The Benefits of Investing in Physical Platinum: Your Ultimate Guide

Most investors seeking diversification of their portfolios often turn to precious metals. Gold and silver are well-known options, but platinum is a metal that is often overlooked. This guide will help you explore the benefits of investing in physical platinum and give you an overview of how to invest in this precious metal.

What is Physical Platinum?

Physical platinum is platinum in coins or bars, also known as platinum bullion. These physical assets can be purchased from a dealer and are typically sold at a premium above the spot price of platinum. The weight and purity of the metal are usually marked on the bullion, making it easy for investors to verify the authenticity of their purchase.

The Benefits of Investing in Physical Platinum

Diversification

One of the most significant benefits of investing in physical platinum is diversification. Precious metals, including platinum, are often used to hedge against inflation and economic instability. When stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments perform poorly, precious metals can help stabilize your portfolio.

Limited Supply

Platinum is a rare metal, and its supply is limited. This makes it a valuable commodity, as demand often exceeds supply. It cannot be printed like fiat currency, so the collection of this metal is limited by its availability in the earth’s crust. This limited supply can help drive up the price of platinum over time.

Industrial Demand

Platinum is also used in various industrial applications, including catalytic converters, electrical contacts, and medical devices. As technology advances, the demand for platinum in these applications is likely to grow, which could drive up the price of platinum over time.

Historical Performance

Platinum has a history of strong performance. While its price can be volatile in the short term, over the long term, it has performed well. According to the World Platinum Investment Council, it has outperformed gold over the past 30 years, with an average annual return of 4.9%.

Privacy

Investing in physical platinum offers high privacy, as transactions are not typically reported to the government. This can be essential for investors who value their privacy and want to avoid government scrutiny.

Portfolio Protection

Physical platinum is a tangible asset not subject to the same risks as other investments, such as stocks or bonds. It can help protect your portfolio from losses in a market crash or economic downturn.

Global Acceptance

Physical platinum is a globally accepted asset, meaning it can be bought and sold in markets worldwide. This can give investors greater flexibility and access to more investment opportunities.

Tangible Asset

Investing in physical platinum provides investors with a tangible asset they can see and touch. This can be a comforting factor for some investors who prefer the security of owning a physical asset rather than an intangible one. Also, there are various options to invest in physical platinum, such as buying bars and coins.

Conclusion

Physical platinum presents a compelling investment opportunity for diversifying their portfolio and protecting against market volatility. The tangible nature of platinum, its global acceptance, and its ability to act as an inflation hedge all contribute to its potential as a valuable addition to any investment strategy. Furthermore, the privacy and portability of physical platinum make it an attractive option for investors who prioritize control over their assets. By considering the benefits of investing in this precious metal and exploring the various options available, investors may unlock new opportunities for long-term growth and financial security.

A new 6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Turkey

Earthquake in Turkey

The southern Turkish province of Hatay has experienced a violent 6.4 magnitude earthquake, scaring residents who remain in the area that was ravaged by strong twin earthquakes two weeks ago.

Less powerful than the initial 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that tore a path of destruction through southern Turkey and northern Syria on 6 February, the quake threatened further destruction in a region where many people had already fled their destroyed homes for safety in other towns and villages outside of the earthquake zone.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that it only penetrated two kilometers (1.2 miles) below the surface, possibly amplifying its damage below ground. Its epicenter was close to the southern Turkish city of Antakya, and it was felt in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.

The 6.4 magnitude epicentre, according to Turkey’s disaster management agency AFAD, was in the Defne district of Hatay, a region on the southernmost tip of the regional hub Antakya that stretches towards the town of Samanda. These areas had previously complained about the government’s lackluster response to their suffering following the earthquakes two weeks prior.

Ata Koşar in the Hatay town of Ekinci lost his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew when their nearby luxury apartment building collapsed during the first earthquake. “I was using our heater to try and stay warm, showing what to do in case another earthquake happened,” he recalled. “It was the first day we’d decided to stay in our house as it’s only one floor.”

“Another earthquake occurred while I was still lying on the ground. We heard what seemed to be additional buildings falling once again, and our home was suffering more damage,” he remarked somberly.

Rescue crews, according to witnesses, were making sure no one was hurt.

Antakya resident Muna al-Omar claimed to have been in a tent in a park when the earthquake struck. She sobbed as she clutched her seven-year-old kid in her arms and stated, “I felt the ground was going to break up beneath my feet.

“Will there be a second aftershock?” That was her.

Some who stayed in Hatay for two weeks after the first quakes indicated that they did so out of fear of completely losing their houses or a feeling that they had nowhere else to go despite there being no electricity or running water in the area.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority AFAD reported on Monday that the death toll from the quakes two weeks ago had increased to 41,156, and that it was likely to rise further given that 385,000 apartments were either completely destroyed or severely damaged, and that many people were still unaccounted for.

According to estimates, at least 47,000 people have perished in Turkey and Syria, and the death toll is certain to go further. The heaviest damage is concentrated along a fault line that extends from the province of Hatay deep into Turkey’s southeast.

The building of roughly 200,000 dwellings in 11 earthquake-stricken counties of Turkey will start next month, according to Recep Tayyip Erdoan, the president of Turkey.

When rescue efforts and aftershocks came to an end and attention shifted to the immediate need for shelter and restoration work, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had earlier said that Washington will continue to assist “for as long as it takes” while on a visit to Turkey.

A day before the second earthquake, Blinken visited the devastated Hatay area with his Turkish colleague Mevlüt avuşolu and committed an extra £83 million in relief to Turkey and Syria on top of the £71 million that President Joseph Biden had already promised.

In an attempt to express what he had seen, Blinken said, “It’s hard to put into words.” “Numerous damaged or completely destroyed buildings, neighborhoods, and streets.”

According to the UN organization for sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA), there are roughly 356,000 pregnant survivors of the earthquakes who urgently require access to health care.

These include 130,000 women in Syria and 226,000 women in Turkey, with roughly 38,800 of them due to give birth in the next month. Many of them were battling for food and water while living in camps or outside in the bitter cold.

The majority of casualties in Syria, a country already wrecked by more than ten years of civil conflict, have occurred in the northwest, according to the UN, where 4,525 people were murdered. Aid attempts are complicated since militants in the region are at conflict with soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

The official death toll in Syria is 1,414; however, there are suspicions that the actual number was likely far higher before the second earthquake occurred.

Online Courses That Will Help You Master Architectural Rendering 

green tree in green grass field

Every artist must develop the skills he/ she has to create some fantastic pieces of art no matter what they are. Architects must work on gaining both new skills and technology. This can be done using 3D software or attending online 3D architectural rendering courses. 

Learning to model, texture, and render quickly cannot occur without mastering software such as 3ds Max, AutoCAD, and many more. An architectural rendering tutorial aims to make many tools, features, and rendering settings easy to use by a designer.

Therefore we will introduce you to a group of the most critical architectural rendering courses on the internet. These tutorials serve everyone, no matter what their skill level is. It fits every designer’s style.

If you are a beginner or a master, an interior or exterior designer, you should look at the courses mentioned below.

3ds Max 2019 Essential Training

This tutorial, made to be a general course on using 3ds Max 2019 for making architectural renderings, provides a full view of the whole design and essential skills that all designers need to create detailed 3D renders.

A designer can create many objects using several tools, creating hierarchies, lightning, and many more. This excellent course, taught by a rendering artist, will provide you with the information you need in approximately 11 hours.

Complete AutoCAD 2018 Course with 2D and 3D Projects

Are you a beginner in the world of architectural rendering? Yes? Well, this course is made for you! The system talks about basic operations features and workspaces of AutoCAD. It also provides step-by-step training on both 2D and 3D house projects.

It takes about 13 hours to watch this on-demand video.

Revit: Rendering

This architectural rendering course is for Revit users at the intermediate level.

You will learn some of the unspoken secrets about the industry. This quick tutorial takes about 5 hours to complete. It will give you the ability to design high-quality designs directly in Revit.  

You will learn more about the basic rendering settings and many other customization details included in Revit. You will get to know more about the lighting features.

Lectures on artistic render styles are available in the course too. This is one of the most outstanding architectural rendering courses online! 

Rhino and V-Ray: Architectural Rendering

This course will let you master your skills and move from a beginner to an intermediate level in less than 4 hours. Rhino and V-Ray will teach you everything about rendering photorealistic interior architectural scenes.

This course adds a profound sense to a design that looks real and includes many materials and other exterior elements such as plants, cars, and human beings. It also offers tips on how a designer can use the camera and composting techniques.

Rhino is your best choice!

3ds Max: Advanced Lighting

Although there are many courses for ruling the advanced rendering tools in 3ds Max, this course is still one of the best for mastering lighting. This is considered to be a course that lets a student gain some advanced 3D skills.

Architectural rendering is the ability to design convincing illusions. This is what you will exactly learn from this course. The course also mentions additional information about exterior and interior daylight, artificial lighting, light exclusion, and more.

Yes, it is not easy to use professional architectural renders. It will take a lot of time, a lot of tutorials to watch, and much practice. That is why you should attend some online courses. 

You can always choose the best ones by reading people’s online reviews.

You may start with a short and easy course to build skills, then move to another level. 

It is essential to watch the introductory lessons in case you are a beginner. Understanding the topic may be challenging, but things will improve with time. 

If you are an expert and looking for a high-level course with advanced skills, you can watch these videos to refresh your existing information. 

At an intermediary level, trying some rendering software will probably take time. Still, when you use toolkits that produce great 3D designs. These tools will let you master all rendering techniques and create a high-quality format.

Learning is not magic! It is normal not to gain valuable information from the first online tutorial you attend. Do not worry if your skills do not develop quickly because great things take time! Just be patient and never give up. Keep in mind the more courses you watch, the easier it will be to gain new skills!

Everything You Need to Know About Michigan’s Marijuana Market

It seems like every other day, and there is a new, legal marijuana market popping up somewhere, somehow. However, that is not the case when it comes to the wholesome state of Michigan. In fact, and hindsight, Michigan might be one of the earliest adopters of the cannabis industry. The first to reap the benefits of the illustrious plant, Michigan turned itself into the Sweet Leaf Capital. 

As with every new industry, whether it be something as complex as technology or as simple as a plant, there will always be hesitant people and people who are flat-out bearish about the entire ordeal. But then you have those eager to jump at the opportunity. And without question, Michigan has reaped the rewards of being an early adopter.  Especially one as promising and opportunistic as the cannabis industry. From the legalization of Cannabis comes an abundance of economic activity and economic sub-sectors, like cannabis real estate loans, cannabis equipment financing, and much more. 

That is one point of view of how Michigan has utilized its bold move toward legalization. But of course, there are other aspects as well. Here is everything you need to know about Michigan’s Marijuana Market. 

The Market Keeps Growing

Of course, the first thing on anyone’s mind is, “how is the market doing?” Like many other states, cities, or countries that have legalized cannabis, Michigan quickly saw demand outstrip supply. Michigan’s recreational market grew at a record-fast pace.

In 2020 alone, the state of Michigan generated $400 million to $475 million in sales. Even with the onslaught of the pandemic, Michigan could still navigate the obstacles and maintain the hefty sales volume. 

This isn’t a fluke, and the sales aren’t expected to slow down. But in fact, they are expected to keep growing, with estimates putting sales numbers to reach $1.9 billion to $2.4 billion by 2024. That is almost five times the market growth rate. As more and more consumers, customers, and even market players transition from the illegal market of Marijuana to the legal one, these numbers and statistics are only expected to grow. 

A Need For Cash

High Life Farm is Michigan’s largest and oldest cannabis cultivator. High Life Farms owns and operates a 6,000-plant grow facility and striking deals with several converted licensing agreements with popular Cannabis plants. This need and urgency to increase the supply to meet the demand will, without a doubt, lead to more and more financing tools for this market. As cultivators, farmers, and dispensaries look to continue growing and expanding, they will look for ways to finance this growth. 

Currently, financial institutions like banks and funds are not allowed, even prohibited, to deal with cannabis firms. They are also not allowed to accept electronic payments, cash, checks, or any payment from cannabis businesses. Some cannabis entrepreneurs say this requires cannabis companies and individual professionals to have large-scale capital on reserve if need be. Currently, the cannabis industry is outside the financial system looking in. 

However, recent legislation being passed on the federal level could change that situation. If that were the case, cannabis business owners could apply for several forms of loans. We could see the birth of cannabis real estate loans, cannabis equipment lending, and other forms of cannabis working capital loans. This opening up to the cannabis industry will only fuel its potency and growth. 

A Friendly State 

The success of marijuana in Michigan, making it the sweet leaf capital, was not an overnight success or a fluke. The road to cannabis prosperity was long and bumpy. Michigan first legalized marijuana for medical use back in 2008. This early adoption and investment in cannabis paid off in the long run. Until today, Michigan is often called the closest to California in the Midwest. A point meant to compare an up-and-coming example to the ideal scenario. 

All this could not have been possible if the state of Michigan was not supportive of marijuana, its usage, and its legalization. Several CEOs of companies in Michigan lament the state’s regularly powerful performance in adapting to the times and accepting the benefits of marijuana. Some also credit Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency for the success that Michigan has had with the cannabis plant.

No matter how you slice it and dice it, Michigan has set an example, a blueprint for how to best go about the legalization process. It’s best to split the process into incremental steps and milestones. Then it’s best to galvanize the support of the entire state, not just the governing bodies. After all, the most prominent financiers will be the constituents of that state. Then pave the way towards recreational use and allow the market to partake in healthy competition. These are some of the crucial steps a state should take when considering the legalization of cannabis. 

The Bottom Line 

Cannabis is likely to have a massive future in several industries across the board. All around the world, cities, and countries are rushing toward legalization efforts for their reasons. Some are handicapped economically and can use the sweet leaf capital generated from the cannabis plant. Others are eager to experiment with the psychological and physical benefits of the plant and further enhance its medical capabilities. 

As for the Midwest state of Michigan, it was always big on cannabis. One might say the very first marijuana advocates. Their legalization efforts stem from 2008. It has been a long road filled with promise and prosperity. Of course, the boatloads of profits they have been able to sustain year in and year out are pretty good—especially considering that they have skyrocketed to a billion-dollar market. Ultimately, there is no debate that the future looks green for Michigan.

Not only is “Fauda” illiterate, dishonest, and tragically absurd. It’s incitement against Palestinians.

There is already an abundance of false information, hazardous propaganda, and insinuations in the Middle East. Fauda is capable of doing better. *Contains spoilers*

As an Arab, I am aware that many Israelis and viewers throughout the globe really think that the Netflix series “Fauda” offers an informed, if not “balanced,” perspective on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The series’ subtitle, “The human stories from both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict,” shows just this.

Unfortunately, the false belief that the show provides a realistic representation of Palestinian life and identity has far-reaching and harmful effects.

The same Israeli undercover commando team that successfully and contentiously carried out operations within the West Bank during seasons one and two now has a new theater of operations: Gaza. The team, whose members are trained to both assassinate and “fit in” and speak Arabic, takes part in an operation to free two Israeli children who Hamas has abducted.

Israeli and Egyptian forces have enforced a land, air, and sea embargo on the Gaza Strip since 2007. There aren’t many entrances and exits because the only other border is the sea. In the past 15 years, perhaps very few Israelis have visited Gaza. Few West Bank-based Palestinians have either, however. Does Fauda provide a unique glimpse into an essentially locked-off region?

The season’s authors believed they had fulfilled their need to be truthful by sometimes highlighting Gaza’s frequent power shortages. They demonstrated how unclean and filthy the water is there.

However, 38 percent of people live in poverty, which is worse than even the most dismal television screenplay could hope for. 54 percent of people experience food insecurity. Over 90% of the water is unusable, and 39% of young people are unemployed.

Even less than the most elementary setting for the actual event is the reality of life in Gaza. On the other hand, the authors seize every chance to highlight the radicalism in Gaza.

In one of the episodes, Doron Kavillio, the main character and the undercover unit’s head (by force of personality rather than by title), enters a store in Gaza while posing as a Palestinian. He starts by giving the business owner a cool English “Hi” before referring to the young woman as “habibti” (Arabic for “my love/my dearest”).

Indeed, we Arabs frequently use the term “habibi” in contexts other than what it means, but this is hardly ever directed towards a random person of the opposing gender, and certainly not in Gaza. That use of “habibi” is Israelism. Doron’s cultural indiscretion would have raised a flashing red light in the “real” Gaza, which would have been sufficient cause for him to be apprehended.

While waiting for Doron to exit the business, Eli and Sagi, two of Doron’s employees, are detained by a Hamas police officer after Doron becomes unduly too linguistically comfortable with the Gaza shop owner. They are traveling in a wrecked old automobile and are dressed in rough, filthy clothing. They identify themselves as West Bank traders, and Eli says he is getting married tonight in Gaza. In all honesty, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

First, it is impossible to measure the number of West Bank traders that visit Gaza in a good year; they are always the wealthiest and most well-connected businesspeople. Second, the notion of a West Bank guy being married to a Gazan lady is absurd and inconsistent because it no longer occurs due to the embargo. Thirdly, isn’t it tragically ludicrous that Israel would let the trader’s buddy to attend the wedding as well? That is simply excessive.

It is understandable that the series’ enormous worldwide audience could lack the knowledge and resources to understand Gaza’s reality, but this just makes the filmmakers’ guilt, who don’t even attempt to tell the truth, all the more outrageous.

It gives off the sense that Palestinians are capable of proper use for theatrical content but not for anything that resembles an accurate portrayal. Perhaps Fauda needs more guidance from Palestinians.

This brings me to the root of my main issue with the program. The Israeli commandos are portrayed by Fauda’s writers as being personally and operationally principled at every opportunity. They focus on their intense concern for protecting the civilians of Gaza and their extraordinary efforts to keep their promise to the family of the Palestinian informant who helped them. No Palestinian women or children are depicted being shot or killed by them.

However, Fauda is waging a war against the truth. The evidence is overwhelming that the reverse is true. In regard to only one of the Israel-Hamas wars, the 2014 Gaza war, 2251 Palestinians were murdered, of which 1462 were civilians, 551 were children, and 299 were women, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Israelis need to be aware of the blatant truth—that their army is to blame for all of these civilian fatalities—and to understand the difference between those killings, their perpetrators, and Fauda’s idealized warriors.

The Israeli military veterans whose testimonies Breaking the Silence compiles describe how entire neighborhoods have been virtually erased from the map and soldiers have been ordered to, and I quote, “shoot anyone in your proximity,” if it’s too difficult to trust Palestinians and international humanitarian organizations. Read the statements made by members of Israel’s own administration, such as Avigdor Lieberman, who served as the country’s defense minister at the time and said in 2018, “You have to realize, there are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”

One of the ugliest, and potentially deadly, sequences, in my opinion, is when an Arab physiotherapist makes an attempt to assassinate the director of a Shin Bet branch in the West Bank as he begins a treatment session in an Israeli hospital toward the conclusion of the third season.

It’s important to analyze this plot: Arabs make up 17% of Israel’s medical professionals, 24% of its nurses, and 47% of its pharmacists. Arab medical professionals working in Israel have never once violated the Hippocratic oath and injured a patient.

The idea of using a persona and a narrative that portrays Arab employees of the Israeli healthcare system as dishonest and aggressive attackers is beyond absurd. It can only exacerbate existing interpersonal distrust. The promotion of such an image is utterly dishonest and misleading; what’s more, it feeds the voices who consistently denigrate Israel’s Arab inhabitants, legislate their disparity, and instigate against them, including those at the top of Israel’s government.

I hope the authors and creators take their obligation to reflect a more accurate social and political reality more seriously. They should turn away from the barely covert anti-Arab rhetoric. And that they are now able to show Palestinians the same regard for human life that they repeatedly failed to show for the fundamental intricacies of Arab culture.

There is no need to further validate biases and widen ignorance in a place that is already brimming with deadly propaganda, defamatory language, and false information. Fauda is more capable.