NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html
NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1.
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html
NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%)
NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar.
https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866
NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below
https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
!!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should.
In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase.
Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below:
https://www.playboy.com/
https://www.playboytv.com/
https://www.playboyplus.com/
https://www.iplayboy.com/
Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success.
“Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.”
https://www.scientificgames.com/
https://www.microgaming.co.uk/
“This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.”
https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/
As per their SEC filing:
“Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1
They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon.
https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era
Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea
“Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.”
“According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently:
https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae
Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress.
Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait.
https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/
Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html
Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05
Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing:
“For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.”
“In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.”
They are profitable across all three of their current business segments.
“Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm
This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world.
"Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.”
Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame:
“As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn.
The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :(
He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :)
Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw.
I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003
Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this:
“Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy.
“Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative.
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html
Y’all like that China money?
“Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.”
Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose.
I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing
“Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.”
“Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.”
Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong.
Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will.
Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way.
Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains.
TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here:
WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though
https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf
Or here:
https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx
Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.”
STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon.
Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.

Hello there! I just found this subreddit. Also I’m not too sure this belongs in the subreddit but i think it might. Also on mobile so if I miss anything I apologize!
So a bit of backstory:
At the time of one of the many times this has happened to me, I was visiting Las Vegas with my family for Christmas. I was 21 at the time, my birthday was that past August, so I was in legal age to gamble and/or drink. I just wanted to try to gamble at one of the casinos.
We were staying at the Treasure Island hotel and casino, in which I loved staying there and would recommend anyone whom asked me where would they stay. Anyways, I’m am from and still live in Texas as I have a bit of a Texan draw and accent, but my voice was still a bit higher than it is now. I had made a few friends at that casino that were around my same age, and we were playing the Dragon Spin slot machine. I made a joke about the luck I had, I had hit one of the three slot games where the dragon would roar and shake the game, and got close to $200 I think. With it happening 3 years ago I’m not for sure on the little details.
Then came the incident.....
I told my two friends that I was sitting with that I was going to go cash out because I didn’t want to gamble what I had earned away and I was going to start over on $20 that I had brought with me specifically for the trip. (In all I saved around $500 for the trip to buy souvenirs or to gamble a bit). At the time I’d only used about $50 for gambling and I was happy with that, and with the money I got from the slot game, I was well over what I had brought with me. (No im not bragging! This is part of the story!) So I go and pull the cash out and put it in my wallet that I was carrying around with me when I am grabbed by the arm by a woman with a casino manager and a security guard.
Meet the entitled windbag!
EW: this whore took my wallet and stole my money! This girl is too young to even be in here! I saw her drinking alcohol and smoking! She has to be no younger than 14 and you won’t even let my 16 year old daughter in her! She should be thrown out of here!
My eyes are as wide as saucers at this woman’s accusations. Now this grip actually bruised and ALMOST broke my arm! She grabbed me by the part of my arm closer to my shoulder. (Edit: I completely forgot the name of that bone to be honest 😅😅) Her grip was a mix of an alligator bite and a vice grip! Or at least it felt like it to me then.....
I continued to try to pull myself free when my two friends saved me.
F1 and F2 will be called Jane and Kira for the sake of the story.....
Jane: what’s going on?
Kira: you’re hurting her!
The woman let me go and practically threw me to Jane and Kira.
EW: you see she isn’t alone in soliciting her body! Throw them out NOW!
Me: hold on a second! You haven’t even let me tell my side!
I glared at the EW.
Me: first off.... this bag is mine! I have MY room key, MY license, and MY money in here so you ain’t taking shit from me lady! Secondly, I am 21 years of age yeah I look young but who cares?
When I said that I pulled out my license and room key showing what room I was in.
EW: THATS MY KEY GIVE IT TO ME NOW!
She swiped for my room key. Before she could take it, I handed it to the manager and security guard.
Me: here check my name and see which room I’m in.
Jane and Kira saw this next part but told me afterward.
The EW lunged for my wallet. Kira stood to my left side while Jane stood on my right.
Manager: -to the security guard- watch them no one leaves until we find out the truth
The Manager walked away as Kira, Jane and I glared to the EW. She began sweating and stuttering to try to pull something else.
As it turned out?
The EW wasn’t even staying at the hotel/casino! She was trying to steal from not only me but anyone she could sucker into getting money and then use the person she suckered into giving her anything she tried to ask for. I laugh at that every once in a while but cringe and get pretty hot-headed if someone insults me or anyone I know about stature, age, looks, etc.
But the most idiotic part of all this?
When the EW called all three of us hookers, whores and other profanities:
I was wearing boot cut jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt, a Jean jacket and boots!
Jane was wearing skinny jeans, a short sleeve t-shirt, a sweatshirt and converse.
And
Kira was wearing some clothes she borrowed from me which were, regular blue jeans, a tunic top, and some sandals she brought.
So were we looking like some kind of hookers? Or was this woman just too drunk?

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Livid nightlife, American Rockstars sold-out converts, Las-Vegas style gambling scene, Women tasting sweet freedom, Twelver Shia Muslims having their own Seminaries, NEOM city building up and Saudi ARAMCO increasing production... Many things are going on in Saudi society, though for some odd reasons they have still been getting bad press. The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs' suggestion to the King for the nation to take on a massive Public Relations campaign could surely bolster the image of the kingdom greatly and save it from isolation. Permission was granted, and so did he receive the budget to perform the necessary.
The Eastern Provinces Deserts and Coast
With the Twelver Shias having their own Islamic Seminary, the Saudi government not only subdued 15-20% of their population but also proven to the world that in the Kingdom all creeds in Islam are equal and there is no difference between a Sunni and a Shia. In fact, it is widely known that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's mother, is also a Twelver Shia, as she is from the Al-Sultan clan of the Al-Ajmi tribe. King Salman also has issued by Royal Decree that his wife, Queen Fahdah Bint Falah al-Sultan Al-Ajmi be appointed as Minister of Tolerance, and starting up this ministry immediately. She will also be in communication with the UAE's Minister of tolerance so that they can emulate each other.
Now Shia Muslims are not the only ones that will benefit here. Saudi Arabia also has plans to build the first Hindu temple in the Kingdom in the city of Al Hofuf. Indian conglomerate Shapoorji has been approached to kick off construction and will be fully funded by the Ministry of Tolerance.
Meanwhile, in the oilfields, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia slowly increased production, and start to build more storage tanks. Nearby the Kuwaiti & UAE borders, OXY-Saudi in collaboration with ARAMCO have been conducting some exploration activities, and millions of dollars have been spent on new testing wells to discover new oil and gas fields in the region.
The Road between Riyadh (KSA) to Ibri (OMN) has now been completed, and now the Saudi minister of Transport has expressed interest to American/Saudi JVs to start construction of an HSR line linking Riyadh & Dammam to Abu Dhabi & Dubai.
The Central Nejd Plateau
In Riyadh, the royal house of Saud and the oligarchy became victims of purges, with prominent members arrested on charges of corruption. This time there was no Ritz Carlton hotel. This time was serious. All the accused have been given multiple chances to correct themselves, and so have ultimately dug their own graves here. The police are everywhere and have ultimately been in coordination with the intelligence agencies to crack down on the undesirables.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also has announced that a new law decriminalizing drugs such as Marijuana and Cocaine will take place next month, and there will be no more death penalty for smugglers. All previous cases will be dealt on an ad-hoc basis, and former convicts for the petty crimes will be given a new chance to wipe off their criminal records in order for them to be able to work legally.
With high youth unemployment, Saudi Arabia rolls out policies for introducing new jobs, besides the military ones, but also state-sponsored on-the-job training for technical, administrative, and managerial roles. The government will incentivize contractors who hire a minimum number of Saudi Citizens and grant them preference in the tender bidding process. This move was seen as welcome by the general population, as more than 50% of the Saudi citizens are under the age of 25 with a high number of jobseekers.
The Wahabi Religious authorities also have had their powers stripped away, with them playing ultimately no role in the entire kingdom expect in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. They will be limited only there and will be monitored heavily by the Ministry of Tolerance so as to abide by the policies of the Queen. Riyadh will also see the construction of Saudi Arabia's first church, with representatives of Catholocism, Protestantism, Mormonism, Orthodoxy, Coptic, Syriac, Nestorianism, and Anglican churches all playing an active role to serve its adherents there.
The Western Hijaz-Asir Mountain Range and coast
This area is much more populated than the rest of Saudi Arabia. In NEOM city, the bridge connecting Saudi Arabia to Egypt has been completed, and now works are underway to start the expansion for an HSR railway line there. The bridge will not interfere with Jordan/Israeli access into the gulf of Aqaba, nor will it interfere in the Shipping lanes of the Red Sea passing through the Suez Canal. Some damage to Coral reefs have been done, and so the Saudi Ministry of Fisheries has started construction of Artificial reefs in order to preserve the marine life and ecosystem there.
Madinah Al Munawwara has been on the news very much, and a police presence was very high to prevent any terrorist attacks in this holy city. During the mid-April celebration of the Jewish holiday Pass-over, a whole week of interfaith events took place in the Prophet's city, where there was a communal Iftar held, Yoga sessions, joint-Prayers, and spiritual dialogues. Some of the topics discussed was: the commonalities between all religions, striving for the common good, encouraging tolerance, the Creation of Man, the secrets of Buddha, the wisdom of Moses, the teachings of Jesus, and the greatness of Mohammed. Members of all faiths and creeds participated. We could see the Jew and the Muslim feasting together, the Hindu and the Christian meditating together, and even Sunni-Shia scholars be civil with each other here. Even the Sufi was seen to be getting along with the Salafi here. Following the way of our Prophet Mohammed, the Christians and Jews were able to perform their own prayers in the Holy Mosque in Medina, which hasn't been done since 1400 years ago. The Saudi King also had met with Islamic religious leaders such as the Aga Khan, Sufi Masters, Sharifs & Sayyids, and Muftis representing their nations such as Zimbabwe's Ismail Menk. He also had the time to meet with other religious leaders such as the Catholic Pope, Dalai Lama, Jewish Rabbis, etc..
In Makkah Al Mukarramah, huge expansion projects to increase the capacity of Hajj & Umrah pilgrims are underway. Very Important delegates such as the Catholic Pope and the Dalai Lama and their entourage also had the opportunity to travel there and visit the Ka'abah, the black cube, to which all Muslims face for direction in their prayers, and drink water from the Zamzam well. This was a highly publicized event and extra security measures were taken to avoid any disasters. Great Photo-op showing Islamic tolerance. Truly magnificent event.
Meanwhile, down south by the border of Yemen, the war was ongoing, and so had a lot of movement. Fishermen, Farmers, and Shepherds all made money here since they had contracts with the government to supply food products. War was good for business, as long as you are on the winning side here.

I apologize for the incredibly late thank you's!
talkingroses - thank you so much for the cute card from Melbourne! I always love getting international mail, and the fact that it's a vintage looking map of Australia is even cooler! Also love the little stickers, so cute!
sammsmalls - thank you so much for the Waves of Kanagawa card & the cute llama sticker! So glad you liked the birthday card :) Also your penmanship is to die for, it looks like a computer generated font haha!
josephineismyhero - thank you so much for the adorable panda card & positivity sticker! Going to stick that somewhere on my desk in the office once I have to go back in. I have yet to see "Wicked" but I guess I'll have to try and buy a ticket next year!
bubs57 - thank you very much for the Las Vegas postcard! I've only been there once, and also never gambled there! (But that was because I was very under the legal gambling age, hahaha)
idriveashitcar - thanks a bunch for the postcard of Cheddar Gorge (what a delicious sounded...gorge lol). It looks lovely there and I'm proud to have it on my wall of destination postcards!

I believe our current system is absolutely bullshit in that at eighteen you have can have adult responsibility and consequences, but not all the privileges of being an adult.
We're essentially telling young people we don't trust them not to drink or in many places even smoke because we don't trust their decision making, but if they commit a crime they'll still be tried as an adult. They can sign for tens of thousands in predatory loans, but can't gamble in Las Vegas.
Personally I'd move it all to 18, but if anyone is too squeamish for that then the legal age of adulthood should be 21. Either way, becoming a legal adult should come with all the privileges rather than just the consequences.

Homeless In The Time of Pandemic
https://pwrobinson.com/photos/
I'm a 60 yr. old white male, a writer, with 58 years of experience in all aspects of indoor-living.
Ask me anything about working hard, paying bills, household management and adult responsibility and I'll happily answer in detail, just like any other adult my age.
Just like nearly every single homeless person in our country.
We--the unhoused--all came from the indoor world, spent the vast majority of our lives in that world, and we plan to return to it as soon as we can find a safe, affordable place to live. Unfortunately, 'safe' and 'affordable' rarely go together.
After becoming legally disabled by way of Bipolar I and ADHD a decade or so ago, I secured a kind of subsidized housing. I hung on in that condition, in section 8 type housing, for nearly a decade, studying and writing but not producing sale-able work, until I finally had absorbed too much malaise and hopelessness.
My neighbor ran off my beloved little cat, and I called 911 when my plan to pay him back became far too detailed. As I hung up the phone, I looked to the sky and thanked God for the upcoming fresh start. I knew it couldn’t be worse than it had been, and I was confident it would be better.
I went, strapped to a gurney in the back of an ambulance, to a mental health facility and received the treatment everyone should always get in places like that-- though often they do not--and I healed.
I also found a newer med while under treatment there that had somehow slipped through the cracks and eluded me. It ended my bipolar depression immediately, a miracle, at age 58, by any measure.
No longer thinking of suicide each and every day had a marvelous, immediate, and entirely predictable effect on me, and I accepted an offer from a friend to travel with him out of state and begin new work. After checking everything out, I packed all my belongings into his rental and off we went.
I didn't register that by giving up my home without having money for backup, I was making myself vulnerable to whimsy or catastrophe. Or both.
I voluntarily gave up one of the very few essential elements of life--shelter--because I took it for granted. I didn't ask myself what would happen if something went wrong with the plan, because I was too eager to get started on it.
He'd mentioned that he wanted my help "to get away from his wife" but I didn't give it the proper weight at the time. I put aside the question of exactly what might concern a three-tour Special Forces soldier enough to ask a buddy for some help, and didn’t ask.
We immediately encountered some...difficulties...upon departure, were pursued, and had a lengthy, intense, and otherworldly altercation in a motel just short of the Nevada border, where I was finally able to… (redacted).
Much later, I looked at my phone and realized I’d dialed 911 eleven times, each call had been answered, each time they’d confirmed a squad car rolling to our location, and no one had ever showed up.
Unfortunately, after witnessing the entire (redacted) scene, my friend was not able to drive very far. He'd seen and heard what had happened and was unraveled by it. He pulled far off the highway, just outside of Vegas, unable to communicate, eyes vacant, and we waited for the police.
I remembered he'd said "help me get away from my wife", but maybe I’d just thought... ‘well, sometimes girls can be lively and unpredictable’ or something...I think that's what I thought. Anyway, they sure can. Confirmed!
That moment, when they drove him away strapped to a gurney while the cop told me I could ride my no-drivers-license-having ass into town with the wrecker when it came out to pick up the rental, marked my initial realization that everything had just dramatically changed, and nothing would ever be at all like it had been.
And that's how quick it can happen, homelessness. In an instant.
All of a sudden...
I didn't dedicate one single prior thought to becoming homeless, and I have to wonder if anyone else around the country has recently taken the entire concept of their own potential homelessness directly in the face, like I did. Don’t wait until you're outside under the stars to begin thinking about it.
It really is possible to be genuinely surprised all the way out the door to the street.
All it takes is for the friend who said you could crash with him to have something come up at the last minute, you can't go back where you came from, and you find yourself standing in a hostile and unfamiliar environment and realize you've suddenly arrived at your life.
This is what must be meant by 'real time', because that particular time was the realest I’ve ever experienced. Outside, alone, under the stars, digesting the news that I would now be living outdoors, at least for a while. I’d never even given thought to visiting Las Vegas, let alone living on the streets of it. I don’t drink or gamble, and Vegas was never on my bucket list.
Every single thing that night (and day, for that matter) was different, surreal, especially audio and sound. And standing out there in the desert outside of town, I realized the significance of the silence, as an option.
I knew there might not be too many quiet times in the near future, or quiet places where I was going.
Things were real for me, for the first time ever.
Since then, in a wide variety of settings, I've lived with and interacted with the unhoused. They’re my family. I understood right away that I’m meant to do something about it, and I appreciate that the unique circumstances under which I’ve made my journey through homelessness have been no accident.
​

I’ve come to understand that between finding a new effective medicine after decades of searching, having my trauma removed by the magic of the 5150 template, and re-connecting with God in such a vibrant way, I’d received the antidote to homelessness before contracting the condition. I haven’t suffered like all other homeless folks do, because I don’t suffer.

I’ve been fully cognizant and engaged the entire time, so I write about the condition and the cure like no one else ever has or could. No one embeds with the homeless, no one would last undercover for more than an hour.
I’ve learned that the way to end homelessness is by first healing, then housing.
Now, I’ve been homeless for two years, and am currently quarantined 23hday in the low-barrier shelter I’ve stayed in for the past year.
After only two years outside, do I still have more in common with indoors-dwellers than homeless people? No. Since becoming homeless, I’ve learned all the things that no one talks about, and some things some folks won’t believe. I've also learned many things about the homeless--as a group, and as individuals--that I've never heard or read anywhere else.
Because they're my family, and are suffering real injury every moment of every day, I have an obligation to tell the real truth about them.
I’ve grown sick and tired of all the lies that are told about us.
I’ve learned many things while homeless, none more important than the fact that trauma affects the poor in ways the wealthy can’t imagine. And trauma is what directly affects our world in more significant ways than any other element there is.
One way to measure the level of trauma inside an individual is by observing how they relate to domestic animals. Those who abuse animals have been abused themselves, without exception. Any distance from a loving and protective vibe toward helpless animals is an indicator of past and current unresolved trauma.
In the same way, we can grade the level of trauma inside of communities and groups of people by how they treat the most helpless and vulnerable human beings in their midst--the homeless.
The problem is that residents rarely know what their elected officials are up to. A typical indoor-dweller might have a normal, healthy protective--or disinterested--vibe toward the homeless, while just around the corner from where they live, local elected officials are telling their cops to never let us rest, to make certain we’re suffering every minute of every day.
In other words, it’s possible to be homeless in an area where most of the residents have plenty of love and compassion for all things, including homeless people, yet still be constantly and relentlessly abused and harassed.
The public--those poor souls who both pay toward our tab and bear the nuisance of our existence-- have no idea who we are as individuals, and absolutely no idea how we’re actually being treated in their towns.
People learn everything they don’t know about the homeless from what they’ve been told about us by other people--politicians, news media, the movies, TV and other truth-benders-- people who also don't know anything about us.
They also learn about us through personal observation and/or interaction, which rarely results in a positive opinion of us. I think it’s because we’re dicks.
​

By the time you run into us in our natural habitat, we’ve fully become the characters we invented to get us through this scary, dangerous time in our lives. When you live without a door, you quickly create and cultivate a hostile and/or crazy vibe, because you can see right away you’re gonna need it.

Other factors that mold us into poor dinner guests include living in an environment where we are quite a bit less valuable than everyone else, and the constant, daily absorption of hate, disgust, and pity from everyone we encounter.
It isn’t that we lose our empathy, we just bury it because it hurts less that way. I’ve had people stop in the middle of a conversation when they realize I’m homeless, and therefore couldn’t possibly be of any use to them. They seem miffed that they’d wasted even a moment on someone so clearly of less value than themselves..
When it comes to personal opinions about the unhoused, most Americans fall into one of several camps.
Folks think we're either
a) bloodsucking leeches
b) dangerous criminals
c) batshit crazy or
d) all of the above
And some traditional and ongoing community solutions have been:

1. Beat us to death
2. Light us on fire
3. Hit and run/train track murders
4. Try to help and/or shelter us
5. A combination of the above

It all comes down to the residual trauma levels inside a few key people, specifically the ones who manage the cops. People take their cues from how cops treat us. In some areas, even those with several wonderful and dedicated homeless-helping entities, abuse of the homeless is a real community thing.
I don't think anyone who lives outside has a problem with absorbing non-violent hatred--we get it full blast as soon as we hit the street, and it's our primary societal function, after all--but I personally resent being hated by the ignorant and uneducated.
If you have trauma and need to aim it at me, be my guest. You're welcome to use my diminished example to try to feel better about your life. I don't mind at all. That’s the truth.
But I'd prefer if you knew SOMETHING about who your victims really are.
You see, we--the original half-million homeless cited in wikipedia in the pre-pandemic days--ain't who you think we are. We’re actually...people, believe it or not.
People. We're people, just like you; valuable, vulnerable, utterly unique.
Prodigiously talented and innately flawed. And, now, traumatized to the point where we don’t even have a place to live.
My personal two-year odyssey into homelessness feels like it’s going to conclude soon, at which point I’ll use what I’ve learned in that time to build the solution.
​

Now is the time for me to get on the record about who we are and who we're not before another few million start heading out here to join us.

​
00.17% Our percentage of the USA population. A number so small it is truly beyond imagining. A number that also means that the portion of society that does not know one single thing about either the topic or us stands at 99.83%.
Sadly, this includes those who are working the hardest to help. They see a horrible thing, they want to help. It’s a loving and warm and wonderful instinct, but what if I told you that the only essential step in treating the condition of homelessness is always, always skipped?
So...who are we, really?
We are The Other.
My family is made up of engineers, architects, teachers, musicians, artists, doctors, dentists, civic leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners, etc. Former and future high flyers.
No one is immune to becoming The Other.
The table can get set up that way as soon as a person--often, a child-- shows any sign of non-conformity--in our looks, our demeanor, our dress, our actions. In grade school, the Others were identified by their set-apart status--whether self-motivated or not, we later came to understand that most of these children had been abused at home throughout this period.
They’d absorbed more trauma than they could bear, and could no longer maintain a visible air of normalcy in their everyday lives.
Some of these kids, these ‘Others’-- but not too many, 00.17% doesn’t go very far-- grew up to become the unhoused. The rest of us continued to absorb more trauma until we exceeded our own capacity and that of our reserve tank.
Some of us grew into our Other status just by doing things differently for a lifetime. And sometimes when ‘doing things differently’ meets up with ‘financial setbacks’ and ‘estrangement from family’, a perfect storm can develop. And, once unhoused, the journey back is long and incredibly arduous.
I'll try to bring to light some of the environmental changes I've experienced, as a homeless person living in a homeless shelter, pre- and post-pandemic.
I've had a unique opportunity to witness a homeless shelter adjust in a time of crisis like no other. There was no template for quarantine, or anything like it. I’m limited to an hour outside the barbed wire, due to the lockdown, and have been for several weeks. I can leave for a night, but will be kicked out for 30 days if I do
None of these realities will be easy for the public to swallow. They simply aren't used to getting the real scoop about the homeless. I’ve had all my previously printed articles and letters scrubbed from local news websites when I stopped thanking everyone and started to write about the abuses I was seeing, so even if you have the rare homeless writer in your area, his voice will be squashed if he actually complains about anything.
Conditions for the homeless in this country have always varied dramatically by municipality, and the same will be true throughout this pandemic and afterwards, unless enough of us take a moment to pipe up. There are places in this country--I live in one of them-- where it is basically legal to abuse us.
Where I live, in Oxnard, the local press lies about us and make us out to be monsters, local tough boys terrorize us in their vehicles, cops and hospitals fast-track abusive interactions, our advocates are hostile to us, local government blatantly misuses the funds allocated to us, etc.
I live in a town where all the public restrooms have been locked for the last year and a half--pure old-timey hatred--yet the local paper ran a front page article about the homeless relieving themselves outside. It’d be comically evil, if there weren’t real victims.
That we have the highest homeless death rate in the nation should be a matter of some intense study. Warm, mild, lovely Ventura County. Deadliest place in the nation for the homeless, has been for some time, and it ain’t close.
I'll wager that any other place carrying a 5% homeless death rate--if you can find another one, I couldn’t--has either a serial killer, or locally concentrated hatred and mistreatment on an epic scale, as we do here in Oxnard. And breaking a story is one thing, while getting someone to give a rat’s ass about the story is something else entirely.
Robinson reviews the high homeless death rate in Ventura County
I hope that the current, pre-pandemic homeless will be one of the few groups that will come out of this thing trending upward, but I’m skeptical.
We'll likely be first in line for housing, or should be, which we noticed suddenly became available when talk of rounding us up began.
But shelters or group homes require the compassion of the neighbors, and that can be hard to come by. And before you respond, remember that I lived indoors for most of my life, all of us have. We share your opinions without sharing much of your hatred.
​

Let's be clear: there is plenty of housing and sheltering availability. It depends on the will of the community to step forward and decide that no one has to sleep outdoors there. Period.

​
Especially women! How in the world do we still have women sleeping outside in this country?
I wish people had some idea of just how much it takes to unravel a woman until she is living outdoors. It’s everyone, especially men, turning on her at once-- family, work, parents, neighbors, friends-- and taking her heart and all her stuff, taking advantage of the very things that make women special: compassion and forgiveness. Taking everything, and more.
Homeless women have absorbed more trauma than anyone else alive, and they should be loved and protected and taken care of by the rest of us. They should be able to sleep the entire night through, and not be cold or hungry or in fear.
Homeless Girls by Concrete Chrysalis
Shelters help with that. It isn’t housing, which is a ridiculous fever dream for 95% of us here in SoCal, but it is a place of safety. That’s a start, step one in the right direction.
There has never been a study, not one, that showed either property values diminishing or crime rising around any homeless shelter, anywhere. That complaint isn’t valid, so please stop making it. If it’s pure hatred you’re running on, just say it out loud. Trust me, no one will take offense for us.
Last night, standing outside in the yard, guarded by security personnel and surrounded by barbed-wire fences, I listened to live music coming from three different parties in our immediate area. There were festivities, fireworks, and we could hear laughter and merriment. I wondered how much longer we’d be quarantined.
I thought about how we’re relying on people who have demonstrated nothing but aggression toward us to give us the go-ahead and lift our restrictions.
One immediate positive result of the pandemic was that we could tell all the guys who wore scary masks BEFORE the pandemic--and we have a bunch of them around here-- that our four year old daughter's hamster has a scarier mask than he does.
Next time I'll write about the shelter I stay in, the adjustments it’s had to make, and the essential human element necessary in the successful staffing of these vital 'triage' shelters.
I’ll write about what happens when a small California city makes an official decision to create a third-world environment for their homeless residents, right smack in the middle of privilege and affluence.
Step by step, I’ll review exactly how they’ve gone about their dark work and why, and I’ll try to personalize the experience for you, just in terms of the accumulated toll of pure human suffering.
I’ll compare and contrast the various shelter theories, provide the short list of what we know works, and expose the twisted and ignorant views of the ‘just lock them up’ crowd.
I'll also introduce the Paradise Project, an initiative designed to cure the state of homelessness and relegate the entire issue to the dustbin of history. It's an end-game solution that we’ll prove first here, in Ventura County, then export to other parts of the nation. Then we’ll pivot to healing and restoring first-responders and ending suicide.
Thank you for reading.
PWR

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Livid nightlife, American Rockstars sold-out converts, Las-Vegas style gambling scene, Women tasting sweet freedom, Twelver Shia Muslims having their own Seminaries, NEOM city building up and Saudi ARAMCO increasing production... Many things are going on in Saudi society, though for some odd reasons they have still been getting bad press. The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs' suggestion to the King for the nation to take on a massive Public Relations campaign could surely bolster the image of the kingdom greatly and save it from isolation. Permission was granted, and so did he receive the budget to perform the necessary.
The Eastern Provinces Deserts and Coast
With the Twelver Shias having their own Islamic Seminary, the Saudi government not only subdued 15-20% of their population but also proven to the world that in the Kingdom all creeds in Islam are equal and there is no difference between a Sunni and a Shia. In fact, it is widely known that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's mother, is also a Twelver Shia, as she is from the Al-Sultan clan of the Al-Ajmi tribe. King Salman also has issued by Royal Decree that his wife, Queen Fahdah Bint Falah al-Sultan Al-Ajmi be appointed as Minister of Tolerance, and starting up this ministry immediately. She will also be in communication with the UAE's Minister of tolerance so that they can emulate each other.
Now Shia Muslims are not the only ones that will benefit here. Saudi Arabia also has plans to build the first Hindu temple in the Kingdom in the city of Al Hofuf. Indian conglomerate Shapoorji has been approached to kick off construction and will be fully funded by the Ministry of Tolerance.
Meanwhile, in the oilfields, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia slowly increased production, and start to build more storage tanks. Nearby the Kuwaiti & UAE borders, OXY-Saudi in collaboration with ARAMCO have been conducting some exploration activities, and millions of dollars have been spent on new testing wells to discover new oil and gas fields in the region.
The Road between Riyadh (KSA) to Ibri (OMN) has now been completed, and now the Saudi minister of Transport has expressed interest to American/Saudi JVs to start construction of an HSR line linking Riyadh & Dammam to Abu Dhabi & Dubai.
The Central Nejd Plateau
In Riyadh, the royal house of Saud and the oligarchy became victims of purges, with prominent members arrested on charges of corruption. This time there was no Ritz Carlton hotel. This time was serious. All the accused have been given multiple chances to correct themselves, and so have ultimately dug their own graves here. The police are everywhere and have ultimately been in coordination with the intelligence agencies to crack down on the undesirables.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also has announced that a new law decriminalizing drugs such as Marijuana and Cocaine will take place next month, and there will be no more death penalty for smugglers. All previous cases will be dealt on an ad-hoc basis, and former convicts for the petty crimes will be given a new chance to wipe off their criminal records in order for them to be able to work legally.
With high youth unemployment, Saudi Arabia rolls out policies for introducing new jobs, besides the military ones, but also state-sponsored on-the-job training for technical, administrative, and managerial roles. The government will incentivize contractors who hire a minimum number of Saudi Citizens and grant them preference in the tender bidding process. This move was seen as welcome by the general population, as more than 50% of the Saudi citizens are under the age of 25 with a high number of jobseekers.
The Wahabi Religious authorities also have had their powers stripped away, with them playing ultimately no role in the entire kingdom expect in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. They will be limited only there and will be monitored heavily by the Ministry of Tolerance so as to abide by the policies of the Queen. Riyadh will also see the construction of Saudi Arabia's first church, with representatives of Catholocism, Protestantism, Mormonism, Orthodoxy, Coptic, Syriac, Nestorianism, and Anglican churches all playing an active role to serve its adherents there.
The Western Hijaz-Asir Mountain Range and coast
This area is much more populated than the rest of Saudi Arabia. In NEOM city, the bridge connecting Saudi Arabia to Egypt has been completed, and now works are underway to start the expansion for an HSR railway line there. The bridge will not interfere with Jordan/Israeli access into the gulf of Aqaba, nor will it interfere in the Shipping lanes of the Red Sea passing through the Suez Canal. Some damage to Coral reefs have been done, and so the Saudi Ministry of Fisheries has started construction of Artificial reefs in order to preserve the marine life and ecosystem there.
Madinah Al Munawwara has been on the news very much, and a police presence was very high to prevent any terrorist attacks in this holy city. During the mid-April celebration of the Jewish holiday Pass-over, a whole week of interfaith events took place in the Prophet's city, where there was a communal Iftar held, Yoga sessions, joint-Prayers, and spiritual dialogues. Some of the topics discussed was: the commonalities between all religions, striving for the common good, encouraging tolerance, the Creation of Man, the secrets of Buddha, the wisdom of Moses, the teachings of Jesus, and the greatness of Mohammed. Members of all faiths and creeds participated. We could see the Jew and the Muslim feasting together, the Hindu and the Christian meditating together, and even Sunni-Shia scholars be civil with each other here. Even the Sufi was seen to be getting along with the Salafi here. Following the way of our Prophet Mohammed, the Christians and Jews were able to perform their own prayers in the Holy Mosque in Medina, which hasn't been done since 1400 years ago. The Saudi King also had met with Islamic religious leaders such as the Aga Khan, Sufi Masters, Sharifs & Sayyids, and Muftis representing their nations such as Zimbabwe's Ismail Menk. He also had the time to meet with other religious leaders such as the Catholic Pope, Dalai Lama, Jewish Rabbis, etc..
In Makkah Al Mukarramah, huge expansion projects to increase the capacity of Hajj & Umrah pilgrims are underway. Very Important delegates such as the Catholic Pope and the Dalai Lama and their entourage also had the opportunity to travel there and visit the Ka'abah, the black cube, to which all Muslims face for direction in their prayers, kiss the Black Stone, and drink water from the Zamzam well. This was a highly publicized event and extra security measures were taken to avoid any disasters. Great Photo-op showing Islamic tolerance. Truly magnificent event.
Meanwhile, down south by the border of Yemen, the war was ongoing, and so had a lot of movement. Fishermen, Farmers, and Shepherds all made money here since they had contracts with the government to supply food products. War was good for business, as long as you are on the winning side here.

I've been feeling the need... the need to make a brief-but-detailed review and personal score out of 10 on each game in the series for a little while now. I am heavily invested into the series as it is the only long-running game series I've been this invested in. It all started thanks to my dad because he is as well, he started me on NFS III when I was around 4 or 5 years old. My dad and I have every platinum trophy for each game starting with the first to introduce trophy support on the PS3 with Undercover, and have 100% on most of the games at some point in my life. If I had the skills and desire to I would make a YouTube video but this will do, it's just cathartic to get it out of my system!
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• So to start off I have not played The Need For Speed or Need For Speed II so I have nothing to say about them. I watch the videos from Lazy Game Reviews on them and I recommend them, his reviews on them show you pretty much all you need to know about those titles.
• Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit, High Stakes, and Porsche Unleashed are the ones I have not played much at all since they were relatively new so I can't really give a definitive review of these titles other than I think they were great for their time and are relics to be treasured. Of the three I would say that the one that holds up best and was the most fun is High Stakes.
• Hot Pursuit 2 (8/10): And now we get right into the good stuff! This game on the PS2 is legendary, a smooth transition from the PS1 era NFS titles and into the PS2 era of Black Box's golden era of NFS. Right off the bat this game has a killer intro and theme with Goin' Down On It that I think is the most iconic in the series along with Get Low in Underground and the intro to Carbon (more on those later). The progression is fun and in old 2000's video game fashion very challenging and time-consuming, and the soundtrack while small is very memorable and one of my favorites. This was truly the start of something amazing for the racing game community and I can confirm that this game holds up very well to today's standards.
• Underground (7/10): Talk about one of the greatest intros to a video game of all time! As stated before UG, HP2, and Carbon have my favorite intros in the entire series and give me goosebumps when I boot the games up. It gets you hyped into what you're about to experience and Get Low while corny actually makes for a kick ass menu theme. The rest of the soundtrack is killer too, another favorite of mine. I recently replayed this game and beat it on the PC and can say that is the definitive version of the game with the best graphics, minus some compatibility issues with newer Windows versions. Feels much more repetitive than its predecessor due to the lack of a progression tree but upgrading cars feels satisfying enough to keep you invested into the game. The Drag events are some of my favorite event types in the whole series because of the stakes involved, and I love them in the Underground games. I will also say now that I abhor drifting events in all game, however I think they're best in the Underground games because it feels more natural and you get to drift with other drifters on the track and tracks are specifically designed around drifting. Alright, now here comes the part where I brace myself for impact on the next one...
• Underground 2 (7/10): Okay I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but I just don't enjoy this game like everyone else. I do enjoy this game, but I think it lacks a lot in some areas. Firstly, I think the menu is awful especially compared to the last installment having one of the sweetest in the whole series. I do enjoy the Riders On the Storm remix as much as the next guy but it does not hype me up at all. Aside from that another stellar soundtrack with a fantastic mix of Rap, Electronic, Rock, and Metal. I also do not find the 350Z as iconic as Eddie's Skyline and the story, while not an important aspect to the series as a whole, is very forgettable. I love the city and driving around it is nice but it feels lifeless with no police or any real reason to freeroam other than for fun. The events are terribly repetitive and when I replayed this game on PC a few years ago I felt like it was a boring grind to 100%. I know people praise this game for the customization, but to me it feels more like quantity over quality. Most of the visual upgrades are terribly dated and are really tacky now, but I know it's subjective and if you like spinners and underglow don't let what I think change that! One little touch I loved in this game that never made a return was the Dyno. I don't think it had a real purpose but damn was it sweet. Seriously if they could remaster this game and MW and combine them into one ultimate experience I think it would make the perfect game.
• Most Wanted (2005) (9/10): Yes I lean heavily towards the MW over UG2 crowd. This is my favorite entry in the series and think it is near flawless with the Black Edition on PC. I know the biggest argument against it is that the customization isn't as good as UG2 and I just don't mind it at all, it's more than good enough for my standards. Ironically enough I think the intro to this one is a little weaker than HP2 and UG which is why I didn't mention it before. However the prologue is flat out my favorite prologue to any game. It instantly hooks you into the game and gives you something to desire, to beat the game for: the legendary BMW M3 GTR. Even though the graffiti art-style is dated I still enjoy it and think it hold up alright, better than some more recent entries in the series, pitifully. I like the choice to make the game at permanent dusk, a unique time of day for the series. The handling is top notch as is the other Black Box golden age games. The live action cutscenes are fun and memorable and not super ham-fisted like some later entries in the series. The soundtrack is also quite possibly the best in the series, literally every song is amazing (except I don't care for I Am Rock and I can't stand Avenged Sevenfold). The Blacklist is the solution to the problem I had with UG2, having a reason to play all the events even if they can be repetitive at times. The challenge series is fun and has some cute races where you drive wacky vehicles. Ultimately this game has my favorite "endgame," where I constantly come back to the game time after time to experience the actual hand-down best pursuit system in any game I've ever played. It is incredibly satisfying and is very well balanced, shifting between moments where you are running for your life anxiously looking around every corner and you map for Rhinos or Roadblocks and moments where you have a brief window to lose the remaining cops and escape. The flaws with this game are minor at worst and it is a fantastic racing game. I could go on detailing more of what this game does right and ares where it could be improved but then I'd be here all day.
• Carbon (8/10): This game is underappreciated, I believe primarily because of this game's biggest flaw. Apparently this game was supposed to have more content but was unfinished because of the strict deadline sadly. This game may have been the best in the series but we'll never know. What I want to say though is this game has the best personality of any game in the series, it holds up amazingly. I get chills when I boot this up on my PS3 and hear the IMAX/THX-eque EA|HD splash screen. The neon style and score are stunning and scream to be remastered in 4K HDR. I love the touch to have unique themes for the three vehicle classes on the menu. The licensed song soundtrack is not quite as good as previous entries but still is pretty solid, and is made up for by the amazing score. Aside from those aspects it feels great to play as a sequel to MW and carries over nicely gameplay and story wise. Thankfully the Pursuit system is largely unchanged from MW but has less of a presence which means they can easily be overlooked. Again the main problem is the territory progression system, while fun, is too short and not as satisfying as it should be. I like the crew aspect but it's a little unbalanced where some are meta and others are rather useless. The best thing that keeps me coming back for more is the Canyon races. The dramatic score and stakes of the game mode are amazing and I wish this mode could see a proper comeback.
• ProStreet (5/10): I used to love this game but as time goes on I think it doesn't hod up very well. I love the legal racing atmosphere and the style of this one is great, but the gameplay and such weren't very well made. It's been a long time since I've played it so I don't have much else to say. My favorite thing about this game though was the adrenaline of speeding down the american highway tracks in a fully upgraded car trying not to die, it was a thrill I haven't felt much in later entries in the series.
• Undercover (4/10): This was the worst NFS game until another came along to usurp that title, which we'll get to later don't you worry! First of all, perhaps this game is a better experience on PC, but dear lord was it truly awful on the PS3. This was where you start to really see how EA didn't care about the PS3 versions of the games because of the PS3's difficulty to work with development-wise. It crashed frequently and the story was boring and forgettable. This game felt like the opposite of how I feel about Carbon, it feels like it has no personality and is bland and lifeless. Nothing felt satisfying to me in the game and getting the platinum for this one felt like an obligation more than anything else, but hey I was still in middle school and had no life so I played this with my dad and enjoyed that at the very least, but even he thought this one was lackluster. The only redeeming thing in this game is the soundtrack is pretty great but that's about it.
• Shift (6/10): I love sim racing and this is what started it all for me. It's not perfect and it isn't super realistic compared to its competitors but it was an honest first attempt from Slightly Mad Studios who would later go on to make the acclaimed Project CARS series. My favorite thing with the Shift games that really isn't present in other racing games is the depiction of racing being brutal and almost terrifying. I think it was done a little better in the one aesthetically speaking and I love how adrenaline pumping it is, the intro cutscene is really cool! The gameplay isn't very memorable though especially being outdated by other sims and even another entry into the Shift series.
• Hot Pursuit (7/10): Any fan of the Burnout series will surely enjoy this one. Criterion is a fantastic developer and it's ashame EA did what they do best and throw developers around willy nilly and devour them up when they're not mega successful, rather than letting them do their own thing. Regardless while not as satisfying as a genuine Burnout game, it's still really fun and if this was still on current consoles it would be my go to recommendation for anyone unfamiliar with racing games and wanting to know what NFS to try first. It's a little too arcade-y for my tastes where the pursuit are more of games than actual stress-inducing pursuits like MW or Carbon. I seriously keep this installed on my PS3 for the sole purpose of listening to the narrator give detailed descriptions of each car, it's so satisfying to listen to with the car porn on screen and is a great way to learn about each car without having to read a boring text description.
• Shift 2: Unleashed (6/10): I pretty much have the same opinion on this as the last Shift game. Mostly the same although I like the intense intro cutscene at Spa, and the Stephen Baysted score and remixes of songs are phenomenal. I like soundtracks like this and DRIVECLUB where a handful of song are remixed to make multiple different versions of the same song.
• The Run (6/10): I like the presentation of this game and the story was alright and not too in your face like Undercover, at least from what I remember. This is another example where I'm sure the PC version is pretty solid but the PS3 version was unacceptable. The framerate would severely drop WHILE DRIFTING. Seriously I'm not even kidding the fastest way around the tracks was to grind up against the guardrails to keep the framerate as stable as possible. I'm not sure if this was ever fixed but wow it was pitiful. Aside from that I love the concept of racing cross country like the 2014 film (which I am actually a fan of).
• Most Wanted (2012) (7/10): Another solid Criterion Burnout ripoff NFS game. This game is almost literally Burnout Paradise but with heavier physics that I think are slightly weaker. Due to this I didn't find the game to be very memorable honestly. It's a great game but Burnout Paradise is much more satisfying, especially considering it is remastered for current consoles.
• Rivals (6/10): I like this one quite a bit when it came out, it was the last to have any official Criterion involvement and the first to be developed by Ghost, so this was another "transitional" entry between eras like Underground and Carbon. I tried it the other day and it doesn't hold up as well as I thought it would but I still think it's pretty decent. Sadly it's the most recent entry to let you play as the cops, which is a really underutilized feature in this series ironically enough. The game feels nostalgic, like a blend between the Criterion Hot Pursuit and the Black Box Hot Pursuit 2. I like the little story, bare-bones which is totally acceptable for an NFS game.
• Need For Speed (3/10): Boy this one was a doozy. The series was probably due for a soft reboot but they kind of messed this one up. I managed to platinum it in literally 7 days from the day I started playing it, that's how sad this game is. It's not a total trainwreck but it has way more cons than pros. The handling model is the worst in the entire series, but at least it's only gotten better with each Ghost game. The always online model was the product of a terrible game industry and was I'm sure EA's idea over Ghost's. It is always fun when you're in the middle of a race and slam into another player or their AI and ruin your race. As for the pros I like the night time aesthetic of the game. Of course with that came the modern trend of cringe-worthy stance culture that car about style over performance that persists in the next two games but to a lesser extent. But hey at least it's optional, so I have to drive slammed shitbox 90's Honda Civics because that's not what I have in mind when I play a NFS game where you can drive exotic cars that most people could only dream of driving. But I was surprised to say that this game has a pretty stellar soundtrack (it introduced me to one of my all time favorite bands, HEALTH), I even loved the additions of classic NFS themes to the soundtrack for nostalgia.
• Payback (2/10): I didn't think it could get any worse than Undercover, but then the state of the gaming industry had to come in and desecrate everything in sight. I could just say this game has despicable, shoehorned in microtransactions that make me feel bad know there are people that actually throw money away at in game currencies and leave it at that. But I just got the platinum last week out of obligation since I paid for the dang thing two years ago and never wanted to play it so I had to get my money's worth out of it. The handling is better than its predecessor but that's not saying much. The story is horrid and features some of the worst and most uninspired voice acting I've ever heard. I like the Las Vegas atmosphere and the soundtrack has a few good tracks and I like the menu theme. Upgrading cars with a slot machine is laughable and totally represents EA until they just recently backpedaled with Jedi Fallen Order and NFS Heat not having microtransactions, but we all know they didn't do it out of the goodness of their wretched soulless corporate money hungry hearts. Getting 100% in this was completely unsatisfying no matter how badly I tried to give this game an honest shot. Hopefully the series will never stoop to this low again.
• Heat (6/10): I really enjoyed this one much to my surprise. The handling still is miles away from the Black Box games but is vastly improved over the other Ghost games. As a sim racer, I play NFS games for eye candy and simple racing fun, and this one delivers! Finally a NFS game in 4K HDR, it's gorgeous and it's aesthetic is reminiscent of Carbon with the bright neon lights and 80's Miami theme. I was surprised by the number of cars available at launch and they look superb. While the pursuit system is a tad broken and also miles away from MW and Carbon's, I like the Night mode design. Shoot, this game has more gambling in it than Payback, but the good kind where you risk losing Respect for getting busted as opposed to literal gambling. The Day/Night mechanic is pretty neat and almost makes it feel like two games in one. Once gain I wish they would just drop the story because it's pretty annoying even if it isn't as bad as the previous two. I find the characters annoying and as someone who moved to Florida the Miami car culture hits pretty close to home, I don't really care for it like I mentioned with NFS 2015. I also do not care for the overly latino soundtrack but I can say it is pretty accurate, I do however enjoy the garage songs and I enjoy listening to them while customizing wraps. I just wish there was more diversity in the soundtrack like older NFS games.

Well I think that's about all I have to say without making this any longer than it already is. If anyone reads even a little of this then thank you! I mostly did this for myself so if anyone else gets anything out of this then that's great. If you're interested in exploring more of the series and wonder how some of the games hold up I hope I could provide some insight. Even though I'm a little harsh on UG2 I don't dislike it by any means, the only two I don't recommend are Payback and Undercover. The ones I recommend most for anyone unfamiliar with the series are Most Wanted (2005), Carbon, Hot Pursuit 2, Heat, and Hot Pursuit (2011). That's all I have for now!
Edit: changed my score of UG2 to a 7, I was a bit harsh with an average rating, and emphasize I DO LIKE THE GAME, do not misquote me saying I dislike it just because I don't enjoy it as much as everyone else