBRP?

I’m tempted to link you to Let Me Google That For You, but I’m feeling charitable so I’ll quote the ritual instructions in full from the First Knowledge Lecture, the secret (ooooh) material given to Neophytes in the Golden Dawn system—

Wait, the Golden Dawn?

Yes, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Late Victorian magical organisation based on the Freemasons, did fancy rituals and wore ridiculous Egyptian-inspired headgear and shit. Also a bunch of massive nerds who were obsessed with astrology, the Tarot and the Kabbalah and trying to find ways of corresponding all these different symbol systems with each other to create one gigantic, hopefully organised matrix of magical ideas and symbols that would allow them to explain – and magically manipulate – existence and the cosmos.

We’re not talking science here, of course: we’re talking spirituality. Not that they’re mutually exclusive.

Anyway, you interrupted me. Here’s the ritual, according to these folks:

The Qabalistic Cross And Lesser Ritual Of The Pentagram 1. Touching the forehead, say Ateh (Thou art) 2. Touching the breast, say Malkuth (The Kingdom) 4. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-Geburah. (And The Power) 5. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-Gedulah. (And the Glory) 6. Place the two palms of the hands together upon the breast, and say le-Olahm (Forever). 7. Fingers pointing up, say Amen. 8. Advance to the East, trace the Pentagram with the proper weapon (Wand to invoke, Dagger to banish). Say (i.e., vibrate) Yod He Vau He - imagining that your voice carried forward to the East of the Universe. 9. Turning to the South, the same, but say Adonai 10. Turning to the West, the same, but say Eheieh 11. Turning to the North, the same, but say Agla 12. Return to the East, completing the Circle, extend the arms in the form of a Cross, and say: 13. Before me Raphael; 14. Behind me Gabriel; 15. On my right hand, Michael; 16. On my left hand, Auriel; 17. Before me flames the Pentagram, 18. And in the Column shines the Six-rayed Star. 19-24. Repeat 1 through 6, the Qabalistic Cross.

What in the actual fuck—

Yeah. Riveting.

But this will help me banish stuff, right?

Uh, yes, and no.

The problem with the LBRP is that it’s become a victim of its own success. Before the LBRP there was no single ritual that had instructions as clearly given as this one (or so it appeared, anyway), or one that had such a clear, universal purpose as ‘banishing’. When Israel Regardie published this material it took off in a way that I’m not even sure the Golden Dawn themselves would’ve expected.

A number of things, I suspect, make the LBRP immediately appealing to many newcomers: the safety aspect, which targets the fear a lot of people coming to the occult bring with them; the Judeo-Christian names, which while putting a lot of people off, offers a way in for those who still fear that magick might be ‘Satanic’; and also its simplicity, in that it merely requires the memorising of words and gestures and no major preparation, either in the way of extensive fasts, elaborate tools or space that no one, especially not avocado-toting millennials like me, could possibly afford.

But this is where the problem lies: the dissemination of the LBRP beyond its Golden Dawn context means a lot of people are doing the ritual without realising they’re tapping into a specific current. When you employ a specific symbol set, you enter into the current – the wider symbol set – represented by that system. The LBRP is steeped in the Golden Dawn current, and it is the nexus of important Hermetic and Kabbalistic principles. To describe it merely as a ‘banishing’ ritual – and to use it as such – is like saying that flying to the moon on a rocket is just a form of transport. There’s a lot more going on here.

So what the fuck does the LBRP actually do?

It ‘banishes’, yes. But more specifically, it’s a ritual that tunes into your most fundamental level of existence, and then creates what is essentially a magical vacuum, a kind of ‘empty space’, within it. It also aligns you within a very specific tradition of thought known as Hermeticism, which finds its origins in late antique philosophy and a fusion of Greco-Egyptian thought.

Fundamental to Hermeticism is the notion of ‘As above, so below’ (you’ve probably heard of this). I’m not paid enough to teach you Neoplatonic philosophy here (you can Google that shit), but essentially this is the idea that there is a greater spiritual plane (the macrocosm) that ‘mirrors’ the lesser, more tangible realm of existence (microcosm), and vice versa. The LBRP, performed correctly, will situate you neatly at the point of interaction between the macrocosm and the microcosm.

This is why the LBRP isn’t just a banishing ritual. I quote Crowley:

Those who regard this ritual as a mere device to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy to possess it. Properly understood, it is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise.

How the hell does all that work?

Where am I getting all of this from? This is where analysing the ritual itself, especially in Golden Dawn terms, can help.

To begin with, you’ll notice that the Knowledge Lecture provides two options for how to draw the Pentagram (that’ll be a five-pointed star in case you’re wondering) in Step 8:

Invoking Pentagram

Banishing Pentagram

The commonly described LBRP utilises the second pentagram – because it is the banishing one, duh. But where do these pentagrams come from?

For that, we turn to Aleister Crowley, that shit-head every pearl-clutching witchblr person likes to hate. Don’t get me wrong, Aleister Crowley was a shit-head. But he was also well-travelled (he had a lot of money) and well-read (he probably read more widely than most occultists on this website ever will) and, as his diaries show, an incredibly hard-working magician (though I suppose you’ll have time to do that if Daddy’s paying for everything else).

In Liber O, his treatise on basic practical work for a Probationer of the A.’.A.’., his magical teaching order, Crowley outlines the instructions for performing the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, an advanced version of the Lesser ritual. Like Regardie, he gave no fucks about his oaths to secrecy, and republished a lot of material that was secret to the Golden Dawn. We see diagrams showing how the pentagrams are to be drawn in the GRP – and, aha, they’re drawn differently depending on which element you’re manipulating!

As you can see, the pentagrams used in the LBRP are the Earth pentagrams (ignore the Hebrew God name in this instance: that’s a can of worms I’m not opening right now).

In the Golden Dawn scheme of things the elements are hierarchically arranged from highest to lowest as follows: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. This isn’t necessarily a hierarchy of superiority or value; in fact, they don’t in a sense correspond literally to fire, air, water and earth. Instead, think of them as broad labels for levels of spiritual manifestation. Fire is spirit in its “purest” form (think of how fire flashes and shines but has no real ‘bodily’ presence); Air ‘exists’, but you can only vaguely feel its body; Water is tangible, but it flows and moves and fills; while Earth is the most solid of these. In the same sense, we exist across these levels, too, from our highest spiritual selves to our solid existence in the physical realm.

The Kabbalists call these four levels Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah, but I’m guessing you’re not here for the fancy words.

Anyway, what the LBRP does is to tune into our most basic level of existence – the Earth level, where our body and our ego resides – and clear it of any extraneous influences. Traditionally, after the pentagram is traced in each quarter, you don’t just say the name; you project it through the pentagram using what is called the Sign of the Enterer, followed by what is called the Sign of Silence. The Knowledge Lecture itself recommends that

the Banishing Ritual can be used to get rid of obsessing or disturbing thoughts. Give a mental image to your obsession and imagine it formulated before you. Project it out of your aura with the Saluting Sign of a Neophyte, and when it is away about three feet prevent its return with the Sign of Silence.

Thus at each quarter you are essentially opening up a portal to an elemental realm, and then casting the sum total of that element’s influence in your life back into the infinite. The Sign of Silence seals off the process and ensures those influences don’t return.

After having completely cleared off every element’s influence at your fundamental level of existence, you invoke the archangels at each quarter not just to ‘protect’ the space you’ve cleared, but also to ensure that you don’t suffocate in the vacuum. Having got rid of everything, you now restore balance in your sphere by summoning the positive and pure elemental energies of the archangels.

Tangibly, this can manifest itself in many ways: a lot of occultists have found that performing the ritual regularly initiates some serious shifts in their everyday life. Unhealthy excesses begin to make their negative effects shown, imbalances dramatically correct themselves and magicians often find themselves forced to make decisions about key aspects of their lives. Remember: the ritual primarily functions at the most basic level of manifestation – and that includes your everyday life.

Following the invocation of the archangels, you then proclaim yourself at the point of interaction between the macrocosm and the microcosm. This is signified by Steps 17-18, when you say, ‘Before me flames the Pentagram, and in the Column shines the Six-rayed Star.’ The Pentagram signifies the microcosm, with its five points corresponding to the five basic elements (the four classical ones plus Spirit); the Hexagram signifies the macrocosm, with its six points corresponding to the planets apart from the Sun, which is at its centre (that’s another can of worms I’m not opening now).

This is magically significant, because it is a declaration of your spiritual independence and power, and positions you to receive and activate the higher energies of the cosmos.

That sounds pretty intense.

It is. But my point is that by performing this ritual, you superimpose the Hermetic / Golden Dawn view of the world onto yourself, which is why anyone who tells you the LBRP is just a banishing ritual is completely missing the point. And anyone who tells you that the LBRP is the first thing every magician should learn is ignoring the fact that you may not even be interested in Hermeticism (even if it is the foundation of modern Western occultism).

What I’m saying is, you do not need to waste your time with this ritual if you have no interest in the Golden Dawn system, or occultism as it is espoused by old dead white men. No point introducing its energies into your life if you want nothing to do with the rest of it.

On the other hand, if you’re keen on taking a splash into magick and don’t know where to start, and you’re willing to go where the magick takes you, the LBRP is, frankly speaking, not a bad place to begin.

Happy Pentagramming.

Wait, I’ve got some more questions—

I have a few other things I’d like to address re: the LBRP, but I’ll do that in an appendix to this post. This guide is long enough as it is, and God knows you Tumblr slobs have the attention span of a dead goldfish.

Before you @ me, I count myself among you lot. Why the hell do you think I’m still here?

#lbrp #lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram #rituals #guides #ceremonial magick #golden dawn #thelema

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kadobeclothing · 5 years

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45 Emerging Technology Stats to Know in 2020

As a writer who loves covering emerging technology and human being, I’m surrounded by technology.

Each morning, I wake up to my Amazon Echo’s alarm and ask Alexa about the weather. On my train ride home from work, I’m taking Snapchat selfies using AR filters. When I get to my house, I ask Alexa to turn the lights to a specific hue. Then I ask my smart TV to launch Netflix or play a basic VR game on my Google Cardboard. Before bed, I might check my fitness levels with a smart scale or use my toothbrush’s app to figure out what areas of my mouth I’m missing.

It’s safe to say that I’m a big fan of emerging media, technology, and innovation. As an individual, this technology is already impacting my life. As a marketer, I’m curious to see how brands could leverage smart technology. I’m not the only one who recognizes emerging technology as something that could completely change today’s marketing world. In fact, a Deloitte study found that a growing number of private companies are more heavily prioritizing emerging technology and hiring talent in their annual budgets. At the moment, a few buzzy topics include augmented and virtual reality, general and voice-based artificial intelligence, and smart home devices. And, with the dawn of 5G — a cloud-based high-speed wireless network — tech innovation won’t be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, a Deloitte study notes that many marketing firms are ramping up their information technology processes because of it. With all the technologies out there, it’s hard to cut through online chatter and determine which innovations are mostly just hype and which might actually change the way we market. While many of the major emerging technologies are getting more accessible, you could also still be wondering, “Which might be worth investing in for my industry specifically?” For example, if you run a B2B firm, you might realize augmented reality isn’t a practical technology to research. But, at the same time, you might look into AI software or services that can help your team work more efficiently or learn more about customers. To give you a bird’s eye view of some of the most buzzed-about innovations that could impact marketers in the near or distant future, I’ve collected 45 stats related to four types of emerging technology. Augmented and Virtual Reality For years, researchers have hypothesized that virtual reality, which provides viewers a completely immersive and interactive 360-degree visual experience, will hold the best opportunities in gaming, entertainment, and academic industries. Meanwhile, experts have also thought that augmented reality, a partially immersive but still interactive experience, will thrive in the world of branding and marketing. We have already seen these AR and VR predictions come to fruition as the gaming industry continues to announce games for VR headsets and brands have used AR to allow customers to preview products — such as furniture — in their own homes. Here are 14 stats that demonstrate the growth and opportunities of AR and VR. The AR/VR market is currently estimated at $1.6 billion (IDC) In 2019, 42.9 million people in the US used a VR product, and 68.7 million people used an AR once monthly. (eMarketer) Seven in ten media planners want to add AR to their strategies in the future. (Vibrant Media) In a 2018 study based in the U.K. and U.S., 90% of participants knew what VR was while only 65% were aware of what AR was. (GlobalWebIndex) 42% of people who use a VR headset at least monthly say they used a mid-range device such as the Google Daydream or Samsung Gear VR. (GlobalWebIndex) In 2018, 88% of companies with budgets between $100 million and $1 billion were already experimenting with different forms of AR. (Deloitte) A quarter of VR users believe it has a strong potential for brands and marketers. (GlobalWebIndex) While 43% of people who report using VR headsets once monthly say they own their own device, 35% of once-monthly VR users say they use a family or friend’s device. (GlobalWebIndex) 71% of consumers would prefer to shop at stores with an AR experience (Lumus Vision) 64% of consumers say VR has the most potential in gaming, while 52% recognize its potential in Film and TV. (GlobalWebIndex)

Image Source: GlobalWebIndex In 2018 mobile VR made $3 billion globally, in part due to purchases related to the mobile app Pokemon Go. (Digi-Capital) It’s estimated that AR platforms such as mobile and AR glasses-related apps will hit 2.5 billion installs in 2023. (Digi-Capital) Meanwhile, VR platforms are expected to see 30 million installs across devices by 2023 (Digi-Capital) Snapchat’s Q3 2019 Earnings Report notes that over 600,000 AR Lenses have been created through the company’s Lens Studio, This increased from 500,000 at the end of Q2. (Snap Inc.) Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is so prevalent in 2019 that many of us don’t even notice all the ways we interact with it on a given day. In fact, all of the other technologies on this list require some type of AI algorithm to work smoothly. If you’re less familiar with AI, here are 12 stats to keep in mind: Over 37% of organizations have implemented artificial intelligence in some form. The number of industries that have implemented it has grown by 270% since 2015 (Gartner) In a 2019 ranking of the top 10 emerging technologies, the World Economic Forum noted, “social robots” as number two. (World Economic Forum) It’s estimated that 80% of emerging technologies will involve AI by 2021 (Gartner) 40% of marketing and sales teams say that machine learning and data science-based AI will be a crucial part of their future strategies (2019 Data Science and Machine Learning Market Study) It’s estimated that AI-based analytics and marketing software will give the average data analyst back one-third of their time, which could then be used for bigger projects or other tasks. (Gartner) At 2018’s F8 summit, covered by VentureBeat, Facebook said there were more than 300,000 chatbots on Facebook Messenger. (VentureBeat) The percentage of businesses that offer chatbots could grow to 80% in 2020. (HubSpot) 63% of businesses say they will consider AI in the near future due to pressures related to reducing costs. (BCG and MIT Sloan School of Business) The facial recognition market is estimated to grow by 20% in 2020. (VisionGain) There’s only a 1.4% chance that a marketing manager’s role will be taken over by artificial intelligence. (HubSpot) It’s estimated that this year, customers will be able to manage 85% of their enterprise relationships without working with humans. (Gartner) Online mentions of automation have increased by 70% year over year. (Adobe) Voice Assistants and Smart Speakers While voice assistants are technically a segment of AI, they’ve become so prominent in the emerging media world that they deserve their own section of stats. Over 46% of people use voice assistants. (Pew Research Center) More than 36% of consumers own a smart speaker. (Adobe) Of those who own a smart speaker, 54% say their voice assistant can easily understand them when they speak. (Adobe) Nearly 112 million people in the U.S. use a voice assistant once monthly across devices. (eMarketer) Roughly 34% of people who don’t own a smart speaker are interested in purchasing one. (GlobalWebIndex) According to a 2018 poll conducted by HubSpot via Lucid Software, 52% of consumers say they’ve used a voice assistant solely on their phone. (HubSpot)

Data Source: Lucid Software Millennials are the heaviest users of voice assistants, but usage is growing across age groups. (eMarketer) In a late-2018 test where the Amazon, Google, and Apple voice assistants were asked 800 questions each, all understood over 99% to 100% of the questions. (Loup Ventures) In the study noted in the above bullet, Google was named the “smartest” voice assistant because it answered more than 86% of the questions correctly. (Loup Ventures)

Image Source: Loup Ventures In Q2 of 2019, Amazon shipped 6.6 million of its smart speakers, maintaining the lead over competitors like Google. (Canalys) Amazon Alexa, the voice assistant associated with Amazon Echo smart speakers, now has over 100,000 Skills globally. (Voicebot.ai) By 2023, digital voice ecommerce is expected to triple to an $80 billion industry. (Juniper Research) Between August 2018 and February 2019, smart speaker ownership increased by 4% (Adobe)

Source: Adobe Smart Devices and Appliances While you may not realize the significance that smart appliances and devices could have on marketing, this is something that I and my colleagues have been paying close attention to. Although this space is still young, it’s already seemingly providing interesting opportunities to bigger brands. As you can imagine, devices like smart TVs could provide great potential for content marketing and branded media, However, a more unique example of an appliance that could provide brand potential is the smart refrigerator. “I’m excited to see how a smart fridge that can tell me when my avocados are about to spoil can be leveraged by a brand to give me information that might serve me in that particular information, says Amanda Zantal-Wiener, a senior content strategist who creates content for HubSpot that covers news and trends. But, Zantal-Weiner’s excitement doesn’t end at smart-home appliances. She’s also fascinated by the world of smart cars “Until we start to see self-driving cars on the road, the idea of connected cars can also be used to help me do more than mindlessly scroll through my phone when I’m using a ride-hailing service, by serving as a distribution channel for real-time, relevant information during that trip. Everything is connected, and I’m excited to see which brands are able to adapt to that earlier on in a way that actually helps customers,” Zantal-Wiener explains. While the smart appliance space is still fairly nascent and harder to report on statistically at the moment, here are a few interesting stats that highlight why you should keep these technologies on your radar. According to a Fluent Survey, 55% of internet users already own some type of smart device. (Fluent) The same survey found that the most common device was a smart television, which 38% of participants owned. The next most commonly owned devices were lighting (17%), thermostats (16%) and security systems (14%), and kitchen appliances (7%). (Fluent) 31% of people ages 18 to 34 and 38% of people over 35 say that their main purchasing concern related to smart appliances is cost. (Fluent) Consumers over the age of 35 are more worried about hacking and data security on smart appliances than 18 to 34-year-olds. (Fluent)

Image Source: eMarketer The average cost of a smart-home device is expected to drop by 52% by 2023 (Juniper Research) In 2018, 70% of TVs sold globally were smart TVs. (Statista) Navigating the Future of Marketing Yes, creating voice assistant skills, leveraging AI, and building branded AR/VR experiences might be pretty inaccessible and costly to your company right now and in the near future. But, if you want to continue to innovate your brand, or be a competitive marketer in the far future, you’ll want to keep up with how technology and marketing possibilities are evolving. By keeping up with marketing innovation news, you’ll be more prepared to adopt new technologies when they are accessible in the future. For some detailed guides on emerging technologies that could or are already impacting brands, check out blog posts on artificial intelligence, voice technology, Snapchat, smart devices, and chatbots, and video game marketing — which can leverage of few of the technologies noted above.

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bootsie-drq · 7 years

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Welcome! Here’s how our story starts...

In October Phil and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a week long Sailing holiday in Florida. Phil's BRILLIANT idea. It was a really, really great holiday. We enjoyed a week of learning how to sail each morning, with afternoons and evenings to enjoy the perfect weather and fantastic food. It was such a luxury to be in a place with so much local seafood. (Highlights included: uuber fresh Peel and eat Shrimp, Mango Ceviche, Conch Fritters, shrimp scampi in beure blanc, Grouper Sandwiches, Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos, a tuna martini - diced sushi grade yellow fin tuna, avocado, chives and cucumber citrus soy sauce served with fried won tons -, lobster mac and cheese... Okay I won't list EVERYTHING we ate...)

Learning to sail together was really fun.

Having 30 years experience in mechanical engineering, the science of sailing came easily to Phil – lift, how a sail is similar to a plane's wing, how the keel has similar properties with water, etc. (I assume no one is interested in a synopsis of our week-long course work...) For me though, one thing was hard to visualize. I couldn't internalize what you're supposed to do in reaction to tell tales – small pieces of yarn on the sails that indicate how the air is flowing. If you're steering correctly and the sails are trimmed properly for the way the wind's blowing, they are both supposed to stream straight back. If either is fluttering, you need to either let the sail out, or pull it tighter (trim it...). One day I finally understood. I said, “OH! So it's like a cat's whiskers. Cat's hate their whiskers getting messed up. They always face the wind so their whiskers are evenly in the wind.” (That does work...) Our instructor, Steve exchanged glances with Phil, “NEVER heard that one, and I've been teaching sailing for a LONG time... but, if it helps you remember, then... yes... the tell tales are like a cat's whiskers.”

Steve was really, really fun. He was easy going but not with sailing safety. On a day when it was windy in the morning there was NO WAY we were going out. The end. No discussion. The wind did die down, but he was super serious about safety, which was good.

There is a way to calculate distance, speed, or time, when charting a course, if you have two of those variables. Steve started explaining the mathematical formula on the white board to do this. Before he was finished Phil had finished a calculation of his own design which was faster – it had fewer steps – and did yield the right answer. Go Phil, go! There's lots of math in sailing. The fact that Phil understood it immediately, and helped me to catch on, meant we could focus on the more fun stuff.

For example we had lots of time for both of us to practice two methods to go back and pick up “someone” who falls overboard. We had a riot repeatedly saving a cushion one afternoon. Steve was delighted that I did it right with fewer tries than Phil needed. He loved teasing Phil about that.

At the end of the week Phil and I both earned our Basic Keelboat Skipper Licence. (I got 97% and Phil got a perfect score. Yay, Phil!)

So you may wonder where this sailing business came from. Phil has been researching sailboats for the past eleven years. Sailing has been a post doctorate plan for some time and he'd been researching different kinds of boats. He'd worked out which kind of small sailboat he likes for a number of reasons, not the least being people have safely circumnavigated the globe in them. Safety is good. What do I think? I think that Phil is super smart and uber good at research. If HE thinks a certain design of boat is a good choice, then I'm 100% sure he's right.

All that to say, through October, we had been shopping for Contessa 26's, all over Ontario. Upon our return from Florida, we drove north and completed a transaction to buy one!

Various refit projects will keep us busy all winter – and after, I'm sure – but all being well we'll be sailing in the Spring. Phil's restoring all the teak which we removed from the boat and brought home. I'm undertaking several sewing projects for the interior and exterior.

Phil's also hired a professional to restore and repaint the exterior. More adventures to follow...

So Phil successfully defended his thesis December 11th and completed his Doctorate. Years of work have paid off. He has persevered. Hooray! Here's to 2018, and the sailing adventures that beckon.

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dietsauthority · 7 years

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9 Most Dangerous Food Additives Everyone Should Avoid (And Why)

Cheetos, hotdogs and gummy bears. They all have one point alike - they're all highly refined. While they definitely taste good, do you truly recognize just what you're eating?

Unless you pace the grocery shop aisles examining every single active ingredient tag (which you should be doing), opportunities are you have no idea what hazardous food additives you're placing inside your body.

Did you understand that greater than 3,000 food ingredients are contributed to US foods? For that reason, it's recommended you take on a tidy diet loaded with fruits as well as vegetables and prevent processed foods completely. Let's be genuine, you probably have at least a couple processed foods in your fridge and pantry right this minute.

When you get to for your boxed treats, there are a few "red flag" components you should be on the search for. Below are 9 of the most hazardous preservative that everyone ought to avoid.

1) Artificial Sweeteners

A lot of individuals take a breath a sigh of alleviation when they eat sweetening agents over sugar. If you are one of the many people who believe fabricated sugars are a 'healthier alternative,' I'm sorry to damage the news to you ... they're not!

Researchers say synthetic sweeteners could:

Enhance your appetite

Lead to weight gain

Cause inflammation

Cause digestive issues

Kill the great intestine germs in your gastrointestinal tract

Their impact on the body does not end there. Scientists have found the amino acids in aspartame (a prominent kind of sweetening agent) act in different ways compared to the amino acids in whole foods such as salmon, eggs or chia seeds. In this situation, the amino acids can actually assault your body's cells and mind cells, developing an extremely poisonous effect on the body.

When examining to see if your food includes sweetening agents, search for the following names:

Aspartame

Sucralose

Saccharin

Acesulfame

Neotame

* NOTE: These are just 5 of the many sweetening agents contributed to your foods.

2) Synthetic Trans Fats

There are numerous different kinds of fats. They consist of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and also trans fats. You most definitely should not have a worry of fats. The body requires 'healthy fats' in order to work correctly. Healthy and balanced fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Trans fats, on the various other hand, are 'unhealthy fats' as well as pose definitely zero health and wellness benefit. Actually, this kind of fat is understood to create inflammation and also raise bad cholesterol levels. Trans fats are additionally connected to heart problem, a damaged immune system, cancer cells, and also diabetic issues.

Trans fats are found in several fried foods as well as store-bought baked goods.

3) High Fructose Corn Syrup

You may have heard cases that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no even worse for you compared to table sugar. Do not believe that for one 2nd! HFCS is not the very same as table sugar (sucrose) or fructose (located in several fruits).

HFCS is not a natural material and has been connected to:

Weight gain

Insulin resistance

Liver damage

Weakened immune system

Poor gut health

May lead to autoimmune disease

These are just 6 of one of the most common negative effects of consuming HFCS. The listing of frightening realities on HFCS absolutely doesn't end there.

4) Refined Vegetable Oils

When you initially listen to the term, 'vegetable oils,' you could really think they're healthy and balanced. After all, veggies are great for you! Fine-tuned veggie oils including canola, corn, soybean, cottonseed and safflower oils are much from healthy and balanced, though.

As the name 'improved' tells us, these oils are very refined. The oils are removed by high warmth, pressure, as well as chemical solvents. Without getting as well scientific, through processing the helpful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are killed. Together with stripping the oil of its nutrients, dangerous preservatives are likewise contributed to these oils to develop a long rack life. I'll speak much more concerning dangerous preservatives in just a minute.

* It is necessary to keep in mind that when I utilize the term 'veggie oils' that I am NOT referring to raw olive oil and coconut oil. These are 2 extremely healthy and balanced oils. If you are making a dish that requires canola oil (or an additional sort of grease), you can quickly swap it out for extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil.

When you are cooking, you will see that most baking recipes call for some kind of veggie oil. Instead of complying with those directions, you could quickly switch out vegetable oils for added virgin, cold-pressed olive oil.

Coconut oil is another wonderful oil for cooking.

5) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

If you ever get a headache after eating Chinese food, this may be why. MSG is a dangerous flavor booster that is often associated with Chinese food. Your plate of Lo Mein isn't the only location MSG is concealing. If you check out the component labels for sure icy suppers, canned foods, and also treat bags, you could be stunned to locate that it has MSG. There is even MSG in bouillon (the preferred, instant soup broth flavoring).

While the FDA proceeds to declare that MSG is safe, numerous specialists disagree. This taste enhancer is claimed to harm your body's cells, leading to different health issues consisting of learning disabilities, Alzheimer's illness, Parkinson's illness and also more.

6) GMOs

GMOs are around us. Roughly 80% of all packaged foods have GMOs. Do not think you're consuming GMO-free by preventing packaged foods, though. Several of the leading GMO plants include corn, canola, soybeans as well as sugar beets. GMO salmon is also being introduced into our supermarkets.

So why is this poor? Well, GMO means 'genetically customized organism.' To place it just - it's not an item of Nature, however instead a product of science. GMOs are utilized to 'enhance' the food we consume by making them prettier and also hardier. That does not imply healthier.

Although the United States Food and also Drug Administration (FDA) has regarded GMOs safe, eating GMO foods have been linked to:

An increase in food allergies

An increase in antibiotic resistance

Reproductive disorders

Additionally, it can be hard to spot GMO foods in your grocery store because the United States Division of Agriculture (USDA) does not need these foods to be identified. Some tips in order to help you avoid GMOs:

Grow your own crops

Buy foods classified GMO-free (some business include this on their items)

Go organic. By regulation, no greater than 5% of natural foods can consist of GMOs

7) Preservatives

Have you ever before checked out the shelf life of your preferred boxed foods or bag of chips? It looks like fast food never spoils. That's due to the fact that it's filled with preservatives. While manufacturers benefit from adding chemicals to our food, our wellness definitely does not.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are two generally used chemicals. In addition to lengthening your food's shelf-life, they could also influence your neurological system and also could possibly create cancer.

Sodium nitrite is another popular preservative found in cold cuts and also hot pets. This type of preservative has been linked to various sorts of cancers.

Then there's your soft drink. With such long shelf-lives, do not assume your favorite bottled sodas are preservative-free. They usually consist of a preservative called Salt benzoate, which could make kids hyperactive.

8) Artificial Flavors

Rule of thumb - anytime you see food with the name 'man-made' composed on it ... RUN! Synthetically flavored foods are loaded with abnormal chemicals that damage the body. Artificially flavored foods have actually been connected to digestive concerns and psychological health and wellness diseases.

9) Artificial Colors

Whether you're a youngster or a grown-up, people seem to enjoy colorful foods. I'm not speaking about red tomatoes and brilliant blueberries. I'm talking concerning synthetically tinted Skittles, Starbursts and gummy bears.

Every year, U.S. food suppliers add greater than 15 million extra pounds of man-made dyes into our foods. That's a whole lot of dye! Some dyes are recognized to be more unsafe compared to others. Some are linked to behavior health issue and others are connected to cancer.

Four of the worst offenders consist of:

Blue #1 and #2 These dyes are made use of in candy, beverages, and also pet food. It's been linked to mind tumors.

Red #3 This color is commonly located in sweet, fruit cocktail, maraschino cherries, cherry pie filling, as well as more. It's been linked to thyroid cancer.

Yellow #5 This color is used in sweet and grain. It's been linked to cancer and also behavior health issue in children.

Tips To Prevent These 9 Dangerous Food Additives

There are a number of means you can lower the quantity of artificial additive you place in your body. It starts with your grocery shopping routines. The ideal point you could do is stay clear of the center aisles as well as adhere to going shopping the boundaries. While the aisles are usually stocked with boxed foods, the boundaries are commonly where you will find fresh produce.

When picking your fruit and vegetables, it's best to purchase foods that do not have an ingredient tag. Bear in mind, actual foods do not have components. Think concerning it - a banana doesn't need an active ingredient tag due to the fact that it's merely a banana. It coincides with tomatoes, avocados, zucchini, etc.

To stay clear of hazardous GMOs and also chemicals, it's constantly a great idea to go natural. This is not to be confused with 'all-natural.' The terms 'natural' as well as 'organic' are not interchangeable. While 'natural' can suggest any kind of variety of things, '100% natural' guarantees you that your food is made without making use of harmful pesticides, GMOs, prescription antibiotics or artificial development hormones.

Since organic fruit and vegetables can be a little bit costlier, you could not desire to get all your foods organic. If that holds true, describe the complying with checklist that tells you which foods have the greatest quantity of chemicals:

Apples

Strawberries

Grapes

Celery

Peaches

Spinach

Sweet Bell Peppers

Nectarines

Cucumbers

Potatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Peppers

Kale/ Collard Greens

Snap peas

Lastly, if you are buying boxed foods, make certain to review the ingredient label very thoroughly! That is the only means you will get a feel for what is inside your food. A general rule - if the product has a number of ingredients that you can not pronounce, don't eat it!

#cabbage diet #cholesterol diet #diet #diet recipes #dieting #fruit diet #health and wellness #metabolism diet #vinegar diet #wellness

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