#millionaire new zealand

[billionairenewzealand]

new zealand billionaires, new zealand millionaires, millionaireceoclub.com, https://www.MillionaireCEOclub.com

[curio-queries]

I’m loving your production breakdown posts, they are so interesting and insightful.

I think you mentioned it maybe in the first ep breakdown but it was about expenses. I just thought it was interesting in ep4 when JK mentioned at the chicken place, paying in cash, and he solely has this conversation with Tae, not Jimin. Would there be an arrangement do you think? Or was that scene cut and he’d have asked Jimin too? I’ve noticed in comparison to Bv where they were usually only allowed a certain amount of money between them, with one usually being in control, or a sum for a task, in AYS, Jimin and JK have been whipping out their cards, be it their own or a company card, in Big Dicks store, in Walmart etc.

I just found it interesting

Hi anon,

The finance bits are interesting in the most boring corporate sense if that makes any sense. 😅 Trust me on this. Let's dive in:

In my opinion, it really boils down to two concerns: taxes and sponsorships. Taxes to insure the company receives every possible benefit for every dollar they spend. Sponsorships because some brands can have fussy rules about how individuals interact with their product and especially any competitor's products while they have an active agreement.

Obviously I have no actual insight onto how the finances and budget were managed for any of these specific shows and I know absolutely nothing of the intricacies of taxes in South Korea but in the US, there are many regulations when it comes to how companies can claim expenditures for tax breaks.

Every company that has had me travel for work has gone to a lot of trouble to insure that I was aware of exactly all of the requirements on my part regarding expenditures. I'm 100% sure all of the BTS members are aware of their requirements as well so I don't particularly think there's any motive other than as a cute convo for the moment between JK and V. Imo, the only reason it made it to the final cut was JKs endearing tone in his response.

Let's go through some examples though:

Receipts: in both AYS and Bon Voyage, we see the members be very specific in getting Receipts. JM and JK talk about it as they're leaving Walmart. In BV, it's all of the shenanigans with the money pouch they acquired in Malta and continued using in New Zealand. This is usually documentation required for any operation that's going to be claimed as a business expense for tax purposes.

Personal Spending: off the top of my head I can think of several clear instances where we know that the members are using their own money for purchases we see them make on the shows. In Run BTS ep.70 in Toronto, JK pays for the member's clothing purchases himself. In BV4, JM pays for the member's clothing himself a couple of times (remember the drama of his lost wallet? 😅)

Budget as Content: BV 1 & 2 mostly only include finances as part of the game-ification of the show. The members had to earn money as an allowance for the activities and determine the best ways to spend it. (I do vaguely remember some members wanting to negotiate for more when buying souvenirs? Was that just in the extra scenes? It's been so long, I've been holding off on rewatching until I'm done with my Run series).

Thankfully, the success of BTS has basically nixed the budget games. I think the last time we saw something like this were the Run episodes of a hotel staycation? But the prices were ficticious and not necessarily about real-world spending but rather determining the secret number to not exceed. (If I'm misremembering and there are more recent examples, please share!) Imo, it would just be too tone-deaf to continue portraying the members in that context. I know we all joke about them being broke millionaires, but there's a reason why celebrity game shows always make it clear that the money involved is for charity.

Anyway, back to AYS, the interesting bit to me is wondering about the inclusion of Taehyung from a budget standpoint. How was that reconciled? None of us can possibly know the answer, but it's interesting to think about. Some costs wouldn't have changed at all with one extra participant, like the house rental, or booking the climbing gym or yacht tour. But there were a few extra concessions, getting the extra mattress likely was more a logistics headache on short notice rather than an impact to the budget. And most Korean meals are served family-style so there honestly isn't a huge difference cost-wise. Except maybe the omakase. That I can imagine was noticeably more expensive with an added individual.

But really, the most expensive item per person would likely have been travel. Did someone say Tae was already in Jeju prior to filming? If he wasn't, did the show cover his flights like they would have JK, JM, and the crew? Or is the budget on these shows big enough that it was just another drop in a bucket? Also, the intent likely was for JK to zip around on the motorbike and JM to be on the scooter. I'm curious if they weren't logistically able to get another such vehicle with the short notice or if the budget/sponsorship constraint didn't allow for a third one the day. Or it could be that the scooter exists because of the 3 member count and production thought one of them could be JKs backpack. That bike has the space for it. But perhaps the difficulty to get coverage and/or converse wasn't appealing. Or maybe there just wasn't a third radio-enabled helmet prepared?

I know the various shippers are using this in their arguments. I'd like to firmly state that I am not building a case for either side here. Go do that on your own and leave me out of it. Lol.

There are so many questions and it's interesting to theorize how the finances could have impacted the development of the show. Maybe we'll get some more insight with the remaining episodes and bonus footage but I doubt it. Finances don't usually make for engaging content.

Thanks again for the ask! It's one of the points I want to discuss when I start doing my BV and ITS posts but who knows when that will be!

[jaspell]

insane white woman conversation I overheard today (they were looking at travel guides)

“Have you done India yet?”

“No I watched (lowers voice) slumdog millionaire, and it put me off.”

“Oh really? It made me want to go there more.”

(talks about travelling in Europe, “of course Budapest, but that’s not really a holiday, more of a city break” then conversation returns to India)

“I don’t think I could go somewhere like that unless I had a travel buddy. I saw some pictures that Sophie put up on instagram where she was in India and from the pictures it looked like she was alone 😳. It doesn’t feel right to me. Canada, yes. New Zealand, yes. But any of the um…. Africas, and India it just doesn’t feel right.”

[eaglesnick]

“The game is rigged to work for those who already have money and power.”  Elizabeth Warren

A few months ago, before the election, I wrote:

“A vote for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is essentially a vote for business and the rich.” (13/06/24)

I pointed out that under Reform UK, the biggest tax breaks would go to big corporations and the already very wealthy.

Richard Tice, former leader of Reform UK is a multi-millionaire. Hedge-fund billionaire Paul Marshal and the Dubai based investment company Legrartum, founded by New Zealand billionaire Christopher Chandler who made his fortune in Russian gas, bankroll right-wing GB News, where Farage and Tice have their own shows.

Multi-millionaire Jeremy Hosking gave £2,578,000 to Reform UK coffers.  Another major donor to Reform is the ex-Bullingdon Club member George Farmer. An “ardent supporter of Donald Trump”, Farmer was CEO of the far-right platform Parler, and is married to Candice Owens, a woman who “promotes far-right ideologies”. In 2023 he joined the board of GB News.

According to Electoral Commission records Chris Harborne handed over £10 million to Brexit/Reform. He gained notoriety when his name appeared multiple times in the Panama Papers. These documents revealed:

 “…off-shore holdings of world political leaders, links to global scandals, and details of  hidden financial dealings of fraudsters, drug traffickers, billionaires, celebrities, sports stars and more”. (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: 03/03/2016)

Reform UK is essentially funded by the rich.  They see Nigel Farage’s party as a means of furthering their own already substantial wealth. Only an idiot would believe these individuals are spending millions of their own money because they want to improve the lives of ordinary working people or because they want to “protect British values".

Farage makes great play with “protecting British values”:

“Nigel Farage signalled a return to right-wing shock tactics for his Reform UK party, as he used his first election interview to attack Muslims in the UK for “not sharing British values”. (Independent 26/05/24)

Strange then that Farage was willing to take money from a rich Muslim donor during the election campaign.

“Muslim millionaire gives major donation to Reform UK…The precise amount Zia Yusef has given to the party has not been disclosed but  Reform UK claims it is the biggest donation to their election campaign so far”  (BBC News: 19/06/24)

Stranger still for a man who promised “a much more muscular defence of our Christian heritage and our Christian Constitution”,  to appoint Yusef as Reform UK Party Chairman only a few days AFTER the election results.

What Reform UK is really about is protecting the wealthy. Talk of defending British values is just a smoke screen to garner votes, playing on peoples concerns about immigration to get into power. It should therefore come as no surprise that it has been revealed that Nigel Farage is the best paid politician at Westminster.

 We learned this week that Farage is earning ££98,000 a month, working for the right-wing GB News. In addition, Farage has received a £30,000 donation to pay for his trip to support Donald Trump during the US election campaign.

The total number of hours worked b Mr Farage for paid employment outside of Parliament is officially 32hrs a week. Clearly, he is more interested in lining his own pockets than in attending to his duties as an elected MP and looking after the interests of his constituents in Clacton.

If you really want to understand what Reform UK is really about then you cant beat the old adage, "follow the money".

[msdrpreist]

Ik almost no one following is a New Zealander so this is more for myself and the thoughts in my head atm but I just gotta say… fuck it’ll be a long 4 years now that national is in charge. but look at the positives, greens broke records last night! There were a good chunk of labour governments going in and there were a lot of young voters this year. It’s just heartbreaking that people who only cater for the rich, the white, and the ignorant now hold control, but Aotearoa New Zealand has never backed down and we will continue the long fight to create the peace we wish to see, for everyone, not just the elite.

Sorry, but the news this morning broke me a bit. This government won by promising to take food away from children in schools, erase and remove ourselves from treaties that looked to protect our indigenous communities that the same governments have only harmed before, and have joked about blowing up ministries that they don’t agree with… but ig they really want those suffering millionaires to have another twenty fucking dollars in their wallet when the tax refunds come around…

Kia kaha Aotearoa.

[fkinavocado]

Someone Ik knows a half British and half South Asian nurse who worked for the UK's NHS. She attended New Zealand's cricket captain who had an injury while touring England during a county cricket season. They fell in love, did long distance for a while and later got married and now have 3 kids. One night while he was touring England with his squad for a series, she got drunk and celebrated her 21st birthday at a club, she was running around dancing without shoes and he was running behind her trying his best to make her wear her footwear. He was worried that she would step on pieces of broken glass (mind it this guy is a celebrity and a millionaire)

If this isn't destiny and true love idk what is, ig it exists but the real question is do all people get to experience it?

aww. but i'm worried abt her having 3 kids at 21 ngl sjsjsjs

[sweetdreamsjeff]

Stories from Memphis

Date sent: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 12:02:43 +1000 Subject: JBEL: jeff in memphis

I was working in the lab at scool on Monday and decided to check my mail (I had signed up for this mailing list only last week) and much to my surprise found out that Jeff Buckley was playing in Memphis that night. It was 4 pm, and I had no idea what time he was going to play, but I called my friend Jimmie, and he and I decided to take the risk of driving to Memphis and getting there before he quit playing. We thought it would be worth it even if we only got to hear the last chorus of his last song. We left Birmingham at 5:11 pm and got to Barrister's at 9:30 pm, and luckily there was an opening band who hadn't even started playing. Jimmie and I sat at the bar right in front of the stage. When we got there, only about 8 people were there. The opening act was different but pretty good - they seemed to be heavily influenced by King Crimson. I think the name of the band was Seven Four Slide. I talked to their guitarist Ben and his ex-girlfriend Melanie. They were very nice. I think Jeff started playing around 11:30. I had never heard him before live. He was incredible. His voice is so amazing. He played Grace, Mojo Pin, Last Goodbye, and some new songs. I was completely mesmerized throughout the entire show, and only came out of my trance when he would joke about something. He sang a bit from the song "Nicky" from Purple Rain. We were yelling the lyrics out to him because he couldn't remember them all. It was great. He played for about an hour and a half. After the show he hung out talking to everyone. Jimmie and I stayed at the bar until it closed at three. Jimmie, Jeff, one other guy, and I were the only ones left at the bar besides Kevin, the owner, and Andy, the bartender (both are really nice guys). We listened to Led Zeppelin on the juke box, and I watched while the guys played pool. Jeff beat Jimmie twice. As a prize for winning, Jimmie gave Jeff a copy of his band's tape (the suburban love junkies). Jeff seemed sincerely appreciative about receiving it. Then Kevin and Andy kindly kicked the four of us out of the bar, and we followed Jeff in his white Dodge Neon to the lamplighter where he was supposed to meet some friends. The lamplighter was closed, so we said goodnight to Jeff and went to find a place to stay the night. We were so wide awake that instead we ended up driving back to Birmingham. We are going back next week, and I highly recommend that anyone in the vicinity of Memphis make it to one, if not all, of the rest of his shows at Barrister's. If I were a millionaire, I would send all of you plane tickets (NY, Connecticut, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc.), but unfortunately all I can send you are brief descriptions of the shows. Until next week ...

Julie gene004@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu (juliej@uab.edu)

Subject: JBEL: Memphis, Part II

It was not a dream.

After borrowing a car and a microcassette recorder; after packing the camera and the CDs; after rounding up my friends -- we left for Memphis yesterday at 4:30 PM. We weren't sure that we would be able to get into the bar, but we came anyway. Even if I couldn't get in, standing outside and listening would suffice, right?

We got to Memphis at around 7:30 and finally found the place ( Barristers') in a dark alley off of Second and Jefferson. When we approached the place, I saw a thin guy with a guitar walking in, and my heart started to race. I approached the figure, and to my dismay I discovered that the figure was just some guy named Jake of John or some other "J" name. Anyway, I introduced myself, and we talked for a minute. I was surprised when he said, "My band goes on at nine o'clock, and that other guy, Jeff, goes on at ten thirty."

"That other guy, Jeff?"

The man did not even know who Jeff was. It was really odd to hear him say "Jeff" with no "Buckley" attached. Yes, odd.

We went inside, and the owner just asked us for five dollars. No ID check, nothing like that at all. Nobody at all was there. The place had maybe four other people in it. I was hoping it would stay that way, too. We hung around for about five minutes, then we went to Beale Street and ate some barbeque, and then we came back at nine to find that the opening band had already started.

I didn't like the opening band, so I went outside to get some air. I saw the owner of the place, and I must've talked to him for an hour and a half. We talked about the internet (he posted the announcement on AOL) and how effective it was for this sort of thing, and we talked about Jeff a whole lot. It was really neat to talk to someone who seemed to know Jeff personally, I must say.

Barristers' advertised this show, so people started flowing in at about ten o'clock. I'd say there were about 75 people there altogether, though I'm not sure how accurate that estimate is. Anyway, the owner and I were the only ones standing outside when Jeff pulled up. He drove up in a white Neon at about ten-thirty, and got his guitar and amp out of his trunk. I asked him if he needed a hand, and he said no. I was disappointed, but I knew I'd see him again. He threw his things onstage and then came back outside to move his car. When he came back in, I introduced myself, and we talked for about five minutes. I asked him if I could tape the show, and he said "No, no, no, please don't... well, okay." We talked for just a few more minutes, and I asked if I could get some autographs after the show. He said "Sure, Doug," and then went inside. A few seconds later, he came outside and asked me not to tape the show, but said that it was lovely for me to ask. He said that it was just too dangerous, and started telling some story about the British mafia and bootlegging. I was disappointed that he didn't want me to tape the show, but I just couldn't find it in my heart to press the record button afterward. He asked me not to -- I wasn't going to.

He went inside, and even though the place was relatively crowded, no one approached him at all. Either no one knew who he was (that wasn't the case), or nobody had the guts to approach him. He went over to the pool table and began to play pool with a guy I had met earlier in the night, so I followed and watched. The guy he was playing was really bad, so about halfway through the game, I asked Jeff if I could have next game. He said an emphatic "Yes," I guess because the other guy was just so bad. They finished up (Jeff won), I put in 50 cents and Jeff the remaining 25, and Jeff racked the balls up. I won't tell you the play by play, but I won the first game, Jeff the second, and I the third. I didn't quite know what to do. I beat Jeff Buckley in pool. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Who knows. Anyway, we talked some more and then he went onstage. I was really the only one to talk to him, strangely enough. I didn't hover or anything, I was just friendly. He is really very approachable.

He popped onstage at about 11:15, tuned up, and launched into the most amazing version of "Grace" that I have ever heard. It was just him and his guitar, of course, so that made it even better. He cracked a few notes (not the really high ones, though), and afterward told us all about how smoking will make your voice "suck." He proceeded to play (I don't know about the titles of the new songs, but I'll take a guess) "The Sky is a Landfill," "Witch's (????something)," and a GORGEOUS version of "Morning Theft." That song was by far the best of the night.

After that, it was time for "Last Goodbye," and then he went into a really long Prince (back when he was Prince) imitation, and he talked about "Purple Rain" a whole lot. It was quite funny, but then he brought us back into our trance with "Mojo Pin." He finished off the set with a song I hadn't heard before, but I think it might have been called "Wild is the Wind." It was wonderful...the whole show was beautiful and it was my first.

After the show, one or two people approached him asking for pictures , but he asked them not to photograph him. After they left, I asked him for one autograph, but he signed (defaced is the word) the covers of "Grace," "Live at Sin-e," and "Live at the Bataclan." On "Bataclan," he signed it "Le AAARGH!" He drew sunglasses on his picture on "Grace," and signed "Take me with u!" I was thrilled. We talked for just a second more; about the book I was keeping my CD covers in -- Hume's "Dialogues on Natural Religion," and then I left. He had remembered my name, thank goodness, and as I left he said, "Catch you later, Doug." He will. Next week, hopefully.

I hope to see some of you there next Monday. Let me know if you plan on coming, and maybe we can meet up there. Come. It's more than worth the gas money.

If there's anything I left out (I doubt it, considering the length of this post), just mail me and I'll fill you in.

Rock on, etc.

-Doug "I beat Jeff in pool" Jennings Doug Jennings <jenninda@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu

Buckley's 5355 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38117 (901) 683-4538

Buckley's

If you are a big meat fan, then Buckley's will certainly treat your taste buds. Buckley's specializes in beef filets, and they do a good job. They also have one of the most extensive beer lists I have ssen in this city, with a huge variety of domestic and imported brands from which to choose. Another great treat at Buckley's are the butter garlic potatoes. In addition to filets, Buckley's also serves a few chicken dishes and a good assortment of appatizers and pastas. All of the entres are reasonably priced and dinner will run around $10 per person. Buckley's in open for dinner seven days a week. There is a full bar. Credit cards are accepted but checks are not. Parking can fill up fast, so you may want to dine early here. Return to Memphis Restaurants

[fuckyeahilike]

Women's Declaration International - Pearl Moon on her cancellation - #WDI Feminist Question Time Aus/NZ, March 2023

Pearl Moon was born in New Zealand in 1959 and is the eldest of 3 daughters from a working class family. Her family was highly dysfunctional with domestic violence, alcoholism and sexual abuse scarring hers and her sisters’ childhood. She had a son as a single mother in 1979 and gave up a second son into an illegal adoption in 1981.

In 1986 she moved to Australia. With a trade certificate from Auckland Technical Institute, she worked from home as a sewing outworker until the work dried up in the 1990s with the offshoring to Asia of the clothing manufacturing industry. At that time she was in her 30s, still a single mother and with no work training outside of sewing. In desperation she turned to the working in the sex industry between 1992 and 98.

In 2000 she started a Visual Art degree at the University of Newcastle but dropped out after 18 months. She then discovered she was on the Autistic Spectrum which explained a lifetime of anxiety, social challenges and obsessive thought patterns. Throughout the 2000s and until the present she’s developed a modest public profile as a textile artist. Meeting and marrying her husband in 2008 has given her the stable home life and environment she's needed to devote herself to art making.

TL;DR an under-privileged working-class old white woman has been relentlessly persecuted by SJW woc, starting from the moment when she disagreed with them that using the word kimono was cultural appropriation on her part. 

Her life has been slowly destroyed by these zealots ever since. They have defamed her and vilified her out of every platform. Anyone who has been watching JK Rowling’s and Stephenie Meyer’s ongoing persecution knows very well what she’s talking about. The difference being that she is not a world famous millionaire, so she is quite powerless against her detractors and doesn’t have an amassed fortune to cushion the blow.

No one will help her because only POC can be the targets of racism so she as a white woman can’t be a victim of racism. Misogyny doesn’t exist and is not a hate crime, so she can’t be a victim of that either. The only fascism that exists is on the right side of the political spectrum, left-wingers are morally pure, so she can’t claim that these left-wing bigots are fascists persecuting her.

This is what happens to old uppity women. She is being made an example of. Joke’s on them, as nobody ever pays attention to anything that happens to old, unfuckable women. A harmless grandmother who is a textile artist is being destroyed for nothing.

The most valuable thing that Vaush ever said (before I tuned him out) was when he said that people forget, but the media used to be an almost total monopoly of the Right. Now there are quite a few left-wing influencers like him, but once upon a time the very few leftists who held the fort, on their own, for years, the unsung heroes that no one talks about... were women feminists, who according to him were bullied to an inch of their lives on every single video they put out. Then the leftist men started making videos and these women were forgotten. Not that anyone ever noticed them for any other reason than to shit on them in the first place.

[projectourworld]

New Zealand’s millionaires pay lower tax rates than cashiers – it’s time to fix the system. Inland Revenue report finds New Zealand’s 311 wealthiest families pay 8.9% of their income in tax, compared to 10.5% paid by minimum wage workers. It was a conclusion that many had suspected but until now couldn’t prove. Tax advisers and right wing lobby groups have, unsurprisingly, attacked the report. But it holds up to scrutiny.

By Max Rashbrooke. Guardian Newspaper #timeforchange

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

Over the past few years the legend had grown, as legends tend to do. On the eve of the gala honoring the Louis Vuitton Cup winners there was hardly a soul in New Zealand who didn't know it, and much of the sailing community abroad could say the same.

It went something like this: Dean Barker, the skipper of the defending Team New Zealand, was living a modern fairy tale. A millionaire's son and Olympic hopeful, a driver of fast cars, he was clean-cut and handsome. Just a few months shy of thirty, Barker had been considered one of Auckland's most eligible bachelors until his recent engagement to field hockey player Mandy Smith, a fellow Olympic athlete. Three years before, at the turn of the millennium, he had made his America's Cup debut as the protege of the brilliant Russell Coutts, the skipper responsible for New Zealand's first, near-flawless victory in 1995. At first just Coutts' understudy and assistant, in the final race with the Italians, the old master had stepped aside, leaving his apprentice Barker at the helm to cinch the final win– and he had, resoundingly, giving Team New Zealand another flawless 5-0 victory to ring in the century.

A few months later the bombshell had dropped that the sailors who had made up the core of the 1995 and 2000 crews were becoming free agents and signing up with a new team being put together in Switzerland, led by Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth. Barker, suddenly the new skipper and in charge of repairing a hollowed-out team, had been thrust into an even more mythic light. The noble prince carrying the pride of a nation, preparing for a showdown with his former colleagues, now revealed as wicked traitors– this was the stuff of romance and chivalry. But surely he was more than up to the task– after all, for such a golden boy, surely everything must come easily.

Well, that was the legend. But the trouble with legends is, they don't leave much room for the human behind them.

And at the moment, things were not going easily for Dean Barker. Far from it.

[x]

Constantly obsessed with the concept of a man forced to be a myth. What do you do when every step you take is embedded into the text. Every word you say prose to read. You're part of something bigger than yourself. The narrative tugs you along like water currents. There is no time to rest, to be human. You must be great, you must be legend

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.19 (after 1970)

1977 – TAP Air Portugal Flight 425 crashes in the Madeira Islands, killing 131. 1979 – Iran hostage crisis: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini orders the release of 13 female and black American hostages being held at the US Embassy in Tehran. 1984 – San Juanico disaster: A series of explosions at the Pemex petroleum storage facility at San Juan Ixhuatepec in Mexico City starts a major fire and kills about 500 people. 1985 – Cold War: In Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time. 1985 – Pennzoil wins a US$10.53 billion judgment against Texaco, in the largest civil verdict in the history of the United States, stemming from Texaco executing a contract to buy Getty Oil after Pennzoil had entered into an unsigned, yet still binding, buyout contract with Getty. 1985 – Police in Baling, Malaysia, lay siege to houses occupied by an Islamic sect of about 400 people led by Ibrahim Mahmud. 1988 – Serbian communist representative and future Serbian and Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević publicly declares that Serbia is under attack from Albanian separatists in Kosovo as well as internal treachery within Yugoslavia and a foreign conspiracy to destroy Serbia and Yugoslavia. 1994 – In the United Kingdom, the first National Lottery draw is held. A £1 ticket gave a one-in-14-million chance of correctly guessing the winning six out of 49 numbers. 1996 – Space Shuttle program: Columbia is launched on STS-80, which would become the longest mission in the program at 17 days. On this mission, astronaut Story Musgrave becomes the only astronaut to fly on all five space shuttles. 1996 – A Beechcraft 1900 and a Beechcraft King Air collide at Quincy Regional Airport in Quincy, Illinois, killing 14. 1997 – Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-87. 1998 – Clinton–Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bill Clinton. 1999 – Shenzhou 1: The People's Republic of China launches its first Shenzhou spacecraft. 1999 – John Carpenter becomes the first person to win the top prize in the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 2002 – The Greek oil tanker Prestige splits in half and sinks off the coast of Galicia, releasing over 76,000 m3 (20 million US gal) of oil in the largest environmental disaster in Spanish and Portuguese history. 2004 – The worst brawl in NBA history results in several players being suspended. Several players and fans are charged with assault and battery. 2010 – The first of four explosions takes place at the Pike River Mine in New Zealand. Twenty-nine people are killed in the nation's worst mining disaster since 1914. 2013 – A double suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut kills 23 people and injures 160 others. 2022 – A gunman kills five and injures 17 at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 2023 – The 2023 Cricket World Cup final takes place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, played between host nation India and Australia.

[eaglesnick]

THE BIG CON: VOTE REFORM, VOTE BIG BUSINESS

A vote for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is essentially a vote for big business and the super-rich.

Reform promises to lift 7 million people from paying tax at the lower end of the pay scale to  “save every worker almost £1500 per year.” Although I am sure this saving for low earners would be very welcome, it is the rich who benefit most from Reform’s income tax proposals.

 At the moment people earning over £50,000 pay a 40% tax rate on earnings above this figure. The Reform Party promise to raise the threshold to £70,000, a saving of £3,588 a year for the 15% richest people in the country.

Reform and the far-right favour business over individual workers.  It is therefore no surprise that Corporations are to receive the biggest tax breaks. Corporation tax will be reduced from 25% to 20% for the first 5 years, and then down to 15% after that.

For year ending 2022/23 corporation tax brought in £79.9billion. Under Reform, corporations would be in receipt of tax breaks worth £47.94billion. In November 2022, State of Tax Justice reported that

…”the world was losing over $483 billion a year in tax to multinational corporations and wealthy individuals using tax havens to underpay tax. That’s equivalent to losing a nurse’s yearly salary to a tax haven every second.” 

The only reason Reform would want to legitimise corporate tax avoidance is because Reform is essentially a political party for the already wealthy. They might throw a few crumbs to the ordinary worker but the real rewards are to go to the rich and powerful.

Many large corporations are foreign owned so  tax breaks for big business are just as likely to go to overseas shareholders as they are to UK owners. Does the British taxpayer really want to be subsidising foreign share ownership by cutting tax revenues?

Richard Tice, leader of Reform until replaced by Nigel Farage a few days ago, is a multi-millionaire who made his money in property development.  Both he and Farage have their own TV shows on GB News, which is bankrolled by the hedge-fund billionaire Paul Marshal and the Dubai based investment company Legartum, founded by New Zealand billionaire Christopher Chandler who made his fortune in Russian gas.

Reform's links to the super-rich goes further. Multi-millionaire Jeremy Hosking has given £2.578,000 to Reform coffers. Is it coincidence he is funding a party that campaigns to scrap UK emission targets when he is “the director of a company with tens of millions of pounds invested in oil and gas” ? (Open Democracy: 22/03/22). I think not.

Another major donor to Reform is the ex-Bullingdon Club member George Farmer. (Other members include David Cameron and George Osborne the architects of Tory Austerity and the liar Boris Johnson who brought us Party Gate). An “ardent supporter of Donald Trump”, Farmer was CEO of the far-right platform Parler, and is married to Candice Owens, a woman who “promotes far-right ideologies”, In 2023 he joined the board of GB News.

The biggest single donor to Reform according to Electoral Commission records is Chris Harborne, handing over £10 million to Brexit/Reform. Harborne owes his fortune to the sale of aviation fuel and technology investments. He gained notoriety when his name appeared multiple times in the Panama Papers. These documents revealed:

 “…off-shore holdings of world political leaders, links to global scandals, and details of  hidden financial dealings of fraudsters, drug traffickers, billionaires, celebrities, sports stars and more”. (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: 03/03/2016)

These wealthy backers of Reform are not spending millions of pounds in order to benefit ordinary workingmen and women. They see these millions as an investment, an investment on which they expect a return for their money.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Seduction Under the Southern Stars by Serenity Woods

Southern Stars #1

What a wonderful romance ~ Couldn’t put it down ~ Can’t wait for more!

What I liked: * Linc: archaeologist, bright, attractive, suffered childhood abuse, strong, survivor, gentle, caring, successful, deserves the good that comes his way in this book, perfect for and with Elora

* Elora: brilliant, archaeologist, in Master’s program, museum employee, suffered traumatic event, survivor, grows a lot in this story, has big decisions to make, perfect for and with Linc

* The introduction to the main characters of this trilogy – and wanting to read their stories

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* The connection between Linc and Elora and how the embers of their young love were banked but never extinguished

* Elora’s family: caring, devoted, loving, family oriented, supportive, communicative, and kind

* The surprise news heard at a funeral that changed Linc’s outlook on life and where it took him while he was in New Zealand

* Linc’s ability to read Elora and be the person she needed then watching their relationship develop

* The idea of the quest for treasures for the museum’s Valentine’s event – and seeing what treasure is found in this book while wondering what treasures will be found in the next two

* The communication between the characters

* Learning more about New Zealand

* Being drawn into the story, feeling I was part of it, caring about the outcome, and feeling good at the end

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about what Linc and Elora experienced in their pasts and what they had to do to survive then thrive

* Having to wait for the next book in the series

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

I’ve never been good at doing what I’m told… When Joel, an old friend of mine, asks me to stay in New Zealand after my father’s funeral to help his kid sister, Elora, hunt down a family heirloom, I’m not too thrilled. Visiting my home country has dragged up unwelcome memories of the poor, angry young man I used to be, and I’m itching to get back to my European excavations and affluent lifestyle. Also, I haven’t forgotten that when Elora’s father, Atticus, caught me kissing his beloved teenage daughter nine years ago, he was so furious he sent me to the other side of the world. But only I know the location of the ring that Elora’s looking for, and, despite our falling out, Atticus and his family saved my life when I was a troubled teen, so, reluctantly, I agree. I remember the deacon’s daughter as being small, cute, and with the biggest blue eyes that used to follow me wherever I went. Innocent and naive, she was easy to tempt into a forbidden kiss that I’ve never forgotten. However, I assume she’s long since rebelled against her strict upbringing and become a woman of the world. She has changed. She’s grown—a little—and she’s now beautiful rather than cute. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, and she’s a lot feistier and less gullible than she used to be. But it turns out that, shockingly, for reasons I haven’t yet discovered, she’s never been kissed by anyone but me. Joel and Atticus make it quite clear she remains out of bounds. But I’ve never been good at doing what I’m told. Now I have ten days to help her track down the family taonga or treasure. That’s ten days alone with her under the southern stars to see whether I can seduce her into kissing me again. Or maybe even more… Well, I never said I was one of the good guys. * forbidden romance, best mate’s little sister, brother’s best friend, second chance, fling, millionaire

[batteryshop]

Kim Dotcom: 5 outrageous moments from the internet’s anti-hero

German-Finnish internet anti-hero Kim Dotcom is perhaps one of the most eccentric, and divisive, figures in tech history. A serial cybercriminal to some, a large-than-life legend to others. You either love him or you hate him. Either way, boy does he know how to generate headlines.

News broke this week that Dotcom is being extradited to the US to face criminal charges related to his defunct file-sharing service Megaupload. In 2012, US authorities accused Dotcom of conspiracy to commit racketeering, wire fraud, copyright infringement, and racketeering in relation to the website. 

Since then, the multi-millionaire has been hiding out in New Zealand, living a life of opulence. Now his past has come back to bite him. He could face up to 55 years in prison if convicted on all charges.  

Kim Dotcom has described himself as an “internet freedom fighter” and claims he had no control over what users uploaded on his website. The tech founder has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. “Don’t worry I have a plan,” Dotcom posted on X this week, in response to the ruling.

[pookerpower]

The following was sent to my phsychiatrist earlier this year significant names have been removed, as a result my diagnosis was changed to schizo affective disorder and psychopathic traits have been recognised. The reason i am sharing this is to give people hope. I shared my inner world and wasn't sectioned. I hope other can read this and feel at ease to say it how it is to their care teams:

TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE, SELF HARM

I have alluded in communications with Dr @£#% that I haven't got what I want in regards to recovery if indeed it is possible. I really hope this isn't seen as game playing - despite my love of games, this isn't one of them. This is my life which I have to try and survive.

I wanted to give you prior warning of what I believe the issues I have may be and also attempt to answer why I believe this. Excuse my arrogance in doing so.

It is my belief that alot of my day to day feelings and thoughts are the result of an emotionally abusive grandfather who was free to tell me what a disappointment i was, and also restrictive parenting from a father who was a total perfectionist who had no time for people who weren't mens men and no time for people who couldn't live up to his unrealistic expectations.  I am a support worker on minimum wage, My sister is a millionaire.  In my school years I always felt different to others - my only love interest was a girl called Carie who identified as Mormon. I wanted nothing more than to be with her and we were quite honest about our feelings towards one another, from school years 8,9,10,11 we would often talk about being able to date once she was 16.  To dangle that carrot I feel forged a disconnect between emotion and my ability to express and indeed feel love.  Long story short she got to 16 and suggested I could ask her out. I said no. after our GCSEs were done with, I have seen her twice since leaving school-she is now married with kids and living in New Zealand...well at least as of 4 or 5 years ago.

I was always jealous of couples who appeared happy and have always felt that true love is out of sight for me.  Due to self esteem issues I have always felt like damaged goods. Love in meeting my now wife appeared to be possible but my negativity doesn't do her any favours. Our relationship was also marred by me having got another girl pregnant just prior to meeting - felt powerless in this and the full term pregnancy was her choice not mine.

For me my current risks mainly revolve around sado/masochism. From the outset I would like to let you know that my default position has always been masochistic in nature.  The only times I have become sadistic is when i was diagnosed with HIV. My high viral load until suitably suppressed appeared to be the perfect way to hurt men.  Upon diagnosis I also sought other females who were already positive and got off on the fact if the also carried Hep C and or HPV aswel as other STIs. I travelled long distances to meet them, the closest being @#%£÷ and the furthest being %&<>=÷. Promises of being single were made which was easy to do as i was currently living at my parents so could do video calls without arousing suspicion that I may be lying about my situation.  I would get what I wanted then would fade away - no response is a response after all.  The distance I travelled was my choice to prevent possible come back should they attempt to try and track me down.  In truth the fact that men are my usual go to since moving back into the family home is more down to my circumstances and the fact it is near impossible to 'woo' a female long term in order to get what I want.  In male interaction there is nothing more I want than sex, with females there is often a wondering about whether they can save me.  The only female who I saw some possibility of being my saviour was !@%×÷ - she ultimately ended our relationship after months of mind games - this is why I feel homicidal thoughts returned in 2022, her new male partner was my target at least for physical and fatal harm. Emotionally I would have hurt @%#÷<÷[ also, as I planned to ring her from his phone from his home in the last moments before his death. 

I very nearly contacted West Mercia Police back in 2022 to give grounds for an Osman warning.  Maybe an Osman warning would have safeguarded him? Another advantage could be that the now happily married couple would know that they maybe shouldn't play mind games with people who have long memories.

Fantasies of revenge have always been present in me from bullying in secondary school, I would stand in front of a mirror when alone and play out scenarios with my then airpistol wishing it was something more, in my head I would get my revenge.

In the present when I feel wronged I swallow what I feel and add it to my ball of rage.  I have compartmentalised for years which means I can do whatever I wish and return to the family home with tales of a normal day at work. Assertiveness and self esteem deficits I feel are part of this issue - I have tried CBT and it doesn't work - my thoughts are me - I can't change that.

Early issues prior to psychosis (whether schizophrenic or a trauma response, or a realisation of what I felt was really me, smelling blood and feeling vulnerable to urges of killing)

I have always been scientific in my world view. I am an atheist for these reasons which maybe I should reassess in a bid to work on my moral compass.  The label of schizophrenia I found useful and when that occurred I sought to build my own knowledge around it. RD laings the divided self being one of my favourite books ever. Any works of fiction don't grab my attention including the bible. 

My university course involved critical thinking and I found in that time period I was drawn more so to certain authors/thinkers as they seemed to fit with me and grab my attention if its not something i can relate to i am not interested. descartes, machiavelli, nietzsche, foucault, satre.. anything that involved individual power boosted my ego and sense of self.  Oddly neitzsche died of Syphillis and Foucault of AIDS. They knew the meaning of suffering and their world views were reaffirming to my own beliefs and gave me comfort I'm relation to my own patterns of thought.

I have fond memory's of &<>]=÷ and her input with me. Jungian shadow work was introduced to me, but maybe I miss interpreted it along the way. I at this time am very aware of my shadow self. Labels have helped me see a way forward in hope and for treatment in the past, and therefore I would like to ask for some investigation if possible whether to affirm or refute.

Protection of #%/×=×@:

&£=×@# is my world, possibly the only person I truly love.

With this feeling of needing to protect him and also struggles for him mentally since September last year i feel that my feelings towards suicide have changed. It is no longer an option although couldn't be ruled out entirely.

Suicide was up until September 2023 always a get out for me and one i have contemplated for many hours over the years, it was always a comfort blanket hence why the means would always be stashed in my car.  Since the reality of @%##£'s situation sank in this is now off the table unless as an ultimate last resort.  My behaviours have become worse...although less frequent more severe in seeking out what I need in regards to harm and the associated sensations.

Homicidal concerns and bucket list.

As you are aware from my history at least in regards to paperwork since 2002 has possibly 3 homicidal thoughts evidenced.  Way back in 2003 (caused by criticism) 2015 (caused by thoughts of serial killing and associated arousal) 2022 (caused by rejection).  Homicidal thoughts were also present in 2007/2008 when my unwanted son was conceived, these will not be on my records- my thoughts to blow that baby from her guts were present but my belief in something exciting round the corner having met my now wife prevented me from acting as I kept that birth secret until she came snooping for money for the little bastard. The cause of these homicidal thoughts were powerlessness.

The worry for me is that on my bucket list I have just two items to achieve:

1 - to kill someone before I die ( rationale from a young age was to know what it felt like, now admittedly vengeance may come into it).

2 - to create an everlasting block of cheese - this is of course a joke - there's only one item on my bucket list.

A suicidal act by me would now only ever occur in the aftermath of correcting someone who has hurt me or my son.  I have spoken to Dr @%!÷×/÷ about wishing to rip a whole in the world - metaphorically before I exit.  I have promised myself that. In relation to self harm if the sex I have is seen to be this it is very rarely impulsive it is a planned process to take part in long and risky sex sessions. Part of the reason the frequency is less is really down to opportunity. To engage in long sex sessions with multiple men takes planning and deceit. I am aware I need that excitement and to plan for it means I can last out till that point of being used by multiple men I have always been attracted to strangers as it heightens the element of the risk of the unknown.

At this time I am facing a need to survive for my son. This is new for me and I need to know how to do it - assertiveness and self esteem work and ultimately coping strategies I feel may help.  If the risks I take no longer take away that feeling of internal and eternal unrest I will have no options left and simply will not survive.

Whilst I don't express distress often and historically only seek help as a last resort, I would say that I am starting to believe I have little time left to change. I have had ideas of something in my personality not being 'right' for probably about 15 years, when serial killing I felt was in me, I lost 5 stone running so I felt physically fit enough to carry this out, I ran for maybe 3 years and #£××:@ helped me psychologically at around that era.  up until the last 3 years I put the risk taking down to being just something I do to cope, often justifying it as better than killing people.  I would like any and or all options to be looked at PTSD, ADHD, Autism, my honest belief is that I have a personality disorder or a mixture of several. Even if that is a delusional personality disorder - hence making me believe I have a personality disorder.

I held on to the fact that by midlife things may improve.  But I have felt in the last few years I may have ASPD and also potentially secondary psychopathy whilst planning and calculating is present i believe my trauma due to being worthy of nothing, caused my issues rather than biology. My possible awareness I hope is a sign of (fingers crossed) my issues waning due to my advancing years.  This awareness is double edged though as I am finding my acting out is getting more extreme and there is almost a feeling of being drawn in further as i try to make sense of my situation. On my original DBS after a firearms incident and forensic assessment at Reaside clinic by #£@%!/÷# I was descrbed as having 'obsessional personality traits' - I would completely agree with this.  'A danger to himself and others' was also stated- maybe it is indeed a self fulfilling prophecy.

I am prepared to accept a label if you feel it is correct, I have immense respect for you. I am also willing to move out of care and support as I understand that a label may affect not my ability to do the job, but my safety to do the job.

I am not scared of any diagnoses - i currently carry two of the worst and most stigmatised conditions anyway schizophrenia and HIV. I am accepting of whatever possible additional diagnosis may be deemed to fit. I need change, i don't want change but I know my current course is not in my best interests. 

I really hope this email helps. It's taken me years to unmask to the extent I have, I wish I had done it sooner buti needed maturity in thought and this clarity has only occurred in the last 3 years.

Whatever is necessary I will engage with.

If you need more than deviancy in moral and ethical terms, I have offended criminally, I am not willing to list all offences here, but wanton endangerment has already been evidenced through my sadism and 'gift giving' of HIV. I am happy to share this as the targets were largely fucked in dark rooms at gay saunas. Don't know who they were and vice versa.

Intrusive thoughts were hard to deal with,  the thought that those are actually true thoughts is even harder, I can't do it alone.

Opening up in the manner I am doing feels risky and I hope in writing this it satisfies the ever present need for excitement if only for a short period.

I have attempted to get help prior to this time.  And have sent out red flags before now, I am happy to share these instances with you face to face.  Whilst this may have made for difficult reading please be aware that there are positives and I recognise these.

My Son will keep me here.

I function well despite being angry at the world.

The shotgun removed from my mum and dad's home was really significant as it was a gift from my abusive grandpa.  He was hate personified that gun had an imagery associated with it which is now out of grasp. No other weapon will ever have that hold over me.

All I need is hope for change, please be aware my behaviours are powerful compulsions which are used to alleviate the reality of my existence.  Excuse me for harking back to philosphy, but it forms the only world view acceptable to me. Foucault's most famous book discipline and punish had at its core the penal systems move from the destruction of the body to the disciplining of the mind as an expression of social control and power.  The reason i mention it is because I feel at total odds to this. I am destroying my body as an act of power or self inflicted punishment, the years have taught me that i simply cannot discipline my mind and sustain change. There has to be something better than this. Although my actions may seem irrational I hope this email serves to give context to the situation.

The risks I take are outside of the family home and work, so I do attempt to reduce harm as much as possible whilst being aware I need it.

Kind Regards,

[collymore]

The British monarchical family slimmed down or burgeoning, discernibly produces no difference!

By Stanley Collymore

Clearly the UK's white population basically attendant with their non-white Useful Idiots, and equally the former's basically racist and generally, globally very genocidally predisposed kin, in clearly delusionally Australia, of Terra nullius infamy, New Zealand; Canada and unquestionably the USA, so crucially, psychologically as well as actually significantly need realistically, to very doubtlessly have a monarchy, to aptly subconsciously as well as literally acknowledge that they're purportedly others, out there, socially and essentially, distinctively too, undeniably removed from them.

People deemed far more important than themselves. Thus, as far as they're respectively concerned, they must literally willingly accept that they themselves are obviously, merely commoners, subjects, plebeians; call them what you want, who simply not only need to but evidently absolutely must abide by those crucially stated rules, which these undemocratically, blatant and pathetically, ridiculously supposedly birthright, quite divinely approved and literally installed very unaccountable and equally feudally delineated, hereditary elites, are so clearly and inviolably exempt from!

(C) Stanley V. Collymore 20 June 2024.

Author's Remarks: A visual slim down is not actual reality within the British monarchical family! Purely because the lot of them do and will still live the privileged high life that they've always had and are naturally too accustomed to behind closed doors! So consequently, all this rather speculative garbage is simply fake austerity!

My honest feeling - and has been quite unchangeable - is that one really needs to evidently, distinctly and very honestly work on genuine duties - and actually by this very remark I certainly mean clearly what ordinary Joe and Jane Public, who rather obviously have to effectively earn their own living, in essence, realistically, and routinely, do - if the Windsors quite honestly wish to carry on essentially, as it happens, get the perks they come by.

But to worry about their welfare is quite simply like rather asininely consoling a millionaire for having a miserly lost £5 from his pocket, assuming of course he actually Carrie's cash with him.  As such I therefore don't believe that any simply logical and sensibly intelligent person in actuality worry about the Windsors in a distinctly financial manner, since rather financially they've actually significantly already over the decades and centuries specifically evidently cashed in from all these years, of utilizing their collective abilities to have so much for obviously doing so little!

And what you're unquestionably being disingenuously at best, and out rightly contemptuously and dishonest at its worst is the pretence by the Windsors and their flunkies that they're all really down to earth and very concerned as well by what's happening.

Can't really blame them for their clearly rank audacity, as they know full well and all intelligent folk do from the past and similarly ongoing how undoubtedly daft, sycophantic and evidently gullible significant numbers of the white and as well their Useful Idiots, non-white Brits, discernibly are!