Category Archives: Roulette

Christie Brinkley spoke out against the war in Ukraine, warning that nuclear disaster is a very real potential outcome of this conflict that we should all be taking far more seriously.

The model and vice president of the Radiation and Public Health Project wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times, published in the paper's Opinion section on Tuesday, in response to their article about a battle that took place surrounding a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. This is a game of Russian roulette the world cant afford to play! she warned. Brinkley added that it is nothing short of a miraculous stroke of luck that the world dodged a catastrophe by avoiding a massive meltdown in the Russian assault on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant last week. However, she added, there are three other such plants in Ukraine and it seems only a matter of time before nuclear disaster unfolds as a result of this ongoing invasion.

Last week, the Associated Press reported that Europe's largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia Plant, was being fired upon by Russian troops. This attack led to a fire breaking out in the complex, which many feared could spread and ultimately cause an explosion in the facility. The Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted at the time, Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Fire has already broke out. If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl! Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone! The nuclear plant was later determined to be safe.

The model continued, Every Ukrainian life lost in this unwarranted invasion would be for nothing if the land Ukrainians love is contaminated with radiation and uninhabitable. It would be an unthinkable loss for Russians, too, and a meltdown could result in mass evacuations in Europe, as radiation knows no boundaries. She explained that releases of radioactivity from spent fuel pools, dry casks and under the six reactor domes at Zaporizhzhia and the resulting casualties could dwarf the 1986 Chernobyl nightmare.

Brinkley concluded her cautionary letter by pointing out that Aside from all-out nuclear war, nuclear plant meltdowns pose the greatest risk of radiation exposure. An international expert panel is urgently needed to develop rules protecting nuclear plants during warfare. We cant just hope well be so lucky next time.

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

The Prince Andrew Trial That Wasnt Jerry Lewiss Costars Speak Out: He Grabbed Me. He Began to Fondle Me. I Was Dumbstruck Monica Padmans Moment Is Now The Week Los Angeles Ate the Art World Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for COVID-19 Why a Judge Wants a Closer Look at Ghislaine Maxwells Guilty Verdict Nine Books We Couldnt Put Down This Month Vanity Fairs Hollywood Issue 2022: See the Full Portfolio Featuring Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, and More 20 Best Face Exfoliators for Softer, Brighter Skin: Scrubs, Peels, and Toners From the Archive: Charles & Camilla, Coup of Hearts Sign up for The Buyline to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.

More here:

Christie Brinkley Warns the War in Ukraine Is a Game of Russian Roulette the World Can't Afford to Play - Vanity Fair

Namibia should take all necessary measures to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons from threats and any form of violence, the United Nations Committee against Torture recommended to Namibia in 2016. Include same-sex relationships in the Combating of Domestic Violence Act (Act No. 4 of 2003) so as to protect same-sex partners, the Human Rights Committee (which monitors the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), in the same year (2016), urged Namibia to address. Statements by international communities and committees which Namibia subscribes to (by virtue of our Constitution to uphold the fundamental human rights of all Namibians), continue to pile up, whilst progressive legislature is not fully realised. It almost begs the question on whether or not our representation in and at international bodies is only a smokescreen to accrue international credibility when in fact targeted and selective discrimination brazenly remains the order of business on our local scenes.

The Combating of Domestic Violence Amendment Bill statement was recently tabled at the floors of parliament, in which heavy though necessary emphasis was placed on safeguarding the lives of women, children and persons with disabilities or vulnerable groups. The Bill, as the statement reads, comes at the backdrop after which a series of demonstrations were held under the #ShutItAllDownNamibia banner (and countless petitions before the birth of the movement), calling on government to decisively and urgently deal with the alarming rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Namibia. A petition was submitted with a host of demands pertinent to addressing and apprehending the rise in these staggering cases on SGBV across various sectors. Almost a year-and-a-half later, an amended Bill is tabled and proposed to expedite the commitment from all stakeholders to adopt and operationalise. Progressive as the Bill may be in the many strides it exemplifies for women, children and persons with disabilities, a significant gap under which human rights protections and the dignity of a minority community ought to be recognised, is still missing.

Section 3(1) of the Bill lists several forms of domestic relationships, and this only applies to victims of different sexes cohabiting or in domestic relationships, which means that same-sex couples continue to be excluded from any protection under the amended Bill, where in fact sexual and gender-based violence in domestic settings equally applies to same-sex relationships. For context in Namibia, we do not have an active database on the number of sexual, gender and sex minorities who have been victims and/or survivors of SGBV (within their own domestic relationships). Amending legislature would be beneficial not only to same-sex couples and to protect all sexes and genders from domestic violence, but it would also aid as a tool of sensitisation to law- enforcement officials, for example, who are frontline service providers meant to safeguard victims of same-sex couples in abusive relationships.

It is notably and commonly known that most law- enforcement officials are homo-bi-transphobic, in which the majority of the LGBTQIA+ persons have been mocked, humiliated, intimidated, harassed and ridiculed by them. Police officers are obliged by law to protect all members of Namibian society, regardless of their gender, a High Court judge has stated in a judgement on a lawsuit which a transgender woman instituted after she was unlawfully arrested and assaulted by a police officer in Windhoek, a headline read in The Namibian in November last year. Though this was not a matter related to domestic violence, it still exposed and confirmed prejudicial, harmful and abusive attitudes which law-enforcement officials hold against the LGBTQIA+ community because national legislation does not provide for the equal protection of our rights. Furthermore, a factsheet compiled by the Legal Assistance Centre to reiterate how the inclusion of same-sex couples in the Bill would coalesce perfectly with progressive legislature in neighbouring countries, presents the following, South Africas Domestic Violence Act 1998 provides protection from domestic violence for both same-sex couples and couples of different sexes. Similarly, the definition of a domestic partnership in Botswanas Domestic Violence Act 2008 does not explicitly require that the persons involved in such relationships must be of different sexes.

The above should compel us to reflect a little more and deeper on the many ways in which lawmakers employ Russian roulette tactics to disregard the human rights of all Namibians; the ways in which we gamble with the lives of minority identities in such a way that the outcomes are almost invariably fatal, because regardless of who is holding the gun, victims and survivors of SGBV within the LGBTQIA+ community often get harmed eventually because our political history, cultural and social memes, reinforce it to be so.

Human rights are expressly enshrined in our constitution; they are not suggested or implied. So, if the President of Namibia understands that SGBV is a human rights issue of endemic proportions in Namibia, why would we immediately exclude equal protections for same-sex couples when protections of our rights are not suggested nor implied, neither are they conferred only to a single group of people in Namibia? Perhaps international representation through signed treaties and agreements, which mandate that Namibia protects the fundamental rights of all its citizens, indeed, does serve as a red herring under which Russian roulette on the rights of minority identities may effectively and consistently be employed.

Read the rest here:

Opinion - Russian roulette of human rights protections - Truth, for its own sake. - New Era

Casino games are super fun to play. And a lot of classic table games have been around for centuries.

As well as these traditional titles, a lot of people play online casino games that are more modern. These include gambling games such as online slots, video poker, and live casino titles. But which ones actually give you the best chance of winning?

Today, were going to take a look at some of the most popular games online, along with how likely you are to win at them.

So, without further ado, lets get started.

Possibly the most famous card game in the world, the rules of blackjack are simple. You receive two cards from the dealer, and your aim is to try to make 21, or as close to it as possible, without going over.

It might be the simplicity of this game that makes it so popular. And, with the exception of some gaming rules, players usually stand to win double the money if they beat the dealers hand.

A lot of people believe blackjack is a combination of luck and skill, rather than pure chance. So, this means that you have more chance of winning the game with strategic thinking than just sheer luck alone. Which, in turn, makes blackjack a game that people often win at.

So, while were not suggesting you try to learn how to count cards, a good memory will certainly stand you in good stead at a blackjack table! Hence, blackjack is one of the most popular online casino games where seasoned players regularly win.

Online slot games are by far an online casinos most popular type of game. And you can play games online and win real money at all leading casino sites. And you can read more about different casino games at the popular UK gambling portal Casino.xyz.

Slot games are 100% rooted in luck. Meaning you have just as much chance of landing a big jackpot as any other player.

However, not all slot games are created equal. And you can see how likely you are to win at a slot game by checking the games RTP and volatility.

RTP stands for return to player and is the predicted percentage of your stake that the casino says you will get back if you play one game for long enough.

In fact, its not just slot games that have an RTP. Every casino game comes with its own predicted percentage. So keep that in mind!

In the case of online slots, the average RTP is 96%. So anything about this number is considered high. And it means that, if you place 10 on a game, you should see back at least 9.60 after a long period of gameplay. But, a lot of slots come with an RTP closer to 99%. So, although its not a big win, youre more likely to break even on these high RTP slots.

Furthermore, slot games are marked as high, medium, or low volatility. And this is another way to calculate how likely you are to win at these games.

For instance, low volatility slots payout frequently, but in low amounts. Whereas, high volatility slots dont pay out very often at all. But, when they do, the prizes can be breathtaking!

Another classic casino table game, roulette is 100% based on luck. Your goal is to predict where the ball will land in the roulette wheel. And, depending on which version of roulette you play, you will usually have 37 slots where the ball can land. 18 are red, 18 are black and 1 is green.

But, although roulette is a fortune-based game, there are a lot of betting options where you can increase your chances of winning.

For example, most people think they need to bet on a specific number to win at roulette. However, the chances of your choosing the right number between 0 and 37 are extremely low. So, instead, you can make bets with far better odds, such as choosing red or black, as well as odds or evens (numbers).

There are many other types of bets you can make on roulette as well, and you can find a great guide to the game here. So, this means that roulette gives you some very good chances of winning, compared to a lot of other online casino games. It just depends on how you bet. And, dont forget, the version of roulette itself is also important. For instance, American roulette has a green 00, as well as a green 0.

Which decreases your odds of choosing red/black by a small margin. And French roulette has the la partage rule, which actually helps players. So, choosing which game of roulette to play can also increase your luck!

More here:

Which Casino Games Give You The Best (And Worst) Chances Of Winning? - Salon Priv Magazine

Over the past few decades, gaming software developers have been on a mission to successfully create hybrid games that blend multiple genres together to offer players something similar yet different. While the execution of hybrid games hasnt always been great, one gaming niche that has particularly excelled in creating hybrid games is the iGaming sector, which has set a new standard for the gaming community to follow when it comes to this gaming style. Why? Because casino operators blend games with similar themes and audiences, making their attraction more concentrated and widespread.

Roulette, in particular, has been at the forefront of this transition in the iGaming industry. Today, there are dozens of variations ofcasino roulettethat combine elements of other games. One example is Playtechs Live Age of The Gods Roulette game. This hybrid game combines roulette with elements of slots as players access a bonus round which provides them with three spins on a single-line slot machine. These mixed roulette games mark a transition in the online gambling industry, where new variations are emerging all the time, including multi-wheel roulette, which allows bettors to wager on the outcome of six wheels rather than one.

There are also hybrid roulette games that incorporate both elements of slot games and live casino games. The concept of a live casino is one of the hottest trends in the iGaming industry, allowing players to interact with real dealers via webcam while in the comfort of their own homes. A popular example of this is Playtechs Live Spin and Win Roulette game. This hybrid casino game merges a roulette wheel with some of the best spin-to-win slot features and is operated by real dealers in a studio.

With the success of hybrid casino games, many video game developers have tried their luck in this area. However, just like Hollywood adaptations of video game franchises, hybrid video games have seen many failures during their lifetime. In part, this is due to poor execution, but its also because mash-up video games often combine genres that do not make sense. That is why hybrid casino games work so well. The genres are similar, and so are the audiences. When it comes to video games, audiences can be segregated and opinionated.

That said, there are afew exceptions. One critically acclaimed example is Brutal Legend, an action-adventure game that combines elements of real-time strategy. Brutal Legend also incorporates Heavy Metal music as the characters in the video game range from Ozzy Osbourne to Lita Ford. This hybrid video game became the 12th-top-selling game in October 2009, and gaming journalists praised Brutal Legends story and characters. Odama is another interesting hybrid video game, combining real-time tactical games with pinball.

Hybrid games provide gaming operators with excellent growth and revenue opportunities. Mash-up games bring different demographics together, helping to build a global gaming community while also increasing an organizations revenues and margins. In other words, the more games a platform offers, the more players they will attract and retain, and, thus, the more money they will make.

That said, not every game developer has struck gold in this niche. For the most part, hybrid video games have not been universally accepted due to poor execution and odd genre combinations, though there are a few exceptions. However, hybrid casino games are proof this gaming style works when you blend genres with similar themes and audiences.

Read this article:

Hybrid Games Get Mixed Reviews Except From The Ones Coming Out Of The iGaming Industry - Nerdbot

They constantly weigh up the risk of fleeing the city along dangerous roads or stay put in the hope that they will emerge unharmed from any new onslaught by Russian armed forces.

My brother-in-law, along with his wife, nine-month-old son and nine-year-old daughter have taken to their food cellar night after night as Russian missiles strike their neighbourhood.

Whilst the cellar may offer some protection, it is not ideal, and their lives are still threatened. However, leaving their home and trying to make it to the west of the country by car is also fraught with danger, as they would have to negotiate several checkpoints along roads that are still being targeted by Russian missiles as recent tragic pictures in the press have reminded us.

The photograph of the young Ukrainian mother and her two children lying prone in the road as Ukrainian soldiers tried to assist them, to no avail, will live long in the memory. Their blood is on Putins hands.

These pictures and many more like them are only available to the Russian public via social media as Putin cracks down on internal information outlets to try and prevent his murderous activities from scrutiny.

Still, Russians are taking to the streets, risking jail sentences, in cities throughout the country, protesting against the war and calling for Putins removal. I have demonstrated and afterwards have gone for a drink, but when Russians demonstrate they know that they could end up in a police cell, facing the very real prospect of years in prison brave people indeed!

Many families in Kyiv, my in-laws included, have already faced the terror unleashed by Putin in his despotic quest to subjugate the people of Ukraine a quest that is destined to fail as the heroic resistance, ably demonstrated by the Ukrainian people, shows no signs of weakening.

We make contact with relatives in Kyiv by Viber every night and once more in the morning to check that everyone is still OK. We cannot wait for the day when they will be going for breakfast in Edinburgh, with us, just dodging hailstones not bullets.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

See original here:

Stay or go? Ukrainians like my in-laws are being forced to play a terrifying game of Russian Roulette Steve Cardownie - Edinburgh News

Breadcrumb Trail Links

"Any time he felt I was lying, he would pull the trigger

A woman told a Timmins court she was raped, forced into prostitution, and at one point threatened with a gun pressed against her head by a man currently on trial for human trafficking.

Vincenzo Giovenco, 42, of Woodbridge, is being tried in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Timmins on 15 charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them.

The trial began last week.

Thursday saw the Crowns key witness the complainant in this matter return to the stand where she continued to undergo a gruelling cross-examination from defence lawyer Paul Bragagnolo.

Bragagnolo has targeted the womans hazy memory of dates and locations of the alleged events citing altered details in her story not only from her initial interview with police to the preliminary hearing but even in her testimony within the current trial itself.

On Thursday, Bragagnolo asked the complainant about an incident involving a gun which the court heard about last week.

She testified that Giovenco expressed concern to her about sharing personal information with the clients she was having sex with at a hotel she was brought to in Toronto. She said he arrived and told her they were going to play a game of Russian roulette while he asked her a series of questions.

At that point, he had held a gun to my head and said, Im going to ask you once and once only. Have you told these men about our operation, why youre doing this, who I am, where youre from, who you are or if youre being forced to do this?

He told me there was one bullet in the chamber and that I had so many chances to tell the truth and any time he felt I was lying, he would pull the trigger.

She said he pulled the trigger several times during this inquiry, resulting in the sound of a loud click against her head. She said she pleaded with him and started crying while he was doing this.

Bragagnolo asked her if the handgun was a revolver or a semi-automatic. She said she didnt know but was able to confirm the gun didnt have a revolving chamber.

The complainant told the court she didnt know anything about guns and believed Giovenco when he said there was a chamber with a single bullet.

Bragagnolo noted a change in this story from last week when the complainant told the court this incident occurred at the same Toronto hotel where she was being held and forced to engage in sex work.

While testifying Thursday, she said this incident actually happened at an Airbnb which she was brought to after the four days she had spent at the hotel.

Bragagnolo subsequently asked her, How often is your story going to change?

She replied, I know these incidents happened and I just cant pinpoint exactly where and when.

The complainant conceded she has had difficulties recalling timelines and specific locations because at the time she was addicted to fentanyl and she said Giovencos associates kept her drugged up to keep her compliant while she was in Toronto. She said she didnt have her cellphone and had no way of keeping track of days or knowing the time.

Bragagnolo suggested at another point, Clearly fentanyl would affect your memory.

The complainant replied, It would, but when something so traumatic happens, its not going to affect my memory on something like that.

Giovenco was arrested in Timmins in February 2021.

The complainant, a woman in her mid-20s, said she met Giovenco through mutual friends in Timmins in early December. The court heard he gained her trust by providing her with drugs and then subsequently intervening when a woman who was friends with her ex-boyfriend attempted to attack her.

Bragagnolos cross-examination of the complainant and the presentation of the Crowns case is expected to wrap up on Friday.

Excerpt from:

Human trafficking trial hears about game of Russian roulette - Timmins Press

Burlesque has its glitz and glam roots in history, but today the art form is a space for acceptance, where all people, regardless of age, body type, race, or sexuality, can express themselves, share their story, and feel beautiful.

In Atlanta, burlesque finds a home in Metropolitan Studios, a queer-owned studio and venue space out of which the Atlanta School of Burlesque (ASB) and the burlesque troupe The Candybox Revue operate. Through Metropolitan Studios and the ASB, teachers like Talloolah Love and Roula Roulette are sharing the freedom and expression of burlesque with everyone.

Burlesque as a sexy pinup striptease (a la Christina Aguilera in the 2010 film) has its roots in the 40s and 50s. Love, who has been in the burlesque world for 20 years, toldGeorgia Voicethat this form of burlesque (called classic burlesque) was defined by an exploitative male gaze, as most of the club owners and show producers were men. Therefore, most of the performers were thin white women. However, that began to shift in the 90s, when professional strippers wanted to add more artistry and theater to their routines. This era of burlesque, known as neo-burlesque, created an entirely new art form that steps away from the male gaze and toward sensual self-expression.

Its very, very different [now], Roulette said. A lot of it has moved away from the male gaze. Youre seeing political pieces, think pieces, comedy, and satire. Youre seeing beautiful dancers bring their own training into this art form and create ballet burlesque and modern dance-style burlesque. Youre seeing people with amazing storytelling abilities. Its not just the tiny outfit and big headdress and being pretty for 20 minutes onstage. Its much more theatrical, and theres a lot more freedom and joy.

What once was reserved primarily for thin white women is now open to everyone. Even those without dance or theater background can still participate in and enjoy burlesque; in fact, Love herself has no background in dance or theater at all. It was her exclusion from other performance avenues that brought her to burlesque in the first place.

Burlesque is open to everyone who is open-minded and compassionate and empathetic. I believe that all people have a story to tell, she said. I dont come from a dance or theater background. I got into burlesque because I was told no by directors. So, when I found burlesque, I had a fire and passion to be onstage. Even people who are not dancers can come to burlesque and find a way to express themselves.

Thats why, regardless of time, ability, or interest, theres a class for everyone at ASB. Theres the Burlesque Academy, a 12-week program split by levels one through four (one through three being a choreography-based course, level four being a solo one-on-one mentorship) that culminates in a graduation recital. However, for those who cant commit to 12 weeks or dont want to perform in a recital, theres also a progressive series that runs concurrently with the academy where people can go through the levels in four to six weeks without the recital.

There are also several one-off drop-in classes weekly: Burlesque Basics on Sundays at 3 p.m.; Boudoir Burlesque, a choreo class all about slow and sultry burlesque, on Sundays at 5:45 p.m.; Tricks of the Trade, a chair and floorwork class, on Sundays at 7pm; Sexify, a workout-focused dance class open to all nonmen, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm; and several sexy stretching classes throughout the week.

Even though its open to everyone, queer people specifically tend to flock to neo-burlesque. Despite not being a queer-specific organization, 75 percent of the ABSs members are queer. Roulette says this is because burlesque creates space for those who live outside of the societys norms.

Were all weirdos, they said. A lot of folks who are artistic are not what society says is the norm. Like gathers to like, and I think in a lot of ways we [queer people] all saw our people and flocked to [burlesque].

While burlesque is becoming more and more accessible as time goes on, theres one frontier Love and Roulette say the art form still falls short in overcoming: ability. Movement disabilities and other disabilities that make it hard for people to leave their home to go to venues can make burlesque inaccessible for many. However, there are strides being made to overcome that especially now with the establishment of virtual shows.

Something that is incredible to see as a result of the pandemic was the move to a virtual space, which creates a level of accessibility that we didnt have before, Roulette said. Some are still going on even as were going back to live shows. If youre someone who struggles with accessibility or distance to a venue, theres now a much easier path to stepping into the burlesque community.

Overall, burlesque offers a unique opportunity for marginalized people who may have not been given the allowance of sexiness and independence by society to connect with their bodies, tell their stories, and find a supportive and loving community.

To learn more about Metropolitan Studios (1259 Metropolitan Ave SE) and ASB and to sign up for classes, visit metrostudioseav.com.

Here is the original post:

The Glamorous and Accepting World of Burlesque - Georgia Voice

Unmasking the venues

Technically, no venue in NYC was mandated to require people to be masked up this winter, even at the height of the surge. Although the state had a mask mandate for all indoor businesses, it was superseded by the NY HERO Act and the Key To NYC Pass. The former states that masks are required in all indoor spaces except where all individuals on premise, including but not limited to employees, are fully vaccinated. The latter requires that restaurants and entertainment venues ask for proof of vaccination to enter.

Of course, even for venue owners and managers who have been navigating the ever-shifting COVID rules of the city and state whither the color-coded zones? it has remained an arduous task sifting through the various edicts.

I think that confusion is a direct result of having different rules for different parts of the city and the state and for different types of venues. If there was just one blanket rule across the state, we wouldn't be having so much confusion, said Kambri Crews, owner of Q.E.D. Astoria, a Queens community space which hosts comedy performances, screenings, political events and more. It gets bogged down and confused. And then people use that confusion as willful ignorance to just do what they want.

Deborah Gordon, who owns the legendary jazz club Village Vanguard, added, Who can keep track of what they're requiring, and not requiring, you know? In a way, I find it very hard to pay attention to it, especially when they make pronouncements that go into effect that day or the next day.

Despite all this, many places actively chose to ask people to mask up when entering, which has yielded mixed results.

You have to wear masks inside until you get to your table, and then, while you're eating and drinking, of course we're not requiring it, said Dorf. If there's somebody who's sitting at a table and they're not actively eating, they're drinking, we're not going over to the table [to say], Excuse me sir, I want to be a big asshole here and remind you, you got to put on a mask. We believe our customers are mature, and we respect them.

A consensus has begun to form in the industry around masks: as effective as they might be, it is just not plausible for venues to enforce any mask policies once people are inside.

Some venues really feel like they want to be seen as diligent, and they want their staff to be mindful of being diligent, so the masks are part of that, said Jen Lyon, co-chair of the New York Independent Venue Association (NYIVA), which represents over 200 venues, independent promoters and festivals in the state. But as far as getting guests to wear masks, the general consensus is it's nearly impossible and would cost too much in staffing to get people to wear masks.

Gordon, who took over running the Village Vanguard in 2018 after the passing of her mother Lorraine Gordon, said the Vanguard staff tries to encourage people to wear masks whenever possible, but there isnt a lot to do beyond that. Certainly some musicians ask people to be polite and cognizant and aware, sometimes musicians will announce that from the stage, she said. But we haven't really been able to enforce that, we havent been the mask policeAnyway, what am I supposed to do, go around to every person after they have a sip of their drink, say youve got to put your mask back on? I mean, it's just not feasible.

After Hochul ended the state-wide mask mandate, NYC released their own FAQ to try to lay out all the various scenarios for business owners, noting they strongly recommend'' that everyone, vaccinated or not, wear a mask at public indoor settings, even when its not required. Thats the attitude that Jamie Burns, managing director of Boerum Hill experimental-music venue Roulette, has tried to take.

Essentially, were asking people to wear masks but not making it a requirement to the extent that we would ask people to leave, or make people leave if they weren't wearing them, she said. She argues it isnt reasonable to expect venues like theirs to shoulder the burden of regulating face coverings: We don't have security or bouncers. We have front of house staff, box office staff, bartenders and liaisons, and they're not equipped to be policing it.

View post:

Masks, vaccine mandates & amps: How independent venues are grappling with the return of crowds - Gothamist

Live casino brand BETER Live has inked its latest major platform deal with provider BetConstruct.

The latest agreement between the two will see BetConstruct live with its second brand to provide its players with three of the groups casino categories blackjack, roulette and French roulette, available in English, Russian and Ukrainian languages.

Anna Vikmane, Director at BETER Live, said: Were absolutely thrilled to have agreed a partnership with BetConstruct that sees customers gain access to a selection of our most impressive live casino titles.

2022 has been monumental for BETER Live so far, in just one month weve been able to announce two fantastic partnerships and plans for future studio expansion were all incredibly proud.

Live games from BETER are hosted by experienced casino dealers in the companys cinema-style studios, whilst operators are said to benefit from localised server deployment and a range of languages.

BetConstruct is always on the lookout for talented game providers so that we can offer the very best from the igaming industry to our partners and their players, noted Ruzanna Elchyan, Deputy Head of Gaming at BetConstruct.

Were incredibly impressed with BETER Lives portfolio of games, their standout products are exciting, innovative and engaging, and were confident players will truly enjoy playing them.

Earlier this week, Vikmane, along with BETERs Head of Key Accounts, Yana Stukova, joined CasinoBeats to delve into the companys recent Parimatch partnership and how the collaboration will help deliver a true next-gen gaming experience.

Go here to read the rest:

BETER Live links with BetConstruct to continue 2022 momentum - Casino Beats

Ben Kepes is a Canterbury-based entrepreneur and professional board member.

OPINION: Recently I've written a few posts about the sociopolitical climate here in New Zealand. In my posts, I have posited that we don't live in a communist or socialist state but rather in a social democracy where community values (social safety net, public health, accessible education, etc) are woven into the fabric of society.

I naively assumed it would be a fairly benign position to take - more fool me.

It's been fascinating seeing the responses to my posts - one thing about having so many connections on social media platforms such as LinkedIn is that I get really good reach and get comments from people from all walks of life and many different geographies.

Part of that commentary group is a significant selection of fairly right-wing (and, yes, right-wing is a relative term) US commentators who have spent generations being brought up in sheer terror of some kind of descent into a socialistic morass.

Supplied

Ben Kepes says the poor are getting poorer, and the average working woman or man is increasingly, in relative terms, poorer than their parents.

An example of one of these comments goes like this: I don't want the government to keep me safe' I want them to assure my freedom, that is their job. I need the government to stay out of my way so I can run my business, provide for my family, etc. Anyone saying they are trying to keep you safe is out to control you.

READ MORE:* Time to cool it on criticism of socialist Covid-19 response* The fallacy of education as a fix for income disparities* Our future shouldn't be determined by our result in the lottery of life * The role of a public health system in treating causes, not symptoms

That's a fairly typical reaction from the libertarian demographic who have lived their entire lives in a country without the things we in New Zealand take for granted (those aforementioned social benefits) and who have grown accustomed to having to pay for a decent education and health service.

Some of my friends would suggest that the perspective articulated in those comments are those of an entitled class who haven't got any real lived experience from the "other side of the tracks". Those people can therefore afford decent healthcare and education and rail at the thought of having to "subsidise" those things for others.

Notably absent from the comments are the voices of the others. Those who, through an accident of birth or lack of opportunity, don't enjoy those same benefits and hence only dream of high-quality education and healthcare.

Breakfast

Commentator Bernard Hickey made the claim after analysing data from the last 21 months. (Published Jan 31, 2021)

I was thinking about this factor recently when I had a conversation with a friend of mine, someone who is a decent and genuine human being, way smarter than I will ever be and with experience living both here and in the US. That person was reflecting on the relative merits of the New Zealand and the US system, specifically as it related to healthcare.

As they wrote to me: When your kid is sick you dont give a s... about equity, you just care about fixing your kid. Whats very frustrating as a rich American is that even money does not fix it as the specialist services just dont exist in the first place. New Zealand, unfortunately, puts equity ahead of excellence in both education and healthcare. We are fair but mediocre. Not a cause for pride.

Now I absolutely accept that, as a parent, we are sometimes blinded by our love and care for our offspring. If my child is sick, I too want the very best medical care and attention for them. At that time, the fact that it is my wealth and privileged position that makes that care available to me matters not. My only concern is getting that care. It's not a selfish perspective (well, perhaps it is but not maliciously so) but it is very much a case of self-preservation.

But that's where my friend and I differ. I understand the imperative of education and healthcare here and how and why it drives actions within the context of self-preservation. But there is, in my view, a much broader perspective on self-preservation that we, the entitled demographic, ignore at our peril. As things currently stand, society has far greater inequity than at any time in the past few generations. An increasingly tiny proportion of a global elite hold an increasingly large proportion of global wealth.

Not only are the poor growing poorer, but the huge middle ground, those middle classes who fuelled the economic growth of the 1950s and 60s, see their spending power, their autonomy and their voice, rapidly losing ground. Not only are the poor getting poorer, but the average working woman or man is increasingly, in relative terms, poorer than their parents.

And this is where self-preservation comes in. While the elite can afford the very best for themselves and their progeny, to do so absent any thought to creating a more equitable society is dangerous. In a world where there are increasing income, wealth and value gaps in society, we run the risk of also eroding the values that withhold the rule of law and the respect for authority. If we go down that path, we invite the poor and newly poor to revolt - whether it is with force or by seizing the power structures ruled by those elites.

Of course, I can just hear my libertarian friends write me off as some kind of crazy left-wing agitator. But that's not what this is about. I fully recognise my own privilege and the fact that my fortunate position is, at least in part, the result of social and economic inequities. It would be stupid, indeed dangerous, of me to not give thought to those inequities. History is rife with once powerful people who mistakenly assumed that their power would be eternal.

If, through the creation of a more equitable society, I can avoid insurrection utterly destroying my quality of life, I'd be stupid not to. To put it another way I have two choices to give some of what I have to others and to enjoy a still-charmed, albeit slightly less so, life. The other option is to play Russian roulette with an increasingly large and increasingly angry part of society. Russian roulette doesn't appeal at all.

Ben Kepes has never been a gambler, and roulette, let alone Russian roulette, doesn't appeal at all.

Read the original here:

The revolution is coming: Playing Russian roulette with inequity - Stuff.co.nz