#Poland's Next Top Model | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mileapo · 8 months

Text

Mile & Apo: It takes two to triumph

IN THE GLITZY REALM OF entertainment, where talent often shines like a beacon, there occasionally emerges a pair of stars whose chemistry transcends the screen. Such is the case with Mile and Apo, two charismatic Thai actors whose TV show KinnPorsche has become a global sensation, watched by millions of viewers from Russia and India, to Poland and Peru.

The two have risen from relative obscurity to become the new ambassadors of Dior, mobbed by teenage girls when they arrived in Mumbai earlier this year to attend a Dior fashion show.

On the surface, the Thai series KinnPorsche seems to have thrown the rulebook of “How to make a hit TV show” out the window. It is a mafia story filled with surly men, bloody gang fights and epic shoot-outs – which, yes, is a mainstay of TV programming. But the radical twist is this: the two main characters are a mafia boss’ son (played by Mile) and his male bodyguard (played by Apo) who – surprise, surprise – fall in love with each other.

In the history of TV, there has never been a hit crime series centred on a gay plot. But when KinnPorsche debuted in April 2022 on Thai TV and global streaming service iQiyi, it almost instantly became the top trending title in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Soon after, it claimed Europe, finding particular popularity in Poland, Turkey, Italy and France. Then it stormed its way into North and South America, where it was a top trending topic in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia.

No one – not even the cast and producers – thought the show would be this successful. It seems to have fed into some untapped market for female audiences who love action shows, but don’t care to see yet another threateningly perfect actress couple up with their fantasy man.

If you ask any fan what it is about the show that makes them sweat, swoon or quiver with delight, they’ll answer quite simply: Mile and Apo.

Double or nothing

At their photo shoot in Bangkok’s top restaurant Nusara, which overlooks the splendid temple complex Wat Pho, the models-turned-actors are in their element. They tailor their bodies and facial expressions instinctively for the camera, conveying a range of emotions, from sultry and mysterious to bright and playful. The slinky Dior suits, with their clean lines and minimal embellishments, don’t hurt either.

Mile (or Phakphum Romsaithong) and Apo (or Nattawin Wattanagitiphat) recently released their new film Man Suang in cinemas. It is a big-budget political thriller set during the 19th century reign of Rama III, replete with historically authentic sets and costumes.

Apo plays a traditional dancer who is recruited to spy in an elite club and uncover a plot to overthrow the order of the king. Finding a kindred spirit in the club’s taphon drummer (played by Mile), the two team up to stop the underground rebellion.

Speaking with the help of a translator, Mile, 31, explains: “We hope the movie reaches out to a wide audience. We wanted it to have both commercial and critical success, something that could show Thai history and culture to the world, but also be fun and entertaining enough to be a popcorn movie for the masses.”

Both actors note how T-pop (the shorthand for Thai popular entertainment) has been hyped as the next global sensation after K-pop and J-pop, following the massive success of Thai stars such as Lisa Manobal, Bright Vachirawit and Win Opas-iamkajorn.

“And it can happen,” says Apo, 29, also through a translator. “Thai people are very humble, gentle, hardworking and friendly. We can blend into any culture. If anything, Thailand has served as a melting pot for different cultures – just as Singapore has. Our culture can be easily embraced by the world.”

The duo believes that the global audience has transformed in recent times. “They’re now more welcoming of stories from different parts of the world, especially if those stories involve characters going on a journey to discover themselves and make themselves better, stronger, wiser and happier,” says Apo. “That’s why when I look for new projects these days, I look for the ones that carry the messages of self-actualisation.”

Mile concurs, adding: “I’ve always believed in ‘high risk, high return’. KinnPorsche was a risky proposition, because it took a mafia crime genre and placed it in the Boy Love category (a niche genre involving gay romance). But I believed in the project’s potential from the start – even if I never thought it’d become the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Its success has only strengthened my belief in ‘high risk, high return’.”

One-two punch

The road to success has been winding for both actors. Though born with the magnetic allure of leading men, they’ve had to work hard to secure roles over countless rivals, as strikingly handsome as they are. Having appeared in smaller parts before, it was the smash success of KinnPorsche – a show that almost didn’t get made because of funding issues – that catapulted them into not just the Thai limelight, but the global stratosphere.

Asked what Dior’s artistic director Kim Jones thinks of KinnPorsche, the duo laughs. Apo says: “We don’t know if he’s seen the show – we didn’t ask him. But we do know that our fans had been bombarding his Instagram account for a while, telling him about us, asking him to check us out, before he signed us up – well, at least that’s what he told us when we met him for the first time.”

“But for all you know, he could be binge-watching the series right now,” quips Mile, prompting another round of chuckles.

As the two men trade jokes in Thai, it’s clear that they share a genuine friendship. Their camaraderie is palpable, adding an extra layer of authenticity to their on-screen chemistry. Their behind-the-scenes antics and playful banter in candid posts have become fan fodder, launching thousands of TikTok videos and memes.

Mile says: “We’ve only become better friends in these past two-and-a-half years. We’ve become more synchronised, and our mindsets and energies are moving at the same pace. I can look at Apo and more or less understand what’s going on in his mind. We have small conflicts, of course – it’s normal among friends – but it’s usually something so minor, we can resolve it quickly.”

The best part of their friendship? Their shared love of dad jokes – that genre of silly, cheesy jokes with predictable punchlines that fathers supposedly love to tell their kids.

But Mile confesses: “I don’t tell dad jokes because I like them, to be honest. What I really, really want to tell are smart jokes, witty jokes… But I’m so bad at making jokes that they always come across as dad jokes, no matter how hard I try.”

Apo interjects: “Do you wanna hear a good dad joke?” Then, switching from Thai to halting English, he says slowly: “Hey you… watch where you walk… or you will… fall… into… my heart.”

#mileapo #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #the buisness times #interview

53 notes · View notes

trainsinanime · 11 months

Note

tell me about french train headlights

They're all the same! Or at least they were, from the mid-1950s to about the early 1990s. They all look like this:

Okay, some context for why I find this interesting. Suppose you see a picture of a train, especially one made in the second half of the 20th century, and you want to know where the train is from. The key trick to telling this at a glance is having a bit of autism, but more specifically, the headlights.

In Europe, all major and many minor countries used to have their own government-owned railroad and their own train-building industry, which would build trains to the specifications of their railroad company. There has always been some exporting going on, but for the most part, the trains you'd find in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria and so on would be all completely different. This has changed drastically over the past 20ish years.

One thing about this old model is that railroad companies would standardise certain parts within their fleets, especially small parts that need servicing and replacing every now and then. It saves on how many different types of spare parts you need to have.

Headlights are the most notable among these by far: Every train needs to have some of them. All trains have basically the same requirements for their headlights, no matter how fast or slow or whatever they are. Before LEDs, you needed to service the headlights regularly to replace the light bulbs, and as glass parts at the front of a fast moving vehicle, they can get damaged, so spare parts logistics are an issue. And most importantly, we as railfans can easily see them. So you get something like this:

As a result, basically all railroad companies in post-war Europe standardised their head- and taillights for all or most of their trains. And all of them had completely different ideas. Fundamentally, all of them agreed that you need white headlights and red taillights, and since modern trains are easily reversible, you put both of them next to each other.

But do you make the white and red lights the same size (West Germany, Netherlands) or different sizes (Austria, East Germany)? Are they separate things, or do you combine them into one assembly (UK, Switzerland)? Do you make them anything approaching normal sized or gigantic (Poland)? Maybe I'll do an overview post over these later, but I don't have enough pictures in my library right now and I'd have to scour Wikipedia for them later.

The French headlight design shown here is in many ways just one of many, but also interesting in its own right: The actual lenses for red and white are the same size, but the white headlight gets this huge lens assembly that makes it look much more prominent. You can clearly see that different French designers had very different ideas about whether you the center-lines (most of them), or the bottom of the lens assembly. Why is the headlight lens so big, and what are the metal was around the bottom half of the circle? I have no clue. My guess is to put some coloured glass panes in, but I have no idea why you'd need that. Also, note that the red taillight classically has a fresnel lens, that's unique as far as I can tell.

I've taken all these pictures in the Cité du Train, the big central French railroad museum in Mulhouse. (That's why I was posting about traveling to Basel early this weekend. Mulhouse is actually really close to Basel, and going via Switzerland is the most practical—and most scenic—route for me) The oldest locomotive I could find with these headlights was CC-7107:

During high speed trails in the early 1950s, this locomotive reached a speed of 326 km/h (203 mph). That made it only second best behind the other locomotive at the trials, BB-9004:

This one reached 331 km/h (206 mph), a world record that would not be beaten for a long time. The difference was nothing to do with technical performance. Instead, both locomotives melted their pantograph, the part on top that touches the overhead line to get power, at around 320 km/h (200 mph). BB-9004 had a second one that it could lift up to continue accelerating, while CC-7107 only had the one. For a long time, SNCF pretended that both locomotives had reached 331 km/h, to protect the reputation of both manufacturers.

What's notable for our purposes is that BB-9004 has different headlights. As far as I can tell, these seem to be an earlier standard design, also found e.g. on the CC-65001 diesel locomotive:

And even on steam locomotives, like this class 141 R:

So CC-7107 lost on the high speed world record, but it was the way of the future when it came to headlights. These headlights then started cropping up everywhere. From the detail pictures I've shown you above, we have e.g. Le Petit Gris (the small grey one, an EMU for suburban services in Paris):

A CC-6500, dressed up with a nameplate for the express train it was hauling. Fun fact: One locomotive of this type (not this one) was used in the US for a while, as Amtrak was trying out new electric locomotives to use. They weren't happy with it and bought a Swedish one instead, mostly because this locomotive's suspension did not work well with the American track quality.

A Z 2200, a diesel railcar for rural lines designed to be cheap first, second and third.

A BB-26000, which feels altogether way to new to be in this museum.

It's from the 1980s, so I guess the first are reaching retirement age. But at the same time: The train I took from Basel to Mulhouse was still pulled by one of these BB-26000.

Other favourites include the BB-25600 with its rare diagonal light arrangement:

Or the really terribly lit gas turbine train RTG, which puts the headlight on stalks:

Fun fact: Amtrak did end up buying a few these. They didn't use the same white headlights (although they did use the same stalks), but they did use the same fresnel lens red taillights.

And the headlights went all the way up to the top. To the TGV. Only these headlights aren't very aerodynamic, so for their high-speed train, SNCF decided to cover them up.

As far as I can tell, SNCF used these headlights in the TGVs up to the Réseau series, including the Eurostar. That meant that they're also found, though behind faded glass, on the TGV Atlantique 325 in the outdoor area. Number 325 is notable because it was involved in another high speed trail, and reached 515.3 km/h (320.3 mph) on May 18th, 1990.

That was a world record, of course; in fact only the French ever exceeded 500 km/h on conventional railroads. So these headlights did get their world record after all. They didn't get to keep it for long, though. In 2007, a newer TGV reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph). That one is still in service, though, and it was equipped with newer LED headlights. I think it's highly unlikely that this record will be broken anytime soon, but if anyone does, I wouldn't be surprised if it were the French again, they like that sort of stuff.

Some final odds an ends with the headlights, though: Here's CC-40101, which isn't actually relevant, I just like the way it looks.

Designed for service in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, with four different voltages and four different train control systems, and that with mid-1960s technology. It wasn't quite as successful as hoped, and in service it only ever reached Belgium, but still, look at that design. The front is supposed to evoke an athlete, a sprinter about to start, but this type of design has instead become known as "Nez cassé", broken nose.

BB-9291 shows a rare early version without red tail lights at all. Someone thought they were saving money.

This small work train has a free-standing version of the headlight, which shows us how deep it really is. Apparently, the French headlight is actually not that deep, and isn't that a nice summary for this post?

And a personal favourite of mine, I even bought a T-Shirt with it on it, the Z 600:

The design, in particular the side windows (recessed instead of flush, no outside visible gasket) says Swiss, the headlight and SNCF logo says French, it's narrow gauge and it has a third rail to provide power. Just all around a weird little train, for the weird little line known as the Mont-Blanc Express from France via Switzerland to the bottom of the Mont-Blanc mountain. The train was built in Switzerland, experts of building small trains for mountains, but for the French part of that rail line, so it got French headlights.

Headlights with exporting is a fun topic in its own right. Do you keep the headlights from the country of origin, or demand your own? You will find both approaches. Both Portugal and the Netherlands bought very similar electric locomotives from France. Portugal has French headlights, the Netherlands insisted on (less interesting) dutch ones.

These days, of course, you will still find these headlights, but they're getting rarer. They stopped being used in new trains around the mid-1990s. What's more, the ones you do find, like on this MI-84 in Paris, probably don't have the fresnel lens taillight anymore. Instead, those were replaced with LEDs.

LED lights for railroads make a lot of sense. They last forever and require less power. And since most railroads have standardised their head- and taillights, you just need to design one replacement light for most of France, and then keep building that one until SNCF stops giving you money.

(Since we're showing a picture from Paris, a quick note: These headlights were never used on passenger-carrying trains for the Paris metro. However, some work trains do have them.)

These days, standard headlights are completely gone. LEDs don't need a lot of replacing, and they give you much more freedom to do things like shapes and patterns and designs. Also, we don't have the "one country, one railroad, one rail industry" pattern anymore. Instead now we have multi-national rail conglomerates. Alstom is technically French, but arguably just as much German, ever since they bought Bombardier's rail division, nominally Canadian. Stadler is Swiss, except for the stuff they build in Germany or Poland or Belarus or Hungary or…, and some of their most interesting products right now are built and designed in Spain.

The end result of that is this:

That's a company I saw at a trade fair (Innotrans, Berlin, 2022) that makes LED train headlights, and specifically they make… all of them? Okay, I'm exaggerating, but this is a great picture to drive a European rail fan insane as they try to assign the different headlights to different trains. You get Stuttgart trams, German (and Turkish) high speed trains, lots and lots of Swiss stuff. Nothing specifically French that I could tell, but at least the German high speed train regularly travels to Paris.

The standard headlights, or their LED variants, were still in use for work trains until fairly recently. There are not that many companies that make rail grinders or ballast tampers, and those tend to just use whatever headlight their customer tells them to. But these days they go for shaped LED headlights as well, because they're just better, and because thanks to European standardisation, a headlight approved in one country can (generally) be used in all European countries.

(All pictures © me, feel free to use them under CC-BY-SA 3.0 DE if you want)

#trains #railroads #sncf #france #alstom #alsthom

55 notes · View notes

eurovision-revisited · 13 days

Text

Eurovision 2003 - Wrap Up

2003 is an iconic Eurovision year. They year that ended the dark period. The year they fixed the voting. The year the girl bops broke through. The year the right song won (sorry Belgium). The hosts were fun, the small budget was spent in the right places, the controversy was confined to a single delegation whose outrages seem to me, more and more like a politically confected response to the problems and allegations surrounding the voting in 2002 - and even they had a good song.

Look at how many of the Eurovision qualifiers made it into my list this year. The winner hasn't been this high since 1993! In the current songfestival.be top 500, there are 6 songs from 2003, up 3 from 2003 - a 100% increase!

That's not to say that the national finals weren't good. They were and they chose well. Melfest (and the Nationaal Songfestival) alighted on its modern structure and stuffed itself with what Sweden loves most. Iceland and RÚV outdid themselves by organising a national final that was filled with Icelandic musical talent that could only have been bettered if they'd managed to get Björk and Sigur Rós. Poland put on its first national final with Krajowe Eliminacje and instantly had national flavour and quality as if it had been going for many year.

Around Europe, several names, who would come to be synonymous with Eurovision over then next two decades, were entering with their débuts. There was disco, there was indie, there was Europop, there was jazz and metal and schlager and folk and experimentation. There were even songs in made-up languages. Wherever you look around Europe in 2003 there's improved quality and huge variety.

The voting sequence of 2003 is possibly the best one ever. There were few technical problems and the ones they did have didn't effect the outcome. The hosts have a few moments of the usual cringe, but their styling and looks cannot be beaten. Latvia is a very, very cool country and despite a lot of criticism before hand, the evening itself was a triumph.

The inventive set design and the magnificent green room would set the minds of future production design teams alight with ideas and possibilities. If any year demonstrates what can be achieved with creativity on a budget - even if the first thing that comes to the mind of the average Eurovision fan thinking back to 2003 is modelling clay.

So many things went well. Even better for 2004, the EBU are letting everyone in. Announced prior to the final, the semi-final era is upon us. No more relegations! Everyone can take part now - even Europe's small countries and microstates who left during the 1990s. Eastern Europe can finally be properly welcomed to the Eurovision family. Everything is awesome again!

Goodbye Riga, we'll miss you. It's onto Istanbul and the third first time winner in a row. Türkiye, show us what you can do.

#esc #esc 2003 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #riga #riga 2003

3 notes · View notes

thenationaltreasuregazette · 7 months

Text

Treasure Hunt Movie Review: Mr. Car and the Knights Templar

Greetings! I thought we’d try something a little different as I cook up the next set of articles.

Mr. Car and the Knights Templar is a new Polish treasure hunt movie from Netflix. Based on the book of the same name,it follows a swashbuckling art historian on a quest to uncover the legendary treasure of the Templar Knights.

While I wouldn’t call the film “good,” I would absolutely call it fascinating. Sometimes there’s nothing like another culture taking a beloved genre or concept and reflecting it back at you. The familiar has a way of becoming new.

This movie is every flavor of the treasure hunt genre all rolled into one. Our hero is Tomasz, or as he becomes nicknamed part way through the film, Mr. Car, is equal parts Indiana Jones, Robert Langdon, James Bond, and Ben Gates.

He works on behalf of a powerful museum, a la Indy, he’s given serious covert assignments by his own M, and there’s a similar spiritual/religious twist to the treasure, as in The DaVinci Code. And off course he’s assisted (despite his protests) by his own personal band of Goonies.

However, it’s unfair to say this film rips of those other notable entries. The book, Pan Samochodzik i Templariusze by Nienacki Zbigniew, was first published in 1966, predating all the aforementioned stories except James Bond. However, I can’t say how closely this movie follows the books (which have something of a cult status in Poland, as I understand it) or how those more recent franchises might have influence this adaptation.

This film is just…it’s everything. Whatever element of the treasure hunt genre you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. Ridiculously over-the-top villains? Check. Tournament arc? Got it. Quirky clues and weirder solvers? Yes ma’am. Tomasz even has an amphibious car, for all your gadget wizard/tricked out car genre needs. (Hence the nickname.)

The inclusion that took me most by surprise is the subplot right out of Moonrise Kingdom that gets the Goonies involved in the hunt. Yes, Moonrise Kingdom, the Wes Anderson coming-of-age dramedy about a runaway boy scout. Like I said, this movies has everything.

Without spoilers, I found the villain—as Zorro-alike named Adios—to be both the weakest part of the film narratively and just…yikes. Like, I would not be okay with this character in an American movie, but Poland has a much different history with Mexico so…that is what it is I guess.

And poor Karen. She gets the short end of the stick every time.

The kids I found charming, especially main Goony Eagle Eyes and his relationship with Tomasz as a reluctant role model. (I'm a sucker for that trope.) Honestly, I would have been fine if the story was just about the kids and their accidental chaperone, a journalist who seems to be the only person in the world not woo’d by Tomasz (yet).

Overall, I can’t say I enjoyed the movie, but I did enjoy looking at the treasure hunt genre through a new lens, considering what tropes make up a treasure quest, and how the different “flavors” of the genre vary from one another (and how they maybe should not all be smushed into one movie).

Probably the most startling part of the experience was realizing that this haphazard mishmash of a narrative is probably how my friends see National Treasure 😅. Oh dear.

My rating:

1.5/5 Declarations of Independence 📜📜

#the national treasure gazette #mr car and the knights templar #treasure hunt movie reviews #archeo-adventures #articles

6 notes · View notes

cindylouwho-2 · 9 months

Text

Etsy Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Report - Get Ready For More Pressure To Discount

Above - Slide 9 from Etsy's Second Quarter 2023 report. © Etsy

Etsy's second quarter 2023 results beat projections, but the outlook for the third quarter was weak, and that has led to a sharp drop off of the stock. No doubt investors were unimpressed that Etsy has no convincing plans to begin increasing sales and profits again. The call announced nothing truly new in that vein.

First, the resources for this post:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast” under "Latest Quarterly Results")

my summaries of the second quarter 2022, and the first quarter 2023 for comparison

The basic numbers (covering April to June 2023, compared to the same period in 2022):

Sales on Etsy were $2.6 billion, down 0.7%

Total sales for all 4 marketplaces (Etsy, Reverb, Depop, Elo7) were $3.0 billion, down 0.6%

Etsy’s revenue (including all 4 sites) was $628.9 million, up 7.5%

Seller service revenue was up a whopping 20.8% to $175.9 million, while marketplace revenue was up 3.1% to $453 million

Net Income was $61.9 million, down 15.3% (in part due to the impairment charge from the impending sale of Elo7)

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 90.6 million, an all-time high

Active sellers on Etsy alone are 6.3 million, the second large jump in a row compared to the previous quarter; numbers had been stagnant through the end of 2021 and all of 2022 [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale.]

Sales where the buyer and/or the seller was not in the United States were 47%, up from 44% last year, but most Etsy buyers are still in the US

Sales on mobile are now at 68%, up from 66% last year [this includes both the buyer app and mobile browsers]

I'll cover the points of the biggest interest to sellers below, with my comments in square brackets.

Advertising (On and Off Site)

Etsy Ads (the onsite ones) again helped increase the services income. CFO Rachel Glaser mentioned that "XWalk, our real time retrieval engine" was now a part of the Ads algorithm. [It was previously introduced in search results, to help draw connections between multiple sets of data rapidly as someone is searching.] They are now able to show ads in more places, increasing site profit.

Offsite Ads (aka performance marketing) cost roughly the same in the quarter, due to testing which led to Etsy reducing money spent on some platforms.

From the press release: "We expanded performance marketing investments from 13 to 20 non-core countries, now including the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia."

Etsy Search

CEO Josh Silverman feels Etsy has made progress in search relevancy (Slide 6). Therefore, the next step is to "better identify the quality of each listing, so that from this relevant result set, we bring the very best of Etsy to the top. Our data shows that high quality listings attract a higher value buyer than our average listings, attract more repeat and habitual buyers, and most importantly, they often convert over 2 times better than other listings." No actual definition of "high quality listings" is provided. [This may be a refinement of the listing quality score.]

Etsy is training its machine learning software on "...a best of Etsy library, which is curated by expert merchandisers based on the visual appeal, uniqueness, and apparent craftsmanship of an item." (Slide 7) The models are then expected to find the best items out of large search results, and return those for searchers. [I hope these aren't the same human curators who supposedly selected the "Etsy's Pick" listings, as my only Etsy's Pick listing is a commercial pendant on my hand-cut chain. Totally Etsy-legal, and even appealing and well-made, but hardly unique - there are hundreds or maybe even thousands of these pendants on Etsy right now. (In my defense, there were a lot fewer when I started selling them.) Only my chain falls close to the realm of unique, due to the clasp.]

Etsy is also working on "collapsing" similar items on the first few search pages into sets, and offering shoppers several different sets to choose from, "showing you just the very best of each of a set of very different items". [I believe I have seen a test like this, where several rows of slightly different search results are shown for some queries. It could also mean an expansion of the "more like this" link under individual listings on the search page.]

[It appears to be time to accept that Etsy is not interested in being a site for niche searches any more; management only cares about the large searches converting. I understand what the engineers were trying to do with training the systems by adding more items in and letting the customers signal which results were good, but small and niche searches have only gotten worse over the past 3-4 years, and they've now effectively told us we can't expect any more improvement in this area. Search effort is now going to winnowing down large searches, not improving very small ones.]

Upcoming Promotional Plans & Focus

As usual, Etsy is focussed on retaining existing buyers as well as adding new ones. Hitting an all-time high in active buyers this quarter shows some progress in this area.

Given that "[t]here's no question this is a very promotional environment," we should expect to see more features around sales and discounts, as shown in Slide 9 at the top of this post. Those 3 boxes are part of a scrolling banner at the top of the Etsy home page in the US right now. [If you have tried to run a sale lately, you have already noticed that the lowest percentage off sale is 25%. You can enter a custom amount, but 25% is the default if you don't click for more options.]

They are already testing "a new price discovery functionality utilizing buyer demand data to help sellers think about how to price their items and when or how they might best use promotions as part of their mix." An example is shown in the top right corner of Slide 11 - see below:

[If this works as badly as the old tool from years ago - the one that compared hammered sterling silver pendants to plastic ones - then it will be a waste of time. And don't forget the tool that tells us our shipping for large heavy items is overpriced because it is comparing the listing to the shipping rates of the smallest items in the same category. The list goes on... However, many sellers would appreciate knowing more about what similar items are actually selling for, and it is possible Etsy heard that request, so we shouldn't write this test off before we see it.]

The new wedding registry has been doing well, with 14% of sales coming from first-time buyers. Etsy is opening a baby registry in August, and more categories may follow.

Silverman said that the Purchase Protection Program (PPP) "...reduced the issue resolution time for cases by approximately 85%". [I guess when there are rarely humans involved in adjudicating cases, that does tend to save time.] The site will soon mention this in even more places, to increase buyer confidence and bring them back more often.

Also on the way: "Buyers will see some new AI assisted ways to find crafted quality gifts for the loved ones at great value with even more confidence that these gifts will arrive on time." Gifting will continue to be a promotional focus.

Payment Reserves

Following the recent media attention to payment reserves, one analyst asked what the policy was meant to do in terms of benefiting the marketplace, and how the company is addressing the complaints. Silverman fell back on the "sellers not able to fill a rush of sales" example [even though that hasn't been the main reason for most of the recent reserves], and mentioned the previous day's announcement that reserves would be changing.

Depop, Reverb, and the Exit of Elo7

Etsy is selling Elo7, and is apparently taking a loss on it.

Depop's sales and revenue grew this quarter (year over year); new ideas and developments are detailed on Slide 16.

Reverb is still doing better than the general musical instrument market; details on Slide 17.

Miscellaneous

sales were down this quarter due to the month of April; May and June were both up, as was July [so the third quarter is up so far, but they noted the company traditionally has lower sales in August and September]. Silverman stated that the economy is in a down cycle, but that cycles change.

sales are declining in United States zip codes where the average household income is below $100,000 a year, and are growing in the zips above $100K a year.

the increase in marketplace revenue was partially due to having more non-US transactions, which usually have higher payment processing fees charged.

"advances in ML capabilities have enabled our enforcement models to detect an increasing number of policy violations." Slide 10 states they've "...removed 29% more listings for violating our Handmade Policy in 1H 2023 vs. 2H 2022". It's not clear if this includes all the ones they removed in error and later had to reinstate. [It's not just handmade takedowns that were mostly wrong. They caught my 2 "drug paraphernalia" listings earlier this year, as well as many top selling item from big shops, for no reason. As I explained in my coverage of the annual transparency report, only 5% of items Etsy reviews for violations actually need to be removed from the site. Increasing takedowns is a bad thing when they are almost all wrong, and especially when real and easy-to-find violations - such as boxes of commercial potato chip packages and actual roach clips - remain up. This initiative continues to get an F.]

almost 20% of vintage shops are choosing to use the new "Make an Offer" option.

Why Etsy Needs To Do More To Impress Investors

If you watch or read these calls every quarter, or even just read my summaries, you will note that there was very little new here, and certainly not much new that one would expect to substantially increase sales across the site. I think the upper brass recognized that, as the "challenging" times were stressed repeatedly, and they are still occasionally comparing numbers to the pre-pandemic stats.

Yes, it is great that Etsy has basically retained all of its pandemic growth; many other platforms - such as Wayfair and eBay - did not. However, analysts seem to be over that now, and are looking to future growth. Etsy's response seems to be that any substantial increase in marketplace sales will have to wait until the current uncertain world economic cycle improves. While they talk about incremental increases in sales expected from some current projects, their own projections for the third quarter aren't reflecting that growth, given Etsy now has more active buyers and sellers than ever before.

Have they possibly lost too many successful shops due to overreaching with payment reserves? Are buyers expressing concerns on that topic? Now that many more sellers can opt out of Offsite Ads, is that dragging down the company's income at all? Are they truly out of new ideas? These are questions that the analysts and the media need to be asking.

Perhaps Etsy is planning on another release that will lift marketplace sales, but right now they are keeping it secret. The company probably can't afford to wait on this much longer, though, if it cares about the stock price.

#EtsySellerNews #etsy #ecommerce #microbusiness #cindylouwho2 #marketplace

4 notes · View notes

justsomerandomntmranking · 2 years

Note

What are your thoughts on the most recent winners of Germany’s and polands next top model

Lou Anne: She was hated on way too much by the forums. She defined the theme best. The cast was so weak anyways so she didn't have much competition. However, she wasn't the best model and her walk is highly overrated. My winner would be Viola or Noella.

Dominika: I don't know if I made it clear but she's one of my least favorite Poland winners, that doesn't mean that she's bad though. She's just pretty and blonde and most of her photos sans her nude were underwhelming or plain terrible. Kacper J or Juila would be my winner. People on RBG only like her because she's pretty yet call her fat.

#ama

4 notes · View notes

charliewrites99 · 2 years

Text

SEMI 2 VIBES:

Finland: IT, but make it rock

Malta: Original Disney Channel song used for the credits

San Marino: Came here to be queer and horny and succeeding at both

Serbia: Cult

Israel: Eurovision next top model

Australia: Anti-hero explaining their tragic backstory

Cyprus: H2O, just add water

North Macedonia: Ireland, but a few years later

Ireland: you just broke up with your 7th grade boyfriend and are listening to call me maybe

Georgia: Willy Wonka meets crack

Estonia: Montage in a western movie, where the characters are traveling long distances on horses

Azerbaijan: Boys indeed do cry

Romania: Absolutely immaculate

Czech Republic: what my gym will probably play

Poland: Arcade (by that I mean a ballad that has rights)

Montenegro: Water nymph putting us under a spell

Belgium: X-Factor live performance

Sweden: Sweden on eurovision

#eurovision #ecs #esc 2022 #eurovision 2022

2 notes · View notes

topmodelcentral · 2 years

Text

Natalia Karabasz for Grazia Italia

~ Poland (6) ~

7 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 2 months

Text

It’s time to stop casting the war in Ukraine as all “doom and gloom”. And the Polish government is doing just that.

Russian imperialism has been one the greatest threats to the Polish state continuously since the 17th century. Government after successive government, Poland’s top foreign policy priority has been preventing a Russian invasion. In its list of demands to Kyiv from December 2021, the Russian government requested concessions from the US and NATO aimed at reversing NATO’s expansion into Central Europe. In his interview with American TV host Tucker Carlson, President Vladimir Putin presented an alternative version of history in which Poland started World War II and mentioned Poland 30 times. Russian incursions abroad have been premised with these types of lies in the past; the threat seems more real to Poland than at any time in the last 35 years.

To deter Russian aggression against Poland, the country seeks military protection through its own armed forces and NATO. Although the Polish Foreign Ministry under the new government elected last year has yet to officially formulate its foreign policy agenda, in a recent address at the Atlantic Council, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski mapped out three points for a safer and more stable world: supporting Ukrainians with more weapons, investing in security to create a powerful deterrent that will prevent aggression from Russia and its allies, and deepening and expanding Western alliances.

He was speaking for Poland, but he might as well have been speaking for the entire Western world.

Weimar 3

The new Polish coalition government took office at a challenging moment in the war in next-door Ukraine, now most often referred to as “doom and gloom”. Unmet pledges of ammunition deliveries, shortages in allies’ military stockpiles, aid blockage in the US Congress, the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive publicised by opponents as Ukraine’s impending defeat, the success of Russian propaganda, and the transition to a wartime economy.

But with recent developments in European policy and Poland’s success in turning the Polish cause into a European cause – we’re starting a new chapter and it’s time for experts and commentators to focus on that.

Europeans are taking security into their own hands instead of counting on unconditional US support. Faced with Donald Trump’s recent apparent incitement of Russian aggression against NATO countries, Europeans have been increasing their financial and military support to Kyiv, both bilaterally and using the EU’s toolbox. France, Germany and the UK have signed 10-year bilateral agreements with Ukraine, the country will receive F-16 fighter jets and middle and long-range missiles, and the EU is on board with the Czech idea to purchase ammunition from outside of the EU.

A meeting of the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland in the so-called Weimar Triangle format confirmed their willingness to continue to back Ukraine. Hopes for the long-dormant format is that the Weimar three could increase and better coordinate critical support for Ukraine and give impetus for more engagement at the European level.

These developments go hand in hand with a new communications strategy. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s now-famous “Orban fatigue” – a reference to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s tiresome blocking of measures to help Ukraine – is replacing the now-defunct “Ukraine fatigue”, and Foreign Minister Sikorski’s skilful verbal defence of Ukraine at the UN made global headlines. Tusk and Sikorski’s legitimacy in European circles and astute verbal advocacy for Ukraine is helping cement this new narrative – one that illustrates that Europe won’t let Ukraine down.

The Eastern Flank has been crucial in calling for greater action. What Poland does and says about Ukraine matters. Poland serves as the logistical hub for aid coming into Ukraine since February 2022, services military equipment for Ukraine, treats wounded soldiers, and trains tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. But towards the end of the previous Polish government’s term, former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland had no more arms to give to Ukraine. That was a communications fiasco and sent Polish-Ukrainian relations into a downward spiral.

The new Polish government has made Ukraine a cornerstone of its foreign policy. And hopefully, concrete deliverables will follow. Czechia has successfully fought for the EU to purchase non-EU ammunition and Estonia’s idea to issue joint bonds to boost European defence is being echoed in several capitals. These are the sorts of concrete deliverables that Ukraine needs more of. Poland has also signed a new bilateral agreement with Kyiv and its details should be agreed as soon as possible. Poland’s dispute over agricultural imports with Ukraine will hopefully not blur Poland’s image as a Ukraine champion for much longer.

Charting a new common European strategy

A topic that requires Eastern European input and would greatly benefit from Polish experience is charting a new common European strategy for Ukraine. The motto of the first two years of the war was “for as long as it takes”; we need a new reference guide.

Modelling a new strategy involves, among other things, addressing the difficult question of whether Ukraine needs its full territorial integrity to be safe. On top of long-term strategic considerations, in formulating this new approach, allies must take stock of public opinion in the US and Europe. A new survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) found that 41 per cent of European respondents believe that Europe should push Ukraine towards negotiating a peace deal with Russia, while only 31 per cent said that Europe should support Ukraine in taking back the territories occupied by Russia.

Making the case for full territorial integrity among the European public will not increase the chances of getting Europeans on board with providing more military aid. More Poles, Swedes and Portuguese are in favour of full territorial integrity than a peace deal, and therefore their public messaging on the issue will matter. It will be interesting to observe if, in future public statements, the Polish government will make the case for full territorial integrity, or rather create a narrative that balances Ukrainian and Eastern European perspectives with those of Western Europeans who are footing the bill.

Europe can’t make up for decreased US support for Ukraine. But it should make up for the lack of US leadership. Europeans should stop hoping that they can put pressure on the US and secure its continued commitment to Europe by saying how terrible things are and that only they can save us. Rather, they should act and create a new narrative, and let Poland speak for Europe. Europeans are willing to look after their own backyard. That’s exactly what the US wants to hear and what Vladimir Putin doesn’t want to hear.

1 note · View note

mokshconsultant · 2 months

Text

Why are Private Medical Colleges in India losing ground to European Med Schools?

The allure of European medical schools is eclipsing India’s top private institutions for several reasons. Firstly, European schools offer cutting-edge facilities, advanced technology, and innovative teaching methods, surpassing traditional Indian models. Secondly, the global recognition and accreditation of European degrees and lower tuition fees and living costs make them increasingly attractive to Indian students. Thirdly, the multicultural environment of European campuses fosters diverse perspectives and international networking opportunities. Finally, stringent entrance exams and limited seats in Indian colleges drive students to explore alternative options abroad. As a result, European medical schools are rapidly gaining ground over their Indian counterparts.

Countries for MBBS in Europe

Czech Republic , Lithuania , Spain , Poland , Serbia , Latvia , Romania , France , Bosnia , Slovakia , Bulgaria , Albania , Italy , Macedonia , United Kingdom

Countries for MBBS in East Europe

Russia , Moldova , Belarus , Armenia , Georgia

Benefits of Studying MBBS in Georgia for Indian Students

Studying MBBS in Georgia presents numerous benefits for Indian students. Firstly, Georgian medical universities offer affordable tuition fees and living expenses, making quality education accessible. Secondly, the curriculum is taught entirely in English, eliminating language barriers for international students. Additionally, the medical programs are recognized by global bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Medical Council of India (MCI), ensuring graduates can practice in India after passing the screening test. Moreover, Georgia provides a safe and welcoming environment with a rich cultural experience. Overall, pursuing MBBS in Georgia offers Indian students a cost-effective, high-quality education with promising career prospects.

What is the Integrated American Program?

The Integrated American Program is designed to prepare students for the USMLE exam and to practice medicine in the United States. Students in this program start preparing for the USMLE Step 1 exam right from the first year of their MBBS studies. The USMLE exam prep course is integrated with the standard MBBS program, and students typically take the Step 1 exam at the end of their third year of MBBS. USMLE Step 2CK exam preparation begins in the fourth year, and students typically take this exam in their fifth year.

Finally, in their final year of MBBS, students complete a US hospital clerkship and all of the requirements for applying for ECFME certification, which leads to residency applications for their medical PG course in the USA.

Top Med Schools in Georgia

Univ of Georgia (Integrated American Program)

Tbilisi State Medical Univ

Teaching Univ Geomedi

Ilia State Univ

Georgian National Univ

Georgian American Univ

David Tvildiani Medical Univ AIETI

Caucasus Univ

Alte Univ

Akaki Tsereteli State Univ

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State Univ

Batumi Shota Rustaveli State Univ

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy

New Vision Univ

Kutaisi Univ

Grigol Robakidze Univ

European Univ

Caucasus International Univ

BAU International Univ

East European Univ

How to Apply for MBBS in Georgia

To apply for MBBS in Georgia, first, research accredited medical universities. Then, gather required documents like academic transcripts, passport copy, and proof of English proficiency. Next, fill out the online application form provided by the chosen university and submit it along with the required documents. Some universities may require additional entrance exams or interviews. Once accepted, obtain a student visa by submitting the acceptance letter, visa application form, and other necessary documents to the Georgian Embassy or Consulate. Finally, arrange for accommodation and make necessary travel arrangements. Be sure to check deadlines and requirements specific to each university.

0 notes

thxnews · 4 months

Text

UK-Poland Defence Deals Boost Frigate Program

Strengthening Defence Ties: UK and Poland's Frigate Endeavour

The United Kingdom and Poland have embarked on a significant defence collaboration with the advancement of the Miecznik frigate programme, marking a new era in NATO defence cooperation and showcasing the UK's robust defence industry expertise.

The Miecznik Frigate Programme

A Step Forward in Defence The Polish Navy’s Miecznik frigate programme, meaning "Swordfish" in Polish, signals the beginning of its next development phase. This milestone is supported by pivotal agreements between the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and three of the UK’s top defence contractors - MBDA UK, Babcock, and Thales UK. Projected Timeline and Expectations The programme envisions the construction of a fleet of state-of-the-art multi-mission frigates, with the first ship expected to enter service by 2029. This initiative is set to significantly enhance the capabilities of the Polish Navy.

UK’s Leading Role in Global Defence

Investment Minister's Endorsement Lord Dominic Johnson, the UK Investment Minister, has expressed strong support for these agreements. He highlights them as a testament to the UK's world-class industrial expertise and a major vote of confidence in the country’s defence export capabilities. Economic and Strategic Benefits This agreement not only strengthens the UK's position as a leader in the global defence sector but also contributes to economic growth, investment, and job creation within the country.

Collaborative Efforts and Strategic Partnerships

Role of UKDSE The UK Defence and Security Exports (UKDSE), a division of the UK Department for Business and Trade, played a crucial role in facilitating these agreements. Their involvement underscores the UK’s commitment to fostering long-term economic and defence cooperation with Poland. Boosting NATO’s Collective Security These partnerships are more than just bilateral defence agreements; they represent a concerted effort to bolster the economic and security infrastructure of a key NATO ally. The technology and skills transfer involved in building the frigates in Poland highlight the strategic importance of this cooperation.

Impact on NATO Capabilities and Interoperability

Minister for Defence Procurement’s Statement James Cartlidge, Minister for Defence Procurement, emphasized the significance of Poland choosing warships based on the AH140 design. This choice not only enhances the Polish fleet but also bolsters NATO capabilities and supports interoperability between the UK and Poland. Building on Existing Relations These agreements symbolize the strengthening of the already robust relationship between the UK and Poland, particularly in the defence sector.

Integral Roles of UK Defence Companies

Babcock’s Contribution Babcock is set to provide the platform design for the frigates and play a strategic role in overseeing the design and construction process as part of the Programme Management Office. Technology and Systems by Thales and MBDA Thales UK will equip the frigates with advanced combat management systems, sensors, and radars. Meanwhile, MBDA UK will supply its renowned Sea Ceptor naval air defence system, further enhancing the fleet's capabilities.

A Strategic Alliance for the Future

The collaboration between the UK and Poland on the Miecznik frigate programme signifies a powerful alliance in defence and technology. It represents not just a boost to the respective countries' naval capabilities but also a strengthening of NATO’s collective defence mechanism. As the programme progresses, it will serve as a model for international defence cooperation, combining technological innovation with strategic partnerships for a more secure future. Sources: THX News, Department for Business and Trade, Ministry of Defence, Lord Johnson, & James Cartlidge MP. Read the full article

#Defenceexportseconomicimpact #InteroperabilityinNATOdefence #MBDAUKandPGZagreement #Miecznikfrigateprogramme #Multi-missionfrigatefleetdevelopment #NATOallysupport #PolishNavycollaboration #Technologyandskillstransfer #UKdefenceindustryexpertise #UK-Polanddefencepartnership

0 notes

themarketinsights · 5 months

Text

Meal Kit Service Market Detailed Strategies, Competitive Landscaping and Developments for next 5 years

Latest released the research study on Global Meal Kit Service Market, offers a detailed overview of the factors influencing the global business scope. Meal Kit Service Market research report shows the latest market insights, current situation analysis with upcoming trends and breakdown of the products and services. The report provides key statistics on the market status, size, share, growth factors of the Meal Kit Service The study covers emerging player’s data, including: competitive landscape, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are Blue Apron , Hello Fresh (Germany), Plated (United States), Sun Basket , Green Chef Corporation , Purple Carrot (United States), Relish Labs LLC , Abel & Cole Limited (United Kingdom), Riverford Organic Farmers (United Kingdom), Gousto (United Kingdom),

Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/66750-global-meal-kit-service-market-1?utm_source=Organic&utm_medium=Vinay

Meal Kit Service Market Definition:

Meal kit service is food business model, where the meal kit service provider delivers partially-prepared food ingredients as well as the recipe to the customers. The meal kit service is adding its value in the market due to its advantages such as time-saving process, lower cost and it reduces food wastage. Additionally, shifting consumerâ€™s preference for home cooking, the rising popularity of meal kit services among the working population and availability of customization as per the requirement are the major key drivers for the market. However, Intense Competition among established players, Lack of workforce for food delivery is hampering the overall growth of the market. Moreover, the rising number of startups and funding from investors due to innovating ideas can create a new opportunity for the market.

Market Trend:

Rising Popularity of Meal Kit Services Among Working Population and Availability of Customization as per the Requirement

Market Drivers:

Increasing Demand due to Lower cost over Out Eat Food

Rising Demand Shifting Consumers Preference for Home Cooking

Market Opportunities:

Increasing Demand as Meal Kit Service saves Time and Cost

An Emergence of New Startups with New Innovations

The Global Meal Kit Service Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below:

by Application (Residential, Commercial), Product Type (Ready-to-eat Food, Reprocessed Food, Other), Meal Type (Veg, Non-Veg)

Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa

Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc.

Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/66750-global-meal-kit-service-market-1?utm_source=Organic&utm_medium=Vinay

Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Meal Kit Service Market:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Meal Kit Service market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary – the basic information of the Meal Kit Service Market.

Chapter 3: Displayingthe Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Meal Kit Service

Chapter 4: Presenting the Meal Kit Service Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying market size by Type, End User and Region 2015-2020

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Meal Kit Service market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries (2021-2026).

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

Finally, Meal Kit Service Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies in decision framework.

Data Sources & Methodology The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Global Meal Kit Service Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry’s value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.

In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources – Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Company's Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age.

For Early Buyers | Get Up to 20% Discount on This Premium Report: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/66750-global-meal-kit-service-market-1?utm_source=Organic&utm_medium=Vinay

What benefits does AMA research study is going to provide?

Latest industry influencing trends and development scenario

Open up New Markets

To Seize powerful market opportunities

Key decision in planning and to further expand market share

Identify Key Business Segments, Market proposition & Gap Analysis

Assisting in allocating marketing investments

Definitively, this report will give you an unmistakable perspective on every single reality of the market without a need to allude to some other research report or an information source. Our report will give all of you the realities about the past, present, and eventual fate of the concerned Market.

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Southeast Asia.

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA – 08837

0 notes