Delphi group plants in europe

Republic of Georgia

2011.01.11 19:55 spqrdecker Republic of Georgia

Gamarjoba and welcome! This is a subreddit dedicated to posting everything that is related to the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus region. Hope you enjoy your stay!
[link]


2020.07.30 23:02 Tikkinger PlantTradingEurope

Trade / Buy / Sell plants exclusive in EUROPE.
[link]


2018.12.05 03:43 bmb222 A celebration of caudiciform plants

A page for discussion and media relating to caudiciform, caudex, or tuberous succulent plants. Caudex: An enlargement of the stem, branch or root of a woody plant, usually serving to store water.
[link]


2024.05.14 20:58 thedudetp3k Aphantasia - Mind Blowing, Life Changing!!

(sorry this is long, I just started and couldn’t stop)
I'm a 57F professional working as a Contracts Specialist for a large Tech Company. I discovered I have total Aphantasia about 2 months ago. I hate saying it that way, I "have" Aphantasia. It sounds like a disease or something. Still working on a way to word that when I share this with people who have never heard of it.
I have spent the months doing as much reading and self-searching as possible. I immediately felt relief when I discovered what Aphantasia is and have never had the feeling that I am missing out by not seeing the images, but I can sure understand why some would feel that way. For me it was the answer to questions I have been asking myself all my life. I just found out "I'm not crazy" AND "I'm not alone". I've never posted anything like this before, but when I joined, reading things like this from others when they first find out they are an Aphant was very helpful.
Some things I have thought about since learning this about myself.
Psychology Profession and Memory Loss - I have known I have a bad memory since I was a kid, I never understood why I couldn't remember things until someone "triggered" the memory. Once triggered, I can remember things fairly well. As many young adults, I had some issues adjusting to college life and chose to seek help with a professional. This was my first experience with being told I must be repressing a traumatic experience from my childhood. We spent many months/years and many tears trying to determine what that could be. Now I should add I was abused as a child and had remembered and dealt with that. My parents ended up shipping me off to my Grandparents to get away from her influence. But answer me this, if I remembered it and dealt with it and no longer had negative consequences from it, why didn’t my memory get better? Over the years I have seen a couple other therapists that wanted to concentrate on repressed memories because of my memory. I went along for a while but finally became convinced that there were no other memories to find. But that profession took a lot of my money, time and emotional wellbeing - yet nothing was ever discovered. I doubted people in my life that I never should have. Now I believe Aphantasia should be a part of all professional training for mental health wellness. I'm old, so maybe it is now??
Fake Memories - After experiencing this kind of high pressure "therapy" I can totally understand how people create fake memories. So many thoughts and details were provided during these sessions, I could have easily started to "make" things up and that leads to believing it happened in that environment. As a woman, I am always looking to please people, I tried to please my therapists. Aphantasia or not, false memories are not as hard to plant as you might think especially when that person is trying to make you happy.
Being Present - This has been a big thing the last few years. People pushing for you to be present in your life. Professionals have also mentioned that my memory issues may be due to the fact that I have never "been present" in my life. It took a few sessions to understand what the hell they meant and then spent much time trying to "be present" and I the only thing I determined is that I have always "been present" as best I can! I stopped going to therapists after this one.
Objects & Memories - I now understand why I have been holding on to things that most people would have let go of by now. For instance I have a large stuffed animal collection and have always told my husband I could not get rid of any of them as each one is a trigger for a good memory. I am afraid if I get rid of it, that memory will be lost forever. If the memory really does go away, then I can get rid of that object. If there is no memory trigger, it's pretty easy to let go. Same with taking photos, I have a better understanding of why I always had my camera out. Without a picture, did it really happen? Not in my memory!
Deep Connections - Aphantasia may be a factor in my perception as to why I cannot make deep connections with people. Because my brain does not pepper me with visions and thoughts of loved ones, I don't think about other people very often. I don't know what people mean when they say "I miss you". I truly am an OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND lifer. When I have expressed to others that I feel that way, I have been told they feel a deep connection and don't know what I would mean by deeper. Now I believe since I don't think about others often, I've just convinced myself over the years that my feelings must not be deep. If it were deep, wouldn’t I be on their minds like I am on theirs? I am starting to understand things a bit differently now, I love and care DEEPLY for the people in my life, I'm just not triggered to remember them.
Learning/Training - I have always had issues with classroom learning. I have trouble concentrating on what is being presented unless there is some kind of hands-on activity associated with the training. I recently moved to a new position at work, I used to be a corporate trainer. To start my new position there was a large learning curve. I found when someone one told me something about the job I needed to see it or even better perform the task myself. That is not always available in training situations. It has taken a while to get up to speed in this position and I was doing a great job of beating myself up about not catching on quickly. I must be getting old, I thought. I was usually frustrated as a trainer when I had to train people my age, they just didn't seem to "get it" when others did. Well here's my payback, now I have to learn and I'm the one not "getting it". I do really wish I had known about Aphantasia/Hypophantasia/Hyperphantasia while I was a trainer. I think about all the improvements I could make on the material if I knew how the student's memory worked. I never really used much visual assistance, other than performing the task in front of them, and now I think that would have been helpful for "normal" memory types. The good thing about my memory is that once I understand WHY something is done, I've got it, it's in the vault. I actually do better than most others once that lightbulb goes off. Sometimes it just takes a while to really have that understanding. I am very detail oriented and technical; I can pick up computer operating systems quickly, they make sense.
Face/People Recognition - I have a hard time identifying characters in a movie, especially if they are wearing similar clothing or haricuts. I even have difficulty remembering my waitperson after talking to them directly. I usually remember if they were Female or Male, but not always. If I need something from them, I am awful at locating my wait person. I usually end up asking some random employee. Once I am familiar with the person, I will recognize them, but there has to be some kind of connection made. This has proven to cause quite a bit of embarrassment when I run into someone I have met and have zero recollection of who they are or where I met them. Unfortunately, this has happened more than a handful of times. It makes the other person feel bad and that's the last thing I want to do.
Another thing I noticed that I believe fits in this section, is how people can imitate others. I now understand how they can do that; they actually have a mental image of that person doing something. They can see them moving, hear them talking and then interpret that to an imitation. That was one of the many lightbulbs that went off in my head while researching Aphantasia. I mean how does someone tell a sketch artist what someone looked like after a crime? Not only face blindness but adrenaline flowing as well. But some people can remember down to the angle of their eyes and shape of the mouth. That has always been such a mystery to me, how can people do that? Now I understand, they actually SEE the face.
Processing Information - One thing I have been wondering is if Aphantasia has anything to do with how fast my brain processes information on the regular. I have been called a fast thinker when I come to a conclusion quickly and process what is in front of me quicker than others. I notice this when playing games, learning and putting things together during a conversation. I have the ability to see the big picture which allows me to put things in place and make decisions quickly. It drives me crazy when it takes my mom 5 mins to make a move in a game. I can understand that a bit better now, so learning this about myself has also helped me understand others. Others have all kinds of images they are needing to process to decide. And after sharing my findings with my family I have determined that my mom is a Hyperphantasic. Her memory is amazing, she remembers everything from her childhood from 4yrs on. I've always been jealous of that kind of memory.
I even understand how Chess works and what they mean by look ahead 5 moves.
Psychedelics - In the Aphantasia community, I have FINALLY found kindred spirits when it comes to experimenting with certain drugs. Aspirin, Antihistamines, pain killers and other prescribed drugs work just fine. But when I have taken any illicit psychedelics, nothing happens. The first time I noticed I was not as affected as others was in college. I just figured everyone else was really exaggerating and I wasn't interested in trying again. But I have since tried experimenting again with my husband who has gotten into Microdosing. We thought it would be interesting to take a recreational dose. He had an awesome time with lots of visuals and motion. For me, nothing. I could make the grass or a picture on the wall get "movement" but nothing like what he was experiencing. Decided to try again, this time with my sister and husband. I took a double dose this time just to make sure I would feel something. Nope, nothing. I have tried up to 10g at a time with nothing (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL). I have never heard of anyone else having this kind of experience until I joined this group. There have been several people indicate they have similar experiences including one who even called out that they don't feel anything more than a minor wavey feeling.
Now I think it is probably for the same reason we don't have a "minds eye". Some synapses somewhere are not sparking normally. I do believe for some Aphants, this does actually lead to some visual or other sensory experiences they have not had before. But for some of us, we don't have the ability to "Trip". This is probably the only thing I have found that I don't like about Aphantasia. I have been able to put a positive spin on most of what I have found, but I do wish I could experience that feeling others have while taking a "Trip".
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? – This is a question that I have had to answer many times in my career, it is one of the favorite questions asked during an interview. I’ve never been good at answering that question. Others would provide great details on where they see themselves going, but I have never had the ability to look that far ahead. I don’t see myself anywhere specifically, I tend to follow the opportunities that come my way.
In conclusion (yes finally almost done) I've gone 57 years telling myself I can improve my memory, "I'll remember that if I really think hard" but I never do. Or I try to make sure I am "Present" so I can remember, nope, doesn’t help either. Now that I have an answer that explains my brain is acting differently than most people, I don't kid myself anymore. I'm just not going to remember and that's OK, that's how my brain works and part of who I am. There is nothing I can do about it, no more wasted time working on my memory!!
I can honestly say I am grateful to learn about this memory process and for the ability to move on from difficult situations. There are many more things I could get into, but that would be an even bigger book. My sister can get stuck on something that is difficult for her to get past, the images of bad things “haunt” her. For me, as soon as the actual event is over, it may take a few days depending on the severity, it is buried and does not "pop in" and bring me back. If only I had known this when I was younger, I can only imagine what I could have accomplished! I imagine my self-doubt/hate could have been less with this information as well as the therapist bills that could have been saved. This is such important knowledge, I am so happy to see research being done!! I only hope the information continues to spread so more people are aware. I don’t know if all the things above are in direct relation to Aphantasia, but my eyes have been open to these differences.
submitted by thedudetp3k to Aphantasia [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 20:41 Dear-Ad-8289 Black Elderberry Health Benefits

In the vast realm of natural remedies, few ingredients have captured the attention of both ancient healers and modern wellness enthusiasts quite like black elderberry. With its rich history steeped in traditional medicine and a growing body of scientific research supporting its efficacy, black elderberry has emerged as a superstar in the world of holistic health. Join us as we explore the remarkable benefits of black elderberry and uncover the secrets of its wellness-promoting properties.

Understanding Black Elderberry:

Black elderberry, scientifically known as Sambucus nigra, is a flowering plant native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. For centuries, elderberries have been revered for their medicinal properties and culinary uses. The deep purple-black berries of the elderberry plant are rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds, making them a valuable addition to any wellness regimen.

The Health Benefits of Black Elderberry:

1. Immune Support:

One of the most celebrated benefits of black elderberry is its ability to support the immune system. Elderberries are packed with antioxidants like flavonoids and anthocyanins, which help protect cells from oxidative stress and boost immune function. Studies have shown that elderberry extract may help reduce the duration and severity of colds and flu by enhancing immune response.

2. Respiratory Health:

Black elderberry has a long history of use in traditional medicine for respiratory ailments. Its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties make it effective in easing symptoms of conditions like coughs, colds, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Elderberry syrup or supplements can help soothe sore throats, reduce congestion, and promote overall respiratory wellness.

3. Antioxidant Protection:

Elderberries are rich in potent antioxidants that help combat oxidative damage and reduce inflammation in the body. These antioxidants not only support immune health but also play a crucial role in protecting against chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.

4. Heart Health:

The anthocyanins found in black elderberries have been linked to improved cardiovascular health. These compounds help lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, and enhance blood vessel function, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

5. Digestive Aid:

Elderberry has been traditionally used as a digestive tonic to alleviate digestive discomfort and promote gut health. The fiber and flavonoids in elderberries support healthy digestion, while their anti-inflammatory properties help soothe the digestive tract and reduce symptoms of bloating, gas, and indigestion.

How to Incorporate Black Elderberry Into Your Wellness Routine:

Precautions and Considerations:

While black elderberry is generally safe for most people, it's essential to choose reputable sources and follow recommended dosage guidelines. As with any supplement or herbal remedy, consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating elderberry into your regimen, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

In Conclusion:

Black elderberry stands as a shining example of nature's healing bounty, offering a potent blend of immune-boosting nutrients and antioxidants. From supporting immune health to promoting respiratory wellness and beyond, the benefits of black elderberry are as diverse as they are impressive. By harnessing the power of this ancient remedy, we can embark on a journey towards greater vitality and well-being, rooted in the wisdom of traditional medicine and supported by modern scientific evidence.
https://nutridom.ca/products/elderberry-cold-flu-120vcaps?_pos=1&_sid=2ad4e990f&_ss=r
submitted by Dear-Ad-8289 to u/Dear-Ad-8289 [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 20:37 wlady4000 Tangible examples of the impact of chirstianity in geo politics and economics world wide

Christianity, as one of the world's major religions, has wielded significant influence in geopolitics and economics throughout history. Here are some tangible examples of its impact:
  1. Colonialism and Imperialism: During the Age of Exploration, European powers such as Spain, Portugal, France, and Britain, driven by a combination of religious fervor and economic motives, colonized vast territories around the world. Christianity played a crucial role in legitimizing these colonial ventures, with missionaries often accompanying explorers and settlers to spread the faith. The economic exploitation of colonies, coupled with the spread of Christianity, profoundly shaped global trade routes and power dynamics.
  2. The Protestant Work Ethic: Max Weber famously argued that Protestantism, particularly Calvinism, played a significant role in the development of capitalism. The Protestant work ethic emphasized hard work, thrift, and discipline as virtues, which contributed to economic success. This ideology, particularly prevalent in countries like the United States and parts of Europe, has influenced economic policies and practices, shaping modern capitalist societies.
  3. Political Movements: Christianity has been a driving force behind various political movements and revolutions throughout history. For example, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, led by Christian figures like Martin Luther King Jr., sought to address systemic racism and inequality. Similarly, Christian liberation theology has influenced movements in Latin America, advocating for social justice and redistribution of wealth.
  4. Humanitarian Aid and Development: Christian organizations and charities are major players in global humanitarian aid and development efforts. Groups like Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, and Samaritan's Purse provide crucial assistance in areas affected by conflict, poverty, and natural disasters. Their work has tangible impacts on the lives of millions, shaping geopolitics through soft power and influencing economic development in impoverished regions.
  5. Globalization and Cultural Influence: The spread of Christianity, particularly through missionary work and globalization, has contributed to the homogenization of cultures and the diffusion of Western values. This cultural influence has economic implications, as Western ideas about democracy, individualism, and free markets are promoted alongside Christian teachings. Moreover, Christian values often intersect with economic policies, influencing debates on issues such as poverty alleviation, labor rights, and environmental stewardship.
  6. Conflict and Peacebuilding: Christianity has both fueled conflicts and played a role in peacebuilding efforts around the world. Historical conflicts such as the Crusades, religious wars in Europe, and contemporary conflicts in regions like the Middle East and Africa have often been driven, at least in part, by religious differences. Conversely, Christian principles of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace have inspired movements and organizations dedicated to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, contributing to geopolitical stability in some regions.
  7. Political Ideologies and Movements: Christian principles have inspired various political ideologies and movements, ranging from liberation theology to conservative Christian movements. These ideologies have influenced governance, policies, and political landscapes in different countries, impacting socio-economic structures.These examples highlight the multifaceted impact of Christianity on geopolitics and economics, demonstrating how religious beliefs and institutions intersect with broader societal, political, and economic dynamics on a global scale.
These examples highlight the multifaceted impact of Christianity on geopolitics and economics, demonstrating how religious beliefs and institutions intersect with broader societal, political, and economic dynamics on a global scale.
submitted by wlady4000 to u/wlady4000 [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 20:30 RinMichaelis I feel very grateful about Jreg's new YT video

In America, congress passed a bill saying that anti-Zionism is anti-semitism. And I'm glad that Jreg brought up the Haavara Agreement. That gets brought up a lot in the communist discord server I'm using.
The Haavara Agreement occurred in 1933. And it's like a peaceful cleansing. It's when you get a group of people that you hate to voluntarily leave. When modern day neo-Nazis talk about a peaceful cleansing, they're thinking about things like that Haavara Agreement.
Because of this "war" Israel has increasingly become a pariah state, who's only clear ally is the USA. But Israel has become a pariah to pretty much the rest of the world. Israel has the largest amount of Jews being sitting ducks, with it's only clear ally being the USA.
In recent polls, the majority of Americans are against Israel, and the majority of Democrats would love it if America withdrew its support of Israel. If America stops supporting Israel, and Israel being heavily reliant on America, what will they do if they lose American support and another country decides to bomb it?
This "war" has not ONLY been a bad look for Israel, it's been a bad look for the USA. The other superpowers Russia and China have shown nothing but support for Palestine.
Which makes me think of JJ McCullough video. Where he said that the creation of the UN was so that what occurred in Nazi, Germany will never happen to another group of people ever again. That it was firmly believed that what caused Nazi, Germany in the first place was authoritarian regimes, and that this sort of thing would be completely impssible with a democracy. That a democracy will never allow this to happen, which makes it a superior system.
We are living in a time, where people all over the world watched in horror what Israel has done during this "war." And the world has also watched the USA's staunch support of Israel, including threatening to arrest members of the ICC if they arrest Netanyahu, and threatened to invade The Hague, should Netanyahu face arrest.
America bullies Europa into sanctioning China and Russia and boycotting their goods. But again, I'm thinking about that statement that JJ McCullough made. The UN was created so that what happened in Nazi, Germany would never happen to ANY GROUP of people ever again. "Never again" meant any group of people.
But now, instead of the world sitting back in horror as the Holocaust happens. People now are sitting back in horror as more Palestinians are getting erased from the face of this world. Israel is NOT in a war with the West Bank But in the West Bank, houses are being burned down. Palestinians in the West Bank are being shot down like cattle. And what sort of "war" is it when it's completely one-sided?
To me, this action, not only risks turning Israel into a pariah. It also risks turning the US into a pariah. It might seem impossible. But we normally bully Europeans to sanction and disassociate from China and Russia. We just threatened the sovereignty of the Netherlands. The US govt made it clear that we will punish anybody who dares to act against Israel. We also demand that you disassociate from China and Russia because of the type of govts that they have. As comedian Jon Stewart frequently points out. There is some chrystal clear hypocrisy and double standards going on here.
You have two superpowers which are completely aligned with the rest of Europe when it comes to Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people. And you have one democractic, superpower, that bullies you and threatens you if you so much as arrest Netanyahu.
No govt should be bullied into doing anything that it doesn't want to do. I wouldn't be surprised if Europeans would rather get along with China, on the condition, that it respects its soverignity and doesn't push it to do things that it doesn't want to do. Like some sort of treaty where the Europeans remove the sanctions, and in return, China doesn't pressure Europe to doing things that they don't want to do. For Europe to be able to make independent decision that's without the influence of a superpower.
Don't get me wrong. As a US citizen, I hate the idea of the US becoming an pariah country. But there has been an uptick of news of various people leaving the Biden administration because they feel like his actions harms America's credibility to the rest of the world. So many comedians are cracking jokes about America's hypocrisy, and people are leaving the Biden administration because they agree with the comedians. Including us cracking down on TikTok because people criticize the Israeli govt a lot on TikTok.
How could we brag about being the world's freest country and value liberty and freedom more than any other country. While we crack down on protesters and crack down on apps because of speech that we don't like? Where we are reliant of censorship and a militarized police presence to crack down on speech that we don't like.
Our Fouding Fathers believe that Free Speech is the most important freedom that you can ever have, along with the freedom to protest and boycott.
I cannot predict the future. I don't watch CNN, but I do read CNN. When you read CNN, they are very critical of Israel. But, youtubers have pointed out that when you watch CNN, it's different. I wouldn't know. But from my experience, there are main stream news outlets critical of Israel. And there are big named comedians like John Oliver and Jon Stewart, who're critical of Israel. There are over 1,000 Hollywood celebrities that signed an open letter from a website of Artists4Ceasefire.
I don't know what will occur in the future because there are people with a lot of fame and a lot of wealth who are critical of Israel. It's unlikely that we're going to start arresting Hollywood celebrities for having speech the govt doesn't like.
submitted by RinMichaelis to Jreg [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 20:05 sportingpool Real Madrid cheating German Teams in the Champions League

We already talked about the issues we discovered in the last 3 Bayern-Real CL knockout stage duels here
https://www.reddit.com/BayernMunich/comments/1cqcjyl/bayern_got_cheated_3_times_in_a_row_vs_real/
Taking a deeper look into all the recent Knockout Stage games (last 10 years) between Real Madrid and German Teams, a clear pattern regarding the referee crew emerges.
I have grouped European Nations based on the Corruption Index
TIER 1: Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland)
TIER 2: Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg, Ireland
TIER 3: Belgium, Iceland, France, UK, Austria
TIER 4: Portugal, Spain, Italy
TIER 5: Slovenia, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia
TIER 6: North Macedonia, Hungary, Albania, Bosnia, Turkia, Russia
This is the number of games UEFA gave to referees from each tier for Real's games vs German teams:
Tier 1: 0
Tier 2: 1
Tier 3: 2
Tier 4: 3 (3xItaly)
Tier 5: 4
Tier 6: 4
There is basically a zero percent chance this distribution is random.
Not a single time a scandinavian referee has been assigend, but 7 times it has been Eastern European referees. That includes the upcoming CL Final Real-Dortmund.
We have seen issues in every recent tie ! As described earlier, Bayern was knocked out 3 times in a row vs Real due to poor refereeing from Eastern European officials.
Real is in poor financial health. The cost of the stadium renovation has spiralled out of control. Real had to tap the private debt market for an additional 400m last fall. It has 1.6bn in debt, interest rates are rising, and it cant afford to be knocked out of the Champions League at an early stage.
So of course the most important recent game for Real, with 75 million from the next rounds on the line, the Round of 16 in 2024 (RB Leipzig-Real) was handed over to a crew from Eastern Europe right from the bottom of the Corruption index: Bosnia.
And they did their job: A perfectly good goal by Sesko (Leipzig) was ruled offside.
All this points to a very disturbing final assesment:
The corrupt UEFA feeds Eastern European Referee crews to Real Madrid. And Real in all likelihood bribes these referees to manipulate Champions League Knockout Stage Games.
The German teams, who may be somewhat gullible and credulous, are the ones Real (and UEFA) have targeted every single time recently.....
submitted by sportingpool to BayernMunich [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 19:51 DONT_READ_THIS_OKAY THE WESTERN RAM IS BATTERING ITS DEMENTED HEAD AGAINST A RUSSIAN WALL

THE WESTERN RAM IS BATTERING ITS DEMENTED HEAD AGAINST A RUSSIAN WALL
https://preview.redd.it/vg2btat8kf0d1.jpg?width=748&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75a78fded339323c864661a38a969b6d9ca22363
As Russia survived the West's sanctions coming out smiling the western elites should have conceded failure. Instead they plowed on to certain defeat, upping a reckless ante, always doubling down. Why?
What is it with the British political elite and Ukraine? Is it some futile effort to recall the UK’s glory days when it was a great power? Are we merely seeing the lingering death throes of an empire long gone and now completely irrelevant? How many more Ukrainians must lose their lives for the sake of this gruesome activity by the Brits?
Hugely disliked in Britain Richie Sunak and his government may also be hoping for a much needed uptick in popularity by using their present breast-beating, war-mongering tactic in Ukraine to ultra-cynically bring it about. An earlier prime minister, Margaret Thatcher achieved just such a surge in popularity by going to war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands when her poll ratings were falling to dangerous levels. Thatcher succeeded where Sunak appears to be failing abysmally to achieve the same cynical maneuver.
Or is something else at work here? Do the western powers see their long-held ability to manipulate events globally fast slipping away? Could this be the true reason for their reckless strategy of endlessly supporting the Ukrainian regime despite every indicator that it is doomed to be utterly defeated by Russia? Might this be the most fundamental of all reasons for the hopeless endeavour to defeat a Russia that sees an existential threat in NATO’s ambition to put missiles on its border in Ukraine. This task was hopeless from the start as Russia simply cannot have such a circumstance and no amount of weaponry from the West will change this fact.
The political and media elites are clearly aligned as tight as can be in a unified war to maintain the status and power they have become so very used to till now. The thought of losing all the many perks that come with such a power brings them to a state of such utter agitation that we can expect almost any reckless action from them now. Even the prospect of nuclear war does not seem to faze the most zealot amongst them. It appears that no world at all is preferable to such convinced neocons than a world they can no longer control.
The British in their “wisdom” have told the Kiev regime that they are quite at liberty to fire the UK-supplied missiles at targets in Russia. The Russian high command has responded by saying that if this takes place they will then be at liberty to attack UK bases in Ukraine… and beyond. Yet even this statement does not appear to give the British pause, they continue their belligerent rhetoric, upping the ante even more. Now we hear that British special forces are at work in Ukraine. Another sign that sooner or later Russia will be bound to cause British blood to run in Ukraine, and quite possibly elsewhere.
What variety of madness has the western powers in its grip? Ukraine is of no special strategic interest to them? Yet they are clearly willing to see millions die to defend it in a struggle that was lost as soon as Russia survived all the West’s sanctions and came out the other side with the strongest economy in Europe. The madness involved breed mutually assured destruction and the deaths of millions. Does this prospect deter those in the West from their futile actions that has seen half a million Ukrainians die or be grievously wounded? Not a bit it seems. The juggernaut of western irresponsible warmongering goes on regardless.
Like the ram in the popular song of the late Fifties, ‘High Hopes’, but without its success, battering its head against an immovable dam, the bone-headed political and media elites of the West appear unable to halt their compulsively disastrous acts of sheer, reckless folly.
Wikipedia: The song describes two scenarios where animals do seemingly impossible acts. First, an ant moves a rubber tree plant all by himself, then a ram single-handedly puts a hole in a "billion-kilowatt dam." The desires of these animals are described by the chorus as "high, apple pie in the sky, hopes.”
https://preview.redd.it/pwken32akf0d1.jpg?width=1344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b0a257f3dbcc2cf51ca977f27d7d474520c64de
submitted by DONT_READ_THIS_OKAY to u/DONT_READ_THIS_OKAY [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 19:41 hermitzen What to do about bugs? CELEBRATE!

It's absolutely wonderful that native gardening is becoming so popular in recent years. I'm seeing posts here and in other groups, usually newbies, asking what could possibly be eating or "infesting" their native plant. It's normal to be concerned about the plants in your garden, especially if you grew from seed or paid a lot of money for plants. You've invested a lot of time, effort and probably money. I get it. But.
Why is it that native gardening is becoming more popular? It's because people like you recognize that our native ecosystems are broken. We need to plant more natives to support food webs that have been disintegrating for decades, if not longer. But what does that mean for your garden? It means that the plants in your garden are food! Food for insects, food for bigger critters. It's a temporary home for eggs and pupae. It's part of the ecosystem.
So what should you do when you find bugs eating your native plants? CELEBRATE! Your garden is proving to be a success! If you want, take a photo and use Google lens or similar app to confirm the bugs are native. If they aren't, OK maybe hose them off with your garden hose, and check with your local extension service to see the best way to deal with that particular non-native pest. But don't poison them, don't run off and buy lady bugs or praying mantis. That will all break your food web even further.
For native bugs and critters, let your ecosystem do its job. I highly recommend going on YouTube and watching any presentation by Doug Tallamy. He explains it all so well! Trust me. It will change your life!
submitted by hermitzen to NativePlantGardening [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 19:15 Due-Currency6969 Springtails ? Request for confirmation

Springtails ? Request for confirmation
Location : western Europe Hi, my house plants were attacked by this individuals. In my opinion those are springtales, could you confirm ? Are there harmfull for my plants ?
submitted by Due-Currency6969 to whatisthisbug [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:53 EurekaStockade 1008/--- 13 May= Day 133-- Nuclear Accident= 133--Thirteenth May Twenty Twenty Four British PM Says-- Closer T'o Nuclear Escalation'= 911

THIRTEENTH MAY TWENTY TWENTY FOUR BRITISH PM SAYS 'CLOSER TO NUCLEAR ESCALALTION' = 911
In this post I explain what the British Prime Minister was signalling--
13 May= Day 133
NUCLEAR ACCIDENT= 133
13 May 2024-- Rishi Sunak said-- "the recklessness of the Russian president has brought us closer to a dangerous nuclear escalation more than ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis".
666 days after the Ossetia Secession Referendum was postponed on 17 July 2022
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS= 282
SOUTH OSSETIA SECEDES= 282
.
6 Oct 2022--Biden used almost the exact same words--
"the risk of Nuclear Armageddon is at the highest level since the Cuban Missile Crisis"
ARMAGEDDON= 188
MISSILE CRISIS= 188
CONSECRATION= 188
.
17 July 2024= 1 years 9 months 11 days after Biden said Nuclear Armageddon
2 years 3 months 22 days after Pope Francis consecrated Russia on 25 Mar 2022
FRANCIS= 119
RUSSIA CONSECRATION= 119
NUCLEAR PLANT ACCIDENT= 119
17 July= 17/7= 17 x 7= 119
SEVENTEEN JULY TWENTY TWENTY FOUR ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR PLANT MELTDOWN DISASTER= 911
.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS= 282
Timeline--
9 Oct 2023--Day 282
322nd anniv of Yale/ Skull & Bones
282 days later--
17 July 2024-- Nuclear Meltdown
282 days later--
25 April 2025-- my prediction for Global financial Crash next year
TWENTY FIVE APRIL TWENTY TWENTY FIVE PENSION FUNDS CRASH= 666
.
13 May-- anniv of Fatima Miracle-- Virgin Mary Apparition during WW1
13 May 2023-- Zelensky visited the Vatican on the Fatima anniv
13 MAY 2023 ZELENSKY VISITS VATICAN= 119
FRANICS= 119
VATICAN= 119
NUCLEAR PLANT ACCIDENT= 119
.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS= 129
RISHI SUNAK= 129
12 Sep= 12/9
12 Sep 2001-- first time NATO Article 5 was invoked--the day after the 911 attacks
Nato has already indicated that Article 5 will be triggered after a Nuclear Accident which affects Europe
13 Sep 2022-- King Charles staged a public Tantrum over a Leaky Pen--guaranteed to grab headlines as intended
The Media made a point of calling it a MELTDOWN
CHARLES HAVING LEAKY PEN MELTDOWN= 322
Significantly Charles said he had signed the wrong date-- instead of 13 Sep--he wrote 12 Sep
this was obvious signalling
.
12 Sep= 12/9
PERSIAN GULF OIL SPILL DISASTER= 12/9
KIM JONG UN= 129
.
Timeline--
7 Dec-- Pearl Harbour anni
223 days later--
25 Oct 2022-- Rishi Sunak is installed an unelected British PM
25 Oct 2023-- Cyber Apocalypse Movie -- Leave The World Behind is shown
223 days later--
12 Sep
.
keep an eye on--
2 Aug 2024= 666 days after Biden used the words Nuclear Armageddon
21 Aug 2024= 666 days Sunak has been in office
.
18 Aug= 18/8--First Lady Rosalyn Carter's birthday
ARMAGEDDON= 188
MISSILE CRISIS= 188
CYBER ATTACK= 188
CYBER TERRORISM= 188
.
DAM BREACH= 188
AIRFORCE ONE= 188
JERUSALEM EMBASSY= 188
MICHAEL JEFFREY JORDAN= 188
RUSSIA INVASION= 188
THIRTEEN AUGUST= 188
submitted by EurekaStockade to conspiracy [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:48 Jonbieniemy87 A Lily in a Valley of Haze (Part 3 of ?)

Morrigan went to join her lily in her room, joining her apothecary in the making of their garden. She hoped it would calm her down, she hoped that she could smell that sweet smell again, she hoped that she could show her traitor son that he was wrong. She would show him that he was wrong, even if she had no idea how to garden.
Morrigan spent a lot of time working on the garden with her lily and apothecary, often without her armor. She wasn't sure how she would feel outside of her armor in the presence of another, but she grew to appreciate the opportunity. She noticed that the apothecary wore their mask less often around her, and even offered to help her with gardening. Morrigan refused, stubbornly insisting that she could do it herself, even though she was having no success whatsoever. However, even though she found the experience of gardening to be incredibly frustrating, it was also calming in a sense. The apothecary found this stubborn determination adorable in a sense. They had figured out what kind of flowers their lady liked and grew the ones that they liked best. It helped with their lady's unique smell, even though they had gotten somewhat used to it by now. They even started making perfumes, leaving them in their lady’s room without her knowledge. Morrigan loved the perfumes she knew her lily had made, but didnt say anything in case her apothecary would find out she actually liked them.
After much time and hard work, Morrigan finally got her first flower to bloom. It was a white lily, which she placed gently in the apothecary room, as a token. The apothecary found it rather touching, pinning their lady’s flower to their breast pocket, so they could carry it wherever they go.
The Primarch’s room would soon become a beautiful green space, so much so that Morrigan would often take off her mask when she was alone to smell the flowers and experience the work she and her lily had done. One day, while her lily was gardening, she handed them a new set of orders stating they would be moving into the room to better take care of the garden. The apothecary nodded, and moved their stuff into the garden, before returning to their work. They noticed that Morrigan didn't wear her mask anymore, and she never wore her armor in the garden. They didn’t ask their lady about it; they simply appreciated the trust.
Morrigan started bringing her Lily out of the garden more often, taking them on campaigns, to meetings and the like. Her sons questioned her intentions of bringing an apothecary during discussions of military matters.
“Mother, is it strictly necessary for the apothecary to be here? They have no training in the art of war, and they are not participating in the combat on the surface. I think it would be bes….”
Morrigan stared daggers at her son, her mask hiding the anger in her face. “The apothecary will stay. This way they can best prepare for the incoming casualties. That is final. Now let us continue planning the assault.” The apothecary smiled beneath their mask but made sure that this would be evident to their lady’s sons. They judged it would be best to not antagonize them.
After several successful campaigns, the Endurance once again returned to Barbaros, though as they arrived, they were greeted by another ship orbiting the planet. That ship was the Photep, flagship of Morrigan’s sister Magnolia. Morrigan had her vox master send a vox to her sister’s ship.
“Sister, what brings you here?” Morrigan said, questioning the intentions of her sister. She knew that Magnolia would not be here for a simple social call. She was here for something, probably knowledge.
“Sister! I am simply here to pay you a visit. I’ll arrive shortly.” Then the vox cut.
Morrigan gripped her scythe angrily. ‘That bitch’ she thought, ‘inviting herself, ignoring my questions. I’ll show her arrogant ass what for.’ She turned to her lily, her anger fading somewhat at the sight of her flower still pinned to her lily’s chest. “Apothecary, come with me. My sister may need some ‘assistance’ after I’m done with her.” Lily nodded, following quickly at the side of their lady as they made their way to the hangar.
Magnolia’s Stormhawk landed shortly after Morrigan and her Lily arrived in the hangar. Magnolia stepped out alone, a group of her sons waiting behind on the Stormhawk. Magnolia’s eyes were immediately drawn to the powerful psychic energy coming from the apothecary next to her sister. Lily could feel a strong probing psychic force in their mind, searching for information. Lily could also feel their lady’s anger and burning hatred. They gently placed their hand on Morrigan’s, before returning their hand to their side. Morrigan was shaken by this simple act, but she decided she would deal with it later. First, she needed to handle her sister.
Magnolia greeted her sister with a smile and gestured to the apothecary to Morrigan’s side. “Sister, what a lovely little psyker you have there. Have you finally changed your mind?” Magnolia said smugly.
Morrigan advanced upon Magnolia, ready to behead her sister for her insolence and arrogance. But once again, her Lily placed their hand upon hers. She knew it would be best to ensure they did not get hurt. “My Lily…!” Morrigan's voice, once angry, was now caught in her throat. Had she said it out loud. “Ahem, my apothecary is not a psyker. They are simply a talented apothecary, not a sorcerer like you. Perhaps your sorcery is failing you sister? Perhaps you could still see properly if you had both of your eyes.” She spat, her mask expelling gas in powerful blasts of anger. “If you have a purpose for your visit, state it. Otherwise get off my ship and return to your librarium sister.”
Magnolia, now frustrated, turned and left. “Your ignorance will bite you one day sister, that I assure you.” She said before her Stormhawk returned to her ship. She would find the knowledge she was looking for another way. Barbarus surely had knowledge that she could make great use of. She would just have to try and get it some other way.
Morrigan looked down at their Lily. They had held their hand the whole time, and it almost brought a smile to Morrigan’s face. “Let us return to our duties.” She said, letting go of her lily’s hand, and walked with them back to the garden. Morrigan couldn’t quite understand what emotions were going through her mind, so she focused on cultivating her plants, keeping her mind away from what she went through.
Nurgle was watching the two, smiling uglily. His plan would be put into place soon. Soon he would have the Primarch in his grips. He just needed to give her a little bit of a push. Targeting her apothecary would be of great benefit…
submitted by Jonbieniemy87 to PrimarchGFs [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:42 XxSleepyGhostxX Join the Blackhawk Defense Force – Where New Players Soar! [MILSIM][NA,EU,AUS]

BLUF

Blackhawk Defense Force

Are you ready to embark on an epic journey among the stars? Look no further than the Blackhawk Defense Force. We are an UEE-aligned organization that has a welcoming community. Whether you’re brand new to the verse or a veteran, we have a place for you amongst our ranks.

Our Vision

We strive for excellence in competitive play through training with the goal of protecting the UEE from any opposition they may face.

About Us

Our operations cater globally. We have 3 Defense Fleets (DF) catering to pilots:
  • 1DF: for our members from the Americas
  • 2DF: for our members from Europe and Africa
  • 3DF: for our members from Oceania and Asia
Each Division has 4 departments
  • Battle Group: These members are fearless. Operating and maintaining Capital and sub capital ships to bring us to new worlds with a mighty force!
  • Air Group: These members have to have nerves of steel. Flying fighters and manning gunships to deliver a fast and unstoppable Air and Space force.
  • Marines: The Marine only does 3 things and they are masters of their craft. 1) Kill all who oppose the organization, no matter the enemy or environment. 2) Control any war domain with the great lethality. 3) Choose the best flavor of Crayola. Don’t mess with the Marine.
  • Logistics: The life-blood of the organization. These members are the reason the other 3 departments can succeed. Through rearming battle cruisers, giving marines their gear and crayons, construction of FOBs, and gathering of materials for research and development

What we offer

MILSIM:

We offer a Military Simulation (MILSIM) experience by offering rank progression, training, awards and decorations, strategic planning with tactical movements, and organizational structure.

Active Community:

Engage with like-minded citizens who share your passion for exploration and adventure. Our community is active, supportive, and always ready for action.

Weekly Events:

Dive into the action with our regularly scheduled events. Whether it's a thrilling space race, a cooperative mission, or a friendly meet-and-greet, there's always something happening in the Blackhawk Defense Force.

How to Join

Ready to don the Blackhawk insignia and take to the stars? Visit our organization page on the RSI website and hit that 'Join' button. Our recruitment officers are standing by to welcome you. Fly high, fly proud!
Active Community: Engage with like-minded citizens who share your passion for exploration and adventure. Our community is active, supportive, and always ready for action.
**PvP Training/Events: We frequently “Practice like we play” for PvP. Be either in world events like Jump Town, scheduled org vs org, or non-schedule in game scenarios, we stand at the ready to defend the UEE against players who jeopardize their wellbeing.
Weekly Events: Dive into the action with our regularly scheduled events. Whether it's a thrilling space race, a cooperative mission, or a friendly meet-and-greet, there's always something happening in the Blackhawk Defense Force.

How to Join

Ready to don the Blackhawk insignia and take to the stars? Visit our organization page on the RSI website and hit that 'Join' button. Our recruitment officers are standing by to welcome you. Fly high, fly proud!
submitted by XxSleepyGhostxX to Starcitizen_guilds [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:35 hjras Introduction & Definition

Welcome to /Psychotechnology!

Psychotechnology is an umbrella term describing the various traditions, practices, rituals, sciences, and tools that allow humans to improve their physical, psychological, and material well-being at both the individual and collective levels. This subreddit is dedicated to exploring these diverse approaches, fostering discussions, and sharing insights on how they contribute to our well-being.

What Counts as Psychotechnology?

Religion

Religions are organized systems of beliefs, rituals, and practices that often involve a commitment to a higher power or spiritual force. They provide moral frameworks, community support, and a sense of purpose. Examples include:

Spiritual Traditions

Spiritual traditions encompass a wide range of beliefs and practices that focus on personal spiritual development outside the confines of organized religion. Examples include:

Psychological Sciences

Psychological sciences involve the systematic study of the mind and behavior, often employing empirical methods and therapeutic techniques to improve mental health. Examples include:

Exploring the Similarities

Despite their differences, religions, spiritual traditions, and psychological sciences share common goals and practices aimed at enhancing well-being. Here are some examples of specific practices within each category that might achieve similar benefits:

Meditation and Prayer

Rituals and Ceremonies

Ethical Guidelines and Moral Development

Community and Support Networks

Personal Growth and Self-Improvement

Why These Practices Matter

By examining these diverse practices through the lens of psychotechnology, we can appreciate the shared human endeavor to enhance well-being. Whether through religious devotion, spiritual exploration, or psychological techniques, these practices offer pathways to improved mental health, stronger communities, and a greater sense of purpose.

Key Benefits Across Practices

By framing these diverse concepts as sharing a common goal—directly and indirectly enhancing one's personal psyche—this subreddit aims to provide a platform for exploring and discussing these varied approaches, both their merits and drawbacks. So please create discussion threads, share books/articles/videos/podcasts, and other resources! Feel free to ask for questions and advice, and share any personal stories you have!

Community Guidelines

To keep our community welcoming and productive, please adhere to the following guidelines:
Welcome to /Psychotechnology!
submitted by hjras to psychotechnology [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:28 andreabaker2 Robert Adams was Robert Spiegel, and there is a huge history.

As many of you may have read, there is a case of two missing adopted kids in North Carolina, where remains have been found. The news has reported that their adoptive “mother” is Avantae Deven.
I’m a curious person and started digging up information on Avantae Deven when I first read the story in my news feed and could not believe what I was reading. It seemed like whomever this woman is must have be using an alias; Avantae Deven is not a name like Kim Jones or Mackenzie Smith.
The more I dug, the weirder it seemed to get. I found a property deed to a place in Sedona, Arizona, and figured out that whomever this Avantae person is, she at one point in time had owned a home together with someone named Nicole Adams. So I dug into who Nicole Adams was, and learned that she was the widow of a spiritual leader named Robert Adams. It appeared to me that there would be no way to identify who Avantae really was, unless I could also identify the true identity of Robert Adams.
*******
I've done investigative work for many years, including skip tracing. I can conclusively state that there was absolutely no person actually named Robert Adams born in New York State on January 21, 1928. This is demonstrated by the New York Birth Index. I have combed the census records for 1930, 1940, and 1950, and cross-checked them against multiple databases, and am confident that nobody with the birth name of Robert Adams was born anywhere in the United States on January 21, 1928.
Moreover, there was absolutely no person with the true name of Robert Adams who died anywhere at all in the United States, let alone Sedona, Arizona, on March 2, 1997. This is demonstrated by the Social Security Death Index.
I began this research largely by performing exhaustive searches on the known addresses that are associated with Robert, his wife Leonie (who used to use the alias Nicole), and Avantae Deven (who turns out to be their daughter Michelle who began using the alias Avantae in the mid-1990’s or so). Most of the addresses are PO boxes. Those that are PO boxes are all *private* PO boxes, not PO boxes that one can rent from the United States Postal Service. To me, that spoke volumes. The family were clearly using aliases.
As I explain further below, I eventually determined that “Robert Adams” was Robert Spiegel, born 21 January 1932 in New York. “Nicole Adams” was actually Aileen Beverly Leonie Maxwell, born February 2, 1929, in Jamaica. “Avantae Deven” is actually their daughter, Michelle K. Spiegel, born on October 1, 1960, in California.
One of Robert’s many false stories about Robert’s life that my research has refuted is Robert’s claim that his mother was Jewish and his father was Catholic. That was a lie. Both of his parents were Jewish. It’s also interesting that he claimed that he was “raised Catholic.” There is absolutely nothing to suggest that. His mother always, in New York, lived in Jewish neighborhoods. Moreover, as will be discussed below, his parents had a Jewish wedding. It’s also downright absurd that he would tell people that he was “half Jewish.” If your mother’s Jewish, you are Jewish, pure and simple. Even if Robert’s father had truly been Catholic (which he wasn’t; his name was Samuel Spiegel and he immigrated to America in 1907, lived with his Jewish, Yiddish-speaking cousins, and spoke Yiddish himself), Robert would have been Jewish because the status of being a Jew comes from the mother. Robert’s mother’s name was Fannie (nee Fleisfeder) Spiegel. Fannie’s parents were Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Libke (nee Rifkin) Fleisfeder. Esther’s parents were Mendel Rifkin and Sarah whose maiden name is lost to time and the disappearance of the shtetls. Robert’s claim to having had a Catholic father was utterly false, but is part and parcel of his ongoing compulsive daily lying about anything and everything.
Here is the story.
*******
Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea, is a city currently located in the Western Ukraine.
On January 21, 1892 (the same year that Kolomea tallis1 workers went on strike for better pay and working conditions), Kolomea resident Rachel Katz, wife of Abraham Spiegel, gave birth to a son, who was given the name Schmuel.
On the date that Schmuel Spiegel entered the world, Kolomea was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and almost half of the city’s residents were Jewish.
In June of 1907, fifteen-year-old Schmuel2 boarded the Zeeland, which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, arriving at New York Harbor on June 18, 1907. The ship’s manifest states that Schmuel’s father had paid for his transport, and that Schmuel intended to reside with his father, Abe, in Brooklyn. Schmuel was granted entrance, and took up residence with his cousin Charles Fetner, who resided at 353 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, in Apartment A with his wife Jennie and their baby daughter Ettie. The sparse record that exists suggests that although Schmuel’s father was, indeed, named Abraham, Abraham lived and died in Europe, without immigrating to America.
The 1910 census describes Samuel’s cousin Charles as a carpenter, who had been married to housewife Jennie for six years, and a father of three children-- Ettie age four, Nathan age two, and baby Jacob, who was not even a year old. Eighteen-year-old Samuel was identified by profession as a “Foreman Sailmaker” in an industry described as “pocket-books.”
Three and a half years after being granted admission, on a bitterly cold winter day, January 4, 1911, Schmuel (now employed as a pocket-book maker, and having Anglicized his name to Samuel) signed and submitted his declaration to become a United States citizen. He stated, in that declaration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
By 1915, Samuel had left his cousin’s abode and was residing as a lodger in the home of a widow named Rose Hammer, who lived with her two adolescent sons, Meyer and Louis, at 531 E. 5th Avenue; Samuel was now working as a “driver.”
Two years after the 1915 state census was taken, Samuel had moved back to Myrtle Avenue, but this time at building no. 849. On June 15, 2017, Samuel registered for the draft, and described himself as being a pocketbook maker, working for “A. Shoenfeld,” at 101 Crosby Street, New York. He was single. He stated, in his draft registration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
*******
A woman named Fruma Fleisfeder was born in Beltz, Bessarabia, sometime between July 1, 1893, and 1901, to Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Lieba Rifkin. Fruma (not living up to her pious given name) provided different dates and years of birth to different authorities on different occasions, making it impossible at this point in time to know her true position in the birth order of her family. Regardless, Fruma, who began using the name Fanny upon her entrance to the United States, did have three brothers and a sister who also came to America-- Louis Fleisfeder who was born April 10, 1890, Max Irving Fleisfeder who used October 10, 1892 as his birthdate, Hersch (later known as Harry), whose official birthdate was December 15, 1901, and Sylvia who was born in approximately 1906.
On December 1, 1919, Fruma arrived in New York Harbor on the ship La Touraine, declaring her intention, at entry, to become a United States Citizen. The ship’s manifest describes her as five feet five inches tall, with fair hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. The ship’s manifest states that she was, at that time, age 24. If that were correct, she would have been born in 1895.
Fruma (then going by Fanny) took up residence with her cousin Ethel (nee Ruchlin) and Ethel’s husband Samuel Steinberg, on 15th Street, Brooklyn. Soon thereafter, Ethel gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Theresa. The 1920 census states that Fanny was Russian, didn’t speak English but, rather, spoke Hebrew, and worked as a milliner in a millinery store. The 1920 census also states that Fanny was age 25, which lines up with her being age 24 in the prior year’s ship manifest.
*******
Sam and Fanny married in Manhattan on January 24, 1925. Their marriage certificate (signed by each of them) identifies Sam as being age 32 (contradicting, by one year, his immigration records which would have placed him at age 33), and identifies Fanny as age 24, the same age that she had claimed to be six years prior, and also contradicting an immigration petition that she would file two decades in the future, which generally placed her birth year at the mid-point of 1893.
If Fanny’s immigration records (which included a petition with her signature on it) were correct, Fanny would also have been age 32 as of her marriage to Samuel, not age 24.
So did Fanny lie in her marriage certificate? Or did she lie in her immigration petition?
The marriage certificate identifies Sam as having been born in Kolomea, Austria, and his father being Abraham, and his mother being Rachel Katz. It identifies Fanny as having been born in Beltz, Russia, to a father named Isaac, and to a mother named Esther Rifkin.
The marriage certificate does not identify Fanny as having any profession, but identifies Sam as being a pocketbook maker.
Sam and Fannie were married at 125 E. 4th Street, Manhattan, a six-story apartment building with retail units on the ground floor that is now an expensive co-op, with three-bedroom units selling for over $900,000. Present-day real estate advertisements alternatively state that the building was built in 1894, 1903, and 1905.
The first name of the rabbi who officiated was Harry. His surname starts with Reid, but the remaining letters of his signature are illegible. Rabbi Harry identified his residence as 232 Broome Street, which, at the time, was a four-story mixed use building that, among other things, housed Chevrah Ahavath Zedek Anshei Jaskinover.
Witnesses to the marriage were Mayer Budmon and Samuel Steinberg.
*******
Sam and Fanny’s existence was documented next in the 1925 New York State census by census. They were living at 205 S. 2nd Street. Samuel was still working as a “pocketbook maker.” Fanny was identified as a “housewife.”
Fanny was identified as age 25. This was in accordance with her age as stated on her marriage certificate, but not in accordance with her immigration documents or the 1920 census.
Sam was identified as being age 28, which conflicted with all prior records.
*******
In 1930, the couple were again enumerated, this time in the Federal census. The enumerator, whose signature appears to be “Max Krahn” (or something like that) stated that he obtained the information on April 16, 1930.
Sam was identified as a “framer” of pocketbooks. He was identified as being 36 years of age, which conflicts by two years with the age that he provided to immigration authorities. Perhaps the enumerator was simply sloppy; Samuel was also incorrectly identified in the 1930 census as having been born in “Poland,” with parents who were both also born in “Poland,” notwithstanding other governmental records having identified him as being Austrian. The language he spoke? “Jewish,” according to the enumerator. Was that to mean Hebrew? Yiddish? Both?
Fannie was identified as age 30 (directly in conflict with the information she supplied in her immigration petition, which bears her signature) and as being “Russian,” with parents born in “Russia.” The 1930 census enumerator incorrectly wrote that her year of immigration was 1921. Fannie, too, was identified by the enumerator as speaking the “Jewish” language.
Although later records reflected that Sam and Fannie had a son named Irving who was born in 1926, Irving was not recorded in the 1930 census. Was he missed by the enumerator? Or was he a later-adopted son?
The couple also had a boarder, identified by the 1930 enumerator as one Esther “Larson,” age 40, born in Russia, and similarly a speaker of the “Jewish” language.
*******
The New York Birth Index identifies a baby boy, Robert Spiegel, as one of many babies having been born in the city on January 21, 1932.
*******
On May 21, 1936, Samuel committed suicide by hanging in the family residence, a tenement apartment located at 1168 Union Avenue, in the Bronx. Although, based upon the date of birth that Samuel used for official governmental purposes he was age 44, the death certificate stated that he was age 43.
Fannie engaged the Gordon Funeral Home to prepare him for burial.
Strangely, although Samuel’s headstone accurately identified him in Hebrew as Schmuel Spiegel, son of Avraham, it inexplicably incorrectly stated that he died at age 40.
Fannie of course knew her husband’s real age; both of them signed the marriage certificate that had Samuel’s correct age listed. Furthermore, Samuel had petitioned for citizenship in 1911, and stated that his date of birth was January 18, 1892.
Why would Fannie commission a headstone with a false age? Perhaps she, like her son, was a compulsive liar. Maybe that’s where Robert got it from.
*******
The 1940 census has Fannie (identified as age 38), Robert (identified as age 8), and Fannie’s son/Robert’s brother, Irving Spiegel, age 13, as living with Fannie’s 72-year-old mother, Esther Fleisfeder, at 1537 Fulton Avenue, in the Bronx. Fannie and Esther were identified as widows. Esther was identified as “U” (unable to work), while Fannie was identified as engaged in housework. No source of income for the family was identified.
No explanation is obvious regarding where Irving was living in the census taken a decade previously. Was he adopted?
There is no “Irving Spiegel” listed in the New York Birth Index for either 1926 or 1927. There is an “Irving Spiegal” listed, who was born April 29, 1926. But he is not Irving Spiegel.
I initially thought that perhaps Irving might be one of the unnamed Baby Boy Spiegels born in New York in 1926 or 1927, and that he left the hospital unnamed because his parents were waiting for his bris before naming him. However, Robert left the hospital with the name Robert. Why wait until the bris to name one child, but not the other?
*******
Slightly less than two years after she was enumerated in the 1940 census, Fannie’s mother Esther died, at home, at 1537 Fulton Avenue. The causes of death were “Coronary Thrombosis, Pulmonary Oedema Nephritis, Hypertension, Arteriosclerosis.” Esther left this world on February 6, 1942, the same day that the W. L. Steed was torpedoed, shelled and sunk less than a hundred nautical miles east of the mouth of Delaware River by a German submarine.
She was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Fairview, New Jersey, the same cemetery where her son-in-law Samuel was interred.
*******
On November 12, 1943, Fannie, now residing at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, in the Bronx, petitioned for citizenship. She claimed, in that document bearing her signature, to be fifty years of age, meaning that if she was telling the truth, she would have been born in approximately 1893.
*******
On January 19, 1948, Robert (having assumed a false date of birth, that being January 18, 1931), enlisted in the New York National Guard. On paper, he had turned age 17 the day before his enlistment. In reality, he would be turning age 16 two days after his enlistment.
On December 9, 1949, Robert was discharged from the national guard, apparently for having been AWOL.
The discharge document identifies his address as being 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City.
*******
The 1950 census places Robert again at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City. It correctly identifies him as age 18, and states that he worked as a shipping clerk for a newspaper company.
According to the 1950 census, Robert resided at the Bathgate Avenue address with his mother Fannie, who was purportedly still age 50 (seven years after she had previously claimed to immigration authorities to be age 50), and Robert’s brother Irving, age 24.
Irving was listed as unemployed and moreover, according to the census record, had not worked for the prior year. Fannie was employed full-time as a milliner in a hat factory.
*******
Military records reflect that Irving J. Spiegel, born in 1926 and a resident of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, who had completed two years of high school education, had flown bomber planes over Germany during the war. In his military documents, Irving described himself as single, with two dependents.
*******
On February 2, 1929, a baby girl given the name Aileen Beverly Leone Maxwell was born in Lucea, Hanover, Jamaica, to William Maxwell and Daisy (nee Tibbits) Maxwell. Her birth was registered by her parents.
*******
In 1954, Robert Spiegel and Aileen Maxwell were married in New York City. Their marriage license was given License No. 10284.
*******
The following year, the Kingston, Jamaica, Gleaner reported on June 6, 1955:
Miss Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell, was married recently in New York City to Mr. Robert Spiegel of the U.S.A. Both the bride and groom are students at the New York Institute of Dietetics. The bride left the island nearly two years ago for New York. Her wedding gown was chantilly lace and nylon tulle. The bodice was fashioned with a wide, scalloped neckline and elbow-length sleeves. Her three tier skirt of chantilly lace was over pleated nylon tulle. Her fingertip-length veil was adorned with pearls.
*******
If the claim regarding the couple studying at the New York Institute of Dietetics was even true, their studies at this institution didn’t last long. In May of 1956, a number of advertisements bearing Robert’s photograph appeared in the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner. The advertisements described Robert as a psychologist, author, lecturer, and “practitioner in auto suggestion,” and identified him as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.” Readers were invited to come meet Robert on May 21, 1956, at Record Plaza, where he would be autographing his “latest” “world-wide” 33 and 1/3 RPM record, “How to Stop Smoking in 7 days by Auto-Suggestion.”
*******
On May 1, 1959, three residents of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, New York, came through customs, having returned from a trip to Jamaica. They identified themselves as “Robert D. Spiegel” born in New York (in addition to giving himself a false middle initial, Robert neglected to complete the I-94-A fully, specifically by leaving his birthdate blank), “Leonie A. Spiegel” born in Jamaica on February 2, 1929, and their minor daughter, and “Sharon S. Spiegel,” born in New York. Someone also neglected to fully complete Sharon’s I-94-A, specifically by leaving her birthdate blank.
*******
Leonie had taken Sharon to Jamaica two years earlier. There are no publicly available records pertaining to their outbound transport from the United States to Jamaica. There is, however, a record pertaining to their return to the United States. That publicly available record does not provide their address, but Sharon is identified as weighing 1 stone 5 pounds (a total of 19 pounds), and Leonie is identified as weighing six stone 5 pounds (89 pounds). Interestingly, Leonie used the name “Aileen Spiegel,” and the records assert that Aileen has no middle initial. Aileen was / is her true legal first name, but it is a lie to say that she has no middle initial.
*******
Almost two years later, on January 5, 1958, the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner reported:
Staying at the Tamarind Hotel are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Spiegel and daughter Sharon of Miami, Florida. Mrs. Spiegel is the former Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell of Lucea and has been in the United States for several years. A welcome party in their honour was given last Saturday night by Messers. Horrace, Ray, and Dennis Maxwell, brothers of Mrs. Spiegel. It was a very enjoyable affair.
*******
In 1963, roughly five years after their 1958 visit to Jamaica, Leonie petitioned for naturalization, in Louisiana. Although I am in possession of the index showing that she petitioned in 1963, I do not possess the petition itself. However, the fact that she petitioned for naturalization in Louisiana demonstrates that that at least she was residing in Louisiana at the time. Since she stated that she didn’t leave Robert’s side for over 40 years, presumably Robert, young Sharon, and also baby Michelle were living in Louisiana at that time.
*******
People who knew Robert personally relate that he stated that Leonie was a Cayman Island heiress. She wasn’t. Not only was she not born in the Cayman Islands, Leonie’s father’s estate was litigated (with the judge ruling against her) long before Robert started telling people that his wife was a Cayman Islands heiress.
Leonie’s father did leave an estate, but not to her. On November 9, 1967, the Gleaner reported that the Supreme Court had upheld the will of the late William Josiah Maxwell, the father of Horrace, Ray, Dennis, and Leonie, and the husband of Daisy Maxwell, who had contended that William’s signature was a forgery and that the person to whom his estate had been bequeathed had exercised undue influence. The court disagreed. The article reported:
The estate, which one of the executors described as “a sizeable one,” included 112 acres of land at Paradise and three houses at Lucea, Hanover.
*******
Robert apparently wasn’t banking on Leonie’s inheritance in any event. In May of 1966, advertisements appeared in the Houston Chronicle with Robert’s photo on them, selling a record that would purportedly assist people in stopping smoking in seven days. He identified himself as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.”
*******
On page 55 of the November 15, 1969, San Antonio, Texas Express and News, was an advertisement stating:
SCIENCE OF THE MIND
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel of Houston, director and founder of the Science of the Mind Foundation there, is conducting Sunday evening meetings at 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Inn, 1400 Austin Hwy.
*******
On page 4 of the July 10, 1970 edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was a photograph of Robert, with a brief local news blurb:
GUEST – Dr. J Robert Spiegel of Houston, Science of Mind Foundation director, will speak at the 10:45 a.m. service tomorrow in First Church of Religious Science, 2001 6th Ave. His subject is “What Religious Science Teaches.”
*******
On page 8 of the June 18, 1970 edition of the Houston Daily Cougar was this advertisement:
HOME OF UNIVERSAL LIFE
Teaching Aquarian Meditation For The New Age
Meets Every Sunday, 11:00 A.M. At The World Trade Center Auditorium
Houston, Texas
DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL (BRAHMADANDA) DIRECTOR - FOUNDER
Aquarian Meditation Initiation for the first time offered through correspondence. For those sincere students wishing to bypass evolution and enter the 5th Kingdom. Initiation includes meditation technique, Mantra, how to "live” 24 hours a day, and much more. Write for application today:
P.O. Box 53328 Houston, Texas 052
*******
From the Galveston Daily News, May 02, 1971, Pg. 31:
AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY PRESENTS DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL AN AUTHOR, LECTURER, TEACHER OF YOGA & SELF DEVELOPMENT WILL SPEAK ON MAN, MIND & THE UNIVERSE WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE RECREATION CENTER HARRIS COUNTY PARK, NASA RD. # 1 ALL WELCOME — DONATION $1.50
*******
The 1972 Spiritual Community Guide lists Robert twice, in the San Diego area. First, on page 117, using his alias “J. Robert Spiegel”:
THE TEMPLE OF METAPHYSICAL ABUNDANCE. J. Robert Spiegel, 1118 Torrey Pines Rd., 92037. Teaches yoga, nutrition, ESP, metaphysics, psychology, mind control
Second, on page 124, in which he, as one might have predicted, was masquerading as some sort of medical man or scholar:
"AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY, U. S. Grant Hotel, Attn: Dr. Robert Spiegel, 453-7588"
*******
Also in 1972, Volume 25 of San Diego Magazine published in November advertised gift certificates for the “Astrology Research Center.” “Give your loved one the gift of love. Only $50” said the advertisement. Where was this entity located? At 1118 Torrey Pines Road, the same address as Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance. The advertisement purported that person identified as “Lil Canaan” was the director. The telephone number was 459-6400.
In 2013, the San Diego Union Tribune published the obituary for Lillian Mulonas, who founded the La Jolla “Astrology Research Center.” At this point in time, unless Robert Adams’ only surviving daughter, Michelle/ Prentiss/ Avantae knows the answer and talks, we will not know what relationship, if any, existed between Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance and Lilian’s Astrology Research Center, both of which were located at 1118 Torrey Pines Road in 1972.
*******
From the July 12, 1973, San Diego Reader:
BRAHMADANDA FOUNDATION
Teachings of the Cosmic Way” meets Sundays, 11:00 a.m., U.S. Grant Hotel, Crystal Room. Free admission, refreshments served. Call 453-7588 for more information.
*******
On page 51 of the June 29, 1974 edition of Phoenix’s Arizona Republic was the following advertisement:
Speaker from San Diego
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel from San Diego, a traveler and lecturer, will speak at 8 p.m., Friday in Universal Series Center, 4340 N. Seventh Ave., on the topic “Science of Being.”
He is the founder of the “Aquarian Meditation Society” in Jamaica and is founder and publisher of “Equinox,” a philosophical newspaper.
*******
The family (Adams or Spiegel, however one might want to refer to them) have resided in (that I know of) New York, Miami, Jamaica, Louisiana, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Houston, New Mexico, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Sedona, and a number of cities in North Carolina.
*******
In at least the 1990’s, before he left for Sedona, Robert Adams used the address PO Box 7210, Jordan Avenue, D-30, Canoga Park, CA. He used that address on correspondence he wrote, and on at least one published document. Who else used that address? The data aggregators show that this address was also used by a Michelle K. Spiegel, and a person going by the name Leonie Maxwell. Michelle and Leonie also used other addresses associated with Robert, those being 1815 Willis Avenue Panorama City, and 21551 Burbank Boulevard, Woodland Hills.
*******
The California Birth Index shows that Michelle K. Spiegel was born on October 1, 1960, in Los Angeles County, to a mother with the maiden name Maxwell.
*******
In later life, Michelle used the addresses above that are associated with Robert and Leonie, as well as an address of 12004 Vanowen Street #14, North Hollywood. This is the same address at which Denniston Keith Maxwell, one of Leonie’s younger brothers, resided at, after his immigration to the United States. Denniston was one of Michelle’s uncles.
In a recent Facebook posting, Michelle/Avantae stated: “Never knew anything personal about said uncles, etc. Never asked, never cared.” Really? She shared an address with an uncle? Her uncle lived within a few minutes’ drive from her parents, and Michelle/Avantae never knew anything about him?
As an aside, Michelle/Avantae alleged (or admitted) that she “never cared” about anything personal regarding her uncles. If that is true, what does that tell us about Michelle/Avantae’s fundamental character? Antisocial? Psychopathic? Narcissistic in the extreme?
*******
On August 2, 1996, Michelle, going by the name Avantae E. Deven, married Tyson Ruben Alvarez in Las Vegas. The two had addresses in common in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana.
*******
Robert “Adams” died on or about March 2, 1997, in Sedona, Arizona.
Shortly after that, in the spring of 1997, “Nicole Adams” and “Avantae Deven” (both aliases; the correct legal names are Aileen Beverly Leonie Spiegel and Michelle K. Spiegel) purchased a home together in Sedona, on Navahopi Road. Shortly after the purchase, “Nicole” quit-claimed her portion to “Avantae.”
On July 17, 2001, Tyson, still married to “Avantae,” quit-claimed any interest in the Navahopi property to “Avantae,” and had the county recorder send the deed to “Avantae” in care of the Infinity Institute, at that time located at 9101 W. Sahara Ave. Suite 105 C29 (in other words, a private post box), in Las Vegas.
Avantae divorced Tyson in 2006. She had, by then, moved to North Carolina. She “served” Tyson via publication summons, claiming that she was unable to find him, despite his information being on multiple data aggregators.
You can go to various Facebook groups, and other sources, to pull up the documents that people have uncovered showing who is associated with the "Infinity Institute," and in what fashion, and also the addresses that they have used over the years.
In any event, this is the information regarding Robert that I think that people need to be aware of.
Why turn to a known liar and con man for spiritual guidance?
1A tallis is a prayer shawl.
2The ship’s manifest states that he was age 14, which conflicts by one year with what Samuel identified as his date of birth. These errors are not uncommon; his fare could have been purchased when he was age 14 and the records not updated.
submitted by andreabaker2 to RobertAdams [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:27 Qwazarius 1 MILION Lloyd's incurrence legit or fraud?

Hello guys, I am very skeptical about Lloyd 1 million incurrence. So in case of default of trading 212 do we get our shares back or not so much?
Incurrence groups are very shady organizations, specialy if you are participating in Trading 212 "Earn Interest On Cash" you are not insured in Europe anymore on those 20k EUR.
Guys, I want to hear your legal or other opinion on that matter.
submitted by Qwazarius to trading212 [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:19 UphorbiaUphoria Honey gourami aggression issues. Please help!

Honey gourami aggression issues. Please help!
I will try to keep this as short and to the point as possible. So in my original purchase of 3 honeys they were sexed wrong and I got 2 males and 1 female. The boys started fighting over her so I was advised by my LFS to get 3 more females to outnumber the boys significantly. I was worried about this number because I have a 15g column tank but they said that wouldn’t be a problem. I was assured that Honeys aren’t really that aggressive so it will be an easy fix.
These additional ladies helped for a little while but then the territory aggression started when the sub dominant male realized he was the biggest one and asserted himself a corner. Not great since it’s a tall tank. So I added a bunch of guppy grass so the line of sight is more broken up in the whole tank along with the rest of the hard scape and plants already present so there’s not a lot of big open spaces but still free swimming areas in between everything.
This again quelled the issues for awhile but now it’s back. The largest male, Sherman and the largest female, Cava, are now dominating the tank and no one is allowed to come anywhere near the front or top of the tank.
I moved some stuff around and broke up the bubble nest he had started(it didn’t look like anything was fertilized and the bubbles were really spread out). As I was poking around the floating plants, Sherman came over and was attacking and biting my finger even!
I’ve posted on my local FB groups a rehoming add for the pair but no takers so far. I don’t have space to move them anywhere else right now. My other tank is an 8 gallon with a betta and that just screams bad idea to me. I also don’t have the funds to purchase a new tank right now or the space to place a bigger tank even if I could buy one to replace the current one.
I’m at a loss at what to do and I’m worried about the rest of my Honeys being terrorized to death. Photos show the two of them so you know they are real Honeys and one male and one female. Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.
submitted by UphorbiaUphoria to Gourami [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 18:08 Mophandel Archaeotherium, the King of the White River Badlands

Archaeotherium, the King of the White River Badlands
Art by Bob Nicholls
Nowadays, when we envision the words “prey,” among modern mammalian fauna, few taxa come to mind as quickly as the hoofed mammals, better known as the ungulates. Indeed, for the better part of their entire evolutionary history, the ungulates have become entirely indistinguishable from the term “prey.” Across their two major modern branches, the artiodactyls (the “even-toed ungulates,” such as bovids, pigs, deer, hippos and giraffes) and the perissodactyls (the “odd-toed ungulates,” including horses, rhinos and tapir), the ungulates too have created an empire spanning nearly every continent, establishing themselves as the the dominant herbivores throughout their entire range. However, as a price for such success, their lot as herbivores have forced them into an unenviable position: being the food for the predators. Indeed, throughout the diets of most modern predators, ungulates make up the majority, if not the entirety, of their diet, becoming their counterparts in this evolutionary dance of theirs. They have become the lamb to their wolf, the zebra to their lion, the stag to their tiger. If there is a predator in need of lunch, chances are that there is an ungulate there to provide it. Of course, such a dynamic is not necessarily a recent innovation. For the last 15-20 million years, across much of the world, both new and old, the ungulates have served as prey for these predators through it all. Over the course of whole epochs, these two groups have played into these roles for millions of years, coevolving with each other in an eons-long game of cat-and-mouse. The shoes they fill are not new, but have existed for ages, and within their niches they have cultivated their roles to perfection. Indeed, with such a tenured history, it seems hardly surprising the ungulates are wholly inseparable from the terms “prey,” itself.
However, while this is the case now, as it has been for the last 15-20 million years, go back far enough, and we see that this dynamic is not as set in stone as we would think. Indeed, back during the Eocene and Oligocene, during the very earliest days of age of mammals, things were very different for the ungulates. While today they are considered little more than food for modern predators, during these olden days, the ungulates weren’t quite so benign. In fact, far from being fodder for top predators, the ungulates had turned the tables, instead becoming top predators themselves. Indeed, though nearly unheard of today, throughout much of the Eocene and Oligocene, carnivorous ungulates thrived in abundance, developing specializations for catching large prey and establishing themselves as top predators that competed alongside the more traditional carnivores, and even dominating them in some instances. Given such success, it’s no wonder that multiple such clades had arisen during this time. Such predators included the arctocyonids, a lineage of (ironically) hoof-less ungulates with large jaws and sharp teeth for capturing large prey. There were also the mesonychians, a lineage of dog-like ungulates with massive skulls and jaws that allowed them to reign as the top predator across much of the Eocene.
However, among these various lineages, one stands stands out among the rest, by far. Arising during the Eocene, this lineage, though superficially resembling modern pigs, hailed from one an ancient lineage of artiodactyls far removed from swine or most other ungulates in general, with few close relatives alive today. Through perhaps not the most predatory of the bunch, it was among the most formidable, as their superficially pig-like appearance came with giant predatory jaws and teeth unlike anything from the modern era. And of course, as if all of that wasn’t enough, this lineage also went on to earn arguably one of the most badass nicknames of any lineage of mammals, period. These predators, of course, were the entelodonts, a.k.a the “hell-pigs.” More so than any other predatory ungulate lineage, these formidable ungulates were the ones to turn the current paradigm upside down, becoming some of the largest and most dominant carnivores in their landscape, even with (and often in spite of) the presence of more traditional predators. Through impressive size, fearsome teeth and sheer tenacity, these animals became the top dogs of their time, ruling as behemoth-kings of their Paleogene kingdoms, domineering all comers, and throughout the ranks, one entelodont in particular demonstrated such dominance the best. Though not the largest or most powerful of their kind, it is one of the most iconic, being among the most well-known members of its lineage to date. Moreover, this enteledont also has some of the most complete life histories ever seen out of this clade, with its brutality and predatory prowess being displayed in the fossil record in a way seen in no other member of its kind. More than anything else, however, it was this predator that best turned the notion of “ungulates being prey” on its head, living in an environment that bore some of the largest carnivoran hypercarnivores to date and still reigning as the undisputed top predator of its domain. This fearsome beast was none other than Archaeotherium, icon of the entelodonts, terror of the Oligocene American west and undisputed king of the White River badlands.
The rise of Archaeotherium (and of entelodonts in general) is closely tied to the ascendancy of carnivorous ungulates as a whole, one of the earliest evolutionary success stories of the entire Cenozoic. Having become their own derived clade since the late Cretaceous, the ungulates were remarkably successful during the early Paleogene, as they were among the first mammalian clades to reach large sizes during those early days after the non-avian dinosaurs had gone extinct. As such, it was with incredible swiftness that, as the Paleogene progressed, the ungulates swooped upon the various niches left empty by the K-Pg mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs. This of course included the herbivorous niches we would know them for today, but this also included other, much more carnivore roles. Indeed, early on during the Paleogene, it was the ungulates that first seized the roles of large mammalian predators, becoming some the earliest large mammalian carnivores to ever live, well before even the carnivorans. Such predators included the arctocyonids, a lineage of vaguely dog-like, hoof-less ungulates with robust jaws and sharpened teeth that acted as some of earliest large carnivores of the Paleocene, with genera such as Arctocyon mumak getting up to the size of big cats. Even more prolific were the mesonychids. More so than what pretty much any other lineage of predator, it was the mesonychids that would stand out as the earliest dominant predators of the early Cenozoic. Growing up to the size of bears and with enormous, bone-crushing jaws, the mesonychids were among the most powerful and successful predators on the market at that time, with a near-global range and being capable of subjugating just about any other predator in their environments. Indeed, they, along with other carnivorous ungulates (as well as ungulates in general), were experiencing a golden age during this time, easily being the most prolific predators of the age. Given such prevalence, it should be no surprise that there would be yet another lineage of predatory ungulates would throw their hat into the ring, and by early Eocene, that contender would none other than the entelodonts.
The very first entelodonts had arisen from artiodactyl ancestors during the Eocene epoch, at a time when artiodactyls were far more diverse and bizarre than they are now. Through today known from their modern herbivorous representatives such as bovines, deer, and antelope, during the Paleocene and Eocene, the artiodacyls, as with most ungulates of that time, were stronger and far more predaceous, particularly when it came to one such clade of artiodactyls, the cetacodontamorphs. Only known today from hippos and another group of artiodactyls (one which will become relevant later), the cetacodantomorphs emerged out of Asia around 55 million years ago, at around the same time that artiodactyls themselves had made their debut. These animals included the first truly predatory artiodactyls, with many of them possessing large skulls with powerful jaws and sharp, predatory teeth. Among their ranks included animals as puny as Indohyus, a piscivorous artiodactyl the size of a cat, to as formidable as Andrewsarchus, a giant, bison-sized predator often touted as one of the largest predatory mammals to ever live. Given such a predatory disposition, it wouldn’t be long until this clade produced a lineage of truly diverse, truly successful predators, and by around 40 million years ago, that is exactly what they did, as it was at that time that the entelodonts themselves first emerged. From their Asian homeland, the entelodonts spread across the world, spreading through not only most of Eurasia but also colonizing North America as well, with genera such as Brachyhyops being found across both continents. Here, in this North American frontier, the entelodonts began to diversify further, turning into their most successful and formidable forms yet, and it was around the late Eocene and early Oligocene that Archaeotherium itself had entered the scene.
Just from a passing glance at Archaeotherium, it is clear how exactly it (as well as the other entelodonts) earned the nickname of “hell-pigs.” It was a bruiser for starters; its body bore a robust, pig-like physique, with prominent neural spines and their associated musculature forming a hump around the shoulder region, similar to the hump of a bison. With such a bulky physique came with it impressive size; the average A. mortoni had a head-body length of roughly 1.6-2.0 m (5.3-6.6 ft), a shoulder height of 1.2 m (4 ft) and a body mass of around 180 kg (396 lb) in weight (Boardman & Secord, 2013; Joeckel, 1990). At such sizes, an adult Archaeotherium the size of a large male black bear. However, they had the potential to get even bigger. While most Archaeotherium specimens were around the size described above, a select few specimens, labeled under the synonymous genus “Megachoerus,” are found to be much larger, with skulls getting up to 66% longer than average A. mortoni specimens (Foss, 2001; Joeckel, 1990). At such sizes and using isometric scaling, such massive Archaeotherium specimens would attained body lengths over 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and would have reached weighs well over 500 kg (1100 lb), or as big as a mature male polar bear. Indeed, at such sizes, it is already abundantly evident that Archaeotherium is a force to be recorded with.
However, there was more to these formidable animals than sheer size alone. Behind all that bulk was an astoundingly swift and graceful predator, especially in terms of locomotion. Indeed, the hoofed feet of Archaeotherium, along with other entelodonts, sported several adaptations that gave it incredible locomotive efficiency, essentially turning it into a speed demon of the badlands. Such adaptations include longer distal leg elements (e.g. the radius and tibia) than their proximal counterparts (e.g. the humerus and femur), fusion of the radius and ulna for increased running efficiency, the loss of the clavicle (collar-bone) to allow for greater leg length, the loss of the acromion to enhance leg movement along the fore-and-aft plane, the loss of digits to reduce the mass of the forelimb, the fusion of the ectocuneiform and the mesocuneiform wrist-bones, among many other such traits (Theodore, 1996) . Perhaps most significant of these adaptations is the evolution of the “double-pulley astragalus (ankle-bone),” a specialized modification of the ankle that, while restricting rotation and side-to-side movement at the ankle-joint, allows for greater rotation in the fore-and-aft direction, thus allowing for more more powerful propulsion from the limbs, faster extension and retraction of the limbs and overall greater locomotive efficiency (Foss, 2001). Of course, such a trait was not only found in entelodonts but in artiodactyls as a whole, likely being a response to predatory pressures from incumbent predatory clades arising at the same time as the artiodactyls (Foss, 2001). However, in the case of the entelodonts, such adaptations were not used for merely escaping predators. Rather, they were used to for another, much more lethal effect…
Such notions are further reinforced by the entelodonts most formidable aspect, none either than their fearsome jaws, and in this respect, Archaeotherium excelled. Both for its size and in general, the head of Archaeotherium was massive, measuring 40-50 cm (1.3-1.6 ft) in length among average A. mortoni specimens, to up to 78 cm (~2.6 ft) in the larger “Megachoerus” specimens (Joeckel, 1990). Such massive skulls were supported and supplemented by equally massive neck muscles and ligaments, which attached to massive neural spines on the anterior thoracic vertebrae akin to a bisons hump as well as to the sternum, allowing Archaeotherium to keep its head aloft despite the skulls massive size (Effinger, 1998). Of course, with such a massive skull, it should come as no surprise that such skulls housed exceptionally formidable jaws as well, and indeed, the bite of Archaeotherium was an especially deadly one. Its zygomatic arches (cheek-bones) and its temporal fossa were enlarged and expanded, indicative of massive temporalis muscles that afforded Archaeotherium astoundingly powerful bites (Joeckel, 1990). This is further augmented by Archaeotherium’s massive jugal flanges (bony projections of the cheek), which supported powerful masseter muscles which enhanced chewing and mastication, as well as an enlarged postorbital bar that reinforced the skull against torsional stresses (Foss, 2001). Last but not least, powerful jaws are supplemented by an enlarged gape, facilitated by a low coronoid process and enlarged posterior mandibular tubercles (bony projections originating from the lower jaw), which provided an insertion site for sternum-to-mandible jaw abduction muscles, allowing for a more forceful opening of the jaw (Foss, 2001). All together, such traits suggest a massive and incredibly fearsome bite, perhaps the most formidable of any animal in its environment.
Of course, none of such traits are especially indicative of a predatory lifestyle. Indeed, many modern non-predatory ungulates, like hippos, pigs and peccaries, also possess large, formidable skulls and jaws. However, in peeling back the layers, it is found there was more to the skull of Archaeotherium that lies in store. Indeed, when inspecting the animal closely, a unique mosaic of features is revealed; traits that make it out to be much more lethal than the average artiodactyl. On one hand, Archaeotherium possessed many traits similar to those of herbivores animals, as is expected of ungulates. For instance, its jaw musculature that allowed the lower jaw of Archaeotherium a full side-to-side chewing motion as in herbivores (whereas most carnivores can only move their lower jaw up and down)(Effinger, 1998). On the other hand, Archaeotherium wielded many other traits far more lethal in their morphology, less akin to a herbivore and far more akin to a bonafide predator. For instance, the aforementioned enlarged gape of Archaeotherium is a bizarre trait on a supposed herbivore, as such animals do not need large gapes to eat vegetation and thus have smaller, more restricted gapes. Conversely, many predatory lineages have comparatively large gapes, as larger gapes allow for the the jaws to grab on to more effectively larger objects, namely large prey animals (Joeckel, 1990).
Such a juxtaposition, however, is most evident when discussing the real killing instruments of Archaeotherium — the teeth. More so than any facet of this animal, the teeth of Archaeotherium are the real stars of the show, showing both how alike it was compared to its herbivores counterparts and more importantly, how it couldn’t be more different. For instance, the molars of Archaeotherium were quite similar to modern herbivores ungulates, in that they were robust, bunodont, and were designed for crushing and grinding, similar in form and function to modern ungulates like peccaries (Joeckel, 1990). However, while the molars give the impression that Archaeotherium was a herbivore, the other teeth tell a very different story. The incisors, for example, were enlarged, sharpened, and fully interlocked (as opposed to the flat-topped incisors seen in herbivores ungulates), creating an incisor array that was seemingly ill-suited for cropping vegetation and much more adept at for gripping, puncturing and cutting (Joeckel, 1990). Even more formidable were the canines. Like the modern pigs from which entelodonts derived their nicknames, the canines of Archaeotherium were sharp and enlarged to form prominent tusk-like teeth, but unlike pigs, they were rounded in cross-section (similar to modern carnivores like big cats, indicating more durable canines that can absorb and resist torsional forces, such as those from struggling prey) and were serrated to form a distinct cutting edge (Effinger, 1998; Joeckel, 1990; Ruff & Van Valkenburgh, 1987). These canines, along with the incisors, interlock to stabilize the jaws while biting and dismantling in a carnivore-like fashion. More strikingly, the canines also seem to act as “occlusal guides,” wherein the canines help align the movement and position of the rear teeth as they come together, allowing for a more efficient shearing action by the rear teeth. This function is seen most prevalently modern carnivorous mammals, and is evidenced by the canine tooth-wear, which is also analogous to modern predators like bears and canids (Joeckel, 1990). Indeed, going off such teeth alone, it is clear that Archaeotherium is far more predatory than expected of an ungulate. However, the real stars of the show, the teeth that truly betray the predatory nature of these ungulates, are the premolars. Perhaps the most carnivore-like teeth in the entelodont’s entire tooth row, the premolars of Archaeotherium, particularly the anterior premolars, are laterally compressed, somewhat conical in shape, and are weakly serrated to bear a cutting edge, giving them a somewhat carnivorous form and function of shearing and slicing (Effinger, 1998). Most strikingly of all, the premolars of Archaeotherium bear unique features similar not to modern herbivores, but to durophagous carnivores like hyenas, particularly apical wear patterns, highly thickened enamel, “zigzag-shaped” enamel prism layers (Hunter-Schraeger bands) on the premolars which is also seen in osteophagous animals like hyenas, and an interlocking premolar interface wherein linear objects (such as bones) inserted into jaws from the side would be pinned between the premolars and crushed (Foss, 2001). Taken together, these features do not suggest a diet of grass or vegetation like other ungulates. Rather, they suggest a far more violent diet, one including flesh as well as hard, durable foods, particularly bone. All in all, the evidence is clear. Archaeotherium and other entelodonts, unlike the rest of their artiodactyl kin, were not the passive herbivores as we envision ungulates today. Rather, they were willing, unrepentant meat-eaters that had a taste for flesh as well as foliage.
Of course, even with such lines of evidence, its hard to conclude that Archaeotherium was a true predator. After all, its wide gape and durophagous teeth could have just as easily been used for scavenging or even to eat tough plant matter such as seeds or nuts, as in peccaries and pigs, which themselves share many of the same adaptations as Archaeotherium, include the more carnivorous ones (e.g. the wide gape, using the canines as an occlusal guide, etc.). How exactly do we know that these things were veritable predators and not pretenders to the title. To this end, there is yet one last piece of evidence, one that puts on full display the predatory prowess of Archaeotheriumevidence of a kill itself. Found within oligocene-aged sediment in what is now Wyoming, a collection of various fossil remains was found, each belonging to the ancient sheep-sized camel Poebrotherium, with many of the skeletal remains being disarticulated and even missing whole hindlimbs or even entire rear halves of their body. Tellingly, many of the remains bear extensive bite marks and puncture wounds across their surface. Upon close examination, the spacing and size of the punctures leave only one culprit: Archaeotherium. Of course, such an event could still have been scavenging; the entelodonts were consuming the remains of already dead, decomposed camels, explaining the bite marks. What was far more telling, however, was where the bite marks were found. In addition bite marks being found on the torso and lumbar regions of the camels, various puncture wounds were found on the skull and neck, which were otherwise uneaten. Scavengers rarely feast on the head to begin with; there is very little worthwhile meat on it besides the brain, cheek-muscles and eyes, and even if they did feed on the skull and neck, they would still eat it wholesale, not merely bite it and then leave it otherwise untouched. Indeed, it was clear that this was no mere scavenging event. Rather than merely consuming these camels, Archaeotherium was actively preying upon and killing them, dispatching them via a crushing bite to the skull or neck before dismembering and even bisecting the hapless camels with their powerful jaws to preferentially feast on their hindquarters (likely by swallowing the hindquarters whole, as the pelvis of Poebrotherium was coincidentally the perfect width for Archaeotherium to devour whole), eventually discarding the leftovers in meat caches for later consumption (Sundell, 1999). With this finding, such a feat of brutality leaves no doubt in ones mind as to what the true nature of Archaeotherium was. This was no herbivore, nor was it a simple scavenger. This was an active, rapacious predator, the most powerful in its entire ecosystem.
Indeed, with such brutal evidence of predation frozen in time, combined with various dental, cranial, and post cranial adaptations of this formidable animal, it’s possible to paint a picture of how this formidable creature lived. Though an omnivore by trade, willing and able to feast on plant matter such as grass, roots and tubers, Archaeotherium was also a wanton predator that took just about any prey it wanted. Upon detecting its prey, it approached its vicim from ambush before launching itself at blazing speed. From there, its cursorial, hoofed legs, used by other ungulates for escape predation, were here employed to capture prey, carrying it at great speeds as it caught up to its quarry. Having closed the distance with its target, it was then that the entelodont brought its jaws to bear, grabbing hold of the victim with powerful jaws and gripping teeth to bring it to a screeching halt. If the victim is lucky, Archaeotherium will then kill it quickly with a crushing bite to the skull or neck, puncturing the brain or spinal cord and killing its target instantly. If not, the victim is eaten alive, torn apart while it’s still kicking, as modern boars will do today. In any case, incapacitated prey are subsequently dismantled, with the entelodont using its entire head and heavily-muscled necks to bite into and pull apart its victim in devastating “puncture-and pull’ bites (Foss, 2001). Prey would then finally be consumed starting at the hindquarters, with not even the bones of its prey being spared. Such brutality, though far from clean, drove home a singular truth: that during this time, ungulates were not just prey, that they were not the mere “predator-fodder” we know them as today. rather, they themselves were the predators themselves, dominating as superb hunters within their domain and even suppressing clades we know as predators today, least of all the carnivorans. Indeed, during this point in time, the age of the carnivorous ungulates had hit their stride, and more specifically, the age of entelodonts had begun.
Of course, more so than any other entelodont, Archaeotherium took to this new age with gusto. Archaeotherium lived from 35-28 million years ago during the late Eocene and early Oligocene in a locality known today as the White River Badlands, a fossil locality nestled along the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Though a chalky, barren landscape today, during the time of Archaeotherium, the White River Badlands was a swamp-like floodplain crisscrossed with rivers and interspersed with by a mosaic of forests concentrated around waterways, open woodlands and open plains. As with most ecosystems with such a lush disposition, this locale teemed with life, with ancient hornless rhinos, small horse-like hyracodonts and early camels roaming the open habitats while giant brontotheres, small early horses and strange, sheep-like ungulates called merycoidodonts (also known as “oreodonts”) dwelled within the dense forests. Within this locale, Archaeotherium stalked the open woodlands and riparian forests of its domain. Here, it acted as a dominant predator and scavenger across is territory, filling a niche similar to modern grizzly bears but far more predatory. Among its preferred food items would be plant matter such as roots, foliage and nuts, but also meat in the form of carrion or freshly caught prey. In this respect, smaller ungulates such as the fleet-footed camel Poebrotherium, a known prey item of Archaeotherium, would have made a for choice prey, as its small size would make it easy for Archaeotherium to dispatch with its powerful jaws, while the entelodonts swift legs gave it the speed necessary to keep pace with its agile prey.
However, the entelodont didn’t have such a feast all to itself. Just as the badlands teemed with herbivores, so too did it teem with rival predators. Among their ranks included fearsome predators such as Hyaenodon, a powerful, vaguely dog-like predator up to the size of wolves (as in H. horridus) or even lions (as in the Eocene-aged H. megaloides, which was replaced by H. horridus during the Oligocene). Armed with a massive head, fierce jaws and a set of knife-like teeth that could cut down even large prey in seconds, these were some of the most formidable predators on the landscape. There were also the nimravids, cat-like carnivorans that bore saber-teeth to kill large prey in seconds, and included the likes of the lynx-sized Dinictis, the leopard-sized Hoplophoneus and even the jaguar-sized Eusmilus. Furthermore, there were amphicyonids, better known as the bear-dogs. Though known from much larger forms later on in their existence, during the late Eocene and Oligocene, they were much smaller and acted as the “canid-analogues” of the ecosystem, filling a role similar to wolves or coyotes. Last but not least, there were the bathornithid birds, huge cariamiform birds related to modern seriemas but much larger, which filled a niche similar to modern seriemas or secretary birds, albeit on a much larger scale. Given such competition, it would seem that Archaeotherium would have its hands full. However, things are not as they appear. For starters, habitat differences would mitigate high amounts of competition, as both Hyaenodon and the various nimravids occupy more specialized ecological roles (being a plains-specialist and forest-specialist, respectively) than did Archaeotherium, providing a buffer to stave off competition: More importantly, however, none of the aforementioned predators were simply big enough to take Archaeotherium on. During the roughly 7 million years existence of Archaeotherium, the only carnivore that matched it in size was H. megaloides, and even that would have an only applied to average A. mortoni individuals, not to the much larger, bison-sized “Megachoerus” individuals. The next largest predator at that point would be the jaguars-sized Eusmilus (specifically E. adelos) which would have only been a bit more than half the size of even an average A. mortoni. Besides that, virtually every other predator on the landscape was simply outclassed by the much larger entelodont in terms of size and brute strength. As such, within its domain, Archaeotherium had total, unquestioned authority, dominating the other predators in the landscape and likely stealing their kills as well. In fact, just about the only threat Archaeotherium had was other Archaeotherium, as fossil bite marks suggest that this animal regularly and fraglantly engaged in intraspecific combat, usually through face-biting and possibly even jaw-wrestling (Effinger, 1998; Tanke & Currie, 1998). Nevertheless, it was clear that Archaeotherium was the undisputed king of the badlands; in a landscape of hyaenodonts and carnivorans galore, it was a hoofed ungulate that reigned supreme.
However, such a reign would not last. As the Eocene transitioned into the Eocene, the planet underwent an abrupt cooling and drying phase known as Eocene-Oligocene Transition or more simply the Grande Coupure. This change in climate would eliminate the sprawling wetlands and river systems that Archaeotherium had been depending on, gradually replacing it with drier and more open habitats. To its credit, Archaeotherium did manage to hang on, persisting well after the Grand-Coupure had taken place, but in the end the damage had been done; Archaeotherium was a dead-man-walking. Eventually, by around 28 million years ago, Archaeotherium would go extinct, perishing due to this change in global climate (Gillham, 2019). Entelodonts as a whole would persist into the Miocene, producing some of their largest forms ever known in the form of the bison-sized Daeodon (which was itself even more carnivorous than Archaeotherium), however they too would meet the same fate as their earlier cousins. By around 15-20 million years ago, entelodonts as a whole would go extinct. However, while the entelodonts may have perished, this was not the end of carnivorous ungulates as a whole. Recall that the cetacodontamorphs, the lineage of artiodactyls that produced the entelodonts, left behind two living descendants. The first among them were the hippos, themselves fairly frequent herbivores. The second of such lineage, however, was a different story. Emerging out of South Asia, this lineage of piscivorous cetacodontamorphs, in a an attempt to further specialize for the fish-hunting lifestyle, began to delve further and further into the water, becoming more and more aquatic and the millennia passed by. At a certain point, these carnivorous artiodactlys had become something completely unrecognizable from their original hoofed forms. Their skin became hairless and their bodies became streamlined for life in water. Their hoofed limbs grew into giant flippers for steering in the water and their previously tiny tails became massive and sported giant tail flukes for aquatic propulsion. Their noses even moved to the tip of their head, becoming a blowhole that would be signature to this clade as a whole. Indeed, this clade was none other than the modern whales, themselves derived, carnivorous ungulates that had specialized for a life in the water, and in doing so, became the some of the most dominant aquatic predators across the globe for millions of years. Indeed, though long gone, the legacy of the entelodonts and of predatory ungulates as a whole, a legacy Archaeotherium itself had helped foster, lives on in these paragons of predatory prowess, showing that the ungulates are more than just the mere “prey” that they are often made out to be. Moreover, given the success that carnivorous ungulates had enjoyed in the past and given how modern omnivorous ungulates like boar dabble in predation themselves, perhaps, in the distant future, this planet may see the rise of carnivorous ungulates once again, following in the footsteps left behind by Archaeotherium and the other predatory ungulates all those millions of years ago.
submitted by Mophandel to badassanimals [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:38 Limejhit Here are 10 NON-OBVIOUS marketing psychology principles used by Apple, Ogilvy, Liquid Death, and others to make billions of dollars every year

Let's start by stating:
"People don't buy products. They buy emotions"
"95% of our purchasing decisions are emotional" -Harvard Business School
The real WHY of WHY PEOPLE BUY is often hidden deep in psychology in the unconscious parts of our brains.
Marketing tools are just the tools to influence the human psyche in one way or another, with psychology in its core.
I play with behavioral science (psychology in marketing) on a daily basis, so I thought I will share 10 cognitive biases (mental shortcuts) here, so you can implement them in your business today to make a few extra bucks:

1. Risk Compensation Theory

People adjust their behavior based on perceived risk.
The less “risky” you make doing business with you, the higher your conversions.
🧠 Make it less risky

2. Labour Illusion

People value things more when they see the work behind them.
"Effort is the universal currency of respect"
🧠 BUILD IN PUBLIC
Constantly showcasing your startup journey, its ups & downs, and the new features you added to your products or services creates the perception there's a lot of work put into your business.
Long waiting periods for service are unavoidable?
Show your process. Educate your client on the craft performed during that period.
Do you use any unusual material in your product? New, creative production process?
Educate with a few extra words

3. Life Event Effect

People are more likely to change their habits during a major life event
In fact, those who have undergone a major life event are 3 times more likely to switch brands
🧠How to use it?
Identify the life event most relevant to your category.
Then use ads. Facebook lets you target people when they move to a new house, end a relationship, start a new job, or start university.
Major life events shake up purchasing behavior.

4. Storytelling Effect

People prefer and better remember stories than facts alone
Watching, listening, hearing, or reading a story activates the same regions of the brain as those engaged when actually performing these actions in real life.
🧠 Don't show your product. Tell a story
"The most powerful person is the storyteller." - Steve Jobs
Research - Rob Walker story:

5. Pratfall Effect

A simple blunder or mistake of a person can improve the attractiveness or likability of that person
The same goes for a brand.
But here's the catch...
Your brand needs to be well-perceived in the first place.
Admitting to your flaws, when your brand is perceived as not reliable, only makes things worse.
🧠Be vulnerable
• Embrace your imperfections
VW Beetle campaign in the 1950s and 60s
At that time American cars were supposed to be big, and stylish, not small and ugly. Yet the VW Beetle became a massive hit from its brilliant advertising campaigns.
The campaign addressed everything typical American consumers didn’t like about the beetle.
With headlines like:

6. Foot-In-The-Door Technique

People are more likely to agree to a large request by agreeing to a small one first
Upsell whenever you can, but in a friendly, not pushy manner
🧠The easiest upsells

7. Inaction Inertia Effect

When missing an offer once you are likely to miss an offer twice
When people see that you're giving big discounts frivolously every month or week, they tend to ignore them after a while.
The perceived value of your product lowers with each discount
🧠Strategize your discounts
Short-term gains are cool, but have you ever implemented a long-term pricing strategy?
• Every person is different.
Create an email sequence that will split your contacts into specific groups.
Then customize the discounts for each group

8. Stepping Stones

Any task you want your customers to do, needs to be broken down into smaller, attainable steps, otherwise, a person will get discouraged
🧠Viral refferal program
When creating a referral program the most important reward is the first one.
The first reward has to be both achievable and attractive to motivate people to participate.
Harry's referral program collected 100k emails within a week, using this prize scheme:

9. Decoy Effect

People change their preference between two options when presented with a third option (the decoy) that is “asymmetrically dominated”
🧠 3-tiered pricing pricing explained
• 1 price = 2 choices: to buy or not
• 2 prices = 3 choices: buy the cheaper one, the more expensive one, or not buy
• By adding the third price, a much more expensive one, now the second price (the previous expensive one) looks like a bargain


10. Default Effect

People tend to accept what we are given and stick with what we have
When a company or brand makes a particular option the default or standard option, it is more likely that people will choose that option over other options that are presented.
When we are not sure what to do and lack expertise in the area we consider the default as a form of advice and we stick to that.
🧠Make the usual no-brainer offer the default option
A large national railroad in Europe increased its annual revenue by an estimated $40 million by changing its website to automatically include seat reservations unless customers explicitly opted out.
Prior to the change, only 9% of tickets sold included reservations, but after the change, 47% of tickets sold included reservations.
---------------------------------------------------
That's it
submitted by Limejhit to startups [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:35 Limejhit 10 NON-OBVIOUS marketing psychology principles used by the biggest companies in the world to make billions of dollars every year

Let's start by stating:
"People don't buy products. They buy emotions"
"95% of our purchasing decisions are emotional" -Harvard Business School
The real WHY of WHY PEOPLE BUY is often hidden deep in psychology in the unconscious parts of our brains.
Marketing tools are just the tools to influence the human psyche in one way or another, with psychology in its core.
I play with behavioral science (psychology in marketing) on a daily basis, so I thought I would share 10 cognitive biases (mental shortcuts) here, so you can implement them in your business today to make a few extra bucks:

1. Risk Compensation Theory

People adjust their behavior based on perceived risk.
The less “risky” you make doing business with you, the higher your conversions.
🧠 Make it less risky

2. Labour Illusion

People value things more when they see the work behind them.
"Effort is the universal currency of respect"
🧠 BUILD IN PUBLIC
Constantly showcasing your startup journey, its ups & downs, and the new features you added to your products or services creates the perception there's a lot of work put into your business.
Long waiting periods for service are unavoidable?
Show your process. Educate your client on the craft performed during that period.
Do you use any unusual material in your product? New, creative production process?
Educate with a few extra words

3. Life Event Effect

People are more likely to change their habits during a major life event
In fact, those who have undergone a major life event are 3 times more likely to switch brands
🧠How to use it?
Identify the life event most relevant to your category.
Then use ads. Facebook lets you target people when they move to a new house, end a relationship, start a new job, or start university.
Major life events shake up purchasing behavior.

4. Storytelling Effect

People prefer and better remember stories than facts alone
Watching, listening, hearing, or reading a story activates the same regions of the brain as those engaged when actually performing these actions in real life.
🧠 Don't show your product. Tell a story
"The most powerful person is the storyteller." - Steve Jobs
Research - Rob Walker story:

5. Pratfall Effect

A simple blunder or mistake of a person can improve the attractiveness or likability of that person
The same goes for a brand.
But here's the catch...
Your brand needs to be well-perceived in the first place.
Admitting to your flaws, when your brand is perceived as not reliable, only makes things worse.
🧠Be vulnerable
• Embrace your imperfections
VW Beetle campaign in the 1950s and 60s
At that time American cars were supposed to be big, and stylish, not small and ugly. Yet the VW Beetle became a massive hit from its brilliant advertising campaigns.
The campaign addressed everything typical American consumers didn’t like about the beetle.
With headlines like:

6. Foot-In-The-Door Technique

People are more likely to agree to a large request by agreeing to a small one first
Upsell whenever you can, but in a friendly, not pushy manner
🧠The easiest upsells

7. Inaction Inertia Effect

When missing an offer once you are likely to miss an offer twice
When people see that you're giving big discounts frivolously every month or week, they tend to ignore them after a while.
The perceived value of your product lowers with each discount
🧠Strategize your discounts
Short-term gains are cool, but have you ever implemented a long-term pricing strategy?
• Every person is different.
Create an email sequence that will split your contacts into specific groups.
Then customize the discounts for each group

8. Stepping Stones

Any task you want your customers to do, needs to be broken down into smaller, attainable steps, otherwise, a person will get discouraged
🧠Viral refferal program
When creating a referral program the most important reward is the first one.
The first reward has to be both achievable and attractive to motivate people to participate.
Harry's referral program collected 100k emails within a week, using this prize scheme:

9. Decoy Effect

People change their preference between two options when presented with a third option (the decoy) that is “asymmetrically dominated”
🧠 3-tiered pricing pricing explained
• 1 price = 2 choices: to buy or not
• 2 prices = 3 choices: buy the cheaper one, the more expensive one, or not buy
• By adding the third price, a much more expensive one, now the second price (the previous expensive one) looks like a bargain


10. Default Effect

People tend to accept what we are given and stick with what we have
When a company or brand makes a particular option the default or standard option, it is more likely that people will choose that option over other options that are presented.
When we are not sure what to do and lack expertise in the area we consider the default as a form of advice and we stick to that.
🧠Make the usual no-brainer offer the default option
A large national railroad in Europe increased its annual revenue by an estimated $40 million by changing its website to automatically include seat reservations unless customers explicitly opted out.
Prior to the change, only 9% of tickets sold included reservations, but after the change, 47% of tickets sold included reservations.
---------------------------------------------------
That's it If you want more I have a FREE NEWSLETTER where I share over 140+ more biases like these ones, but in more extended versions
submitted by Limejhit to SaaS [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:31 DumbMoneyMedia Gen Z Skips Fast Food, Opts for Home-Cooked Meals

Gen Z Skips Fast Food, Opts for Home-Cooked Meals
Warren Buffett wisely stated, "Price is what you pay, value is what you get." This rings true for Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012. They are choosing affordable, nutritious home-cooked meals over fast food.
While over one-third of Gen Z eats fast food weekly, this generation is discerning in their dining choices. Three out of four Gen Z consumers, aged 10-25, frequent cafes, quick-service, and fast-casual restaurants a few times per month.
Price is the top factor influencing Gen Z's dining decisions, with nearly 80% citing it as most important. Though this generation prioritizes health, with over half seeking healthier options, fast food remains popular. Only 5% don't eat it at all.
Fast Food is up 110% over the last 3 years, it doesnt make sense to buy it anymore.

Key Takeaways

  • Gen Z consumers opt for affordable, nutritious home-cooked meals over fast food.
  • Price is the top factor for Gen Z's dining choices, cited by nearly 80%.
  • While prioritizing health, fast food remains a top choice for Gen Z.
  • Gen Z needs to find cheaper alternatives to eating out.
  • Brands must cater to Gen Z's unique priorities and values.

Gen Z's Evolving Food Preferences

Generation Z is the driving force behind major food preference shifts. This group, aged 10 to 25, embraces plant-based and vegetarian diets more than Millennials. Around 12% identify as vegetarian or vegan, citing health and ethical reasons for avoiding meat.
Gen Z expects vegetarian options for every meal. They often prefer veggie-forward or veggie-centric dishes. This reflects their growing awareness of environmental and health impacts of food choices. As sustainability and wellness become priorities, demand for meatless and plant-based options will likely rise.

Embracing Plant-Based and Vegetarian Options

Gen Z consumers are more likely to consume frozen and microwaveable meals compared to Millennials. This trend stems from their limited time for cooking or elaborate meal preparation due to school, work, and other commitments. However, the frozen food industry has responded by offering better ingredients and health-centric marketing to cater to Gen Z's preference for healthy and organic food.
Though many are vegetarian, meat isnt fully off the table. Its more a cost factor at this point and low grade meat options can still be very pricey.

Convenience and Healthy Frozen Meals

The frozen food industry now focuses on cost-conscious consumers in Gen Z, offering better ingredients and health-centric marketing to cater to their preference for healthy and organic food.

Gen Z Skips Fast Food, Fast Food too expensive, Gen Z eating at home

Gen Z'ers opt for home-cooked meals over fast food. The main reason is price - 80% consider it most important. This health-conscious generation prefers affordable, nutritious home-cooked meals.

Price and Affordability

Gen Z consumers have very little buying power. As they enter the workforce, brands must understand their priorities. With food inflation, cost-conscious Gen Z and millennials cook at home to save money.

Preference for Home-Cooked Meals

Gen Z's shift from fast food stems from preferring home-cooked meals. This health-conscious, financially savvy demographic sees home cooking as affordable and nutritious. As food inflation persists, Gen Z will likely continue budget eating and home cooking.
Dolly Varden Silver Corp

Diverse Ethnic Cuisine Experiences

Generation Z has developed a diverse palate. They grew up with international food options. For this demographic, ethnic cuisine is about the overall experience.
Gen Z prefers authentic cultural settings. Chefs should hail from the region or use traditional techniques. This trend leads experts to recommend investing in aesthetics and ingredients.
Creating an immersive cultural ambiance connects with Gen Z on a deeper level. Telling the cuisine's story satisfies the craving for authentic experiences.
Offering affordable meal options with a compelling cultural experience attracts cost-conscious Gen Z. As food inflation rises, they may skip fast food for home-cooked meals.
Generational food preferences are shaped by rising costs. Affordable cultural experiences will retain cost-conscious Gen Z consumers who can't afford fast food.
submitted by DumbMoneyMedia to Brokeonomics [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:25 good4aman Kindly Critique my copy for a Helmet brand.

Company's copy -
Incepted in 1983, STUDDS Accessories Limited is the leading manufacturer of helmets and motorcycle accessories in India and all over the world. STUDDS offers a wide range of two-wheeler helmets and accessories and has a presence in more than 50 countries across the globe including Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. We believe that our focus on style, design, quality as well as safety, makes us a lifestyle choice for our customers. With over 50 million customers globally entrusting STUDDS with their road safety, we are amongst the top helmets and riding gear brands in India and internationally.
With state-of-art manufacturing facilities spread over an area of more than 50,000 sq. mts. and having the capability to churn out more than 14 million helmets every year.
My Copy -
Studds, founded in 1983, has emerged as the leading manufacturer of helmets and motorcycle accessories, with a strong presence in 50-plus countries including Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. We at Studds are fiercely focused on style, design, quality as well as safety, which has propelled us to become the top brand in India and internationally and can be testified by our 50 million customers globally. Having high expectations From ourselves, along with uncompromising standards, We have got a manufacturing plant spread over an area of 50,000 sq. mts. To facilitate in production of more than 14 helmets per year.
submitted by good4aman to copywriting [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 17:12 Tartanclad How Gates of Hell could make a Commonwealth faction truly unique

Recently Gates of Hell released the American faction and did a full overhaul of the German faction, leading to a pair of interesting factions with an incredible variety of historically authentic uniforms. You could zoom in on any of the squads and see the diverse uniforms depicted right down to the insignia on their caps and the regiments on their patches. Shermanator’s interview of Chase/Trudel (the lead animator & 3D human artist) gave me faith in the developer’s passion for the history and the game. This made me quite excited, because we have yet to see a British Commonwealth faction but there is some heavy implication that we can expect one in the future.
I wanted to make this thread, because I wanted to express my desire to see elements in the game that would make the Commonwealth faction a wealth of interesting units, uniforms and nationalities, particularly via the doctrines system that exists within the game. The intention is to throw in representatives across all the major nations of the British Commonwealth as well as some of the Allied armies-in-exile that came under British command. I also want to highlight some of the vehicles that are rarely mentioned in other games due to their obscure theatre or role. For the record, I'm not telling the devs what to do - I'm just making some example doctrines that I came up with as an example of the variety of units I'd love to see and making their inclusion plausible. Mostly to get the community talking.
I won’t talk about early war, partially because ‘Early war’ in Gates of Hell is largely post-Dunkirk, but also because I feel like what I am asking is still quite a lot just for one faction across two eras. I also I won’t be mentioning the more obvious or general units like Stuarts, Crusaders, Cromwells, Grants etc, as I expect them to be added nonetheless. It’s the vaguer aspects of the Commonwealth I wanted to talk about; the weird, wonderful and the diverse.
Mid War Doctrines
I think the mid-war should be largely inspired by the North African Campaigns, centred largely on the 8th Army and utilising the huge variety of cultures that fought within it. Extra bits can be added from the Italian campaign where the faction is lacking, and the Italian campaign can also be represented in the ‘Temperate’ skin for the mid-war faction. There are a lot of inspirations one can draw to create a variety of options for the Commonwealth player and each doctrine should draw from their unique aspects.
All-Round: Inspired by the Desert Rats, the 2nd Battle of El Alamein and Operation Crusader this one balances the various aspects of the other doctrines while keeping it unique. I’d like to see the Infantry include British Desert Rats Infantry, 2nd New Zealand Infantry, & 1st South African Infantry. I’d also like to see South African Marmon-Herrington Armoured Cars (multiple variants) as an early-battle option, plenty of the more common tanks and maybe the Bishop as a slow but mobile artillery piece. As a special call-in, we could probably include the Free French Legionaries as a powerful assault unit, just to really complete the variety in this division.
Defensive: Inspired by the Siege of Tobruk, this doctrine should primarily represent the Australians. Variations of the Australian 9th Division troops as infantry alongside minor British elements with a heavy emphasis on field engineers, emplacements and field guns. Defensive doctrine could also include RAF Regiment infantry, RAF 20mm Oerlikon guns, RAF Rolls Royces, India Pattern Carriers (from the Indian 18th Division), air strikes and, as a special unit, they could even have captured Italian tanks from the 6th Australian Division Cavalry Regiment! As a defensive doctrine, they should also have access to the best mid-war field guns, including the rare (but historical) ’Pheasant’ 17/25 Pounder Field Gun.
Offensive: Inspired by the Battle of Tunisia and Operation Torch, I think this one should show off the might of the UK’s heavier vehicles in the latter stages of the African campaign, particularly the Churchill III, Sherman III, the Priest 105mm and the Stuart Command Tank, alongside the more standard British tank options. As for infantry options, we can include Indian troops of the 4th Infantry Division (India), Gurkhas, and a motorised unit of 22nd Guards Infantry. I would also add the British Commandos in this division - partly because they were involved in Operation Torch, but also because they had an iconic impact on the mid-war (outside of Africa) that it would be a pity not to add them.
Irregular: This one would be quite unique in mid-war as it is effectively the light vehicle special forces doctrine. Although some standard British units would form the basis of the army, they would have access to a variety of assets representing the Long Range Desert Group; Chevrolet trucks with mounted Vickers MGs, Boys AT rifles, twin 303 Brownings or even Bofors and captured 20mm Breda guns! ‘Bamtam’ jeeps with twin Vickers Ks or 303 Brownings. The transport and logistics would be different too, using the Marmon-Herrington 6-ton Heavy Truck or the White 1064 10-ton. Other unique special call-ins would include an LRDG WACO Recon plane and the SAS (armed with the Lewes bomb). The downside to this doctrine, however, is that imagine it to be much lighter on armoured support, relying mostly on towed guns for its heavy firepower.
Other Units: I’ve tried to use inspirations from specific parts of the war to get a rounded but also diverse array of units, but there are loads of obscure units across the mid-war that I’d love to see; the Priest 105mm SPG, the AEC Deacon Gun Carrier, the Daimler Dingo, the Humber Light Reconnaissance, and so on.
That is as much as I want to say on mid-war without labouring the point. I’m sure there’s interesting things I’ve missed accidentally, and I’m afraid there’s some I have missed on purpose. For example, I considered the Australian Matilda Hedgehog, but it turned out to be late war and never used. I also considered the Greek and the Czech Division, but I think I’ve already stretched it too far as regards voice acting alone without adding units that, as distinguished their service might be, are just too obscure without adding anything extra - appearance or gameplay. That said, my hat would go off to the devs if they achieved that.
Late War Doctrines
Here we get to represent the Commonwealth units from Operation Overlord up until Operation Varsity.
All-Round: The quintessential British doctrine, combining bog-standard infantry with hardy tanks and a decent array of equipment. Partially based on Gold Beach, but also Operation Varsity/Plunder towards the end of the war, I would personally give them 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry, RAF Regiment Gunners, RAF Humber Light AC, Churchill AVRE, the Cruiser Mk. VIII Challenger and the Comet. Maybe give them some 6th Airlanding troops and 1st Canadian Parachute Infantry as a reference to the Normandy paratroopers if we feel they need more skilled infantry.
Offensive: The Canadian Doctrine - mostly inspired by the First Canadian Army in Normandy with elements of their experiences later on (including the Battle of the Schelt and Operation Veritable) with the doctrine largely focused on armoured assault infantry. They’ll look quite unique compared to the British because their uniforms were greener and they were the first to use the British-designed Mk.III helmet at D-Day. Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division as standard, supported by assault infantry. Eventually, armoured infantry can spawn in Buffalos (used at the Battle of the Schelt) and, as a special call-in, Ram Kangaroo APCs (sporting an armoured MG turret). The Otter armoured car would be an early call-in, with M4A1 Sherman Grizzly tanks as well as Ram IIs available in the standard tank tab. Some unique but limited special call-ins would include the Skink AA tank (of which 2 saw historical combat in Normandy) as well as a skilled sniper wielding the Ross rifle.
Defensive: Just as the US Defensive doctrine features the 101st Airborne (no doubt inspired by the Battle of Bastogne), the British Defensive doctrine can feature the British Airborne - particularly based on the defense of Arnhem Bridge in the Netherlands as part of Market Garden. Infantry units can include the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry, 1st Airborne Paratroopers, 1st Airlanding Infantry, Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers and 1st (Polish) Independent Paratroopers (who are distinctive with their grey berets). Armoured units can include the Tetrarch and the M22 Locust. To suit their defensive doctrine, they should get some decent guns and I’m thinking the airborne jeep-towed 20mm Polsten Gun, airborne 17th Pounder as well as (in a departure from the Parachute theme) the BL 7.2-inch howitzer. The Patchett sub-machine gun could make an appearance here too.
Irregular: Based on Sword Beach, Commandos and the 79th Armoured Division, with the more unusual units in the British arsenal. Probably with 3rd Infantry Division Infantry as standard, this unit could have access to No.41 (Royal Marine) Commandos, Fusilier Marines Commandos (based on No.4 Commando’s assault on Ouestreham), the Centaur Mk.IV QF 95mm, the Sherman DD, the Churchill Crocodile and Royal Engineer Assault Teams deployed in the cute Terrapin 4-ton Amphibious. If we want to be really wacky, we could even add the M3 Grant CDL (an unarmed searchlight tank) for armoured spotting, similar to the 150cm Flakscheinwerfer searchlight.
Other Units: Further unique units that would fit in any one (or multiple) of these divisions (based on balance) include the Land Mattress Rocket Launcher, the Loyd Carrier, the Universal Carrier WASP (flamethrower), the Sexton SPG, Sherman Firefly, the Archer TD, Achilles TD, the Priest Kangaroo, the Morris C8, Staghound and so on. There are SO many strange and obscure British vehicles that don’t often see the light of day, but would be perfect for Gates of Hell.
Post-release Doctrines -
More of a final thought than anything else, but if/when the Japanese get added into the game, I’d love to see a fifth doctrine to represent the British 14th Army to match the Japanese. A doctrine that is mostly comprised of Indian infantry and Indian tanks, with representation from the East/West African Divisions, Gurkhas and the British 2nd or 36th Infantry Divisions. Special call-ins could include the Chindits (using Thompsons and the Jungle Carbine) and paratroopers of the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade. If we’re feeling generous enough to allow the doctrine to encompass the Pacific Islands as well, we could also include an Australian squad armed with the Owen SMG, South Pacific Scouts, the Matida Frog (flamethrower) and the Matilda QF 3-Inch.
Conclusion: I apologise for such a long read. But I hope we see how a bit of ambition could really help the Commonwealth stand out and be worthy of the variety seen in the other factions since their overhaul. While the Germans have Spanish soldiers in their ranks, the Commonwealth can see the UK, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, and France (and technically Nepal) all get some recognition. While the German Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe stand out on the field, the Commonwealth might get the distinctive blue battledress of the RAF Regiment, or the long white tunics of the Foreign Legion. We would see such a variety of hats including pith helmets, berets, kepis, dastars, keffiyehs and slouch hats. Some units, like the LRDG vehicles, might even stand out as unique from any of the nations already in the game. It’s a lot of colourful uniforms, a lot of voices and a lot of strange and wonderful machines.
However, it does come with its downsides. Firstly, Africa and Europe are such dramatically different theatres that their version of mid & late war are incredibly different to one another. So much so that the depth of variety might make the faction too big, making it a lot of effort for the art department (especially with uniforms changing for the map’s climate. Imagine making skins for temperate, desert AND snow). The second issue is whether France is getting its own faction in future iterations of the game (the French flag appears in the loading screen during Axis vs Allies games). The final (and probably biggest) issue is voice acting. I’m no expert on games development, but I gather that getting enough voice actors for a faction is hard enough as it is without having to accurately represent 9 countries at once. I would love to hear the developer’s thoughts on the matter - whether such a project is within the game’s scope and if they have the ambition to take it this far.
Do let me all know what you think as well.
submitted by Tartanclad to GatesOfHellOstfront [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 16:47 filipha Variegated or poorly?

Variegated or poorly?
A while ago I got 2 little alocasia baby plants from someone on local FB group as a swap. They both had a baby leaf each and were planted together in a pot. One of them dried up (I had no idea they like it a bit humid), the other one survived and it’s now having a second leaf and looks like a Polly.
The other one I managed to save too - propagated the corm and its second leaf just unfurled (the first baby one died when it got dry). However I can’t identify it. Its colours are dark green and a hint of pink. Is this because I almost killed it or it’s not a Polly, resp. is it a variegated Polly? Any ideas?
submitted by filipha to PlantIdentification [link] [comments]


http://rodzice.org/