#the worl building is NEXT LEVEL??

[irondeficientf3r0ck]

read the delicious in dungeon manga!!

[igpaigeexo]

Diverse Legacy Sims 4 Challenge

Introduction

Welcome to the "Diverse Lifestyles" Legacy Challenge! This challenge spans 12 generations, each with a unique focus on different lifestyles, family dynamics, and animal care. Get ready to explore a variety of ways to live, from urban to rural, and everything in between.

Rules

Start with a single Sim who has the "Animal Enthusiast" trait.

Each generation must complete their specific goals before moving on to the next generation.

Mods and cheats are not allowed, except for aesthetic purposes.

Pets must be well taken care of and should not be neglected.

Generations

Generation 1: The City Dweller

Your founder loves the hustle and bustle of city life. They aspire to build a successful career while keeping a pet in their apartment.

Traits: Ambitious, Outgoing, Animal Enthusiast

Aspiration: City Native

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the chosen career.

Live in an apartment in the city.

Adopt a pet and ensure it thrives in the city environment.

Generation 2: The Suburban Family

This Sim dreams of a perfect suburban life with a big family and a yard full of pets.

Traits: Family-Oriented, Cheerful, Dog Lover

Aspiration: Super Parent

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Parenting skill.

Have at least three children.

Adopt a dog and ensure it becomes a beloved family member.

Generation 3: The Rural Farmer

This generation embraces the quiet life of the countryside, focusing on farming and livestock care.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Green Thumb, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Country Caretaker

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Gardening and Cooking skills.

Own and take care of cows, llamas, and chickens.

Grow a large and diverse garden.

Generation 4: The Wildlife Explorer

This Sim has a passion for exploring the wild and studying animals in their natural habitats.

Traits: Adventurous, Loves Outdoors, Cat Lover

Aspiration: Jungle Explorer

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Archaeology and Fitness skills.

Travel to Selvadorada and complete the Jungle Explorer aspiration.

Adopt a cat and ensure it accompanies you on your adventures.

Generation 5: The Eco-Friendly Innovator

This generation is dedicated to living sustainably and inventing new eco-friendly solutions.

Traits: Green Fiend, Genius, Maker

Aspiration: Eco Innovator

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Fabrication and Handiness skills.

Create and maintain a sustainable home.

Adopt a pet and ensure it lives in an eco-friendly environment.

Generation 6: The Equestrian Enthusiast

This Sim has a deep love for horses and dreams of becoming a top equestrian.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Active, Ambitious

Aspiration: Horse Whisperer

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Riding and Fitness skills.

Own and train at least two horses.

Win at least five equestrian competitions.

Generation 7: The Artist in the Countryside

This generation finds inspiration in nature and pursues a career in the arts while living in a rural setting.

Traits: Creative, Loves Outdoors, Cat Lover

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Painting and Photography skills.

Create a collection of nature-inspired artwork.

Adopt a cat and feature it in your artwork.

Generation 8: The Urban Socialite

This Sim thrives in the social scene of the city, balancing a busy social life with pet care.

Traits: Outgoing, Materialistic, Dog Lover

Aspiration: Party Animal

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Charisma and Mixology skills.

Host at least 10 social events.

Adopt a dog and ensure it is well taken care of.

Generation 9: The Academic Scholar

This generation is focused on academic achievement and research, with a special interest in animals.

Traits: Genius, Bookworm, Animal Enthusiast

Aspiration: Academic

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Research & Debate and Logic skills.

Complete a degree at university.

Adopt a pet and conduct research on its behavior.

Generation 10: The Celebrity Influencer

This Sim uses their fame to advocate for animal rights and promote different lifestyles.

Traits: Self-Absorbed, Outgoing, Good

Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Media Production and Charisma skills.

Gain at least 1 million followers on social media.

Adopt a pet and feature it in your content.

Generation 11: The Wilderness Survivalist

This Sim prefers living off the grid and mastering survival skills in the wild.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Loner, Self-Assured

Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Herbalism and Fishing skills.

Live off the grid and avoid modern conveniences.

Adopt a pet and ensure it thrives in the wilderness.

Generation 12: The Family Legacy Keeper

This generation focuses on preserving the family legacy and ensuring the well-being of future generations.

Traits: Family-Oriented, Ambitious, Good

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Goals:

Reach level 10 in the Parenting and Charisma skills.

Have at least four children.

Adopt a pet and ensure it becomes part of the family legacy.

Conclusion

Complete all the goals for each generation to successfully finish the "Diverse Lifestyles" Legacy Challenge. Enjoy the journey and create lasting memories with your Sims and their beloved pets!

[kyndaris]

Blessed Mother

The Diablo series has always had a soft spot in my heart ever since I played the second game back when I was 12 at the behest of a few school friends. Yes, it was MA15+ and I probably shouldn’t have been playing it at that age but I managed to convince my father to buy me it, one of a thousand cherished memories that I had with him, because I was already hooked on Blizzard’s other games: Warcraft and Starcraft. So began my descent into the terrifying world of Sanctuary and humanity’s quest to purge the evils that stalk its land.

Unlike its other major franchises, Diablo is an action role-playing game. Or, ARPG for short. But for many, it’s known as the one game that helps most people develop repetitive strain injury (RSI) because of the constant clicking that goes throughout the gameplay.

Diablo IV continues in this vein as very little of the core gameplay has changed. The playable character moves around by clicking the mouse to a specific spot on the map. The playable character attacks by clicking on enemies. Occasionally, one can mix it up with a variety of other skills by pressing something on the number pad.

That is, of course, if you play Diablo IV on the computer. The controls might be a little different on consoles but I’ve always found that the best way to play isometric click-heavy ARPGs on computer.

Besides, I didn’t get a heavy-duty PC just to write my stories. I mean, yes, that is the primary purpose but not the sole reason. I do use it occasionally to play video games that seem best suited for the PC. Why, just recently, I even bought an external SSD to possibly install Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield because these games require an SSD. And while my PC does have an SSD installed, since I bought my PC about five years ago, the storage on it is only about 256GB with quite a bit of it taken up by...well...normal PC function.

How was I supposed to know that game development would go towards SSD? I’m not a TECH expert with a pulse on the ground when it comes to new technology although my work colleagues think differently.

Anyways, back to the game at hand: Diablo IV.

While I was excited to re-enter the world of Sanctuary following the events of Diablo III and the interesting premise promised by the trailers regarding Lilith, it is my personal opinion that opening up the world only served to damage the game. While some might enjoy having an open world to explore, I personally found the countless cellars and dungeons repetitive. With level scaling and how quickly I managed to level up to 50, much of Diablo IV felt much the same. Especially when I’d unlocked all the skills that could fill my skill hotbar.

True, I could have respecced my character but there wasn’t much need for it with my storm wolf druid. It was an effective DPS machine and with the added ability to fortify at the end, I was essentially unkillable in the lower world tiers. Especially when I began to be level past the recommend threshold.

Open worlds, it must be said, used to be one of my favourite game builds. However, as worlds have become larger with needless collectibles to fill out the world, they have also become some of my most hated elements because I’m a compulsive explorer - always desperate to check out the next nook or cranny in case of side quests or something interesting. Diablo IV proved infuriating in this respect as it had so many side quests but no way to track the ones you’d completed except with a ?/45 on the world map. This made knowing which side quests I’d completed difficult to keep track of and figure out which ones I was still missing.

For a completionist such as myself, it was a nightmare. 

Even as I attempted to get most of the blue exclamation marks that I could find. It doesn’t help that they also only appear if you’re in that particular segment of the map, which makes it even harder to mop out unless I decided to hop between fast travel portals.

Despite this, I can see why the developers decided to go for an open world. After all, Diablo end-game (at least from 3 onwards) has always been about collecting the best gear and becoming stronger than you were before. Slap on live-service with battlepass and it’s a winning formula to become an endless grind quest. 

A part of me almost wanted to shake the developers and have them turn the franchise into a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) for it appears to be the direction that the franchise is going. Should it go down this route, I’d also be happy for it to ditch the isometric focus on the ground. 

Alternatively, Activision Blizzard, you could also scale it back down. At least for the story segments and have it opened up afterwards. I much prefer the more compact nature of Diablo II, where I was free to explore the map of the immediate area, kill all the enemies it contained and be awed by the majesty of how large the world COULD be rather than be faced with all the open space and respawning enemies. Which, also, only seem to attack the playable character rather than have any real conflict amongst themselves.

Are you honestly telling me that the demons and the snake cultists wouldn’t fight each other or the hellspawn-esque willdlife?

Honestly, I pity the people still alive on Sanctuary. It’s clear that they can get nothing done without being mobbed by an endless amount of bandits, goatmen, cultists and demons.

Yes, it works from a gameplay perspective but it SUCKS from a world-building perspective. The people of Sanctuary might as well give up and succumb to the end if all they have to look forward to is being eaten alive by cannibals that are just outside their gates.

Now, most of my readers, and friends, would know that I love myself a good story. And Diablo IV delivered it, especially at the start. Lilith’s arrival in Sanctuary was suitably chilling and the prologue with the people at Nevesk laid the ground work for what I had hoped would be an interesting throughline of the greyness that encompasses real-life morality and perhaps have the playable character struggle with the implications of ingesting Lilith’s blood.

But did we get any of that?

No. No, we didn’t.

The playable character serves as a patsy to link up the other main characters: Lorath, Donan and Nyrelle. It is never explained why the playable character is so strong, tearing through demons left, right and centre as they traipse through Estuar (the eastern continent of Sanctuary). Or how they seem able to resist the influence of Lilith’s blood in their veins. Even Lorath is amazed at their mental fortitude but it’s never truly explored. I never see my character waver in their convictions although there is a scene where they confess to Nyrelle that they have flaws.

WHERE ARE THESE FLAWS? All that the playable character does is help out those that need it and shout defiance at the demons of Hell.

I would have preferred a story with more player choice and to see us grapple with the consequences of our actions. Instead, most of the major decisions were made by other characters and the player character was simply along for the ride as the hired muscle. 

It would have been far more interesting to me if we could have chosen to follow Lilith rather than stop her and allow Mephisto to do what he will upon Sanctuary. I mean, with that ending, there is little doubt in my mind that the world will be drenched in Hatred. A rather frightening prospect although it’s no different to the world we live in today. And while we fight amongst ourselves, the world as we know it steps ever closer to the edge with climate change wreaking havoc.

Let it be known that our current civilisation was laid low by our own hubris and the fact that we had grown fat and indolent on greed that thinking to change our ways to ensure our own survival came second to materialistic objects.

But enough of the doom and gloom! Diablo IV! 

Personally, while I am fascinated with the lore of the Diablo franchise, this recent game left me wanting. I would have much preferred a more engaging story where the playable character didn’t sit on the sidelines as the other characters decided the fate of the world. In fact, I’d have rather a slow-burn corruption story where we step off the path of the lawful good and accept the lesser-evil to save Sanctuary.

Or perhaps have us turn away from the Light entirely and fight against the Heavens for their callous disregard of humans.

At this point, I probably have a corruption kink. 

Wait. What are you doing?

No. Don’t look at that!

...

...

...

Okay, yes. Voldemort x Hermione Granger and Voldermort x Harry Potter are a few of the things that I like to peruse on the odd occasion. No, I won’t explain myself.

All right. Where were we? Ah, right. BALANCE!

For all its talk of balance, Diablo IV very much likes to paint things in black and white. Lilith, the Mother of Sanctuary, has an evil plan to cull the weak. As such, we must stop her even if it would open us up to the Greater Evils. Elias, because he brought the Mother back, is also evil despite his intention to save Sanctuary because of the ongoing threat.

As for the Angels, well, they’ve all apparently abandoned humanity. They might not have voted to destroy Sanctuary but they are doing nothing to combat the threat of the Greater Evils in the world. 

Tyrael, a mainstay of the last two games, is absent in Diablo IV and its difficult to understand why.

In any case, if Activision Blizzard ever saw fit to paint out a little more of the world, I would have liked to play a game where the playable character deals with the corruption of the Zakarum by Mephisto. 

Or maybe if we finally saw a few demons turn to the light. 

Why is it that angels can fall but demons remain forever in the depths of Hell?

Despite quite a few gripes regarding Diablo IV, I still enjoyed the majority of the game. My only wish was that it was more concise without so many open-world shenanigans thrown in to elongate the longevity of the game. Yes, there will be  a large group of people that will enjoy the end-game portion of it, but for those that thrive on story, the open world proves to be detrimental to one’s enjoyment. Especially when the world is so utterly grim. 

And I think the wider question that needs to be asked is if Sanctuary ought to be saved or not.

[script-a-world]

NaNoWorldo - NaNoWriMoWorldBuilding for Pantsers

When you’re a pantser (as in “writing by the seat of your”), SFF presents a particular challenge. One of the main keys to good world building is consistency, but that’s hard to maintain when you’re throwing things in as you go. So with NaNoWriMo around the corner, here are a few tips for building the best setting you can when you’re working without a map.

Start with the big questions. Laying out a loose framework will help keep things in the right ballpark as you’re improvising later. This includes things like:

Broadly speaking, what’s the magic system? (This TV Tropes page offers a good breakdown of the general types of magic; falling down the TV Tropes hole can be a fairly productive way for pantsers to spend October, as long as you try to stick to things that might be useful for your own story.)

What limitations does the magic have?

What’s the tech level?

Are there any physical features of the world that might impact the story?

Broadly speaking, what’s the social structure? (Patriarchal/matriarchal, clans and tribes, kingdoms, democracy, egalitarian or rigidly divided, etc.)

Build a story bible as you go. Your story bible is all the reference material that helps you keep track of the various elements of your world and plot. (More thorough discussion of that concept [here].) Planners tend to make them in advance, but pantsers can have them too! The trick is to make a note of things as you’re writing--not necessarily in the moment if you’re in a good drafting groove, but when you’re reading back over things, like at the end of your writing session or the beginning of your next one, jot down any specifics you mentioned in a separate document. This will make it easier to refer back to things later without having to dig through the whole manuscript.

Steal from the real world. Trying to keep all the locations straight in your cyberpunk city but don’t want to build a map from scratch? Pick a real city with similar geographic elements, cross off the names of its buildings, and start plugging in your own locations. You can change things up as needed to suit your story, and you can go back later and file the serial numbers off further so it’s not obvious to anyone familiar with that setting. This can be helpful in the pinch especially for visual thinkers.

When stealing from the real world, plan for the pitfalls first. If you’re wanting to write, say, a fantasy version of feudal Japan, do some basic searches for things like “how not to write Japanese characters” or “misconceptions about feudal Japan”. This doesn’t mean you won’t mess things up, but it will make it more likely that those things will be fixable, and not baked into the foundations of the story.

Leave signposts for your revisions. If you need to refer back to a detail and it didn’t make it into your story bible, you don’t necessarily have to go spelunking back through the draft. Make notes either in a separate document (“confirm hair colors in Chapter 27”), or use your preferred marker within the text (I like square brackets, but anything that wouldn’t be used in the normal prose will do) to indicate that something will need to be fixed when you go back through (“King [whatshisface]”).

When in doubt, go back to your characters. Readers latch onto emotions and interesting people, so keep your focus there. If something doesn’t impact your characters, it’s not worth going into a ton of detail on it. Especially if you’re in a pinch, make the choices about the setting that will provide the most opportunity for conflict and character development. You can always go back and look for the common denominators later.

Infodumps are ok for a first draft. No one wants and info dump in the final product, but in NaNoWri, it's word count and speed. Just discovered as you're writing that your MC is a werewolf? Dump everything about werewolves and werewolf transformation into the scene and continue on. You can decide later what's important to that particular scene and if you need to change some facts to make it a little less cliche, which leads to…

That's a December!you problem. If you're discovering your worldbuilding as you go, don't worry about going back and fixing or changing things as you make decisions. Keep forging ahead with your writing and go back later (i.e. after November is over) to add in the foreshadowing or make something conform to your magical/technological rules.

That last bit is probably the most important: you can always fix it later. NaNoWriMo is for pushing through to the end of a draft. That might mean reverse-engineering explanations for your cool ideas when you rewrite, and that’s fine! Don’t let perfect world building be the enemy of good progress.

(Mod Miri note: thanks Constablewrites for getting this post idea up and organized, and the Pylons for contributing. Best wishes on your projects!)

[hillbillied]

i found your post about andy and eddie's kinks from a couple of years ago and i was just wondering do you have any updated thoughts?

firstly, thank you anon!! I love writing these two!!

secondly fuck, I left this ask in the ‘box for a while because, double fuck, I couldn’t think of any kinks I hadn’t included in the OG post!! I am very sorry for the delay!

(I had to read through them to check, still crispy if I do say so... let’s see what else we can get in there. god I could go on a whole bunch more about the ones from the OG post lmao my fave losers in love having great sex!)

The Secret Kinks of Andrew Haldane and his Lieutenant, Edward Jones (pt.II)

(highly nsfw, 18+ only)

I’m gonna rag on Andy’s exhibitionism kink a little louder than before because it’s so embarrassing. going to the cinema is a chore because Andy doesn’t have the patience for long movies and he really can’t get behind anything that’s not a really fucking hilarious comedy or a truly gripping drama. anything even a little lacklustre (most of what’s on in the 50s) has his gaze wondering elsewhere

the amount of times Eddie has been enjoying his movie experience (he loves movies, btw, he didn’t get to go to many as a kid – think Gunny-level attention in the scene where the marines are watching For Whom the Bell Tolls) and suddenly a hand is brushing his knee. he can’t help but roll his eyes because Andy, good lord, can’t you enjoy the plot for five-fucking-minutes?

luckily for Andy, he’s got a semi-indulgent boyfriend or at least a condoning one; either Eddie will lift his longs legs and put them over Andy’s lap, teasing him with the weight whilst simultaneously giving him some cover to enjoy himself (in no relation to the movie) – or, if he’s feeling generous and equally turned on, he’ll give his stupid fucking would-be husband a hand so he can go back to his popcorn. Eddie’s got skilled fingers and only makes eye contact with his flustered, heavy-breathing boyfriend in scathing glances to show his “disapproval”

car sex is as normal to the two of them as breathing. it started fairly uncreative and vanilla, just screwing in the one long seat of Hillbilly’s pickup. it’s a little on the tight side but Eddie’s more flexible than many would believe. Andy loves having two hands just under his knees, pushing his thighs up against his chest so he can fuck him nice and deep. it has Eddie’s toes curling and his teeth gritted and colourful curses dripping out the cracked window (no AC means a real sweaty cab)

that, or Hillbilly will be riding Andy passenger side. he likes smoking in his car and he likes riding Ack Ack’s cock, so this is a win-win scenario. the leverage from the seat means he can light up while rolling his hips, humming around the cigarette. it’s an erotic sight for sure; Andy has to cover his eyes with his hand while laughing out a breathless “shit, Eddie…”

romantic evenings include soft kisses and mutual handjobs in the truck bed, after giving up on star gazing. less romantic evenings include parking somewhere discreet (or… not, because Andy’s exhibitionism is a nightmare and the 60s were pretty wild) to get them both out on the road. there’s sweaty handprints on the hood where Andy has Eddie bent over it, pinned between his chest and hot metal. it’s some of the hardest, roughest sex they have, and Andy usually uses Eddie’s t-shirt for leverage, something to twist into an psudo-harness to pull him back against his dick. Hillbilly likes to growl out threats – “you stain m’ car, Andy, I’ll fuckin’ kill you” – but it’s all a ruse to cover how there’s sweat dripping from his curls and how his pants for air are turning into moans and how he’s the one staining the tire where he’s cum, hard enough to have him flat out over the hood and gasping

this is all while the car is parked, of course. Andy loves giving Eddie head while he’s driving. it’s lucky Hillbilly’s had to drive bigger, scarier machines than a Ford, honestly. his disapproval (fake, every time) is portrayed where he grabs Andy’s hair and forces his cock down his throat. “Cop car” he’ll say, “gotta stay down”. he’s a lying sack of shit but it’s worth the sin to glance down at Andy when he lets him pull back, spittle running from his tongue and his coughing turning to a gasp then a moan in quick succession. it’s really difficult for Eddie not to grin super wide and push Andy’s head back down for more

(side note: Andy’s a service top so he gives great head, none of this fake dom shit. they each say the other gives it better because they are both weak for one another and stupidly in love)

gags become a thing after a while. Andy is an expert at introducing/asking about bedroom ideas without being condescending and he knows he has to decipher Eddie’s interest without it sounding like he wants him to shut the fuck up. (he does not, he loves everything that comes out of Hillbilly’s mouth, from stone-cold threat to lazy joke to breathless groan)

but a thing they do become. (it starts with Andy shoving a couple of fingers in Eddie’s mouth to “keep quiet”, an old familiar trick from the war, and it snowballs from there) so the next time Andy’s bent over Eddie, facing him and maybe got his hands pinned above his head, and Eddie decides to let off a quip, Ack Ack stops. slows his motions and pretends to think, then reaches for his master plan. the first time, it’s just fabric, shoved into Hillbilly’s mouth. his pink cheeks (from semi-annoyance or embarrassment, not sure) and deep frown and almost-offended stare are fucking priceless

(Andy buys a proper gag, one Eddie can bite down on. one he can grab the back of and pull Hillbilly’s head back with so he can kiss his neck, tell him how fucking hot his moans are when they’re all he can make)

collars slip in there somewhere. they’re not sure where that came from but there’s a suspicion it may have come from the wholesome conversation about adopting a dog (which they both want to do they’re just terrified of going to pick one and falling in love with more and then what are they gonna do?? have fifty dogs?? but I digress)

Andy’s not one to be embarrassed of his sex purchases but he was definitely scratching his neck when he bought it. luckily, his boyfriend can read him like a goddamn book. the man likes being in control, sure, dominating the room in his own masterful way, definitely – that doesn’t change the look of complete adoration that takes Andy’s features when Eddie buckles the collar around his neck

it fits well with Andy’s orgasm denial kink. he doesn’t do it to Eddie much (he’s got enough kinky shit he can do to him) but Hillbilly definitely does it to him. it’s a treat to test Andy’s self-restraint and not with any bondage. Eddie’s a very patient man, used to unfulfilling sex prior to Ack Ack, so he’s got all the time in the world. he loves making Andy wait, teasing him with a grip around the base of his cock. he gets a cock ring for him later, when his tight grip isn’t cutting it anymore

there’s nothing better than watching Andy’s thighs tremble, sat on his own hands on a chair, desperately keeping his cool while Hillbilly carefully lowers himself onto his cock (Eddie uses that collar to get him to look him in the eye)

they usually can’t be bothered with food play (“Food is f’ eatin’, Andrew, not wastin’.”) but there’s occasional things. Andy has a tendency to take Eddie’s fingers in his mouth and lick them clean, whether from an accidental or purposely spillage. he doesn’t really care what’s on them so long as it’s edible and he can watch Hillbilly’s lip curl watching him

Eddie’s definitely done a “spillage” of his own once or twice. except his are obvious, just how he likes them; he’ll straight up pour a splash of beer on his dick and invite Andy to come lap it up. his house, his rules and all. Andy always obliges

Eddie gives a great spit ‘n shine to boots, Andy’s found. he loves demanding Eddie get on his knees and do the daily duties he learned as a marine, making sure his captain’s uniform is in order. (slightly funny if Ack Ack’s not wearing anything but his boots while saying it, but he can live with that) having Hillbilly look up at him – “Like this, Skipper?” - as he runs his tongue across the leather is more than worth it

Eddie likes tearing open clothes, though he feels really, really bad about it. it’s obvious it turns him on because Andy loses a lot of shirt buttons over the years. (they sew them back on together, which is nice, gotta know how to mend and make do. Eddie actually knows a lot about cross stitch and Andy adores learning from him)

one time Andy’s waving his ass Eddie’s way, has been for a whole morning whilst they were gardening, potting flowers, weeding the lawn, working, Andy, we’re busy – so it’s just been a build up of hard-ons and no time to deal with them. and they’re wearing old clothes for the task, threadbare jeans. (that used to be Eddies, even the ones on Andy’s ass) so when Hillbilly finally presses up against Andy, bites his ear, and grabs his pants with both hands - he just pulls. they tear open and Andy feels Eddie shudder against him (shortly before he feels Hillbilly’s cock pushing inside him but that’s just a massive bonus)

Andy’s an indulgent boyfriend so he buys underwear and pants on the cheap and waves them Eddie’s way. the “rippables” as he calls them. made to be ripped, end of. no hard feelings, good riddance to them

I said they were too lazy for bondage because they can just pin each other and I stand by it; it remains a special thing. one of the ‘hardcore’ things, like the belt and gun play. mainly because, while they can actually pin each other down quite effectively with limited wiggle room, there’s still the ability to y’know, headbutt each other. because they’re also both trained in how to flip a guy that grabs you. fatally, if need be

so tying Eddie up (Andy’s always been down to be tied up, blindfolded, etc. by Eddie because he trusts literally one man in the whole world and it’s Edward Jones) is a big thing. because Eddie has had to fuck people up who tried to fight him and his brute strength is what’s gotten him through (finding something capable of realistically holding him is also a struggle in sexual hilarity because fuck, it’s gotta be thick rope or actual police handcuffs)

when Andy asks him about it (and presents the short length of rope he went for because he couldn’t find handcuffs yet) Eddie immediately says yes. because he trusts Andy completely. but he also says not tonight and not every night and not any time he can see it coming. if he works himself up about it, he’ll embarrass himself

when it does happen (Andy’s can read him right back, he knows when), Eddie ends up with his hands tied behind his back. he jokes about Ack Ack’s poor navy knotwork and gets a laugh back. then Andy slow bends him over the bed. that’s all Eddie thought he’d do, which isn’t a bother, long legs are still able to roll away. until Andy kneels down below him, caressing his thigh lovingly, and nudges his legs open. Eddie ends up standing bent over on the mattress with each ankle tied to a leg of their heavy bed frame

it’s a lot but Andy takes his time, kisses his way up from Eddie’s calf all the way to the back of his neck, keeping a hand pressed to his inner thigh. the tremble there is aroused and overwhelmed all in one. the first time, Ack Ack just enjoys giving his boyfriend a nice, slow handjob, supporting himself over Hillbilly so he can feel his weight. it’s amazing to have Eddie coming apart under him, whispering for more until he gets a shaking orgasm, biting the sheets to try and cover how loud he whimpers (it’s too much for Andy, too, and he cums just from rubbing between Eddie’s thighs)

Andy’s trademark aftercare is as excellent as ever and they sit together with some tea on the bed, listen to the radio, Eddie leaning against his chest with two loving arms around him. he asks if next time Ack Ack will fuck him and naturally, Andy just says “if you want me to” while kissing his temple. Hillbilly wipes his face and asks “please”

[cosmicallynightmarish]

The Mirror, Object of the Oceanic Truth

Finally, clarity. I give to you this rather impromptu collection of my understanding of the Mirror, a fundamental concept in both Bloodborne lore and in Oceanic spirituality, or Bloodborne-based PC paganism, at least in my own opinion. 

Two notes before beginning: 1- Capitalised words refer to encompassing concepts, that is to say, for example, the Eye is both the eye as an idea representing ascension, the Truth, the Great Ones - or whatever it may mean to you - and the physical eye itself as ‘one’ thing.  2- The terms “reality”, “self”, and so on are purposely left vague. There are too many ideas based on spirituality and culture and such to include them all, but an intuitive, seemingly-mutual understanding of the word in different contexts works fine.

   Introduction

The Mirror (one of what I have labelled the “three understandings” of Nightmares; a manifestation of Nightmarish speak; a tool of ascension) is perhaps one of the most potent concepts in Nightmarish symbolism. By that, I mean it is a potent physical Key and Nightmarish word, even more so than the Eye, arguably, which is another potent symbol. I would almost say the eye is akin to a loanword or calque-esque translation, though the exact language of origin of that ‘word’ is as debatable as the question of what race first spoke it, where the Mirror is seemingly drawn directly from the Nightmares. Regardless, the eye is a ‘Key’ to the ‘Gate’ of the Truth primarily and a Gate secondarily, whereas the Mirror is more so a Gate while also being a Key.. Both require the metaphorical turning in the lock in the right direction, but one can gain eyes without ascending, whereas it would be rather strange to wander through a mirror without ascension. Similar, very similar; I suppose I can best put it this way: In a world where symbols are the building blocks of reality, the Eye is a symbol of the Truth in the human mind amongst other things, and its potency was bestowed upon it, whereas the Mirror is a deep symbol of everything the Eye represents and is the Eye itself, and more, with its potency great and inherent. The Eye is an image of the Mirror. 

The Mirror can also be seen as an idol of the overarching Nightmare itself, and it becomes especially potent in Oceanic spirituality - that is to say to PC Pagans involved in the world from Earth - as a symbol of the entire Ocean itself.

Now is as appropriate a time as ever to mention this: As time passes, I grow more and more suspicious of the origins of FromSoftware’s creativity in regards to the profoundly complex spiritual webs woven in Nightmarish spirituality and cosmology. Not to say the Ocean - specifically the astral version - existed first, and especially not to discredit the inherent abilities of the developers in developing games, but it is to say that there is something awfully transcendental written in the code of the game, something that continues to unravel rather beautifully as one digs deeper, and deeper, like sacred geometry. 

To finish this introductory part: the Mirror’s symbolism is both directly understandable and translatable, and completely intuitive and unspeakable. I believe that latter part is what I was struggling with. One can stand in front of a mirror all they like and try to reason the glass away, but it takes the subconscious, detached acceptance to step through it without caution. Two sides of the brain, two sides of the mirror, two sides of learned knowledge and the abstract state of understanding. 

   Translations

The Mirror consists of three base things: The truth or reality, the lens or medium, and the lie or unreality. There would be no mirror without reality to reflect, hence why it is included in the concept of the Mirror. These three things change depending on what the mirror represents in each particular form, though as the Mirror as a whole, it is all of these forms and things - and specifically the relationship between those things - simultaneously.  

Some of the translations for “mirror” and its parts are direct comparisons, some are metaphorical, and some involve distortion; after all, not all mirrors in reality are clear and polished, some are twisted, some are even simply pools of dark water, and so on. To give but a few examples for translations of the Nightmarish ‘mirror’..

To note: these are pulled fresh from intuitive understanding. They may not necessarily be the best explanations (nor necessarily in the right order, not to mention necessarily correct), so please feel free to come to your own conclusions. I provide these more as an explanation of the Mirror, not as inherently viable translations. Also, some of these are quite similar, but the distinction is, in my opinion, worth noting.

(reality/light  -  glass, metal  -  image)

‘Human’ Reality: ‘Objective’ reality  -  the senses, the self, so on (glass), the brain (metal)  -  subjective/perceived reality Nightmares seem to be of Pthumerians and.. Smaller humans, but also of the Great Ones, and perhaps of beasts and such. “‘Human’” simply simplifies “conscious beings above a certain perceived level of awareness or “thinking” into one neat word. “’Human’ reality” is memories, emotions, as well as impacts on creatures and on the land, and likely the swelling of spiritual energy at different points of time and space in the ‘objective’ reality. Its importance solidifying it as a form of the Mirror comes directly from its importance to the creation of Nightmares.

The Formed Nightmares: Reality, the already formed (Earth; Pthumerian cities; so on)  -  the dreaming body/mind (the glass, that through which it is seen), the Unformed Nightmare (the metal upon which the image is formed)  -  the Nightmares (the formed image) Nightmares are directly distorted reflections of reality, and, in this case, ‘reality’ is seemingly the aforementioned “Human Reality”, which is a Mirror in itself - the ‘joining’ of subjective and objective reality through the medium of the ‘human’ self. It may be the individual Nightmare’s consciousness talking/creating its own reality, but they tend to focus on ‘human’ reality regardless.  Alternatively: Reality  -  the Nightmare’s consciousness (the glass, which distorts), the Unformed Nightmare (the metal upon which the image is formed)  -  the physical Nightmares (the formed image) In terms of lore, there isn’t an awful lot to back up the idea of the Nightmares being individual consciousnesses as well as planes, and so if one does not believe it then it is ‘human’ reality which defines a Nightmare.

The Ocean: Earth (reality) - Bloodborne (a distorted lens, the manner/metal through which Earth concepts are reflected) (it is also a product of light, the Moon, through glass, and sound, Lord Oedon, through metal) - the Ocean (the unreality based on Earth, which was distorted through the game) Alternatively, depending on what you believe came first, or for fun: The Ocean (the truth) - Earth (the medium through which Bloodborne was made) - Bloodborne (the false image of the Ocean)

The Eye, Symbolic: The external world  -  the lens, the retina  -  the vision Self-explanatory for the most part, I only add that it is a known symbol of the Cosmos. 

The Eye, Truth: The self  -  Internal Eyes (medium)  -  the Nightmares This works both as written and inverted (the Nightmares - Internal Eyes - the self). It is also less literal as it is a translation of the Truth, and one of the more difficult concepts to put into writing, which I can tell you is certainly saying something. Eyes are a means to heightening ‘vision’ - they allow one to ‘see’ more of their surroundings. They allow one to see more of themselves, or of reality itself, they allow a clearer connection between the two. However, ascension through the internal eye requires a sort of liquefying or dissolution of the glass, which is to say it requires that internal eyes are not only connected to the entity but to reality itself. The internal eye cannot be utilised if it does not connect to reality, as ascension and the Truth require a connection. This would have the wondrously fun side effect of, if spoken in Nightmarish/manifested ‘literally’ in the Nightmare, enabling someone to walk freely through a mirror, especially as an acknowledgement of communion with the overarching Nightmare.

   Conclusions, End

How does one use a mirror? As it has always been used, to examine the self. 

The key is knowledge, just like with eyes; of course, though the Nightmares know, and they remember, without knowledge there is no point. An eye is but an eye without the ability to understand. You need only look at the Boars within the Nightmare of Mensis, the Gardens of Eyes, or even the counter of Insight within the Hunter to see that inherently, there is nothing in them that will push you violently towards ascension. The latter example in the Hunters, however, shows the Nightmares’ knowing in how they react to the Insight, the exact ways in which they do so, though, are speculation for elsewhere. All this is to say: eyes are made into Keys, and symbolism in a Nightmare is of the deepest importance; symbolism is words and words are what the Nightmares are symbolically made of. When we write “eyes on the brain” we say “connection to the Dream”, when we write it phonetically with nary a clue as to what we mean, though the Nightmares may gather what we are trying to say, it comes out a jumbled mess. Mirrors are likely not too far from this, but they do not only enable communion, they also inspire knowledge. They come from a profound calling within humans, the very thing that pushes us to ascend: the desire to know ourselves, our place in the world, who and what we are. The seeking of Truth is not a thing of rich scholars with too much time on their hands, it is inherent within us all. This is the Truth: The world is a great, liquid Dream, and we are the dreamers. That turning of the Key inside the Gate - that ‘click’ of sudden understanding - brings forth Lucidity, apotheosis, ascent to the next plane of thought, and godhood over the world to which we are now deeply connected.

Knowledge is the key. Specifically, knowledge of the self and the external reality are the keys to the Truth - not Keys, but that which is essential in the unlocking of the Gate. Where connecting them together, like fusing the eye (signifying the Cosmos) and the brain (signifying the self) is the connecting of the Key to the Gate, knowledge is what enables us to turn the key. Without knowledge, without understanding, the Key and the Gate are but two strange and foreign metal objects with nary a thing in common, excluding the obscure hint in the shape of the lock. 

There is a key in the Nightmare of Mensis, and an out-of-place gateway to a brain covered in eyes, ascended artificially by the School seeking the Celestial Mirror. Three by two, the number of the Cage, holding the Brain within it: a perfect frame for a perfect Mirror, just outside a winding labyrinth of a library, the most human idol of knowledge. 

[silvermuffins]

Pokemon Scarlet Liveblog!!! Part 3

Listen. I had a very good reason to delay this. The best reason even (you know who you are <3)

where were we? oh right, we were lost.

i have no memory of this place

aaaaaa there's a crab following me

battles an artist who can't finish a sentence

!!! GIMMIGHOUL hello my new pal Boxly. It's up on top of this tower, which seems to just be a lookout tower.... I can see Artzon from here, and also Light Pollution. And also a really giant butte? can't wait to go up there! Oh, neat, you can fly to the watchtowers once you've been to them.

oooh i see where the titan klawf is now, hello down there

small blue...that's not a rookidee. What are you? What are you??? Get back here! Nymble? bug i think...cricket but it almost looks like a like. fidget spinner. oh goddammit poison point, killed it.

Found another, finally, while wandering. If they wanted me to accomplish anything they shouldn't have given me an open worl. Anyway I still think Nymble looks like a fidget spinner folded up so her name is Fidget. !!! Look, a Growlithe! get over here Fai Do!

i wonder what's with these ruined buildings? don't like how they seem to be where i find Drowzee.

AAAA WHAT'S THAT PINK THING Tinkatink? You're gonna be Pebbles.

I think the signs pointing to Artazon are starting to get desperate about my adamant exploration. They keep yelling at me like I'm not deliberately going the opposite direction of what they say.

New Headcanon: enough kids got hopelessly lost in these cliffs that they just put signs goddamn everywhere.

lmao the signs like "okay if you're down here you MUST be lost"

AAAAA CRAB LANDED ON ME

sorta hate that i can only jump while riding koraidon

"Caught 63 battled 81" damn, my dex is at a phenomenal start

well now. I have 45 minutes until i need to get ready for work, and I'm right about at the crabby paddy. jfc these fuckin Klawf have this like....creepyass moan of an activation noise, they're at the intersection of no thoughts head empty and nightmare fuel.

now wait i tick i SAW the big klawf on this wall earlier, where is ti? ....oooh, i found him. exploring, tho--

well, that was easy. I could go down the long way....but it's more IC for Fani to just leap off the cliff after it. Whee!

Awww Arven uses a Shellder! And I am massively overleveled.

Heyyyy, Teach is evolving! Clodsire??? Oh, it's fully evolved now, I can grab something else from my box.

Also, looking for more Herba Mistica! In a caaave. Oh, it's just more cutscene. This one's sweet. That's the flavor associated with speed...

ARVEN IS GONNA FEED ME. He makes kung fu movie noises while he cooks, what the fuck. Aaaaa this is so cute.

Arven why do you hate koraidon

oh....i don't get to eat sandwich. gotta feed it to Koraidon... just goes hungry ig

aww Arven sharing OH I GET TO DASH NOW NEAT

what is your deal my guy

Sada how do you know that

Swap Teach out for Sotero...we'll be doing a grass gym next I think? But we have Scoots for that.....i just. it's ten more levels until Scoots evolves, do I want a half-bird team that long? Not really. Ah well, sort it out later.

oh more places to explore Oh dunsparce with Tera Poison. Might as well try and catch thaaaaaat was a critical capture, okay then

how does headbutt work with a nacli just it just yeet its wholeass self. anyway the new Dunsparce is now Dunviped.

damn wild pokemon just keep running into me LEAVE ME ALONE FOR TWO SECONDS SO I CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE I AM

uhhhh how'd i even get to this part of the map.....

okay i am going to get ready for and go to work we will figure this out Later

and now it is later! I am still lost! I think i jumped off one too many cliffs,,,,,,

let's just. fly back to the watchtower.

okay where the fuck am i NOW

for those wondering: no, my sense of where i am is also this bad in reality i just almost never leave the neighborhood i've lived in my entire life

ohhh this cliff looks out on a team star base....damn they're big

back on track! keep forgetting to heal up,,,

finished an accidental battle and immediately slid down a cliff.... Fani is battered and bruised.

Finally on the Artazon outskirts! And I found...twin mice? Tandemaus. How....do you name a Pokemon that is two Pokemon??? fuck it. You're Beep & Boop now.

Okay I think I'm done dicking around, time to actually enter town. NOPE there's more Pokemon to catch here! Tish the Shuppet, Nimbus the Drifloon, and FINALLY found a Squawkabilly to name Elvis.

Okay NOW i'm in town, oh look the same food shops I found in Mesagoza.

Man I get nothing for reaching the center of the maze??? you'd think there'd be a little prize, like a person saying congrats and giving me a pokeball or something.

"what a nice breeze" this little girl says, in the middle of a thunderstorm....

wait does Koraidon already have surfing capabilities, just in case i fall in some water?

love this giantass playground, would be better with interactible elements!

man i miss unique gym designs why do they all need to look the same on the outside...anyway, time to beat up Hubert von Vestra. Can't believe they made his shiny colors green. Well. After I rip up his garden or whatever.

....no time limit or anything, this will be a cakewalk. oh, this one flees- oh, it wants to FIGHT. bitch I have a Shroodle. damn the maze one isn't even at the center and three more were right at start, what a wimpy test.

just noticed there's a Surrendering Sunflora on top of the Pokemon Center....

OH MY GOD WHAT A FUCKING EDGELORD oh jesus fuck that smile is terrifying don't do that. especially while soggy.

What is that at his hip anyway is that a garden hoseoh Nebula you right this music is incredible

WAIT I MISCALCULATED Chomper's tera type is normal not Poison! Augh! I still win, but damn.

Brassius is so fucking intense. Fani is a little....scared.

I see another excalibur thingy....up on a cliff where i can't reach...

Anyway, Falmenco is another Oricorio.

I am approaching the fire Star Base, and Cassiopeia calls in-- who in the FUCK is this?!

wai

wait a second

oh no is that who i think it is

it....it has to be.....

oh NO im gonna die this is hilarious

hELP

Clive and Cassiopeia both like "fuck i can't press you while also concealing my own bullshit"

BAHAHAHAHAHA

ah crap got rammed from behind by a Tauros- JUST STAY IN THE BALL. Finally. Your name is Noctober. OH, CYCLIZAR. Definitely need a you. Ah fuck accidentally killed it. there's another one! Fuck, killed that one too. But at least Sirea is evolving! Time to swap her out for Jupe.

cutscene took me down the cliff so now i gotta catch up on some explorin'

trying to find another Cyclizar, or a Toedcool since the map says they're here, but I'll take this Venonat. Sana. Ooh! Teddiursa! Crit captured, even, you'll be Renange. I have no Flabebe yet but this grass tera Floette will do... Banchata. ! Sotero evolving into....Naclstack. I was going to say that's pretty cool but honestly it's pretty minecraft. Komala! I'm calling you Ponchi. Pineco, you're Gonzo. Finally found a Toedcool! dammit I killed it. Found an Applin! You're Froot. CYCLIZAR. You'll be Zips.

i am Tired and Slightly Ill, so I do believe I will be calling it here for the moment!!!!

[wisdomkey1112]

What is finance training? (2022 Nov latest Updated!)

Finance training is the study of financial management, including the use and application of accounting principles. It's a broad field that includes many different areas of study, such as financial planning and budgeting, financial analysis and decision-making, risk management, investments and insurance.

These programmes can not only help you to learn about the financial services industry and how to enter it, but also can be your first step to get a job as a banker, accountant, or financial advisor. Although without much experience and knowledge about the finance industry, those finance training enable you to understand the financial challenges of your customers better. This will help you provide better customer service in your career path of finance industry. These courses provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in various sectors of the finance industry, such as banking and insurance.

They will help you understand how the financial markets work and how to apply this knowledge in your job.

Benefits of finance training

A career in finance can be an exciting one! You'll have the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life and cultures, helping them make decisions that will impact their lives in dramatic ways. Some of the benefits of a career in finance include:

-Higher earning potential than many other careers

-Ability to set your own hours

-Variety of jobs available (from working with startups to established companies)

-Ability to travel or work remotely if desired

Indeed, the finance training is a great way to build your career in the finance industry. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to take your career to the next level, finance training can help you gain the skills you need to succeed.

Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, there are still many interesting things that you will enjoy upon you enter the industry. For example, you'll get to interact with other people who are interested in finance/investment, your customer, can help you build a strong social network and make connections that could benefit your future career path. (i.e. a customer brings customers)

Secondly, you'll gain an understanding of how companies use data and analytics to make decisions about their business performance, which will help prepare you for working with real-world data sets. This can definitely be a strong competitiveness when you want to step into other industries.

You'll have access to resources that can help improve your overall financial skillset and make it easier for you to get hired by a company looking for someone who can work well with numbers.

Other choices for those who want to enter the industry

Some may say the traditional finance trainings are mostly difficult and have a rather high threshold to apply. Is there any other programmes will be suitable for the beginners? -- Yes, think about Fintech programme!

What is Fintech?

Fintech is a term that describes the use of technology in financial services. It refers to a broad range of financial services, including mobile payments and banking, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer lending.

Benefits of Fintech Programmes

The benefits of fintech programmes are:

1) Cost savings: By using the latest technologies, such as robotic process automation (RPA), cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI), you can reduce costs by up to 80 per cent.

2) Innovation: Fintech programmes encourage innovation by providing opportunities for employees to work on new projects or try out new ideas within a protected environment without having to worry about breaking systems or making costly mistakes.

3) Risk reduction: Firms with strong IT security measures have less risk of cyber attacks because they have taken steps to protect themselves from malicious hackers who attempt to access data through hacking methods such as phishing emails that contain malware attachments.

Conclusion

Finance training is a great way to gain a better understanding of the financial world. Whether you're an aspiring investor or just want to understand how your money works, finance training can help you get there.

One of the benefits of finance training is that it helps you understand the career path of finance industry. Finance industry offers plenty of opportunities, so it's important to know what they are before deciding on a career path.

[orbemnews]

Coal Is Set to Roar Back, and So Are Its Climate Risks The pandemic abruptly slowed the global march of coal. But demand for the world’s dirtiest fuel is forecast to soar this year, gravely undermining the chances of staving off the worst effects of global warming. Burning coal is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, and, after a pandemic-year retreat, demand for coal is set to rise by 4.5 percent this year, mainly to meet soaring electricity demand, according to data published Tuesday by the International Energy Agency, just two days before a White House-hosted virtual summit aimed at rallying global climate action. “This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate,” Fatih Birol, the head of the agency, said in a statement. Coal is at the crux of critical political decisions that government leaders need to make this year if they are to transition to a green economy. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions need to be halved by 2030 in order for the world to have a fighting chance at limiting dangerous levels of warming. In short, this a historic juncture for coal. For 150 years, more and more of its sooty deposits have been extracted from under the ground, first to power the economies of Europe and North America, then Asia and Africa. Today, coal is still the largest source of electricity, though its share is steadily shrinking as other sources of power come online, from nuclear to wind. Global spending on coal projects dropped to its lowest level in a decade in 2019. And, over the last 20 years, more coal-fired power plants have been retired or shelved than commissioned. The big holdouts are China, India and parts of Southeast Asia, but, even there, coal’s once-swift growth is nowhere as swift as it was just a few years ago, according to a recent analysis. In some countries where new coal-fired power plants were only recently being built by the gigawatts, plans for new ones have been shelved, as in South Africa, or reconsidered, as in Bangladesh, or facing funding troubles, as in Vietnam. In some countries, like India, existing coal plants are running way below capacity and losing money. In others, like the United States, they are being decommissioned faster than ever. Nonetheless, demand is still strong. “Coal is not dead,” said Melissa C. Lott, research director for the Center for Global Energy Research at Columbia University. “We have made a lot of progress, but we have not made that curve.” Coal is the lightning rod of climate diplomacy this year, as countries scramble to rebuild their economies after the coronavirus pandemic while at the same time, stave off the risks of a warming planet. The Biden administration has leaned on its allies Japan and Korea to stop financing coal use abroad. And it has repeatedly called out China for its soaring coal use. China is by far the largest consumer of coal, and is still building coal-fired power plants at home and abroad. China’s president Xi Jinping took a swipe at that criticism on Monday by pointing to the historical responsibility of Western industrialized nations to do more to slow down warming. The United States accounts for the largest share of emissions in history; China accounts for the largest share of emissions today. “The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be upheld,” Mr. Xi said at his own global summit in the city of Boao. ‘Growing opposition against coal’ Since the start of the industrial era, coal has been the main fuel to light up homes, power factories and, in some places, to cook and heat rooms, too. For over a century, Europe and the United States consumed most of the world’s coal. Today, China and India account for two-thirds of coal consumption. Other energy sources have joined the mix as electricity demand has soared: nuclear, wind, and, most recently, hydrogen. Coal made room for new entrants but refused to retreat. Today, several forces are rising against coal. People are clamoring against deadly levels of air pollution, caused by its combustion. Wind and solar energy, once far costlier than coal, are becoming competitive, while some countries are facing a glut of coal-fired plants already built. So, even in countries where coal use is growing, the pace of growth is slowing. In South Africa, after years of lawsuits, plans to build a coal-fired power station in Limpopo Province were canceled last November. In at least three countries, Chinese-funded projects are in trouble or dead. In Kenya, a proposed coal plant has languished for years because of litigation. In Egypt, a planned coal plant is indefinitely postponed. In Bangladesh, Chinese-backed projects are among 15 planned coal plants that the government in Dhaka is reviewing, with an eye to canceling them altogether. Pakistan, saddled by debts, announced a vague moratorium on new coal projects. Vietnam, which is still expanding its coal fleet, scaled back plans for new plants. The Philippines, under pressure from citizens’ groups, hit the pause button on new projects. “Broadly speaking, there’s growing opposition against coal and a lot more scrutiny right now,” said Daine Loh, a Southeast Asia power sector energy specialist at Fitch Solutions, an industry analysis firm. “It’s a trend — moving away from coal. It’s very gradual.” Money is part of the problem. Development banks are shying away from coal. Japan and Korea, two major financiers of coal, have tightened restrictions on new coal projects. Japan is still building coal plants at home, rare among industrialized countries, though Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in October that his country would aspire to draw down its emissions to net-zero by 2050. There are some big exceptions. Indonesia and Australia continue to mine their abundant coal deposits. Perhaps most oddly, Britain, which is hosting the next international climate talks, is opening a new coal mine. And then there are the world’s biggest coal consumers, China and India. China’s economy rebounded in 2020. Government stimulus measures encouraged the production of steel, cement and other industrial products that eat up energy. Coal demand rose. The capacity of China’s fleet of coal-fired power plants grew by a whopping 38 gigawatts in 2020, making up the vast majority of new coal projects worldwide and offsetting nearly the same amount of coal capacity that was retired worldwide. (One gigawatt is enough to power a medium-sized city.) Coal’s future in China is at the center of a robust debate in the country, with prominent policy advisers pressing for a near-moratorium on new coal plants and state-owned companies insisting that China needs to burn more coal for years to come. India’s coal fleet is growing as well, bankrolled by state-owned lenders. There is not much of a signal from the government that it wants to reduce its reliance on coal, even as it seeks to expand solar energy. The government in New Delhi is allowing some of its oldest, most polluting coal plants to remain open, and it is seeking private investors to mine coal. If India’s economy recovers this year, its coal demand is set to rise by 9 percent, according to the I.E.A. But even India’s coal fleet isn’t growing as fast as it was just a few years ago. On paper, India plans to add some 60 gigawatts of coal power capacity by 2026, but given how many existing plants are operating at barely half capacity, it’s unclear how many new ones will ultimately be built. A handful of state politicians have publicly opposed new coal-fired power plants in their states. How much more coal India needs to burn, said Ritu Mathur, an economist at The Energy & Resources Institute in New Delhi, depends on how fast its electricity demand grows — and it could grow very fast if India pushes electric vehicles. “To say we can do away with coal, or that renewables can meet all our demand,” Dr. Mathur said, “is not the story.” ‘The big question is around gas’ What has most quickly come to replace coal in many countries is that other fossil fuel: gas. From Bangladesh to Ghana to El Salvador, billions of dollars, some from public coffers, are being poured into the development of pipelines, terminals and storage tanks, as the number of countries importing liquefied natural gas has doubled in less than four years. Gas now supplies nearly one-fourth of all energy worldwide. Its proponents argue that gas, which is less polluting than coal, should be promoted in energy-hungry countries that cannot afford a rapid scale-up of renewable energy. Its critics say multibillion dollar investments in gas projects risk becoming stranded assets, like coal-fired power plants already are in some countries; they add that methane emissions from the combustion of gas are incompatible with the Paris Agreement goal of slowing down climate change. Gas supplies a growing share of electricity in the United States (35 percent) and Europe (20 percent). The United States, buoyed by the fracking boom, is among the world’s top gas exporters, alongside Qatar, Australia and Russia. American companies are building a gas import terminal and power station in Vietnam. Gas demand is growing sharply in Bangladesh, as the government looks to shift away from coal to meet its galloping energy needs. Ghana this year became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to import liquefied natural gas. And the U.S. Agency for International Development has been promoting gas as a way to electrify homes and businesses across Africa. And there’s the rub for the Biden administration: While it has set out to be a global climate leader, it has not yet explained its policy on advancing gas exports — particularly on the use of public funds to build gas infrastructure abroad. “There’s fairly strong consensus around coal. The big question is around gas,” said Manish Bapna, acting president of the World Resources Institute. “The broader climate community is starting to think about what a gas transition looks like.” Julfikar Ali Manik and Hiroko Tabuchi contributed reporting. Source link Orbem News #Climate #coal #Risks #Roar #Set

[cecillewhite]

How to Measure Customer Value (And Why It Matters)

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Because extended enterprise learning involves multiple disciplines, we sometimes ask other experts to share their insights with our readers. Today we feature advice about customer value metrics from Laura Patterson, President of VisionEdge Marketing.

Laura is widely recognized as an authority in marketing measurement and performance, content management, marketing operations and data analytics. Business-minded learning professionals will find her guidance practical, relevant and useful.

  For several years, I’ve been exploring the concept of marketers as “value creators.” The C-suite considers these individuals indispensable because they excel at proving how their marketing initiatives contribute to business impact.

But what exactly does it mean to create value? And how can you reflect this in customer-focused metrics?

The Power of Value Creation

Every business is based on the principle of value creation. In essence, we create value whenever we deliver a product or service that provides utility to others, and in turn generates additional economic return for our organization.

In his classic Marakon Commentary, Ken Favaro explains why putting value creation first is such an important strategy:

“Understanding where, how and why value is created within your company and your markets is the best, most objective way to identify which of your activities and assets are distinctive enough to provide a platform for sustainable and profitable growth.”

Why Value Creators Put Customers First

As Favaro frames it, value creation is more than calculating the optimal price customers will pay for a good or service you offer. And it’s not just about reducing costs or increasing productivity. Rather, it’s about attracting incremental customer revenue streams by delivering something entirely new or improving something in a compelling way.

This distinction is important because it underscores the fact that value creation is determined by your customers – not your company.

People purchase a product or service only when they perceive that they will benefit from the transaction. Therefore, it’s essential to understand what your customers value most. Usually, this extends beyond core product features, functionality and price point.

Keenly understanding what customers value is a characteristic that distinguishes “marketers as value creators” from their counterparts. These professionals continuously prioritize product and process innovation that customers will find relevant, important and useful.

How can you join the ranks of these value creators? Start by calibrating the value you currently deliver to customers. Then identify what you can do differently to add more value.

Below are tips for a successful analysis…

The Psychology of Customer Value

Organizations everywhere can benefit from measuring value creation.

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Most business leaders have come to accept that customers drive shareholder value. So it’s not surprising that customer metrics are featured in many CEO scorecards. But which customer metrics matter most?

If we work from the perspective that value is determined by the customer and that value creation is derived from customer relationships, then it makes sense to consider customer relationship value as a key metric.

Not to be confused with customer lifetime value (LTV) – which reflects the net present value of a relationship over its entire lifespan – customer relationship value measures whether each interaction moves a relationship forward or backward.

Factors that Influence Customer Value

Viewing the customer as a primary driver of shareholder value naturally leads to a variety of underlying questions about customer mix, defection rates, relative profitability of each segment, average new customer acquisition costs and more.

Often, marketing isn’t prepared to answer these questions. That’s because we tend to emphasize front-end performance indicators (such as new lead volumes or campaign conversion rates), rather than focusing on the depth and longevity of existing customer relationships,

It may seem obvious that valuable customers tend to buy more frequently, buy in larger volumes and buy more products over time. But it’s important to quantify these behaviors in a specific way.

Exploring these four questions can help you develop a useful customer value metric:

Which of our existing customers buy repeatedly – and how often do they buy?

How can we segment customers by frequency, volume and variety of products purchased?

What is our customer defection rate?

How do customers rank in their likelihood to buy again?

Answering these questions will likely require extra research and data analysis. However, the effort is worthwhile because it helps you make better decisions about investments (like training and support) that can help you improve customer relationships.

Creating a Customer Value Metric: 3 Variables

To apply customer relationship value as a key leading indicator, you’ll need access to relevant data points. Typically, organizations focus on these underlying metrics:

Revenue per customer

Profit per segment

Customer lifetime value

Satisfaction (as it relates to repurchase intent)

To make this data more meaningful, consider these three variables:

The set of all interactions between your customers and your company

The cost of each of these interactions

The direction and distance in which a relationship moves forward or backward in response to each interaction

Creating a Customer Value Index: 7 Variables

For next-level insight, it’s worth developing a customer value index. This is a type of composite measure that summarizes and rank-orders specific variables in a way that represents a general dimension (in this case, customer value).

Essentially, an index is an accumulation of scores from a variety of individual items. This is helpful because it lets you evaluate these elements in a systematic and consistent way.

By indexing customer value data, you can compare the relative attractiveness of customer relationships in an “apples-to-apples” fashion. This can be particularly helpful when deciding which individual customers or segments are worthwhile targets for additional investment.

When creating your customer value index, consider incorporating these 7 variables into your formula:

Total number of purchases over the customer’s lifetime

Average purchase value

Purchase frequency

Number of products/services purchased

Time between each purchase

Number of referrals generated

Length of customer relationship

There are several ways to combine these variables in a customer value index. The simplest approach is to define a standard method for “adding up” the values for each variable. Then establish an index score.

This means you’ll need a common way to “rate” each variable. For example, you may choose a 1-10 scale, with 1 = lowest score and 10 = highest score.

Next, for each of these scores, specify a multiplier based on the relative “weight” of each variable. For example, you may choose a multiplier scale of 1-5, with 1 = lowest weight and 5 = highest weight.

Once you establish your indexing model, you can transform data from each customer into a standardized score. Customers whose scores rank above the index “average” are considered higher value, while conversely, below-average scores represent lower-value customers.

Now you’re ready for the next-level performance metric – customer asset value.

Creating a Customer Asset Value Score: 5 Variables

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Like any financial asset, it’s vital to understand the value of customer relationships in terms of the future profit they’re expected to generate. This is why customer asset value is so useful.

By subtracting related costs from projected future profits, you can determine the net asset value of an individual customer or set of customers. And if you can increase any of these expected profit streams, you’ll add new net value to your business.

Of course, no company has unlimited funds for marketing, service or support. That’s why it’s important to focus and prioritize customer-related investments. Scoring customer asset value is an excellent way to differentiate customers, so you can determine which ones represent the highest potential return.

Multiple variables can help you create an objective, reliable customer asset value score. Start with these five:

Current revenue streams

Purchase frequency and recency

Referral rates

Share of wallet (% of category spending that you capture, relative to competitors)

Potential future revenue

After calculating asset value for all customers, you can map their scores on a multi-tiered scale and then prioritize your resources, accordingly. In addition, you can use these scores to build a profile of your “ideal” customer.

Fundamentally, this analysis indicates an organization’s effectiveness at creating customer value. That’s why it’s helpful to put this metric at the heart of your customer value measurement strategy, no matter how small or large your customer base may be.

For more ideas about how to develop and apply metrics that will help you improve the business impact of your extended enterprise training programs, see related posts and other resources at VisionEdge.

  EDITOR’S NOTE: This has been adapted, with permission, from a post published on the VisionEdge Marketing blog.

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How to Cultivate Sustainable Business Growth Through Customer Education

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What exactly does it take to build a successful customer education program that naturally grows hand-in-hand, along with your business?

How can you win executive approval for this approach?

Join our Lead Analyst John Leh as he talks with customer education experts Khalid Shaikh of DataStax and Bill Cushard of Learndot about customer training models that make a lasting business impact.

You’ll get practical advice based on real-world examples, including:

How to understand and evaluate scalable customer training models

Must-have elements for a winning business case

How to weigh costs and benefits accurately

Common mistakes and best practices for sustainable growth

Lessons learned from real-world programs

Success metrics that matter most – and why

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The post How to Measure Customer Value (And Why It Matters) appeared first on Talented Learning.

How to Measure Customer Value (And Why It Matters) original post at Talented Learning

[ericfruits]

British councils speculate to accumulate. Are they out of their depth?

LIKE MANY British seaside towns, Weston-super-Mare has seen better centuries. “Dismaland” was the title that Banksy, a guerrilla artist, chose for his show on the seafront in 2015. Attractions included the Grim Reaper riding the dodgems and Cinderella’s carriage in a crash. All the same, North Somerset council wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to pull in a few punters—less in a celebration of “entry-level anarchism”, as the artist put it, than a desperate stab at urban regeneration.

The same could be said of the Sovereign Shopping Centre, just up from the lido, which was bought by the council and Legal & General, a big investment company, last year for £21m ($28m). Nigel Ashton, the Conservative leader of the council, saw the purchase as an opportunity to regenerate the tired town centre. But he also hopes that it will provide the council with a vital new income stream.

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Like all councils, North Somerset has seen the money that it receives from central government dwindle since the onset of austerity. In 2010 it got over £50m, making up a third of its budget. Next year the grant will disappear almost entirely. The council has reduced inefficiencies and cut some services. But Mr Ashton argues that he has also been forced to become “more businesslike and entrepreneurial” to plug the gap in Somerset’s finances. The council hopes to receive rent of about £1m a year from the shops in the Sovereign centre. Last year it bought another retail park, in nearby Worle, for £38m. Mr Ashton hopes this will eventually bring in about £600,000 a year to spend on services.

It is a strategy that has been adopted by both Tory- and Labour-controlled local authorities around Britain. Councils’ commercial investments, in ventures such as offices and recycling plants as well as shops, have increased sharply in recent years. Purchases of land and buildings reached almost £4bn in 2017-18 (see chart). The spree has been financed principally by borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB), part of the Treasury established in 1793 to lend cheaply to local authorities. Figures just published show that councils owe the PWLB £75bn, up from £67bn 18 months ago. Total council borrowing exceeds £100bn, up from £92bn.

Worries are growing that not all these investments have been wise. In the past three years councils have bought £800m-worth of shopping centres alone, according to Knight Frank, a property company. Yet as councils have been piling into retail spaces, others have been sounding alarms about the sector. On February 21st a parliamentary committee warned that city centres could become “ghost towns” as shops shut and footfall declines. High-street chains like BHS have collapsed, while others have been closing branches. Next to Weston’s Sovereign centre, a branch of Marks & Spencer is due to close.

The value of shopping centres is therefore highly precarious. CBRE, a property company, reports that in the third quarter of last year rents in malls fell by 1.7%, continuing a downward trend. On February 25th Hammerson, a big shopping-centre landlord, reported a loss of £267m in 2018, having made a profit of £413m the previous year. It now wants to divest itself of nearly £1bn worth of assets to balance the books. Earlier in February the Postings shopping centre in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in which 14 of the 21 shops were empty, was sold for a derisory £310,000, having cost £4.3m to build in 1981.

Jefferies, an investment bank, has warned that retail-property values could plunge by a further 20% this year. Nelson Blackley of Nottingham Business School says that a strong indicator of the lack of confidence in the sector is that last year saw the lowest number of sales of malls since the recession in 2008.

Thus councils could be picking up some bargains, but they may also have drastically overpaid. The National Audit Office (NAO), an official watchdog, reported last month that consequently “risk profiles have increased in many local authorities” and that councils are making commercial investments that “carry a risk of failure or under-performance”. It added that even as councils have become more speculative in their commercial activities, their capacity to analyse risk has been eroded. Funds to support “governance” in councils fell by 34% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2017-18. Those councils with weaker governance tend to be the ones taking greater financial risks, the NAO said. The abolition in 2015 of the Audit Commission, which had kept tabs on councils’ activities, removed an important layer of oversight.

As councils take more risks to raise cash, there will inevitably be failures, warns Martin Reeves of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. “Even with the best due diligence, markets shift,” he says. And if shopping centres shut down, councils will also lose the business rates they pay, which are meant to be local authorities’ primary source of funding now that the central government grant is drying up. It may soon be time to commission a new show from Banksy. “Panicland”?

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Risky business"

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[itsbrooklynmaxwell]

Semester Two - Spatial Design Studio I

Week 6 - One on One Reflection

Based on my one on one talk with Xavier I need to generate a more in depth idea for how my space will be used. I also need to do more research on how to create a new environment inside the building that will allow the indoor gardens to survive (research floating wetlands, lighting). I am going to stick to my idea of having different levels of water but do more research on how this effects how you experience my space. I should also play around with floorplans to find an idea that is cohesive. Since there is water in the space Xavier suggested having an area for people to take of their shoes. I think it would be a good idea to use this space where people remove their shoes as a space where you transition from the outside worls into a sort of new world in my space. I think my next step is to also look into materials that will compliment my design.

[bujoloveme]

In the 1850s Burton was commissioned to build a rifle factory for Enfield rifles in England

He changed the world and you do not know him – part 3 by Jim Surkamp on July 9, 2015 in Jefferson County The Story of John Hall – Part 3 by Jim Surkamp and Featuring Eric Johnson, Weaponsmith and Firearms Expert.

VIDEO: The man who changed the world – of which you have never heard – Conclusion TRT: 18:54. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2BkarHJsac

POST OFFICE: civilwarscholars.com/2015/07/der-mann-verändert-der-worl …

Made possible by the generous, community-oriented support of the American Public University System. The views in this video in no way reflect the politics of today's university. apus.edu

John_H_Hall_1781_1841

PREVIEW:

After 20 years of hard work and hard fighting at Harpers Ferry, Maine's Maine Hall at the gun factories worked to achieve a world-changing goal – the very first mechanized mass production of an object, each with interchangeable parts. It was the gun rifle he did it with. But those who saw what he did spread the good news like wildfire with Hall's extremely challenging method by taking Hall's ideas to other weapons factories. Only the best as James Henry Burton – replicated the operation as best as possible. Soon the method – the American factory system – caught the attention of manufacturing giants in England. After the civil war, the system of real machines and the associated measuring instrument concept were then directly transformed into countless other things that have shaped and shaped our everyday lives since time immemorial. The result is that today everything in the world is produced, except what the craftsman still does. Beautifully made by hand and what the farmer conjures up from nature – beautiful craftsmanship and art and food from the land are still appreciated, but the system of Hall is used to make things – things – from simple paper clips to space stations.

John Harris Hall, who died exhausted in 1841, never saw the true miracle of his endeavor – the production of a rifle on a truly vast scale that is so obvious to us today. This iconic man is so forgotten that no picture of him has appeared yet, and the weeds around his grave and his wife's grave have finally been freed from weeds in a lonely Missouri plot.

When the new methods of armaments were presented at the London Crystal Palace in 1851 at the Foresight Exposition, the British were stunned by these far-reaching advances and the mystery of answers. They sent a delegation to look at these publicly available inventions, to look for possible leases, and returned with arms armor worth nearly $ 100,000.

By the late 1840s and until the Civil War, the Springfield Armory became a clearinghouse for new ideas for each strip. Machine tool companies sprang up around Springfield.

James Henry Burton, born in 1823 in nearby Shannondale Springs near Harpers Ferry and a one-time machinist and armorer, understood the changes. Hall's gun shop, Burton wrote later, "did not house an occasional machine, but a mill facility that significantly changed the system and manufacturing economy."

In the 1850s, Burton was commissioned to build in England a rifle factory for Enfield rifles, which were used on both sides during the civil war. Burton later set up the Confederate Arms factories in Richmond, to which in April 1861, a large part of the machines were brought at Harpers Ferry.

As you know, John Hall was considered a Yankee back then The armorer Eric Johnson calls Burton "the rock star of the arms industry of the Civil War", which was even more innovative in the nature of the mini-ball.

Weapon expert and gunsmith Eric Johnson:

When I look at this piece and the model 1841, the name of a person comes to my mind. Because of the lack of a better term, he is a kind of rock star of the weapon system in Antebellum America. His name was James Henry Burton.

James Henry Burton began his career at Harper's Ferry and worked and learned in Baltimore and other places. He became quite a machinist and an excellent engineer. And he was so clever in what he did that he later sought his service. He had actually gone to England. And the irony is that he's teaching people in England at Enfield how to make a towed musket with American machines, American tools, and American manufacturing systems. And that kind of turn, because England produced the so-called Industrial Revolution. Well, this is where the Americans made it, and we started with John Hall and Simeon North and Eli Whitney – a whole system and idea of ​​machines that make firearms, mass-produced and replaceable parts. And Burton becomes somebody who has come through the system. In the 1840s and 1850s he knows the system from the inside and outside. And he understands how to build a factory, how to get it running, and how to make progress so you can make a large number of rifles and muskets. Later, when the County Destroyed Richmond Arsenal Jefferson split with the state of Virginia and became part of the Confederacy, he effectively became one of the founding engineers and tanks of the Confederate weapons system. If you look at his story, he helped found Macon. He helped found Fayetteville, the Richmond Armory, Spiller & Burr. Oh my god, I remembered many, many, and many other Confederate small arms regulations Burton was involved with. But his knowledge and technical opinions were valuable.

After the Civil War, when government contracts dried up as fast as a desert flower after a spring rains, the infinite era of adapting arms factories to other similar production began.

Lucian Sharp hired prestigious maker Robbins & Lawrence to make his most popular state-of-the-art Sharps rifle before the war.

In 1873, Weed Sewing Machine bought Sharp's factory and converted the equipment for making weapons to sewing machines.

Albert Pope brought his idea to President of the Weed Sewing Company in 1878 and suggested that Weed produce English Hi-Wheeler bicycles that Pope would sell. Business was booming as Pope diversified into the long-standing Columbia brand, American style bike, motorcycles and a version of the automobile. – once again benefits from Hall's first mechanized and gage-based methods.

This manufacturing process, which began with Hall, was adapted to produce cars when the Duryea Brothers did exactly that in Springfield in the 1890s, even battery-powered cars. Of course, Henry Ford has pushed ahead mass production with the use of electricity to operate a moving assembly line.

The momentum continues today from Hall's heroic achievement days at Harpers Ferry in the 1820s. Perhaps the horribly damp, dust-filled air added to his grinding room, but his health had begun to fail in the late 1830s. In 1840, he and his family were permanently released. He died on February 26, 1841 in Moberly, Missouri. The next sixty years alone had proved the growing influence of this "American" way of making shoes, Waltham watches, watches, bicycles, clothing, rubber goods, and automobiles.

Today it is the way things are generally done. In fact, the structure of the modern Chip_gridWendell_Piez code reflects John Hall. According to Wendell Piez, a leading extensible markup language consultant, Hall's use of probes is similar to a key feature of standard computer code called the "verification level."

On October 7, the year of Hall's death in 1841, his widow Statira Hall, who died 13 years later, wrote in Colonel Talcott's Ordinance Division in Washington what her husband's heroic sacrifice and patriotism meant:

"No one can know how I am doing the great sacrifices of consolation and interest he has made. No one but me can imagine his days and nights of fear as he invents and perfects his machines. He never hesitated for a minute to sacrifice his own interest if he thought that would affect the interests of the government. If he had listened to the proposals of foreign governments in 1820, he now enjoys health and prosperity, but refuses because he thinks he should benefit his own government. "

However, he did not see the size of Hall's double power to initiate precision mass production because his jealous enemies in the Armory and Washington often shrunk his budget and sabotaged his operation, making the production of his rifle on a much larger scale impossible. The seemingly unrestricted scalability of any manufacturing, developed through computerization and nanotechnology, makes people living in 2015 who are grateful, and sometimes even awesome.

More recently, friends and family visited the weed-strewn cemetery with the stones for John and Statira Hall to pull the weeds away and restore their dignity to such a visionary man.

More at:

John Hall Part 1 youtube.com April 28, 3005 Web. June 20, 2015. TRT: 18:10 www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qaaK5YwFX0&feature=youtu.be www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qaaK5YwFX0

Flickr 64 pictures. www.flickr.com/photos/jimsurkamp/sets/72157653792657480

John Hall Part 2 youtube.com April 28, 3005 Web. June 20, 2015. TRT: 25:22. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ2IFf_mqvU

Flickr 71 pictures. www.flickr.com/photos/jimsurkamp/sets/72157654939923662

references:

Eric Johnson talks about the Burton Orb civilwarscholars.com June 9, 2011 Web. June 20, 2015.

Johnson, Eric. "Eric Johnson Discusses the Burton Ball" (video) (23:06). Accessed September 10, 2011. youtube.com April 28, 3005 Web. June 20, 2015.

Abbot, Jacob. (July 1852). "The Armory in Springfield". Harper's New Monthly Magazine. New York, NY: Harper and Bros. Vol. 5, ed. 26, pp. 145-162. To press

Benes, James J., "An Industry Is Growing: Lathes for Computers." American Machinist, August 1996.

Bilby, Joseph G. (1997). "Civil War firearms: their historical background and their tactical use." Combined Publishing: Conshohocken, PA. To press. Page 51

Eby, Cecil B. (1985). "The execution of Ebenezer Cox." Journal of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Vol. LI. To press.

Fairbairn, Mrs. E. W. (1961). "Lockwood House (Quarter of the Purser)". Journal of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Vol. XXVII. To press.

Fitch, Charles H.; W. P. Trowbridge. (1880) Report on the production of interchangeable mechanisms. Report on the Making of the United States at the Tenth Census in Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Pp. 611-704.

Fitch, Charles H. (June 1884). "The Rise of the Mechanical Ideal." Magazine of American History. Vol. 11, pp. 516-527.

Gilbert, David T. (1995). "A Walker Guide to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia." Harpers Ferry, WV: Harper's Ferry Historical Association. Pp. 84-86. To press.

Hounshell, David A. (1994). "From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932." Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins Press. To press.

Huntington, R.T. (1972). "Hall's Breechloaders". York, Pa.: George Shumway Publisher.

Louden, Elizabeth – The Paymaster's Quarter (Lockwood House) WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND HISTORICAL DATA. HOS No. WV-179. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, eastern end of Fillmore Street, Harpers Perry, Jefferson County, WV. Summer 1995

Roberts, Dr. William L. THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION; No. 39 – US Hall Model 1819 Loading Flintlock Rifle; U.S. Hall Model 1819 Breechloading Percussion Rifle;

Smith, Merritt R. (1975). "Harper's Ferry Armory and the New Technology The Challenge of Change." Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. To press.

Smith, Philip R., Jr. (April 1962) "The Hall Rifle Works." West Virginia History Journal. Vol. 23 Printing. Pp. 218-223

Tate, Thomas K. "Of the Iron Eyelids: The Biography of James Henry Burton, Armorsmith of the Three Nations." Bloomington, In: Author House. To press.

Willis, Nathaniel P. (1840). "American landscapes or land, sea and river pictures of transatlantic nature." 2nd painting by William H. Bartlett.

The Springfield Armory: Forge of Innovation – Springfield Armory 1812-1865 Technological Development – forgeofinnovation.com Start Date Not Available.

Museum Collection of the National Historic Site of Springfield Armory – Online Database: Title: RIFLE, MILITARY – US RIFLE MODEL 1819 BREECHLOADING FLINTLOCK HALL .52 Manufacturer / manufacturer: HARPERS FERRY ARMORY Date of manufacture: 1837 Catalog number: SPAR 952

Title: CARBINE – US CARBINE MODEL 1842 BREECHLOADING PERCUSSION HALL .52 Manufacturer / manufacturer: HARPERS FERRY ARMORY Date of manufacture: 1842 Catalog number: SPAR 950 rediscov.com January 22, 1998 Web. June 20, 2015.

NPS.com – John Hall, John Henry Burton, Lockwood House

National Firearms Museum – Fairfax, Virginia

ancestry.de – John and Statira Hall (1788-1854) trees.ancestry.com February 26, 2004 Web. June 20, 2015.

Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, DC) April 3, 1841 Volume: XXIX Issue: 8778 Page: 3.

Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA) April 3, 1841 Page: 3.

Virginia Free Press (Charlestown, Virginia) April 1, 1841.

Photo Credits:

German: The main entrance of the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London, which housed the 1851 World's Fair, the first World's Fair. Contemporary engraving German: Main entrance of the Crystal Palace in London's Hyde Park, scene of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the very first World's Fair. Contemporary engraving; Image-PD-old. source[edit] www.uh.edu; originally from Tallis & # 39; history and criticism of the Crystal Palace. 1852 de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Tallis & # 39; History and description of the Crystal Palace as well as the World Economic Exhibition of 1851; archive.org January 26, 1996 Web. June 20, 2015.

Honda Accord assembly line motortrend.com November 11, 1996 Web. June 20, 2015.

Ford_assembly_line _-_ 1913 de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

paperclips File: Wanzijia.jpg Uploaded by Hawyih ~ commonswiki Created on May 28, 2007 de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Sir Charles Anthony Brooke born 1829 antiquemapsandprints.com 6 December 1998 Web. June 20, 2015.

Gordon Grant doak.ws June 3, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

The dance lesson Thomas Eakins – 1878 Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York, NY the-athenaeum.org May 23, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Homespun Thomas Eakins – 1881 Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York, NY the-athenaeum.org May 23, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Adirondack Woods, Guide and Dog Winslow Homer – 1889 Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (Alabama) the-athenaeum.org May 23, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Under the vegetables (also known as boy in a corn field) Winslow Homer – 1887 Private collection the-athenaeum.org May 23, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Mechanical engineering of the 1850s smithsonianlegacies.si.edu October 31, 2001 Web. June 20, 2015.

Enfield rifle factory de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Ruins of the Richmond Arsenal after its destruction in April 1865 de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

Columbia Light Roadster smithsonian.tumblr.com January 4, 2012 Web. June 20, 2015.

Ford Model T assembly worldsciencefestival.com June 16, 2006 Web. June 20, 2015.

Columbia bicycles columbiamfginc.com December 6, 1998 Web. June 20, 2015.

Columbia automobile de.wikipedia.org November 27, 2002 Web. June 20, 2015.

nanotechnology gmu.edu February 20, 1998 Web. June 20, 2015.

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[duaneodavila]

From Proskauer To Pints

Julia Shapiro, founder and CEO of Hire An Esquire sat down with Doug Bouton, President & COO of Halo Top Creamery, No. 5 on Inc.’s 2017 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.. Formerly an attorney on the Hire An Esquire network, Bouton tells us how he went from Biglaw to a big bet on ice cream, the kind of company he’s trying to build, and how other lawyers might break into startups.

JS: Thanks for talking to us, Doug! The last time we spoke you had just left a big law firm, Proskauer, and were trying to get your ice cream company off the ground. What made you decide to make the leap from Biglaw to entrepreneurship?

DB: It certainly wasn’t a straight line, but I think I knew the day I stepped into law school, I wasn’t interested in practicing law. I went to law school at UVA, which was a pretty social place, and there were a lot of aspects about the social life at UVA I did enjoy. But I never wanted to be a lawyer. Like a lot of us, I got caught up in the “Big Law” thing at law school and ended up accepting a position at a big law firm. Not surprisingly, as a young associate, I didn’t enjoy my job and knew very quickly that it wasn’t for me. So in those early days of my career, I was always asking myself: what’s next?

JS: So you worked at Proskauer, and left to make low-carb ice cream? How did that happen?

DB: For me, Halo Top happened by circumstance, actually; I was part of a pickup basketball league with some other lawyers in L.A. and that’s where I met my business partner, Justin [Woolverton]. About the time I was quitting, he told me that he had started a company and about the concept of Halo Top. It was getting to the point where he needed a partner to really help him get it going, and so it was the right time and the right place for me. I jumped at the opportunity, and we haven’t looked back.

JS: You worked with Hire An Esquire as a contract attorney after that. Were you doing contract work while you were trying to get Halo Top off the ground?

DB: Yes, exactly. Around the time I left Proskauer I actually started my own law firm—Bouton Legal—I didn’t have an office or any real overhead. Halo Top wasn’t making enough money for us to take a salary consistently, and even when we did, it definitely wasn’t enough to live on in Los Angeles. That’s where Hire An Esquire really came into play for me. It became an efficient way for me to get some billable hours whenever I needed them. I could turn the spigot on and off, as needed, so I could grab some hours of legal work for the weekend if I had time.

That was a lot more efficient for me than trying to drum up business on my own—all the networking, time and effort, travel, and facetime that takes. I was putting in 80-hour weeks at that point trying to get Halo Top off the ground, so I didn’t have time for business development when it came to legal work.

In fact, Hire An Esquire helped me find a solo attorney who already had business and clients, and she needed an associate for lower-level matters, so she started passing work off to me to do. I’m sure if you look back at my Hire An Esquire days, most of work was done for her. It was really very useful, a critically timely service that Hire An Esquire provided me.

JS: That’s interesting, we see this happen a lot—a lawyer breaks out on their own and quickly needs to connect with another lawyer for overflow work. In fact, our fastest-growing segment is law firms of 1-40 people who do exactly what you were doing.

DB: Well, I certainly didn’t do any research, and it kind of just fell in my lap—but it was very useful. It paid the bills, and I didn’t get evicted!

JS: So you worked with this one client primarily, but at some point Halo Top took off and you left the practice of law completely. What’s the story behind that?

DB: Halo Top really started to take off in 2016. We got two big PR hits early that year: one online feature in GQ and another in BuzzFeed. Both pieces were within weeks of each other, and it was the perfect time for us: we had just reformulated and rebranded Halo Top. We were in enough stores that when people read those pieces, they were able to go out and buy the product right away, which is important when you get good PR like that. That’s when it really started to snowball—revenue started doubling month over month. Justin and I were finally able to take salaries from the company, and we’ve been growing ever since.

JS: Have you noticed your legal training show up in your work now?

DB: Oh sure, in a few ways—the most concrete being when we first formed the company. The documents and contracts, the D/B/A, raising money for the company, drafting the operating agreement — those were all things I could do myself, and it saved us thousands in legal fees. We didn’t have the cash flow for those legal expenses, so that was a big benefit to us.

Also, the network that I built as a lawyer helped with seed money. We’re proud at Halo Top that we’ve never taken outside investment from a venture capital or private equity firm. All of our early investors were friends and family—including friends from my old law firm and friends from law school—and they had the disposable income to take a risk on our company.

Another thing about our background that’s served Justin and I well [editor’s note: Justin Woolverton is also a former attorney] is our ability to critically think about issues that come up in company. We question everything, especially conventional wisdom. It doesn’t matter where you sit on the org chart; we want to hear what you think, and the reasoning behind it. And if you don’t agree with something we’re doing, tell us why.

JS: That brings us to our next question: what kind of company are you trying to build at Halo Top?

DB: What we’re trying to build is a place where other entrepreneurs would want to come work. Whatever role we hire for, we want that person to be the CEO of that role. Nobody has time to micromanage, and we’re really looking for people who can wear multiple hats, think outside the box, and be willing to challenge conventional norms—just like entrepreneurs do. We want that spirit everywhere in this company, and we’re not afraid of it. We try to stay flexible and nimble and ask our employees what they think we should do differently. We want candid dialogue, not “yes-people.” And hopefully, through doing that, we come up with the right answers, solutions, or execute on the right strategies to move forward.

JS: What advice would you give to other attorneys who want to jump to entrepreneurship?

DB: Like I said, mine is the story of Justin and I meeting—meeting him was a lucky break for me. But if I was still an attorney, just starting from scratch and wanting to break into this area, I would focus a huge part of my practice around startup companies. I’d advise people about forming their companies, drafting those partnership or operating agreements, and raising money—do that, because inevitably these startups will be willing to take you on, if you show your value on not only the legal side, but the business side as well. You might start as an outside lawyer but that could quickly evolve into a relationship, a larger role, and you can find opportunities to get in at the ground stage with a lot of these companies.

One thing I will say: a lot of people romanticize startup life—I worry that happens quite a bit these days, so I want to manage expectations here. Startup life is hard. It’s not sexy. Things need to get done, and there’s nobody to do it but you. Just because you start something doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. Sure, we worked off our asses off, and I think the idea and concept behind Halo Top were great—but those weren’t necessarily enough to make us successful. We got to where we are because of a lot of lucky breaks, especially that free PR in early 2016. There was a lot we didn’t have control over and things that had to go our way to even be sitting here talking to you today.

I’d also tell people to figure out what stage of startup they’re comfortable in. There are so many different stages of startup companies that the word “startup” is almost meaningless now. Uber and Halo Top might both be considered startups but we’re obviously vastly different in terms of the stages we’re in. That initial “garage” stage is tough—it’s risky and you’re losing tons of money—not everyone has an appetite for that. You might want to work with a startup that’s a little more established, a more mature company, but still get a piece of the startup action. Just know what you’re comfortable with.

JS: Have you noticed any slowdown in the growth of sales as more low-calorie products enter the market? And what’s next for Halo Top?

DB: Well, no company can stay on the hockey stick curve forever, but I think as companies like ours mature, you start to focus more on the bottom line than the top one. Top line growth has somewhat stabilized for us within the grocery channel in the U.S., but there remain tons of opportunities in the U.S., including channels like the convenience store channel and launching new products. We’re also actively expanding in international markets which represents a huge growth opportunity for us. We’re really excited as we look towards the future and see a lot of opportunity.

JS: Last thing: can Halo Top send us a case of ice cream?

DB: [laughing] Sure, of course. Just let us know where to mail it.

Read more about the Halo Top story in Inc. or visit their website for more information.

Julia Shapiro is an attorney turned venture-backed founder and CEO of Hire an Esquire. Her experience in the AMLaw 200 inspired her to found the first and only automated and data-driven legal staffing platform. Julia has been named one of the “18 Millennials Changing the Face of Legal Tech” by law.com and a top ten legal innovator under 35 by LinkedIn’s Next Wave. Hire an Esquire’s investors include the funds of Google’s Lawyer #2, Ulu Ventures, and Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. 

From Proskauer To Pints republished via Above the Law

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It was without a doubt one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made in my entire life, and to be completely honest, I wasn’t too sure of what I was doing yet. All I knew at the time was that college wasn’t going to help me leave my mark on the world, and that somehow I needed to go out and build a reputation of creativity and excellence for myself.I thought of all the ways an oblivious teenage business student could make some sort of impact, and after reading (and re-reading) Confessions of an Advertising Man by one of my idols, David Ogilvy, the idea came to me:I needed to start my own modern day marketing agency.And not only that — I needed to make it the most successful agency that’s ever existed. I needed to prove to myself that I was worth something, and that I wasn’t just another idiot teenager who talked trash about school, but didn’t have the chops to make it on his own.After finishing up my third semester of college, I filed for an LLC and transferred all the freelance clients I had at the time under its management. A few days later, I left school and never looked back. I was terrified, but I knew in my gut that I was making the right decision for my future.I’ve been working in digital strategy and social media marketing since I was 17 years old. I knew the world was slowly migrating online, and I was lucky enough to consciously realize it at an earlier age than most. While the majority of my friends were knee deep in book reports and homework, I was planning the best ways to tell captivating stories to the world using the latest and most advanced social platforms on the market.By the time that I started college, I still wasn’t too sure on where I wanted to take my career. I was studying business and hating every minute of it. It was the standard curriculum taught at most schools: management tactics, corporate hierarchies, SWOT, etcetera. It was material that hasn’t changed since the 1950’s era of Peter Drucker, but was still being heralded as the most effective and “modern” way to run a business in the 21st century.Sitting through these generic lectures, I always wondered what exactly I was learning here that I couldn’t learn on the internet for a fraction of both the cost and time. At the end of a few of my classes, just for the hell of it, I looked up the material on Google, and found very quickly that the curriculum to my entire intro to business administration class was basically the Wikipedia entry on management — just stretched out over a couple of months.I compared my education (if you could even call it that) to what my freelance clients were doing with their own marketing and business development efforts out in the real world. It was a similarly grim picture.In a time where customers had literally tens of thousands of companies fighting for their attention at all hours of the day via mobile advertising, the traditional approach to marketing that’s taught in college is a fantastic way to go out of business very quickly. But that was all that I saw. Ads being taken out in boring newspapers that no one was reading; display space being bought on sections of websites that neurological studies have proven to be invisible to the human mind; and ineffective discounting strategies that did nothing to bring new customers through the door, but did a lot to make the brand look cheap and undesirable.It becomes a race to the bottom: Make an ad that’s a little better and is shown a few more times during the day. Put up a few more thoughtless social media posts. Make the product a tiny bit cheaper or faster, and shout that from the rooftops to your customers in the hopes that they’ll care.Surprise surprise, they don’t, and they never will. I knew I could do a whole lot better than these garbage strategies that were so prevalent in the world of marketing, and finally having an agency as a professional platform to do so, I got to work.During the early stages of my agency, I was buried in work and paid very little.I was new, I was unheard of, and I didn’t have more than half a dozen clients to my name — most of them being small businesses who could barely afford marketing of any kind. They desperately needed work, and I desperately needed a track record to show that I was good at what I did. I only took on companies that I knew I would be able to turn into wild successes, that way I could take those examples and use them to pitch bigger business.This strategy worked wonders for me.I slaved away day and night to overdeliver to every single client I had. I built out a process to inexpensively create marketing material that people would genuinely enjoy and remember, and I figured out the best ways to deliver it to my clients’ target audiences. I analyzed my clients’ customers’ microeconomic and behavioral habits to the point where I actually knew the times of day where a customer would walk their dog. And no, that is not a joke. That’s how committed I was to research and data that could help me reach my goal.In many instances I took on work for either no upfront cost at all, or for a small amount of equity. I learned very early on that while cash flow is most definitely the heart of an agency, the reputation it holds is its brain. One cannot exist without the other, but I had to focus first and foremost on the reputation and track record that I had. Without having success stories, I couldn’t go after new business, and I couldn’t convince anyone why it would be worth their time and money to work with me.A few of the companies I took on for next to nothing turned into multimillion dollar successes because of my marketing strategy and its execution. I won’t lie, it fucking hurts when you know for a fact you’re not being paid what you’re worth and can’t fight back because you agreed not to in your original contract.This was a powerful wake up call that told me now is the time to start charging the proper amount for the work I do. Even though I wasn’t paid fully in the cash that I deserved, I now had a success story in which I simultaneously took three small-time fashion brands from nothing, to multimillion dollar valuations and eventually one buyout by an international retailer.I told my story every time I was pitching my agency to a new client, and promised to deliver the same success to them as I had done in the past for others. All of a sudden, companies of all sizes were much more eager to work with me than ever before. Never forget that your reputation is the key to your success — find ways to leverage it in every possible situation.Something that I’m asked very often is how I got clients when I was still a baby. Why wouldn’t they just go to someone who’s been around longer, had more experience, a bigger team, and more resources? That’s a very good point — my clients had every reason to not work with me.I contribute all of my success to being able to turn these so-called problems into benefits that my clients could very clearly see. All it takes is looking at the situation from a different angle.My pitch was that since I was young and grew up on social media, I knew it very well from the side of the customer. I knew exactly why they used it, how they used it, and what they were expecting to get from it. Because of this, I knew what it took to manipulate these platforms to get your audience actually paying attention to you, caring about you, and doing business with you.I sold the small size of my agency as another positive:Because I wasn’t a corporate powerhouse with a ton of accounts, I was able to give lots of attention to each individual client. I promised everyone that came through my door that they would never be put last working with my agency, and that I will treat their business with the same care I treat my own. I have yet to break that promise.When you keep yourself focused on producing great work and making your clients happy, great things start to happen. Business owners tend to be friends with other business owners, and because I got great results, I became the topic of many conversations. Those conversations turned into referrals, which turned into more business for me.I learned very quickly that the best marketing combination in the whole universe is a great product combined with word of mouth.My advice to anyone who’s currently in school for business, marketing, public relations, or communications of any kind:For the love of god, do not allow yourself to ever believe that your school (no matter how expensive it is) will fully prepare you for working in the real world.It’s an enormous shame that the majority of a college education in business tends to be theoretical. The work you are assigned is given with the primary intention to keep you busy for a little while, not to prepare you to solve real world problems. A good education cannot be given in a sterile vacuum — it must be done under real world conditions, with a lot of failure involved. If universities worked to teach business development in a simulated free market economy, our graduates would not be clueless upon entering the workforce. An entry level job in marketing will no longer be a minimum wage assistant role — it will be a position of real responsibility in which people can do amazing work and build businesses to great heights.To anyone who has big goals in mind, I implore you to do several things:Go out into the world and DO.Create something valuable.Tell your story.Get people interested.These things will pay you back exponentially for the rest of your life.You don’t have to drop out of school altogether like I did, but make sure that you find the time to do things that are grounded in reality and not just in a textbook. A track record of results and a solid reputation are the only things that are required.Develop them, and the entirety of the world’s opportunities will open themselves up to you.