#he was losing billions on real estate

[charlesoberonn]

The fact that there used to be a reality show where people competed to be mentored in business by professional conman and 4-times bankruptcy declarer Donald Trump, and it ran for 17 fucking seasons and only got canceled because he became fucking President of the United States.

We're living in the parody timeline.

#like I know people call him reality show host all the time #but I need it to really sink in how that WAS his major success #he was losing billions on real estate #he gained billions by lying about his success on TV #Donald Trump is Donald Trump's only successful product #and it's also a scam #maybe the biggest scam of all

[mostlysignssomeportents]

No, Uber's (still) not profitable

Going to Defcon this weekend? I'm giving a keynote, "An Audacious Plan to Halt the Internet's Enshittification and Throw it Into Reverse," on Saturday at 12:30pm, followed by a book signing at the No Starch Press booth at 2:30pm!

https://info.defcon.org/event/?id=50826

Bezzle (n): 1. "the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it" (JK Gabraith) 2. Uber.

Uber was, is, and always will be a bezzle. There are just intrinsic limitations to the profits available to operating a taxi fleet, even if you can misclassify your employees as contractors and steal their wages, even as you force them to bear the cost of buying and maintaining your taxis.

The magic of early Uber – when taxi rides were incredibly cheap, and there were always cars available, and drivers made generous livings behind the wheel – wasn't magic at all. It was just predatory pricing.

Uber lost $0.41 on every dollar they brought in, lighting $33b of its investors' cash on fire. Most of that money came from the Saudi royals, funneled through Softbank, who brought you such bezzles as WeWork – a boring real-estate company masquerading as a high-growth tech company, just as Uber was a boring taxi company masquerading as a tech company.

Predatory pricing used to be illegal, but Chicago School economists convinced judges to stop enforcing the law on the grounds that predatory pricing was impossible because no rational actor would choose to lose money. They (willfully) ignored the obvious possibility that a VC fund could invest in a money-losing business and use predatory pricing to convince retail investors that a pile of shit of sufficient size must have a pony under it somewhere.

This venture predation let investors – like Prince Bone Saw – cash out to suckers, leaving behind a money-losing business that had to invent ever-sweatier accounting tricks and implausible narratives to keep the suckers on the line while they blew town. A bezzle, in other words:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/19/fake-it-till-you-make-it/#millennial-lifestyle-subsidy

Uber is a true bezzle innovator, coming up with all kinds of fairy tales and sci-fi gimmicks to explain how they would convert their money-loser into a profitable business. They spent $2.5b on self-driving cars, producing a vehicle whose mean distance between fatal crashes was half a mile. Then they paid another company $400 million to take this self-licking ice-cream cone off their hands:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/herbies-revenge/#100-billion-here-100-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money

Amazingly, self-driving cars were among the more plausible of Uber's plans. They pissed away hundreds of millions on California's Proposition 22 to institutionalize worker misclassification, only to have the rule struck down because they couldn't be bothered to draft it properly. Then they did it again in Massachusetts:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/15/simple-as-abc/#a-big-ask

Remember when Uber was going to plug the holes in its balance sheet with flying cars? Flying cars! Maybe they were just trying to soften us up for their IPO, where they advised investors that the only way they'd ever be profitable is if they could replace every train, bus and tram ride in the world:

https://48hills.org/2019/05/ubers-plans-include-attacking-public-transit/

Honestly, the only way that seems remotely plausible is when it's put next to flying cars for comparison. I guess we can be grateful that they never promised us jetpacks, or, you know, teleportation. Just imagine the market opportunity they could have ascribed to astral projection!

Narrative capitalism has its limits. Once Uber went public, it had to produce financial disclosures that showed the line going up, lest the bezzle come to an end. These balance-sheet tricks were as varied as they were transparent, but the financial press kept falling for them, serving as dutiful stenographers for a string of triumphant press-releases announcing Uber's long-delayed entry into the league of companies that don't lose more money every single day.

One person Uber has never fooled is Hubert Horan, a transportation analyst with decades of experience who's had Uber's number since the very start, and who has done yeoman service puncturing every one of these financial "disclosures," methodically sifting through the pile of shit to prove that there is no pony hiding in it.

In 2021, Horan showed how Uber had burned through nearly all of its cash reserves, signaling an end to its subsidy for drivers and rides, which would also inevitably end the bezzle:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/10/unter/#bezzle-no-more

In mid, 2022, Horan showed how the "profit" Uber trumpeted came from selling off failed companies it had acquired to other dying rideshare companies, which paid in their own grossly inflated stock:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/05/a-lousy-taxi/#a-giant-asterisk

At the end of 2022, Horan showed how Uber invented a made-up, nonstandard metric, called "EBITDA profitability," which allowed them to lose billions and still declare themselves to be profitable, a lie that would have been obvious if they'd reported their earnings using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/11/bezzlers-gonna-bezzle/#gryft

Like clockwork, Uber has just announced – once again – that it is profitable, and once again, the press has credulously repeated the claim. So once again, Horan has published one of his magisterial debunkings on Naked Capitalism:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/08/hubert-horan-can-uber-ever-deliver-part-thirty-three-uber-isnt-really-profitable-yet-but-is-getting-closer-the-antitrust-case-against-uber.html

Uber's $394m gains this quarter come from paper gains to untradable shares in its loss-making rivals – Didi, Grab, Aurora – who swapped stock with Uber in exchange for Uber's own loss-making overseas divisions. Yes, it's that stupid: Uber holds shares in dying companies that no one wants to buy. It declared those shares to have gained value, and on that basis, reported a profit.

Truly, any big number multiplied by an imaginary number can be turned into an even bigger number.

Now, Uber also reported "margin improvements" – that is, it says that it loses less on every journey. But it didn't explain how it made those improvements. But we know how the company did it: they made rides more expensive and cut the pay to their drivers. A 2.9m ride in Manhattan is now $50 – if you get a bargain! The base price is more like $70:

https://www.wired.com/story/uber-ceo-will-always-say-his-company-sucks/

The number of Uber drivers on the road has a direct relationship to the pay Uber offers those drivers. But that pay has been steeply declining, and with it, the availability of Ubers. A couple weeks ago, I found myself at the Burbank train station unable to get an Uber at all, with the app timing out repeatedly and announcing "no drivers available."

Normally, you can get a yellow taxi at the station, but years of Uber's predatory pricing has caused a drawdown of the local taxi-fleet, so there were no taxis available at the cab-rank or by dispatch. It took me an hour to get a cab home. Uber's bezzle destroyed local taxis and local transit – and replaced them with worse taxis that cost more.

Uber won't say why its margins are improving, but it can't be coming from scale. Before the pandemic, Uber had far more rides, and worse margins. Uber has diseconomies of scale: when you lose money on every ride, adding more rides increases your losses, not your profits.

Meanwhile, Lyft – Uber's also-ran competitor – saw its margins worsen over the same period. Lyft has always been worse at lying about it finances than Uber, but it is in essentially the exact same business (right down to the drivers and cars – many drivers have both apps on their phones). So Lyft's financials offer a good peek at Uber's true earnings picture.

Lyft is actually slightly better off than Uber overall. It spent less money on expensive props for its long con – flying cars, robotaxis, scooters, overseas clones – and abandoned them before Uber did. Lyft also fired 24% of its staff at the end of 2022, which should have improved its margins by cutting its costs.

Uber pays its drivers less. Like Lyft, Uber practices algorithmic wage discrimination, Veena Dubal's term describing the illegal practice of offering workers different payouts for the same work. Uber's algorithm seeks out "pickers" who are choosy about which rides they take, and converts them to "ants" (who take every ride offered) by paying them more for the same job, until they drop all their other gigs, whereupon the algorithm cuts their pay back to the rates paid to ants:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

All told, wage theft and wage cuts by Uber transferred $1b/quarter from labor to Uber's shareholders. Historically, Uber linked fares to driver pay – think of surge pricing, where Uber charged riders more for peak times and passed some of that premium onto drivers. But now Uber trumpets a custom pricing algorithm that is the inverse of its driver payment system, calculating riders' willingness to pay and repricing every ride based on how desperate they think you are.

This pricing is a per se antitrust violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, America's original antitrust law. That's important because Sherman 2 is one of the few antitrust laws that we never stopped enforcing, unlike the laws banning predator pricing:

https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/sites/ilr.law.uiowa.edu/files/2023-02/Woodcock.pdf

Uber claims an 11% margin improvement. 6-7% of that comes from algorithmic price discrimination and service cutbacks, letting it take 29% of every dollar the driver earns (up from 22%). Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi himself says that this is as high as the take can get – over 30%, and drivers will delete the app.

Uber's food delivery service – a baling wire-and-spit Frankenstein's monster of several food apps it bought and glued together – is a loser even by the standards of the sector, which is unprofitable as a whole and experiencing an unbroken slide of declining demand.

Put it all together and you get a picture of the kind of taxi company Uber really is: one that charges more than traditional cabs, pays drivers less, and has fewer cars on the road at times of peak demand, especially in the neighborhoods that traditional taxis had always underserved. In other words, Uber has broken every one of its promises.

We replaced the "evil taxi cartel" with an "evil taxi monopolist." And it's still losing money.

Even if Lyft goes under – as seems inevitable – Uber can't attain real profitability by scooping up its passengers and drivers. When you're losing money on every ride, you just can't make it up in volume.

Image: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LA_BREA_TAR_PITS,_LOS_ANGELES.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

I’m kickstarting the audiobook for “The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation,” a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and bring back the old, good internet. It’s a DRM-free book, which means Audible won’t carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/09/accounting-gimmicks/#unter

Image: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LA_BREA_TAR_PITS,_LOS_ANGELES.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #bezzles #hubert horan #uber #rideshare #accounting tricks #financial engineering #late-stage capitalism #narrative capitalism #lyft #transit #uber eats #venture predation #algorithmic wage discrimination

[darthgloris]

Volleyball (Berlín x female reader)

Summary: Berlín and Y/N, code name Varsòvia, were childhood friends since high school and finally reunite during the five-month training for the first heist.

Type: fluff

A/N: I wrote the Spanish names because I prefer those to the English ones, no warnings.

Happy reading!

The moment he entered the classroom, my jaw dropped. It shocked me how I recognised him instantly, after twelve years.

“No real names,” his brother reminded me, and I nodded quickly.

I walked up to him and his face lit up as he saw me. I jumped into his arms and he laughed, wrapping his arms around me and spinning me around.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, still laughing out of shock.

“Well, I’m a dirt-poor criminal and 2.4 billion euros didn’t sound so bad, so…” I chuckled. “I could imagine it’s the same for you.”

“Yes. Yes, it is.” He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. I smiled shyly at him, looking at him through my eyelashes and he pecked my cheek affectionately.

“Everyone please take a seat.”

I sat down at a desk and he sat in front of me, flashing me a smirk before turning around. Just like the old days, I thought to myself, smiling.

“First, I would like to set some ground rules. No personal information, that being names, ages, and no relationships.”

The room groaned, and I chuckled silently. I knew everyone would break that rule anyway.

“On the names, let’s do… cities, we’ll do cities. You?” He pointed at the girl in the front seat.

She paused for a second before replying. “Tokyo.”

Then his brother. “Berlín.” He chose. Fitting perfectly with his personality. I thought for a moment.

“Varsòvia.” I picked.

Berlín turned around with a mischievous smile.

“Don’t you dare make Nazi jokes,” I warned him.

“Twelve years, and you still know exactly what I’m thinking,” he responded.

I laughed lightly, “Never gets old.”

…

Life at the estate in Toledo wasn’t bad at all. We had free time and good meals, and I was reunited with Berlín, at last.

“Who’s up for volleyball?” Nairobi asked.

Berlín and I looked at each other knowingly, smiling softly. I winked at him and he winked back as we silently agreed to play our trick.

“I’m a bit rusty, but why not?” I agreed.

“I’m in,” he said. The others agreed as well.

“All right, everyone, let’s make teams,” I said. I silently counted us. Nine.

“We’re not even-numbered.” I said.

“Profesor! Are you playing?” Tokyo yelled.

“Sure.” He replied.

The teams were me, Berlín, Rio, Denver and Tokyo versus Nairobi, Profesor, Moskù, Oslo and Helsinki. Berlín and I took our places: I went in the center and he was in the front-right corner. Our strategy was to be always near each other so we could work together to score as many points as possible.

“You’re going to regret putting those two in the same team,” Profesor said softly to his team, pointing at us.

“Why’s that?” Nairobi asked.

“You’ll see.”

“We’re two teams of five.” I said. “First team that gets to 15 wins.”

Rio served: the ball flew to the other side without a problem and Nairobi dug.

“Berlìn,” I called his name softly and forearm-passed it to him, who attacked with strength and the ball touched the ground.

“Score,” he said proudly.

We used the same strategy again: Rio served again, this time Helsinki attacked and Denver dug.

“Varsòvia,” Berlín set me the ball and I attacked with as much strength as I could and the ball bounced aggressively on the grass.

“Oh, by the way-” I said out loud while approaching Berlín. “-we’re awesome.” He finished and high-fived me.

“That’s why,” Profesor said to Nairobi.

2-0.

2-1. Moskù scored.

2-2. Nairobi served and Oslo scored.

3-2. Berlín and I scored.

4-2. Berlín served the ball. “Ace,” He chuckled in pride.

5-2. He aced again.

6-2. And again.

6-3. Profesor blocked.

6-4. Helsinki served, Nairobi attacked.

…

“14-14, this is the tie-breaker, people!” Said Denver.

While Tokyo got ready to serve, I looked at Berlín. The twinkle in his eyes made me see he was not going to lose this match. Tokyo served. Profesor dug, Denver forearm-passed. Nairobi set, Moskù attacked. Berlín set me the ball, and I jumped as high as I could, attacking forcefully. The ball fell into the other side.

“Set point!” Berlín laughed and our team cheered and celebrated as he scooped me up in his arms bridal style and spun me around. I yelped in surprise.

“A bit rusty, mis cojones, Varsòvia,” Nairobi laughed. “Good job.”

“Thank you,” I said, out of breath and slightly dizzy from the spinning.

…

That same day we were having dinner and another high school tradition came up: insulting each other without getting offended in the slightest.

We were talking about past relationships and Berlín addressed me. “So, Varsòvia, how has it been for you? You’ve become so beautiful, you must have spent the last twelve years reliving 1999.” He said, a cocky smirk on his face.

I wasn’t even bothered at the compliment as much as the use of the date. The table raised a chorus of “ooh”, “ahh” and wolf whistles.

“1999?” Denver questioned.

“It’s a figure of speech about how sexually promiscuous she was in that year.” Berlín explained and I looked at him, smirking back.

“Do you have a figure of speech for how jealous you were of the boys that came out of her room?” Profesor teased him, earning a louder chorus from the table.

“Well, I happen to have one for how sexually promiscuous you can both go be with yourselves.” I smiled sarcastically at the siblings and the others laughed.

“Touchè, Bambi.” Berlín replied.

…

I sat on a chair in the balcony, enjoying the late summer breeze. A knock on my door startled me.

“Come in.” The door opened and Berlín entered.

“Hey,” He said softly and approached me. He came up behind me and leaned down to rest his arms on my shoulders, his chin on top of my head.

“Hi,” I chuckled back, grabbing one of his hands and interlocking our fingers. “Why so affectionate, Berlín?”

“Why are you questioning it? You know you like it,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, I do.” I smiled at him and got up to give him a proper hug. I nuzzled my nose into his neck and sighed.

“I missed you. A lot more than you think.” I said. I felt his smile on my forehead.

“I missed you, too, sweetheart.” We held each other for a good minute before pulling away. “And I meant what I said before. You do look beautiful.” I blushed.

“Berlín…” I shook my head in denial.

“You do. I mean it. With all my heart.” He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and rested his hand on my cheek. I placed my hand over his and leaned into his touch.

“If I ask you something, will you promise to be 100% honest with me?” I asked him.

“Of course.”

“Were you really jealous in 1999?” He broke eye contact, drawing in a sharp breath.

“Yes. Yes, I was.” I gazed at him sadly.

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stand hearing about every single boy that came in and out of your bedroom while I had a massive crush on you.” He argued.

"You didn't have to, why didn't you just tell me?" I asked.

"And what were the chances of you saying 'yes'? I was a dumb teenager-"

"I was a dumb teenager too, hence why I might have accepted," I said playfully.

Berlín shook his head fondly and kissed me softly without warning. I kissed back immediately, smiling against his lips. When we pulled away I chuckled and blushed, while he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Te quiero muchísimo, Varsòvia."

"Yo también, Berlín."

#lcdp #lcdp netflix #berlin #berlin x reader

[militantinremission]

Reaching beyond their grasp?

Israel has made clear their intention to kill as many Palestinians as possible, before appropriating Palestinian Land, Oil, & Gas Fields. The picture above, is an Ad from a Real Estate Developer promoting Israeli 'Beachfront Houses' in Gaza (Seriously!)... Since Oct. 7th, over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, & over 50,000 have been injured. Gaza now resembles Dresden, but Zionists insist that "From the River, to the Sea" is Anti Semitic hate speech. Israel is losing face w/ each passing day, & they're taking America & The European Union w/ them. Experts on The Region point out the economic toll that Israel is paying for their blitzkrieg on Gaza.

Scott Ritter points out how 300,000 IDF Reserves & their Support Staff are no longer contributing to the Israeli Economy, but are draining it. The Houthis have effectively created a blockade in The Red Sea that is costing Israel Billions. Hezbollah is doing Real Damage in Northern Israel, while Turkey & Iran remain X- Factors. Benjamin Netanyahu & his Cabinet seem oblivious to Current Events; their actions imply that they have a Right to continue the ongoing carnage. The Biden Administration is caught in a conundrum- they want Israel to scale back the assault, but they're obliged to show solidarity w/ The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The result, has Biden Staffers expressing dissatisfaction w/ Israel's asymmetrical 'War Campaign' in Gaza; while they continue to supply Israel w/ 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'.

The Global Community is holding The U.S. responsible for 1,000lb & 2,000lb Bombs, along w/ White Phosphorus that have been used by the IDF to kill innocent Palestinian Men, Women, & Children. In effect, America is Israel's Partner In Crime. Mainstream Media focuses on the Israeli perspective of eliminating Hamas, but are they? We hear very little about IDF casualities. Last count, Israel claims 1,593 injured; but the Israeli Newspaper, Haaretz says that number is far off. Using Israeli Hospital Admissions, Haaretz discovered that the IDF averages 60 wounded per day. They also discovered that 10,584 injured were admitted to dozens of Hospitals across Israel; the 3 closest Hospitals to Gaza accounting for roughly 3,000 admissions alone- nearly double the Israeli claim.

According to Limor Luria- Deputy Director General & Head of the Ministry's Rehabilitation Department, 'nearly 60%' have severe injuries to their hands & feet; including those requiring amputations. The Associated Press says the total of IDF deaths since Oct. 7th is 153, but The Israeli Military reported 420 Soldiers killed. Luria warns of a looming Mental Health Crisis among IDF Soldiers; some IDF Units have refused to engage. Netanyahu says there are 36,000 Hamas Soldiers; I believe THAT is his threshold for a Cease Fire. He has already displaced nearly 3 times as many Palestinians as The Nakba; roughly 90% of Gaza has been displaced. Netanyahu's actions have set Records in the number of Hospitals/ Health Facilities, Mosques, Churches, & Schools destroyed in a Conflict. He's also responsible for Record Setting deaths to Medical Staff, Journalists, UN Staff & other Aid Workers. European Leaders have straddled the fence, but Leaders in the Global South have condemned Israel's 'War' as an Ethnic Cleansing; some have called it Palestinian Genocide.

Attempts to silence naysayers are not working; Israel is losing The War and The Narrative. People are learning about Zionism, & how it differs from Judaism. Groups like AIPAC have incredible influence, but The Global Masses aren't intimidated by their threats. Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) have played a major role in demystifying the distinction between Judaism & Zionism. Their 'Not in Our Name' Campaign reverberated globally. As The Masses rose up- demanding a Cease Fire in Gaza, We saw a global pushback from an assortment of Power Brokers in Business, Media, & Government. Their efforts were fruitless, but it revealed the global reach of Zionism. What was most revealing, is the prominence of Christian Zionists. They don't just outnumber Zionists, but ALL European Jews.

These Christian Zionists are mostly Evangelicals in The Bible Belt, but they are not limited to one denomination or region. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, John Hagee, & Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth) are well-known preachers of Christian Zionism. Joe Biden (a Catholic) & Donald Trump (a Presbyterian) are also proud Zionists; this may explain Biden's reluctance to slow the flow of weapons to Israel... I was surprised to learn that Theodor Herzl was a student of Christian Zionists, & not the other way around. Men like Baron Walter Rothschild, [British Foreign Secretary] Lord Arthur James Balfour, & President Woodrow Wilson were all Zionists; that may explain why Herzl & Co. proposed the idea of a 'Jewish State' specifically to Balfour & Rothschild. While Christian Zionists go out of their way to support Israel, their reasons can be viewed as Anti- Semitic.

Christian Zionists identify w/ 'The Children of Abraham' through Spiritual Ancestry (as it relates to Acts: 34,35). They subscribe to the Theory of Dispensationalism- the brainchild of John Nelson Darby, in the late 19th Century. Darby is described as a former clergyman of the Anglican Church of Ireland, & a Bible Teacher... Dispensationalism deals w/ the Rapture, & the 2nd Coming of Christ. Followers (Dispensational Premillennials) believe 'The State' of Israel is a necessary step in this Prophecy. The (so called) Chosen People are defined as: Those who rejected Christ. According to the Prophecy, a number of these 'Ethnic Jews' (160,000?) accept Jesus/Yeshua as Christ & are Saved; The rest are sent to The Underworld w/ All of the other 'Sinners'. Both Sides use it to their advantage. Zionists ignore the Christian motivation to deal w/ Europe's 'Jewish Problem', while Christians ignore Zionist duplicity (as allowed in Bava Kamma 113a, 37b) & The Talmud's description of Jesus/ Yeshua as: 'The Son of a Whore/ Harlot' (Sanhedrin 106a,b & Shabbat 104b) & a blasphemer (Sanhedrin 107b[Sotah 47a], Gittin 57a, Shabbos 104b). Christian Scholars like Dr. Ken Matto condemn the notion of a 'Judeo Christian' narrative as oxymoronic, & they think Dispensationalist Ministers are grifters.

Orthodox Jews condemn Zionism as heresy. They don't see the need for a 'Jewish State' before the return of the Melekh Mashiak. Leaders like Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, are the latest generation of Orthodox Jews that have been on the Front Line contesting the validity of Zionism over the last 120Yrs. Orthodox Jewish Scholars have pointed out that Theodor Herzl, David Ben Gurion, & Benjamin Netanyahu aren't practicing Jews; they're Atheists. It appears that 'Radical (Revisionist) Judaism' is a Zionist Agenda to influence World Opinion regarding Ashkenazi claims to Biblical Israel (Palestine). Their philosophy lines up w/ Nazism more than Orthodox Judaism, & their methodology is pure Colonialism... The Rothschild Family used their personal finances to lay the foundation & infrastructure of Israel. We also know that European Jews in Palestine were supported by Jewish Mobsters, like Meyer Lansky's National Crime Syndicate. They supplied Settlers w/ cash, smuggled in weapons, & possibly taught them Intelligence tactics.

Lansky was a Master at blackmail, bribery, & extortion. In addition to compromising Police Officers, Judges, Politicians, Business & Union Leaders; he 'persuaded' J. Edgar Hoover to ignore American Organized Crime for decades. The U.S. Government sought Meyer Lansky's 'Intelligence gathering' services for O.S.S. operations during WW 2... We see Lansky's tactics currently being used by Mossad. If you believe Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad Agent (One of MANY) tasked w/ putting prominent men & women in 'compromising positions', you can understand the Pro Israel stance of World Leaders & Captains of Industry... It's almost comical to remember how crazy We all thought Skinheads were, when they declared America is a Z.O.G. (Zionist Occupied Government). In hindsight, we cannot deny the degree of Zionist influence in Entertainment, Finance, Government, & Mainstream Media. Scott Ritter points out that 400 of 418 Members Of Congress & 95- 98 Senators are 'bought & paid for' by AIPAC... Everyone else gets 'Primaried'. Rapper/ Journalist, Lowkey pointed out Rupert Murdoch's multiple connections to Israeli Intelligence Agencies (Mossad, Shin Bet, Unit 8200). His Media Outlets & Journalists regularly walk in lock step w/ Israeli Agendas... He's not alone.

It's no surprise that Mainstream Media has been less than critical of Israel's blatant War Crimes. Their Reporters & Contributors repeat Israeli talking points. Meanwhile, Sean 'Diddy' Combs & an ever expanding list of literal Bad Actors have taken precedence over the mess that Benjamin Netanyahu has made. The Zionists have a habit of using morally questionable Black Men to deflect any attention on them. Bill Cosby was a proxy for Harvey Weinstein & Les Moonves, R. Kelly was a proxy for Jeffrey Epstein & Prince Edward, Johnathan Majors was a proxy for Dana White, Ezra Miller, & Danny Masterson... Bibi's politically finished, but he's not going down alone. Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Olaf Scholtz, & Emmanuel Macron are All 'Damaged Goods'. Volodymor Zelenskyy is probably the only Leader on thinner ice; most Experts on Ukraine expect a 'Fall from Grace', sometime after his Term ends on May 21st. He's literally a Dead Man Walking.

American Zionists went to great lengths to support Israel, to the detriment of America's National Security. Joe Biden wants an $880B Defense Budget, but The U.S. Navy is being outmaneuvered by Houthi Rebels using 'swarms' of $2,000 drones. Scott Ritter has insinuated that Russia has copied British Underwater Drones, & passed blueprints to Iran. It's likely that Houthi Rebels will also have these designs; how many drones will it take to disable a $30B Aircraft Carrier? Sabre rattling w/ Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin is Keyboard Gangsterism... These Days, The Military Industrial Complex is as broken as the American Economy. It looks like the Israelis are giving Dispensationalism the Taste Test- let's hope that they don't set off another World War in the process.

#VoluntaryMigration #GenocideConventionArticle3 #ZionismIsNotJudaism #Ze'evJabotinski #MoralBankruptcy #AntiZionismIsNotAntiSemitism #PaperTiger #PeePeeTapePolitics #Herem #HannibalDoctrine #AgeOfProphecy

[purplehanfu]

Self Indulgent Birthday Post: 2023

notes: Spoilers!, probably. Yay, it's my birthday again! Enjoy some of my finest unfinished work!

Oh? You have both my interest and attention!

Booooo.... (this disappointment brought to you by The Young Brewmaster’s Adventure, which happens to be the prequel to Blood of Youth)

Recap Recycle Bin

So many dramas and never enough time to write a full review. Read on! 

Dominator of Martial Gods

tl:dr for this drama

Each episode is 35 minutes long, feels like 3,500 minutes, and delivers maybe 10 minutes worth of story. Impressive! 

We waste a great deal of time in the first few episodes watching Qin Chen and the bootlicking alchemist refine a needle that will allow our hero to activate his bloodline. Intriguing, because you often hear dramas refer to treasures being refined into weapons, but you never see the process. There's a reason for this- it does not make for compelling viewing. But that does not stop us from standing around arguing about the specs and adding things to the oven. This process was more fun when Chu Wanning just takes you up to the lake. On a technical note, I am enamored of the way the ever present green screened background makes no attempt to be in scale with the human actors.

My Deepest Dream

Ooh, a plot with a time loop, evil birds, superpowers, getting sucked into the Marianas Trench when you just wanted to go on a scuba diving excursion and JIN HAN!!! But, as always, there's a glitch in the matrix.

Our heroine realizes she has lost a year of her life and no one has noticed. No one except the astrophysics PhD candidate turned car mechanic Wu Yu (JIN HAN!!!). Wu Yu divulges that he can read a phone screen at 10 kilometers. But mostly he uses his special eyes to keep an elaborate dossier on the comings and goings of the FL, who lives across the street from the garage he works at. Is that creepy or romantic?

don’t be silly, if it were a Marvel movie we’d be having an interminable CGI sky battle 

Till the End of the Moon

Meet Tantai Jin. As you may have noticed from his costume design, he's totally evil.

He's a goal-oriented CEO who's turned the Devil Sect into a high reliability organization that generates impactful customer experiences (annihilation). I bet he's evil enough to use six sigma. But where Tantai Jin truly shines is personal branding. You may not be buying what he's selling, but product recognition is through the roof.

Tantai Jin seen here working out of his travel office: a flaming, flying boudoir with melting skull detail. This is why CEOs should never make more than 10x what the average worker does.

Circle of Love

I can see why the Republican period was relatively short. Everybody setting fire to each other's estates, staying out late ballroom dancing, getting uniforms tailored, making sure there are enough manacles to chain the female lead to a bed... it doesn't really leave a lot of time for governance.

We start out, as we generally do, with a clean sweep of the FL's family, in this case via a big ol' raging house fire. Where is everyone? Or even anyone? Even Maid's Revenge scraped up some extras to be dead family members.

My Kung Fu Girlfriend

Slow your roll, it ain't GL.

You know what they say- it's not whether you win or lose the MMORPG, it's how you min max all your stats and then act like an ass in chat about it.

Meet Huang Xiao Yu. She clearly did not pay to win because she is the low XP real life martial sister of a kung fu champion. In this drama, she'll level up in love and life with the help of an OP MMO NPC who escapes her game and shows up uninvited in the real world.

The Antarctic Octopus

Not to be confused with the 2020 film Big Octopus. I guess that's the great thing about having an audience of over a billion people- even the most niche interest has plenty of content.

This is how you dress when you visit your Uncle Pete in Antarctica.

In this movie: monsters, explosions, a supercharged ice jalopy and a dedicated ignorance of the laws of physics usually only seen in a Fast and Furious film. But credit where it's due: The Antarctic Octopus delivers. Only 12 seconds in and we get our first tentacle!

available free on youtube although how bravely they were fighting is up for debate

Bonus Content: Superlatives

In the Day We Flipped

My post of the year!

Getting over 500 likes on a review? Unexpected.

Forgetting to add a link back to my other recaps? Priceless.

Bloody Romance

still my favorite drama

when your grandma’s a zombie and she was left in a cave to guard a tiny box with one (1) restorative pill in it and she’s suspended by her hair but her hair is also like tentacles that can kill people and she thinks you’re your mom but she still loves you. 💚💚💚 But then she starts screaming and tries to strangle you with her hair.

Heroes

2nd favorite drama

you know something’s good when you have a file called ‘sappy su mengzhen yang wuxie edits.txt’

go get your man, Wuxie!

pinboard full of recaps!

#holiday special #till the end of the moon #my deepest dream #JIN HAN!!! #dominator of martial gods #the young brewmaster's adventure #circle of love #my kung fu girlfriend #the antarctic octopus #bloody romance #heroes #in the day we flipped

[aci25]

Oh shit lol. Twitter HQ in San Francisco tonight. Twitter users are sending out ‘last tweets’ amid another worker exodus and fears the site could go dark 

Turmoil at Twitter reached a new level on Thursday, as users witnessed in real time the mass resignation of staffers in the wake of Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover. Some questioned whether the social media company would survive the exodus of staff on top of previous layoffs of around 3,700 workers.

“Goodbye Twitter” and “#RIPTwitter” were trending with more than 60,000 combined tweets, and hundreds of workers reportedly left on Thursday after Musk’s 2 p.m. deadline to commit to his strategy or resign. Some users speculated that they were sending out their last tweets and that the social network would soon stop working.

Departing workers took to the social network, sharing sentimental, humorous and defiant messages.

Matt Miller, who said he worked at Twitter for over nine years posted a video       from what appeared to be inside the company’s offices as the deadline came. “We’re all about to get fired,” he said nonchalantly while standing next to four other workers.

“I walked away from my dream job today with a full heart because of the people I got to work with everyday,” said Jessalyn Johnson, a departing Twitter Real Estate and Workplace Strategy operations manager. Johnson shared photos of what she called “the best 4.5 years a girl could wish for” to her timeline.

Kristyn Kawaja, a senior client account manager, tweeted that leaving was one of the most difficult decisions she’d ever made. “Coworkers turned into family, and clients turned into trusted partners and friends. I wouldn’t change this experience for the world,” she said.

Musk himself tweeted on Thursday evening in the wake of the departures, in what appeared to be a reference to Twitter’s dire finances.

“How do you make a small fortune in social media? Start out with a large one,” Musk said, after previously claiming the company was losing $4 million per day, which necessitated layoffs. Musk took out more than $13 billion in debt to complete his deal and is liable for over $1 billion in annual interest payments.

#Twitter HQ in San Francisco #rip twitter #elon musk twitter #twitter hq #twitter news #tech news #elon musk #elon twitter #goodbye twitter #riptweeter #$44 billion

[airyairyaucontraire]

How satisfying.

Note that this is one pre-trial ruling in a case that isn’t finished yet (the trial begins in October) and the absolute most that will happen to Trump if he loses would be a $250 million fine and being banned from doing business in the state of New York - but is is still very pleasant to hear.

#us politics #suffer in yer jocks

[genocidalfetus]

Wicked Game

Wrote this because the sad from losing my cat had to be turned into something else. It's a lead-in to my Post-Sun-Ending fic I'll be posting once it's complete. I'll also be posting this to ao3 at some point but figured I'd let y'all read it first.

Kerry didn't even want to go to the party at Bess' place. A strange thing, considering Kerry's profession and his normal need to be social, to mingle. Or maybe that was his 'old normal'. These days, Kerry was more content with staying at home, either writing more music or laying down new tracks for the album. Or just sitting on the couch watching some shitty sitcom, wishing the empty spot next to him wasn't so damn empty.

Kerry put on his favorite vest, then checked himself out in the mirror. His eyeliner was on point, his hair flawlessly styled as usual. He sighed and shook his head though.

"Why am I doing this again?" He asked himself out loud.

He could almost hear Vince's reply.

Because you know as well as I do that moping here ain't gonna do you any good, Vince would have told him, if he were there and not somewhere in space.

"But going to a party and getting loaded is gonna do me good?"

He once again could imagine how Vince would reply to such a question. The two of them so close, so in-tune with one another.

You know you ain't gonna get loaded. You probably won't even stay that long. But you need a distraction. So go, enjoy yourself. Don't shut yourself off from people again, Ker. Don't need you regressing back to the state of mind I found you in. You've come so far. I'll be home before you miss me.

Kerry sighed and rolled his eyes, smirking at himself in the mirror. "Fine. I'll go. For you. K?"

The party was pretty low-key. A bunch of Bess' journalist friends, but Denny was there too, as were some other musicians. Kerry found himself mingling among his fellow music makers, as he found most journalists to be boring and he was suspicious of their intentions when talking to him. The musicians hung out in the living room, on the leather couch. Kerry talked shop with them and gave a little insight into his latest album, but mostly he listened. Or at least tried to. Found his mind wandering here and there. And it always wandered to the same place. The same man, the one who was billions of miles away, up in orbit about to do something for some shady guy who may not even be trustworthy, to begin with. Fuck.

An elbow in his rib from Denny brought Kerry away from his thoughts and back to the party. She motioned him to look ahead with her neck. He saw Bess standing there with a guitar in her hands. It was an acoustic guitar and one that Kerry remembered all too well. One of his old ones from back in Samurai's earlier days. He never played with it on the stage, but he used it for writing songs here and there. He recalled selling it to some collector a few years after they got bigger. Bess handed it off to him. "Look familiar?" Bess mused with a smirk.

Kerry was wearing a grin as he looked the instrument over, turning it about in his hands. He looked up at Bess. "Where'd you find this relic?" He asked.

Bess shrugged. "Some collector died and it was among his things at an estate sale. Figured I'd bring it back to its original owner."

Kerry raised an eyebrow. "For real?"

She nodded. "This relic helped you get to where you are today. Deserves to be displayed with your other axes, don't you think?"

Kerry positioned the guitar on his lap. He gave it a strum, frowned, and then tuned the strings individually, his hearing cyberware helping tremendously. The guitar was now perfectly tuned. Kerry looked around at the musicians with a smirk. "Any requests?"

"Still remember Wicked Game?" Bess piped up.

Kerry chuckled and rolled his eyes. He learned how to play that song for Bess back when she went by Nance, after she hounded him for a whole month to do it. She tried to get Johnny to do it, but he was far more stubborn than Kerry and she knew it. Why she loved that song so much, Kerry would never know, but Bess had some very odd taste in music. He thought for a moment, then reached over to the coffee table and picked up the drink he'd been nursing, finishing it off with a big gulp, wincing as the whiskey warmed his throat up good. He put his fingers on the frets, then started strumming, the intro to Chris Isaak's song echoing off the walls, causing lingering conversations to pause. And Kerry now realized that he had an audience, and he smiled and started to croon the lyrics.

World was on fire and no one could save me but you. Strange what desire can make foolish people do….

And Kerry began to see flames dancing all around them and he was back in Kovachek's yacht. Vince was in front of him, legs spread as he sat up on the top of one of the couches. Kerry standing on top of the couch, fucking him, his hand on the back of Vince's neck. The other man's expression that of elation, desire before a playful slap stung Kerry's face.

And I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you, and I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you…

Seeing Vince for the first time, in control of his body. Kerry recalled the kid's eyes. When Johnny had been in control, Vince's eyes were dull and darker. When he woke up after collapsing on the floor, his eyes were bright and young, the emerald green emitting a friendlier aura within them. Those emerald eyes showing confidence but a little sadness when Kerry looked into them before Vince got into the Del cab and went off to do what he needed to do.

And I don't wanna fall in love….And I don't wanna fall in love….with you…

Too fucking late for that, Kerry thought as he played. He was in love. And he was worried about Vince, even though he knew Vince was resourceful and smart and tough as all hell. He kept strumming and then went into the next verse.

What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way. What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you…

His drive home from the Samurai concert, thinking about Vince and how he might have done the wrong thing just leaving him there like that. Their first official coffee date, where they talked until closing at Caliente's. Kerry realizing that these feelings were not going away anytime soon. Going for the kiss at his place after breaking the kid's nose. An emotional mess began to stir within Kerry. He was feeling everything. Happiness at being able to move on from Johnny, but the bitterness of knowing Vince was still sick, and he wasn't within reach, and the fear of him not coming back at all due to some unforseen circumstances. His throat felt like it was getting smaller, but his hands never faltered on the instrument and he didn't miss a note. As he sang, his voice became louder, more full of emotion.

What a wicked thing to say, you never felt that way. What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you…

Sitting with Vince after their first time together, after Vince's first time with anyone. Hands interlaced, Vince's head on his shoulder. Then and there, Kerry knew he had found someone worth staying around for and someone who was different, someone who just made him want to do better and be better. Kerry's voice got a little softer as he sang the chorus. He could feel so many eyes on him and as much as he loved performing, he almost wished they would stop paying attention to him. And yet, the show must go on and so it did. He repeated the first verse again, feeling his throat becoming more restricted but that only made him sing with more ferocity. He needed to finish the song, to conclude the performance, even if his heart was feeling heavier by the second. All he wanted was for Vince to be home again, back in his arms again. Safe and unharmed. His fingers were aching from pressing on the strings so hard, but he kept playing. Then he felt the tingling sensation before tears start to form in your eyes. He was at the end of the song.

Nobody. Loves No one.

The journalists and the musicians all clapped as the final notes of the guitar echoed through the living room. Kerry nodded, feeling the tears begin to climb into his eyes. He handed the guitar off to Denny and excused himself from the couch. He walked quickly and found the sliding door that led to the balcony, pulled it open, and stepped outside. The air outdoors was no better than the air inside, but it was less constricting. He took a breath and approached the railing, leaning against his elbows as he looked up at the stars, his eyesight briefly blurred by tears that he blinked away and freed. They slithered down his cheeks. His heart felt like it was about to drop from his body, feeling heavier than the densest material known to man. He was really missing Vince this evening. He lowered his head and heard the sliding door open and then close, a pair of soft footsteps coming towards him. Bess settled next to him. She looked up at the stars.

"You miss him don't you," Bess asked, then looked over at Kerry. "That merc of yours?"

Kerry nodded, fresh tears falling down his face. He sniffled. "He ain't been gone that long and yet it feels like it's been a month. Pretty fucking pathetic, right? An old man like me pining for his younger mainline like this?"

Bess lit up a cigarette and blew out a plume of smoke. "Well, at least you're no longer holding a candle for some gonk who was never going to return your feelings. Thought you would never get over Johnny. I'm glad you have, and I'm glad you found someone who's just as crazy about you as you are about him."

Kerry sighed as he wiped his face on his forearm. "Just want him back home. Been trying to keep busy, but during those times when there's a lul…sucks. Badly."

Bess sighed and nodded as she rubbed her shoulder against Kerry's. "V will be fine. He's one of the best mercs in all of Night City. At least that's what I've been told by countless people as of late."

"He's Night City's bad boy," Kerry mused with a smirk. "And he's all mine."

"Come on back to the party."

Kerry yawned and shook his head. "Actually, think I'll delta. Kind of feeling wiped out."

Bess smirked. "You really have gotten old, haven't ya?"

"Fuck off Bess," Kerry growled, but then laughed. "Can still keep up with the twenty-somethings in this city."

Bess shook her head, but gave Kerry a hug and a kiss on his cheek before returning to the party. Kerry lingered for a moment longer on the balcony. He took another glance up at the sky and smiled. Vince always told him that star-gazing was something they ought to do more often together. Perhaps once he gets home, they will. The stars were more visible at Kerry's villa, which would mean weekend trips back there. And maybe, just maybe, Kerry would endure the badlands for a whole weekend. Fuck, he definitely would if Vince asked.

Kerry left the party quietly grabbing his re-acquired guitar, and drove home. He got into the big and quiet penthouse and placed his acoustic guitar in the studio, then stripped down and got into the shower. He just stood there, under the hot steamy water, letting his mind wander. He really despised showering alone, especially now. He sighed with annoyance at his predicament and washed, then turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack, drying himself off and getting into bed naked, the blanket on top of his lower body. He closed his eyes, but sleep did not claim him. He rolled onto his side and tried again with diminishing results. The other side was less successful. Kerry balled his hands into fists and slammed them on the mattress, growling in frustration. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, checking the time. Three in the morning. Fuck. He sadly grinned at the lock screen on his phone. Vince, giving him a smirk and laying on his stomach on their bed, very much naked. One of the many sexy pics Kerry had of him that he rotated for his lock screen every couple of weeks. He unlocked his phone and pressed the icon for Vince's phone and waited. It rang. And rang. And rang again. Kerry's heart lurched as it went to voicemail. But he decided he needed to get things off his chest, so he started talking.

"Hey Vince," He said, trying to keep his voice steady. "It's three in the goddamn morning and I can't sleep so thought I'd…thought I'd give you a call, even if I have to ramble to your fuckin voicemail."

Kerry could feel the emotional lump in his throat begining to rise. He sighed and tried to swallow it down. "I know you said you'd be home before I could miss you," Kerry uttered a weak chuckle. "Well, I think you failed in your mission cuz…Fuck…Babe, this is hard as shit right now…I can't--"

He stopped himself for a moment as his voice began to tremble and large tears fell down his face. He wiped them away and cleared his throat.

"Just…just get back here in one piece..please," Kerry begged as a few sobs slipped out of his throat. "I…I love you…Never forget that…fuck…I'm gonna hang up now. I love you Vince."

With a shaking hand, Kerry ended the call. And wept.

#fanfic #fanfic writing #cyberpunk 2077 #kerry eurodyne #a little angst for the readers

[longwindedbore]

EXCEPT THAT HE IS BEING SUED BECAUSE HE OWES MORE THAN HE IS WORTH!

His empire is built on obtaining FRAUDULENT valuations used to obtain loans.

In 2023 he owes $500 million more than he has assets.

(He includes outside investor investments in development projects as his “cash in hand” asset.)

Leave him to run hog wild and he’ll soon owe a couple billion secured by the same assets.

Source of valuation:

https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-sues-donald-trump-years-financial-fraud

Source of Debt:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2022/07/29/donald-trumps-great-escape-how-the-former-president-solved-his-debt-crisis/

[majimassqueaktoy]

dragging majima by the ear to talk to makoto so she can finally quit her job and dedicate herself to advocating for trafficking victims as i Know she would instead of waiting 18 years for him 😭😭😭

God GOD GODDDD yes yes yes yes- I would adore that so so so much...... She would 😫 I still wish she took over Tachibana's business- she’s got a billion yen and a real estate empire at her feet, she decides after everything that was done to her- everything that was done to her brother, that she’s going to make everything right on her own terms... Ough. and instead of Kiryu rejoining with Dojima he stays on with Makoto out of a loyalty and respect for Tachibana and they work together... Majima is still seeing her sometimes because she has dealings with Sera and the tojo clan and he's just losing it because he's simultaneously really proud but also so fucking worried and he wants her to just have a quiet life away from danger and he's keeping her at arms length but God it's so hard because she's really hot when she's mean and she's being very mean to the Tojo clan right now... every piece of shit who hurts innocent girls gets the Makoto Makimura treatment... UGH.

#Also like Makoto had a vicious side- asking for a beheading is pretty hardcore #Kiryu just being like... He butts heads with her becuase he is a lot more forgving and tries to give people second chances #and Makoto's like if they dont stop I'll be having them beheaded and dumped in Tokyo bay 👍 #FROTHING #anyway I went wayyyyy on a tangent 😫 #ask #Makoto Makimura

[dhaaruni]

Beto O’Rourke is the definition of a liberal and a true-blue Democrat! All the shitlib wine moms that leftists have been deriding for years are absolutely furious at Republican cruelty and negligence, and that’s great for the future of American democracy.

Beto is married to a woman who’s the daughter is a real estate mogul worth a half a billion dollars like he doesn’t have to run for governor of Texas, knowing he’s almost certain to lose to Greg Abbott, and road trip around the state during the dog days of summer and try to build up a solid party apparatus, even during midterms, to flip Texas blue. He could just mooch off his wife and lounge around being useless, but he’s really trying to make his state and country a better place, and that’s admirable.

#beto o'rourke #politics #Twitter #dirtbag left

[nothingunrealistic]

KING: The fourth season of Billions just wrapped up on Showtime, and those places I mentioned — the NYSE, East River Park, Morgenstern’s, Una Pizza Napoletana — they became the sets in the drama we’ve come to love, focused on hedge fund billionaire Bobby Axelrod, and his longtime nemesis — and this season, his frenemy — former US Attorney for the Southern District and now State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades. Fictional characters. Real-life backdrops.

—————

KING: Mike Wagner’s also an athlete who likes to play injured. He’s drugged at the consulates of foreign governments. He gets plastered with Wendy Rhoades to console her about maybe losing her medical license. His pride is wounded after he dresses in drag on an ill-fated attempt to join Kappa Beta Phi.

WAGS: Michael Wagner. Maybe it’s just under Wags. I’m a neophyte. DOOR GUY: Not seeing it. WAGS: I have the invitation right here — NUSSFAUR: Say gorgonzola. Oh, you’re gonna look pretty in Page Six. WAGS: Nussfaur. You sent this. NUSSFAUR: For you to endure the humiliation, Wagner. Not of wearing a dress, but of being an interloper. A trespasser. A buttinsky. A social climber who has to watch the ladder pulled up right in front of your grasping, outstretched arms.

KING: “Wagner,” uttered like “Newman.” The guy is a glutton for punishment. What drives the man?

KOPPELMAN: First of all, David Costabile, who you mentioned earlier, is just such an incredible actor, and brings a humanity to Wags — because, you know, if we met the real-life Wags, I’m not sure we would be all that charmed by him. Wags is an incredibly loyal person. Um, you know, while we’re making the show, I don’t talk that much about what drives the characters in a forum that, um, that the actors might hear. I want the actors to be able to interpret it and ask questions, and I don’t want to lead them. I will say that we’re constantly asking ourselves the question of what drives people like this. What makes the pursuit of this particular kind of money, power, influence so alluring to a subset of people? Some people are — realize, at a certain point, they have enough and turn their attention to other interests. These are people seemingly incapable of not competing, incapable of leaving the game. So, Wags is certainly a loyal person. Axe means the world to him. Being in the game means a lot to him. Winning means a lot to him. But I think, this season, we saw Wags’ own sense of the impermanence of our time here. And I think that that’s a hint to, uh, part of his psychology.

—————

KING: It was such a wrenching season for [Wendy]. Every, every episode, you know, brought new challenges, you know, until the final one. I think the most brutal image of the whole season for me, based on, sort of, the way I think about life, is that lone moment in the Brooklyn townhouse. Chuck has come home after one of those later nights and sees the warm cherry pie on the kitchen island. Maggie is nowhere to be found. And, you know, he grabs his kitchen implements and is about to dive into it, as only Chuck can, before the real estate broker comes in. The way that Paul Giamatti gets into his method, did that pie have to be actually warmed to attract his nose?

KOPPELMAN: No. Also, it was an apple pie, but everybody, um… it’s great because it’s whatever pie you would most want to be there. It’s like the Rorschach pie. Like, whatever you think it would be. If you need it to be a warm cherry pie, then it was. It happened to be an apple pie. Um, no. I mean, these actors, they’re so… I mean, you’re talking about some of the best actors in the, in the world, some of the best actors ever to be on television. And no. Paul could play it… if I put one of these dusty old books there and said, “That’s a pie,” Paul could play that if he had to. And I was like, “We’re going to CGI the pie in later,” he’d be like, “Okay. No problem.”

KING: So congratulations on the wrapping of the fourth season. [KOPPELMAN: Thanks.] How does the weight that you felt during the season, and the corresponding lifting of that weight when the work is over, compare to three seasons prior?

KOPPELMAN: No, I mean, it’s always… I’m a totally different person during the season and not in the season. So, between seasons 3 and 4, David and I had about three days off. So, we finished season three and then we… so, you finish the shooting, but then — so everybody gets to go home, but David and I have to finish editing and mixing — with our, with editors and mixers. We have to finish the entire post-production process. And so, between seasons 3 and 4, Showtime asked us if, if we could get our show ready sooner. They had reasons that they wanted it on the air when they did. And we said, “Yeah, but we are gonna need two months after season four, or we can’t… we have to find a way to get away and let our brains begin to just imagine again and experience other things and just take long walks and swim.” You know, like, literally just do anything other than write Billions. And the second that the season is written, each time, the two of us can breathe. We feel such a heavy obligation to make it the very strongest version of the show that we can come up with. And that really starts with making sure that the scripts are great, and that we’re going to give these actors stuff that they really want to play, and that — we know we have these devoted fans. There are shows with a bigger audience, but there are not many shows with a more devoted audience of people who watch the show three, four, five times and pick up on every line and every reference and care deeply. So, we feel this tremendous… it’s not pressure because both of us are so grateful we get to do this, but it is… it feels like a duty and an obligation to serve all these people. So, the moment it’s written, we’re both able to sort of exhale and say, “Okay. Well, we’ve done that part.” Then we have to make sure that, you know, we realize that vision that we’ve laid out when we’re shooting and cutting it, but then we’re able to chill out.

—————

KING: But before we cast season 4, you know, into the Showtime archives, I just want to do a quick spin through some of the highlights [KOPPELMAN: Sure.] that I felt through, because we’re going to put this up in a couple days and people are still kind of processing things that they saw. Let’s start with Chickentown. Episode 3. Your homage to Chinatown and the vehicle that allowed Kelly AuCoin’s ascension really to a series regular and more screen time. Let’s hear a little clip from it.

[“Chicken Bill” plays] AXE: Bill. Bill, what are you about to do? DOLLAR BILL: What I always do for you: whatever I have to. WAGS: Yes, but specifically, what are you about to do right now? AXE: What’s in the bag, Bill, what’s in the bag? DOLLAR BILL: A capon with a case of H5N1B. Just enough to freeze transport on a few hundred thousand infected birds. Prices will skyrocket.

KING: H5N1B. Brian, how did you get smart on poultry to write that episode?

KOPPELMAN: You know, we have a writers’ room, Dave and I. And one of the writers told us about various chicken indices and the ways in which they’re, um, they’re forecast, you know, the amount of chickens is forecast. And we all just loved it. And then as soon as it came up, one of us, either Dave or me said, “Atlantic City.” We had to use the Springsteen song. And then the whole thing just flowed from there. That episode was, the first draft was written by Lenore Zion, who’s a credited writer on the episode. Did a great job. And, Kelly — by the way, Kelly AuCoin became a regular on the show at the end of last season. We made him a regular, um, because his work each season had just been so good. And each season we gave him a little bit more to do, and he always rose to the task. So, we were thrilled to make him part of the regular cast of the show. And he really delivered this year.

KING: A Proper Sendoff. Episode 5. I could watch David Strathairn forever, but Chuck sent him six feet under in style. And then you, you foreshadowed the finale with the way that Bobby sent John Rice out to sea. This device that you have of getting people out of their comfort zone or out of their control environment, leaving the phones in the, in the back of the SUV, getting out onto Bobby’s boat because they can have some real bro time together. In fact, it’s all part of the plot.

KOPPELMAN: Well, yeah. We’re going to use any… I mean, Levien likes to say we’re a snout-to-tail operation, and he’s right. We like to, we will use all, every part of the pig. And so, any storytelling device, we are going to take advantage of. Yeah, there are various ways in which we, we sort of foreshadowed the end of the season. And we’re always doing that too, you know. Um, the sites that write about the show will often point out that there’s — you know, if we, if there’s some casual little look between two characters, or there’s something said that you don’t quite… you know, if you think about season 2, when Chuck is out with Ira and these two women, Taiga and another one, it’s the first time you hear Ice Juice mentioned. Ira says something about, “I have these gift cards to Ice Juice.” And then that doesn’t play out until, you know, Episode 11 of the show, of that season. And so, we’re always looking to reward — like, the casual viewer can come in and just watch it and it’s entertaining and fun, but the more you bring to it and the more you’re in, the more we’re going to try to give you little treats along the way, little Easter eggs along the way, little things to pick up on to make it all add up for you at the end, that will reward your paying super close attention.

KING: Maximum Recreational Depth. That was Episode 6. You’re using Clancy Brown and Danny Strong at a urinal to unleash Hard Bob on Doug [Mason]’s dream of a business venture. We have the best urinal in town right around the corner. And April looked at it for potential for shooting that scene, but it wasn’t enough room for the camera. But, but this, the Hard Bob character was one of my greatest memories of walk-on this summer.

KOPPELMAN: Chelcie Ross is an incredible actor. And I mean, that’s one of those great things. David and I came up with the character, Hard Bob Beaufort, ten years ago. We just were sitting in this old office we used to have, which was atop of a bridge club. We had the top floor of this really old bridge club in Manhattan. And we would, one of us, we just started riffing one day on this… at the time, in our minds, he was, like, probably a Texas oil man, but we just had this idea of a guy named Hard Bob, who brooked no bullshit. And when we were, when we were writing this episode, we were sitting with Adam Perlman, one of our, who’s our lieutenant on the show, a co-executive producer of the show. And we were talking about Hard Bob Beaufort. And we realized, oh, we could use this character and, and take the character, instead of writing a whole thing about him, and put him in the middle of this. And it was incredibly satisfying to have Chelcie — and then immediately, that day, said, “The only guy who can play this is Chelcie Ross.” And then we went out and got him to do it, which was super exciting.

KING: And then there was Fight Night. Episode 8. A not-so-pivotal scene filmed right here at the New York Stock Exchange, but it got Stacey her first theatrical line. So, we were all giddy about that. But did you channel Sylvester Stallone when you were writing the boxing scenes?

[“T.N.T.” plays] RICH EISEN: That’s not legal. MENERY: I’m gonna be honest, viewers. This is probably one of the pussiest fights I’ve ever seen in my life. RICH EISEN: They stopped fighting before the bell. And now Mafee’s vomiting. JOCKO: You got to keep going right now! SPYROS: You got to keep going! JOCKO: Let’s go! Make it happen! DEONTAY: Keep going! SPYROS: You got to keep going! DEONTAY: Let’s go, baby! RICH EISEN: That’s the Bald Bull Charge from Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

KING: I mean, might as well be Rocky 34.

KOPPELMAN: Big props to Rich Eisen and Bob Menery who commentated — [KING: Rich is great.] …on that stuff. Both those guys killed it for us.

KING: And then there was this finale, Extreme Sandbox. Let’s start with the extreme sandbox itself. Bobby gets a lot done by luring his targets out of town.

CHUCK: Off to…? WENDY: Uh. Day trip. With Rebecca. State changer. Or something. CHUCK: Good. Yeah. You let those shoulders drop. WENDY: I don’t think they’ll drop ‘til the exact terms of my suspension have been announced. And probably not ‘til it’s all over. CHUCK: While you’re gone, I will be hard at it trying to get those terms relaxed or done away. Would have been easier ahead of time. But there must be a lever out there.

KING: Let those shoulders drop. The helicopter brings them out to the extreme sandbox. You’ve got Mark Cuban in a cameo. And you filmed some great scenes there. Having Mark bring this idea into the show, what was the thought about bringing that device into the show?

KOPPELMAN: Well, Mark and I first met at a basketball camp for adults, like, eighteen years ago, and have been friendly ever since. And so, and Mark has been a great counselor to Dave and me, about billionaires, and about the psychology of billionaires, and so, and about the psychology of the business world. Each season, we sit down with Mark or we get on the phone and we sort of talk about the state of play. And we do that with a bunch of different people, but Mark’s one of the most valuable because he’s an insider and an outsider of the world, right? He’s wealthy… he’s as wealthy or wealthier than a lot of these people, but he doesn’t make his money in the way that they do. Yet he interacts with them all the time. So, he has great insight into the way billionaires in the hedge fund and private equity space and VC space live. And we, so, and then Mark was in seasons 2, 3, and then season 4. I think as long as we make the show, my guess is Mark will make an appearance each season. But he didn’t bring up extreme sandbox. What happens is, when we get the idea for what we want to have Mark do, we call him and we say, “Well, here’s what we’re thinking. Does it make sense to you?” And, um, extreme sandbox had come up in the room as a thing that they could… you know, we didn’t want Rebecca to take Wendy just to a spa. We didn’t want them to, you know, to just cut to them, putting mud masks on their faces, you know, the kind of thing that a show might do with two female characters. We wanted them to do something that was much more like, no, no, no, these are two alpha businesspeople who happen to be women. So, what would they, what would be be something different? Extreme sandbox came up. David and I loved the idea of that as an episode title, an idea, the idea of these people all living in an extreme sandbox or treating their lives like that. So, it worked thematically for us, metaphorically for us. So, when we called Mark, we were like, “Hey, can you help us make this happen?” And then he hooked us up with the extreme sandbox person. And then that all happened that way.

—————

KING: So, all this work starts anew in July. The writers’ room will reconvene. You’ve probably found or begun to assemble those that are going to spend all that time with you in that office as you crank out these twelve episodes. What are the first couple weeks like of blocking out a season?

KOPPELMAN: Sure. The first thing, David and I will usually have a couple of thematic ideas about the season. We’ll start talking to the room about that, getting their opinions. And we’ll try to come up with a idea that’s just for us, sort of a sentence about what the theme of the year is. And then we try to test the ideas, the story ideas against that theme, the character ideas against that theme. And, and, and that theme comes from the characters, comes from where we think the characters are and where they need to go. So, it’s a pretty the first few weeks are very open, very blue sky, let’s just figure out all the possibilities. And then we start honing it.

—————

KING: Your characters have experimented with all sorts of self-improvement techniques. Wags’ hugging therapy this season comes to mind. But simple meditation hasn’t seemed to work for any of them. And yet, it seems to work so well for you. Why?

KOPPELMAN: Well, I’m not sure it hasn’t worked for them. But, I mean, they’re successful on the terms they want to be, or at least Axe is, and he’s the one we see meditating the most.

—————

KOPPELMAN: Once in a while, like when we referenced what Rush albums are the best albums on the show, I’ll put something out there for a purpose, which is: I want to get the answer right. So I wanted to know what two different types of Rush fans would think. I knew what I thought, but I wanted to get answers. And so, I got a thousand answers to this question, you know, what are the four best Rush albums? And there, I was just trying to be very careful and respectful of Rush fandom, because Rush… as I said, that day, I’ve seen Rush seven times in concert. I’ve watched both documentaries multiple times, I know the albums by heart. But I’m not really a Rush fan compared to Rush fans. Rush fans are way, way more serious than I am. So, I just wanted to get the answer right for when Taylor and Axe were going to discuss it.

#billions #brian koppelman #the krakow & jeffcoat conversation at the urinal was actually in 4x07 infinite game. but otherwise great knowledge by this interviewer #mike wags #hard bob beaufort #mark cuban #4x03 #4x05 #4x06 #4x07 #4x08 #4x12 #the part about foreshadowing the finale all season and leaving easter eggs for close viewers... 😵🥴🤪

[sassyfrassboss]

Background on the owner of the private jet

Marc Ganzi is an American businessman. He is the President and CEO of DigitalBridge, and is the founder and former CEO of Digital Bridge Holdings and Global Tower Partners. He is also a polo player.

He received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He interned in the White House for Stephen M. Studdert, special advisor to President George H. W. Bush in 1989. In 1990, Ganzi served as an assistant Commercial Attaché in Madrid for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service Department.

After graduation, Ganzi bought distressed real estate for Resolution Trust Corporation. He worked at Deutsche Bank, where he oversaw investments in the radio tower sector.

In 1993, he co-founded AD Development Corporation, a real estate development company in the Mid-Atlantic states, where he worked until 1994. He co-founded Apex Site Management, which was purchased by SpectraSite, and he served as group president for a year. In 1998, Ganzi founded Eureka Broadband, an application service provider and high-speed Internet access corporation. From 2000 to 2002, he was a partner in DB Capital Partners in New York City.

In 2003, he founded Global Tower Partners, a telecommunications company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. He served as its Chief Executive Officer and built the company into the largest privately held operator of U.S. cell towers. The company was purchased by Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG) in 2007, and, in 2013, American Tower Corporation (NYSE: AMT) acquired GTP for $4.8 billion.

In 2013, Ganzi and Ben Jenkins founded Digital Bridge Holdings, an investor and operator of mobile and internet connectivity companies. Digital Bridge Holdings was acquired by Colony Capital in 2019, where Ganzi took over as CEO-elect. On July 1, 2020, he became CEO and President of Colony Capital. In 2021, the company rebranded to become DigitalBridge, a digital infrastructure investment firm, and he remained in those respective positions.

DigitalBridge Group, Inc. is a global digital infrastructure investment firm. The company owns, invests in and operates businesses such as cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Singapore.

In 2010, DigitalBridge, then still Colony Capital, was reported to manage about $30 billion in investments. In 2011, DigitalBridge was tied for 3rd largest private equity real estate fund in the world, behind Blackstone Group and Morgan Stanley Real Estate

Colony purchased Raffles International on July 18, 2005. This included the 41 hotels and resorts operated under the Raffles Hotel and Swissotel brand names. On January 30, 2006, it acquired Fairmont Hotels and Resorts of Toronto, Ontario with Kingdom Hotels International as a joint partner for US$3.24 billion.[citation needed] On April 10, 2006, it acquired French professional football team Paris Saint-Germain.

On November 11, 2008, Michael Jackson transferred the title of his 2,700 acre estate Neverland Ranch to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, a joint venture between Jackson (represented by attorney, L. Londell McMillan) and an affiliate of Colony Capital. It is still unclear whether Colony Capital has a part in the property. Jackson earned a total of US$35 million when he agreed to the joint venture between himself and Colony Capital.

In March 2010, Colony arranged a financing and marketing package for Annie Leibovitz. The New York celebrity photographer had been in financial difficulty and in danger of losing to her previous lender, ArtCapital, the rights to her photographs and negatives and her three Greenwich Village townhouses. ArtCapital's credit was for $24 million. In December 2010, Colony purchased Miramax from Disney with Qatar Investment Authority, Tutor-Saliba Corporation and The Weinstein Company as part of a joint venture called Filmyard Holdings for $663 million.

In September 2017, Colony NorthStar agreed to sell its Townsend Group unit to Aon for $475 million.

In October 2017, Colony entered discussions to purchase The Weinstein Company, a movie and TV production studio that sustained damage after its co-founder, Harvey Weinstein, was accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment over three decades. In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault scandal, in late October 2017, it was reported that Colony Capital LLC had proved hesitant to purchase Weinstein Co. after a week of exclusive negotiations. Fortress Investment Group was also in talks to provide a loan to Weinstein Co.

In June 2018, The New York Times reported that Colony North Star had raised more than $7 billion in investments since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. 24 percent of the money came from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

In April 2022, DigitalBridge bought out Wafra’s stake in its investment management subsidiary for $800 million and switched from REIT to traditional C-Corp. DigitalBridge announced and initiated several acquisitions during 2022 including AMP Capital's global infrastructure equity investment management business for $328 million and Switch, Inc., a data center company, for $11 billion. The firm sold 27 percent of its stake in DataBank to Swiss Life and EDF Invest for $1.2 billion. DigitalBridge said it would own 15.5 percent of DataBank after the sale.

Thanks!

He looks a lot like that Mark Dyer guy that used to keep tabs on Harry.

Mark Ganzi

Mark Dyer and Harry:

[90363462]

Kanye West Is No Longer A Billionaire, According To Forbes

Jaron BryantOctober 25, 2022

Kanye West has admitted many times in the past that he has a big mouth, and that big mouth is losing him money at an alarming rate.

Since his tirade of interviews spreading hate speech and anti-Semitic ideology, many of his financial partnerships have been dissolved, including Adidas, GAP, and others.

Adidas announced on Tuesday (October 25)that they are ending their partnership with Kanye West, and they will be losing nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in net profits, in the fourth quarter alone, by doing so.

Now what?!

Forbes announced today that Kanye is no longer a billionaire, and his net worth is somewhere around $400 million.

A few years ago, Forbes reported his net worth to be around $1.3 billion.

According to Forbes, Kanye’s wealth is now dependent on real estate, liquid cash, his music catalog, and his less than 5% stake in Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand.

Your thoughts?

Source: TMZ

#Youtube #Instagram

[garudabluffs]

First Monolith Obelisk Appears Among Apes - 2001 a Space Odyssey (1968) - Movie Clip

'Somebody is lying': Trump contradicts his lawyers, claims to have $500 million in cash on hand 3/22/2024

Harry Litman, former U.S. Attorney, Sue Craig, New York Times Investigative Reporter, and Rev. Al Shrapton, President of the National Action Network join Alicia Menendez in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to Donald Trump to claiming all the sudden that he has half a billion dollars of cash on end, which should in theory give him the ability to meet his deadline in the NY Civil Fraud judgment, if he is telling the truth. 

VIDEO 7:55 'Somebody is lying': Trump contradicts his lawyers, claims to have $500 million in cash on hand (youtube.com)

2,695 Comments

Ex-Prosecutor Says Trump's New Cash Brag Is The 'Dumbest Thing' He Could've Done 03/22/2024

“That is the dumbest thing he could have possibly done, to put that on Truth Social, because that is a direct admission by him that he has the money,” Akerman said, in a clip flagged by Mediaite.

“Keep in mind, even with this operating money or cash that he supposedly has, if he doesn’t pony up and put up a bond, Letitia James is going to be able to go in and basically put restraining orders on all of his bank accounts,” he continued. “Keep in mind, even with this operating money or cash that he supposedly has, if he doesn’t pony up and put up a bond, Letitia James is going to be able to go in and basically put restraining orders on all of his bank accounts,” he continued. ```````````````````````````

“Everything that relates to him and all of that money is going to be tied up and frozen. So if he’s really got that money, he’s got to put it up.”

Ex-Prosecutor Says Trump's New Cash Brag Is The 'Dumbest Thing' He Could've Done (msn.com)

First, search. Then, seizure. How Tish James will go after Trump’s bank accounts and other assets. 03/22/2024

Donald Trump faces a Monday deadline to delay enforcement of a $454 million civil fraud judgment.

"

After going after Trump’s bank accounts, James would likely then move on to seizing either Trump’s personal property — planes, cars, jewelry, artwork — or real estate, such as Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street or the Trump National Doral golf resort.

James isn’t limited to seizing assets that were the subject of her office’s lawsuit against Trump. She can seek to seize almost any assets owned by Trump and the other defendants (including his two adult sons), even assets located in other states or other countries, depending on the nature of a country’s treaty with the United States.

“People think it’s limited to New York. It’s not,” said Adam Konta, a New York criminal defense attorney and former public defender. “They can go after any assets anywhere.”

READ MORE First, search. Then, seizure. How Tish James will go after Trump’s bank accounts and other assets. - POLITICO

Fraud loser cash crunch: Trump finds it's 'no money, mo problems' as billionaires won't bail him out

Mar 22, 2024 #RNC#NewYork#Trump

Republicans are on edge as Donald Trump may fail to pay his $464M penalty from losing his fraud trial - and as he pushes the RNC to divert more funds away from campaigns and towards his personal bills. MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on how Trump's personal and political debts are combining, with a link to lessons from rappers Biggie Smalls and Naught by Nature.

VIDEO Fraud loser cash crunch: Trump finds it's 'no money, mo problems' as billionaires won't bail him out (youtube.com)

703 Comments

Delay, Delay, Delay: Will Trump Ever Be Held Accountable? MARCH 21,2024

Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin and Dan Adler explain what you should know about the many criminal charges against former president Donald Trump.

“When the hell are these Trump cases going to happen?” That’s the question we’re all asking as we wait and wait for a real, live Donald Trump courtroom trial. 

READ MORE https://www.vanityfair.com/news/will-trump-ever-be-held-accountable

Trump's cash source 'matters to Judge Engoron': DOJ vet

Mar 22, 2024 #Trump#Politics#DOJ

Former President Trump is running out of time to pay $464 million in the civil fraud judgement against him. NBC News' Vaughm Hillyard and former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner join José Díaz-Balart to discuss Trump's options.

2,100 Comments

#Trump #lawsuits #https://youtu.be/JNIXwukZAIA #Youtube

[plethoraworldatlas]

Less than a month after New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would be willing to seize former Republican President Donald Trump's assets if he is unable to pay the $464 million required by last month's judgment in his civil fraud case, Trump's lawyers disclosed in court filings Monday that he had failed to secure a bond for the amount.

In the nearly 5,000-page filing, lawyers for Trump said it has proven a "practical impossibility" for Trump to secure a bond from any financial institutions in the state, as "about 30 surety companies" have refused to accept assets including real estate as collateral and have demanded cash and other liquid assets instead.

To get the institutions to agree to cover that $464 million judgment if Trump loses his appeal and fails to pay the state, he would have to pledge more than $550 million as collateral—"a sum he simply does not have," reportedThe New York Times, despite his frequent boasting of his wealth and business prowess.

Trump himself was ordered to pay $454 million; the remainder was demanded from his sons, Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump.

A Times analysis found earlier this month that Trump has only about $350 million in cash.

James has given Trump until March 25 to pay the judgment, which was announced last month as New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron found the former president and his real estate empire, the Trump Organization, had committed "repeated and persistent fraud," including by falsifying financial statements by as much as $2.2 billion.

"It wouldn't surprise me if lenders are refusing real estate as collateral due to his lying about their value," said attorney Blake Allen.

#us politics #trump