#sequoia ware

[dozydawn]

1960s Sequoia Ware Nut Dish with Tag, Faux Wood, Black, Red & Green Lava Drip Glaze

[moonmoon-ren]

Sweetness, Sand and a Treehouse

An afternoon of Sweetness and Sand

I never tought the sea would be so beautiful Ren!

Hmhmh, Ren nodded. Its quite amazing when you see her the first time. But wait till you see what is underneath the surface.

Aaaah !!! OH! But i can't swim ? Sequoia spoke with noticable excitement in his voice.

I can teach you, but all in good time because we just arrived here. There is much to see and discover, if you want?

Sequoia smirked at Ren. And walked a bit back towards the path that was going uphill behind them.

Shall we see who's fastest there ?

Ren laughed about being challenged by Sequoia and sprinted a little bit forward. The two Vieras ran up the hill towards the buildings that were located there.

Here we are ... the Hideaway Cabin and ...

Ren wanted to introduce to Sequoia what was located on the Island grounds but Sequoia was so impressed by what he saw that he slightly shrieked and expressed his toughts in amazement.

This place is wonderful. I never saw anything like this before Ren. How did you do this? It seems like a real paradise. I want to see it all actually! Like what are all these buildings there, and there and there?! I want to learn how to swim, I want to see the jungles on this island, I want to see all what you described to me on the boat.

Ren could not help but stare at Sequoia. And have a moment of inner reflection about the Viera who was his almost lifelong best friend.

"Damn he is soo cute when he is excited like that, hear him now, what am I to do, oh what, oh what?"

Heheehe! I suggest we get ourselves refreshed a little bit, change into something more comfortable and I will ask the mammets to prepare us a light lunch. I don't know about you, but i'm starving.

Huhuhuuu .... Sequoia was mumbling something about paradise still.

Ren bid Sequoia kindly to follow him inside the Cabin. Sequoia followed, slowly regaining his awareness of reality. The climate on the island was hot and humid, tropical. For Veena Vieras this climate was rather exceptional. Most of the year they lived in snowy areas or temperate forestlands. But nothing like this tropical weather. They arrived at a counter with two curious looking "creatures" ren explained to Sequoia that they were mammets, small creatures, or rather beings of a "mechanical" kind. Its did not make much sense to him but he decided to just accept that these were mammets and seemingly capable of many things, as Ren explained. They took care of the most day-to-day tasks on the island like making wares, foodstuffs, or clothes. They also kept the place tidy and helped Ren with a great deal of constructionworks.

So, Sequoia, these two will help you with finding you some outfits for your stay here. I also asked them to take your measures for future adventuring attire. Fot now they will take care of some clothes for your stay here.

Thank you Ren, i don't understand much of the little ones, but i'll just go with it because i'm sweating, its hot here and the sound of lighter clothes sounds very very appealing.

Ghaahahahah! Nawww, stinky Sequoia needs a bath then and fresh clothes; ghahahahahah! Ren could not help himself and found it very amusing to tease his best friend like this.

STINKY ???!!!

Uhuhuuuh, Ren nodded with a smirk on his face. I will wait here for you till you are done, after i'll changed and refreshed myself as well. Just come back here and then we can eat some fresh salad.

Sequoia nodded in agreement, slightly embarassed by Ren calling him "stinky" but it was not untrue. The cheek! While wandering off and following the mammets he allowed himself to have some reflections about the moment he was expierencing.

"How long am I going to continue to keep this secret from Ren? Why does he drive me so crazy? What is this feeling i'm having when i'm near him? Why did I not tell him back in the days before he left? Why does thinking about Ren make me both smile and excited?"

Ren went upstairs the Cabin, refreshed a little, and changed into his usual attire for his island stays. A pink shirt, a scarf bound around his neck, and his left leg, cut-off pants, and sunglasses. Fashion in Eorzea was so very different from the tribal Viera fashion. After changing he went back downstairs.

No Sequoia yet.

He then discussed with the cook-mammet what they could prepare as lunch. They agreed on a light salad with made with fresh vegetables from the island. The weather was too hot at the moment for any heavy food. In the evening they could make something more substantial.

Still no Sequoia; what takes him so long?

Since the outfitting took a while and longer then Ren expected he decided to take a little nap while waiting for Sequoia, enjoying the sunrays kissing his face. Island life made him rather lazy. He closed his eyes and enjoyed a daydream, but not for long. Ren dozed off. He felt so relaxed that sleepy feelings won this time. A soft snoring sound escaped his nose.

Ren ??? Sequoia had arrived! Finally! He saw Ren sitting in the chair, seemingly asleep. He tried to wake up Ren in a gentle way, not wanting to startle him. Ren?! Ren wake up. I'm back.

Hmhmmm ?? followed by a small yawn. Ah you're back. You took your time.

Whaaatttt?? I was not gone THAT long! ... SLEEPY!

There it was again, the small teases.

Are you hungry?

Famished!

So dramatic, Ren winked at Sequoia. Come lets eat a bit then.

Both Vieras took a seat at the table in the garden outside. The mammets had prepared the lunch for them. Ren and Sequoia shared some stories during the meal, especially Ren because Sequoia was rather inquisitive about this island and curious as how Ren managed to obtain it and maintain it, let alone build a place like this. Ren explained it all with much enthousiasm. Sequoia listened with even more of that.

So what is the plan then for the rest of the day Ren?

We have some options: I can take you on a grand tour of the island, we can go out in the wilds, we can gather some resources, we can take care of the animals, we can go to the vegetables patch, we can teach you how to swim, we can just be lazy and do nothing, we can go to the beach, ... anything is possible here. I let you choose, I want you to enjoy yourself here, so nothing is a must really.

Being lazy and doing nothing, going to the beach sounds actually rather fun to me. It would be a nice change of pace. And those mammets gave me some pants for swimming. Its so nice they could make an outfit so fast and in my favourite colors.

You look amazing Sequoia. Yellow has always been your color.

You make me blush a little, Ren.

Heh, owhww. Yeah ... uhmm ... well lets get our beach attire then. We have been stinky, sleepy, hungry, now we will be lazy.

I'm not stinky.

You better don't let me wait this time, Ren winked again at Sequoia.

It seemed that this time Sequoia was the faster one.

"You better don't let me wait this time" uuuhhh, well who's late now? Sequoia couldn't help but making this cheeky remark while waiting for Ren. Meanwhile he admired the view of the little spa at the house, the outside very inviting looking beds and the overall tranquility of the island.

Oh?! You're already waiting Sequoia?

Ren stood there feeling a little shy when he saw Sequoia standing there in just his swimshorts. Ren never felt insecure about his body but seeing Sequoia's physical appearance now made him rather feel very flustered. Ren never bothered much with looks. But he also remembered seeing Sequoia in the few summerdays back in the days when they grew up in the tribe. They were still young then.

What he saw now, was a grown up Sequoia, his golden skin even more pigmented, his hair more shining then ever before, and then there were those muscles. He most certainly had his training as Wood Warder as was to be expected, but look at those strong arms, Ren imagined falling into Sequoia's embrace and being held by those arms. No no no Ren! stop!

What is the matter Ren? Why are you looking so shy and flustered?

I ... Ren was trembling a little bit when Sequoia reached out and took his hand and place another hand on his left shoulder. I ... I just realised how much we both changed and grew up.

Sequoia giggled a little. Lets go to the beach silly bunny.

Ren gathered his courage and tried not get too flustered anymore and focus on some other things. The two Vieras walked down the path back to the beach where they arrived earlier that day. Ren explained that there were some other beaches at the island but this one was the most quiet one. The other two were the territory of the friendly but curious Apkallu's.

The two Vieras spent the afternoon at the beach, Sequoia did not learn swimming today as he said he wanted to be lazy. But the two enjoyed some of the water anyway. They also had some fun with observing crabs getting entangled in territorial fights, Ren showed Sequoia some of the beautiful shells that could be found on the beach . But most of the afternoon was spent, napping or talking about many things, stories of the tribe, past adventures, or dreams they still had for the future.

Ren ?

Hmm?

Thank you.

For what?

Spending time with me, being here with me. It means a lot for me.

Sequoia got up and took a comfortable sitting position. Ren tilted himself also a little up.

Ren remained silent because he felt Sequoia needed some time to continue talking. He saw that Sequoia was genuinely enjoying the peace of this place, as if a long raging storm inside him was finally calmed down.

I sometimes wondered how it must feel to expierence the true feeling of freedom and peace. As in, freedom to just ... be. As in peace for the mind, the soul. How it feels to be in a place where its just "you". This is that place Ren. I don't know what is to happen further here, but i'm so happy to be here, with ... you.

Ren stared at Sequoia for a moment, smiled and then spoke:

Sequoia, i'm so happy too that i'm here with you as well, and that you find peace on this island. I know how your life was back when we lived in the tribe. I have not forgotten the things you told me, and then also the events that led you to Eorzea.

Seeing you happy makes me even more happier. Can I ask you something?

Heh, why, sure you can ask me something Sequoia.

I asked those mammets of yours if they could prepare something special for this evening's dinner.

Hmm ? w-what do you mean Sequoia ?

You will see, Ren. Sequoia said this with a very cute smile, while he suddenly jumped up and ran towards the pathway back to the Cabin.

Sequooiiiaaaaaa!!! Where are you going? What are you up to ?

Come on Ren, it's getting dark. And i'm hungry! gahahaha!

Ren turned at Sequoia who was standing there in a rather cheeky way, nagging him to get up from the beach. What was Sequoia up to ? This was rather unexpected. It seemed like Sequoia took some initiative and arranged somethings with the mammets behind Ren's back, making things all the more mysterious. Ren got up, and slowly followed Sequoia back to the cabin

...

to be continued ... ;-p

[justkeeponsimming]

Mwahahaha! 

Why does Hex always doubt herself? She knows she’ll take control of her life and get back on track! Her offer on a small plot of land in San Sequoia was accepted! She’s now a property owner!

Well, sort of. She can’t afford to build a house, but she owns something! After two years of couch surfing, it’s nice to have something to call her own. One day, she may have enough money to build a small home. 

The advantage of owning a lot means Hex can sell her stolen wares more easily from her inventory. The painting from the rec centre builds her savings back up after purchasing the lot. If she breaks into any more houses, she could store her ill-gotten gains and save the items to decorate her own place one day.

Hex throws her head back, cackling like a spellcaster! Knowing that she can do evil things to provide good things for herself bolsters her confidence. She could make a living by stealing things. But, could she continue to ride the high of possibly getting caught?

A few extra simoleons couldn’t hurt. Hex stalks around the area, finding collectibles to sell. She can’t afford a home, but she needs to buy something to keep her warm and dry!

[ledenews]

Susan James Hagan To Receive a 2023 Governor's Service Award

Susan James Hagan has impacted the lives of thousands of people in the Upper Ohio Valley. Susan is well known in the Wheeling community as a committed volunteer who has the superpower of connecting people and getting thingsdone. On Thursday, June 15th, Susan James Hagan will be honored for her dedication to service at the annual Governor’s Service Awards dinner at the Culture Center at the State Capitol. Presented since 1995, the Governor’s Service Awards honors individuals and groups that exemplify outstanding dedication to volunteerism and community service in West Virginia. Susan James Hagan will receive her award in the Adult Category. In November 2022, Susan spearheaded and hosted the highly successful "Nail City Chef" benefit which raised over $20,000. This event, conceived entirely by Susan, brought together the Wheeling Soup Kitchen, where she serves as a volunteer, and Wheeling Health Right, where she serves on the board of directors. By uniting these two organizations for a joint benefit, Susan successfully raised funds and awareness for their causes. This undertaking represents just one of the numerous charitable activities in which Susan has played a pivotal role over the years. Susan is renowned for her unparalleled talent in connecting community agencies with shared missions. She serves as the bridge that brings people and organizations together. During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Susan committed countless hours to the Ohio County Food Security Team, a collective effort by several non-profit organizations. In 2022, the dedicated group of volunteers established nine Blessing Boxes throughout Ohio County, ensuring that individuals facing food insecurity had access to essential resources. In addition to her exceptional volunteer work, Susan balances her commitments with her day job as a Nanny for two young boys. She currently serves on the board of directors of The Unity Center and Wheeling Health Right. Susan is a member of the Region X Transportation Committee which helps address unmet transportation needs in the community. She has also contributed to the Women Inspired in New Directions (WIND) program at the YWCA as a member of the advisory board and she co-chaired the Mayor's Committee on Housing. As one of the founders of The Re-Entry Alliance for the Ohio Valley, Susan has played a pivotal role in bringing together over 35 agencies dedicated to assisting adults transitioning from the correctional system. Moreover, she actively volunteers with Grow Ohio Valley and the Family Resource Network, further extending her impact across various community initiatives. Susan's personal journey in recovery serves as a powerful inspiration to others. With an impressive 20 years of sobriety, she is a role model in the recovery community and beyond. Her resilience and dedication to personal growth have made her an invaluable asset to the Wheeling community, uplifting and empowering everyone she encounters. The Governor’s Service Awards are administered by Volunteer West Virginia, the State’s Commission for National and Community Service. The event will take place on Thursday, June 15th at 6 p.m. at the Culture Center in Charleston. A volunteer review committee reads and selects the recipients based on achievement, community needs, continuing involvement, creativity, and impact of service.Other recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Service Awards include, by category: - Youth: Maren Boblits, Edmond - Young Adult: Sequoia Ware, Huntington - Senior: Libby Campbell Lucas, Ansted - Lifetime Achievement: Fran Welton, Moorefield - Group: Davis Medical Center Pet Therapy Team – Mark Roy & Ellie, Elkins About Volunteer West Virginia Volunteer West Virginia is the state’s Commission for National and Community Service. The agency challenges West Virginians to strengthen their communities through service and volunteerism by identifying and mobilizing resources, promoting an ethic of service, and empowering communities to solve problems and improve the quality of life for individuals and families. Learn more at www.volunteer.wv.gov. Read the full article

[40leslie]

 facebook   twitter   instagram   youtube LATEST POPULAR HOT TRENDING Menu SWITCH SKIN CART LOGIN ADD POST LATEST STORIES  MISSING SC WOMAN ALEXIS WARE GOES MISSING AFTER TRYING TO LEAVE ABUSIVE BABY DADDY WITH THEIR SON TO GO TO ATLANTA FOR ‘BETTER LIFE’    FAMILY SAYS NC HIGHWAY PATROL AND IREDELL COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS FAILED SEQUOIA COTTON    2023 TALENT AND FASHION FEST IN HENDERSON NC, RAPPER LIL POPPA PERFORMING LIVE    DISTURBING: DALLAS TX MAN SEEN ON VIDEO VIOLENTLY ASSAULTING TWO WOMEN IN WAFFLE HOUSE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY    THREE KIDS DIE IN GREENSBORO NC FIRE IN THE CARE OF THEIR UNFIT MOTHER    FLORIDA MAN SAYS VOODOO MADE HIM RAPE A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND IMPREGNATE HER, BOND $28K PreviousNext News   White man who allegedly killed 13-year-old black boy in Columbus Ohio had murder charges DROPPED, family wants justice by Gerald Jackson27 days ago14.7kViews 0Votes 21Comments  Share Sinzae Reed FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailRedditWhatsApp A Columbus, Ohio mother says the man who killed her 13-year-old son was initially charged with murder, but after he claimed “self-defense,” the charges were dismissed. Megan Reed told The North Carolina Beat that on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, her son, 13-year-old Sinzae Reed, said he wasn’t feeling well. Megan said she told her son that it was probably because of the air he sleeps under with the fan in his bedroom window. She said Sinzae returned to his room and later came back out while she was cooking and had a conversation. Sinzae Reed After Sinzae and his mother, Megan finished talking, he left the kitchen and returned to his room. Megan said the next thing she knew, someone came banging on her door. She said the neighbor told her that Sinzae had been shot. Megan said she didn’t know that her son had even gone outside because they were just in the kitchen having a conversation before he went back to his room. “I didn’t even know he had went outside,” Megan said. “Until the knock at my door telling me he had been shot.” When Megan got to where her son was lying with gunshot wounds, she said witnesses started telling her that 36-year-old Krieg A. Butler Sr https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzloAHAtLs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[figdays]

Body Care and Home wares // sequoiasoaps

My company is 100% native owned and operated. Our products are 100% formulated, designed and made by us. This is what sets us apart. I believe in building a strong economic base in my community and I'm proud of my native roots. We've been slowly expanding to other communities and territories. Sequoia products are for those who are looking for beautiful and natural products and appreciate that native connection.

[libidomechanica]

Lurch an unusual think to humbly well

Lurch an unusual  think) to  humbly well? Much day in  a Petticoat. That  he way in what ye 

what he shoulder; and, lo!  Sweet Angel brights world! By Souvaroff.  His spent, carpe! The  city, while Nymph spread, and  headlong thats the more but 

let me, my friend. Nor showd thee, Brillant  aided be but  a dream, for ylike  a gesture, which nook arguments  have was blithe 

authors askd out, can I notes,  wit, move sleep—their she look something  like sails, on the handsome  the Prize third w as a birds endeard. Or 

so the dying of  their very days, “ton entombed  into speaketh.  Your pleasure hath dignity  wasteful Ease, enought into 

a sequoia  swallow state. (Not neede his  lock, idly reach drag it  told;” who, in my love this,  which were Files which thy 

budding a tyrants spent I  see the meaneth, “God wilt  thunder her side,— so that  vnbidden passive forehead in  she, me, no being flight— that 

would let me whirl of multitude!  And withers  to lifts which is  patterd it may makes upon  his glass madness in 

tender timber your eyes, and  lost or within  your pleasure whiten  in the ware of  Saturday night I 

lay a flower behind his  neither, and also  preparation in us  finding ball, appropriate  into 

the impiety,  to sometimes  the translate the  breast,—and make to  the Door her dry.”

[herbertandwilks]

Monday had us driving from Queenstown to Dunedin which meant we were able to call into Cromwell to finally put a face to an email and meet Gail who has Sequoia Fine Wares which is located in Cromwell's picturesque Heritage Precinct. . Wow Sequoia is stunning, it is definitely worth a visit and while you are there check out my Jewellery. . . . #SallyHerbert #contemporaryjewellery #supportlocal #cromwellheritageprecinct #placestovisitinNZ @seqoia_finewares (at Cromwell, Central Otago) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMd2dAYsHWS/?igshid=z83jv6bgqcg9

[ferrero13]

That Which We Call a Naruto (3/11)

Fic summary

The road to becoming a good Hokage is a long and tedious one. As it turns out, it's also incredibly confusing — there is no shortage of people who can't keep track of who he is.

Or, 10 people who didn't recognise who Naruto was, and one person who did.

Read on AO3

Chapter 3: Eternal Genin

In which the much aggrieved son of a seed seller discovers that rank is basically meaningless.

Satoshi’s old man had already been nearly blind and completely deaf in one ear when Satoshi graduated from the Academy at the age of twelve. Because the geezer just wouldn’t settle in the village and insisted on travelling to different countries on his never-ending hunt for quality seeds, Satoshi had to effectively retire just before his chuunin exam to follow along and ensure that his useless father didn’t get himself killed on one of his round trips to Wind Country or Water Country or wherever the hell he thought had the best seeds that season.

He had been fourteen. Fourteen. His career had lasted all of two years, and he hadn’t even made it to chuunin! At least he got to keep his hitai-ate and was still allowed to wear it. If not for those two allowances, he’d have forced his father to stay put the moment it became apparent that the old fool couldn’t tell a giant sequoia from a coast redwood. It was at times like these that Satoshi wished his mother was still alive to knock some sense into his father’s no doubt inch-thick skull.

They were about a week away from Konoha—from civilisation and running water and an honest to god bed—when a Konoha ninja wandered into their camp and asked Satoshi if he’d encountered any bandits recently.

“Not really,” Satoshi shrugged. “But it’s not like we have anything of worth anyway.”

“Brat, these ‘worthless’ things put you through school. Be grateful!” his father shouted from where he was seated on their caravan, slowly tallying sales.

“What was the point anyway? I have no prospects because I’m stuck with you until you stop being so stupidly stubborn and just stay in the village already!” Satoshi yelled back.

“Why you ungrateful little…oh! If it isn’t Orange!” his father suddenly said, voice switching to sugary sweet so quickly that Satoshi felt a bit like he’d been slapped. He didn’t even know that the old man was capable of being anything that didn’t include snapping at other people.

“Huh? Green Gramps?” the newcomer—apparently called Orange (what kind of stupid names were ‘Orange’ and ‘Green Gramps’ anyway?)—said as Satoshi’s father ambled up to them. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Kumo?”

“Bad seeds this year,” Satoshi’s father grumbled. “No point staying any longer if nobody would buy or sell, especially since this one—” he jabbed a finger at Satoshi accusingly but Satoshi couldn’t bring himself to feel any remorse, “—does nothing but glare at all of my customers into running away.” Maybe if Satoshi continued to do that, his father would decide that staying in Konoha and building a solid customer base would be more lucrative than pandering to fate and chance and snotty foreigners. It was worth a shot.

“Huh. I have a bit of spare cash and an extra mouth to feed. Want to do business with me again for old time’s sake?” Orange offered. Now that Satoshi was really looking at the man, he realised that it was actually a really fitting name. There was nothing on him that didn’t have at least a bit of orange in it. Even his hitai-ate had some orange stitching at the ends of its unnecessarily long cloth.

“Bah. Old time’s sake? I sent you a whole packet of tomato seeds just six months ago when you wrote to me crying about your boy experiencing tomato withdrawal because of bad harvest. How did he like those?” Ah. Satoshi remembered that letter. He’d had to read it for his father because the geezer’s eyes barely qualified as eyes anymore. Orange was a lot less histrionic in person than the hysteria evident in every word of the letter had suggested.

“I think you’ve got yourself a loyal customer in him. I’m sick of having tomatoes with every meal but he won’t stop asking for more,” Orange said, looking mildly nauseous. “There were more tomatoes than noodles in my ramen.”

“I’ll take that as a yes to more seeds,” Satoshi’s old man said proudly, while Satoshi marvelled at the fact that Orange already had a child who was capable of eating solid food even though he didn’t look like he could legally drink yet. Satoshi was already in his mid-twenties and he hadn’t even thought about settling down beyond a vague notion that his future would probably include a wife and two children and a father who obediently stayed put in Konoha after finally going fully blind. Finally achieving chuunin status after missing out on so many exams would be a definite bonus.

Orange heaved a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately. I’m basically a glorified slave to his whims at this point.”

“At least you’re allowed outside of the village. I have to fight my brat tooth and nail.”

“This is actually my first mission out of the village in months, if you’ll believe that,” Orange said, rolling his eyes. “It’s like they don’t trust me with anything other than paperwork just because I’m officially still only a genin. So you better not charge me too much since I’m still getting genin pay.”

Huh. Most genin with more than a couple of years of experience under their belts would be regularly trusted with C-ranks that would take them outside Konoha unless things had changed since Satoshi left. Orange mustn’t be very good if he was usually stuck in the village. And to already have a child at his age…Satoshi had to admit that his future didn’t look very bright. Satoshi may no longer be an official ninja of Konoha, but at least he still had time to train. Enough time, even, to get good enough to defeat most of the chuunin he’d been able to goad into spars as he traipsed across the elemental nations with his father. He had to be able to defend his old man and their wares if they were ambushed by bandits or rogue-nin, after all. Orange, on the other hand…children were incredibly time-consuming. Satoshi didn’t envy Orange one bit.

“That’s because they care. My boy would have me tied to a rock in Konoha if he thought that’d keep me from wandering off to other countries. They just want us safe, you know.”

Orange huffed. “Yeah, I guess, but unlike you I’m actually capable of—”

“Don’t move and nobody gets hurt.”

“You said there weren’t any bandits!” Orange glared at Satoshi, looking betrayed.

“There weren’t any before. There are now,” Satoshi said, resisting a strong urge to mutter, ‘Why me.’ It would not do to offend a customer from Konoha if Satoshi’s long-term plans to settle in the village hinged on getting his father hooked on the Konoha market. “You stand back and leave this to me.”

“I think I’m supposed to be offended but now I’m really just curious. You think your son can handle this?” Orange asked Satoshi’s father as Satoshi gripped a tanto in each hand and settled into a defensive stance in front of the probably useless genin and Satoshi’s definitely useless father.

“Well, I’m not dead yet, even if the brat has just proven that he’s blinder than me,” said useless father replied, and then Satoshi didn’t hear any more because air was whistling in his ears as he headed straight for the closest target with his tanto poised to slit their neck.

Ten minutes and five bandits later, Satoshi sheathed his tanto and congratulated himself on a job well done. These bandits had some training in ninja arts and they’d been more of a challenge than Satoshi had been expecting, but that didn’t matter because he’d shown them that he was made of sterner stuff than the average traveller. They wouldn’t bother his father anymore. He could have sworn that there were more of them, though. Maybe the rest fled when they saw how outclassed they were.

Whatever. It’s not like Satoshi cared as long as his father was alive to yell another fellow merchant into giving him a much better deal on sunflower seeds than was originally offered.

“Old man, where’s the water? I haven’t been so evenly matched since you pissed off that mercenary in Kusa. This is exactly why I can’t leave you alone…” Satoshi said as he walked back to where he’d left the genin and his father, and then he stopped in his tracks when his eyes finally registered the sight in front of him. “What the hell?”

Dozens—literally dozens—of bodies were scattered all around his father, who was calmly sipping from a teacup while Orange poured tea from a thermos into another cup. Some of the bodies were groaning and others were spitting curses that sounded suspiciously like prayers for jashin to take them quickly.

“Oh, Satoshi!” his father greeted, waving and smiling to a tree about three arm spans away from where Satoshi actually was. Orange gently turned Satoshi’s father so that he was actually looking in the region of Satoshi’s face, then went back to pouring tea. “Welcome back. You were taking too long, so we thought we’d better take care of the ones here while you were gone.”

“I’m sorry. What? ‘We?’ Did another ninja come by?”

Orange stood up and walked over. He pressed a cup full of hot tea into one of Satoshi’s hands, then gripped the other in a firm handshake.

Looking into Satoshi’s dazed, unseeing eyes, Orange smiled and said, “Uzumaki Naruto. It’s nice to finally meet you, Morishita Satoshi. Thank you for keeping your father alive long enough for him to get these ramen-ruining tomato seeds to me.”

Oh.

Did Satoshi seriously just imply that the hero of the Fourth Shinobi War and Konoha’s next Hokage that he was a good-for-nothing Eternal Genin who couldn’t take on a bunch of barely trained bandits? Suddenly, travelling around the elemental nations with this father for the rest of his life didn’t sound like such a terrible idea after all. Settling in Konoha was overrated anyway.

Yes, the life of a wandering ninja-for-hire was starting to sound very attractive. He could always join Suna if he really wanted to take the chuunin exam. He heard that they had very nice bonsai trees there.

Next chapter: ANBU

If you liked it and have ideas for what else you’d like to see, don’t forget to drop by AO3 and leave your feedback!

[evolutioncounseling]

For several years an Australian nurse named Bonnie Ware worked with dying patients in the last twelve weeks of their lives and began recording their regrets. We are going to list the five most common and then talk about the existential currents that run underneath them. Thinking about death is uncomfortable and scary but even more terrifying is the possibility that we will discover we misused the time we had. It’s a tragedy that imminent death is often what makes people start to consider what is important to them. 1. I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. 3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Existential thought stresses self-actualization. This is the unique ability you have as a human to unfold your Self in various ways. Most other organisms don’t have this choice, and none to the same degree. We have used the example elsewhere of a sequoia seedling. Under the right conditions it will grow into a mighty tree without any choice in the matter. It does what it is supposed to do as a matter of course. Even the higher mammals like primates or dolphins don’t have close to the same flexibility that we do. Existential freedom is at the center of what makes us human. It’s at once a precious gift and a terrible burden. With freedom comes the responsibility to make choices and the freedom to not self-actualize. You can have an inkling of what your true path is but never have the courage to walk it. Many hand over their human freedom to others, living their lives based on expectations and societal norms, lowering their anxiety in the moment but betraying who and what they could become. Some are driven by power or wealth or fame or envy or spite or any other variable that obscures their true Self. Read through the list again and you will see the current flowing underneath all five regrets is the dawning realization that choice was possible all along. In our daily lives we often feel propelled by outside forces like the demands of work and family or the cultural and societal rules that have been instilled in us since we were very young. We forget that at bottom we always have a choice, even if this choice is limited to the attitude we take towards the unalterable aspects of our lives. Every one of the regrets on the list above is about having squandered the gift of freedom and betraying Self. Whatever your actual situation is right now you probably have a lot more freedom than you believe. Don’t wait until you are on your deathbed to figure it out.

[technato]

Is it Time for Quantum Computing Startups? Maybe

IBM aims to boost quantum computing startups, but warns of a “long revenue desert”

Illustration: iStockphoto

IBM is betting on quantum computing, but it can’t win without the help of startups. And how long it will take for the bet to pay off is anybody’s guess.

That was the message of the Q Summit, a one-day meeting of quantum computing researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs hosted by IBM in Menlo Park, Calif., last week.

“We need startups in the quantum space,” said Joe Raffa, director of IBM Ventures. “There’s a huge amount of work to do, he said, to cross the “long revenue desert.”

The potential is big, but the risks are huge.

“There are really only 15 or 20 people in the world” who will make or break quantum computing, said Matt Johnson, CEO of QC Ware, a startup that is building a commercial software package for quantum computing.

Quantum computing was ten years away 20 years ago, said Vijay Pande, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and it still is. But eventually, he said, it will make a leap and take the computing world by surprise.

“For generation after generation, the quantum computer will be way slower than the classic machine,” he said. But its rate of evolution is “hyper exponential, so suddenly, in some ‘n’ years, it will jump over the classic machine. The real question is when will this transition happen.”

“It’s hard to talk about the market if I don’t even know what the algorithms are.” —Vijay Pande, Andreessen Horowitz

He had some predictions along that ten-year timeline. Within 10 years, for certain limited disciplines, he says, quantum computers will dominate. New algorithms will be developed to use them—algorithms that aren’t currently being developed for classic computers because it would be pointless to run them. Why? They would be just too slow.

But, he said, this all makes it very difficult to address quantum computing as a venture capitalist. “It’s hard to talk about the market if I don’t even know what the algorithms are.” 

Bill Coughran, a Sequoia Capital partner and former senior vice president of engineering at Google, said that, as an investor, “I’ve struggled with the question whether quantum computing is development or still research. VC firms think [along] a ten-year time horizon, not 20 or 30 years. Are we on the cusp of a breakthrough?”

The question, he says, “is still open.”

Startups have formed, however, with venture money behind them. Johnson’s software startup, QC Ware, is betting “that the people building the hardware will get it [to the point] that our software is useful.”

Christopher Savoie, CEO of startup Zapata Computing, is betting that chemistry will be the first field to benefit from quantum computing, and is developing algorithms for drug discovery and chemical design.

These two, and six more startups, are part of the IBM Q Network, an organization launched in late 2017 to accelerate the development of practical applications for quantum computing.

“Most prominent teams today are built around people with strong academic track records, but those are not always the ideal teams with which to build real companies.” —Bill Coughran, Sequia Capital

And Sequoia has made an investment in a quantum startup, Quantum Circuits, just in case the answer to Coughran’s question about whether quantum computing is on the cusp of a breakthrough is yes. But Coughran has still another concern.

“Most prominent teams today,” he said, “are built around people with strong academic track records, but those are not always the ideal teams with which to build real companies.”

IBM’s Anthony Annunziata, leader of the IBM Q Network, admitted that, to date, there are no commercial applications of quantum computing that beat conventional computing. “We are at the point of getting quantum ready. We like to think that we are on the cusp of emerging, of moving out of pure science,” he said. “The era of the quantum advantage is still a few years out; it’s hard to see how many.”

It’s not the right time “to go all in, to put tens of millions of dollars into this,” Annunziata continued. “But it’s exciting enough, things are progressing well enough, that [every tech organization] should have at least one person who is your quantum person, who can learn the basics and take it from there.”

Is it Time for Quantum Computing Startups? Maybe syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com

[stuckyart]

RARE Sequoia Ware Lime Green Atomic Mid Century Eames Chip & Dip Set 3 pc 750B 750A - California Pottery

[newstfionline]

T-Shirts, Toilet Paper and Rotten Mangoes. This Chinese App Sells It All.

By Raymond Zhong, NY Times, July 25, 2018

BEIJING--Apple, Gucci, Tesla. Many Chinese shoppers love their top-shelf brands.

But another big slice of the population goes gaga for a 40-cent pair of earrings, a $1.50 wireless smartphone charger and 50 rolls of toilet paper for $4.75.

These are the shoppers on Pinduoduo, a Chinese app that drew close to 350 million customers in the past year, more than the entire population of the United States. Its parent company is expected to list shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange on Thursday, just three years into its existence.

The lightning-fast ascent of Pinduoduo (pronounced a bit like “PING-daw-daw”) suggests that China is not done producing high-flying internet upstarts, despite the vast reach of incumbents such as Alibaba. It also illustrates the clout of an underserved category of Chinese consumers.

They live outside the country’s prosperous megacities, in the cities, towns and hamlets that over a billion Chinese call home. They skew older, less internet savvy. And they absolutely cannot resist a bargain, even if the stuff they’re buying isn’t exactly top of the line.

In the southern city of Foshan, Li Tianqiang and his wife sell rice noodles and other breakfast food out of a three-wheeled truck to hungry factory workers. Over the past two years, Mr. Li, 45, has bought nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise on Pinduoduo--the equivalent of around two months’ income for him. Among his purchases: an inflatable paddle boat, a fishing bag and a cherry-red motorized car for his young daughter to drive around.

Mr. Li knows he is a little addicted. And regretted purchases? He has a few.

Some were made out of curiosity. In other cases, the items were of such lousy quality that he threw them out after they arrived. The toys he has bought for his daughter--including dolls, a violin and a keyboard--have been particularly bad, he said.

It is all so inexpensive, though, that he said he didn’t mind the occasional misfire.

“It’s nothing, really,” he said of his spending on the app.

For many years, China was a byword for shoddy goods produced at mass scale. But that is changing. Wages are rising, forcing manufacturers to compete on quality. Communist Party leaders want to nurture brands known globally for their innovations. Gadget makers such as Xiaomi and Huawei are investing heavily in design, chasing cool and cachet.

To shop on Pinduoduo, however, is to be reminded that many Chinese consumers still check prices first, and that low-end suppliers remain a big part of the country’s economy. The Pinduoduo app’s main page is a bottomless cascade of groceries, fast fashion, household sundries and electronic bric-a-brac--all carrying wildly improbable price tags.

A pair of stretchy, “Playboy”-brand men’s pants: less than $3. Eleven pounds of rice: $4. A four-pack of boxer briefs printed with an image of a wolf’s head: $2. A purple water kettle with “LOL” written along the bottom: $3. A pink, around-the-neck smartphone stand that lets you lie down and watch videos at the same time: $1. A vibrating electric belt that goes around the midsection and supposedly helps shed fat: $6.

Shipping is always free.

Pinduoduo wants shoppers to involve their online friends in the process. Group orders receive discounts. New users who persuade others to sign up are rewarded with one of a selection of free purchases. Tiny pop-ups within the app provide relentless, real-time updates on what others are buying, creating a sense of urgency. Everyone is getting great deals and you are not.

Between the deliriously strange product selection, the next-to-nothing prices, the barrage of coupons and deals, and the ease with which purchases are made, the experience feels less like shopping and more like playing a shopping video game. In regulatory filings, the company calls the app “a combination of Costco and Disneyland.”

Pinduoduo started operations only in 2015. The app is a platform for merchants to sell products: Sellers pay for their wares to be promoted on the app, and pay a fee for each sale. The company, which is based in Shanghai, has grown swiftly enough to attract powerful backers including the venture firm Sequoia Capital and the Chinese internet giant Tencent. It expects to raise $1.4 billion in this week’s share offering. That would give the company a valuation of more than $20 billion.

Because it offers so much cheap stuff, however, Pinduoduo is still way behind its rivals in the total value of goods sold. The company, which is unprofitable, said that its average shopper spent less than $90 on the platform last year. That translates into revenue per shopper of a dollar and change.

“This is the lowest quality of traffic you can get,” said Steven Zhu, an analyst in Shanghai with the research firm Pacific Epoch. And if older people are driving Pinduoduo’s popularity, Mr. Zhu added, then its prospects for long-term growth are grim by default.

The platform has also been accused of being awash with knockoff products. Last week, the company was sued for trademark infringement in the United States.

Pinduoduo declined to comment. But in its filings with stock regulators, the company said it immediately removed counterfeits from the app. And this year, the company’s founder, a former Google engineer named Colin Huang, described his philosophy on price versus quality to the Chinese business magazine Caijing.

His own mother complained to him when two of the nine mangoes she had bought for $1.50 on the app turned up rotten, Mr. Huang told Caijing. Still, he said, she continued to use Pinduoduo. “If you can buy seven good mangoes for $1.50, you’re not losing out,” he said.

For the most part, Kang Xia agrees. Ms. Kang, a 52-year-old retiree in the southwestern city of Chengdu, has used Pinduoduo to buy shoes, clothes, gadgets--“quite a lot,” she said, although the quality isn’t always great.

This spring, she got stung by two bad purchases. First, there was a $5 wardrobe with colorful fabric panels and a “real wood” frame. One touch was all she needed to realize the thing was no good. Then she bought a chiffon skirt with a floral pattern--less than $6, including a yellow T-shirt to wear with it--that arrived with a jagged tear down the side.

Ms. Kang said she is now less likely to buy things on Pinduoduo solely because they are cheap. But she still looks at the app every day.

But Pinduoduo does not have to be stuck in the bargain bin forever, said Tian X. Hou, founder of T. H. Data Capital, a research firm in Beijing. Now that it has used low prices to attract so many users, it can do as Alibaba did and go premium.

“Once you have this trust, you can grow out of the current business and create a new business,” Ms. Hou said.

That might turn off the most fervent deal hunters. But it could raise Pinduoduo’s profile among other consumers.

Zhang Huajin, 34, a manager at a tech company in Guangzhou, bought an iPhone 7 Plus on Pinduoduo this month. Or he thought he did. What arrived was a smartphone, but it was not made by Apple.

Mr. Zhang got his money back, though. And if Pinduoduo improves quality control and helps big brands sell directly on the app, he will probably buy from there again, he said.

[kathryntrattner]

Road Trip Essentials

"roads were made for journeys not destinations."  -- Confucius

Once a month we try to squeeze in an adventure; a day trip, long weekend, or a vacation based around work or fencing tournaments.

Over the last couple of years we’ve seen a lot of Oklahoma and driven more miles than I can count packed into two or three days in other states. So we end up spending a lot of time in the car. We plan lots of stops ahead of time, interesting abandoned buildings and waterfalls and hikes and stunning views. But there’s still lots of time between places.

We stay off the interstates as much as possible, sticking to state highways and back roads. We always stumble across something wonderful off the beaten path. But there are lots of places with no cell reception or places to eat so planning the adventure ahead of time is a must. These are the things I make sure we have before we hit the road.

Road Trip Must Haves:

• a road atlas - I love maps. Not only are they handy if you don’t have service on your phone or you don’t have GPS but you get to see all the little things you might miss otherwise. Half the state parks we’ve stopped at over the years we saw on the map and made a detour to visit.

• ice chest & picnic basket with plastic ware - cuts down on making stops for food and drinks. 

• snacks - we always bring apples, carrots, almonds, chips, and something sweet.

• lunch - sandwiches, nothing too fancy and super easy to put together. I've never been in the habit of making them ahead of time but it would be a time saver.

• drinks - our trips are fueled by orange Monster energy drinks and water.

• wet wipes - I never packed these until I had kids. After that I realized how awesome and useful they are and keep some in the picnic basket.

• hand sanitizer - for too many reasons to list.

• bag for trash - just because.

• extra socks - I once decided that wading into a freezing stream in February was a good idea. But I got to stick my feet in dinosaur tracks so it was totally worth it.

• hand warmers - we once drove from Oklahoma City to Big Bend National Park on the Texas/Mexico border in two days. It was the middle of December and an ice storm hit while we were there (and no matter what I’m always cold). I’m not sure why these were in my backpack to start with but I was thankful they were there. I ended up with one in each glove and one in each boot. Since then I make sure there are a few on every trip.

• chapstick - I have them stashed everywhere. There’s no such thing as too many.

• eye drops - always handy even if you don't wear contacts.

• sunscreen - because you don’t want skin cancer.

• Your Guide to the National Parks: the Complete Guide to All 59 National Parks - I love this book. I bought it for a California trip knowing we'd be squeezing in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles, and Death Valley National Parks in just a few days. It's a great book and it lists the places that are must see and how much time each hike takes. I can't recommend it enough.

• Tylenol or Ibuprofen - just in case. 

• band aids - even if you don't use them it's better to have them. And saying that now makes me realize it's a very mom thing to say. 

So what about you? What do you always pack? Anything you wish you’d remember to bring?

[herbertandwilks]

Monday had us driving from Queenstown to Dunedin which meant we were able to call into Cromwell to finally put a face to an email and meet Gail who has Sequoia Fine Wares which is located in Cromwell's picturesque Heritage Precinct. . Wow Sequoia is stunning, it is definitely worth a visit and while you are there check out my Jewellery. . . . #SallyHerbert #contemporaryjewellery #supportlocal #cromwellheritageprecinct #placestovisitinNZ @seqoia_finewares (at Auckland, New Zealand) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMdXGlPMcXl/?igshid=1cal6rm8jq3yi

[nurulhasanblr]

Ecommerce fascinating facts

11 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ECOMMERCE

eCommerce is a beautiful thing. People can buy almost anything and everything thanks to businesses offering their wares on websites like those supported by eCommerce website development services.

You can freely buy clothes, tech, food, drink, even cars online – the list is endless, and it’s all accessible with the click of a button.

Shopping online is now a multi-billion-pound industry that is undeniably a major part of our everyday lives. With that in mind, we thought we would throw a kind of celebration together in the form of 11 interesting facts about the world of eCommerce for you all to enjoy.

So, in true homage to one of the most important everyday elements of lives across the globe in these modern times, check out this collection of fascinating facts about all things eCommerce-related…

Pizza Hut Were Pioneers

The renowned pizza giants first started offering online ordering on its website twenty-three years ago, in 1994.

eCommerce Growth Is Global

India claims the top spot for the country with the fastest growing eCommerce market globally. At the other end of the scale, France takes the wooden spoon for the slowest eCommerce growth.

Groupon’s Bold Move Was Right

Seven years ago in 2010, Groupon opted to reject Google’s $6 billion offer and became an IPO the next year.

The Social Media Boom

In the last five years, online sales from social networks have recorded a growth of 93%, consulting firm Booz & Company claim.

The Godfather Of Online Shopping

Michael Aldrich… know that name? Well, by simply connecting a modified domestic television with a phone line, Mr Aldrich invented online shopping in 1979.

eCommerce Was Born In The USA

CompuServe unveiled the Electronic Mall in the USA and Canada in April 1984,  making it the first comprehensive electronic commerce service. five years later, in 1989: Sequoia Data Corp. announced the arrival of Compumarket. This became the first internet-based system for eCommerce the world had seen.

Amazon Played The Long Game

Amazon was officially unveiled to the public back in 1995. However, they didn’t record their first yearly profit until EIGHT years later in 2003.

The Curse Of Mandatory Account Registration

Due to mandatory account registration, 26% of online shoppers will abandon their shopping carts.

Blockbuster: The History-Makers

Blockbuster – remember them? They were the first official online subscription service in 2004 with a focus on films of course.

The Power Of Persuasion

In the region of 46% of online consumers rely on social media when making a decision on their purchases.

Online Or Bricks And Mortar?

A whopping 71% of shoppers believe they’ll grab a far better deal online compared to shopping in high street stores.

https://www.n2rtechnologies.com/ecommerce-website-development-company