#this project is attracting investors from all over the world.

[akashkumar123]

Office Space & Shops for Sale in M3M Commercial Sector 94 Noida

[thevioletscout]

An overly long analysis on who got turned into ink creatures and who’s just a copy

So like many people I have conflicting feelings about the reveal in Dark Revival that some people in the studio are just recreations of their real world counterparts and are not the actual people. I think it’s safe to say a lot of it reeks of retconning to avoid the implications of all these people going missing and being trapped in the cycle indefinitely. And a weird attempt to redeem Joey.

However, there is still a ton of evidence that some of the people we encounter in the studio are in fact the real deal. Mainly because of the damn books. So let’s go over who’s real and who’s not!

1. Twisted Alice

Thank god for clear fucking storytelling. Without a doubt, Twisted Alice is the real Susie Campbell. 

Don’t believe me? Let’s go over the evidence. Thankfully, it’s actually in the game itself, in one audiolog;

"I know how much this part means to ya, Susie. Alice means a lot to me too. Gosh, all of my characters do! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret. I too really believe my characters are more than just drawings. They're alive. They're part of us. And I want people to know them as well as I do. I want people to be able to shake their hands, spend an afternoon with 'em. Love them. Susie, I'll be straight with you. I'm putting together a small project... a little ceremony if you will. If it works, a lot of dreams will come true. And I want you to be a part of it. ...I want you to bring Alice to life once again. What do ya say?"

And if you still don’t believe me, let’s refer to another one of Joey Drew’s audio logs from the same chapter;

"Listen Tommy, I know you boys over at Gent are doing your best, but I'm paying for living attractions, not weird abominations! Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office, you better keep it locked up tight! I realize it was a first attempt but imagine if the press caught sight of it! Might scare off investors! And in response to your previous memo: If you claim that your failures are because these things are soulless, then, damn it, we'll get them a soul! After all, I own thousands of them!"

With both of these audio logs in mind, what else could Joey have been planning but to literally make Susie into Alice Angel? For the cherry on top, Alice also recalls many of Susie’s memories throughout Chapter 3 and even directly refers to herself as Susie.

I also want us to keep these audio logs in mind because these confirm that Joey had to have taken human souls from his employees, even if its not as many as we thought.

2. Tom and Allison Angel

Yes, I’m putting these two together. Their characters are pretty closely tied so if one’s real it’s likely the other is. And unfortunately, that is not the case.

Both Tom and Allison are copies.

This is actually something that can be deduced from the first game. In Joey’s house, we get a corkboard of basically three confirmed survivors. Wally Franks, Thomas Connor, and Allison Connor née Pendle. They all politely rejected Joey’s attempts to “reconnect.” This, sidenote, is also partially why I can’t be too mad at the reveal that some people in the studio aren’t the real deal. It was already set up as a real possibility.

On top of that, the memory of Joey in Dark Revival outright confirms that Allison Angel is just based off the real Allison, and not actually her.

So as disappointing as it may be, these two are fakes.

3. Buddy Boris

If you’re only familiar with the games, you might be surprised by this, but real. 

In the book, Dreams Come to Life, we are introduced to the character Daniel “Buddy” Lewik. Now spoilers for the book, but he becomes the perfect Boris. This is outright confirmed. We see it happen, and Buddy tells us outright this is the case. 

“Now I'm not really Buddy anymore. I am also Boris. Descending deeper into this world of ageing, yellowing madness.”

Case closed.

This book is also some of the most explicit confirmation that at least some of the studio employees entered the Cycle.

4. Sammy Lawrence

REAL. I will not hear anything else!

Alright, let’s revisit Dreams Come to Life, because aside from providing the origin story for our favorite Boris it also clearly illustrates the transformation of Sammy from stressed music director to unhinged prophet.

In the book, an ink pipe bursts and Sammy gets covered in the gunk. Buddy helps him clean up, however some had already gotten into Sammy’s mouth, and he got addicted to it. From there, Sammy’s behavior gets increasingly strange, and he begins drinking the ink whenever he can. Most tellingly, he begins to worship the Ink Demon. He then disappears, in actuality hiding.

Skipping ahead a bit, Buddy is captured alongside another character named Richie. Enter Sammy, now completely transformed into his Lost One-esque appearance. A visual confirmation that Sammy Lawrence became the prophet.

After this point, things get a bit blurry. Sammy is knocked out when Dot comes to rescue Buddy. However, he is not confirmed as dead- at least for good, and in all likelihood survived and entered the Cycle.

5. The Projectionist

Like Sammy and Buddy, Norman’s fate is mostly confirmed via Dreams Come to Life. Thankfully for my time and sanity, his confirmation is a bit simpler.

Norman’s fate is quite abrupt. By the time Buddy and Dot last see him, he’s already dead. Admittedly, my understanding gets fuzzy from here. Joey confirms that his soul was meant to be used, but that he was infected by the ink so there’s very little soul left to use.

I’m not entirely sure what that’s trying to tell us, but I think it is trying to say that Norman did become the Projectionist. Mainly because Joey says there’s little soul left, not that the soul is unusable. It would also leave a pretty loose thread for the Projectionist’s existence if he is not Norman.

On top of this, the achievement you get if you kill the Projectionist in chapter 3 is “Norman’s Fate.” A pretty strong indicator that the Projectionist is actually Norman.

6. Jack Fain

Jack’s status is actually a little hard to determine. There’s nothing that outright confirms he entered the Cycle and nothing that outright confirms he didn’t.

Personally, I think it would not only be a little random for Joey to make a fake Jack Fain, but a fake Jack Fain that’s a searcher of all things. As such, I’m going to conclude that this is the real Jack Fain, for now.

7. Bertrum Piedmont

Again, there’s little confirming either way, but there is a little more detail to suggest that this is the real Bertrum, so I think I’m also going to go with “real Bertrum until proven otherwise.”

8. Henry Stein

This one hurts, but... Fake. I believe at one point in development, this was the real Henry, but unfortunately Dark Revival pretty explicitly confirms that this Henry is just a copy, and there isn’t enough evidence to pull from the first game that proves that’s a lie beyond nitpicking about throwaway lines.

9. Honorable Mentions

We also have two other characters with undetermined fates. Grant Cohen and Lacie Benton. We know they are dead, but have yet to come across a confirmed encounter with them in the studio. There are also numerous characters in the Dark Revival with little confirmation either way.

Conclusion

So to wrap up.

Real: Twisted Alice, Buddy Boris, Sammy Lawrence, and The Projectionist Fake: Allison Angel, Tom, and Henry Technically Unknown but Presumed Real: Bertrum Piedmont and Jack Fain

In conclusion, these games give me a headache. Bye.

[gatheringbones]

[“In 1916, the City of Seattle embarked on a massive engineering project to link the city’s freshwater lakes with Puget Sound and create an industrial waterway for commercial traffic. The project lowered the water level of Lake Washington by several feet, which destroyed sluʔwiɬ, among other Indigenous sites, and further displaced the Duwamish from their homelands and waters.

The University of Washington took over the newly available slice of property and leased it to the city for use as a landfill beginning in the mid- 1920s. Nicknamed the Montlake Fill, the site frequently caught fire, spewed toxic fumes and dust, and attracted swarms of rats and flies. Around this time, two Japanese families arrived in the area and opened up produce farms just a short walking distance away from the Montlake Fill, on the precise location of what would become the University Village mall. Widespread anti-Japanese hostility, discriminatory laws, and prohibitions on property ownership had driven many Japanese from the farming business. But these families occupied what the city and real estate industry then considered worthless land, so they encountered little resistance as they built homes, raised children, and worked every day of the year to provide fresh vegetables to local markets around Seattle. Their hard-earned livelihoods quickly unraveled in the aftermath of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into World War II. As renters, the families had little protection or recourse when President Roosevelt ordered that all persons of Japanese ancestry be removed and confined to inland concentration camps in 1942. What they couldn’t sell or store in the frantic days before their removal, the landlords confiscated for themselves.

After the war, investors began to eye this newly desirable land as an ideal location for a shopping mall. During the postwar period, the northern areas of Seattle had transformed from rural farmlands into a sprawling residential district for white families. The U Village company owners envisioned the mall as an explicitly suburban retail space and a gateway to the segregated, exclusionary neighborhoods of North Seattle. The mall’s construction went hand in hand with postwar white suburban development, raising property values and offering an insulated retail environment to match the area’s insulated racial environment. The longer history of the U Village mall thus reveals its creation not as an open, accessible retail space for down-on-their-luck Seattle families, but as an engine of segregation and white wealth accumulation built upon colonized lands and racialized displacement.”]

megan asaka, from seattle from the margins: exclusion, erasure, and the making of a pacific coast city, 2022

[theme-park-concepts]

I know this blog has been pretty quiet lately, and reflecting on it there’s a lot of reasons for it.

One is that this whole account started as a place to chart my journey from being obsessed fan to actually doing theme park design as a career…a journey that has for the most part run it’s course for now and has led to interesting unexpected places, and - mostly a good thing - quite a bit too busy to consistently post things.

But also during that journey, partially as a consequence of it, and even more so a consequence of how the industry has changed since I fell in love with it, and maybe just a bit of how things change over time…I find myself a bit less interested with theme parks, certainly as compared to my relationship with them most of my life.

I’m not uninterested, I still follow all the news, still actively planning to visit new ones, still think it would be fun to participate in designing one…but I just feel less invested. I think partially this is because I’ve had the platform to be able to say a lot of the things I’ve wanted to say, and now having said them, I simply have less on my mind. And maybe realized how few people in the field wanted to hear them.

Having had the chance to go to school for themed design, meet and get to know many of the people involved in it…it’s satisfied my curiosity and questions in many cases, and frankly been a bit dispiriting and disillusioning in others. Meeting your heroes is a very mixed bag.

I think ultimately though one of the reasons I find myself less interested in them, is they keep getting less interesting. It’s not just that I’m not thinking about them as much as I once did, I’m not going to them either, or even wanting to go. I’m finding myself much more interested in theatre, independent immersive events, traveling, exploring local hideaways etc.

The world of themed entertainment, at least in theme parks, has just been getting less and less interesting overall. There’s some really great stuff every now and then, but so many new attractions, parks, coasters seem interchangeable, formulaic, paint by numbers, more product-like than anything anyone actually cared about or had an opinion on. And I don’t say this to diminish the work the creatives, engineers, project managers, etc are doing…the work they do continues to be stellar…just in service of or stifled by strategies, philosophies, visions that I largely don’t find inspiring. Tbh a lot of the industry very much operates that way….you get a recycled master plan, and you get a recycled masterplan, you’re all getting the same masterplan!

And the stuff that genuinely is interesting and different ends up being placed behind enormous paywalls or placed in countries that aren’t safe for me to visit largely for the glorification of a couple investors…and that’s not particularly interesting either. Meanwhile touring musical theatre shows these days you can get great tickets for like $40. And most of those shows, despite being big business enterprises, still manage to say something worth saying.

There’s a whole ass brand new theme park being built by the 2nd biggest player in the industry and I can’t be bothered to do much other than glance at construction photos…and despite knowing many people who’ve been a part of it, I can’t say any of them seem particularly excited either. Though I can’t decide if it’s the fact the park is uninteresting, or that it’s just hard to care about when the governor of the state is banning ap psychology because kids might learn about gay people.

Suffice to say, this blog isn’t going away, I’ll be on tumblr until it literally stops functioning, but I just have less to say these days.

[possumcollege]

No artist needs to "go to bat" for AI.

It's got all the support it needs from corporations and governments who've invested millions in a technology they believe will all but eliminate their need to waste money on human workers.

For some, that sounds like there could be a stable future in it, or new opportunities could be right around the corner. If Capitalism has taught us anything it should be that the person operating the machine that put 30 people out of work isn't paid well for long.

In my heart of hearts, all I see is another angle in this new golden age of scams.

The notion of AI was made for the benefit of artists and workers is an egg that developers lay in the brains of people who struggle to engage with creative work or people looking to capitalize as early adopters. They may dangle attractive rates or hype up the experience and cred you'll get from being a part of AI-centric projects but they will do to AI artists what they've done to everyone else and I assure you the laws we have now will allow them to fuck you over harder and faster than those who came before. Studio executives are fighting tooth and nail for the right to abuse writers, artists, crew, technicians, and actors that have made them billions of dollars in extremely profitable properties. Do we sincerely believe they'll dole out fat checks to someone they see sitting at a keyboard, asking the machine to make pictures? Do we really believe we'll own anything we prompted the machine to make for them? That would be uncharacteristically generous of them to put it kindly.

The AI systems they've built or claim to be building have tricked people into thinking it's an exciting new creative medium. The profit for AI is in that excitement, not the products AI generates. People are excited to play with it and businesses are excited to exploit it. Its successes so far have been driven by novelty, naivety, and greed. The very concept is a model of predation, exploiting the good faith of artists, writers, and creators online to feed their mimic of human labor.

It's in a business' interest to legitimize their use of AI so they invest in stoking the hype and bolstering its defense to cover up for the fact that it's meant to cut costs on human staff. Investors and developers take to forums and social media to prime their user base with talking points and paint the people threatened by the proliferation of AI as jealous, elitist, snobs. Everyone inside the wire is looking for a slice of the profits and everyone outside gets a steady diet of astroturf. Early adopters and aspiring influencers get to feel like they're catching a big wave with minimal personal investment. Those users get a few easy treats right away because the output really can be impressive and the controversy bakes-in opportunities for engagement, heightened visibility, and monetization. You can potentially make money by arguing with strangers online over the pictures you asked a program to make, but that potential has a pretty short lifespan as the field becomes saturated with people who are acceptably good at using the software.

The people who will reap the lion's share of AI's profits need users to believe they're on the side of the geniuses who are looking to the future and breaking down walls that the Art World built to keep regular people from eating its lunch. They do this because gaining users isn't enough, they need allies who become personally, emotionally, financially invested enough to carry their shields when the people whose livelihoods are threatened by AI demand protection.

THIS is the scam of AI. The people who are actually getting extremely rich off AI aren't prompt writers, users, artists, writers, creative professionals. They're idea men and parasitic startup ghouls who just need numbers and hype to show investors that their property, built entirely from the stolen reprocessed labor of hundreds of millions of uncredited, uncompensated people is hot enough to throw money at. They need people willing to work AI jobs so businesses feel confident enough adopt the technology. They need their competition to be seen as greedy, privileged, and outdated. The scam-crux of it all is that the people profiting the most from AI don't actually need it to be good or successful to get theirs. They relied on student researchers for labor, developed the technology on government grants and investor funding, trained the programs on resources they fucking stole, and when they were done, they were free to sell their product to all comers, collect licensing fees, and pretend that they aren't responsible for any of the highly predictable ways their product can be abused. How much of the operating cost is paying lobbyists to make sure the magic money lever isn't slapped out of their hands by regulation for a long as possible?

Even if their vibe-based cash train careens off the novelty cliff or slams into a wall of regulation (and fuck do I ever hope it does) these people have already feathered their nests. It doesn't matter if AI-generated copy makes people feel like they're going insane. It doesn't matter if AI art is off-putting and wonky, if the programs make products and services demonstrably less useful or effective, and make customer service a living nightmare. It doesn't matter if the programs starve when they can't consume protected data and poison themselves by consuming their own output. Some developers will be able to coast financially for the rest of their lives because they invented a way for the rich and powerful to spend their money on the smallest possible number of people.

It's an experiment that became a toy that can make a handful of people obscenely wealthy through exploitation, theft, and disenfranchisement. It's a system that says "Pay me now for this thing that might make you money later and if it doesn't you can address all complaints to the empty bag I left you holding."

Our security as creators, artists, writers, and workers is won by taking a bat to this kind of shit, not going to bat for it.

[infinity01-world]

Exploring Real Estate Opportunities in Varanasi with Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd.

Varanasi, the spiritual heart of India, is not just a city steeped in culture and tradition but is also emerging as a hotspot for real estate investments in Varansi. With its unique blend of ancient charm and modern growth, Varanasi offers a plethora of opportunities for property buyers. Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd., a leading name in the real estate sector, is at the forefront of this development, providing world-class residential and commercial spaces that cater to the evolving needs of the city's residents.

The Growing Real Estate Market in Varanasi

Varanasi, often referred to as Kashi, is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Over the years, it has transformed from a purely religious hub to a thriving urban center, attracting people from all walks of life. This transformation has led to a surge in demand for quality real estate, making it an attractive market for investors and homebuyers alike.

The city’s strategic location, rich cultural heritage, and expanding infrastructure are key factors driving its real estate market. Whether you are looking for a peaceful residential area or a bustling commercial space, Varanasi has something to offer everyone. The demand for real estate in Varanasi is further fueled by the city’s growing population, rising incomes, and increased interest from NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) who wish to own a piece of their heritage.

Why Choose Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd.?

Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. is synonymous with trust, quality, and innovation in the real estate sector. With a deep understanding of the Varanasi market and a commitment to delivering excellence, Infinity World Infratech has established itself as a leader in creating modern living and working spaces that blend seamlessly with the city’s cultural ethos.

Here’s why Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. stands out:

Strategic Locations: Infinity World Infratech carefully selects locations that offer convenience, connectivity, and a serene environment. Their projects are strategically situated in prime areas of Varanasi, ensuring easy access to essential amenities like schools, hospitals, shopping centers, and transportation hubs.

Innovative Designs: The company prides itself on its innovative architectural designs that maximize space, light, and ventilation. Their residential and commercial projects are a perfect blend of functionality and aesthetics, offering residents a comfortable and luxurious living experience.

Sustainable Development: Infinity World Infratech is committed to sustainable development practices. Their projects are designed to be environmentally friendly, with features like rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient systems, and green spaces that promote a healthy lifestyle.

High-Quality Construction: Quality is at the core of everything Infinity World Infratech does. From the selection of materials to the execution of construction, every aspect is meticulously planned and monitored to ensure the highest standards of quality and durability.

Customer-Centric Approach: Infinity World Infratech places great emphasis on customer satisfaction. Their transparent dealings, timely delivery of projects, and after-sales services have earned them a loyal customer base in Varanasi.

Residential Properties by Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd.

Varanasi is witnessing a shift in housing preferences, with more people opting for modern apartments and gated communities that offer a range of amenities. Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. is at the forefront of this trend, offering residential projects that cater to the needs of the city’s diverse population.

Their residential properties are designed to provide a perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and luxury. Whether you are looking for a spacious 3 BHK apartment or a cozy 2 BHK flat, Infinity World Infratech has something to suit every budget and requirement. Their projects come equipped with amenities like 24/7 security, landscaped gardens, gymnasiums, swimming pools, and community halls, ensuring a holistic living experience for residents.

Commercial Properties by Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd.

Varanasi’s commercial real estate market is also booming, with increasing demand for office spaces, retail outlets, and business centers. Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. offers state-of-the-art commercial properties that are ideal for businesses looking to establish a presence in this vibrant city.

Their commercial projects are strategically located in key business districts, offering excellent visibility and accessibility. These properties are designed to meet the needs of modern businesses, with features like ample parking space, high-speed internet connectivity, power backup, and advanced security systems.

Investing in Varanasi Real Estate: A Wise Decision

Investing in real estate in Varanasi is not just about buying property; it’s about securing a piece of history while benefiting from the city’s growth potential. The real estate market in Varanasi is poised for steady growth, driven by factors such as the city’s increasing urbanization, government initiatives to boost infrastructure, and the rising demand for modern living spaces.

Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. offers a range of investment options that promise good returns in the long term. Whether you are looking to buy your first home, expand your property portfolio, or invest in commercial real estate, Infinity World Infratech provides opportunities that are both lucrative and secure.

The Future of Real Estate in Varanasi

The future of real estate in Varanasi looks promising, with ongoing infrastructure projects like the Varanasi Smart City initiative and the expansion of road and rail networks enhancing the city’s connectivity and livability. These developments are expected to further boost the demand for residential and commercial properties, making Varanasi an attractive destination for real estate investments.

Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities, with a portfolio of projects that cater to the evolving needs of the market. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction ensures that they will continue to be a preferred choice for property buyers in Varanasi.

Conclusion

Infinity World Infratech (P) Ltd. is more than just a real estate company; it’s a trusted partner in your journey to finding the perfect property in Varanasi. With their extensive experience, attention to detail, and customer-centric approach, they offer unparalleled real estate solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and excellence.

[architectuul]

Magnetic Attraction

Wandering around Paseo del Prado in Madrid, on an area named as the Golden Triangle of Art with the vertices settled at the Prado Thyssen-Bornemisza Reina Sofía museums – furthermore can be found a singular smaller museum The Caixa Forum (in a literal translation a bank safe-box), designed by Herzog & de Meuron symbolically inaugurating the new millennium with grandiloquent aspirations at the Spanish capital. 

Belonging to a banking company, also converted into an arts patronage foundation, that novel and emblematic museum’s building assumes the character of a bank safe-box in which those cultural investments are deposited, preserved as tax-exempt financial assets, and also being exposed to the public. Since the Renaissance and baroque the subjective high value of art-works began to be used for those purposes, also being increased and magnified by a competitive furore between capital cities as “attractive poles” for “finantial investors”.

Those attractive aspirations seem to be implicitly figured in the character of the building, both conceptually and materially, a magnet as its authors characterised it: “The CaixaForum is conceived as an urban magnet attracting not only art-lovers but all people of Madrid and from outside. The attraction will not only be CaixaForum’s cultural program, but also the building itself, insofar that its heavy mass, is detached from the ground in apparent defiance of the laws of gravity and, in a real sense, draws the visitors inside.”

Being sealed to the outside-world in all exhibition floors, also justified for avoiding natural lighting due to conservation requests of some art-works, the building merely opens fiscally and visually to the city respectively below and up: by the street level, where all that constructive mass rises up as if levitating, for sitting a discrete entry below; and on the rooftop, in the restaurant and cafeteria, opening to the panoramic views over the city.

The intended magnetic character of the building, starting at the street level and driving the visitors to the inside of that massive corps(e) –lodged and filling an ancient industrial building, like an embalmed corpse, of which only his bricks skin remains– by walking through a short but in-tense promenade, that leads to a cavernous public entrance and the following ascendance by those cinematic staircases as if levitating to the reception hall on the upper floor, are the subject and the focus of this short writing quest and of this photographic record. 

Cinematic motion in space (and in spatial) representation

A century before, Marcel Duchamp presented one of his most emblematic paintings "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 1" (1911) and the version “No.2” (1912).

Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 1" (1911) © Philadelphia Museum of Art

At that time Duchamp’s work was ridiculed for not fitting either into futurism or at cubism movements. Against a dark background the figure is represented by multiple triangles with hinges, trailed through a sequence of overlaid images like frozen in time (photograms / frames) transmitting the impression of the descending movement of a body, traversing a given space –a fragmentary representation of a staircase. 

Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2), 1912 © Philadelphia Museum of Art

On one hand appears to be a cubist representation with multi overlayed viewpoints, at the represented background space of action. On the other hand it re-presents a trailed figure with a vibrant combination of reflected lights and projected shadows emphasizes a futurist motion action. Despite those allusions, the alluded motion is not linear as in the futurism speedy representations but rather circular, as an elliptical motion on space over time –as well can be seen on the vertical accesses of the museum – more in accordance with an oriental conception of space-time that just was admitted in Western culture after Einstein’s theory of relativity (first proposed in 1905) with the refutation of an absolute linearity of space and time.

Eadweard Muybridge's Animal Locomotion: Plate 92 (Nude Woman Ascending Staircase), 1887 © Huxley-Parlour

Those Duchamp art-works seems also to be implicitly in line with the primordial photographic studies on locomotion behind the beginnings of cinema, still so far as in 19th Century, mainly with Eadweard Muybridge’s female nude motion study (Woman walking downstairs, 1887) or the Horse Racing (1887) considered the first movie ever, based on the zoetrope and praxinoscope animations, or as well with the wonderful works of Étienne-Jules Marey on cinematic movement of different animals including man. 

The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge show a sequential series of six to twelve "automatic electro-photographs" depicting the movement of a horse (1878).

Nearby Caixa Forum, crossing the great avenue just 500m away at Museo Nacional del Prado, can be found a major painting of Diego Velazquez, “Filipe IV, by horse” (1635), in which the horse's legs are represented with a sequence of faded frames alluding to motion in space-time, on that two-dimensional representation. Leonardo da Vinci on a commissioned project for an equestrian monument (1482) also produced a series of study sketches (1488-90) with a cinematic like representation of a horse, trough overlapping layers.

At Caixa Forum’s staircases not a simple person multiplies in mirror reflections while ascending or descending, as in the magnific Loos Haus staircases in Vienna (also completed in 1912 like the described Duchamp’s painting), but rather the stairs and surrounding walls de-composing materially in space (with multiple folds and angles) as well perceptually in the promenade’s time with a changing game between tangible matter (steps, and steel walls bent into triangles) and the given illusion by reflection of lights, shadows, and color nuances, while as/descending that staircase.

[nickgerlich]

Prairie Edifice

I always laugh when press conferences are held amid much fanfare, announcing business plans beyond comparison. Superlatives are the rule of the day as the speakers gush the salient attributes of their plan, which, invariably, is missing one key ingredient: Money.

Details, details. I suspect in the majority of cases, these media feeding frenzies are designed simply to test the waters, and see if they can attract the investors they so desperately need to make their dream come true.

I have a big problem with anyone announcing things half-baked, though. It’s too easy to send out press releases and host media events, without having even a fraction of the money in place to actually make it happen. But man, sometimes those announcements can get a lot of traction. Publicity is great when you can get it, even if it’s bad.

Like with the recently proposed skyscraper in Oklahoma City that would tower 1907 feet above the state’s capital, a full 134 stories. Why 1907 feet? Pure symbolism in measured dose: That’s the year that Oklahoma was admitted to statehood. It would be the tallest building in the US, and the fifth-tallest in the world.

Now I am not opposed to progress and all that, and am not against building new structures that stretch the imagination. But Oklahoma City? Good grief, we might be able to see this from Amarillo on a clear day. That’s a hell of a lot of building. Looking out of place just a bit, ya know?

The plan calls for a hotel, retail, offices, and residences, and with 134 stories, there would be plenty of room for all of that. Heck, the 50-story Devon Tower, currently the tallest building in Oklahoma, didn’t exactly fill up over night.

The sad part is, I doubt this will ever happen. I have grown to be skeptical of every big announcement like this. I have seen it happen too many times. In recent years, a developer from Houston announced big plans to renovate the 1926 Herring Hotel in Amarillo, something that is long overdue on this beautiful building. It would take at least $50 million to do so, though.

And then COVID hit, and the plans quietly went into the ether. The website for the project is dead, and I have my doubts I will ever see this gem restored in my lifetime.

As for the current monstrosity, social media reactions have been less than encouraging. Ranging from the usual litany of “why don’t they fix the potholes” to “this is bullshit,” I don’t think a whole lot of folks are buying it. I like the idea in concept, but it’s a lot like the AI-generated multi-level RVs I see on the socials and other such wild imaginations. They are just figments of creative minds and software.

Sure, there are four other buildings in the world taller than this one, and they actually exist. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why, other than “because we can.” They become badges of wealth, ostentatiousness writ large.

Then there are the folks who lob the very predictable F-5 tornado into the discussion. It is no secret that central Oklahoma is in the crosshairs of Mother Nature, smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley. But no, a building like this would not fall into a twisted wreckage. It would just result in a massive pile of broken glass, just like I saw a few years ago in downtown OKC when the Devon Tower had a similar calamity strike it.

I like OKC a lot. And since I came here for a quick getaway, I saw fit to write a blog about it. OKC is not perfect by any stretch, and, just like all big cities, has experienced a homeless problem. I hate that. It turns my stomach when I see smoke coming from underpasses along I-40, where folks have set up encampments.

But it is a good place, a city with about 700,000 people, and a metro of 1.4 million. That’s no slouch, and I have found the 3.5-hour drive from Amarillo to be all too easy when I want to experience a little bigger city culture. There are some amazing restaurants here, not to mention shopping that we will never see in Amarillo. Heck, whenever I leave Amarillo for a bigger city, like OKC, I come prepared to hit Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. You know how it goes. What you can’t get is what you want, right?

But in terms of a skyscraper this tall, I have to wonder if the developer has other plans in mind, and is using this as mere subterfuge to get what he wants. It is pie-in-the-sky, and if I were a betting man, I would rather buy lottery tickets. This ain’t happening.

Dr “Tall And Taller” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[sylwanin-was-right]

Apparently this movie was subsidized millions of dollars by the New Zealand government and filmed in Hawai'i as well for filming some water/ocean scenes. This makes me wonder about filmmaking's own real life impact on Indigeous people, the environment, and the greater systems, like capitalist governments using taxpayer money to attract economic competition in global film "markets" on Indigenous land.

@pandoraheadcanons made a great post before about the negative impact of eco-tourism themed Pandora theme park at Disney, which reminded me about how much money it costs to make a movie, and how privileged and powerful you have to be to be able to get entire governments to not only sanction your financially risky, venture project, but be a major "actor" of incentivizing institutions to contribute to collosal industries known to be exploitive.

AWOW may be a huge "risk" for Cameron, Disney, and all other investors and shareholders because of the financial precedent the movie created, and the enorumous time gap the franchise is continuing from (which Cameron shrugs off in confidence), but how much risk is put on locals/Indigenous people and the environment, and how much have the needs of capital been prioritized over the long term social and material impact of the movie's production? Many questions could and should be asked by fans:

Were the wishes of Hawai'an and Māori people respected?

Will profits from the movie go toward Indigenous communities and activists?

Did actors travel short flights in private jets? Was production zero waste?

How will profits be allocated by the rich to invest in conservation initiatives?

Etc

Cameron makes note how the film is mainly about people, family, conservation, and conflict but I havent seen him explicitly say itll be about colonialism, imperialism, or capitalism (if he has let me know!). These are major forces behind climate crisis, war, displacement and genocide of Indigenous people, and loss of biodiversity. I know that at this point AWOW has priemered elsewhere but I worry that its message about conservation and war will be too ambiguous or leave out criticism of the current economic sysyem. There was attempt in the first movie with a dystopian Earth society and the greedy coroporate, colonial RDA, but it went into troubling territory with ecofascist myths of "overpopulation", demonization of technology, primitivism, and white saviorism.

All that to say, Im thinking about the film's impact on real world people and locations. With less than a week left until the US priemere, I'm anticipating the way the movie will handle its glaring themes of immigration, war, displacement, genocide, cultural syncrytism, racism, environmental destruction, imperialism, neoliberalism/capitalism, indigenity, spirituality, consumerism, and family structure.

[ailtrahq]

Welcome back to Chain Reaction. subscribe here Annyeong, or hello, friends! While I’m typically based in New York City, this week I’m reporting from Seoul, South Korea for Korea Blockchain Week. The week has been jam-packed with a number of conference events as well as offsite side events and networking happy hours. I’ve listened to a number of panels surrounding topics like web3 gaming, enterprise Blockchain adoption (I moderated one), institutional adoption, regulatory climate and investing in Asia. I also kept busy with a of interviews with local experts on the Market evolving out east as well as people who flew in to meet with startups based in the region. This means I’ll be putting out more articles on TechCrunch based on these conversations in the coming days and weeks…so keep an eye out for that. Meanwhile, there was some News that transpired in the web3 world, so let’s get into it. This week in web3 Crypto funding in August wasn’t as good as the numbers may lead you to believe (TC+) blockchain tech needs a ‘ChatGPT moment’ to scale enterprise adoption (TC+) MetaMask now allows crypto cash-out to PayPal and banks, but fees could be high Gleen’s tech-savvy chatbot for Discord and Slack attracts Solana founder in oversubscribed round The US can’t kill crypto: Real regulations are coming The latest pod For this week’s episode, Jacquelyn interviewed Charlie Shrem, founder of the bitcoin Foundation, general partner at Druid Ventures and host of the Charlie Shrem show. Before all that, he was the co-founder and CEO of BitInstant, which was a bitcoin payment processor that started in 2011. Shortly after founding the company, he was charged with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, and for allegedly attempting to launder over $1 million through the now defunct dark web marketplace Silk Road. He spent a little over a year in a low-Security prison as a result. Now, Charlie is a vocal advocate for clearer crypto regulation, he’s a crypto investor, podcaster and even a movie producer. We discussed how the bitcoin and crypto ecosystems have changed (and stayed the same) over the past decade as well as how his incarceration shaped his view on the industry. We also talked about: Need for regulatory clarity in the U.S. Crypto projects and sectors he’s following How the bitcoin ecosystem is growing Friend.tech Advice for listeners Subscribe to Chain Reaction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the latest episodes, and please leave us a review if you like what you hear! Follow the money Story Protocol raised over $54 million in round led by a16z crypto Domain name startup D3 Global raised $5 million in a seed round led by Shima Capital Cross-chain communication protocol Socket raised $5 million from Coinbase Ventures and Frameworks Kotani gets $2 million pre-seed to help African workers send money home via crypto GenTwo raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Point72 Ventures What else we’re writing Want to branch out from the world of web3? Here are some articles on TechCrunch that caught our attention this week. Our favorite startups from YC’s Summer 2023 Demo Day, Day 1 (TC+) Clubhouse is trying to make a comeback Tech companies are finding their profitability groove (TC+) Here’s why some investors are sitting out of YC Demo Day (TC+) EU confirms six (mostly US) tech giants are subject to Digital Markets Act

[thegreatbacon]

Could We Peer Produce Movies?

A thought experiment on modern modes of production

originally published 8-28-2023 on my blog

Introduction

In the world of the modern internet, there exists a concept called peer production. You’re probably already very familiar with works produced under this mode. Wikipedia primarily bases its content off of peer production. Likewise almost all free and open source software like the Linux servers that run 90% of the internet, are also made using peer production models.

Last year though, something very interesting happened. A meme went viral on Tumblr about a fake Martin Scorse film called Goncharov. A collective running bit, the meme attracted songs, spec scripts, movie posters, costume designs, and so many other artifacts that would be assembled as part of a pre-production or a pitch process for a movie. All of which were created and distributed through a type of decentralized, uncoordinated peer production. It made me wonder what could have been produced if there had been some tool, structure, or platform to focus all that energy into an actual production.

Especially, in the light of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes, I think there’s an interesting moment for change in the way entertainment is produced in the USA. The workers that make movies & TV in the country are on strike right now because the middleman bureaucracy of studio production has squeezed too hard & has reached the point that it is trying to push all the humans who actually make art within the system, out of it.

To me, what peer production points towards is a new means of managing the production of goods and services that relies on self-organizing, decentralized community networks that can evolve organically out of the group members doing the actual creative work & the end customers who engage with it. This stands in contrast to the status quo where the control of labor is top-down & the work is centralized in as few laborers as possible in order to maximize the extraction of profit off of that labor.

Context

Crowdfunding as a concept and fundraising mechanism has been around for over a decade now (see my piece from 2012). It has never been easier to attract money to a project, but now instead of attracting ten investors at ten thousand dollars from your local friend, family, & golf network, you can attract ten thousand investors at ten dollars a pop from around the world. Which is to say, you can get your audience or customers to pay for the production up front and cut out investors.

This new ease of raising funds undermines one of the value propositions old studios provided. The other of course being the purchase, maintenance, and provision of capital intensive studio space & filmmaking equipment. However, we are also in a moment where the actual capital costs of tools & input commodities have been driven to near zero. A combination of cheap computers, smartphone proliferation, and a large number of free post-production tool sets now means that the core cost of movie & tv production is the actual creative labor.

And now we’re at a point where the big entertainment studios think they can cut writers and actors and all the other creative labor out of the production cycle! But you don't get the good shit without creative humans. You don’t get novelty without humans. You don’t get art without humans!

Ultimately this stuff is for and by humans, so to try and squeeze them out of the process with AI is just another short-term cost-cutting measure to profit this quarter in exchange for a long-term loss. It's ripping the copper out of the walls, it’s squeezing all the juice out of the orange just to be left with the bitter pulp.

So in a moment where it’s never been easier to raise funds for a project, where it’s never been cheaper to produce art, and where the old institutions responsible for fundraising and providing the tools & space for the actual humans who make art are trying to squeeze the humans themselves out of the picture, what new institutions could we build to put some humanity back into our art?

Proposal

To start with, I would describe these new forms as a type of worker-customer hybrid cooperative. The workers need customers to value & fund the final work (i.e. what good is a show to an empty theater) and the customers want the workers to do the work in the first place (i.e. what good is money if you can’t exchange it for goods and services).

Control & ownership of the cooperative would be represented by two types of shares, one for customers & one for workers. The customer shares would be issued as part of crowdfunding rounds at the beginning of the project. Worker shares would be issued as part of the actual production workflow for things such as contributing concept art, recording voice lines, writing scripts, animating scenes, project management, etc. For legal purposes the cooperative would have copyrights to the work artifacts and final work, but would release stuff back into the public domain or leverage a creative-commons license to prevent work from being locked up for more than five years.

The shares themselves then have value for a few reasons. A share entitles you to vote on steering decisions, authorizing and approving submitted work, and ultimately a share of the profits. I would propose that the power/profit/approval ratio between shares skew towards worker shares. Something like an 80:20 split and ultimately never going lower than 51% for worker shares. The first person to initialize the project would be issued 1 worker share as the chief steward, based on the Little Red Hen Principle. Shares would be non-transferable.

From those initial points a few work pipelines would need to be tooled up. A core mechanism for proposing, planning, intaking, tracking, validating and approving work for the production would be needed.

A core loop of assigning worker share values to tasks, approving the issuance of the work order, & finalizing work artifacts & issuance on delivery would need to be developed. A mechanism for assigning & tracking responsibility for keeping different workflows moving forward and getting delivered could also be implemented. Lastly, a mechanism for creating milestones that when met (and maybe based on supporter approval), disburse actual funds to outstanding worker shares for meeting milestones from the funding pool gathered from supporter contributions could help keep productions moving.

Example

So now that we have a high level idea of what’s going on, let’s look at what an animated production of everyone’s favorite Shakespere play, Hamlet, might look like.

Pre-production on this should be pretty straightforward. The script is already written (and blessedly in the public domain). As it’s going to be animated, there is an opportunity for some parallelized production flows too.

Starting with the animation side of things, we’re probably going to want some concept art. Character design for each of the characters & set design for each of the scenes. The chief steward cuts 10 character design tickets & 10 scene design tickets on the workflow tool & assigns each a value of 1 worker share, assuming the average artist can conduct the work on each ticket in about an hour.

This work cut out, it’s time to break out voice acting work. 10 tickets are written calling for the first line reads of each of the characters. We assume it’s maybe 5 minutes of finished audio, but that it'll have taken the actor an hour to do a few reads & clean up the audio before shipping.

Some mechanism for gating tickets behind approval of other tickets could be implemented to mirror a tryout/portfolio approval process on the part of all cooperative members. That is to say, anyone can pull the “first” ticket, but whoever’s work gets the most approval from the customer/worker shareholders then gets access to the rest of the tickets in that work bucket.

Then you can imagine that as customers fund the project, they can begin to have some say in approving or disapproving things. Maybe the workers can’t decide on which actor to pick for the part of Hamlet, so they leave the vote open to just customers to pick the actor.

Obviously this is not an airtight, ISO standard proposal, it’s more of a thought experiment about how to arrange and manage this kind of work but hopefully it paints a decent enough sketch.

Considerations

Perhaps more complicated endeavors or more complicated productions utilizing this system might not work. But in the current crowdfunding environment, there's clearly been some gaps and failures and the system isn't fully there anyway. Think of Star Citizen as a great example of this. It's relatively easy to get the money, but systems of accountability and checking in seem harder to come by.

I guess there’s also the caveat that there might be a lot of crap work being produced. The free stuff might be overwhelming. But, if you put together a production crew, or production community and make a name for yourself that way, or you make a name for yourself as an independent animator or a voice actor, supporters can trust the production & workers can trust the work.

Conclusion

I'm of the opinion that we are on the cusp of software development and platform development being democratized and in that process these big lumbering bureaucracies that sit in the middle and fundamentally introduce inefficiencies into the system in an effort to arbitrage profit will be cleared away in favor of processes & systems similar to the one I have described above.

I think we can replace these middleman institutions with software systems that distribute the decision-making apparatus with collective voting systems and new tools & processes will have to be developed to manage and facilitate this distributed democracy.

This is food for thought in this moment, where people are being threatened with the notion that automation will take creative, novel, generative work away from humans. But what if the real truth is that automation is more likely to remove the boring, useless middlemen that have given us a decade plus of boring, repetitive Marvel movies (among other things). I like to think we’ll get there sooner rather than later and I’m trying to do my part to help move things along. I hope, when you see an opportunity to jump aboard, you will too.

[investspacesnoida]

Yamuna Expressway Authority Plots For Sale In Sector 18 & 20 Noida

Yamuna Expressway Authority (YEA) is a government body responsible for developing and maintaining the Yamuna Expressway, a 165-kilometer-long six-lane expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India. YEA has also been authorized to develop residential, commercial, and industrial plots on yamuna expressway.

Yeida plots are one of the most sought-after real estate investments in the region due to their prime location, excellent connectivity, and numerous amenities. The plots are available in various sizes and configurations, ranging from 300 square meters to 4,000 square meters, suitable for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes.

The Yamuna Expressway has witnessed significant development over the past few years, with a growing number of infrastructure projects and amenities coming up in the area, such as the upcoming Jewar International Airport, metro connectivity, and a proposed film city. This has led to a surge in demand for Yeida plots, making them an attractive investment option for individuals and businesses.

Benefits of Investing in Yamuna Expressway Authority Plots

Yamuna Expressway Authority (YEA) is a government entity that has developed a world-class infrastructure along the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. The YEA offers an excellent opportunity for investors to buy plots and enjoy the benefits of a well-planned and developed region.

One of the primary benefits of investing in Yeida plots is the strategic location. The Yamuna Expressway is one of the most important highways in India, connecting major cities such as Delhi, Noida, Agra, and Mathura. This makes it an attractive location for investors looking for properties that are easily accessible and have excellent connectivity.

Another benefit of investing in YEA plots is the infrastructure that is in place. The region has excellent road connectivity, well-planned drainage systems, water supply, and power supply. The YEA has also developed a number of facilities such as shopping centers, hospitals, schools, and parks, making it an ideal location for families as well.

Types of Plots Available in Yamuna Expressway Authority

YEA offers a wide range of plots for sale, catering to the needs of various investors. The plots available include residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial plots. The residential plots range from 120 to 2,500 square meters, while commercial plots are available in sizes ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 square meters. Institutional plots are available in sizes ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 square meters, while industrial plots are available in sizes ranging from 4,000 to 40,000 square meters.

How to Purchase a Plot in Yamuna Expressway Authority?

The process of purchasing a plot in YEA is relatively straightforward. Investors need to fill out an application form and provide relevant documents such as proof of identity, address, and income. The YEA will then verify the documents and allocate a plot based on availability and the investor's preferences.

Key Features and Amenities Provided in Yamuna Expressway Authority Plots

YEA has developed a number of amenities and features to make the region an attractive investment option. The region has excellent road connectivity, power supply, water supply, and drainage systems. The YEA has also developed a number of shopping centers, hospitals, schools, and parks. The region also boasts excellent security, making it a safe and secure place to live and invest in.

Legal Aspects to Consider Before Buying a Plot in Yamuna Expressway Authority

Investors must consider a number of legal aspects before investing in yamuna expressway authority plots. Investors must verify the authenticity of the property and ensure that all necessary clearances and approvals are in place. Investors must also ensure that all documents, such as title deeds, are in order and that there are no legal disputes associated with the property.

Price Range and Comparison with Similar Projects

The price range of plots in Yamuna Authority plots varies depending on the location and size of the plot. The prices are competitive when compared to similar projects in the region. Investors can expect to pay between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per square meter, depending on the type of plot and location.

Future Scope of Investment in Yamuna Expressway Authority Plots

The Yamuna Expressway Authority has developed a world-class infrastructure and has a number of projects in the pipeline. The region is expected to see significant growth in the coming years, making it an excellent investment option for investors. The region is expected to attract a number of multinational companies, which will lead to employment opportunities and growth in the region.

Challenges Faced by Investors in Yamuna Expressway Authority Plots and Their Solutions

One of the major challenges faced by investors in YEA plots is the availability of financing options. Most banks and financial institutions.

[doingthedirtydishes]

Moving to Europe during Covid-19; Becoming poor and homeless in New York City.

After the success of my first book, Unbreakable Mind, endless projects were offered to me but none were a good match. There were many extremely attractive proposals. One was a second book, traveling to ten cities in the world, writing from an injured person’s perspective; an additional for NYT, to travel to 52 countries in 52 weeks, in a wheelchair; and, yet another, to create a travel TV show – but not any were the right fit, not one idea resonated with my soul.

Which avenue to further explore remained unclear until one fateful conversation in early May. I was on the phone with a friend from Amsterdam, a Norwegian-Dominican up-and-coming rap star, David AKA Big Mill, and he had an idea to share. “David,” I asked, “let me guess, another TV show idea.” He replied, “Yes, but this one is distinct.” Well, it was unlike all prior options – different to the point where I loved it. It made sense; it clicked with me – it felt right inside.

The other missing pieces to the puzzle would fall into place shortly thereafter. The morning of the 14th of May, my birthday, for some reason I was nudged to write an old classmate and friend, Adam, now living with his wife and four-year-old in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was recently laid off as an AV Director, a high position in the non-profit world of museums, now in search of a project to develop. I shared my idea for a new travel TV show with him and the rest is history.

After a seven hour conversation, going over every detail possible for how the project could ostensibly work, determining key people and positions needed to make a production company and TV show successful, and agreeing on a pilot location abroad (Amsterdam), we were off to the races. Since Covid-19 has affected so many business-people and investors globally, we were unable to raise the necessary funds. All agreed, signing on to the project on a shoestring budget.

One week later, with all airplane tickets and hotels reserved, my wheelchair supercharged by Gary Gilberti and his amazing team at Numotion Mobility, we were set to start filming pilot footage in Amsterdam in July and August. As I already live part-time in Amsterdam, I was planning on moving to Europe for two to five years. With everything [assuredly] in place, and not being a fan of storing items that others less fortunate could better utilize, especially during a global pandemic, I decided to give away my home, car, all my belongings to those in dire need.

What type spiritual person or leader would I be if I did not practice what I preached, helping others in life anytime one is able, truly living out the words I guide and ask of others to live, if I cannot do so myself? There was no need for me to store away furniture, clothing and other household items while others in my immediate presence were suffering from the current health and economic catastrophe. For two weeks friends and strangers came and took what they wanted.

Everything was going fine, just as planned. My home was donated, flights ready, bags packed and ride to airport sorted. Before flying out to Europe I planned to spend four days in NYC with an old friend, Georgie-boy, who lives across the Hudson River in Jersey City. George is an old and dear classmate from my irascible undergraduate days at Rutgers College; also the General Counsel for our production company. He has a thriving law practice in nearby Newark, NJ.

It was great to be back in NYC, my old stomping grounds in the late 1990s. There is nothing like “The City” – one of a kind, no other place like it on the planet.  We spent an afternoon sunning on the spacious waterfront in Hoboken, NJ, a nice day playing Frisbee in Central Park West, eating amazing Mamouns Falafel and Prince St. Pizza in Greenwich Village. Though it was expected to see murals and damage from prior fortnight’s rioting, it was eerily strange in person.

It was Sunday, a day of respite before flying to Europe on Monday. George and I spent the day having a relaxing lunch at Iberia outdoor café in the Little Portugal section of Newark, NJ. The next morning we were up bright and early, soon off to the airport. When we arrived at Newark International Airport it was nearly empty. There was not but one person at the check-in counter – moi. The Delta terminal was empty. It was June 15th and Covid-19 was in full effect. Wow!

Having never seen such a normally super busy airport terminal this empty in my life, it did not give me pause. George, on the other hand, had a different feeling, and decided to stay with me until I was ticketed to board. After finding a way to get my heavy bags checked in with no fees I thought we were on plan. Then a hiccup: “Sorry Mr. Quigley, you are unable to board the flight to Amsterdam. Dutch Immigration in Holland is denying you entry without proper permission.”

Well, that was a first, and not only a huge surprise but a major setback to a monumental project.  Oh shit! What do I do now? Thank goodness Georgie stayed with me; and thank goodness he was able to put me up at his place until this mess was all sussed out. It was an absolutely horrid situation; and to add salt to the wound, I was right smack in the middle of a Covid-19 USA EU political Visa predicament; whereas the EU would review country entry list every two weeks.

George was gracious enough to see me through the immediate emergency until it began looking like my delay would be a bit longer than originally anticipated. The EU placed a travel ban on Americans’ travel to Europe. And it would not be reviewed again until July 1st.  My new ticket was issued for a direct flight from JFK, NY to Amsterdam, Holland, July 1st. This being the case, and since George had a life to live, I moved to a Hilton close by to JFK airport in Queens.

What started as a journey by giving away all my belongings in order to chase a dream project and move to Europe was swiftly turning into a situation that could easily result in me becoming poor and homeless in NYC. Hotels are not cheap in NYC – nothing is inexpensive in the Big Apple – you pay through the nose. The costs were quickly adding up and what small financial safety net I had set aside was speedily disappearing. I could not last long in a hotel in Queens.

The hotel itself was of no help to my stress and anxiety levels. They had me on the sixth floor, all the way down the hall, in the far corner, in a room that was a very tight fit for a wheelchair, and could only be reached after struggling down one hundred twenty feet of carpet. As if that was not enough, one week into my stay the GM, Tracy Kass, awoke me early in the morning to inform me I would reach my 14 day hotel stay limit after this registration renewal, and she was calling to inform me they could not extend it any further. I was astounded, appalled. Unbelievable!

Miss Kass, later when challenged, changed her story, informing me I did not let her finish, she had more to say on the call – that there was, in fact, no 14 day limit. Three days and three voicemails later, and no reply arrived from the normally overly pugilistic General Manager. Only once it was elevated to Hilton Honors corporate office level did she return my call. This was after numerous emails asking her to send me a copy of the policy. She refused. It does not exist.

Upon complaint to NY State AG, their attorney replied that I did not let her finish, that it was actually a 28 day limit. That is total utter bullshit! Firstly, then why call me only after seven days? Secondly, I met two people outside the hotel who received the same inhuman treatment. Thirdly, all her staff, including her Director of Operations, apologized profusely to me in person for her insensitive, cruel call. It should be noted that all other staff were caring and supportive.

Later that week, while in the bathroom, the grab-bar broke off from the wall while attempting a toilet transfer, sending me straight onto the hard tile ground, injuring my neck and back. Do you think the hotel or GM did anything to help address the issue, let alone make some changes to mitigate a more comfortable stay? No! The room was a disaster for a wheelchair user. My stay in Queens was quickly morphing into its own mini crisis. I was stuck in a cement jungle without any stores. I had only one friend to assist me – Sunita in Boston. Hilton corporate has yet to reply.

With every door opening but quickly closing, I was running out of viable options, rapidly. The immediate future looked grim.  Running out of money (and patience), with no home to move to, with no home to return to, life was proving overly difficult. It allowed my mind to get the better of my heart, lulling it into anxiety, sadness and no hope for the future. Life was grim; I was not a happy camper. After nine years of struggle, I figured this project would run smoothly. Silly me!

After time searching deep inside, meditation and prayer, chats with mentors, close inner-circle friends and spiritual advisors, I decided that I would face the universe’s tests head on. It was time to truly practice my words – taking my hands off the wheel of life, as the universe has it under control. It was another example of ‘Doing The Dirty Dishes’ of life – the Buddhist principle that if you want to get anything done in life you first must put in your effort, getting your hands dirty.

In May, when the project began coming together, one night while deep in meditation, an angel came to me and told me: “Steven, after 46 years of white-knuckling the wheel of life, you can now finally remove your hands [from the wheel], let go, give up control of life (as if you ever had any in the first place) – the hardest lesson for most to learn, aside from reaction and attitude, or living through love – I am now at the wheel, in full control. Wake up each morning and relax.  Forget about your past; do not worry for your future; live in the present moment – the now.”

It all sounded great until I awoke on June 15th, only to be denied entry to a plane that represented my life’s work and dreams. Or did it!? What was the universe trying to tell me through stranding me in NYC? What was the lesson? It did not come at first, but it did not take long to figure it out. The universe was sending me bigger struggles to overcome. Why? 1.To truly test if my hands were off the wheel of life, wholly trusting in the universe 100% ; and 2. At length, it still had to break and broke me before my dream could be realized. I am grateful to both my teachers, the universe.

Three days later a friend from Portland Maine came down to NYC to rescue me. As soon as I stepped into her car I felt an immense 800 lb gorilla freed from my back. Off to Maine.

To be continued….Click here to read part II.

Travel Blog: Click here.

Spiritual Blog: Click here.

Book: Unbreakable Mind. (Print, Kindle, Audio)

Doing The Dirty Dishes Podcast: Watch or listen to episodes and subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcast, Buzzsprout.  Also available on Google Podcast, iHeart, Tunein, Amazon Alexa and Stitcher.

Doing The Dirty Dishes YouTube channel – watch and subscribe.

Social Media links: Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.

Travel Blog links: Covid-19 stranded in NYC JFK and Maine – also travel stories on Ireland, Spain, Sweden,  Belgium, Iceland, Colombia (Espanol version), Amsterdam, Germany, New Hampshire, TN and NYC.

Personal Website link where you can also find my book, photos of my travels and updates on current projects.

Thank you for your love and support.

[impactfulpitch]

Pitch Deck Structure: Things You Must Include in a Pitch Deck

If you are an entrepreneur, you must be worried about your pitch. You might be worried about how to create a winning pitch deck that can help you take your investor on board. So why is this pitch deck so important? What values does it hold? A pitch deck provides businesses and entrepreneurs with a thorough yet brief overview of their business to attract investors. Having an understanding of the components of an effective pitch deck will help you get the funds you require. Even though each pitch deck outline is unique, the following features must be present:

Problem

Problem statements are a must. This defines issues your target market is facing and provides a better view to see the difficulties experienced by your business’ target segment. This slide will show how important your product or service is to the market. Make sure you are including all the necessary problem points while crafting your problem slide as investors will put themselves in the shoes of the audience to understand the need for the product. Here, listeners have the opportunity to put themselves in your audience's position. 

Solution

It is one of the crucial slides in the entire pitch deck. The solution slide outlines how the business is resolving the problems that your target market is experiencing. Telling a story is one of the best methods to present your idea. You can also discuss some of your customers' real-life experiences using your products to improve their lives. Make sure you are emphasizing the USP of your product since doing so will help you attract investment. Use infographics, pictures, or even a video of a real-world demonstration to visually describe your product or service.

Market Size

Market size is important since the majority of investors want to know that you have a large business. Defining market size in your pitch deck provides a clear view to your investor about your target segment. How many people are there that are likely to purchase the product? What are their financial limits? How many of the individuals did we consider to be potential targets? By providing answers to these questions, one may determine how much market opportunity a startup has. 

Business Model

Being an entrepreneur, you are aware of how crucial a business model is for every firm. It is one of the key elements in your pitch deck that potential investors must be looking for. It demonstrates your company's full revenue-generating strategy in detail. And if you can successfully demonstrate it, your chances of receiving funding from your investor increase. Zooming out, this slide gives an overview of your income sources and pricing strategy as well as all the specifics from A-Z regarding how your business is making money.

Competition

Comparing competitors in your pitch deck strategy will benefit you, especially if you highlight the advantage you possess over them. This lets investors understand how great your proposal is. Additionally, the sum raised will seem more acceptable to investors after you take into account the starting capital that your competitors had.

Marketing Plan

It is crucial to describe in detail how the product will be promoted and sold to its target market. Investors will utilize this data to take advantage of a company's knowledge of the market's size and how its marketing strategy varies from that of its competitors.

Traction

This slide demonstrates any month-over-month growth due to early sales and support, which supports the business strategy of the company. The objective is to minimize potential investors' risk aversion. The number of users, yearly revenue return rate, and profit margins, among other milestones, can be displayed in a straightforward bullet point list on this slide.

Financials

Prepare a summary of financial projections. Include a budget for expenses, cash flow, balance sheets, and other relevant information. If at all feasible, get the advice of an accountant before designing this slide. However, put the entire financial projection in a separate file just in case the investors wish to review it after the presentation.

Founding Team

It is important to pay attention to this slide in a pitch deck layout. Investors will always consider a startup's credibility. And highlighting the people behind the project is one way to do that. Include a member's significant achievements as well. A list of the main team members (and co-founders, if appropriate) together with a description of how each person's skills and prior experience may contribute to the creation of the company's competitive advantage.

Fundraising

The amount of money required to fund the project is a crucial piece of information that entrepreneurs sometimes forget to include in their pitch decks. Include that information and specify how the funds will be used to assist the business achieve its objectives. This explanation will win over investors' trust, which is crucial. Never ask for a specific amount when seeking funds since certain investor companies can have a cap on investments. Give a range so that your idea is adaptable to the restricted capital of some investors.

[plannerproperties]

Where Is Prestige City Located?

Location is one of the most significant factors when choosing a home, and Prestige City Sidharth Vihar, Ghaziabad, near NH-24, offers an unbeatable advantage. As an upcoming residential project by Prestige Group, this prime location provides excellent connectivity and access to essential conveniences, making it ideal for families, professionals, and investors. Let’s explore the strategic location of Prestige City NH-24 and the numerous benefits it offers to its residents.

1. Prime Location in Sidharth Vihar, Ghaziabad

Prestige City is located in Sidharth Vihar, one of the fastest-growing residential localities in Ghaziabad. Over the past few years, Sidharth Vihar has emerged as a sought-after destination for homebuyers due to its well-planned infrastructure, open spaces, and modern amenities. The area is also known for its peaceful and green surroundings, which provide a refreshing retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Being part of the larger Ghaziabad region, Sidharth Vihar enjoys the benefits of a rapidly developing infrastructure while maintaining a peaceful environment that families and professionals seek. The location is not only perfect for families but also highly attractive to investors due to the high potential for growth and appreciation.

2. Excellent Connectivity via NH-24

One of the standout features of Prestige City’s location is its proximity to NH-24 (now NH-9), a major highway that connects Ghaziabad to Delhi, Noida, and Greater Noida. NH-24 has been recently upgraded to a six-lane expressway, further enhancing its connectivity and making travel smoother and quicker.

For professionals working in Noida or Delhi, this proximity to NH-24 significantly reduces commute time. Whether you work in Noida’s IT hubs, Delhi’s corporate centers, or even Greater Noida’s industrial areas, living at Prestige City Indirapuram allows you to have a well-connected and convenient lifestyle. The smooth connectivity to key destinations makes it easy to strike the perfect work-life balance.

Moreover, NH-24’s connectivity isn’t just limited to professional hubs; it also provides easy access to various shopping malls, healthcare facilities, and entertainment zones, ensuring that all daily essentials are within easy reach.

3. Close Proximity to Noida and Delhi

The location of Prestige City NH-24 is not just limited to excellent highway connectivity but also benefits from its proximity to two major cities—Noida and Delhi. For residents, this means having easy access to Noida’s bustling commercial and IT sectors, as well as the cultural, shopping, and dining experiences that Delhi offers.

For those working in Noida’s business districts like Sector 62, Sector 63, or Greater Noida, the drive from Prestige City will be stress-free and short, thanks to the well-developed road network. Similarly, those who frequent Delhi for work, education, or leisure will find the commute equally convenient due to the seamless connectivity provided by NH-24.

4. Access to Key Amenities

Living at Prestige City in Sidharth Vihar comes with the added advantage of having access to some of the best educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and shopping complexes in Ghaziabad. Schools like DPS Ghaziabad, Cambridge School, and KR Mangalam School are all nearby, making it a perfect residential destination for families with children.

In terms of healthcare, residents have easy access to world-class medical facilities such as Yashoda Super Specialty Hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital, and Max Hospital, ensuring top-quality healthcare services are available whenever needed.

Shopping, dining, and entertainment are never far away, with popular malls like Shipra Mall and The Opulent Mall located nearby. This access to top lifestyle conveniences ensures that residents of Prestige Ghaziabad have everything they need within a short drive.

5. Upcoming Metro Connectivity

In addition to its current infrastructure advantages, Sidharth Vihar’s real estate prospects are set to rise further with the extension of metro lines into the area. The proposed metro connectivity will offer residents more options for hassle-free travel, particularly for those who prefer using public transportation.

This planned metro expansion will not only make commuting even more convenient but also boost the value of properties in the region. Its residents will benefit from this infrastructure development, making it an even more attractive investment in the future.

6. Tranquil Living Amidst Nature

Despite its proximity to major cities and essential amenities, Sidharth Vihar offers a calm and serene living environment. Prestige’s location allows residents to enjoy a peaceful lifestyle surrounded by green belts and open spaces. The area’s low population density and ample greenery create a perfect setting for families and individuals seeking a retreat from the stresses of urban life.

The presence of parks, walking paths, and recreational areas ensures that residents can enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle while being connected to nature.

Conclusion

Prestige City’s location in Sidharth Vihar, Ghaziabad, near NH-24, offers a rare combination of connectivity, convenience, and tranquility. Its proximity to major highways, top schools, hospitals, and entertainment hubs ensures that residents enjoy the best of both worlds—urban convenience and peaceful suburban living. The future metro expansion further strengthens the area’s appeal, making it a promising investment for the long term.

Whether you’re a family seeking a serene home or an investor looking for growth potential, Prestige City’s location delivers everything you need.

For More Info, Contact - 8929718728.

Visit - Prestige NH-24.

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Future of Hybrid Retail Destinations in NCR: M3M Jewel, Gurgaon

With changing urban landscapes and the concept of hybrid retail spaces, people are going through an inimitable transformation - in how people shop, eat, or work. The setting is all planned for this at M3M Jewel on MG Road in Gurgaon, where luxurious retail, modern office spaces, and exclusive entertainment options come alive in a beautiful collage. The article analyzes how M3M Jewel is revolutionizing the future of hybrid retail destinations in the National Capital Region (NCR), making it a hub of commercial innovation and a sound investment opportunity.

1. What is a Hybrid Retail Destination?

Hybrid retail destinations bring together various elements, from retail, dining and offices to entertainment, in the same space. Such establishments claim to provide one-stop shops for customers through a seamless integration of shopping and lifestyle services, leisure activities, and work environments. In M3M Jewel Gurgaon, this exact concept is brought to life with an integration of high-street retail, exclusive office spaces, and engaging lifestyle amenities that create an environment unparalleled in shopping and working.

2. M3M Jewel: A New Benchmark in Hybrid Retail Spaces

Strategically located on one of Gurgaon's busiest commercial corridors, the jewel is designed with modern consumers and offers an atmosphere that caters to dynamic lifestyles. A fruitful blend of flagship stores, luxury retail outlets, fine dining, and office spaces, M3M Jewel creates a vibrant ecosystem by attracting professionals and visitors.

Key Highlights of M3M Jewel

Prime Location: M3M Jewel is located on MG Road, making it easily accessible from several metro stations and commercial hubs in Gurgaon. The project also boasts international and domestic brands, providing a luxurious experience.

Premium Office Spaces: M3M Jewel office spaces provide world-class infrastructure in order to cater to business houses that need a prestigious address.

Lifestyle Amenities: The project will boast leisure and entertainment options such as a 5-screen multiplex, fitness centers, and fine dining options that enhance the accessibility of this development more than just a mall.

3. Investment Potential: Why M3M Jewel Is Different

The investment potential in M3M Jewel is considerable; the first and foremost reason for this is the hybrid retail hub position of innovation. As the demand for an integrated commercial space increases, businesses and consumers are looking for spaces that provide something more than an ordinary place of buying or offices. Here are some reasons as to why M3M Jewel is a no-brainer investment opportunity:

High Footfall and Visibility: 

M3M Jewel is the best location where huge footfall is witnessed, thereby essentially a factor for retail success. This prevailing stream of prospects enhances the business prospects for those on offer in the complex.

Diversified Income Streams: The requirement for diverse income streams of retail, office, and entertainment in the project underlines the ability of investors to generate multiple income streams, thereby effectively reducing the collective risk.

Modern Infrastructure: M3M Jewel offers the best-in-class, state-of-the-art amenities like automatic parking and high-speed elevators. It boasts green building, thus offering future-ready facilities to customers and tenants as well.

Located next to upscale residential complexes, M3M Jewel provides a stable customer base for high-end consumers, whose prime concern may be convenience and luxury.

These factors make M3M Jewel a good investment opportunity in the emerging commercial market of Gurgaon.

Shaping the Future of Retail in NCR - Lessons learnt from MaxMara

M3M Jewel is much more than another commercial development; it represents the 'vision for the future of retail' in the NCR. The expectations of consumers also keep changing over time, which creates the need for more than 'just the shopping experience'. The hybrid model that M3M Jewel represents offers an immersive experience-thought that defines both shopping, work, and leisure. This multi-dimensional approach directly resonates well with the modern urban lifestyle, where convenience, luxury, and accessibility are paramount.

It has sustainability and design excellence, as in the case of M3M Jewel, whose architectural concepts are based on an approach for ensuring sustainability with green buildings. Design is also done cautiously to allow ease from one space to the other, thus giving a delightful experience to all visitors.

Conclusion

M3M Jewel, MG Road, Gurgaon, is the new benchmark of hybrid retail destinations in NCR. Luxury retail, premium office spaces, and lifestyle amenities bundled together make it an all-inclusive response to the challenges faced by consumers and businesses. As demand for hybrid spaces keeps growing, M3M Jewel shows exactly how commercial real estate can focus on upgrading the needs of modern urban environments to open up a whole new era of retail innovation.