Knot Clock
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 NAUTICAL SEAFARING BATTERY POWERED QUARTZ WALL CLOCK WITH KNOTS14752  US $38.88
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 SEAFARING WALL CLOCK Ship Sailors Knots Nautical Decor LD14752 US $59.95
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 American Made Hardwood Single Bed Headboard US $70.00
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 14 Life Ring Preserver Clock Nautical Beach NEW navy home decor alarm wall US $15.99
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 MADE To ORDER ThE MaD HaTtEr TeA PaRtY Hat Stand Centerpiece 28 US $329.00
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 SEAFARING WALL CLOCK Nautical Decor Brand New US $54.95
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 16 Pc Titanium Forstner Drill Bit Set Hole Saw Wood Boring Auger Woodworking New US $47.25
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 SEAFARING WALL CLOCK US $55.00
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 SEAFARING WALL CLOCK NAUTICAL HOME DECOR 14752 US $47.95
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 Zephyr Bellows US $57.00
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 Essenza Scented Wax Warmer Gift Set in White Light Up White Tea Vanilla Mandarin US $48.95
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 Finished Gorgeous Black Walnut Rat Tail Figured Coffee Table Top Furniture 10094 US $119.96
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 Wooden Ship`s Wheel Anchor Sailor`s Knot Wall Clock US $44.99
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 BEAUTIFUL FALL HARVEST CENTERPIECE WITH BERRIES PUMPKINS CANDLEHOLDERS LEAVES US $22.47
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 Celtic Knot Horses Decor WALL CLOCK Black New Rare US $19.66
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 Home Bar furniture pub old english irish tavern bar Clock Back pillars foot rail US $3,795.00
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 Ship Wheel Mantel Knot Clock with Rope Block Nautical Home Decor US $24.95
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 NEW 17 TALL BURNISHED COPPER PHESANT BIRD DECORATIVE ACCENT 21 LONG US $17.47
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 Achla Designs Tripod Stand with Anchoring Pins US $69.99
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 NAUTICAL SHIP WOOD FRAMED SAILOR ROPE KNOT NUMERALS COMPASS DIAL WALL CLOCK US $49.99
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 New Nautical Chic Decor Ship Sailor’s Knots Compass Face Dial Wall Clock US $39.99
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 First Mate Life Ring with Rope Knot Accents Wall Clock US $49.00
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 Wall Mounted Media Cabinet Triple Storage in Black by V US $246.68
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![14752] SEAFARING WALL CLOCK Wood Quartz movement Battery operated NAUTICAL](http://www.flikkemawoodworks.com/images/e/120917129285_0.jpg) 14752] SEAFARING WALL CLOCK Wood Quartz movement Battery operated NAUTICAL US $59.95
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 La Crosse Technology Handheld Anemometer EA 3010U US $39.99
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 Yellow Draped Buddha Wall Clock US $28.00
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 MLCS 9146 Forstner 16 Piece Bit Set in Wooden Box US $52.53
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 Nautical Clock US $22.58
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 New Quartz Movement Nautical Wall Clock Wood Glass Home Decor s US $49.95
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 Pre own NAUTICAL WOOD KEY BOX w CLOCK US $45.00
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 Woodstock Kensington Chime Moss Green US $89.59
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 Woodstock Celtic Chime US $63.99
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 CERAMIC COVERED DOUBLE CASSEROLE WARMERS ON RACK US $49.39
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 Pawleys Island Single Cotton Rope Swing US $149.99
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 Canopy Covered Home BAR Furniture mahogany wooden coffee old antique vintage US $7,995.00
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 Byer of Maine Naturalesa Hammock XXL US $181.99
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 Seafaring Nautical Decor Wall Clock US $51.95
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 PLANT TIES VELCRO BRAND 45 FEET US $2.95
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 Seafaring wall clock US $41.96
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 Burgundy Oriental 56x26 Half Round Wool Hearth Rug US $96.00
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 Burgundy Oriental 44x22 Half Round Wool Hearth Rug US $67.00
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 WALL CLOCK With Nautical Theme DECORATIVE Wood Clock New US $39.95
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 NEW 14 in Wood Nautical Wall Clock Ship Life Preserver US $33.00
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 Countdown To My Happy Birthday Gift Clock Timer US $14.90
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 Custom Wood Clocks Handcrafted One of a Kind Woodburned Country Wildlife US $120.00
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 Jean M Black Tea Length Wedding Invitation 30 Off Sale US $146.16
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 Nautical Life Ring Clock Nautical Beach Decor 14 Welcome Aboard Blue New US $15.49
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 Knot Working 16 Scale Fishing Boat Replica Nautical US $69.99
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 Clock Key Storage Knot holder Wall Box hooks Wheel ship Boat model Nautical BA03 US $99.99
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 NEW BENZARA 84100 BOSUNS KNOT BOARD CLOCK AND INSTRUMENTS SHADOW BOX US $44.99
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 Huge BRITISH HOME antique Bar Furniture victorian Rococco store counter man cave US $9,995.00
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 Pre Finished Awesome Spalted Knotty Pine Coffee Table Bench Seat 10099 US $396.76
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 Pre Finished Beautiful White Knotty Pine Rustic Coffee Table Bench Seat 10098 US $335.96
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 SEAFARING WALL CLOCK home or office decor US $40.95
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 DIGITAL WEATHER WATCH ATOMIC ALARM CLOCK w RADIO CONTROLLED OUTDOOR SYNC SENSORS US $119.75
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 Burgundy Oriental 56x26 Rectangular Wool Hearth Rug US $98.00
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 Beige Oriental 56x26 Rect Wool Fireplace Hearth Rug US $99.00
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 Vermillion Jardin 44x22 Rectangle Fireplace Hearth Rug US $59.00
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Napoleon and Alexander the Great Are Innovative Role Models Even Today
During the 18th century the royal courts of Europe were starved for exciting and fresh entertainment formats. The staid choral recital, piano concerto, plays and opera had been standard fare in all of the great palaces for centuries. Each court strove to offer something more modern, more cutting edge and contemporary.
In 1769 the Empress of Austria, Maria Therese invited a member of her entourage named Baron Wolfgang Von Kempelen to attend a conjuring show. Conjuring was a form of the emerging art of magic presentations. After the show was completed, Baron Von Kempelen announced loudly that the show was boring and he could do better.
The Empress took the Baron up on his declaration. She issued a challenge, which the Baron accepted, to return in six months with a completely new show. The Baron began to assemble the program that would, for 85 years, beguile and amaze audiences in Europe, America and South America.
The unveiling of “the Turk”, a mechanical chess playing robot, created an immediate sensation. A wooden man dressed in turban and Oriental garb was seated behind a square box with an ornate chessboard affixed to the top. Von Kempelen rotated the box, opening the doors on each side, revealing a complex series of gears, bearings and clock-like movements very intricately crafted. Turning a giant key, he would activate the mechanism and the Turk was ready to play. The Baron chose an ardent chess-playing member of the court as the Turk’s first opponent. The Turk played very fast, very decisively and easily vanquished his initial rival, much to the amazement of the court.
After the Empress died, her successor Emperor Joseph arranged for Baron Von Kempelen to tour Europe with the amazing Turk. The chess-playing robot was a sensation everywhere. He played all comers and almost never lost. He played Benjamin Franklin, considered a Grand Master player, in Paris and easily beat the great American.
The Turk’s most famous match was played in 1799 against Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was at the height of his power and was considered the most brilliant military, governmental and political strategist of his age. He prepared for his match with the Turk as if preparing for the invasion of Egypt. He studied the robot’s strategies, pace of play and the aggressive tactics the machine had utilized in besting the best chess players in all of Europe where chess was played as a non-lethal substitute for warfare.
Napoleon settled on a disruptive strategy. He decided to attack the Turk’s lack of emotion, human instinct and reasoning. After all wasn’t he playing a machine? As the greatly anticipated match began, Napoleon began to negotiate alternative rules of play, slow the agreed pace of play (very fast, no withdrawal of moves, etc.) and make moves outside the parameters of the rules of chess. The Turk became furious (showing emotion), frustration (weakness) and swept away the chess pieces from the board (physical anger) all betraying emotions a machine could not possibly possess. This was an 18th century form of rope a dope.
The match with Napoleon exposed the Turk as a tiny human, an expert chess player, manipulating the movement arm of the wooden dummy to make chess moves through a series of hinges. The matches had to be played quickly owing to the severe confines of the box in which the tiny player was concealed.
Napoleon’s reputation for shrewd tactics, incisiveness and creativity was greatly embellished by quickly spreading the news of the results of the chess match with the Turk. His reputation for making unpredictable moves was reinforced and made his opponents even more wary of his potential for ruthless behavior. This was a man that was to be feared and his tactics would become more creative, cunning and novel. The capacity to innovate and create the aura of a leader to be feared and dreaded became Napoleon’s greatest asset as a warrior and Emperor of France.
Another great warrior from even more distant times was Alexander the Great. A warrior at the age of 14, general at 18, and king of tiny Macedonia at 20, Alexander conquered most of the known world before his untimely death at the age of 32. He is considered the greatest military tactician of all time.
Alexander lived during the fourth century before Christ, at a time when mysticism, myth and superstitions were an intricate part of daily life. The puzzle of the Gordian Knot was considered one of the world’s great mysteries. Outside of the Temple of Zeus, at the city of Gordus, there was an oxcart with an unusually complicated knot attached to the hitch. The world famous Gordian Knot was comprised of densely packed comer bark and there was no visible beginning or end to the maze of the knot. The priests and oracles of that day claimed that Zeus had promised that whoever could undo the knot would rule the world.
Princes, tyrants and dreamers came from all over the world to test their ability against the amazingly complex Gordian Knot. None had ever succeeded in loosening the tangled orb. Much as Napoleon approached the chess match with the Turk, Alexander planned strategy for his encounter with the Knot was as if entering his famous military campaign against King Darius and the Persians.
He spent several hours pondering the Gordian Knot. Alexander knew that success in loosening the Gordian Knot would trumpet his reputation as the world’s greatest king and military strategist. It would further motivate his army and sow fear in his enemies. Then, with a violent suddenness, Alexander grabbed a great axe and swung mightily. Hitting the immense Gordian knot directly in the center, it fell open like a pear. The gnarled bulk of the knot was severed and fell to the ground freeing the oxcart for the first time in centuries.
Alexander, like Napoleon many centuries later, saw a problem that had vexed men for many years. He took a creative, innovative and, in reality, the simplest approach to the task. The puzzle of the Gordian Knot did not come accompanied with a fixed set of rules that needed to be followed in order to claim success: just remove the knot from the oxcart. The simplicity of the task was shrouded in mystery, legend and the proximity of immense power and riches. Surely no such reward could be achieved so simply! Where was the beginning and end of the knot? Alexander understood that the conventional approaches to the problem, followed for centuries by all others attempting to untie the knot, was not relevant or of any import.
Alexander the Great said that his greatest victory was his success at solving the puzzle of the Gordian Knot. This achievement confirmed for the whole world that this man was a gifted, clever and an outside of the box thinker (a term certainly not utilized at the time of Alexander the Great). Successful entrepreneurs need to develop this same skill set as creative problem solvers, addressing insatiable market and consumer need for novel solutions and utility features to answer today’s problems and opportunities.
About the Author
Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.
After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.
Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
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