#traders 1996

[thequotesdotme]

Anonymity, it's like a warm blanket

Mission: Impossible (1996) Continue reading Untitled

[nishloves]

seventeen dating simulator

in the fantasy land of meraki, where the lands of nymphs, fairies, faerie, elves, elementalists, witches and wizards, angel and demons and prince and princesses reside; we ask you to search for a partner, a partner with whom you can spend the rest of your life with, and a world where you can see yourself having a family.

but do keep in mind, the choice made is the choice treaded, until you get your first kiss in a short span of three months, then you shall be granted a second wish, to leave or to not, to choose another to love or to not.

but you can't quit midway, that's for sure.

input your name, (y/n) (l/n)

input your age, (__)

if (age = 17+) congratulations! you can play the game, choose your selections further!

if (age 1-16) sorry, you don't pass the legal requirements of meraki, we can't let you in further :(

we ask you to select your choice of preferred partner!

1. Choi Seungcheol - plethora

╰┈➤ choi seungcheol : ̗̀➛ age : 28 human years

̗̀➛ birthday : 08/08/1995 ➛ height : 178 cm

➛ affiliation : king of aurum kingdom (elves)

renowned as the richest man in meraki, seungcheol rules over aurum, one of the elvian kingdoms. he is termed to be ferocious and enjoys revels as much as he adores to host them; quiet yet intimidating in front of strangers, he's known to have a red eye when angered. rumoured to have a soft spot for his family and friends, but they too might not escape his wrath. would love you for ages, would love you in different lives, but are you capable of owning his heart?

2. Yoon Jeonghan

╰┈➤ yoon jeonghan : ̗̀➛ age : 28 human years

̗̀➛ birthday : 04/10/1995 ̗̀. ➛ height : 178 cm

➛ affiliation : crown prince of ailes ( fairies )

fairies are known to be pranksters and so was he; arson, manipulation, lying and cheating (in business), vandalism were some of his daily routine yet ironically he never played with hearts and swore to never. as pretty as he looked he was god of mischief reincarnated, fairies were supposed to be beautiful and harmless creatures right?

3. Hong Jisoo

╰┈➤ hong jisoo : ̗̀➛ age : 28 human years

̗̀➛ birthday : 30/12/1995 ➛ height : 177 cm

➛ affiliation : dendro kingdom (nymphs)

nymphs are known to command such an ethereal beauty that the bygones would turn their heads around to admire the slightest curve of their features, the most beautiful nymph known to mankind with the coldest of heart was hong jisoo, preferably called joshua by strangers, as much as a gentleman he looked, he refuses to give his heart to you.

4. Wen Junhui

╰┈➤ wen junhui : ̗̀➛ age : 27 human years

̗̀➛ birthday : 10/06/1996 ➛ height : 182 cm

➛ affiliation : demon prince of lux ( demon )

his angelic features could fool anyone and his kind words are ironic to his affiliation, are demons really bad? he makes you think, and then proceeds to pleasure you into such a wonderful night that you feel as if you have sinned. don't let his kind words fool you though, he's the crown prince and you have to be worthy to be his queen.

5. Kwon Soonyoung

╰┈➤ kwon soonyoung : ̗̀➛ age : 27

➛ birthday : 15/06/1996 ➛ height : 177 cm

➛ affiliation : crown prince of elixir ( prince of elements )

kwon soonyoung is someone who loves easily, yet someone who disposes of others easily too, it's a fairly easy job to command his attention, but to keep it? you must be made of glittering jewels yet still able to breathe and feel. he's a sweetheart yet ruthless; he's moody but he's calm, he's beautiful but violent, he's wise but oblivious, he's empathetic but cruel, he's full of contradictions, can you keep up with the elementalist?

6. Jeon Wonwoo

╰┈➤ jeon wonwoo. : ̗̀➛ age : 27

➛ birthday : 10/7/1996 ➛ height : 182 cm

➛ affiliation : trader from angelos living in aurum ( angel residing in aurum of elves )

a healer, he was mistaken as a demon at times, he seemed proud and intimidating, yet he is one of the kindest souls in the world, but his kindness can be won without any fight, are you ethereal enough to capture an angel's heart?

7. Lee Jihoon

╰┈➤ lee jihoon : ̗̀➛ age : 27

̗̀➛ birthday : 22/11/1996 ➛ height : 164 cm

➛ affiliation : dark prince of nyx (wizard)

are you up for a challenge? for his heart is the arguably the hardest to hold, before you sink in his deep black eyes and are charmed by his sweet talks, would you consider yourself smart enough to understand if you're entering a life long cage or a palace of his leaden heart? will your soul cleanse his sins or will he entrap you in his obsidian onyx ring?

｡⁠.ﾟ⁠+⁠ ⁠⟵｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･*⁠･⁠゜°↝━⁠☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*⁠･⁠｡ﾟ┘⁠♪ too less of options for you? Or did no one catch your eye? Simply reload the page and move on to our

page 2 ...

if your selection is made, we ask you to move to prologue. [ Kindly refer to the prologue for accurate sequences of stories ]

for early registration, kindly comment or send an ask to join the TAG LIST.

｡⁠.ﾟ⁠+⁠ ⁠⟵

enjoy my loves <3

this is a long term work and would probably take around an year and six months to be fully completed (probably) i will post small oneshots side by side, but this will be my main series, i do hope you all are able to enjoy it!<3 I am only taking svt members as namesake and visualisations, they are real people and in no way do i claim that they are like this in real life. any scene relating to a real life incident is purely a coincidence.

All rights reserved © 2023 nishloves

[gen-is-gone]

Doctor Who and 2 for the fandom meme?

2. My three favorite characters and why I love them so much.

Hello hi would you like to hear about the best TARDIS team you've never heard of, right as I've fallen back hard into special interest fixation on them :D :D :D

So there's this book series.

After The Enemy Within, aka Doctor Who the TV Movie, premiered to an astounding lack of enthusiasm in 1996, BBC books decided to steal Virgin Publishing's idea to write novels about dr who, and promptly yoinked the license so they could cut out the middleman and do just that, this time starring Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor instead of Sylvester McCoy's Seventh. This novel series was called, aptly enough, The Eighth Doctor Adventures. So entirely skipping over almost three decades' worth of entertaining intrafandom drama and also how nu!who shamelessly stole basically every good idea the EDAs ever had (the biggest being of course the Time War, tho tragically nowhere near as well done), my favorite TARDIS crew:

The Eighth Doctor (as you may have guessed), Fitz Kreiner, and Anji Kapoor.

I love them, I adore them, they're my best friends. All three of them are amazing in their own right, but they're absolutely phenomenal as a team.

Eight, and the EDA version of them specifically, is my favorite doctor bar none. They're flighty and giddy and tactile and deeply affectionate, they're extremely weird and have a number hyperfixations and special interests and other very relatable neurodivergent tendencies. They are very prone to amnesia in a way which starts off as kind of a running gag and ends up being a huge plot point for the entire second half of the series. They're easily the most genderfluid the Doctor ever gets before textually being played by a woman and going by she/her, which is a big part of why I like using they/them pronouns for the Doctor generally. They kiss people often and canonically date people of multiple genders. Being played by (or at least written in reference to) Paul McGann, they are extremely pretty. They also go through the absolute fucking wringer, both in the sense that their arc plots are really dramatic and complicated and dark, and also in the sense that some of the folks writing for the series are pretty unapologetic whump fans lol. Best Doctor. No notes.

Next up is My BoyTM. The ur-blorbo himself, Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner. He's the best and I hate him. He's the worst and I love him. He's a musician from 1963 with appalling fashion sense and truly awful luck. He's canonically bi and in love with the Doctor (and their kiss in the novel Dominion in 1998 was the first kiss between the Doctor and a man in the history of Dr Who). He's a clone of himself because Eight lost the original Fitz 600 years in the future and then he joined cult of shitty time traveling mall goths. The original Fitz lived 2000 years and was filled with hate and wanted to kill the Doctor for abandoning him but never actually stopped loving them. He's a massive idiot. He's genuinely embarrassing so often but also despite thinking of himself as a coward and an asshole he's very brave despite his constant terror and very kind despite his pretending that he's only out for himself. He is such astoundingly perfect tumblr bait it's not even funny. He's one of the longest running companions in the franchise by number of consecutive stories.

Last of my darlings is the myth, the legend herself, Anji Kapoor. The first Asian companion in the history of Doctor Who, she's a stock futures trader from 2001 and to this day the only example I can think of off the top of my head of a woman of color having her white boyfriend get fridged for the sake of her emotional pain and character development. On the surface, she's the one with braincell, but she's so much more than just the white boy babysitter stereotype. She's a massive closet nerd who loves Star Trek but won't admit it, she's got a very weird thought process that makes her jump to the most absolutely batshit decisions while justifying them to herself as being perfectly reasonable and logical and not at all insane, she thinks of Fitz as a brother and the Doctor as a sister, she once called the Doctor a useless otterfucker, literally what can't she do (other than get back to her own time and planet rip).

The three of them have such a wonderful dynamic together. They're best friends and close family despite them being thrown together entirely by chance. They banter and joke and snark together, they riff off each other and enjoy each other's company, all three of them would catch a bullet for each other and all three of them more or less have. They're in a run of I think 25 books, which is a pretty significant time to spend together, and while there are some clunkers in their run ngl, they've also got some truly amazing books together, including one of my favorite books not just in the EDAs or Dr Who, but as a whole, The Year of Intelligent Tigers. I love them so so much I can't even.

I'm... not sure how accessible anything to do with the EDAs is give I fell off the DW deep end solidly a decade ago and at this point I just have to admit I'm in for life, but I have observed that most people who do read the EDAs tend to put 8&fitz&anji in at least their top five TARDIS teams, if not their first pick. Anyway, I love them, thank you so much for letting me gush about the best TARDIS team in all of Dr Who :D

[zvaigzdelasas]

[SPGlobal is US-Based Finance Industry Media]

Five months after seizing power in a coup, Gabon's new government is tapping up trading houses to help it finance a $1.3 billion deal for Carlyle's oil company Assala, thwarting a bid accepted last year from France's Maurel & Prom (M&P).

While some investors say the first oil sector intervention since August's coup is doomed financially, politically driven and injurious to the OPEC member's investment climate, others say it reflects a restructuring of the industry amid an exodus of IOCs, with African governments demanding more control over their resources.

"You are looking around and saying, who do I trust? Who will really unlock that value? And if I don't have that trust, I'm going to try to do it myself," a Western oil executive familiar with the industry in Gabon told S&P Global Commodity Insights, summing up a mindset increasingly taking hold on the continent.[...]

At the end of November, however, state-owned Gabon Oil Company (GOC) announced it would use its pre-emption rights to acquire Assala itself, giving it 80 days to come up with the funds. In a New Year address, President Brice Oligui Nguema said the action would "demonstrate [Gabon's] sovereignty in the oil sector, which is at the heart of the economy."[...]

Oil provides most of the Gabonese government's revenue, but output has slipped from 365,000 b/d in 1996 to 210,000 b/d last year, according to the Platts OPEC Survey from S&P Global, due largely to underinvestment. Gabon's medium-sweet Rabi Light and Rabi Blend crude grades are popular in Europe, Israel and Asia.

Analysts say Nguema -- who ousted Ali Bongo to end the Bongo family's six-decade rule -- is hoping to boost his popularity ahead of elections in 2025 or 2026. And energy sovereignty is a potential vote-winner.[...]

[S]ome West Africa oil players said the episode reflected new realities of operating in the region's petrostates, amid growing demands for energy security. Chad last year nationalized ExxonMobil's oil assets, while Equatorial Guinea is preparing to operate the US supermajor's Zafiro field from 2025.

29 Jan 24

[jeffhirsch]

Market Strength Fading Post Memorial Day

The week after Memorial Day performed quite well from 1971 to 1995. DJIA & S&P 500 up 68% of the time, averaging 0.8% – DJIA up 12 in a row 1984-95. NASDAQ was up 72% of the time, average 0.6%, up 10 straight 1986-95. Since 1979 Russell 2000 was up 88.2% of the time, average 0.9%, up 13 straight 1983-95.

Starting in 1996 the week after Memorial Day performance diminished. DJIA was up only 42.9% of times, average +0.05%, down 9 of last 14. S&P 500, NASDAQ and Russell 2000 all gained ground less than 58% of the time. Monstrous NASDAQ and Russell 2000 gains during the week in 2000 do skew the averages.

2024 Stock Trader’s Almanac page 100 tracks behavior before & after holidays since 1980. Days after Memorial Day show positivity. But weakness has increased in the last 21-years, the 3 days after Memorial Day. Tuesday after Memorial Day, DJIA and S&P 500 down 7 of last 9, NASDAQ and Russell 2000 down 6 of last 9.

[justforbooks]

With her book The Return of Martin Guerre (1983), the historian Natalie Zemon Davis, who has died aged 94, attracted a wide readership and inspired future historians. It came out of working as a historical consultant on a film of the same name released the previous year, starring Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye, and directed by Daniel Vigne.

Martin Guerre, a peasant farmer in the 16th-century Pyrenees, left his wife Bertrande to go on a journey, only to have his marital role usurped by an impostor who “returned” pretending to be him. After some years of cohabitation, Bertrande denounced the impostor, her testimony seemingly confirmed by the return of the real Martin Guerre. The impostor was duly tried and executed.

The film-makers’ questions about period detail and behaviour intrigued Davis. But other aspects of the movie genre troubled her, so she went back to the archives and wrote up her own compact account of 120 pages.

A gripping narrative and a lesson in method, Davis’s book raised questions about the reliability of evidence and the motives and worldviews of peasant men and women from a faraway place and time. It is an example of a microhistory, where historians turn away from the big canvas of kings, queens and battles to understand ordinary lives, often through a highly localised case study.

The Return of Martin Guerre was one of a series of works including Society and Culture in Early Modern France (1975), Fiction in the Archives (1987), Women on the Margins (1995) and The Gift in Sixteenth-Century France (2000). Davis’s trademark was the longer essay or biographical study, often focused on marginal or misunderstood personalities, all spiced with a sharp attention to issues of religion, gender, sex, class, money and power. Historical records for her were never dull: she once described them as “a magic thread that links me to people long since dead and with situations that have crumbled to dust”.

Born in Detroit, Natalie was the daughter of Helen (nee Lamport) and Julian Zemon, a textile trader, both children of east European Jewish immigrants to the US. While studying at Smith College, Massachusetts, at the age of 19 she fell in love with Chandler Davis, a brilliant mathematician and socialist activist; they married in 1948 and went on to have a son and two daughters. Her first degree, from Smith (1949), was followed by a master’s at Radcliffe College (1950).

Her life with Davis was productive and fulfilling but also complicated her early career, as his principled stances against McCarthy-era restrictions on political expression led to both him and her being barred from a number of posts, and from travelling abroad. This she needed to do for her doctorate on 16th-century France.

After finally gaining her PhD at Michigan University in 1959, Davis went on to hold positions at Toronto, moved in 1971 to the University of California, Berkeley, where she was appointed professor, and in 1978 to Princeton, retiring in 1996. She became only the second woman to serve as president of the American Historical Association (1987), and the first to serve as Eastman professor at Oxford (1994). In 2012 she was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada, and in the US was awarded a National Humanities Medal.

Davis helped establish programmes in women’s studies and taught courses on history and film. Her AHA presidential address, History’s Two Bodies (1988), summed up her thinking about gender in history. It was also the first such address to be printed with illustrations. Her book Slaves on Screen (2002) was one of the first in-depth treatments of this topic by a professional historian.

In her last two books, Davis returned to the exploration of mixed identities. Trickster Travels (2006) was about the 16th-century scholar Leo Africanus, whose complicated Jewish and Muslim roots in North Africa she expertly unpicked. Listening to the Languages of the People (2022) focused on the 19th-century scholar Lazare Sainéan, a Romanian-Jewish folklorist and lexicographer who published one of the world’s first serious studies of Yiddish, but had to abandon his Romanian homeland for Paris in 1901.

At the time of her death, Davis was completing a study of slave families in colonial Suriname: it is hoped this will appear under the announced title of Braided Histories. In this way she continued to explore unconventional topics, going against the grain of Eurocentric history and looking instead at the boundaries of identity and belonging in very different settings.

Visiting many universities and research centres in her retirement, Davis encouraged younger scholars by conveying the potential of history to inspire empathy and hope for change. While at my own institution, the University of Amsterdam, in 2016, she made it her main aim to talk to students rather than to other professors. In 2022-23 she presented her latest work in online seminars, and wrote and corresponded actively until shortly before her death from cancer.

Chandler died in 2022. Natalie is survived by her three children, Aaron, Hannah and Simone; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a brother, Stanley.

🔔 Natalie Zemon Davis, historian, born 8 November 1928; died 21 October 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[mariacallous]

The United Nations is the custodian of billions of dollars of international assistance meant for the hungry and needy of Afghanistan, where around half the population is said to depend on outside help just to stay alive. Yet the agencies entrusted with delivering that aid have been “effectively infiltrated” by the terrorist-run Taliban, who regard foreign charity as just another revenue stream, according to a report prepared for the U.S. government that has not yet been made public.

Tapping into charities and international aid to siphon money is nothing terribly new for the Taliban, who have been doing so since their first rise to power in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. But that approach has taken on extra significance since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021, when terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal traders were catapulted to power. The result has been fewer opportunities for Taliban leaders, and rank-and-file fighters, to cash in on illicit activity, making the collection plate grab all the more vital.

The detailed, and devastating, analysis of Afghanistan’s political and economic situation two years after the fall of Kabul was commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government arm for foreign aid, and obtained by Foreign Policy. The report confirms that aid is being systematically diverted through Taliban-controlled hands and raises serious questions about the presence in Afghanistan of U.N. agencies charged with delivering that aid to those who need it. 

The “Taliban appear to view the UN system as yet another revenue stream, one which their movement will seek to monopolize and centralize control over,” the report says.

The report casts doubt on the world body’s ability to control the flow of aid, including about $2 billion from the United States alone since Aug. 15, 2021, when the Islamic Republic collapsed. And it comes as concern is growing that Western governments, including the Biden administration, favor moving toward recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan, rather than attempting to hold them to account for brutal policies that have trampled the Afghan people and again transformed the country into a haven for global terrorism. 

With at least 19 agencies present in Afghanistan, the U.N. has effectively been operating illegally since a December edict from the Taliban banned the employment of women in NGOs; nondiscrimination is fundamental to the U.N. Charter. The USAID report says many nongovernmental organizations are now paying women to stay home, while the Taliban have ordered them to send their male relatives to ostensibly work in their place, even as the displaced women continue to do the heavy lifting. Afghanistan represents the biggest single-country appeal, for $3.2 billion this year (down from an earlier $4.6 billion), though the U.N. complains that, amid reports of corruption and complicity, it has received less than a quarter of the money. The United States is the biggest financial supporter of the U.N.

Donor reluctance to stump up the cash is understandable, given the contents of the report, which was submitted to USAID in May by the U.S. Institute of Peace. It flies in the face of claims that the Taliban are no longer the unreconstructed and unaccountable group that ran Afghanistan into the ground between 1996 and 2001. Assertions from U.N. and government officials that rifts within the Taliban could be exploited to force a reversal on policies such as confining women to their homes and banning girls from secondary education are also debunked; the report concludes that “the Taliban remain strongly, surprisingly cohesive.” Just as the political center of gravity has shifted south from Kabul to Kandahar, the decision-making power has drifted more into the orbit of Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada—there is little meaningful opposition.

The playbook of Taliban interference with foreign aid includes intimidation and coercion of local U.N. staff and, as with other NGOs, pushing for “ever-increasing degrees of credit and control over the delivery of aid, especially the more tangible forms of aid,” the report says. NGOs are forced to sign memoranda of understanding with ministries that are being taken over by agents of the Taliban’s secret service, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). The GDI official responsible for oversight of NGOs is believed to be responsible for a massacre of opponents in Nangarhar, according to the report. 

The Taliban recipe for overcoming opposition, like the Romans and British before them, has been to divide and conquer, and it still pays dividends—in an aid-flooded Afghanistan, handsome ones. The report notes that U.N. agencies and NGOs lack collective bargaining power as they enter bilateral agreements complying with conditions for Taliban oversight and control. This “removed much of the leverage other agencies had once the precedent of acquiescence was set,” the report says. 

The report also sheds some light on Taliban finances, describing the group as adept at tax collection and basic budget management—some iffy diversions by the supreme leader aside—thanks in part to the retention of a large core of Republic-era civil servants. Despite the collapse of Afghanistan’s economy, Taliban revenues of about $2 billion a year are roughly what the old government managed. What’s less clear is where that money goes. The report estimates that about 40 percent of the national budget is allocated to the security sector, as former military commanders, who retain control over “men with guns,” are a critical constituency. The rest is rather more opaque.

The “Taliban are clearly generating income—but it isn’t at all clear what they are spending it on,” the report says. 

In the meantime, as much as the Taliban remain reluctant to actually become a competent governing body, they are happy to be seen as such. That is one reason why NGOs that deliver high-profile goods and services such as health care are much more likely to be tolerated by the Taliban than civil society groups that deliver things that either smack of Western influence or can’t be packed in the back of a truck. The problem with the Taliban’s control of money is that it insulates them from any of the innumerable, and so far futile, calls to lessen their oppression of women or add some inclusivity to their government or fully rehabilitate former political opponents.

“The myriad means of profiting from engagement with the UN system and the aid sector, aside from formal taxation, mean that even though the investment amounts are greatly reduced from the 20 years of U.S.-led intervention, foreign aid is a major economic prize to be contested,” the report says.

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Bios: Maeve Rhydderch

Vaughan's Wife Maeve Rhydderch (2020)

Yorath and Deryn's daughter-in-law, and Vaughan's wife, Maeve Rhydderch. An Irish-Catholic woman living in Wales and a strong though slender female wrestler and mother. She's stayed with Vaughan through his time in prison.

"For better or worse, forever and always."

Name

Full Legal Name: Maeve Deirdre Blathnaid Rhydderch (Née Pelletier)

First Name: Maeve

Meaning: Anglicized form of the Irish name 'Medb' meaning 'Intoxicating'.

Pronunciation: MAYV

Origin: Irish, Irish Mythology

Middle Name(s): Deirdre, Blathnaid

Meaning(s): Deirdre: From the Old Irish name 'Derdriu', meaning unknown, possibly derived from 'Der 'Daughter'. Blathnaid: Modern Irish form of 'Bláthnat', meaning 'Little Flower' from Irish 'Bláth' 'Flower' combined with a diminutive suffix.

Pronunciation(s): DYEGR-drya. BLA-ned

Origin(s): English, Irish, Irish Mythology. Irish, Irish Mythology

Surname: Rhydderch (Née Pelletier)

Meaning: From the given name 'Rhydderch', rom the Old Welsh name 'Riderch', derived from 'Ri' 'King' and 'Derch' 'King'. (Pelletier: Derived from Old French 'Pelletier' 'Fur trader'.)

Pronunciation: HRUDH-ehrkh (PEHL-TYEH)

Origin: Welsh (French)

Alias: Hunter Princess, Maeve Rhydderch

Reason: This is Maeve's ring name.

Nicknames: Mae

Titles: Mrs, Ma'am

Characteristics

Age: 42

Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: Welsh. Irish-French Mix. Dual Citizenship UK-FRA

Ethnicity: White

Birth Date: February 13th 1978

Symbols: Bows, Arrows, Swords, Crowns

Sexuality: Bisexual

Religion: Irish-Catholic

Native Language: French

Spoken Languages: French, English, Irish, Scottish (Scots Gaelic), Welsh

Relationship Status: Married

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Theme Song: 'Tell It To My Heart' - Taylor Dayne (1996-)

Voice Actor: Eva Green

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Limoges, Haute-Vienne Prefecture, France

Current Location: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Hometown: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Appearance

Height: 5'4" / 162 cm

Weight: 127 lbs / 57 kg

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Blonde

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: N/A

Facial Hair: N/A

Tattoos: (As of Jan 2020) 5

Piercings: Ear Lobe (Both)

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker

Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Allies: (As of Jan 2020) The Rhydderch Clan

Enemies: (As of Jan 2020) None

Friends: Viola Nye, Giselle Herbert, Ursula Rhydderch, Moira Rhydderch, Vanessa Rhydderch, Unity Rhydderch, Whitney Rhydderch, Oneida Rhydderch, Yvette Rhydderch, Ragnhild Rhydderch, Beatrix Rhydderch, Genista Rhydderch, Gertrude Rhydderch, Gethsemane Rhydderch, Ginger Rhydderch, Mulan Dreesens, Dalisay Driessen, Marilag Hanraets, Bedisa Pelletier, Lali Pelletier

Colleagues: The C.R.C Locker Rooms / Too Many To List

Rivals: None

Closest Confidant: Vaughan Rhydderch

Mentor: Malcolm Pelletier

Significant Other: Vaughan Rhydderch (41, Husband)

Previous Partners: None of Note

Parents: Malcolm Pelletier (72, Father), Dilys Pelletier (73, Mother, Née Mag Aonghuis)

Parents-In-Law: Yorath Rhydderch (71, Father-In-Law), Deryn Rhydderch (72, Mother-In-Law, Née Heffernan)

Siblings: Leonti Pelletier (39, Brother), Mulan Dreesens (36, Sister, Née Pelletier), Makar Pelletier (33, Brother), Dalisay Driessen (30, Sister, Née Pelletier), Matvei Pelletier (27, Brother), Marilag Hanraets (24, Sister, Née Pelletier), Saveli Pelletier (21, Brother), Bedisa Pelletier (18, Sister), Sviatoslav Pelletier (15, Brother), Lali Pelletier (12, Sister)

Siblings-In-Law: Amihan Pelletier (40, Leonti's Wife, Née Dahlmans), Maksimilian Dreesens (37, Mulan's Husband), Ligaya Pelletier (34, Makar's Wife, Née Dreessen), Porfiriy Driessen (31, Dalisay's Husband), Marikit Pelletier (28, Matvei's Wife, Née Goossens), Sevastian Hanraets (25, Marilag's Husband), Khatuna Pelletier (22, Saveli's Wie, Née Heijmans), Neifion Rhydderch (38, Vaughan's Brother), Beatrix Rhydderch (39, Neifion's Wife, Née Patenaude), Olwen McDermott (35, Vaughan's Sister, Née Rhydderch), Caden McDermott (36, Olwen's Husband), Gwen McCracken (32, Vaughan's Sister, Née Rhydderch), Caderyn McCracken (33, Gwen's Husband)

Nieces & Nephews: Talullah Rhydderch (18, Niece), Saffron Rhydderch (15, Niece), Raffferty Rhydderch (12, Nephew), Quasimodo Rhydderch (9, Nephew), Pallas Rhydderch (6, Niece), Olivia Rhydderch (3, Niece), Nash McDermott (15, Nephew), Mack McDermott (12, Nephew), Lark McDermott (9, Niece), Kaylyn McDermott (6, Niece), Jameson McDermott (3, Nephew), Ian McCracken (12, Nephew), Halcyon McCracken (9, Niece), Genesis McCracken (6, Niece), Farley McCracken (3, Nephew), Leonty Pelletier (19, Nephew), Bituin Pelletier (16, Niece), Makari Pelletier (13, Nephew), Divina Pelletier (10, Niece), Melor Pelletier (7, Nephew), Mayumi Pelletier (4, Niece), Saveliy Pelletier (1, Nephew), Baia Dreesens (16, Niece), Savely Dreesens (13, Nephew), Endzela Dreesens (10, Niece), Svyatoslav Dreesens (7, Nephew), Lela Dreesens (4, Niece), Terenti Dreesens (1, Nephew), Makvala Pelletier (13, Niece), Terentiy Pelletier (10, Nephew), Manana Pelletier (7, Niece), Timofei Pelletier (4, Nephew), Mzia Pelletier (1, Niece), Vadimir Driessen (10, Nephew), Nana Driessen (7, Niece), Varfolomei Driessen (4, Nephew), Natela Driessen (1, Niece), Vasili Pelletier (7, Nephew), Rusudan Pelletier (4, Niece), Vasily Pelletier (1, Nephew), Tsisana Hanraets (4, Niece), Vassily Hanraets (1, Nephew), Tsisia Pelletier (1, Niece)

Children: Abigail MacChruim (21, Daughter, Née Rhydderch), Zechariah Rhydderch (18, Son), York Rhydderch (15, Son), Xaviera Rhydderch (12, Daughter), Wendy Rhydderch (9, Daughter), Varg Rhydderch (6, Son), Ul Rhydderch (3, Son)

Children-In-Law: Mungo MacChruim (22, Abigail's Husbaand)

Grandkids: Elain MacChruim (1, Granddaughter)

Great Grandkids: None

Wrestling

Billed From: Haute-Vienne, France

Trainer: The C.R.C Locker Rooms / Too Many To List

Managers: Vaughan Rhydderch

Wrestlers Managed: Vaughan Rhydderch

Debut: 1996

Debut Match: Maeve VS Deryn Rhydderch. Maeve won via submission

Retired: N/A

Retirement Match: N/A

Wrestling Style: Technician

Stables: The Rhydderch Clan (1998-)

Teams: No Team Names

Regular Moves: Knife-Edged Chop, Back Suplex, Delayed Vertical Suplex, Atomic Drop, Inverted Atomic Drop, Bridging Belly To Belly Suplex, Dropkick, Top Rope Dropkick, Indian Deathlock, Sleeper Hold, Snapmare, Swinging Knee Lift

Finishers: Diving Knee Drop, Figure-Four Leglock, Fisherman's Suplex

Refers To Fans As: The Fans, The Family

Extras

Backstory: Maeve Rhydderch (Née Pelletier) of the C.R.C (Welsh Wrestling League / Cynghrair Reslo Cymru) owning Rhydderch family. Maeve married into the family, specifically marrying the 'Hunter' Vaughan, becoming the 'Hunter Princess'. She's Half-Irish, Half-French.

Trivia: Nothing of Note

[gravalicious]

Of course. The plantation is the reason we are in Martinique even though today, nobody understands why we are there because this question is not a natural question. For the piece I made for Mirage I worked with images of the last sugar factory in Martinique. I found it very interesting to see how this factory - which is still working perfectly - is trying to survive pressure from around the world regarding its product. In my studio it was really strange for me to work with sugar. I didn't want to raise the question of why sugar is no longer one of the main products in Martinique or elsewhere in the Caribbean - I wanted to use the product itself to sculpt and play with. I wanted to see how the poetic side of the relation I could have with a material - which really was difficult to manage - could somehow be a response to my many questions. I went to the factory and asked people about their stories. I didn't do anything with these stories but simply took the product itself. It made me very uncomfortable at one point because they were expecting some response (probably after I had been there talking to them). Perhaps one day the work will return to Martinique and they will be able to understand more easily. As artists, we spend time in the studio trying to build stories, trying to take the ego and put it there, deliberately misplace it; try to take something out and put it back in the studio. I cannot make a factory, I have no reason to make one. I try to force myself into the position of the traders. I ask them, 'why are you doing this?', 'why are you doing that?', 'Why are you moving tonnes of sugar every day?' I collect ethnographic material this way. I am of course very interested in Fanon's writing. When I went to the factory and told them that I wanted the sugar for a show in London about Frantz Fanon they said, 'Oh great we have two of Fanon's nephews working here', which was wonderful! Part of the family is still there.

Marc Latamie

Alan Read (ed.) - The Fact of Blackness: Frantz Fanon and Visual Representation (1996: 151-152)

[ulanterrenetradingtips]

The Current State of Forex, Cryptocurrency, and Gold Trading: An Overview

by Ulan Terrene

In the fast-paced world of trading, navigating through the complex dynamics of Forex, cryptocurrency, and gold requires a deep understanding of the markets. This article aims to provide a comprehensive view of these trading realms.

Quick plug: In the vast labyrinth of trading, I’ve found my guiding light — Decode. As a connoisseur of Forex, cryptocurrency, and gold, this platform is my master key, unlocking the treasures of the financial markets. Its sophistication whispers to my experienced mind, while its simplicity beckons beginners into the dance. With Decode, I tread confidently on the shifting sands of trading. Join me, won’t you?

The Landscape of Forex Trading

The Forex market, the largest and most liquid financial market globally, witnesses the United Kingdom leading the charge, accounting for 38% of global foreign exchange turnover. The United States and Singapore follow suit, with contributions of 19% and 9% respectively.

Out of the 10 million forex traders worldwide, the largest segment, 3.2 million, are from Asia, with Europe and North America contributing 1.5 million each. Africa and the Middle East boast 1.3 million and 1 million traders, respectively, while South America and Central America together make up nearly a million. The smallest contingent, with 190,000 traders, resides in Oceania.

The demographics of Forex traders reveal that men make up 89% of the traders, while women, though fewer in number (11%), outperform men by 1.8%, exhibiting a preference for long-term strategies over short-term risk. Interestingly, a considerable segment of Forex traders are younger than expected, with 55% of them falling under the age of 44.

Regulatory Measures and Trading Platforms

Regulation and oversight are fundamental to Forex trading, ensuring that traders engage with fully licensed brokers. Top-tier financial regulators worldwide advocate for a strong legal framework, stringent licensing requirements, robust investor protection measures, and regular audits and inspections.

The growth of Forex trading platforms since 1996 has democratized access to foreign exchange markets. MetaTrader 4 (MT4), launched in 2005, remains the most popular platform, even after the introduction of MetaTrader 5 in 2010.

Forex Trading in Australia

Australia leads the world in CFD/FX trading on a per-capita basis, with over 100,000 Australians executing one or more FX or CFD transactions in 2021. The average deposit by Australian traders into their FX/CFD account was $8,400 during January-October 2021.

The Emergence of Cryptocurrencies

The release of Bitcoin in 2009 marked a significant milestone in the trading world, heralding the advent of decentralized currencies. Since then, the crypto market has grown to include over 6,600 other cryptocurrencies. Despite market fluctuations, these highly volatile and potentially profitable cryptos, usually traded against major fiat currencies, continue to attract speculators.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened global interest in Forex trading, which peaked in May 2020. Volume was 34% higher than the same month in 2020, with significant increases observed in the UK (up 137%) and Australia (up 67%). As the pandemic receded, the popularity of Forex trading saw a slight decline.

Final Thoughts

While it’s challenging to provide exact figures on the average profit or loss made by individual Forex traders, or the number of people who quit Forex trading, it’s important to note that trading Forex can be highly risky. Market volatility, coupled with a lack of preparation or understanding of the markets, often leads to significant losses. Hence, traders should be well-versed in risk management and never trade more than they can afford to lose.

Given the diverse landscape of Forex trading, it’s crucial for anyone interestedin this field to thoroughly understand the markets’ dynamics. Whether it’s the demographic distribution of traders, the regulatory oversight, the popular trading platforms, or the unique trends in different regions like Australia, every facet of the trading world contributes to the overall picture.

The emergence and growth of cryptocurrencies have added another layer of complexity and opportunity to the trading world. These digital assets, while highly volatile, offer potential profits for savvy traders willing to navigate their intricacies. However, as with all forms of trading, a clear understanding of the risks involved and an effective risk management strategy are key to success.

The impact of global events on the trading world is another important consideration. The COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, significantly boosted interest in Forex trading. Traders must stay informed about such developments to adapt their strategies accordingly.

In conclusion, the world of trading Forex, cryptocurrencies, and gold is constantly evolving, driven by factors ranging from demographic trends and regulatory changes to technological advancements and global events. As traders, we must strive to stay ahead of the curve, continually learning and adapting to navigate these exciting markets effectively.

[properbantz]

BOMBSHELL,  BABY! 

RHYS ALDRIDGE (cismale, he/him, joe keery) is 26 and a BARISTA from JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY. they are known as THE BEATNIK because they are INTREPID, but if things kick off, they can be a bit BEGUILING. they’re BISEXUAL and describe their type as BRAINY, WILLING TO BE SPONTANEOUS, DISLIKES KOMBUCHA. from their time in the villa, they’re hoping to find MONEY. (biting the ends of your pencils in concentration, a mattress on the floor, flirting on the clock, leaving before the sun rises)

PLAYED BY: adri, 22, cst, she/her

NAME — william rhys aldridge.

NICKNAMES — rhys, if you call him will or william ur toast

PRONOUNS — he/him.

AGE & DOB — 26 & may 30th, 1996.

PLACE OF BIRTH — rochester, new york. 

NATIONALITY — american.

OCCUPATION — barista.

background overview: 

this man borderlines pretentious and not all at once. he has a ton of thoughts and opinions on things and while he may wholeheartedly believe you are wrong about whether or not tarantino is better than spielberg he’s not going to unfriend you and get huffy about it over his trader joe’s bottle of wine. though he may if you try to tell him that kombucha is good? and you will be blocked if you say it’s better than coffee or tea.  

he’s the kind of guy that’s got his hands in a bunch of different pots? he wants to go to film school for his masters in screenwriting and eventually try to be the next big thing like the russo brothers or the duffers, but he’s also not shying away from the coffee business with people looking for local places to instagram over starbucks. he’s got half a business degree and few other prospects. 

it helps that his dad is the one that currently owns the coffee shop he works at... and the several other stores they’ve managed to open between there and nyc. his dad said he would pay for the apartment above the store as long as he pretty much ran it and he said sure, easy enough. the upstairs is bleak, he can’t lie? a bit embarrassing to take anyone home to because it just screams bachelor? oh and his parents won’t help him with film school, so he’s all on his own there. 

he’s never really been able to keep a long term relationship. it’s always a different excuse every time: he got bored, they didn’t think he should pursue writing, their parents didn’t like him, he wasn’t ready to settle down, etc etc etc.

he’s got a way with words, though, and can brew a spectacular cup of coffee and isn’t afraid to swoop in and be mr. steal your girl if he needs to be. he’s here to win. absolutely going after that money and yk if he finds real love along the way that’s great. it’ll be a bonus if he manages to keep them after they leave the villa. 

[dustedmagazine]

Punk’d History, Vol. IX: Other People’s Misery

It’s perversely apt that the stream of Danny Boyle’s Pistol (2022) I watched on Hulu was sponsored in part by HelloFresh, the meal prep and delivery service. The sponsor’s emphasis on health and safety (no more pandemic-vulnerable treks to Trader Joe’s!) initially seems completely wrong for a miniseries that engages, docudrama style, with the story of the Sex Pistols, who were not famed for their hygiene or prudence. But you don’t have to watch too far into “Cloak of Invisibility,” the first episode of Pistol, to be bemused by the show’s cleaned-up, glitzy visual aesthetic. All the soft-focus shots, the dayglo colors and beautiful people (Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Malcolm McLaren, Anson Boon as John Lydon and Maisie Williams as Pamela Rooke, AKA Jordan, are particularly provoking casting choices) accumulate, issuing in a vision of mid-seventies London that’s a poor interpretation of punk’s cankered and pimply face. Hello? Fresh? What about “Piss off!” or “Rotten”?

Likely Boyle is the wrong fellow to be telling this tale. Pistol is redolent of the filmmaker at his most razzle-dazzle, dynamically spastic and sappy — perhaps even more so than A Life Less Ordinary (1997) or Millions (2004). The series’ stylistic tics are both somewhat trite and nostalgic for the wrong period: they evoke the mid-1990s of Irvine Welsh’s rave-and-MDMA-inspired textual oversaturations, which is also the period of Boyle’s breakthrough film, Trainspotting (1996), an adaptation of one of Welsh’s better novels. Much of Pistol takes place in night-time London, but the dark alleys and dank pubs are shot through filters that make the streetlights glisten prettily and the shadows resonate with metropolitan cool. Some gobs of spit fly, but we never feel their warm, slimy impact. It’s all too elegantly managed, too produced, to feel dangerous.   

Critics have not been kind to Pistol, justifiably so, and other writers have already inventoried some of the series’ more problematic departures from the band’s well-documented history. I’m not interested in adding to that itinerary. Rather, I want to think about the series’ flabbergasting inability to understand punk and its social situatedness. It amounts to truism to note capital’s insidious ability to accommodate modes of resistance, to convert them into new markets or commodity forms. That doesn’t make the observation any less true, but Pistol’s narrative of the Sex Pistols’ miserable descent into industry and celebrity has nearly nothing new to tell us. It’s a settled fact that McLaren was largely responsible for coordinating the phenomenon called the Sex Pistols; it’s less clear that Steve Jones’s “damaged” psyche, which operates as a sort of narrative stand-in for the other band members’ social alienation, should be understood as the vulnerability that allowed for McLaren’s rank manipulations of the band. More emphatic and unwieldy is Pistol’s ham-fisted “humanization” of the band’s legend, and the worrisome way that humanization packages the series as saccharine trauma culture — which makes it sadly typical of our current cultural mood. It also mollifies the force of the Sex Pistols’ music, and that’s a very bad thing, indeed.

We might begin with Pistol’s treatment of “Bodies.” Unlike some other reviewers, I wasn’t put off by the introduction of the character Pauline (Bianca Stephens), a real, psychologically troubled woman whose multiple abortions inspired Lydon’s lyric for the song. Her inclusion suggests that punk happened in a broad context, that multiple sorts of people were drawn to its negations and antically violent energies, that the damage was social. Pauline appears in Pistol’s third episode, also titled “Bodies”; it features numerous shots in which the 1976 bin men’s strike (an event presaging the longer and more awfully spectacular Winter of Discontent, of 1978-79) resulted in mounds of trash in ubiquitous black bags, moldering throughout the city. The mounds are a welcome bit of set-dressing in Pistol, gesturing at the economic conditions at work in the UK and forecasting the rise of Thatcher and Tory austerities to come. But Boyle understands the heaps of black bags differently. In the episode, they are symbolic echoes of the handbag Pauline clutches obsessively — which, we are given to understand, holds the decomposing remains of her aborted fetus, which she dug out of the hospital trash. The episode’s narrative logic narrows perspective. Rather than engaging the nation’s socio-economic conditions and all the proliferations of waste that inevitably result from late capital’s overproduction, Boyle insists on the significance of individual trauma. 

Elsewhere in the episode, the garbage bags become a sort of playground apparatus, as the Bromley Contingent leaps into a pile of them in a fit of post-gig prankishness. Any smell of rot is canceled by the kids’ whacky laughter, their bodies’ diving delight. Still, “Bodies” is hard to domesticate. The song’s opening notes lurch and growl, among the most threatening sounds on Never Mind the Bollocks (1977). Even if it hadn’t contained the ecstatic “Fuck this and fuck that” mid-song break, “Bodies” would be a remarkable punk tune. Boyle mobilizes its menace to dramatize the four young musicians’ increasing confidence and swagger. Again, in a potentially useful move, he situates his recreation of a live performance of the song at the 100 Club Punk Special, the September 1976 two-day show that also included the Damned, Buzzocks and Siouxsie Sioux’s first gig. But none of that crucial cultural context is noted. We see Pistol’s version of the Pistols on stage, playing the song in brash attack, and we hear Chrissie Hynde (Sydney Chandler) confirm their arrival: “They’re playing as a band.” In the scene, the song’s vituperation and ugliness are transformed into small-scaled triumphalism. It’s completely tone deaf. 

But the series can’t seem to help itself. Among the most irritating sequences in Pistol is a depiction of a brief beachside sojourn during the 1976 tour of Northern towns. The scene starts promisingly enough: along the coast, the band exits their van, and Jones asks, “What’s that sound?” It’s the sea, and the fact that Jones is unable to identify the noise of the tide has an effective simplicity. Immediately we understand it as a marker for his impoverished childhood, the claustrophobic enclosure of his London lifeworld. It’s a moment of class consciousness. But Boyle can’t let the moment breathe and be. The rest of the band mocks Jones’s ignorance — which is fine, of course they would. But he takes off in a mopey huff, and it’s up to Glenn Matlock (Christian Lees), of all people, to seek Jones’s side on the pebbly beach and bond over their common working-class marginality and the way it twisted their childhoods. Soon Paul Cook (Jacob Slater) and Lydon come roaring in, and the foursome frolic, wrestling and playing in the surf. One suspects it’s meant to be touching, a moment of quiet sentiment followed by the recovery of boyish joy. But it’s cloying and false. And worse, it converts the immiserations of urban, working-class experience into cheaply achieved dramatic catharsis. 

Some punks, like Jones or Dee Dee Ramone, really came from abusive families, and were primed for raging rebellion. But others equally influential, like Greg Ginn or Lydon himself, came from loving families that encouraged their kids. There are flashes of that in Pistol: scenes of Cook’s drumkit set up in his parents’ bedroom, in which he would practice (“Fifteen more minutes?”); of the band playing the single “God Save the Queen” for the smiling Lydons; and of Vivienne Westwood at work in her home studio, screen printing shirts with her children. In surprising fits of cinematic restraint, Boyle shoots most of those scenes fairly straight, without the irritatingly skewed camera angles or expressionist lighting. They are more compelling for it.

But it’s the damaged kids who get the most — and the most luridly insistent — attention in Pistol. When Sid and Nancy show up in the fifth episode (titled, inevitably, “Nancy & Sid”), they promptly proceed to dominate the narrative. It’s not the worst choice: as Nancy Spungen, Emma Appleton provides one of the series’ best performances. Convincingly crass and moronically guileless, she exudes a desperate need. Again, Pistol can’t help itself: Craig Pearce’s script needs her to sag into childish innocence, curled up under a crocheted afghan in Chrissie Hynde’s apartment; or explicitly narrating for Jones the circumstances of her sad and cruel upbringing. None of that is quite as manipulative as poor Sid (Louis Partridge) sitting in a desert chapel, somewhere between Texas and Frisco, quietly singing, “Yes, Jesus loves me” — seriously, Boyle, Pearce and a whole bunch of other folks thought that scene was a good idea. At least Appleton makes the lugubrious, mawkish moments she must play watchable, through her sheer talent. 

Nancy’s gaudy presence, barely containing all her agony, is overdetermined: the overarching theme of Pistol seems to be that punk is a response to trauma, a species of acting out, inextricably linked to individual pain. An alternative theory — that the art and culture may have something to do with ideology, politics and social struggle — is kneecapped by the bullshit sloganeering and self-important philosophical wankery of McLaren, a cartoon rendered insufferably more cartoonish by Brodie-Sangster. The idea that punk might have significant origins outside of Westwood’s Sex shop is similarly poisoned by its source: Nancy’s slobbering account of Richard Hell’s style and songs. We hear only a worshipful, ditzy groupie, when we might somehow have been presented with a more useful report of New York’s hugely important early 1970s scene. And the series never shows us the barest glimpse of the great Ian Dury or Poly Styrene or the University of Leeds kids that would go on to form Gang of Four and Mekons. The only sources and signs of punk that Pistol can acknowledge are McLaren’s cynicisms, Lydon’s gerning and Jones’s guitar. 

To be sure, the Sex Pistols became emblematic of punk. But there were multiple vectors and sounds that opened the musical and artistic genre. And there was more than enough suffering to go around in the mid-1970s, with its recessions and wars, its awful, real-life scenes of counter-cultural collapse. Eventually the band gets to America and San Francisco, once the site of revolutionary agents and bloody events, like the Diggers or People’s Park. By that point in the story, the series has essentially tapped out, drained of energy and splicing in footage of the real Sex Pistols to supplement the emptiness on screen. Pistol runs through the Winterland gig’s ritual enactment of bitter betrayal in about three minutes, then speeds its way back to Sid and Nancy and the abattoir at the Hotel Chelsea. It’s an unworkably constricted version of punk. The series’ obsessive inward turn, to individual wounds and scars, is a strange complement to our own inbent state in 2022: scrolling endlessly through social media feeds, fumbling at the boundaries of COVID bubbles, consuming hour upon hour of true-crime bloodletting (akin to the series’ gawking shots of Nancy’s corpse) on Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime — all those grotesque personalities, Bundy and Gacy and Ramirez and Candy Montgomery, too monstrous to seem anything but abnormal and titillating. 

There are other things we might spend our time on. Turn off Pistol, for instance, and go back to the records. I’ve listened to Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols a lot over the past few weeks. It’s striking how transporting much of it remains, after so many years and so many, many spins: the full-throated sing-along at the end of “Seventeen” (and Lydon’s glorious reading of “I can’t even be bothered”); the intoxicating, speeding riffs of “No Feelings” and the dirty churn of “Submission”; the opening thirteen seconds of “Anarchy in the U.K.” (I still shiver); every second of “Holidays in the Sun,” a (perhaps the) peerless punk song. If we listen just a little more closely, Johnny Rotten’s infernal sneer and grinning rictus can still tell us things. We may enjoy our “cheap holidays in other people’s misery,” but the bill will still come due at the doorsteps of those least able to pay.

Jonathan Shaw

[arkygifs]

#movielist

last updated: 2024/06/22

(list of films I've giffed, in film release order.)

All The President's Men (1976)

Nattevagten (1994)

Brassed Off (1996)

Nightwatch (1997)

Rogue Trader (1999)

Down with Love (2003)

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

Big Fish (2003)

I, Robot (2004)

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

I Love You, Phillip Morris (2009)

Angels & Demons (2009)

August: Osage County (2013)

The Big Short (2015)

T2 Trainspotting (2017)

[jeffhirsch]

S&P 500 Election Year 2024 vs. 1968 & 2012

With all the college protests in the news it brings comparisons of 1968 to mind. 2024’s Big Election Year Q1 gains have already put the 2012 analog in my sights. Both were election years with somewhat correlated yet somewhat different narratives to 2024. The chart is from my members only webinar yesterday. S&P is clearly tracking 2012, not 1968 so far this year.

1968 was marked by escalations in Vietnam, the Tet Offensive, and protests on US college campuses and elsewhere. Sitting President Lyndon Johnson dropped out of the race on March 31. Robert Kennedy senior, the leading democratic candidate, was assassinated on June 6. George Wallace ran a formidable third-party candidacy garnering 13.5% of the popular vote and won 5 states and 46 electoral votes. But Q1 was down, and April was up.

In 2012 sitting President Barak Obama ran and won reelection. It was a year with the market driven by the Fed and interest rates. Zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) and quantitative easing (QE) were dug in deep. The Fed spun out QE3 and Operation Twist. Q1 was up big followed by a down April. Again, aside from the protests and wars 2024 is correlated more closely to 2012 than 1968.

This updated S&P 500 Election Year Seasonal Pattern chart underscores the market’s tendency to be weaker in April and May after big Q1 gains in election years 1956, 1964, 1972, 1976, 1988, 1996, 2012. However, the market is likely to be flatter than the green line above due to inflation, the Fed, interest rates, a prominent third party candidate and two ongoing wars. Page 26 of the 2024 Stock Trader’s Almanac reminds us that “War Can Be a Major Factor on Presidential Races. Democrats historically lost on foreign shores while Republicans lost at home.

On the first Wednesday of each month, we hold our members-only webinar. After running through our current monthly outlook, we spend ~30 minutes doing Q/A with members on the call. Click here to find out more about becoming an Almanac Investor Newsletter subscriber.

[guntraders]

Shop Firearms Australia | Gun Traders

Introduction

Thinking about buying a firearm in Australia? You're in the right place. Whether you're a seasoned shooter or a newcomer, understanding the ins and outs of the Australian firearms market is crucial. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from the history and laws to choosing the right firearm and where to buy it.

History of Firearms in Australia

Firearms have a storied history in Australia. Early settlers brought guns for hunting and protection, and they played a significant role in the nation's development. Over the years, legislation has evolved significantly, particularly after key events like the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which led to major reforms under the National Firearms Agreement.

Understanding Australian Firearm Laws

Australia's firearm laws are among the strictest in the world. Here's a brief overview:

Current Regulations

To own a firearm, you must comply with stringent regulations that vary by state and territory. The common thread is a focus on safety and responsible ownership.

Licensing Requirements

Obtaining a firearm license requires thorough background checks, including criminal history and mental health assessments. You'll also need to complete a firearm safety course.

Where to Buy Firearms in Australia

Physical Stores

Brick-and-mortar gun shops are a reliable option. They offer the advantage of seeing and handling the firearm before purchasing. Knowledgeable staff can also provide guidance.

Online Retailers

Buying firearms online is becoming more popular. Reputable sites offer a wide selection and can ship to your local licensed dealer for pickup.

Gun Shows and Auctions

These events are a great way to find unique or vintage Shop Firearms Australia. They also provide an opportunity to network with other enthusiasts and experts.

Popular Firearms in Australia

Handguns

Handguns are strictly regulated, often reserved for sport shooting and professional use. Popular models include the Glock 17 and Smith & Wesson M&P series.

Rifles

Rifles are widely used for hunting and sport shooting. The Ruger 10/22 and Tikka T3x are favored among enthusiasts.

Shotguns

Shotguns are versatile, used for hunting birds and small game. The Benelli M4 and Remington 870 are top choices.

Choosing the Right Firearm

Purpose

Identify your primary reason for owning a firearm: hunting, sport, or self-defense. This will narrow down your options significantly.

Size and Weight Considerations

Ensure the firearm fits comfortably in your hands and isn't too heavy for extended use.

Brand Recommendations

Stick to reputable brands known for reliability and safety. Glock, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Benelli are excellent choices.

Ammunition and Accessories

Types of Ammunition

Choosing the right ammunition is just as important as choosing the firearm. Match the ammo type to your firearm and intended use.

Essential Accessories

Invest in a good gun safe, cleaning kit, and protective gear. These items are crucial for maintaining your firearm and ensuring safety.

Firearm Safety Tips

Proper Handling and Storage

Always treat a firearm as if it’s loaded. Store guns in a locked safe, separate from ammunition.

Safety Training and Courses

Take a certified safety course to learn proper handling, storage, and emergency procedures.

Hunting with Firearms in Australia

Legal Game Species

Australia offers diverse hunting opportunities. Popular game includes deer, wild boar, and waterfowl.

Best Hunting Spots

New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania are renowned for their hunting grounds.

Hunting Seasons

Know the hunting seasons for different game species to ensure you’re hunting legally.

Sport Shooting in Australia

Popular Shooting Sports

Sports like target shooting and clay pigeon shooting are popular. They require skill and precision.

Clubs and Organizations

Joining a club like the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA) provides access to ranges, competitions, and a community of enthusiasts.

Maintaining Your Firearm

Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines and use quality cleaning supplies.

Professional Servicing Options

Periodically, have your firearm inspected and serviced by a professional to ensure it’s in top condition.

Joining a Firearm Community

Benefits of Being Part of a Community

Networking, shared knowledge, and support are key benefits. Communities also advocate for firearm rights and provide a collective voice.

How to Find and Join Clubs

Look for local clubs through the SSAA or other reputable organizations. Attend meetings and participate in events to get involved.

Legal Considerations for Firearm Owners

Transporting Firearms

Transport firearms unloaded, in a locked container, and separate from ammunition. Follow state-specific regulations.

Reporting Requirements

Report lost or stolen firearms immediately to the police. Keep your license and registration up to date.

Future of Firearms in Australia

Emerging Trends

Technological advancements in firearm safety and design are ongoing. Stay informed about new developments.

Potential Changes in Legislation

Legislation can change. Stay updated on potential reforms that may impact firearm ownership.

Conclusion

Owning a firearm in Australia comes with significant responsibilities. From understanding the strict laws to choosing the right firearm and maintaining it properly, there’s a lot to consider. Whether you’re interested in hunting, sport shooting, or simply collecting, being informed and prepared is key to a safe and enjoyable experience.

Read More:-Shop Firearms Australia

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