the The Long and Arduous Journey of the Airline Industry May be Reaching an End By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:50:00 +0000 The government deregulated the airline industry in 1978. Since that time, the basic pricing in the industry, as well as airline fortunes, have been more or less continuously on the downward slope. It has been a very long trip down. The industry may be heading up again, though. In the third quarter of 2010, the average domestic airfare was 11% higher than a year earlier. Profits returned to the industry in 2010 behind higher prices. In some part, these higher prices were the result of the additional fees that most of the domestic carriers charged passengers for checked baggage, better seating, rerouting and so forth. Still, the industry was able to hold its higher prices.These prices are holding because the major industry players are less enamored of discounted flying. All of the big airlines are finding ways to extract prices from industry customers. Now that airline capacity utilization is high, the industry is more careful about capacity additions. Higher prices are here to stay.The consumer still is far ahead. Even at these higher prices, ticket prices are a bargain. In fact, ticket prices, adjusted for inflation, are 20% below the levels of 1995. The industry has continuously stripped benefits from the base product in order to save costs. In 2010, the industry added back a few of those benefits (for example, economy plus seating) for an additional charge. We may see more of that over the next few years. Full Article change in capacity customer segmentation hostile market overcapacity pricing strategy
the News Corp Responds to the Market for “Free” By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:15:00 +0000 The newspaper industry has faced a mighty challenge over the last few years. There is so much “free” content to complete with them. Newspaper revenue continues to plummet. Internet users are reluctant to pay for content. All the free content, supported by advertising revenue, has decimated the newspaper industry. The industry’s cousin, the magazine industry, is not far behind.This trend can’t continue forever. Already, many people are asking themselves how much they can trust the information on the internet. The need for Reliability drives the demand for Snopes.com. How many “free” web sites can earn enough from advertising to pay all their bills? An effective industry answer to “free” may be forthcoming in the News Corp online newspaper called “The Daily.” The Daily will cover general news, sports, arts and opinion in a format dedicated to the Apple iPad. In addition to the written content, the product will carry high definition video and 360 degree photos. The same product will be available in a few months for the Android-based tablet computers. The Daily will sell for $.99 a week, or $39.99 a year, a very low price compared to newspapers. With this model, the product receives revenues both from the subscribers and from advertisers. Subscribers have the Reliability benefit of knowing that the content producer cares about facts, accuracy and readable writing style. Advertisers pay for eyeballs that follow a Reliable product.The Daily is what we call a Next Leader product. This is a product that offers much better than industry standard performance for a low price to a specific subset of industry customers. The Next Leader can offer the very low price because it has a much lower cost structure than is typical in the industry. There are two basic types of Next Leaders. The first are Reformer products. This type of Next Leader product reduces the benefits for the user (usually Function benefits) while increasing the benefits for the buyer (usually Reliability and Convenience benefits) compared to the industry Standard Leader product. The second of the two types of Next Leader products are Transformer products. These products increase the benefits of the user but offer, at least initially, fewer benefits to the buyer than the Standard Leader product offers. The Daily is a Reformer product. It offers the Convenience of formatting fit for a tablet computer so it provides easier access for a segment of the industry’s customers. Its low cost structure results from its elimination of printing presses and distribution costs.If this new tablet-based product offers a quality read, it will hasten the day when virtually every newspaper and magazine is offered first online and only secondarily in hard copy. The online versions will come at a fraction of the cost of the hard copy versions. Readership is certain to grow. Full Article competitor success and failure customer segmentation industry evolution low-end competitor new product development News Corp price points
the The NYSE Stumble Offers a Lesson for All Leaders By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 Recently, the New York Stock Exchange agreed to sell itself to the German exchange, Deutsche Boerse. For generations, the NYSE was the place to trade equities of the finest companies in the U.S. Its sale to a German exchange is a sign of how desperate its market situation has become. The NYSE’s fall offers some important lessons for a market leader in any industry. The NYSE’s market share has fallen out of bed. Six years ago, 75% of the traded shares of companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange traded on that exchange. Today, only 35% of those shares trade on the NYSE. This precipitous fall came because the NYSE fell behind in both service and price. The market changed and new competitors emerged. First, the market changed. High frequency traders, using computerized trading algorithms, do two-thirds of share trades today. These market-dominating customers demand the highest speeds in their transactions and the industry’s lowest prices. The New York Stock Exchange struggled to meet these requirements. Second, new competition emerged. There are roughly fifty trading venues which will provide these high-frequency traders with fast services and low prices. The majority of these venues did not even exist ten years ago. They sprang up using relatively inexpensive computers in low-cost outlying and suburban locations. These new trading venues offer newer, faster technology and lower prices than the NYSE. The NYSE held a price umbrella over these emerging firms. The new firms grew and became ever more capable. Today, they can compete and win in competition for even small trades. The New York Stock Exchange was a dominant market leader. Its precipitous fall holds lessons for all market leaders in any market. Among these lessons are these: 1. Always protect your relationships with the industry’s heart-of-the-market customers. These are the key, primary and secondary relationships with the industry’s large customers, those purchasing 80% of the industry’s unit volume. These key relationships usually hold 65% or so of the total industry sales. 2. Avoid consistent failure with these heart-of-the-market relationships, especially failures in function and price. Customers generally will not leave an established relationship until their supplier fails them. Any failure, especially consistent failure over time, opens the customer relationship to other competitors. 3. Parry fast-growing competitors at any price point. The fast growth of these competitors tells us that customers like what they offer. Their growth in share will not stop until the market leader itself puts an end to it. The NYSE has allowed many new competitors into its marketplace. It would have been much easier to stop them when they were much smaller or, indeed, even before they entered the market. This market will consolidate again into far fewer competitors. But now it is going to be a bloody fight. 4. Fix the products that are losing share in the heart-of-the-market. Customer retention is important in any market, but it is critical in markets where prices are falling. The first demand of product innovation is to fix problems that cause the company to lose customer relationships. 5. Cover any price point your heart-of-the-market customer purchases. Companies often have price point biases, either against a low price point because it pulls down margins, or against a high price point because it makes operations less efficient. If the heart-of-the-market customers are buying the price point, you have to cover it. 6. In a falling price environment, develop pricing that discourages competition. This pricing can, and should, involve more than simple reductions in list prices. There are several components of a price. The NYSE can use these components to beat back many of these competitors. In a low, or falling, price environment, the only real function that price serves is to discourage competitors from competing for your customers. Ultimately, low prices push competitors out of the marketplace. This takes a long period of time when there are as many competitors as the NYSE faces today. 7. Develop and exploit economies of scale to support the falling prices the company faces and to maintain the best returns in the industry. The NYSE is still the largest competitor in the market. It no longer enjoys dominant share, but it is still large enough to create a more productive cost structure, especially by matching benefits and overhead costs to customer segments and eliminating benefits that customers do not need. Full Article New York Stock Exchange
the Another Creative Pricing Scheme By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:29:00 +0000 It is not often that you see companies using really unusual pricing to build future business. Here is one that I like. Every price has three and, usually four, components: the Benefit Package, the Basis of Charge, the List price and usually some Optional Components of price. The Benefit Package includes all of the Function, Reliability and Convenience benefits associated with the main product. The Basis of Charge is the way the company quantifies the unit of sale that it prices with the List Price, which is the stated price per unit of product sold. The Optional Components of price enable the company to leave the List Price unchanged, but to alter the value the company offers the customer by changing Functions, Reliability or Convenience benefits beyond those of the main product. The most creative pricing schemes usually involve the Optional Components of price. Recently, we described one of these Optional Components of price, a Call, offered by Continental Airlines. In this blog, we will describe a “Put” offered by Best Buy. A Put is an Optional Component of price that enables the customer to sell back a product to the seller at a stated price in the future. Best Buy recently introduced the Buy-Back program for various electronic gadgets it sells. This program adds a fee to the original List price of the product. In return for that fee, the customer gets the right to bring the product back for up to two years for a return value of a stated percentage of the original List price of the product. These percentages run from 20% to 50%, depending on the time of the return. The value of the return itself comes in the form of a Best Buy gift card. Best Buy hopes the customer will use this gift card to purchase an upgrade on the product that the consumer returns. This Put may be attractive to consumers concerned about the speed of technological innovation in electronic gadgets. The Put effectively reduces the future price of purchasing a new electronic gadget. It leaves the current List prices and future List prices unchanged. It also increases the odds that Best Buy will be the retailer who delivers the new technologically-advanced product. Full Article Best Buy business skills Continental Airlines customer analysis customer purchase decisions pricing strategy product innovation
the A Squeeze at the Top By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:12:00 +0000 The very highest end of Parisian hotels includes such names as the Crillon, the Plaza Athenee and Le Bristol. There are four of these highest prestige hotels in Paris. Their prices start at Euro 750 a night. Average room prices run around Euro 1000 a night. These are among the highest prices for hotel rooms in the world. Still, occupancy rates run around 80%. Even in the doldrums of 2008 and 2009, they fell only to 70%. Something new is happening, though. The high end of the market is about to see a doubling in capacity as four new luxury hotels open over a three year period. Two are already open and two more will open over the next two years. There is a prospect for even more coming beyond this next two year window, as other competitors mull a market entry. Many experts believe that prices will hold steady despite the massive influx of new capacity. They cite an increase in demand to support their beliefs. This demand is to come from Chinese tourists upgrading from luxury boutique hotels and from the growth of major conference events. Really, though, it isn’t the price that is at issue with this new capacity. It is margins. This new capacity, despite being at the very high end of the market, is coming faster than demand is growing. As a result, margins, if not prices, will fall. This margin squeeze has already started. The existing high-end hotels are spending money to upgrade their current offerings with celebrity-chef restaurants, branded spas and upgraded hotel rooms. Even if prices stay the same as they are today, margins will fall until demand fully catches up to this new capacity. While it is always margins that suffer when the growth of capacity outstrips the growth of demand, I would not want to bet on prices holding as steady as these analysts expect. My guess is that industrial conferences who can afford to place their attendees at the highest end hotels will also be able to negotiate room price discounts over the next couple of years. Full Article
the The Kindle with Special Offers…not your typical low-end product By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 16 May 2011 22:26:00 +0000 Amazon has introduced a low-end Kindle product, the Kindle with special offers. This Kindle sells for $114 compared to the standard $139 Kindle with Wi-Fi. This is not a typical low-end product. Low-end products offer fewer benefits than industry-leading products (we call these Standard Leader products) for either the buyer or the user of the product in return for a lower price. We call these low-end products Price Leaders. There are two kinds of Price Leaders. The first, called Strippers, strip out benefits for both the user and the buyer of the product in order to achieve a very low price. The second, Predators, offers the user equivalent benefits to the industry’s main product but fewer benefits for the buyer. On average, Price Leaders cost about 33% less than Standard Leader products. You will note that the Kindle with special offers does not fit easily into either of these two Price Leader categories. It reduces the user benefits by delaying the use of the product until the customer has viewed advertisements. There is no change to the benefits offered the buyer of the product. The Kindle with special offers deviates from the norms of Price Leader products with its level of discount. The Kindle with special offers sells for about 18% less than the standard Kindle product. The Kindle with special offers varies from the Price Leader pricing norm in another interesting and important dimension. Some of these “special offers” are really good deals for the average Amazon customer. In one particularly interesting offer, Amazon will sell an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 for just $10. So, an avid fan of the Amazon web site receives additional user benefits with this new low-end product. In many cases, these special offers may more than offset the disadvantage to the user of a delay in using the product while the user views an ad. This new Kindle with special offers is a very creative product innovation. Congratulations to Amazon. Full Article Amazon customer analysis low-end competition new product development pricing product price points
the Nestlé’s Cost Reduction in the Coffee Business By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:47:00 +0000 Nestle is the world-wide leader in the coffee business. They offer coffees at virtually all price points. They invented instant coffee in the 1930s. After the buffets of the commodity markets over the last few years, the company has created a global push to reduce its costs and to increase the quantity and quality of the coffee it buys. We have found four generic approaches to reducing costs. • First, reduce the rate of cost of a cost input. • Second, reduce the cost inputs that do not produce output. • Third, reduce unique activities and components in processes and the product • Fourth, spread fixed cost activities over additional product output Nestle is using the first three of these approaches in its world-wide investment in cost management. First, Nestle redesigned part of the process. Its scientists developed a new generation of Robusta and Arabica coffee plants for Mexico. The Robusta beans are relatively inexpensive and make up the bulk of the beans in instant coffee. The Arabica beans are more expensive, harder to grow and go to the higher end coffees. Today, Nestle has planted 100 thousand coffee trees in Mexico using its newly designed coffee trees. Once this experiment is complete, the company plans to distribute 220 million plants to coffee growers world-wide over the next ten years. The use of these new plants will enable Nestle to reduce its rate of cost for the beans it buys. The new plant design increases yields so it eliminates some inputs that do not produce the output of coffee beans. Many long-term coffee farmers are using older trees, which yield fewer beans and lower quality beans. Many of these farmers are leaving the industry since they cannot compete. This magnifies the commodity price problem Nestle faces. Nestle’s new trees fit the region’s climate. They resist disease and allow for larger and easier harvests. These trees will make coffee beans more consistently and predictably available. Nestle will give these trees to the farmers without asking for a firm long-term contract or ownership of any part of the farm. But it should be obvious that Nestle will engender a great deal of farmer loyalty with this program. Nestle also expects to reduce the rate of cost it pays for its beans with two other cost reduction initiatives. It will offer farming and investing advice to up to ten thousand farmers world-wide. As these farmers become more efficient, Nestle’s costs will drop. In addition, Nestle will also increase the amount of coffee it buys directly from the nearly 170 thousand growers who produce its coffees. This kind of foresight and innovation suggests why Nestle commands its market leadership. Full Article business skills competitor success and failure cost reduction Nestle productivity productivity improvement
the The Mobile Phone Industry and Customer Retention By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:14:00 +0000 The mobile phone industry’s growth has slowed. It is now operating more like a stable, moderate to slow growth market. This is particularly true in Europe. To face the challenge of slower growth in the industry, European mobile operators are turning to customer retention, but they are careful of the customers they seek to retain. The Europeans have observed that less than 20% of an operator’s customers generate to 80% of the operator’s total revenue. This pattern repeats itself in many industries. When we have seen these patterns in other industries, we have also noted that less than 10% of the total customers generate an astounding 50% of total revenues. These are the really important customers in an industry. A company must retain its key customers. In the mobile phone industry, as in most industries, the largest 20% of the industry’s customers are likely to be what we would call Core customers for the industry’s larger competitors. A Core customer allows supplier company to earn at least the cost of capital through a business cycle. The retention of these core customers is of paramount importance to long term company success. It costs a great deal more to find a new customer than to retain and build the relationship with a customer you already have. In the European mobile phone industry, carriers have found that it costs ten times more to acquire a customer than to retain one. The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer defection. Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon. If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it. They tell their friends. In turn, some of their friends defect as well. So, the loss of a Core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other Core customers. The mobile phone operators in Europe are working on retention by focusing particularly on those Core customers most likely to defect. These operators have analyzed the value of their customers and have assigned a rating to each customer. When a customer calls a call center, the information about the customer, including his rating, is readily displayed on the service representative’s screen. This customer specific information enables the service representative to respond with different value offers, depending on the importance of the customer. Most of these offers reflect lower prices for a potential defector. But the industry is responding to potential defections with more than simple price reductions. Some companies are developing personal calling rates and plans tailored to individual Core customer habits. One European company instituted this individual approach and cut its percentage of customers defecting each year in half, from 20% to 10%. The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer churn. Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon. If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it. They tell their friends. In turn, some of their friends defect as well. So, the loss of a core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other core customers. Customer retention is an important, strategic management imperative, even in fast growing markets Full Article competitor success and failure customer analysis industry evolution pricing product innovation
the Does the Withdrawal of Capacity Help? By strategystreet.blogspot.com Published On :: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:04:00 +0000 As industry prices fall, and companies’ fortunes decline with the resultant squeeze on their margins, some companies, especially the leaders, seek to withdraw capacity from the market. The leading companies expect the capacity withdrawal to do two things: redress the imbalance between capacity and demand; and raise prices to more attractive levels because of this better balance. In practice, the withdrawal of capacity often fails to achieve either of these objectives. Whenever a leader in an industry reduces its capacity to force price increases, it must consider how competitors will respond. In many, if not most, cases low-cost competitors expand their capacity to make up for the withdrawal of capacity by the industry leaders. The end result often is even more capacity available in a marketplace and the same or lower prices available for the industry leaders. After several quarters of improving profits, the airline industry is again slipping into hostile market conditions as rising fuel prices reduce margins and force higher prices. Higher prices limit demand growth. In response to the margin squeeze these tougher times bring to the industry, the industry leaders are restricting the growth in their capacity and, in some cases, reducing the capacity they offer in the domestic U.S. market. The problem is that several of the industry followers are not going along. United Continental Holdings and AMR Corporation’s American Airlines have both posted losses for the most recent quarter. Both of these industry leaders plan to reduce their domestic capacity as a result. They will be reducing seats available flying into and out of selected domestic markets. The pattern of leaders reducing capacity and followers adding it seems to be holding in the current airline industry. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Air Group derive most of their revenues in the domestic U.S. market. Each of these companies reported profits in the most recent quarter. This profitability of the three follower airline competitors indicates that their costs are lower than are the costs of the two legacy airlines that have reported losses, United Continental and American Airlines. Southwest plans to increase its capacity by 5% to 6% in 2011. JetBlue plans to add 6% to 8% this year, while Alaska Air plans to grow its capacity by 9%. The industry followers are able to add capacity in the face of capacity withdrawal by their larger industry-leading competitors because they have these lower costs. The lower costs enable the follower companies to make a profit while their larger competitors suffer losses. In the long run, the only way that the industry-leading competitors will be able to stop the expansion of these follower competitors will be to match or beat their lower cost structures Full Article Alaska Air Group American Airlines change in capacity competitor success and failure jetBlue Airways low-end competitor market share pricing strategy Southwest Airlines United Continental
the The Floating Bubble City By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:30:30 +0000 Another world building exploration with AI… this time a floating bubble city. The post The Floating Bubble City appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI generative video
the Another Place Beside Us By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Mon, 14 Oct 2024 20:01:00 +0000 An idea for a space opera. The post Another Place Beside Us appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence ai music composition generative image to video video
the Unlocking The Sphinx By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2024 20:01:00 +0000 More experimentation with image to video… now with AI audio experimentation too! The post Unlocking The Sphinx appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI ai audio generative image to video video
the The Medusa By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Oct 2024 20:01:00 +0000 Something a little more out there… this one is the most fun through headphones. ???? The post The Medusa appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI ai audio generative image to video
the Another Gallery of Ideas By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Sun, 20 Oct 2024 20:01:00 +0000 More from the MidJourney archive… The post Another Gallery of Ideas appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI generative
the The Next Gallery By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Sat, 02 Nov 2024 22:30:48 +0000 More image musings from the @trairatcliff account… The post The Next Gallery appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI Art Midjourney
the Curious Cats on the Catwalk By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 02:45:00 +0000 That’s all… The post Curious Cats on the Catwalk appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article artificial intelligence AI Cats fashion feline generative video
the The Fantasy Forest By stuckincustoms.com Published On :: Sat, 09 Nov 2024 03:01:00 +0000 An AI forest exploration… The post The Fantasy Forest appeared first on Stuck in Customs. Full Article Travel
the How to Build Muscle and Loose Fat At The Same Time By timernstfitness.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000 How to build muscle and loose fat at the same time. By: Tim Ernst Is it possible to gain muscle while at the same time loose fat? Some argue that you either have to do one or the other. I'm here to tell you that it is possible, but the secret is all about nutrient timing. There are certain times of the day when you want to be in a caloric surplus. The only way to build muscle is to be in a caloric surplus and the only way to loose fat is to be in a caloric deficit. How do you do both at the same time? Research shows that your most optimal time for muscle growth is what you consume after your workout. If you are not consuming enough calories after your workout, then you are just wasting your time. Here is an example on how to start your day. 8:00 am: Low-carb protein shake with a greens product. 10:30 am: 2eggs plus 4 whites scrambled with cheese, spinach, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. 1:00 pm: 2 oz of dry roasted nuts. 3:00 pm: Chicken Breast with sweet potato or brown rice. 5:00 pm (workout) Consume your a favorite pre workout shake if you want for energy but, it's not necessary. 5:30 pm 30 minutes into your workout consume a high carb drink like Karbolyn, Power Carb, or Vitargo. 5:45 pm (immediately post-workout): quickly digested protein/carb beverage. 6:15pm: 2 oz of pasta (dry weight); 4 oz of Ground Turkey mixed with egg whites.; 2 slices of 12-grain bread; package of broccoli or green beans. 7:45 pm: 1 cup brown rice, cous cous, or quinoa 4 oz of chicken breast; 2 slices of 12-grain bread, asparagus. 10:00 pm: Hand full of mixed nuts or avocado and fish oils. That's it! Get ready to GROW. Full Article
the How Hard Do You Train In The Gym? By timernstfitness.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 09 May 2012 13:38:00 +0000 How Hard Do You Train In The Gym? By: Tim Ernst Are you serious when you train in the gym? Are you getting the results that you really want? Are you easily distracted by outside influences? I can't tell you how many times I see people in the gym socializing with other people or their friends. I'm not saying that you have to be a complete jerk and ignore people, but if you are serious about your training your mission or job is to get in and get out of the gym. You have a life outside of the gym right? The most successful people in life have a goal that they want to accomplish and they do not allow any outside influences to dictate or distract them from that goal. We all get distractions and interruptions in life and when they come, successful people put into place boundaries. When you are in the gym you have to set up boundaries for yourself. I mean whose life is it anyway, yours or theirs? There are clearly things that are out of your control and things that are in your control. Take control and get your life back! One thing that I do to keep people from distracting me in the gym is such a quick fix. I simply put on my headphones and put on my favorite work out music and it's ON! Most people won't bother you if you have your headphones on and if they do just simply answer their question quickly and move on. There will be times when people will ask you if you are on or using some type of machine, that's o.k. If they want to talk to you any further than that, simply tell them that when you are finished with your training, you will be happy to get back with them with any questions that they may have. Here is a list of things you can do to decrease the amount of distractions when in the gym: 1. Headphones/MP3 Player/I-Pod 2. Hat (Optional) This will help you not to make clear eye contact or others seeing you making eye contact. Some women will do this to avoid any men coming up to them. 3. Set clear goals for yourself of what you want to accomplish in the gym. 4. Answer any small questions and move on. 5. Set yourself a time limit. Setting a deadline is very effective. It pushes you to finish on time. Implementing some of these strategies will help you decrease your distractions while in the gym, only if your serious about your training. Focus on your goals, set deadlines/boundaries, and watch success begin to unfold. Whatever you decide to do, do with all your strength. Train Hard! Full Article
the SLC-2L-12: Two-Light Bike for the Bucks By strobist.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 11 Jun 2020 23:18:00 +0000 UODATE: The bike sold, quickly, for the full asking price to the first person who showed up. Which was cool. And even better, the guy was like, "Who did the pictures? They jumped out at me." (Tiny speedlights FTW...) Have you tried to buy a new bike lately? Or even a used bike? The coronavirus pandemic has made them very tough to find. Between homebound people snapping them up and all of the various broken supply chains, most of the bike inventory — other than very pricey specialty bikes — has pretty much vanished. Which means that if you have a functional bike in your garage that you don't need, it will likely never be worth more than it is right now. My daughter Emily has an unneeded bike in the garage. It's a Trek 7100, which is decent hybrid. She rode it to middle school. But she's just graduated college and won't be bringing it to her new job. But right now it should fetch a nice price in the Craigslist Bicycle Hunger Games. Especially if it is photographed and presented well. So that's exactly what we are going to do today: photograph a bike with a basic two speedlight kit.Read more » Full Article
the SLC-2L-14: Fill in the Blanks By strobist.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:10:00 +0000 There are two main schools of thought when it comes to lighting. One is to light your subject in a way that is not grounded in reality but merely looks cool. And the other is to use lighting to translate the way your eye sees light into a way that your camera can better understand it. That latter choice is the option we'll be exploring today in a walk-through of a sunset portrait of artist Wendy Ng for the Howard County Conservancy. Read more » Full Article
the SLC-OE-08: Turning the Corner By strobist.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:38:00 +0000 Whew. What a year. But if you're reading this, you made it through! As we all move into a hopefully much better 2021, here are three things you can do to improve your experience as a photographer for the coming year.Read more » Full Article
the Notes on the Paul Buff Link 800ws Flash By strobist.blogspot.com Published On :: Sat, 29 May 2021 00:09:00 +0000 The Paul C. Buff Link monobloc studio strobe ($895.95) delivers 800ws of portable power, and deserves consideration from anyone in the United States who is considering a big gun for use on location. Please note: This is not a full review. There have been several thorough examples already published — most notably this one by Mike McGee. There are many others, from the usual suspects, a Google search away. Rather, this is a quick write-up of some first-hand impressions, thoughts and features I have not seen much mention of elsewhere. Read more » Full Article
the A Pig in the Poles By vickdogsblog.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:54:00 +0000 She hoped that I could be a therapy dog because I’m little, sweet, cute, and I know lots of tricks. But, that hasn’t happened because I’m still just a little too afraid of the world. Maybe it will happen someday for me, but in the meantime, I take agility classes for fun and entertainment. Unfortunately, I don’t bend through the weave poles like a border collie because I’m shaped like a pig. And I wouldn’t miss the weave pole entry on the first try if my teammate would just queue me correctly. Jeez, lady.Here I am in my very first agility trial being sort of fast despite my pig-like physique. She seemed happy about the ribbons I won, but I didn’t really care. I’m a dog and I do it because it’s fun to run. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Sat, 6 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 6/6/2020: This comic originally ran with pretty straightforward commentary underneath: "White supremacists can go to hell. And any other monsters like them can go to hell as well. And may the rest of us never join them, actively or passively." I never explicitly said it in STW and I should have, but Black Lives Matter. When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Sun, 7 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 6/7/2020: The flags at the bottom were for trans rights, given when this originally posted, but given the current Black Rights Matter protest, and JKR even further torpedoing her legacy yesterday with her transphobia (happy Pride, by the way), this comic seems like it meets the current moment well enough. When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500 These comics were originally posted in 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2018, respectively. Thoughts from 6/10/2020: Sprite had to be put down today. We were insanely fortunate to have her as part of our family for so long - we had her since 2006 - but no 14-year-old cat lives forever. She was easily the greatest cat I've ever had, the cat that changed my entire perspective on her species. She used to come running if I called 'henchman!' so she would watch Red Sox games with me. She ate the 4 pet birds we had when she broke their cage open. She would put her cat toys away at night before climbing into bed. She used to let me use her body to erase the chalkboard. She knew she was the boss of the house but she was incredibly sweet. The only reason it took over 800 comics for her to show up on STW before becoming the first cat TA was that I couldn't sneak her into Cornell engineering buildings like I could the dog. I'm heartbroken today. There are bigger crises at hand right now, and this loss is certainly not equivalent. But it's still a big loss to me. Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: >When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Tues, 16 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2010 for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Thoughts from 6/16/2020: Didn't expect that full win yesterday. Thought they would find a way to split the baby. I'll take every simple win they'll give us. Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: >When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. This is the bare utter minimum that I can do and will do, but it's a start. Hopefully this will help make the title of this comic be a real-world existence for more people. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Tues, 30 Jun 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 6/30/2020: There's a lot of pro-LGBTQ comics throughout STW, which was probably a sign to some extent that I was hiding a part of my queerness throughout the run of the comic, even if I didn't know that I was NB until a month or so after this specific comic came out, actually. I can regret the lost time but I don't think I'd be in the solid place I am now if I had come out earlier, so I try to keep that in mind (even if I often fail at doing so). Anyway, today is the last day of Pride Month for 2020 and to keep in mind the protests of the last month, there wouldn't be the degree of LGBTQ rights that there are now if it hadn't been for Black trans women like Marsha P. Johnson leading the way in the first place. So here's to those who fight for who they are and have the courage to exist despite the world trying to keep them in the shadows. Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2009. Thoughts from 7/1/2020: Halfway through the year and I'm sure those resolutions are going well, right? This year in particular ... Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Fri, 3 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 7/3/2020: The best part about this comic is that it is still true and we can just reflect on a different subset of society this time. For some reason, and I can't figure out why, it's been very hard for me to celebrate July 4th the last few years ... Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Sat, 4 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 7/4/2020: I don't think the strength of those morals have improved at all in the last few years, either. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Mon, 6 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2009. Thoughts from 7/6/2020: Not to worry, third hands will just go away on their own. Nothing to worry about here. I remember being particularly pleased with how elastic my face could be back in some of these comics. Alas, as time passes ... Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Sun, 19 Jul 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2016. Thoughts from 7/19/2020: This one must have come to me in a fever dream. Anyway, this was from theSwede's and my 8th anniversary, and now it's the 12th. Hurray or something. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2011. Thoughts from 12/23/2020: My kids haven't asked me yet because they still believe, but when they do, I'm absolutely going to be pushing this explanation, are you kidding? Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Thurs, 24 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2016. Thoughts from 12/24/2020: I remember being so insanely proud of this one for being clever. Most readers were super blah about it. So it goes. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Fri, 25 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2011. Thoughts from 12/25/2020: If anything, it seems pretty likely that this turned out to be true for 2019. We always wondered what would happen, and the answer is apparently 2020? Anyway, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, as best as they can possibly be. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Mon, 28 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2017. Thoughts from 12/28/2020: This feels extremely true when the holidays line up with a pandemic as well. The biggest transition that occurs over the run of STW wasn't the slow ravages of kids and students and time having their way with me, but the switch to near-constant wordplay as opposed to searching the internet for ideas to make comics about. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Tues, 29 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2014. Thoughts from 12/29/2020: There are a few general comics that would have made for good book collections on their own, and the anatomy ones like this would have been a relatively good option. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Wed, 30 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2016. Thoughts from 12/30/2020: This one is very weird and I may have had many rumballs by the time I made it. But this has been a weird year so why not run with it. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Thurs, 31 Dec 2020 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2009. Thoughts from 12/31/2020: I continue to like Semisonic's "This Will Be My Year" as an ode to hoping the best for the new year, but Mac McCaughan's "Happy New Year (Prince Can't Die Again)" has been pretty appropriate for every year since it came out at the end of 2016. I wish you and all of yours the best in the 2021. I sincerely hope that it comes to you and all of us. And I will put in the action that I can to help make sure we're not just relying on hope - and I ask you to do the same. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Fri, 1 Jan 2021 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2014. Thoughts from 1/1/2021: I really nailed that pose. Also, 2021 just looks weird. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Surviving The World - classic comics By survivingtheworld.net Published On :: Mon, 4 Jan 2021 10:30:00 -0500 This comic was originally posted in 2009. Thoughts from 1/4/2021: Westley, or as he was called here on the site, German, which is a joke that I'm still very proud of, passed away in 2018 but shows up every now and then on the internet because of this particular comic. The URL was removed from that image because of course it was, but it's weird seeing other people present your old dog off and on. I like this one in particular because it reminds me I snuck Westley into the chemical engineering building at Cornell for about 30 minutes just to make this comic and no one noticed that I'd done it. I'm not sure if I would have gotten in trouble or if the sight would have been so confusing that they wouldn't have known what to make of it. Donate to Black Lives Matter / Coronavirus help: When STW ended, we made a book of the best 300 comics. You can buy the PDF of the book right now, and all sales are going to go to support Black Lives Matter, and foodbanks in need because of the coronavirus. And there's more. You can also buy all the videos ever made for STW, including many that were not openly shared, and all sales are also going to the same causes. Full Article
the Amid Earth's heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions By www.yahoo.com Published On :: 2024-11-13T00:03:25Z Full Article
the ‘Mystery mollusk’ found in the ocean’s midnight zone is unlike anything researchers have seen before By www.yahoo.com Published On :: 2024-11-13T01:38:33Z Full Article
the THE VOICE OF SEMAR By robbby-robinson.blogspot.com Published On :: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:58:00 +0000 Remember to get all of your metaphysical supplies here! I had to share this Children of Semar : Emerge out of the cocoon of closed-mindedness, Be receptive to truths, even if they hurt. Reform your character before demanding the reformation of others, For the perfection of the world begins with thyself. Beliefs and blind faith are a drawback to spiritual progress, They bind one to superstition, fear and ignorance. Acquire the understanding that divine revelation is a continuous process, For humanity is ever-evolving and is ever in need of higher education. Fanaticism is a devilish expression and has to be eradicated, For it begets separatism, inharmony, and violence among men. Transcend racial, tribal, and sectarian attitudes, Nothing causes so much strife and suffering as separatism. Know that human laws must reflect Cosmic laws if they are to be helpful, Man-made laws without divine sanction may restrict the workings of justice. Understand that the highest civilization is not dependent upon external technology, It is dependent more upon spiritual unfoldment and the awakening of divine potentials. Be not hesitant to do away with traditions and customs should you be aware of their negative content, It is in purifying the dross in anything and in everything that the treasure may be revealed. Do not mistreat Nature with your arrogant expressions, Be kind to her, and she will be kind to you. Know that egocentrism has always been the core and cause of humanity's problems, It is the same with you, what would you do? Why give your personal power away by letting others do the thinking for you? Learn how to think, be not afraid to think for yourself. Learn how to take charge of, and be responsible for yourselves; Letting others do the work for you causes your own stagnation in the mire. Seek God and your divine heritage, not for any worldly or heavenly benefits, But because it is destined and right for every being to do so. If you profess being a follower of any religion, then apply the moral and spiritual precepts; Vain beliefs and faith without the application of spiritual principles makes you nothing but a hypocrite. It is impossible to grow in any way if you are stuck in your mortal-mindedness; In essence you are divine, immortal, with all the powers of a god; therefore, remove thoughts of mental limitations. One of your problems is self-centeredness. How will you evolve without self-forgetfulness, selflessness, and self-sacrifice? Psychics and paranormals may mislead you. Truth does not dwell in the world of psychicism. Why do you curse and verbally attack others? Garbage from your mouth will only darken your light. Why pay attention to gossip, why attend to celebrities? More important work awaits your attention. Why do you constantly think of the opposite sex in such lustful ways? There is no rest for the mind troubled by excessive sexual thoughts. Why do you express your sexuality in such animalistic ways? Sex should only be the expression of true love, affection and tenderness. Why believe yourself to be a dweller of an island, a nation, a planet? God has given you and all beings the whole universe to live in. You are alive with divine gifts and yet you use them not; Why then complain of your apparent lack of abundance? Why feel inferior or superior to others? In essence you are all children of the Light with the same divine-potentials. Why do you express your lower side in art, music, and culture? The decline of civilization results from the predominance of negative expressions of the psyche. Why fill your minds with trash issued from magazines, commercials, movies and gossips? You will constantly think of the things you fill your minds with, and the things you think of you will become. Why be too opinionated when opinions seldom reflect truth? For if they were truths, they would not be called opinions. How can you call yourselves civilized when your way of thinking is still primitive? Though it be reason that distinguishes a man from a beast, it is compassion and love that distinguishes a civilized man from a primitive one. Where is your love and compassion, children of Semar? Why express the dark side when it is so much easier expressing light? Why quibble over doctrines and dogmas, they simply cause you to go astray; Everyone is your brother and sister no matter what their beliefs. The greatest solution to a problem satisfies all parties involved, A poor solution only satisfies the person who makes it. Why have you no respect for life? Animals and trees are your brothers just as the person next to you. Why be sensitive to the harsh words of men when you should be listening to the sweet voice of the Spirit? Your attention should be directed inwards and not brooding upon external voices--the insults or criticisms of others. Why do you fight fire with fire, for such is immature; How long more will you remain in the valley and not rise to the mountain peak? Why act as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner yourselves? Have you no faith that Cosmic laws will deal justly to those that transgresses her? Why do you complain of situations and circumstances when it is you that helped to create them? The world that you experience is simply a reflection of your thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and beliefs. Why are your devotional prayers so mechanical, so robotic? Have you no real love and yearning for the Almighty? No matter what your beliefs you think them to be true; If they are beliefs and not experiential knowledge how can they be true? When will you awaken to Reality, to Truth, to the Presence of the Almighty? Enchanted with carnal matters have drugged you into spiritual slumber. You seek spiritual guidance for the sake of your own welfare. When will you seek guidance for the sake of your fellow men? You treat others as infidels, as unbelievers, as outcasts; Know ye that separative thoughts are spawned by the devil. God gives freely, Nature gives abundantly; And yet, you claim their gifts as your own and will not benefit others. You believe in your nation's future greatness as proclaimed by messengers, And yet, if nothing is done to manifest this greatness, it but remains in the air. Why do you wait for a savior? Why do you waste time waiting for a Goddess of Justice? Manifest the savior in your hearts; be the hands and mouthpiece of the Goddess. Your hatreds, anger, violence, and egoism have polluted the subtle worlds; These rebound back to you and cause your catastrophes and disasters. How long will you remain in darkness? No one can pull you out of it except yourselves. Why do you hesitate to forgive your brother? Are you so perfect that you are without sin? You believe it impossible to be perfect so that you will not need to strive for it; Yet strive for perfection for it is your destiny to outgrow the human condition. Purify your thoughts, for thoughts are creative and manifests themselves in this world; Negative thoughts affect people negatively, positive thoughts affect people positively. The violence in your mind creates the violence in this world; Therefore cause your mind to be tranquil, that the world may reflect such a state. You are beautiful and yet you will not express your beauty; You are unique and yet you suppress your uniqueness. Why do you carry your ego with you? So long as your ego exist, you will not be saved from the tortures of "hell." There is not much time left for you; A world-cycle is coming to a close. Will you continue to accumulate possessions and lose your soul? All that prevents or hinders your spiritual progress is evil at work. Will you ascend to heaven alone without having compassion for your brothers? Stay where you are and help others to ascend likewise. Are you a coward that you will not teach and be responsible for others? You are your brother's keeper, when will you realize that? How will your nation be a spiritual light of the world, when you will not be spiritual? The transformation of an organism begins at the cellular level. Being religious or psychic is not the same as being spiritual; Being spiritual entails radiating the highest light in the lowest darkness. Why do you blame others and God for your troubles? It is you that is the primary cause, others simply act out your script. Take the best qualities of both East and West and make them your own; Take the worst qualities of both East and West and eradicate them from your being. Why are you a slave to your carnal desires and appetites? They are the source of your pain and suffering. Why are you arrogant, are you omniscient? Do not force your beliefs upon another, for blind you may be leading the blind. Full Article
the The Mayan Calendar -- Process of Transition By robbby-robinson.blogspot.com Published On :: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:40:00 +0000 As we've seen, the Mayan Calendar is a chart of the evolution of consciousness in the universe.Each Cycle or Age has its own dominant paradigm or point of view. As you move up through the 9 Cycles, new perspectives and new ways of being arise. This new perspective starts to show up in the world, but it isn't an immediate switch from the old way of doing things to the new way. It takes time, and a process of transition, for a new understanding to gain prominence.The quantum physics revolution is a perfect example. We've known since the 1950's that matter isn't solid, and reality is nothing like we've imagined. Yet for the most part, our world continues to go along believing in the old materialistic ways... "Reality" is what can be proven with the senses. Medicine sees the body as a machine with unconnected parts. The Earth is dead, and humans are the pinnacle of evolution. And so on...Yet, as we progress, the old perspective becomes more and more marginalised. People begin to talk about things in a new way. Then people begin to act in a new way. Finally (we're not there yet), the tipping point is reached -- the old way is as disregarded as the once unshakeable "knowledge" that the Earth was flat.And that process is what the 13 days and nights of the Mayan Calendar describe.The "Days" are times when consciousness expands, new perspectives arise -- times of fresh beginnings.The "Nights" are times when the new consciousness is applied, new procedures initiated, and old ways (usually forcefully) overthrown.And each of these 13 periods is characterised by specific circumstances. Here's a breakdown of each of the 13 Days And Nights of the Mayan Calendar, and the specific transformation that occurs in each.The First Day A period of illumination -- new perspectives arise. Beginnings. Seeds are planted; energy begins to flow in a new pattern or paradigm. The First Night A period of darkness, rest. Integration. The new pattern begins to germinate within the dark subconscious of mind.The Second Day The second period of illumination. Dual paradigms, the old and the new, overlap -- both can be seen. In history, a time of turmoil, as the old ways (status quo) try to repress the new.(This is where we are as of April 20, 2011.) The Second Night The second period of darkness. Followers of the two different paradigms battle for supremacy. Historically, very violent eras.The Third Day The third period of illumination. The new paradigm begins to spread deep and wide, beginning to show up in the world as new methods of doing things, new ways of perception. The new pattern begins to overtake the old, as fables, falsehoods, and failures expose the weakness of the past system.The Third Night The third period of darkness. The fledgling perspective of the new paradigm is refined, and the earlier, simplistic aspects fall away. The old system is thrown over, usually by force.The Fourth Day The fourth period of illumination. The new pattern becomes stronger and goes deeper into consciousness. A period of expansion, as the new paradigm takes form in the world. New corollaries emerge, as the new perspective takes precedence.The Fourth Night The fourth period of darkness. Healing the pain of the transition and the death of the old ways. Rebuilding after the destruction of the old status quo systems. The new, more healthy paradigm is truly established now.The Fifth Day The fifth period of illumination, and point of greatest radiance in the Cycle. The new paradigm flourishes, sending information about wonderful new knowledge out into the world. The highest possibilities for this Cycle are attainable.The Fifth Night The fifth period of darkness, and the nadir of darkness. This is a time of major hardships, cultural collapse, horrific violence. However, it is also a little like gestation: within the dark, something new awaits. From the death, new life will arise.The Sixth Day The sixth period of illumination, a time of Enlightenment. The flowering of the paradigm into stunning new insights and newer perspectives... in fact, sowing the seeds for the new Cycle of evolution to follow.The Sixth Night The sixth period of darkness. The paradigm has reached its peak and begins to dry and wither, like wheat in autumn. Typically a time of war and violent conflict.The Seventh Day The seventh period of illumination. There is a sense of openness, of being ready for something new. The best of the paradigm has been harvested, and it's time for a new level of consciousness to arise.From the Seventh Day of the Mayan Calendar, we proceed directly to the First Day... from Light to Light. This demonstrates that whole process, even though it contains much dismantling and death, is finally and entirely a process of Creation. The Mayan Calendar is an illustration of this process. That's what makes it so fascinating... How did the Mayans ascertain such detailed information, that accurately predicts the ancient past (of which they could have known nothing) to the far future (which they are scarcely more likely to know)?We may never know the answer to this question. But at least we finally know enough to appreciate their wisdom at last. And just in time! With Bright Blessings, Full Article Calendar Mayan Process Transition WiccaSpiritualitycom
the The Truth About 2012 By robbby-robinson.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 03:05:00 +0000 Everyone's talking about 2012 these days. But what is it really all about?It's about a lot of things, all coming together. It's about the state of the world, and where it's going. It's all about life, the future, and humanity's destiny. Want to know what will happen in 2012? Want to know how to survive these tumultuous times? The articles in this section will tell you what you need to know about the Transition coming up, including how you can both keep yourself safe and contribute to the well-being of the Earth at the same time.NOTE: Until this section is finished, not all the links will be working. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it does take time to put it all together. At this point, only 1 article is still awaiting completion! -- Heal the World: What You Can Do. See the menu at the bottom of the page by clicking on the pentacle bar below, to find all the articles in this section. The first place to begin is by clearing the confusion of information that's out there, sorting out the facts from the speculation. So many websites are just repeating each other, even the stuff that's wrong! What is real, about 2012? What is just confusion? What is illusion?Find out what I've discovered in my research. Indian, Mayan, Hopi, and other ancient sages left us calendars that seem to end on Dec 21, 2012. This date is called The Shift of Ages, The End of Time, etc.Does this mean it's the end of the world?Well, yes and no.It's not doomsday, any more than the end of our yearly calendar on December 31st means the end of life. But it IS the end of the world as we've known it. Do you need to panic? No... read this article to find out why.Astrology is the holographic image of life on Earth, projected onto the galactic screen. (Or vice versa.)Everything in the universe is a 3-dimensional living hologram of the whole universe. That's what it means when poets speak of seeing the world in a grain of sand, and saints speak of knowing that one thing by which all things may be known (the self, that is). So astrology resonates with what we experience on Earth.In astrological terms, 2012 signals the Shift of Ages. We leave the age of Pisces the fish (also known as the Christian age) and enter the age of Aquarius the water bearer. What does the Age of Aquarius herald? Find out more about the Age of Aquarius here.The year 2012 is not a date picked at random. It's a very precise astronomical moment. It represents the turning of both the Great Year and the Galactic Year, as well as the Seasonal Year. There's a lot of confusion about these cycles. I've seen websites saying the Galactic Year is 26,000 years long. They're confusing two great cycles.Find out more about this Galactic Alignment.The Indian texts and Greek/Roman mythology, we are currently living in the Iron Age, the Age of Kali (Kali Yuga). This is a time of metaphorical darkness, a dearth of spirituality and the dominance of ego/intellect over soul/heart.The turning of the astronomical Year, just as in the Earth's seasonal year, represents a turning from the darkness and entering into Light.The fact that two momentous and one smaller but potent cycles are simultaneously turning toward the Light is particularly significant. The power behind this transformation is immense!Like seasons, fading from winter to spring, December 21 2012 is the official first day of Galactic -- and spiritual -- Spring. But just like the Earth's seasons, it doesn't change like a door opening and closing. It's a process, a gradual shift from the season of darkness to the season of light. And we are well into the 2012 Transition!25 years before the year2012, an exceptional alignment of eight planets, including the Sun and Moon, were aligned in an unusual configuration called a Grand Trine.At this time, there was tremendous energy to shift the planet from an energy of conflict and violence to an energy of cooperation and peace.This is considered by many to be the clearest starting point for the 2012 Transition.This was a pivotal year. On the Mayan Calendar, it signaled the shift into Galactic Consciousness.You may have noticed that consciousness did shift dramatically and suddenly that year. For example, in early 1999, Climate Change was still a fringe concept, actively being discredited by the government. By late 1999, an amazing shift had taken place: Climate Change was suddenly accepted as a reality by everyone. It was no longer seriously disputed except by the most gullible or sceptical. There was no definitive reason for this shift in the Climate Change debates. Suddenly, without reason, it was just accepted by the global consciousness.This is just one example of a world-wide transition.2010 was another pivotal year, though in a different way. There was a strong energy dynamic that could have led to extreme violence and another world war. But that deadly potential was defused, and 2010 passed calmly.What didn't get noticed, therefore, was the fact that by 2010, humanity had already made the shift toward peace consciousness.You may not have noticed this if you were paying attention to all the stupid wars still going on, but against the possibility of world-wide nuclear war, we did pretty well.And it's only going to get better!To find out more about the significant dates in this Shift of Ages, see this article.Let me state it plainly, in case you have any lingering doubts:December 21, 2012 is not the apocalypse, doomsday, destruction of the Earth, end of all life, or even the end of civilisation as we know it (more or less). The year 2012 is a point of transition, when we've irrevocably crossed a boundary into a new way of being, a new paradigm.The question remains: what will be the new paradigm?It can signal the end of a lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong era of darkness and a rebirth into Lightness of being. Or, potentially, it could be the release of humans from physical form on the Earth.The really neat thing is we get to decide which!What do we do about this change? How do we survive 2012? That's what the Hopi Prophecy is about. It describes the two options we have, and how we get to choose.One is very unpleasant. But one is very lovely.Which would you prefer?Either way, you have the power to make it happen!The Mayan Calendar also gives us clues about Surviving the 2012 Transition.No matter what's going to happen, this is undoubtedly a time of cataclysmic change. It's challenging for all of us. With the right approach and tools, though, we can make the transition smoother for ourselves, and more beneficial to the Earth.Find out the secrets to surviving the Shift of the Ages .(All the articles in this section after this page, will continue the theme of surviving the Shift of Ages.)You may be asking yourself why evil and darkness seem so much more pervasive, so much more powerful than ever, if we really are transitioning to a brighter future. It's simple.It's the last, desperate scream of a dying dinosaur. The resistance to the Shift seems bigger than it is because it's so loud, but it's loud out of fear and pain and defiance of its own transformation. The ego-world is dying, and doesn't trust that it will evolve into something beautiful. After the dinosaurs, came the birds.But the dinosaurs would avoid that if they could. Luckily for the world, they can't!With Bright Blessings, Full Article About Truth WiccaSpiritualitycom
the The Hopi Prophecy Stone and the Future of the Earth By robbby-robinson.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:09:00 +0000 The Hopi prophecy for the year 2012 is the most important one, in my opinion. Whereas many prophecies speak of this "end of the world," the Hopi are the ones who've given us the most specific instructions for what to do.According to most ancient prophecies, the Shift of Ages in 2012 is not necessarily the end of the world. It could be the end of an era of darkness on the Earth. But according to the Hopi prophecy, WE are the ones who get to choose. The future, or lack of it, is up to us! While the Hopi had an oral rather than written tradition, they also created images that helped to tell the story, as reminders.The one that is of most interest here is called the Hopi Prophecy Stone. Although the stone has been much damaged and even altered, we will be addressing it as the Elders say it was, before its discovery by the white people. The Hopi Prophecy Stone depicts the Creator of the world (far left), and beside him, the Circle of the World, which it was the Hopi's task to protect.In the Creator's hand is held the two destinies humanity can choose -- one that leads to a good resolution and one that leads to a dead end.The box represents all the people. The diverging point of the Creator's path shows a time when some people would break away from the true path, and go the way of falseness and wickedness. The path at the bottom represents the true path, the path of goodness. It shows 3 calamities, as circles representing "shaken gourds" or world-shaking events, which some have interpreted as world wars. A third world war would therefore be indicated. (Could it be the unremitting war that the USA has conjured up against the Middle East? We can hope that nothing worse is predicted.)In between and beyond the calamities, the sign of growing corn (life) combined with the sign of a cane (long life) reasserts humanity's continuity.The last circle is said to be the final calamity, the purification of evil from the face of the Earth.At the end of the righteous path, we find the Creator waiting for us again: the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.This is the spiritual path, the path of goodness and kindness.Reunion with the Divine is the goal and destination of this path. I would add to this interpretation that the true path is the humble path, the one closest to the Earth and nature, grounded. In this image, it is the path that is closest to the Creator.I believe the upper path being the false trail, shows that the path of domination, of power/control, of seeking to be superior over others, is definitely a wrong turn. And that a way of living in balance and respect with nature is part of the good path. Something Native Americans have warned Europeans from the beginning. (This may be another reason Wicca and Paganism are increasing in popularity, as more people leave the wicked path behind.)I think it is also not coincidence that the sign of the corn is used. Life could have been signified by the cane alone. But it is a growing plant that indicates the path of goodness, and the fruit of that path.Nature is the good path. Although here I have drawn in the heads of the figures, the Elders say that the figures on the Hopi Prophecy Stone originally had no heads. (I've indicated this with the heads not joined to the bodies.)This could indicate that those following the path of wickedness are not choosing wisely. That would seem to be evident, as we can now see the inevitable result of small personal wickednesses such as greed, self-interest, insecurity, animosity, etc. Even more visible are the growing results of these: violence, war, domination, sacrificing of others and the future for personal gain, etc.According to Martineau, however, it signals that death must come of following the wicked path. Perhaps both meanings would apply.The zigzag path seems to indicate that the way of wickedness is irresolute and crooked. It reminds me of politicians promising first one thing and then the opposite, depending on whatever people want to hear. Being guided by greed, control, and fear, the Path must veer hither and yon according to the needs of the moment. By contrast, the path of truth is always aimed at the Divine, and does not waver in momentary crises.Notice that before the third calamity, the corn symbol touches the top line. This shows that people on the path of wickedness can change direction at that point, and rejoin the path of goodness.After that point, it is too late, for humanity's careless wickedness brings us to a dead end. The back-curving line shows a point of no return.The symbol of the corn becomes even more prophetic, as we now seem to have seen the end of natural corn. GMOs have invaded even the purest corn stocks in the world.Perhaps it is no coincidence that corn is used as a symbol of life, here. Of course, it was a staple crop of the Hopi. But perhaps the corn touching the wicked path is also a symbol that we can choose the wicked way with our food supply, like genetically altering them. Perhaps the path from goodness to wickedness goes both ways? The Hopi Prophecy Stone shows us that the parameters of our choice determines the future we will have. Are we headed toward a Golden Age? Or extinction?It is not a matter of what we wish for. It is a matter of what actions we take. The Hopi prophesy tells us what we must do to create a positive future for the Earth -- a future in which humanity continues to exist. This makes it the most important of all the 2012 predictions. Not just doom and gloom, nor hope and pray, but the concrete actions and mindsets that will see us through!With Bright Blessings, Full Article Earth Future Prophecy Stone WiccaSpiritualitycom
the The Hopi Prophecies Signs for 2012 By robbby-robinson.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:19:00 +0000 What are the Hopi prophecies, and how are they linked to the year 2012? I'm so glad you asked! Of all the 2012 predictions, these are the most important and exciting, because they not only foretell the 2012 Transition, they tell us what we can do about it.This article reveals the signs of the end of the World Age, according to the Hopi prophecies... and what that means, in their point of view. The Hopi nation, on the Arizona lands, has highly spiritual values. Hopi means peace; their name for themselves is the Peaceful People. The rituals they do are for the benefit not just of themselves but of the whole world. The clans are matrilineal, and with a balance of power between females and males. Life is religion, in Hopi culture.The Hopi have carried an oral tradition for centuries. The Hopi prophecies come from that tradition, and they tell of the signs that will presage the end of the World Age (ie, Fourth World) and our entry into the Fifth World.Note: I'd like to be clear that the Hopi's, as far as I know, didn't give a date for the end of the Fourth World. That's the point of all the prophecies: they will give us warning.But since all of these prophecies have already come true, and since other sources give us a calendar date for the end of a world age, it seems clear that the Hopi prophecies are talking about the 2012 Transition. Prophecy of the Theft of the Land: There will come a nation of white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana -- men who took the land that was not theirs. (European conquest of the Americas.)Prophecy of Thunder Strikers: These white-skinned men will strike and kill their enemies with thunder.(Firearms.)Prophecy of Wheels : Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. (Wagons moving west.)Prophecy of Horned Creatures: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers. (Longhorn cattle.)Prophecy of Iron Snakes: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron.(Railroads.)Prophecy of the Skies: The skies shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web, and the white man will put metal wires in the skies. (Chemical trails deposited by military aircraft, and power and telephone lines.)Prophecy of Rivers of Stone: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun.(Paved roads -- heat mirages.)Prophecy of Black Seas: The sea will turn black, killing many living creatures.(Oil spills.)Prophecy of Seekers: Many youth, wearing their hair long, join the tribal nations to learn their ways and ancient wisdom.(Hippies and generations of spiritual seekers.)Prophecy of the House in the Sky: A dwelling-place will be built in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. (Skylab, which according to witnesses seemed to be burning blue as it fell.)Prophecy of Ashes: The white man will create a Gourd of Ashes that will lay waste to the land and keep it infertile for generations.(Atomic bombs and radiation.) Prophecy of Moon Theft: The white man will steal rocks from the moon. Then the balance of universal laws and natural forces will be disrupted, causing earthquakes, severe changes in the weather patterns, and social upheaval. This is a danger sign, that we are in the final days before the purification. (The Apollo moon landings. As a Wiccan and Pagan, I can only feel this theft from the Temple of the Goddess to be a terrible desecration, but infinitely worse is the massive bomb the USA exploded on the Moon!)The Hopi prophecies are clear and explicit signs that the end of the Fourth World Age is coming. They don't see this as a bad thing, even though they foresaw that they would lose their lands, their ways, and many of their people. They also foresaw that it was temporary, and the wheel of life would turn again to their ways.Although -- according to the Hopi prophecies -- the imminent Fifth World Age will be preceded by an intense cleansing (expressed in some forms as massive and frequent natural disasters), still there is a positive future ahead.What is even more important than these oracular signs, in my opinion, are the Hopi prophecies that explain how to survive this transition, minimise the harm, and create the best possible future. That is the subject of the first article on The Hopi Prophecies. The Hopi are not, by any means, the only aboriginal nation to have prophecied the dark times, and the end of them. Other nations around the world and throughout history have similar predictions.Continue to the article on Indian Vedic2012 Predictions to find out more.With Bright Blessings, Full Article Prophecies Signs WiccaSpiritualitycom
