Category Archives: Roulette

The roulette wheel is spinning, the ball already rattling towards its final destination. Boris Johnson has bet the house on his Omicron gamble and now theres no going back. The bullishness of ministers insisting over the weekend that they see no case for further restrictions glosses over the fact that it may now be too late for that anyway, given an estimated one in 25 people in England already had the virus before New Years Eve.

Double or quits it is, then, as a country drags itself back out to work and school after the Christmas hibernation period. Were about to find out exactly what it means to experience unprecedented levels of Covid infections, but from a strain that may be less dangerous, at least in the fully vaccinated. Once again, a virus we thought wed got to know has abruptly shapeshifted and once again, history isnt necessarily a reliable guide to the present. Were all back on the seesaw, lurching between hope and fear, never knowing quite what to expect.

The novel threat this time is not death on the biblical scale forecast during the first wave although sadly there will be too many deaths, hospitalisations and cases of long Covid disabling people for months to come but knock-on chaos and disruption caused by the potential mass infection of key workers, leaving them unable to do their work. Weve entered an unpredictable world of people who have heart attacks waiting for well over an hour for an ambulance, critical incidents being declared by hospitals that cant maintain safe staffing levels and large organisations being warned to plan for up to a quarter of their people being off sick or self-isolating. Now imagine what that worst-case scenario might do to the everyday grind of supermarket deliveries, bin collections and bus timetables, let alone to policing or critical infrastructure such as the power and water industries.

Education ministers have meanwhile vowed to keep schools and nurseries open wherever possible rightly given the profound impact we now know closures had on poorer childrens education, and on a vulnerable few who are sadly safer with their teachers than with their parents but are simultaneously letting heads know they can send year groups home if they have to. For secondary schools in England and Wales hit by serious staff shortages, in practice that would probably mean prioritising GCSE and A-level classes for pupils who need to sit their mocks this term but switching to home schooling for other years if necessary, something already happening in some parts of the country before Christmas as Omicron hit.

Nurseries and primary schools catering for pupils too young to be vaccinated will meanwhile be flinging windows open to the January air and crossing their fingers, knowing that (at least according to the Office for National Statistics) about one in 15 children aged between two and 11 had Covid before Christmas. Since many key workers are also parents who cant easily do their jobs if their child gets sent home sick, were probably about to be reminded that childcare is the fourth emergency service, without which the other three would struggle very quickly. In other words, its time to prepare ourselves at least for the possibility of things getting messy; of everyday life becoming harder and more volatile as Covid jams its spokes into wheels that in good times you barely even notice turning.

With luck, that upheaval could be mercifully brief. But any country that nearly ground to a halt overnight thanks to a temporary post-Brexit shortage of fuel tanker drivers and a panicky stampede for petrol should probably have learned by now not to get cocky. Over and over again this virus has reminded us of just how much happens unseen beneath the surface of a functioning society; of how complex our just-in-time modern lives with all their endlessly interconnected moving parts have become, but also how fragile, dependent on things and people we mostly take for granted until brutally reminded not to do so.

And thats why learning to live with this or any other virus, the mantra of those who never want their liberties restricted by government diktat again, doesnt mean quite what some hope it does. Its not about ripping off your mask and gleefully forgetting that any of it ever happened, but about building in resilience and learning from the weaknesses exposed by Covid. Rubbing along successfully through what might hopefully be the tail end of a pandemic should mean investing not just in vaccines and antivirals but in more hospital beds and people to staff them, creating enough slack in the system to absorb seasonal Covid surges without having to throw up tent wards in NHS car parks. Its going to mean well-honed contingency plans for critical industries, better ventilation in schools, and more imaginative answers to the question of protecting people who are shielding or clinically vulnerable than are so far forthcoming from lockdown sceptics bellowing that its time everyone was left to get on with their lives. But it may also take something of a shift in national attitudes.

Living successfully with Covid-19 will require not just a virus obliging enough not to mutate in more lethal ways but the maturity to self-police sometimes as plenty did last month by voluntarily side-swerving parties or the pub so they could have Christmas with their families, and as Swedes have always quietly done in what was the unsung element of their countrys no-lockdown policy and the resilience to live with a degree of unpredictability in life, which is infinitely easier said than done for some. Low-income families especially are likely to need help absorbing the sudden shocks and disruptions this virus is still capable of delivering, even as it hopefully burns itself out.

The silver lining to the Omicron cloud is, of course, that it could pass relatively quickly. Its risky reading too much into data collected over the Christmas holidays when reporting was potentially patchy, but all hopes are now pinned on Britain following the same path as South Africa, where infections seemed to peak relatively quickly before falling back. A rocky few weeks, so the cabinets argument goes, beats months of economic and personal misery; better to rip the plaster off and get it over with. Whether that gamble was uncharacteristically shrewd or lethally reckless will become clear enough in the next few days as Omicron spreads from London to the rest of the UK, with hospitalisation rates doubling already across much of the north of England. But right now, the wretched roulette wheel is still spinning, and all most of us can do about it is hold our breath.

Read more here:

Can Britain really learn to live with Omicron? This week well find out - The Guardian

The one-million-dollar question that most roulette players have on their minds is knowing the number that hits the most in the game. The roulette wheel is a pure game of chance, but a little mix of logic and superstition may bring just the right amount of luck your way. So how about we use a bit of logic, a bit of research, and a little spice of superstition to bring you this ultimate answer?

For pros, it is more than just a wheel; it holds the winning fate needs to be understood. The wheel may come with thirty-seven or thirty-eight numbered pockets, depending on whether you play European or American roulette. You are playing. When you spin the wheel, the little ball starts to roll, and there is more than one bet you can explore on the Roulette Wheel. You may decide to bet on the odd numbers or any single number.

Also, you may decide to bet on the zero green or the double zero, as in the American variant. Another popular bet is red or black, because the wheel is numbered with equal numbers of red and black tiles.The odds here are 50/50, unlike the 1/37 you may be facing if you choose to bet on the double zero tiles.

Let us start by narrowing it down to the biggest odd you will ever get from any roulette wheel, whether American or European. As previously mentioned, there are more than a dozen bets that you can explore using a single wheel of roulette, but not all have favorable odds.

The biggest when it comes to the best odds are the red or black, even or odd, first 12 and second 12, and low or high bets. This bet comes with almost fifty/fifty odds that are worth exploring and quite rewarding when you want to play safely on a roulette wheel.

In determining the hot and cold numbers on a roulette wheel, the records of the numbers that most and least occurred in the last twenty-four hours or the last five hundred spins are examined. Since most winning numbers are purely by chance, this record is believed to be less logical and more superstitious since it resonates more with a players luck.

This doesnt necessarily mean that the numbers will stay the same when records from previous days are compiled. However, considering the previous records and using basic maths to filter down the numbers, the numbers 7, 17, 23, and 24 are the hottest numbers on the most roulette spins. While the numbers 3, 6, 13, and 34 are the coldest, you need to avoid them.

This is where superstition comes in. Globally, the number 7 is widely believed to be a lucky number, and gamblers always play it safe by betting on this number. More often than never, the number has consistently yielded positive results. The number 7 is more spiritual than historical. It has its root in many religions as being the lucky and most recurring number that many had to believe could bring them luck.

There are seven days in a week, seven heavens in Hinduism, and Islam believes in seven heavens too. Baby Budha took seven first steps and created seven factors of enlightenment. These are all religious and superstitious connotations of the luck that the number seven can bring.

The number 17 is another interesting number that has got many faces smiling. In 1963, Sean Connery registered this number in the minds of millions when he won three out of the five best places on number seventeen while playing roulette in the famous Casino de la Vallee in Saint Vincent, Italy.

Maybe you didnt get that. Sean had three consecutive spins, hitting the number seventeen. That odd is about 50,000:1, and not only did Sean do it, many after him relied on this victory as a recorded couple of wins using the number 17. Dont forget the ultimate roulette star, Mike Ashley, who won over one million euros betting completely on 17 in one spin of the wheel of roulette.

While you want to play with the sevens and seventeens, and perhaps the twenty-threes, please stay far away from the number thirteen unless you can boldly say the number is your lucky number. The number 13 is widely regarded as the unluckiest number in roulette. Just in case you are looking for a reliable roulette wheel,online NitroCasinoshas got an amazing wheel with exciting odds and paylines you may want to explore.

Excerpt from:

What Number Hits the Most in Roulette? - UrbanMatter

Health Secretary Sajid Javid today confirmed no coronavirus restrictions would be rolled out across England despite the rampant spread of the Omicron variant across the country - and now Brits have slammed Boris Johnson for treating them as 'expendable'

Image: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The Tories have been accused of 'letting the bodies pile high' by refusing to bring in new Covid rules despite soaring infections.

No new Covid restrictions will be introduced in England before the New Year, the Health Secretary today confirmed - much to the dismay of many in England.

Although lockdown measures have been the bane of existence for many - Brits took to social media to criticise the PM for his decision not to introduce any restrictions given daily infections of around 100,000.

RichardJMurphy tweeted: "So, no new Covid restrictions in England. At long last, they have what they always wanted.

"The virus is running riot. The bodies will pile high. The NHS will fail.

"And then they will seek to privatise the health service. The far-right dream of crashing society is in progress."

McKennaSusie tweeted: "Highest hospitalisations since March - highest infection since the pandemic began but @BorisJohnson wants to save his job so hes not bringing in restrictions in England to appease the ERG fascists - Face with symbols over mouth shame on him #JohnsonLiedPeopleDied #JohnsonOutToday".

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Many people accused Mr Johnson of cowardice and said he was running scared in the wake of the recent scandals which have severely impacted his popularity and support.

OldeNaturalist added: "Remember: Johnson cares only for his own political life.

"If there are no restrictions imposed, it's because he is scared of the repercussions of his own right-wing.

"He cares not for you or I. We are expendable."

@BraintreeChatz tweeted: " Boris Johnson likes to be liked and is running scared of upsetting people. He has made a decision that no restrictions until New Year despite saying data is reviewed hour by hour. He really is tempting fate here AND HE is playing party politics with public health #Omicron #BorisAnother".

And lenathehyena wrote: "Javid and Johnson playing Russian roulette with England's NHS and people's lives. #covidrules".

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Others admitted to finding it "terrifying" that Mr Johnson was not taking more aggressive action.

ClaireCozler tweeted: "I think they will find it terrifying there are no new protections/ mitigations, whilst Omicron doubles fast & the NHS risks buckling under pressure.

"As for sending my child to school with no vaccinations/no mitigations/no ventilation...no thanks. We need an opposition, now."

TideyJoanna wrote: "Restrictions NEEDED NOW!! Whats more important peoples health or economic health?"

Veritasvoslib17 added: "This is going to end badly Javid. The NHS will not be able to cope with millions of adverse reactions caused by unlicensed experimental gene-based injections.

"And possibly hundreds of thousands of deaths, also linked to the jabbed. It will destroy the Tory party completely".

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In the announcement Sajid Javid today said ministers had examined the data on a "daily basis" and this had not changed over the Christmas break.

He said: "There will be no further measures before the New Year. We won't be taking any further measures."

The Health Minister urged people to "remain cautious" ahead of New Year's celebrations and suggested people take lateral flow tests, celebrate New Year's Eve celebrations outdoors where possible or in well-ventilated indoor spaces.

The shocking news has prompted fiery condemnations from many Brits across the country, especially as the announcement came as England confirmed its highest-ever daily Covid-19 case numbers on Christmas Day.

December 25 saw 113,628 new confirmed cases of the virus, according to NHS England - which is an uplift of more than 6,000 from the previous record of 107,055 recorded on December 23.

Given Mr Javid's key role in announcing no new restrictions would be rolled out - the PM has also faced accusations from many claiming he has gone into hiding.

Mr Johnson currently remains in his country bolthole, Chequers - and decided to chair the crunch meeting today virtually.

Lib Dem health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: It comes as no surprise this Prime Minister is in hiding when this country is calling out for strong leadership.

"Once again, whilst our NHS is left to hope for the best but prepare for the worst, the PM is nowhere to be seen.

The Prime Minister took to social media in the wake of Mr Javid's announcement to urge caution to people in England, despite there being no new coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Johnson tweeted: "We will continue to monitor the data carefully, but there will be no new restrictions introduced in England before the New Year.

"However, I would urge everyone to continue to act cautiously given the rising number of Omicron cases.

"Most importantly I urge everyone to get their first, second or booster jab without delay to protect yourselves and your loved ones."

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Tories accused of 'playing Russian roulette with our lives' by avoiding new Covid rules - The Mirror

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and with Trinidad and Tobago recording an average of 23 deaths a day, 100 persons headed to west Trinidad for a boat limeallegedly put on by Adrian Scoon, the son of Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon.

According to one advert for the party: [] If youve been to anything Ive done during the pandemic, you know how it is I provide everythingyou just have to show up.

Forget CMO Dr Roshan Parasram, Mr Live Wire thinks Scoon should be on the head table for the next Ministry of Health press conference to explain anything Ive done during the pandemic.

Gentleman, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.

As it turned out, police showed up to the Seaside Brunch Party too and things went a bit left after that, with Scoon appearing to shoehorning both Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh in his game of coronavirus roulette.

(Scene: An obscure character in an otherwise empty dimly-let room gestures to Mr Live Wire. There are three plastic cups on the table in front of him.)

Mystery man: Step right up, step right up. Look lively, ladies and gentlemen. Greatness waits for no man! We are all gathered here to witness something truly amazing, an inimitable artificeundoubtedly without precedent.

Mr Live Wire (looks over his shoulder): Its only me here.

Mystery man: Is it?

Live Wire: Is it what?

Mystery man: Not what, my good man. The question is who.

Live Wire (confused): What? I mean who? Wait what? Did I fall asleep while I was trying to write about

Mystery Man: All in good time, my inquisitive friend. All in good time. (Pauses, for dramatic effect.)

First, the game. We put 100 persons on an anchored pleasure boat on Boxing Day. This is, my good friend, the middle of the most ravenous period of the Covid-19 pandemicat the time those lovelies climbed on board, there were already 580 virus-related deaths in this month alone

Live Wire (alarmed): Why would you do that?!

Mystery Man: My good sir, there is no game without risks. (Pause.) Now our beautiful guests pay $450 each to play

Live Wire (interrupts): What?! They pay to be part of an experiment that risks their own lives?! Its not supposed to be the opposite way around?!

Mystery Man: Dont hate the playa, my good man, hate the game. Lions dont light candles for dead sheep. (Pause.) So as I was saying, we have 100 people

Live Wire (interjects again): Who so dotish to leave their house on Boxing Day with people dropping like flies, to pay you to

Mystery Man (interrupts): Look, can I get to just explain the blasted game?! Eh?! Yuh does talk so much when yuh go cinema too? Allyuh so is to stay home and watch Netflix by allyuh self yuh know.

Live Wire: Sorry sir. I didnt mean any offence.

Mystery Man (clears throat and regains his composure): Apology accepted, my good sir. These are indeed stressful times for us all. And that is precisely why we created this fun game for the lovely people of Trinidad and Tobago

Live Wire: Okay.

Mystery Man: So 100 persons are on board the Ocean Pelican for a Seaside Brunch Party. They are having a great time. Arguably too great a timealthough that might be sub judice. By the time the police show up, they interpret the gathering as a full blown fete.

Live Wire: Jesus!

Mystery Man: According to the public health ordinance, the operator of the vessel and his lovely volunteers look to have violated a good half-dozen laws, including: being found at a large body of water for recreational purposes, operating a party boat, holding a public party.

(Mystery Man takes out a piece of paper and writes the words: Scoon, greedy, reckless f**k. He rolls the paper into a ball and places it under one of three plastic cups. With a wide grin, he dramatically shuffles the cups.)

Mystery Man (looks straight into Mr Live Wires eyes): One cup represents Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, the other is Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh, and the third is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. (Pause.) So tell me, Mr Live Wire, which cup is covering the piece of paper? Whose fault is it?

Live Wire: Isnt it just Scoons fault? Shouldnt there be a cup with his name?

Mystery Man: Well, when police showed up, the operators allegedly insisted F*ris said they had not broken any law because it was actually a restaurantand therefore a safe zone. And F*ris is the man who created the law in the first place.

Live Wire: So it was a boat restaurant? In the water?

Mystery Man: Correct.

Live Wire: But recreational boats are outlawed now?

Mystery Man: Youre smarter than you look.

Live Wire: Well, then the paper has to be under the cup marked F*ris.

(Mystery Man smiles and lifts the F*ris fore-cup. It is empty.)

Live Wire (frowns): But you said they told police that F*ris gave them the go-ahead?

Mystery Man: They did indeed. But in a subsequent statement, F*ris said Mr Adrian Scoon who is very well known to the AG, called many weeks ago to ask a general question about the Public Health Regulations and party boats and the AG specifically informed him to put his enquires to the Minister of Health and/or Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and he gave NO legal advice to Mr Scoon whatsoever.

Live Wire (pauses): Well, then it is Deyalsinghs fault.

(Mystery Man smiles and lifts Deyalsingh fore-cup. It is also empty.)

Live Wire (shifts his head sideways): What the hell? I dont understand.

Mystery Man: Scoons letter to Deyalsingh read:

We at Ocean Pelican are writing to inform you that we have attained our restaurant and bar license and wish to convert our vessel into a floating restaurant and more importantly as a safe zone. On advice from the honourable AG Faris Al Wari (sic) we ensure you that our vessel will remain docked, and will not sail so as to adhere to the public health ordinance regulations.

We emphasise that we plan on observing all protocols that constitute a safe zone during this period. Should you require any further information, please feel free to contact the undersigned

Scoon didnt ask Deyalsingh one damn thing. That letter was written to the Minister of Health on the day of the party. He was informing him that he had the go-ahead from F*ris.

Live Wire: He could do that?

Mystery Man: Well, Deyalsingh doesnt determine what is or isnt a safe zone. That is Faris job.

Live Wire: So then it has to be F*ris fore-cup.

Mystery Man (lifts F*ris fore-cup, which is still empty): The public health ordinance describes vessel as any ship, boat, barge, lighter or raft and any other description of craft, whether used in navigation or not, but does not include government vessels.

It specifically rules out any potential loophole as to whether the vessel remains docked.

Live Wire (scratches his chin): Hmmm

Mystery Man: [] But there is a caveat. It says [] except where authorised by the Minister.

Live Wire: So then it is Deyalsinghs fault?

Mystery Man: Two days before the boat party, the Ministry of Health put out an advert that asked citizens to celebrate responsibly with your household bubble keep the festivities at home this year. You really feel on Boxing Day, he dotish enough to authorise a same-day request for a boat party, so young Scoon could charge citizens to play Covid roulette?

Live Wire (exasperated): Well then, it must be Rowley f**k up!

Mystery Man: Please sir! Id expect you to watch your language in here! You feel this is the damn Senate?!

Live Wire: Sorry. I mean the only other cup is that one. (Points to Rowley fore-cup.) So that has to be where the blame lies.

(Mystery Man lifts the Rowley fore-cup with a flourish. It is also empty.)

Live Wire: Hold up! That doesnt make any sense

Mystery Man: And why is that?

Live Wire: Well, someone must be to blame and ent the Prime Minister always said the buck stops with me?

Mystery Man: Yes, the buck always stops with him. Just not the blame.

Live Wire: Yes, but is Rowley who appointed F*ris. And this isnt even the first time he advised well-heeled people about how they could violate the spirit of the very law he passed. What about Chandler?! What about F*ris breaking the Covid laws himself on national tv?

I dont even think they have a vaccine for F*ris at this stage. You just have to have to close the borders of Parliament to him and hope for the best.

Mystery Man: So what youre saying is you want the Prime Minister to interfere in the running of a body as sacred as that of the Office of Attorney General?

Live Wire (pauses): Well, no. But ultimately if he isnt doing his job then he should replace him.

Mystery Man: But he has to get the chance to fail too right?

Live Wire: How many mistakes we could handle in a pandemic?! People dying yuh know?!

Mystery Man: You will blame Rowley for that too? Since when you parroting Spalk? The Prime Minister has a right to expect his ministers to do their jobs. You want a dictatorship? You want a big boss to micro-manage everything and ministers with no responsibility for their ministries?

Live Wire (sighs): Okay, okay. So where the paper then? Whos to blame?

Mystery Man: Nobody.

Live Wire: What?

Mystery Man: Let me read from the Attorney Generals clarification today: This morning Mr Scoon offered his apology to the AG, specifically acknowledged that no legal advice was given by the AG and stated that he regretted the inconvenience caused.

So thats that.

Live Wire: Thats what?

Mystery Man: Scoon regrets the inconvenience and apologised to the AG. Case closed. Closed. Closed

(Epilogue: Mr Live Wire wakes up with a start. What just happened? Did he just dream about the son of a government minister playing loose with the lives of citizens to make a fast buckwhile other ministers stood by and watched, if not helped put on the event?

Stay tuned for the next episode of: Trinidad and Tobago definitely cant be a real place if F*ris is Attorney General)

View post:

Anyone for 'Covid roulette'? Live Wire has an uncomfortable experience on Scoon's 'pleasure boat' - Wired868

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881).

The Russian literary giant was a compulsive gambler who repeatedly borrowed money only to bet and lose, nearly ruining his life more than once.

In a way, his constant state of indebtedness motivated him to write, said Tetsuo Mochizuki, 70, a professor emeritus at Hokkaido University and scholar of Russian literature.

Unable to kick his addiction to roulette, Dostoevsky would receive a hefty advance from a publisher. The enormous pressure of having to deliver would leave him with no choice but to complete his work.

He borrowed from his older colleague, Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883). He was not above hocking his wifes ring and coat.

According to her written account, he would come home penniless and beg for forgiveness, sobbing and kneeling before her. But that never stopped him from returning to the roulette wheel.

A famous quote attributed to Dostoevsky goes: A real gentleman, even if he loses everything he owns, must show no emotion. Money must be so far beneath a gentleman that it is hardly worth troubling about.

How utterly persuasive.

Anyone who lent him money would have wanted to mutter, Oh, give it a rest. Just pay me back.

Author Haruki Murakami wrote, There are two types of people in this world: Those who have read The Brothers Karamazov and those who havent.

I read it as a student. But overwhelmed by its sheer length, I ended up only skimming the surface, never appreciating the novel in depth.

This winter holiday, I might take up some of Dostoevskys novels I havent tried--"The Idiot, Demons and especially The Gambler, in which he is believed to have documented his own experiences.

What argument does he make in his own defense? I am really curious.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 28

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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VOX POPULI: Dostoevsky drew inspiration from life, even his gambling habit | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis - Asahi Shimbun

Garena officially launched the final weekly schedule for Free Fire in 2021. All content will be available in popular battle Royale For iOS and Android mobile devices From 29 December to 4 January.

In addition to rewarding her fans with a list of free daily codes with great rewards, Garena brings us this weekly program thats full of great news.

Continued after Advertisement

So theres no reason not to log into your account and unlock the amazing rewards available to you at the end of the year.

Activities will be:

As you can see, Lucky Roulette is the first program announced, which comes with six rooms of cards.

Similarly, Battle Royale players for iOS and Android devices will be able to enjoy a special bonus on December 31st, the last day of the year.

Continued after Advertisement

They free fire promo code Can be redeemed only today, 29th December. Therefore, we recommend using your smartphone, tablet or computer to claim them all.

follow us no Facebook I Twitter Stay up to date with todays news!

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Garena Free Fire: Weekly Event from December 29th to January 4th - Sprout Wired

A week before Red roulette was due to be published, in September 2021, its author Desmond Shum received two phone calls from his ex-wife Whitney Duan, who had been detained by Chinese authorities and hadnt been heard from in four years. Duan told Shum that she had been temporarily released and might be reincarcerated at any moment, and asked him to cancel publication. She reminded him of an old Chinese warning: No good comes to those who oppose the state. Having no confidence that Duan would be freed, Shum went ahead and published.

Shums book is a riveting personal account of the rise and occasional fall of Chinas super-rich. However, it is also much more: it offers a detailed case study of the nexus between money and politics at the very top of Chinas power structure. Shum wrote the book to set the record straight for his son, but decided that the story should be made public.

The books cast reads like a whos who of Chinas red aristocracy, including the families of retired Chinese Communist Party general secretary Jiang Zemin, retired premier Wen Jiabao, and a raft of other senior officials and their relatives. As Shum describes it, at that level most deal-making is based on mutual understanding, relying on interlocutors, without written records or contracts. Deals are wrapped in an intricate web of holdings to conceal the identity of the real owners.

From a business perspective, Shum and Duan were the ideal couple. He came from a middle-income background, was educated in Hong Kong and the US, and cut his teeth investing in China in the go-go 1990s. Duans roots were more modest, and she quickly realised that to get ahead she had to have the right connections, at the highest possible level.

Following extensive networking, Duan managed to become the trusted friend of Zhang Beili or Auntie Zhang, the wife of premier Wen, whom she fronted for in several public listings and other deals. They were close, but ultimately, according to Shum, like the fish that clean the teeth of crocodiles.

Expanding her network, Duan also formed personal relationships with Wang Qishan, then a vice premier and currently vice president, and Sun Zhengcai, an ambitious young politburo member and until recently a contender to succeed Xi Jinping.

While things were going well, the couple led a charmed life, frequently accompanying Auntie Zhang on trips abroad. Jetting to France with the chief executive of construction giant Evergrande, the entourage ran up a wine bill of US$100,000 at a single sitting. Ironically, in October the heavily indebted Evergrande had to sell its corporate jets to stave off financial collapse.

Duans close relationship with key officials gave her access to inside information about party power struggles, including how Xi managed to eliminate adversaries and sideline potential successors. Shums most serious allegations are cautiously worded, presumably on the advice of the publishers lawyers.

Crunch time came in October 2012, when The New York Times published a front-page article on the hidden wealth of Wens family. Auntie Zhang had made the mistake of placing shareholdings in her mothers name, which made them easy to trace. The article identified Duan as the family fixer, and inevitably relations cooled.

The revelations were made just weeks before the CCP congress that would confirm Xi as its new leader, and there was speculation that the information was leaked by supporters of Xis arch-rival Bo Xilai in retaliation for Wens supporting his ouster earlier in the year.

Sensing that all was not right, Shum eventually left China, while Duan continued to work on a luxury hotel project in Beijing. In October 2017, Sun, who had risen to party secretary of Bos former bailiwick, Chongqing, was detained. The charge was corruption, but there was speculation that he was being penalised for not dismantling Bos support network. A few weeks later, Duan and several of her assistants disappeared.

Xis decade-long anti-corruption campaign has snared up to 200,000 officials and businesspeople, including many of his competitors and enemies.

Chinese authorities are casting an increasingly wide net. In 2015, five Hong Kong booksellers disappeared, including one who was apparently abducted while travelling in Thailand, and later showed up in detention in China, charged with trafficking banned books. In 2018, somewhat surprisingly, Interpols Chinese president, Meng Hongwei, was detained while visiting China and charged with bribery. And most recently there is the case of Peng Shuai, the international tennis star.

In China, having the right connections has long been the best way to get ahead. Shum provides a stark reminder that knowing too much is also the quickest way to disappear into the countrys detention system.

Continue reading here:

From the bookshelf: 'Red roulette' | The Strategist - The Strategist

Henry Labouchere is arguably the most famous politician that youve never heard of. The Englishman is well-known in his own circles for his run-ins with Irish poet Oscar Wilde and for becoming so unpopular with his peers that Queen Victoria herself intervened to prevent him from becoming a minister in parliament. However, most importantly, at least from the perspective of this article, Henry Labouchere also enjoyed playing roulette, creating the betting system that now bears his name sometime in the 19th century.

The Labouchere betting strategy can be applied to any game that offers even-money wagers, such as roulette, blackjack, craps, and baccarat, albeit with varying levels of effectiveness. Put another way, the Labouchere system is designed to offer some kind of control over bets with a 50% chance of success. For that reason, applying it to inside bets in roulette can serve as a lesson in how to empty your bankroll quickly. Its a simple method that seems ideally suited to beginners but is it? Lets take a look.

Contrary to popular belief, betting systems are almost never designed to increase or guarantee winnings. Almost everything thats available to play in a casino is based on luck, and no amount of strategizing or wishful thinking is going to change that. Even blackjack, which has plenty of charts dedicated to the most appropriate moves in any situation, is still ultimately based on the turn of a random card.

So, whats the point of the Martingale, Fibonacci, and Labouchere (and many other) systems of this world? Successful wagering is all about control, whether thats of a bankroll or how youre spending each individual credit in a game of roulette. If you can concoct a means of limiting or recouping your losses during each session, its possible to extend the lifetime and overall value of the money you put into each experience.

This doesnt mean that /$/1 magically becomes /$/10. Anything that promises access to jackpots, unlimited funds, or huge wins has been made under false pretences. Its simply not possible to overcome the casinos edge or similar factors when playing your favourite games. To help you understand the limitations of the Labouchere betting system, though, lets take it apart piece by piece.

First of all, scribble down how much you would like to win in a series of sequential numbers. This can be anything at all but, for the sake of simplicity, lets use 10. How you get to 10 is up to you. For example:

and so forth.

Now, lets place our first bet. In every case using the Labouchere system, your stake will be the sum of the first and last numbers. In the above four sequences, this means that you should bet with 2 (1+1), 2 (1+1), 4 (2+2), or 3 (1+2). If you win, simply remove the two numbers that made up your wager from the sequence. If you lose, take the number that represented your bet and add it to the end of our list of numbers, extending it. Here are a few examples to help explain the logic of the Labouchere strategy:

Easy. Note that theres also a Reverse Labouchere betting system that simply swaps the win/loss criteria around, meaning that numbers are deleted on a loss and added on a win. The benefit of this latter strategy is that it can be used to earn more money from winning streaks ifthey occur.

Of course, we had to get to this bit eventually. Any kind of strategy that can be used in casino games tends to come with the same old disclaimer its incompatible with losing streaks. In many aspects of life, chasing losses is generally regarded as something that just causes more and more problems. Unfortunately, this is true of casino betting too.

After several losses under the Labouchere strategy, you start betting with increasingly large wagers to cover the ones youve already lost. This way of proceeding is reminiscent of the gamblers fallacy, namely, the belief that a negative result means that a positive outcome is more likely the next time around. Of course, this is false. Bets with a 50:50 chance of winning will only produce both sets of results equally on an infinite timescale. Anything under that will likely give an outcome that skews one way or the other.

As a means of record-keeping and creating an understanding of the relationship between profit and loss, though, the Labouchere system can help you to keep track of that.

You might also find the Labouchere system referred to as the Split-Martingale or Cancellation method due to the similarity of its mechanics to other betting strategies.

Link:

Learn Why The Well-known Labouchere Betting System is Flawed with - blog.casino.com

I feel like COVID is a lot like Russian roulette, said Kristen Coleman as she waited in line for a COVID-19 booster shot at a clinic in Marin County. You can go anywhere from zero symptoms to having a tube down your throat.

Coleman is one of the estimated 7 million U.S. adults who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and athigh risk in the coronavirus pandemic. When public health guidance includes the aside except for the immunocompromised, she is part of that caveat.

On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, producer Ta Francesca Priceshares how people with underlying health conditions have navigated the pandemic, from locking down inside their homes and delaying in-person medical care to begging loved ones to get vaccinated. And she asks an important question: Has the pandemic changed the public perception of health?

People with compromised immune systems arent the only ones at higher risk from the coronavirus: 40% of Americans have at least one chronic health condition, which could impact their immune response. Price herself is in that group. And she asks an important question: Has the pandemic changed the public perception of health?

Photo above: Artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenbergs installation, In America: Remember, memorializes those who've died of COVID-19 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Read more here:

What it's like to be the pandemic's most vulnerable - San Francisco Chronicle

Anal sex, especially when youre bottoming, can feel like a game of Russian roulette.

Actually, the same can be said for all kinds of sex. Our guard is down and really, we're at our most vulnerable: we're naked, turned on, eager to please, and there's a risk that whatever we're doing just won't work. But for a bottom the person in the receptive role during anal sex the stakes feel higher, with a lot of us left feeling like we're groping around in the dark (both literally and figuratively).

How painful is it going to be? Should I not eat before? For how long? What if I have an 'accident'? These are the questions bottoms have asked themselves (or googled on the sly) at one point. Many of us have had to rely on trial and error over the years to figure out best practice that is, until now. TikTok has become the hub for bottoms wanting to learn more about anal sex, how to enjoy it, and most importantly, how to practise it safely. But this begs an even bigger question: why were we never taught about it?

In the UK, the answer lies within the decades-long erasure of LGBTQ people from school curricula, and most notably the implementation of Section 28 in 1988. The legislation, enacted by Margaret Thatchers government to "prohibit the promotion of homosexuality" by local councils, banned the positive depiction of LGBTQ identities and relationships in classrooms, libraries, and extracurricular clubs for 15 years until it was repealed in 2003. However Lisa Hallgarten, head of policy and affairs at Brook, a charity specialising in the sexual health and wellbeing of young people in the UK, says the problem didnt end there.

"Section 28 not only created a complete silencing at the time but for years afterwards," she explains. Hallgarten argues the legislation's legacy has left today's teachers still feeling anxious to talk about LGBTQ sex. "They're much more comfortable talking about heteronormative forms of sex because it's focused on reproduction," she says. "They're not trained to talk about pleasure or any other form of sex different couples might have."

Dr Carlton Thomas made his first TikTok about bottoming in the summer of 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic escalated around the world, TikTok was busy taking over the lives of his teenage children at home in San Diego. A gastroenterologist for 17 years, the 49-year-old saw an opportunity amongst the Megan Thee Stallion dance routines and banana bread recipes (remember those?) to share his expertise. "I'm a gay man and a butt doctor, and there's this huge lack of anal sex education out there," he says. "Who better to teach it than someone with professional and personal experience of how things work?"

Since then, hes amassed nearly 250,000 followers on Gen Zs favourite platform by covering a range of anal sex-related topics from advice on how to avoid bleeding, douching (his most popular video, a guide to using store-bought enemas, has 1.6 million views), kegel exercises, tips for maximum pleasure as well as information about HIV prevention.

Citing the absence of gay sex education from his own childhood as the motivation behind starting the account, Thomas tells me that throughout medical school and his gastrointestinal doctor training, anal sex was never mentioned. "I had a lot of questions, so I did my own research to get the answers," he says. The success of his videos, which regularly receive tens of thousands of likes, confirms that others around the world have been searching for these answers too. "People want to know how to do anal sex right, how to do it well, and how to do it safely," he explains.

But Thomas isn't the only face of TikToks bottom positivity movement. Alex Hall, a 29-year-old graphic designer, was living in New York when he came up with the idea of The Bottoms Digest, a cooking channel sharing "bottom-friendly" recipes inspired by the Texan and Cajun cuisine he was brought up on. The rising cost of meat in the city paired with Hall's growing sensitivity to dairy led him to a mostly plant-based diet, which he says provides a number of benefits for bottoming. "What we eat is such a big part of how our sex is going to go," he tells me.

Now living in Texas and running the account with his husband Mike, Hall has spent years searching far and wide for the best (or should I say cleanest) bottoming fuel. "What I did find would be so obvious...a salad. I hate salad!" he exclaims. "Sex and food are two of life's great pleasures and our community really deprives themselves of one to enjoy the other, and we shouldn't." Whether it's alfredo pasta, mac and cheese, or meatballs, Hall's comfort food recipes are high in fiber and low in FODMAP (short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols essentially sugars that can cause intestinal distress), which makes them perfect for bottoms eager to avoid bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Daniel OShaughnessy, nutritionist and author of Naked Nutrition: An LGBTQ+ Guide to Diet and Lifestyle, notes that the perfect bottoming diet varies by individual. "As a general rule a bottom needs fiber when it comes to anal sex," he says. He advises increasing fiber intake slowly to avoid excess wind and to avoid insoluble fibers (which can be high in FODMAP, think cauliflower, legumes, and some whole grains) at least 24 hours before the big moment. OShaughnessy's other recommendations for bottoming nutrition include fermented foods (such as kimchi and kombucha) for improved gut health, avoiding dairy products, and chewing food properly for digestion.

Hall tests his bottom-friendly recipes himself, then runs them past a group of 10 drag queens. 24 hours later, the queens report back about whether they felt bloated, and if they did bottom, how it went. "So many people have had heartache trying to find information like this so its important these recipes actually work," he adds.

Aside from the occasional troll, the response to both accounts has been overwhelmingly positive. Thomas' followers regularly credit him with revolutionising their sex lives in his comments, but he says the real impact of his videos can be found in his DMs. Gay men living in countries where homosexuality is illegal and sometimes where it's punishable by death, like in Saudi Arabia and Iran message him "at least once a week" for advice.

The bottom community on TikTok isn't exclusively for gay men, either. For Hall, cis and trans women make up almost half of his following. But whenever our society talks about sex, its heterosexual, penis-in-vagina sex that has always been the default: its compulsory to teach in schools, we read about it in the advice columns of magazines and websites, it's what we read about in erotic novels, and watch (or awkwardly avoid watching when accompanied by family) in our favourite TV shows and films. The only representation we really see of anal sex onscreen is when it's relegated to cheap homophobic jokes.

Thankfully, the tide appears to be turning. TikToks bottoming hashtag has over 10.4 million views and is brimming with honest experiences and advice from bottoms all over the world. Accounts like Thomas' and The Bottom's Digest are normalising these once shame-ridden conversations while providing an education to bottoms who can't find information in more conventional places.

But these creators, for all their hard work, are facing censorship from TikTok itself. While the platform bans videos featuring nudity and sexually explicit content, creators across the field are having their content removed and their reach suppressed for even mentioning the word 'sex' in their TikToks, despite the platforms community guidelines stating that educational content is an exception to the rules. Thomas says he has to be selective with what he posts, often resorting to codewords and innuendos in his videos to avoid being censored.

This censorship is problematic, says Hallgarten from Brook, especially for the people whose only access to information about sex is through social media. She's curious about the criteria TikTok uses for judging and removing videos, and whether expert organisations have been involved in the process. "The way they approach sex needs to be more nuanced and there has to be a clear set of values that underpin the decisions being made," she says. When it comes to sex ed videos that haven't been removed from the platform, Hallgarten urges users to check how the information they see on TikTok compares to that of trusted sources like Brook. If COVID-19 has taught us anything it's that misinformation on social media is rife. Hallgarten suggests platforms could easily add a box to videos featuring sex content directing users to expert organisations, like TikTok and other platforms have (eventually) done with mentions of the coronavirus.

A spokesperson for TikTok said that users can appeal the platform's decisions to remove their content or suspend their accounts if they believe no violation of the community guidelines has occurred. They also noted that TikTok's content moderation practice is detailed in the quarterly enforcement reports it publishes. But while these reports gloat statistics, for example that 90 percent of videos flagged for "adult nudity and sexual activity" are removed within 24 hours of being posted, they fail to explain how educational videos about sex are distinguished from the potentially harmful videos which are banned.

Information on anal sex shouldnt be reduced to folklore. Bottoms deserve to feel empowered to take control of the sex they have, and a vital part of that is ensuring they are well equipped to enjoy anal sex safely. For too long we've been relegated to the shadows and made to feel like we're harbouring a dirty little secret but thanks to TikTok creators, change is finally on the horizon.

With the help of some trusted health organisations including the UK's National Health Service (NHS), Brook, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and sex education charity Fumble, we've compiled a list of bottoming dos and don'ts to get started.

Always make sure your top is wearing a condom. The lining of your anus is very delicate and can be damaged easily, which increases the risk of STI transmission.

Your anus isn't self-lubricating, so using lube is essential for anal play. Try to use water-based products as oil-based lube can break down condoms, and avoid desensitising lubes they may prevent you from noticing pain.

This is to avoid transferring bacteria from your anus to your vagina, which could lead to a urinary tract infection.

This is pretty self-explanatory, but getting tested regularly for STIs is always recommended.

Purely for ease of cleanup if you do have an accident.

If it's your first time bottoming (or first time in a while), use a lubricated anal sex toy (slowly) beforehand to get used to the feeling. Foreplay is crucial to relax the muscles in your anus.

Remember, you're in control

Make sure you communicate to whoever you're having sex with if something doesn't feel right or if you want to stop. Consent can be given and withdrawn at any time.

Bottoming can feel uncomfortable (especially if you're a newbie), but that's what foreplay is for. Pain should never be something you're expected to put up with, and tears on the anus (known as anal fissures) take time to heal.

Feeling relaxed is key. By regulating your breathing, you're helping your anus to relax. Take deep, slow breaths to start with.

Avoid doing this where you can, but if you can't, make sure to clean the toy thoroughly before and after use.

A common assumption is that poo sits directly inside of your anal sphincter, but this is false. Poo is stored in your colon and its when you're on the toilet that it travels through the rectum (where the fun happens) and out of your sphincter. As long as you've recently been to the toilet, it's very unlikely that you'll actually 'poo' on your partner.

If you're too worried about it to enjoy yourself, stick to other forms of sex (like oral) until you've gotten comfortable with the fact that shit does indeed, happen. Anal douching is common in the bottoming community to clean the rectum before sex, but it has its own pros and cons.

Continue reading here:

Bottoming TikTok: Meet the creators providing sex education about anal sex - Mashable