I have seen (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) get a lot of hype the last few days. It has been the second most actively traded stock on the TSX in the last ten days. They also have a ticker that is literally 🔥 and a brand name that is ultimately supreme. I couldn’t think of a bettedouchier name and ticket for a Cannabis company.

Now the question is, should we buy into the hype?

First, what is $FIRE?
$FIRE = the Supreme Cannabis Company produces marijuana under the banner of its wholly-owned subsidiary 7 Acres. They have a 440,000 square Cultivation facility. They also claim to have a robust R&D and genetics program, advance processing and automated packaging capabilities, and is Health Canada licensed for the sale of cannabis 2.0 products. They claim they have emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing, premium plant driven-lifestyle company by effectively deploying capital to build a diversified portfolio of successful cannabis brands. I personally feel like every Cannabis company says the same thing so that’s nothing new.
Long story short, Supreme grow and hold Cannabis supplies their partners who produce specific products. Their partners are 7Acres, Blissco, Truverra, Sugar Leaf and Hiway (see picture below).
In FY2020, Supreme Cannabis brought +35 cannabis consumer products to 10 provinces across Canada, formed an industry leading sales partnership, maintained a strong wholesale business and completed its first international medical cannabis export.

Here is a screenshot of what each “partner” is licensed to sell and where they can sell it.

​
All of them look like relatively decent partners that produce product and supply it to primarily Canada. They got licensed in 2019 to sell cannabis oil, weird that the stock dropped so much after that. Weed stock hype died down the last year I think, but with the resurgence I feel like this stock is in a decent position.
Summary: Looks pretty run of the mill, nothing revolutionary, nothing bad. At least they have partners, a product and a decent grow operation.

Financials:

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https://preview.redd.it/zw8ze7o8dwf61.png?width=2612&format=png&auto=webp&s=c069d60dfc3a424ae19c653ced14c4b03de4dfa8
Comparing FIRE to other major and small cap weed companies there is nothing overly concerning/amazing. Fire did post a loss in its most recent financial year of CA$139m and a latest trailing-twelve-month loss of CA$93m shrinking the gap between loss and breakeven. Note they did offer a big 100m fundraiser to generate capital for new partnerships, expansion.
I personally am of the belief that you need to attack to grow a business. Especially in crowded sectors such as Cannabis. I would rather see them look to create change and shake it up. You NEED to do something after having your market cap shrink as much as they have. Also keep in mind losses aren’t inherently bad as a company needs to invest to grow, but they do they to post positive earnings. They have their earnings coming up soon, so this is where momentum can change, if they can post a good quarter, I feel like the stock could explode. They are projected to grow 77.82% per year, plus the CEO has a good track record so it looks promising (more of that below).
But do note do not have a ton of cash to keep them fluid, so this earnings report is super important. They’ve missed their last four quarters and they need to start producing some profit.
Their earnings report will be announced Feb 11, 2021. People might be accumulating and generating hype on the hope of a good earnings report. This is similar to what happened with $SCR. Score absolutely blew up after they had a good earnings report after several consecutive quarters at a loss. Keep in mind this isn’t always the case (just look at AMD).
Summary: If you're willing to wager on this earnings reports being positive, this is nothing to worry about. If you're super adverse to risk, I would maybe stay away. Could be huge upside, but it is a gamble.

Team:

April 27, 2020 the company made a wise move, bringing in Beena The Beauty Goldenberg: Beena is now President & CEO of Supreme Cannabis Company. Goldenberg brings 30 years of CPG experience to her roles at Supreme. For the last 15 years, she worked in the natural and organics space. As the CEO of Hain-Celestial Canada, she grew the business from approximately $40 million to over $300 million by the time she left in 2020.
Here is a statement of Beena speaking pure fire about fire:

I joined Supreme Cannabis as President & CEO in April because I was drawn to the Company’s focus on quality – not just in our products, practices, and facilities – but in the emphasis our people place on continuous improvement across the organization. Since joining, I have seen us make significant progress in transforming ourselves into a premier cannabis CPG company.

It looks like Beena the beauty is in here to shake things up and bring some growth to this company. She noted that 2020 was a tough year for Cannabis growth, but it is clear a lot of investors are bullish on its opportunity in 2021. She came in and made some tough choices which I like, such as restructuring the organizational model, and adjusting the assumed valuations on parts of the business. Good to hear she made some cuts, shook things up and is looking to bring FIRE back to it’s 2018 hype.
I didn’t look into the rest of the team too much, they all look pretty run of the mill executives. If someone wants to look more into the team it would be appreciated.
Otherwise they have a 400 employee team everything looks pretty granola for the size of their operation.
Summary: In Beena the beauty we trust.

Now that you probably know more about FIRE than your degree, the big question is wether there is news to support the recent price action/drive up more in the future?

• Playing with B2B sales. They struck an agreement with Breath of Life International Ltd. to offer Truverra-branded premium medical cannabis to patients in Israel. To date, we have made three shipments of medical cannabis through the agreement. This “capitallight” approach further diversifies our revenue and builds Truverra as a global medical brand.
• ^ This is good because it shows they’re looking for international partners. This is where the real money is IMO, especially if legislation starts to change around the world regarding Cannabis products.
• Earnings on Feb 11
• ^ Gamble, I feel like it will be better, but if it isn’t great, I think the price will take a beating again. If it’s good 🚀
• I’m sure they’re seeking out more partners, opportunity for growth, new CEO is making the right moves. They just need to get their earnings up.
• Opportunity for mergers is another positive option.
• u/Hunterston noted that PepsiCo & Monsanto may have invested interests in the stock. He claims that BOL Pharma got their foot in the canadian market thru Supreme. supreme has sent 4 shipments to them and BOL afterwards sent a shipment to the UK with outstanding results. Potential shipments to Australia? I suspect we can learn a lot on the earnings call so we'll see if this is all true. This could further pump price action.

TDLR
Should you buy? I will buy. I am not comfortable YOLO’ing in this company but I feel like there is decent upside. It really depends on this earnings report, if you get in early you could get some great returns but you could also be investing in a dying company. They aren’t an insanely healthy company, so I would go into this with some skepticism. I have personally been looking for a decent weed play and I feel like this is as good as any for earning potential.
They have a product, earnings, and partnerships + plans, I can definitely see this company experiencing some growth. So much of this is dependant on earnings and it’s a decent company, but it isn’t really revolutionary. The weed sector is still new and so pillared to regulation. Governments are going to be looking for new $ after all the stimulus they’ve been giving so they should be more accepting of emerging sectors, but ultimately bureaucracy does what it will.
I’m not going to lie, one decent reason to buy is their branding. I can just see a lot of you shmelts getting fired up about FIRE because of the ticker and the company name supreme. I know this isn’t the most sound financial logic, but this is memorable and because of the low market cap, unique branding and potential, I can see it getting pumped by communities and P2P conversations.
I am not a financial advisor, make your own educated decisions, but I will likely be buying 5-10k shares to hold for a few years. Hopefully this helped 🚀 🚀 🚀

What has happened in the last the days in this subreddit has been nothing short of an explosion of mass hysteria and delusion.
It's been a mix of a cult like following of the 'reddit stocks' where any alternative opinion shared is shot to hell and a tinfoil hat wearing brigade declaring any slight market movement not in their favour or platform issue, is due to some grand conspiracy and/or market manipulation. From an outside perspective it honestly felt like the Trump crowd proclaiming 'tHe elEctiON waS rIgGEd' just because it didn't go the way the way they wanted.
I have no issue with people sharing views on the next penny stock or with people that have wildly more speculative investing styles to my own, I think that it's completely normal and should be welcomed. But it felt as if overnight investors (as in people that got an account in the last few weeks, watched a few youtube videos on 'what's a stop loss' etc and built a confirmation bias from reading articles on reddit) were throwing completely baseless allegations at T212.
I remember it unfolding. Everyone was like 'F*** T212 let's go to FreeTrade where they aren't manipulators' or 'I can't wait til we get Robinhood in the UK' to, 'T212 is taking backhanders from HF's' & 'the whole industry is in on it'. Which is all completely baseless and false. I also remember when people were absolutely losing their marbles when they couldn't place orders despite having no knowledge NYSE had halted trading etc. Anyone who's been a market participant for more than 5 minutes knows that none of what happened was new or shocking. Brokers do unusual things in unusual times to protect themselves. I also posted on their fiduciary responsibility (which got shot to hell) which i'll share again beneath. There was also a great comment from u/dialectic_duck which i'll paste beneath for anyone that wants to read about what was happening behind the scenes.
There's also the massive issue to me that this is a FREE service. To expect lightning fast execution at the best prices and 100% server response at peak market times during a completely unexpected event like this, is an absolute joke. It's not what this platform is here for. It's a free service which to me, everyone that used this service prior to the frenzy understood. If you're new to the markets and want to dabble, or you want to invest without the fees of say HL, great T212's your guy. If you want a professional level broker, go get yourself a $10k minimum deposit and go elsewhere, or be willing to pay high account charges.
I was also downvoted for saying what would have happened if T212 hadn't suspended trading when the price was of GME was at $450. So many here would have flooded in and due to the reddit sentiment, would still be holding at a MASSIVE loss. Without realising, many people have been saved from losing a tonne of money by physically not being able to enter orders. You can't have your cake and eat it. I also think it's completely reckless when completely unqualified users are telling others 'to hold no matter what'. People that can't afford to lose money have lost £0000's on this. Holding onto a loser is completely against basic investing principles as you almost certainly lose more money. Google behavioural finance.
On risk & regulation etc. Again people who have been in the market for more than 5 minutes would have identified all the risks here INCLUDING counter-party risk and stepped back and happily watched the frenzy from the sidelines. When investing in risky stocks such as this you have to be prepared to lose money, and that loss can come from anywhere. If you honestly look for 100% risk free and feel entitled to this from a free service, you are probably better purchasing Gilts from the DMO. The FCA also regularly issues notices on the risks to retail investors on issues such as these so they quite frankly don't give a monkey's and complaints with the FOS will go nowhere. Here is the FCA's statement for anyone interested.
Prior to the WSBs crowd, there were generic discussions on investing tips, sharing investment ideas or gains, platform information and general financial news etc. I think people need to take a step back and remember that's what this is here for.
I have NO IDEA what will happen next, i'm not trying to say I do or share any opinion on what might happen to GME etc in the next few days. Could go to $10 or $10k. I also sympathise with those who were stuck in orders etc. But I think it's time we all took a step back and just chill a little. A lot of us like T212 for what it is. I like the updates to the web app and am looking forward to carrying on using it.
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u/dialectic_duck 's post:
It’s hilarious people think this has legs and I look forward to my downvotes.

1. when you buy a stock settlement is not immediate
2. orderly settlement is an important function of underlying market transactions (a tx isn’t complete until what you bought is delivered)
3. most brokers rely on settlement agents to handle settlement and clearing for them.
4. every day brokers post collateral on a continuous net settlement basis so that the clearing house knows that both sides of a transaction will be fulfilled at settlement time this allows brokers the confidence to know that even if the other side is at another brokerage there is enough cash/equity to fulfil.
5. the margin rate for brokers went from 10% to 100% overnight because there was concern that settlements may result in failures to deliver (simply put for clarity this means if you bought you might not end up getting what you think you bought**) and in that case the broker would be on the hook to pay this liability, as such they’re completely within their rights to manage this risk (that they cannot fulfil a delivery) not just in the case of a customer wanting to buy, but for the security of all their customers who would be adversely impacted if the broker itself imploded. (This is why Robinhood got caught short and pulled down a reported 500mm in bank lines and 1bb in emergency convertible debt funding from their investors in 24hrs, because half their customer base was buying GME and they wouldn’t have been able to meet short term clearing obligations without it)
6. my own broker made it very clear in multiple communications that they passed on the enhanced margin requirements (100% long and 300% short AND the liquidate only restrictions on to all customers - retail, professional and institutional customers). some of those customers are family offices, small hedge funds etc (anyone that doesn’t have a prime IB brokerage).
7. T212 uses IBKR as their intermediary, they literally had no choice but to comply, and neither did IBKR because they would have been in breach of settlement collateral posting obligations. As an aside HL uses a RFQ system and their is no obligation for the RFQ broker network to provide a quote to open new positions if they reasonably believe they cannot fulfil delivery to the client. (Btw when I checked I didn’t see restriction on buying with HL, but I only looked once).

** this is the fallacy in the argument, people are complaining they were prevented from buying, their only thesis for wanting to buy something that everyone “knows” is absurdly priced is because of XXX% short interest, by their (own logic) means there is limited shares actually available to buy. If you take this to the extreme they’re demanding someone sell them something that by their own logic might not exist for delivery to them.
It’s like going into Tesco and demanding to buy something they no longer can give you with any reasonable certainty, then writing to your MP about it, it’s stupid.
The only thing the outrage could guarantee is enhanced “retail protections” that will almost certainly result in a curtailment of retail investor freedom people have today.
Edit: if you have a complaint about not being able to buy ARK complain to ARK, it’s them that do not run a MIFID complaint fund nor report to HMRC for tax purposes (meaning gains anyway would be taxed as foreign overseas income, and not CGT).
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My post on 28/01:
They (T212) have a fiduciary responsibility to protect their customers' interests.
And yes they can control risk. It's exactly the same reason why they can't offer excess leverage to retail clients and can close out positions. Halting trading for this reason is not new. It has happened across the board with plenty of brokers in the past.
The FCA handbooks cover this. They could be liable to FCA sanctions if it transpired they were offering easy access to completely non-qualified investors and they all ended up losing huge sums and made FCA complaints.
Say GME dumps at open (which it is completely possible), I feel people won't be complaining.
They've said in that notification, this is partly to do with trading volumes (which have been crazy) and their servers will just melt again and people will be stuck in orders when the market potentially dumps this.
So T212, a free service, should upgrade all their servers and increase capacity in the space of 2 days, purely because every man and his dog has decided to pile into a handful of stocks the last few days (fuelled by a reddit forum)?
This happens, it's happened loads on the past with all brokers across the board and this issue wasn't specific to T212 yesterday.
People that have qualified themselves as pro investors, have literally become traders overnight and are complaining 'manipulation' etc...
Yes it's really shit to everyone stuck in orders, but what did you expect!!! Experienced investors will have stayed well clear of this and only invested what they can afford to lose, knowing it's a complete gamble!
The FOS are going to say T212 looks after the interests of all its users and were trying to decrease server volatility whilst literally millions of people were piling into a few names at a time there was also no liquidity. And that the platform isn't just for people trading risky instruments via CFDs. The FCA won't give a monkey's, they regularly issue risk warnings on stuff like this.

I've been doing some research into a few UK listed companies, noted below.
Velocys LON: VLS - https://www.velocys.com/
Velocys aim is to work with aviation & aerospace to create sustainable fuels and help achieve net zero emissions.
Their process transforms waste into clean fuels using a process called the Fischer–Tropsch process, which converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons
Basically domestic refuse and woody waste is received, sorted and prepared at their plant. The solid waste is then heated to a high temperature to break it down and convert it into synthesis gas (carbon monoxide & hydrogen), which is used to synthesise hydrocarbons using the Fischer -Tropsch technology. This is fundamentally different to incineration; instead of being burnt, the carbon is converted into fuel. This is much better use of household waste than incineration or landfill, plus this fuel would see a 70% reduction in greenhouse emissions compared to conventional jet fuel, and a 90% reduction in particulate matter from engine exhausts.
Notably, their sustainable biofuels require no aircraft engine modification or change of airport infrastructure.
Collaborating with British Airways and Shell, planning permission was successfully granted earlier this year for the Altato Immingham plant in Lincolnshire (https://www.altalto.com/immingham/), a project that will take over 500,000 tonnes of household and office waste each year, and convert them into over 60 millions litres of clean jet fuel. The plant aims to be operational in the mid 2020s. Velocys are leading this project, assembling and licensing all the technology components into an integrated design. They are also developing a plant in Mississippi that will create fuel for road transportation in the US, from paper and lumber industry waste. This plant is Pre-FEED (completion by end of Q1 '21), and federal permitting completed.
I found this extract very interesting applicable for their primary project, taken from the the UK Gov White Paper on our Net Zero future (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-white-paper-powering-our-net-zero-future). “Jet zero and green ships: By taking immediate steps to drive the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels, investments in R&D to develop zero-emission aircraft and developing the infrastructure of the future at our airports and seaports, we will make the UK the home of green ships and planes.“
Share Price: 8.10p
Market Cap: £87.05m
Previous Month Performance: +24.53%
I suspect this hasn't exploded yet, because of tie ins to aviation and subsequent lower demand. However if you believe aviation will make a comeback, and the future is green, then this could be a solid play over the next 12-18 months. I've already taken a 40,000 share position in this and will just sit on this. Perhaps Greta Thunberg may pass on the boat trip and fly to the USA next time.
SIMEC Atlantis Energy LON: SAE- https://simecatlantis.com/
SIMEC Atlantis aim to become the leading independent sustainable power generator in the UK. They are involved with the design, construction, installation, testing, operation and maintenance of power projects across the globe with more than 1,000 megawatts of power projects in various stages of development, aiming to have 250 megawatts operational by 2021.
Their core offering is tidal power generation from Atlantis, where they are recognised as world leaders in the sector, with operations and projects across the UK, Canada, India and China. The worlds largest tidal energy plant currently under construction in Scotland, entitled 'MeyGen', is an Atlantis project, phase 1A of this is already operational.
Compared with offshore wind, tidal hasn't been able to compete in recent years, which is probably why you don't hear too much about it, however the UK government has also proposed a restructuring of the CfDs pots in 2021, where they are looking to separate offshore wind and tidal into separate pots. In simple terms, tidal will have a greater chance of winning CfDs and therefore increased revenue support which will massively benefit the Atlantis MeyGen and other UK projects.
They also operate in the Waste-to-Energy space following their acquisition of the Uskmouth Power Plant, Newport, Wales. This formal coal powered station is in the process of being converted to use a waste-derived energy pellet as fuel and deliver 220 MW of power to the grid. This project will be a world first conversion of a coal fired power plant, and if successful will provide a blueprint for other conversions across the world. There is growing public concern about what happens to your household waste, to put it in perspective across a 20-year life of the project, the waste used to produce the pellets would will a volume equivalent to more than 46,000 Olympic sized swimming pools - waste that would otherwise end up in landfill.
They also have a Turbine and Engineering Services division that designs, supplies and maintains tidal turbines and subsea connection equipment.
Share Price: 19.01p
Market Cap: £93.98m
Previous Month Performance: -19.09%
I'm bullish on Tidal especially where the gov CfD proposals apply, plus unlike wind, the moon rarely takes time off so it's a fairly reliable source of power. Additionally if they're able to show commercial success at the Uskmouth Power Plant then the potential here for growth is incredible, with thousands of coal plants worldwide approaching their end of life and being phased out, conversion to a waste pellet fuel (as opposed to biomass like the Drax powerplant) would be the most sustainable way to both manage excess waste and also improve the environmental performance of a coal plant. I have taken a 10,000 share position in this.
Biome Technologies LON: BIOM - https://biometechnologiesplc.com/
Comprises of two operations, Biome Bioplastics and Stanelco RF Technologies.
Biome Bioplastics is a developer of highly-functional, naturally-based plastics. Bioplastics are designed so that the biodegrade or compost at the end of their useful life. They are made to be chemically identical to their oil-based counterparts, and can be directly substituted. The production process requires much less energy, and is overall a much more sustainable method of providing plastic in our day to day lives whilst also managing the end-of-life process. Growth here is driven by new product launches, and the trajectory of demand for bioplastics increasing with pressure for a low carbon economy and better management of plastic waste. End of 2019 saw this division report revenue of £3.4m compared to £1.9m in 2018. Quarterly revenues ending Sep 2020 were £1.6m, 48% ahead of the previous quarter and 131% ahead of the same period last year.
Stanelco RF Technologies designs, builds and services advanced radio frequency systems. Whilst historically a large part of their business, demand for products produced by this division has been reducing, and as such my focus is more on the aggressive growth on the bioplastics side becoming dominant.
Share Price: 185p
Market Cap: £6.87m
Previous Month Performance: +0.81%
My view is that plastic isn't going anywhere, and bioplastics sit in a rapidly expanding market to help mitigate the downsides associated with plastic use. A handful of big clients could easily multiply the sales for this company. I expect aggressive growth for bioplastics to continue, but since this is a nano-cap level and AIM being AIM, really it's a gamble, so I'm only going to put a small amount in this, circa £100 / approx 500 shares.
_______
I hope others find this useful. As always DYOR. Comment below if you want to add anything, I know these aren't all pure green plays, we do really need to move away from burning things for power and move to renewables and electric vehicles, however that isn't going to happen over night. The best way to kickstart and maximise value of this transition is to make use of the existing infrastructure in a more sustainable way and managing our waste in the process. If anyone has any other suggestions then let me know.

I'm not seeing a huge amount of knowledge on this subreddit, so I'm going to list some of the reasons why I'm hoping for some decent price increases..
If you find anything juicy that I've missed feel free to leave a top level comment or even message me and I'll add it. Perhaps we should keep updating this post and sticky it as a goto DD for SCTSCRF?

1. Score have the most popular sports app in Canada and second most popular in the US behind ESPN, this puts them in a somewhat unique position to integrate sports betting in to a popular sports app (though note FUBO just announced purchasing Vigotry with their intention to integrate sports betting in to their sports streaming service, they closed up 34.32% today on the news and likely caused the dips in the share prices for SCR and DKNG, even PENN's share price seemed to waiver around midday);
   
2. Score already have sports betting live in Colorado, Indiana and New Jersey;
   
3. Score recently did a share offering and raised $25,649,390 which can be used for growth and expansion of sports betting in the US - check out their careers page and click on available opportunities;
   
4. Score have a multiyear partnership with the NBA and the MLB to be an authorized sports betting operator, including access to official betting data and league marks/logos for the betting app;
   
5. Score have a strategic multi-state market access partnership with PENN, PENN have access to 11 states, further PENN have a 4.7% stake in Score with the potential for this stake to increase as additional market access fees become payable (the second link, which is from PENN, says the term of the agreement with PENN is 20 years, even DKNG only has a deal for 10 years subject to a 10 year extension);
   
6. Score have a 10 year partnership with Twin River to operate an online casino in New Jersey, extendable by 5 years at TheScore's option and a further 5 years upon mutual agreement;
   
7. In Dec 2020 Score was named the most impressive emerging company in sports betting. They are also in Canada's fastest 500 growing companies, Canada's top growing companies 2019 and a 2020 TSX venture 50 company;
   
8. Let's look at some user numbers. As expected they were down a bit during 2020 due to covid, but that is about to change across the industry with sports opening up properly and sports betting being legalised in many US states and hopefully Canada to help raise tax funds for covid expenses (never will sports betting have been more socially acceptable, almost encouraged!). They achieved 3 million active monthly users (4.3 million in q1 2019, should see this or higher again once sports start up properly - 62% of those users were in the US, 27% in Canada and the remaining 11% in other international markets). Users had an average of 70 sessions per month (75 the year prior), so 3*70 = 210 million users per month. 292 million video views for esports in just Q4 alone, year-over-year growth of 243%! Their esports tiktok account has over 1 million followers while their sports tiktok account has almost 2.5 million (up over 500k in the last quarter). Over 1.5 million youtube subscribers for their esports channel. Their twitter account has ~600k followers, almost double what DKNG have! Their social sports content across Twitter, FB, Instagram and TikTok achieved an average monthly reach of about 103 million;
   
9. Score appointed sports business leader and four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero to its board of directors - she's a hockey player, got a medal at each of the Olympics she went to including a gold;
   
10. Score already cover women's sports, doing this without having to follow the competitors or have it requested by women shows a genuine interest in supporting women's sports. Hopefully this will extend to allowing sports betting on women's sports;
    
11. Score esports has been named exclusive English language broadcast partner for League of Legends' Demacia Championship, a marquee annual event featuring 24 of China’s top esports teams. Live event coverage will run from December 20-27 and be streamed across theScore esports’ YouTube and Twitch channels. The Demacia Championship will be theScore esports’ first-ever live event broadcast, with production originating from their esports headquarters in Toronto.
    
12. In 2019 Score partnered with Ubisoft for unique video content series;
    
13. In 2014 Score was named one of the world's greatest apps (and in 2013 was named one of the 100 best Android apps of 2013);
    
14. Score has joined the National Council on Problem Gambling as a Platinum member - this bodes well for support of Score from politicians and people normally critical of sports betting who are mostly onside at the moment through the need of raising tax money for covid related costs.
    

Future catalysts I'm hoping for:

1. There's a live webcast to report q1 f2021 financial results Jan 13 at 5:30pm EST (details here). Hopefully good news so we 🚀 rather than ☄️ short-term, but I'm still bullish long-term regardless because sports have not really started up properly yet, nor has sports betting opened up in many places yet. With a bit of luck the income from the share offering will be included in the revenue for this quarter which might help;
   
2. If we ever get uplisted to NASDAQ/NYSE and get out of the penny stocks then I would be surprised if it doesn't get pumped in numerous places including WSB;
   
3. Legalisation of sports betting across more US states and Canada. The governor of NY has now expressed interest after previously being opposed to the idea, so too has Texas for example. Score do not yet have a partnership with a NY casino, but hopefully they will get on to that, they do have access to Texas through PENN;
   
4. Partnerships with NFL and NHL would be awesome to go along with the NBA and MLB partnerships;
   
5. Successfully competing with the big players like DKNG (and now FUBO too), hopefully with juicy earnings reports in to the future (if we do, look at the performance and current prices of DKNG and PENN, I'd be extremely happy if we ever made it to CAD$20/share, if we got to DKNG's current USD price we'll be in tendie heaven);
   
6. Huge uptake in sports betting with a rally of public support to help cover the public costs associated with Covid;
   
7. Maybe esports betting could become a huge thing? TheScore seem like they're in a good position to earn a decent market share there, possibly even be the ones to introduce it and bring it to market?
   

tl;dr: 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 (hopefully at least 10x)
If you would prefer an ETF to have exposure to the betting market check out BETZ.
position: 42.8k shares

Your 11-minute Tuesday report in 2562 words.

gas prices could rise due to currency fluctuations

Russian gas price (at the border) had increased from $150 to $165 per 1000m³ in 2019. Although the Russian currency Ruble was devaluing against the Dollar, Armenia was/is paying for gas with Dollars.
Since 2019, the Pashinyan administration has been trying to convince Russia to implement a different gas payment mechanism within the EAEU trade bloc. Making payments in Rubles instead of Dollars was one of the priorities:
"We are constantly talking about high dollarization within the EAEU, but we still pay for Russian gas in dollars. Our proposal was that it would be more correct if we paid for gas in rubles, because I think it is more logical, also within the EAEU," said Pashinyan in early 2020.
This idea was also shared by Vladimir Putin's personal adviser back in October 2018. It appears the EAEU has been working towards this goal lately.
But meanwhile, Armenia has to pay for Russian gas in Dollars. With Armenian Dram devaluing against the Dollar, the pricing for consumers will likely be revised. Consumers pay 139 Drams per cubic meter. This was calculated in 2020 when $1 was 480 Drams. Today $1 = 520 Drams.
Large consumers pay in Dollars and have their rates adjusted periodically, while small consumers (general public) pays in Drams.
Armenia imports 2.2 billion m³ gas from Russia annually, at the price of $165 per 1000m^3. 0.7 billion of it is consumed by the general public.
Dram was devalued by 6.6% since November. This could prompt the internal gas company to raise the prices, including for the general public.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039886.html
http://www.armbanks.am/en/2020/04/07/128024/
https://neftegaz.ru/en/news/energy/406887-armenia-should-pay-for-russian-gas-in-rubles/

Public Council meets drone and robotics industry

The Public Council (linked to PM's office) held a meeting with engineers from the drone, robotics, AI, and nano-tech industries. They discussed ways to help the state to develop the military-industrial complex, drone production, aviation, and to bring their quality to international standards.
https://factor.am/327477.html

former PACE MP sentenced to 4 years for taking bribes from Azerbaijan

An Italian court has concluded that Italian PACE representative Luca Volonte, who is the former head of the European People's Party, took €2.4 million in bribes from the Aliyev regime in 2012-2013.
The bribe was handed over by Azerbaijan's PACE delegation leader Suleymanov. The scheme was coordinated by an Azeri lobbying firm based in Brussels. In return, the MP gave Azerbaijan favors during PACE and Italian Parliament sessions.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039927.html
Tags: #caviar

POWs and searches

The search crews in Artsakh discovered bodies of 10 soldiers and 1 civilian in Jabrayil, Hadrut, and Sgnakh regions. The civilian has already been identified by his relatives. The cause of death is being investigated.
Many bodies under the possession of the Armenian side are yet to be identified, while more bodies will likely be found during daily searches for the foreseeable future. Overall, 575 calls have been made by families who are looking for missing relatives, says the Russian humanitarian envoy in Artsakh.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039900.html , https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/289293/
Human Rights Ombudsman Tatoyan once again criticized Azerbaijan for intentionally politicizing and delaying the POW swap mission. "It is against international laws to file felony cases and arrest POWs because that's a form of a prohibited punishment. Azerbaijan is also hiding the true number of POWs."
The Ombudsman has noted that Armenian residents in Tegh, Vorotan, and several other bordering villages have lost access to 2500 hectares of farming lands due to border changes. (some lands that were internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan were given to Azerbaijan after the war).
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039933.html , https://factor.am/327226.html , https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/204175

POW discussions: general prosecutor meets Azeri counterpart

Chief prosecutor Arthur Davtyan and his Azeri counterpart were invited to Russia. The three sides held a conversation about the establishment of future contacts in the field of international law and other related topics. Prosecutor Davtyan mentioned the importance of implementing the November 9th statement about the return of POWs, "which will serve as an assurance for implementation of other [trade unblocking] issues."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039953.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039972.html

how much will a new railway network cost?

Azeri economists believe it will cost around $430 million to build a railway network connecting Kars(TR)-Nakhijevan(AZ)-Meghri(AM)-Zangelan(AZ)-Baku(AZ). Overall, if you add Gyumri between Kars and Nakhijevan, it could cost about $434 million.
Economists believe Armenia can use this network to connect with Russia via two directions: Gyumri-Nakhijevan-Meghri-Baku (southern trip), or Ijevan-Ghazakh-Baku (northern trip).
https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/289313/

rumors & rebuttals: traitors are not selling Azeri juice in Armenia

Telegram channel Mediaport circulated rumors that "Azeri Sandora juice is being sold in Armenia". The misinformation was picked up by several outlets and caused confusion among the buyers.
Fact-checkers contacted Sandora's local importer who said the producer is a Ukrainian company that sells its product in multiple post-Soviet republics, so they have one unified tag that contains information both in Armenian and Azeri languages.
https://fip.am/14469

4 Dutch MPs receive medals for friendship

Among them is ethnic Kurdish MP Sadet Karabulutu, who publicly criticized the Turkish-Azeri aggression during the war.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/204216

food prices in Artsakh

Pricing for 43 commonly-consumed items was examined by the consumer protection agency in Artsakh. 12 became more expensive, 5 cheaper, 26 remained the same.
Onion +25%, cottege cheese +6%, milk +6%, gloves +5%, ..., pear -12%, rice -1%, eggs -1%, butter -1%.
Several dairy product prices went up, and since Artsakh has dairy companies that own dominant market share, the consumer agency will launch an investigation to see if there was price-fixing.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039946.html

seismic resistance assessment for old buildings

A significant portion of Armenia's large apartment complex buildings were built half a century ago. They may not be seismically safe, considering Armenia's geolocation. After the 1988 earthquake, some buildings remain populated despite being deemed highly unsafe. Many other buildings have safety irregularities.
It is necessary to assess the situation, so the Urban Development Committee has drafted a bill "Methodology for assessing the priority of increasing the seismic resistance of buildings and structures".
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039887.html

IRS will closely monitor gambling industry / RFID chips & servers

IRS press release: gambling facilities and online betting services will be more closely monitored. We worked with international experts to digitize the gambling industry and bring it on par with international standards.
All gambling machines and platforms operating in Armenia will be connected to one server which will be connected to a monitoring Center. All betting and winning transactions will be recorded.
The Center will also install RFID microchips in casinos to monitor the movement of chips, the chips purchased or won by players, in real-time.
The government's Digital Council has approved the bill, which is yet to be discussed and voted in the Parliament. The goal is to be able to monitor the financial flows in this sector and to estimate the actual revenues. It will combat money laundering. (BHK skipping a Parliament session due to "COVID" in 3, 2, 1, ... /joke)
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039915.html

new "public council" will advise Nature Ministry

Nature Minister Romanos met several environmental organizations and environmentalists and discussed the creation of a new Council, which will advise him on nature protection issues, help draft bills and roadmaps, work with other environmental organizations and NGOs. The Council is accepting applications.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039896.html

large quantities of illegally-cut trees were busted

... by Ijevan policemen during a routine patrol on Sunday. Three cargo trucks were filled with wood.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039960.html

rammed through the gates

The police have arrested the father of a missing soldier who used his Vaz 21 vehicle to ram through the Defense Ministry's entrance gate before smashing it into a building on Sunday.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039957.html , https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/289315/

"turn off the camera"

Context: An incident happened last week between parents of drafted soldiers and military officials at a military unit. The parents wanted assurances that their sons would be safe after being deployed on Artsakh borders. The parents wanted to know why Armenian soldiers are still being sent to Artsakh "despite the November 9th statement saying Armenians should withdraw from Artsakh."
During the confrontation, an incident happened between a military official and a journalist. The official struck the camera and instructed it to be turned off. Several media outlets released a message condemning the officer for hindering the journalist's work.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039973.html

infrastructure upgrades

Four settlements in Kotayk province (Yeghvard, Nor Gegh, Aragel, Zovuni) have a newly renovated irrigation pipeline as part of a govt subsidy program.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/204202

today in history

1932: First Yerevan tramway began operating in Yerevan
1951: The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was implemented.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039885.html

get your free colonoscopy today

The National Center for Oncology has purchased the latest generation tools and will perform a free and enjoyable colonoscopy for residents over the age of 45, for the next 6 months.
The goal is to detect suspicious growths at an early stage. It's the third most common cancer among adults in the world. It has become more common in Armenia in the past decade. When detected early, it can be fully treated.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039911.html

COVID stats

+1885 tested. +355 infected. +729 healed. +5 deaths. 8393 active.
The death rate has been 1.8%. The infection reproduction rate was 0.84 in the past two weeks, down from 1.43.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039906.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039943.html

COVID numbers have declined, so what do we do?

... we lift some of the restrictions!
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
"I can't hear you!"
"The rule that limits attendance to non-commercial gatherings to no more than 60 people has been removed. All other safety requirements remain in place," said a Healthcare official. "You can enter Armenia via air or land by presenting negative COVID test results that were taken within the past 3 days. If you don't, you will be tested at the airport and will need to self-isolate until the results arrive."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039931.html

Armenia will soon import COVID vaccines

Healthcare Ministry: we are negotiating with multiple entities. The first batch of vaccines will arrive between late-January and mid-February. We are negotiating with producers whose vaccines have passed the necessary tests: Sputnik V, Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. In the first phase, the vaccines will be given to the most vulnerable 10% of the population.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039921.html

Sputnik V vaccine has already been tested in Armenia

Healthcare Ministry: no complications were reported by the 15 patients, including Minister Torosyan. The often-discussed "skin redness" in the injection area has not been observed, either.
The first injection gave a 91.4% efficiency. The second increased it to 94%. Even if the vaccine doesn't fully prevent the infection, it can save the patient's life by making the case mild (is that right??).
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039925.html

the new COVID strain: good news, bad news

Doctor Davit Melik-Nubaryan: the version of COVID that mutated in the UK will eventually reach Armenia. Preliminary data shows that those who have already been infected and gained immunity from the original COVID will be immune to this new strain. It is believed that the immunity will last 6-12 months for the majority.
The good news is that the new strain isn't more deadly and doesn't result in heavier cases. The bad news is that it spreads a lot faster. The Healthcare system could be overloaded again.
The vaccines against the original strain will likely work against the new one. Pharmaceutical companies may have to modify the vaccines, but it will only take weeks.
Closing borders with the UK won't be helpful to prevent it. We may already have the new strain. We need to develop a new strategy from the ground up.
Viruses mutate all the time. It's part of the evolution. Sometimes they cause more severe symptoms, sometimes lesser. From the evolutionary and survival standpoint, viruses want to cause less severe symptoms for the host so they can have a chance to spread wider.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039856.html

Armenian scientists will study the COVID strain

CDC chief Bakunts: Armenia will have the ability to study the genetic mutations of the coronavirus. Active work is underway to invest in research resources. Meanwhile, we can submit a virus sample to a WHO laboratory to conduct a study for us.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039962.html

families with newborn children receive mortgage subsidy

450 families have so far taken advantage of a government subsidy program that helps with purchasing apartments. ֏526 million will be paid as part of this 2020-2023 program. It is part of a recent initiative to boost the birthrate.
Two other aid programs went into effect in mid-2020. Provincial families received a downpayment subsidy equalling 5% of the total price. Another one subsidizes insurance payments.
The same family can apply for all three programs, and there is no age limit for parents.
https://factor.am/327385.html

diaspora-government cooperation expands: iGorts

iGorts is a program that recently recruited 48 highly skilled diasporan Armenians to visit Armenia and work at 19 various government agencies. Three more volunteers have arrived today to begin their work: Shila Palyan from Canada, Zaven Ayvazyan from Russia, and Anahit Mikaelyan from Cyprus.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/204211

Yerevan to install 32 more elevators in apartment complexes

Arabkir district is the next recipient. Hundreds of units were installed in 2020. They replace the decades-old elevators that have become dangerous and poopy. The new elevators come equipped with running water and flush so you can drain your crap /s.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039954.html

have you been buying stuff right and left lately?

...because trade turnover increased by +34%, and the number of printed receipts by +7%, during this year's New Year's holidays.
֏91 billion was spent between December 29-31, which is ֏23 billion more.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/204195

would your majesty be pleased to take a salt bath?

Nerqin Getashen will have a halotherapy "salt bath" center to help alleviate certain conditions. It's the first in Gegharquniq province. There will also be rooms for aromatherapy (oils), ogyxenotherapy (oxygen cocktails), and massage.
The owner claims it helps boost immunity and alleviates breathing, allergy, and insomnia issues (take the claim with a bath of salt).
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039974.html

first Yezidi theater to open in Armenia

"шəp' y əBин" or "war and love" will be the first performance in a newly opened Yezidi theater in Ejmiatsin. It's part of a «Եզդիների կողքին» cultural initiative. The crew had planned a major performance about Yezidi national legend but the 44-day war began and some were drafted.
The crew ended up performing the "шəp' y əBин" during the war. It's about the importance of Yezidis in Armenia, and their love for the country. The January 17th performance will be dedicated to Yezidis who died fighting.
The performers aren't professional actors but they received acting training on-the-fly. "It seems to work because their enthusiasm is great. A very good team has been formed," said the producer.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039941.html

Aram Khachaturian House-Museum will resume "Musical Thursdays"

This year's first classical concert is dedicated to Ruben Babayan, "the BFF of Armenian musicians."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1039916.html

Netherlands college will donate large quantities of school supplies

Several thousands of desks, chairs, furniture pieces, computers, lockers, etc. are being loaded in containers to be shipped to Armenia.
The Hermann Wesselink college is renovating its building with new items so they decided to donate the old stuff to Armenian kids. This will be enough to equip 15 provincial schools.
https://factor.am/327135.html

donations to Artsakh & recovering soldiers

www.1000plus.am (recovering soldiers & their families)
www.HimnaDram.org (for Artsakh & Armenia)
www.ArmeniaFund.org (U.S. tax-deductible)

archive of older posts

Armeniapedia's archive of my daily news threads:
http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports

disclaimer

All the accused are considered innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "sound" or "appear" guilty.

How has this been allowed to go on for so long? It's indisputable that lootboxes represent a form of gambling. They have been injected into an industry that is dominated by under 18s and is exploiting them. They generate '£23bn a year and rising' [1]. Is this the reason the UK government is working at a snail's pace to confront this problem?
The governments response to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's recommendation that, 'loot boxes that contain the element of chance should not be sold to children playing games, and instead in-game credits should be earned through rewards won through playing the games' stinks of indifference and of a will to drag this out as long as possible. They replied, 'the government believes the approach to protecting young people and vulnerable people - and any relevant regulation - should be based on evidence' and 'the government stands ready to take action should the outcomes of the call for evidence support taking a new approach to ensure users, and particularly young people, are protected' [2]. Despite this the response mentions two further reports from the Children’s Commissioner and the Royal Society for Public Health which 'made some similar recommendations to the Select Committee about loot boxes.' So why is there a delay? The Netherlands and Belgium have passed legislation restricting lootboxes so why haven't we?
EA's Fifa Ultimate Team is evidence enough of this abhorrent misconduct. Fifa is PEGI 3 rated and the Ultimate Team game mode allows you to buy packs of football players in a fashion which all too much resembles a casino slot machine: bright colours, confetti, anticipation, easy purchase and calculated reward. These elements capture a child's attention, subdue reason and feed them the vicious cycle of gambling. It's deplorable and so morally alien to me that it genuinely turns my stomach.
We must speak up about this gross injustice. We must hold the government to account and ensure that they prioritise children's well-being over their neoliberalist tendencies.
References:
[1] - https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jun/07/uk-could-class-loot-boxes-as-gambling-to-protect-children
[2] - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/890734/CCS207_CCS0520664408-001_Gov_Resp_DCMS_Committee_Report_CP_241_Web_Accessible__1___1_.pdf

I think that this one has been under-reported somewhat but since I work in the online gaming industry, it showed up on my radar.
This SPAC has reached a deal to bring back Paysafe to the market, at a valuation of 9 billions.
What is Paysafe?
Paysafe Group has been consolidating the market for e-wallets and alternative payment methods for years and went back into private hands 3 years ago.
They regroup all the main e-wallets used for online gambling and Forex: Skrill and Neteller and also prepaid cards (to be bought in 7/11 and the like) under the Paysafe brand.
Why e-wallets matter in the online gambling market?
E-wallets and prepaid cards represent about 25% of the volume of payments in online gambling in UK, Europe, Canada and Skrill/NetellePaysafe are by far the biggest names in this field.
https://www.fisglobal.com/-/media/fisglobal/WorldPay/Docs/Miscellaneous/Gaming%20Payments%20Report%202019
Neteller and Moneybookers (as Skrill was known then) were dominating the US alternative payment methods gambling market in the US before they got pushed out in 2007. They still have high name recognition amongst the gambling crowd and web searches in the US for these brands remain high, even if they can’t process much transactions there for gambling since many states don’t have online gambling legislations yet, or very limiting ones.
E-Wallets are often the preferred payment method for gamblers since it allows to move money from one operator site to the other quickly and cheaply. They can also use it as a bankroll segregated from their main bank account/CC and on top of that, Paysafe offers loyalty benefits to users based on their transaction volumes. As such, their user retention is very good.
The prepaid card business is also a major factor for this stock attractiveness. Prepaid cards to be bought in gas stations or the like are often preferred by gamblers who want to strictly control their gambling or those who don’t have access to a CC (maybe because they gambled too much) or those that prefer cash transactions out of privacy concerns…
Why not invest in the gambling operators instead?
Operators such as Draftkings or legacy casino groups are going to make money but the regulatory environment is harsh and gambling taxes are crazy in some states and might keep going higher.
Moreover, the regulations being so fragmented, many smaller operators push in certain states and not others and the competitive environment is broad. Remember that gambling is a fungible good. There is no difference in the casino games that the operators can offer (same game studios, same rules) and aside from bonuses and the margins on sports bets, the only differentiation is in branding, which is a thin moat on a product that often leaves the users disgruntled (losers).
Payments on the other hand are not taxed for their relationship to gambling and there are far fewer players.
How does Paysafe make money?
The margins on their products are pretty high and Paysafe charges both sides of the transaction in the case of the e-wallets and the merchant side in the case of the prepaid cards.
For the use of Skrill and Neteller wallets, Paysafe charges on average 4.5% on the merchant side for deposits and a whooping 9.9% on deposits with prepaid cards… Larger merchants certainly can negotiate these rates down but this is still a healthy fee, much higher than credit card processors.
In markets where Paysafe has established domination they charge a small deposit fee to the user and a withdrawal fee.
For now, they charge no fees to the US users in a bid to grow market share surely but that will probably end some day.
Growth opportunity:
For now, the US online gambling market is still very limited. Most states have not legalized, the majority of those who have legalized only did so for sports betting and then a handful have legalized online casino gaming (where the real money is made). The opening up of the market is bound to grow as states need money and more of the world moves online.
https://www.playusa.com/us/
It is estimated that the online gaming market could reach 25 billions a year in the US in a few years time and 150 billions worldwide.
https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/online-gambling-market#:~:text=The%20North%20America%20online%20gambling,CAGR%20during%20the%20forecast%20period.
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-online-gambling-market
These revenues do not equal to deposited amounts, they equal net deposits (deposits minus withdrawals). The hold % of online casinos can be anywhere between 50% and 80% depending on how degenerate the market is in a given country but we can conservatively assume 60%.
This means that deposits volume in the US alone would reach about 40 billions, Europe about 50 Billions and worldwide 250 billions.
That should give Paysafe around 8-10 billions in transaction volume per year in the US alone , another 10-12 billions in Europe and conservatively, another 20 billions worldwide.
Valuation estimates:
Rough estimates are therefore revenues of about 1.5 billions per year for Paysafe group in a few years for gambling alone.
Paysafe claims 1.5 billions in revenues total projected for 2021, with only a third from gambling.
Even assuming no growth from the other verticals, this means that the total revenues of Paysafe should grow by 66% with gambling alone in the next 5 years or so.
Pysafe is investing a lot into expansion in other areas than gambling, notably video-gaming and remittance so assuming they don’t fuck it up completely, we are likely to see a 3 billions dollar in revenues in the next 5 years.
Using Paypal’s marketcap vs revenues, that would mean 50 billions in marketcap for Paysafe… Of course, Paypal is ingrained deeply in the whole of ecommerce and Paysafe is more specialized in gambling which might be shakier and herefore command a lower valuation.
The deal details are not fully known but it looks like a current valuation of 9 billions for Paysafe Group upon listing.
Based on my estimates, the marketcap could reach 50 billions in a few years time, one US market for gambling fully opens.
$BFT is trading at a 25% premium right now, therefore the estimate is 4x on investment over a few years.
Obviously you retards are not the most patient bunch but I believe the stock will jump when it morphs and so keep an eye out for the options.

Since the Hong Kong government introduced its highly controversial extradition bill last year, the wealthy cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong has been thoroughly wrecked by mass protests. At its peak in mid-2019, 2 million Hong Kongers marched in the streets against the government led by Carrie Lam. In its turmoil, large tracts of Hong Kong have seen battles fought between a now largely vanquished protest movement, and its once revered Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Its foremost legislature occupied and vandalised by protestors, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) subtly threatening the city by garrisoning troops in neighboring Shenzhen stadiums as well as later on inside Hong Kong, A leading university occupied by desperate protestors under siege by police among many other watershed moments which have left a significant imprint on the Pearl of the Orients' history. It's fair to say that despite widespread anger at Carrie Lam for effectively destroying Hong Kong's political freedoms after the passage of its National Security Bill, the protest movement has largely run out of steam through its own shear fatigue. Nothing it seems, not the horror at Yuen Long when the mobs attacked bystanders, not the massive peaceful protests, not the vigilant and perseverent young protestors could seemingly stop the Chinese government in blatantly violating the agreement it signed with the UK when it handed over the territory.
When one fights for democracy and human rights, its preferable they don't stop in their brave fight, right? Communism didn't collapse in eastern europe in a day afterall, nor did Taiwan and South Korea magically become free countries promptly. But in this case, the people of Hong Kong didn't have a chance to succeed, not with the PLA on their doorstep and an increasingly nationalistic regime which stood completely behind Carrie Lam even as they didn't invite her to decide on the national security law.
But while one may grieve and weep over what was a great dazzling and culturally vibrant city, the free people of Hong Kong may have the last laugh. The sole reason why Hong Kong is such an economic powerhouse is how free the city is compared to China. It is ranked third in the ease of doing business, a number which is likely to trend badly in 2020 onwards. It didn't persecute members of Falun Gong, it was more open to the exotic nature of Feng Shui architecture, people were once allowed to advocate for Hong Kong's independence. What drove Hong Kong's economy since the day the British settled was the ability for a significant number of well educated, entrepreneurial and industrious citizens to live and work with none of the constraints mainland China imposes. It's why Macau is such a hub of gambling, and why since the handover, Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp grew as a reaction in the face of China's authoritarian shift. Hong Kong was a sanctuary for many Chinese from the terrors which lurked in Mao's China. When one removes the causation of Hong Kong's prosperity, you effectively destroy the city's identity and its economy. So what is the last laugh for the people of Hong Kong?
Leaving the city entirely.
It may sound odd, but already millions of Hongkongers have made it clear that they won't tolerate the Chinese government, last year a survey found 42% of Hongkongers said they would emigrate if they had the chance, with 23% already having made a plan to do so. The UK government has made clear it wants HK citizens to immigrate. So much so that they're now handing out a passport a minute to Hong Kong citizens. It now appears that China has inadvertently created a exodus of potentially massive proportions, like Germany before the Berlin Wall, Hongkongers are leaving with significant haste. For many, this was a predictable fate. Hong Kong was never always going to be free, this was a city which was once segregated by the British, and the handover agreement made it clear that in 2047 the city would be annexed. But this exodus represents a pressing issue which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been contending with since it ever existed. Educated people, rich people and productive people all hate Communism!. Well... in this case China isn't Communist, they're SINOs (Socialist In Name Only), but you get what I mean.
The Hong Kong exodus is going to be a tragic fate for the once great city, however its struggle represents a greater issue which China grips with but never wants to admit. The West is going to have an influx of exceptionally entrepreneurial, industrious and well educated citizens who care deeply about freedom and democracy, and that's the lost talent and capital which Beijing desperately needs. Nothing scares the Chinese governing elite more than falling behind the US technologically. They saw the Cold War and how as Reagan said, the "Goliath of totalitarianism will be brought down by the David of the microchip", they know for a fact that technological growth is king and you need well educated citizens. That's why they're attempting the near impossible: oppressing a billion educated and middle class citizens but this time with AI, mass facial recognition, fervent nationalism, personality cult, omnipresent state control and social credit scores. They're trying to cultivate the perfect obedient citizens while holding the same human capital which allowed the US to economically and scientifically crush the USSR who had achieved it through the SDI, arms race, Reagan Doctrine and 20 years of communist stagnation in the face of a booming West. If China can achieve the perfect obedient and productive citizen they ideally won't need another Tiananmen.
At the end of the day, a nation is built on the back of its educated citizenry. Weapon systems are only as good as your engineers, scientists and businessmen. The kinds of people who live in Hong Kong but are inevitably going to leave it number perhaps upwards of 1-3 million citizens, already 250,000 have acquired passports and polling indicates that number will continue to grow as Beijing's oppression rises. However in the face of China's ambitions, the US is on the verge of triggering a second space race with Spacex and a number of other Western companies dramatically reducing launch costs and constructing the infrastructure which could have immeasurable strategic consequences decades from now. Sure the SDI was a bit of a joke even at the time with its ambitions, but Reagan was hell-bent on it and it scared the crap outta the USSR who knew the implications. Today the US missile defense system is the best in the world after 40 years of continual investment but optimised for rogue states like North Korea or potentially Iran, however if launch costs can decrease further (as they inevitably will) the Pentagon is probably going to exploit this to the maximum with more spy satellites (something which the US has a gigantic advantage in already) or even a mini SDI program or something which will scare China.
NASA is hoping to launch a manned Moon mission by 2025 (officially still 2024 but it's definitely a year afterwards at least). There is no indication the Artemis program is going to be axed, and from a strategic standpoint neither should it. Given the unprecedented private investment the program has and also the Lunar Gateway, the US inevitably will land on the Moon again within the decade, while simultaneously waging a renewed cold war with China. So what does China have to show for itself technologically? Well at the moment there are lots of things China is desperate to show off in, but nothing so far indicates its at parity with the US yet. The US has built nearly 500 fifth generation stealth multirole all-weather fighters (F-35), China has a bare handful and its likely inferior. The EU and the US have an enormous domination of the civil aviation market with Airbus and Boeing respectively, while China's Comac is minuscule in comparison with no chance of global market penetration compared to the staggering power and expertise Boeing and Airbus have. China is still 20-30 years behind the US in submarines but closing, its military has virtually no fighting experience in decades unlike the US and in space exploration China leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, they're planning and have been successful in launching rovers and probes on the Moon's surface, but so did the Soviets and the US in the mid 1960s. Their space station project is compared to Mir in the 80s, and they're hoping for a manned Moon mission within the decade but very little has surfaced in detail.
China has been trying its best to harness its human capital to the maximum extent possible, but even with the lackluster Congress the US has languished under for the better part of a decade, the US has succeeded in creating reusable rockets, cheaper batteries and landed a car sized rover on Mars with a highly complex landing process and shall repeat that in 2021 with the Perseverance Rover. Don't get me wrong, China will try to do everything it can to develop advanced technologies and with little moral constraint like how a Chinese scientist last year controversially altered the genome of an unborn child, and they'll do so out of its own regime's desperation to survive when its economic growth stagnates further. But the US is still leading by a massive margin, and despite zero intention and limited intervention by Washington policy makers this past decade, a bunch of tech wizzes across the US may have inadvertently triggered a second space race.
TL;DR: China may continue to look down upon Hong Kong with glaring contempt and despise its well educated population who had a taste of freedom, but Hong Kong's dazzling economy represents a China that might have been. Sure China's universities and scientific institutions continue to grow in strength, but it will never compete with the West on a strategic level until China stops oppressing its own citizens. Either that, or China succeeds in creating the perfect obedient and productive citizen.
This is my first ever effortpost, so I hope it's up to scratch :)

What happened last week in the stock market and what to expect next week, is it late to get in the stock market or is there still value? Let’s discuss this and more
Hey everyone and Welcome , so let’s start with the recap of yesterday as we saw all 3 big indexes drop with the NASDAQ being down 0,42%, finishing the week up 0,2%, the SP500 down 0,68% and finishing 0,8% down for the week while the DOW lost 3 quarters of a percent as this was also the same percentage that it dropped for the week. The VIX went up 2,5% but finished the week flat as it has for the past couple of weeks after the election. There was about an even split of companies advancing to declining as the volume continues to drop. Though there was a sharp sell-off in the last 30minutes to end the trading week as I believe a lot of people don’t want to hold the money in the stock market over the weekend as cases of the illness rise in the US. CHART / VIX
Here is the heat map from yesterday and the heat map for the whole week and it’s obvious that this was a pretty much mixed week as financials and energy sectors have recovered a little bit of the ground they lost during the last 8 months of recovery while the leaders of the recovery, the big tech struggled a little this week. FRIDAY / WEEK
Next week is pretty low on interesting earnings though I think I am going to try and buy some small pieces for companies like Best Buy, GAP and Hormel as I believe they may have some upside potential, I also think Dick’s sporting goods will do good but I think the expectations are a little high for that company and despite meeting the analyst expectations the retail investors might jump off the bandwagon and the stock may suffer. EARNINGS
Also, important economic data will only come until Wednesday as the stock market and economic data take a break for Thanksgiving. The most important numbers coming are the MARKIT PMI’s, the consumer confidence index and a lot of critical data that comes in on Wednesday as you can see here CALENDAR.
The worst performing sectors on Friday were financials, industrials and surprisingly technology also, while the only real bright spot were communication services. CHART
Some great news for online retailers came in as the first week of November saw a more than 80% increase in online shopping traffic with 20% less traffic around malls vs last year but an almost 60% increase since March. The rise of e-commerce is still expected to continue big in the next years as analysts expect sales to grow between 25 and 35%. NEWS / NEWS / CHART
Moving on, two of the biggest giants in the tech sector and in the whole world, Apple and Microsoft also announced that they will team up to create a controller supported for IOS devices as the gaming industry has seen a huge spike and is expected to have huge growth in the coming years while Microsoft also seems to be targeting Zoom as they are removing the 40minute limit starting on Thanksgiving and are offering free all-day video calling via the TEAMS app. NEWS
Just take care and don’t rush into winners just because they are up huge this year, look at companies that have potential just like DraftKings and Penn Gaming, as the companies have huge tailwind especially legalized gambling in more and more states with a growing online presence and sports expected to have big returns in the next years. With Boeing being another company that might struggle in the short-term but for the long-term I believe is still a great company to own as they are expected to also have the 737 max banning lifted in Europe in the next couple of months. NEWS / NEWS
Also, car makers are getting more and more stamps of approval as they transition into the EV world, as 2 big Detroit giants GM and Ford are making a huge push to compete in the EV market with Tesla. The most recent was a buy rating from UPS on GM as they set the price at 50$ which implies a 16% upside.NEWS
Just a quick mention as Netflix saw its stock up more than 1,5% on Friday as the company has struggled to regain momentum after weaker than expected growth in the last earnings report and has been dragged down by people selling the company after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine news. I still believe this is a great company as they and Disney will be the two biggest players in the streaming business in my opinion in the long run while ROKU also seems to be benefiting a lot from the dying of traditional TV as they are hitting all-time highs both in value for the company and subscribers. ROKU NEWS / NETFLIX /
So guys stay safe for the holidays as danger is still around, with the CDC urging people to not travel at home and also be safe while investing as the rift between the Treasury and the Fed may bring some volatility to the market unless a stimulus is passed by the time Biden taxes over even if the programs that will not be extended are not critical for the economy as they acted more like a backup in case of emergency. I believe the US should take the same approach as the UK which plans to present its biggest borrowing plan since World War Two. UK NEWS / TREASURY NEWS
Don’t rush into the market if you missed the rally until now as I believe there are a lot of people who kept cash on the sidelines and missed the best moments to invest this year as the human mind plays tricks on us, just try to stay sharp and not put all your eggs in one basket. Be diversified and choose great companies as I believe we might see the market going up until the end of the year as December has been one of the best performing months for the stock market over the time, with stocks seeing the Santa Claus effect almost every year while we also have to wait and see if the FDA approves the Pfizer vaccine on the 10th of December which I believe will be a good catalyst for the market as it has traded sideways. Today we also got news that Regeneron’s antibody cocktail has just received emergency use authorization from the FDA, this is the drug that was administered to Trump and made him have a quick recovery from the illness. REGENERON / FDA / SANTA CLAUS / AVAILABLE MONEY
Thank you everyone for reading! Hope you enjoyed the contente!
Be sure to leave a comment down below with your expectations on the stock market!
Have a great day and see you next time!

Prince Rainier III (1923-2005)
Rainier’s mother, Princess Charlotte, was actually illegitimate. Her father Louis II, getting older and with no legitimate children, legitimized her and made her his heir. She never took the throne, and in fact renounced her rights to her son, Rainier, the day before his 21st birthday.
Rainier became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco upon the death of his grandfather in 1949.
During WW2, Rainier served in the Free French Army. During the 40s and 50s he was in a long term relationship with the French film actress Gisele Pascal. Rainier’s sister, Princess Antoinette, wanted her own son to ascend to the throne, and spread rumors that Pascal was infertile. The rumors along with her treatment by the press and public ended their relationship.
After the war Monaco, a country who made its money primarily as a gambling origin, was in crisis as wealthy Europeans found their funds diminished after the war. To restore Monaco’s treasury Rainier decided to promote Monaco as a tax haven, and he personally took control of SBM (the company who owns the Monte Carlo Casino, Opera, and Hostel de Paris) in 1964. Prince Albert still retains a large share of the company and profits from it today.
Marriage:
Everyone knows this one. Rainier married American film star Grace Kelly in 1956.
Their marriage is rumored to have been turbulent. It is said that Grace struggled with adjusting to royal life, regretted ending her film career, and that Rainier had extramarital affairs. Her children have stated that though she was a loving mother, they spent more time with nannies than with their parents.
Grace's dress is iconic, but here you go if you want to revisit some photos from that day.
Rainier smoked up to 60 cigarettes per day, and in the last years of his life his health steadily declined. On March 8th, 2005 he entered the hospital for a lung infection and by the end of the month he was on a ventilator suffering from renal and heart failure. On March 31st he officially announced his son Albert, as regent, and on April 6th he died.
The Constitution
Monaco’s constitution stated that Monaco is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the hereditary princes of the Grimaldi. If the reigning prince were to die without leaving a male heir, Monaco, according to the treaty, would be incorporated into France. In 2002, realizing he had a 43 year old bachelor son, Rainier amended the constitution to allow the crown to pass to his daughters should Albert not marry.
Grace, Princess of Monaco (1929-1982)
Grace was born in Philadelphia to an affluent and influential family. Her father was an Olympian and a Democratic nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia and was appointed by President Roosevelt as National Director of Physical Fitness. Her mother taught physical education at the University of Pennsylvania and coached women’s athletics at Penn.
Her Uncle, George Kelly, was a Pulitzer prize winning dramatist, screenwriter, and director and used his influence to gain Grace admission to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Grace became one of the biggest movie stars of her generation.
In 1955 she was sent to the Cannes Film Festival and invited to appear in photos with Prince Rainier. After a year-long courtship, they were married in 1956.
Grace was not allowed to continue her acting career after her marriage. She instead devoted herself to her role as Princess, become heavily involved with the Red Cross of Monaco and the Rainbow Children Coalition.
On September 13, 1982, Kelly was driving back to Monaco after spending time at her country home. During the drive she had a stroke, lost control of her vehicle, and drove off the mountainside. She died a day later.
An article on their relationship
Prince Albert II (b. 1958)
Prince Albert is one of the wealthiest royals in the world with a net worth at more than $1B. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, studying political science, economics, music, and English literature, and completed his education with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He toured Europe in 1979 as part of the Amherst College Glee Club.
Albert competed in the bobsleigh for five consecutive Winter Olympics on behalf of Monaco, and was their flag bearer at the 1988, 1994, and 1998 Olympics. He is also a judo black belt.
He became Prince of Monaco when his father died in 2005.
Marriage:
Prior to his marriage his status as a bachelor was a hot topic of discussion. He was known to date well-known fashion models and actresses, however at age 53 had never married. It was rumored that Albert was gay, something he expressed great frustration with in the press. In 2006 he attended the opening ceremony of the Torino Olympics with South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock. They were engaged in 2010, and married in 2011.
There are rumors that Charlene tried to flee the country the day before their wedding. It is reported that the future bride, after discovering Albert may have fathered yet another child during their relationship, attempted to flee as many as three times before their wedding, however was always intercepted at the airport. It is also said she attempted to seek refuge at the South African embassy, and that officials in Monaco ended up hiding her passport so she could not leave the country.
Moreover, during their wedding, Charlene openly cried at parts, and Prince Albert was caught on camera begging her to kiss him. Honestly, she looked pretty miserable the whole time. The palace has denied all of these claims.
During their honeymoon, they stayed in separate hotels
Here's everything you ever needed to know about their wedding
Watch it
Prince Albert is passionate about the environment and an avid sportsman. Prince Albert speaks French, English, German, and Italian. He speaks English with basically no accent thanks to his American mother.
Illegitimate Children
In 2005, the day before Prince Rainier died, Albert publicly acknowledged he had fathered a son out of wedlock. In 2006, he confirmed he had also fathered a daughter. These children were barred from the line of inheritance because of a 2002 constitutional amendment requiring an heir’s parents to be married.
Alexandre (b. 2003)
Alexandre’s mother (Nicole Coste) was a flight attendant for Air France and met Prince Albert when he was a passenger on a flight. He asked for her number, the beginning of a years-long affair. The relationship ended at the insistence of Prince Rainier. Albert visited Alexandre and Nicole often, however when he refused to acknowledge Alexandre publicly, Nicole sold an interview and pictures to the media. Albert was in mourning for his father and made no public comment, but later did acknowledge paternity. Alexandre and Nicole live in France at an estate given to them by Albert.
Jazmin (b. 1992)
Jazmin’s mother, Tamara, met Albert while working as a waitress. Albert knew of Jazmin and visited her, however did not acknowledge her publicly until she was in high school to protect her identity. In 2006 the French magazine Voici published photographs of Jazmin and her mother on a visit to Monaco, outing her as Albert’s daughter. She has attended events with Albert and Charlene, and is listed as a sponsor for her father’s royal foundation.
An interview with Jazmin
Princess Charlene (b. 1978)
Born in Zimbabwe, Charlene’s family relocated to South Africa in 1989. She represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished fifth in the 4x100 meter relay.
Albert and Charlene met at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monaco in 2000, however were not seen together until 2006.
Charlene converted to Roman Catholicism for her wedding, and has learned French and Monegasque after her move to Monaco. She is an ambassador for the Special Olympics, patron of the South African Red Cross, and is passionate about sport.
In recent news, she completed “the crossing” water bike challenge, a 180 kilometer water bike race for charity.
An interview with Charlene and Albert on the 1st birthday of their twins
Albert and Charlene have 2 children:
Hereditary Prince Jacques *twin* (b. 2014)
Princess Gabriella *twin* (b. 2014)
Gabriella was born 2 minutes before her brother, however because of the constitution her brother will inherit the throne. They are super sweet together and you see them at events often.
Princess Caroline of Hanover (b. 1957)
Caroline is the eldest child of Rainier and Grace Kelly, however because of the constitution her brother, Albert, sits on the throne of Monaco. She served as de facto first lady of Monaco until the marriage of Albert and Charlene.
Until the birth of her niece and nephew she was heir presumptive to the throne, although she had only held that title since 2005 after the change of the constitution to include female heirs.
Caroline received her French baccalaureat in 1974, and received a degree in Philosophy from Sorbonne University. She is fluent in French, English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Her hobbies include horseback riding, swimming, and skiing.
Marriages:

• Marriage 1: Philippe Junot

Married Phillippe, a Parisian banker, in 1978. The couple divorced in 1980 with no children.

• Marriage 2: Stefano Casiraghi

Married Stefano in 1983, the sportsman heir to an Italian industrial fortune. The two had to marry in a civil ceremony rather than a religious ceremony because Caroline, a Catholic, was divorced. Caroline was 3 months pregnant at the time of their wedding.
They have three children:

1. Andrea Casiraghi (1984)

• Married to Tatiana Santo Domingo and has 3 children

1. Charlotte Casiraghi (1986)

• Married to French producer Dimitri Rassam and has two children

1. Pierre Casiraghi (b. 1987)

• Married to Beatrice Borromeo and has 2 children

Note: The Casiraghi’s are all very beautiful and very fashionable but I don’t want to go much into them here because they are so far down the line of succession. They’re fun to follow for their fashion if you have the time to check them out.

• Marriage 3: Prince Ernst August of Hanover

Married Ernst August, a Prince, in 1999. They have one daughter, Princess Alexandra.
Caroline is thus a Princess twice-over, through her family and through her husband. She and Ernst August have been separated since 2009 however are still legally married, thus she retains the title of Princess Caroline of Hanover.
Read about all of her weddings here
See her speaking in English around 12:00 here
Princess Stephanie (b. 1965)
Stephanie was in the vehicle with her mother when Grace died. She suffered a fracture of the neck.
She has studied classical dance and piano, and competed in gymnastics and horse riding. She interned at Christian Dior and debuted as a model in 1984. She has a swimwear and perfume line, and owns cafes and stores in both Monaco and Barcelona. She also has sold more than 2 million copies of her song, Ouragan, and sold 1.5M copies of her album Besoin. She recorded “In the Closet” with Michael Jackson, however is listed as “mystery girl” in the credits.
Marriages/Relationships:

• Marriage 1: Daniel Ducruet

Stephanie married her former body guard, Daniel Ducruet, in 1995. When Rainier learned of their relationship Daniel was not only still his employee, but had a pregnant girlfriend too. Stephanie gave birth to their two children “out of wedlock” because Rainier refused to grant permission for them to marry, however eventually relented. The two divorced a year later after Ducruet was photographed naked with a stripper.
Read more
They have two children:

1. Louis (b. 1992)

• Married Marie Chevallier in 2019

1. Pauline (b. 1994)

​

• Relationship 2: Jean Raymond Gottlieb

Stephanie and Jean never married, however have a child together. He was Rainier’s Head of Security. She did not identify him on the birth certificate and it was not confirmed that he was Camille’s father until she confirmed it herself on her Instagram.
More about Jean
​

• Marriage 3: Franco Knie

Stephanie met elephant trainer (yeah, you read that right) when she presented him with the award for “best animal tamer” at the Monaco Circus Festival in 1997. Franco, a decade older than Stephanie, was married with two children at the time. Franco left his family for Stephanie, moving her and her three children into his circus caravan in Zurich. Marrying in 2001, their relationship lasted 18 months until their divorce.
An interview with Stephanie in English in 1990
Why is he a Prince and not a King?
From vogue:
It goes back deep into the history of Monaco. Monaco has always been a tiny nation, and, for protection, allied itself with (or, at some points, was flat-out annexed by) big powerful countries, with big powerful rulers—aka kingdoms, or, a nation ruled by a king or queen. So Monaco’s rulers styled themselves as prince and princess. That, by definition, made the nation a principality, or one ruled by prince or princess.
Regardless, Albert actually plays a bigger role in the day to day operations of the country than most of his European peers. Legislative power is divided between the Prince who initiates the laws, and the National Council who votes on them. Executive power is retained by the Prince, and he has full judiciary powers.
Jewels
See their tiara collection
I think the Ocean Tiara, gifted to Charlene for her wedding, is particularly interesting. You either love it or you hate it.
The Grimaldi Curse
What do you think?

What happened last week in the stock market and what to expect next week, is it late to get in the stock market or is there still value? Let’s discuss this and more
Hey everyone and Welcome , so let’s start with the recap of yesterday as we saw all 3 big indexes drop with the NASDAQ being down 0,42%, finishing the week up 0,2%, the SP500 down 0,68% and finishing 0,8% down for the week while the DOW lost 3 quarters of a percent as this was also the same percentage that it dropped for the week. The VIX went up 2,5% but finished the week flat as it has for the past couple of weeks after the election. There was about an even split of companies advancing to declining as the volume continues to drop. Though there was a sharp sell-off in the last 30minutes to end the trading week as I believe a lot of people don’t want to hold the money in the stock market over the weekend as cases of the illness rise in the US. CHART / VIX
Here is the heat map from yesterday and the heat map for the whole week and it’s obvious that this was a pretty much mixed week as financials and energy sectors have recovered a little bit of the ground they lost during the last 8 months of recovery while the leaders of the recovery, the big tech struggled a little this week. FRIDAY / WEEK
Next week is pretty low on interesting earnings though I think I am going to try and buy some small pieces for companies like Best Buy, GAP and Hormel as I believe they may have some upside potential, I also think Dick’s sporting goods will do good but I think the expectations are a little high for that company and despite meeting the analyst expectations the retail investors might jump off the bandwagon and the stock may suffer. EARNINGS
Also, important economic data will only come until Wednesday as the stock market and economic data take a break for Thanksgiving. The most important numbers coming are the MARKIT PMI’s, the consumer confidence index and a lot of critical data that comes in on Wednesday as you can see here CALENDAR.
The worst performing sectors on Friday were financials, industrials and surprisingly technology also, while the only real bright spot were communication services. CHART
Some great news for online retailers came in as the first week of November saw a more than 80% increase in online shopping traffic with 20% less traffic around malls vs last year but an almost 60% increase since March. The rise of e-commerce is still expected to continue big in the next years as analysts expect sales to grow between 25 and 35%. NEWS / NEWS / CHART
Moving on, two of the biggest giants in the tech sector and in the whole world, Apple and Microsoft also announced that they will team up to create a controller supported for IOS devices as the gaming industry has seen a huge spike and is expected to have huge growth in the coming years while Microsoft also seems to be targeting Zoom as they are removing the 40minute limit starting on Thanksgiving and are offering free all-day video calling via the TEAMS app. NEWS
Just take care and don’t rush into winners just because they are up huge this year, look at companies that have potential just like DraftKings and Penn Gaming, as the companies have huge tailwind especially legalized gambling in more and more states with a growing online presence and sports expected to have big returns in the next years. With Boeing being another company that might struggle in the short-term but for the long-term I believe is still a great company to own as they are expected to also have the 737 max banning lifted in Europe in the next couple of months. NEWS / NEWS
Also, car makers are getting more and more stamps of approval as they transition into the EV world, as 2 big Detroit giants GM and Ford are making a huge push to compete in the EV market with Tesla. The most recent was a buy rating from UPS on GM as they set the price at 50$ which implies a 16% upside.NEWS
Just a quick mention as Netflix saw its stock up more than 1,5% on Friday as the company has struggled to regain momentum after weaker than expected growth in the last earnings report and has been dragged down by people selling the company after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine news. I still believe this is a great company as they and Disney will be the two biggest players in the streaming business in my opinion in the long run while ROKU also seems to be benefiting a lot from the dying of traditional TV as they are hitting all-time highs both in value for the company and subscribers. ROKU NEWS / NETFLIX /
So guys stay safe for the holidays as danger is still around, with the CDC urging people to not travel at home and also be safe while investing as the rift between the Treasury and the Fed may bring some volatility to the market unless a stimulus is passed by the time Biden taxes over even if the programs that will not be extended are not critical for the economy as they acted more like a backup in case of emergency. I believe the US should take the same approach as the UK which plans to present its biggest borrowing plan since World War Two. UK NEWS / TREASURY NEWS
Don’t rush into the market if you missed the rally until now as I believe there are a lot of people who kept cash on the sidelines and missed the best moments to invest this year as the human mind plays tricks on us, just try to stay sharp and not put all your eggs in one basket. Be diversified and choose great companies as I believe we might see the market going up until the end of the year as December has been one of the best performing months for the stock market over the time, with stocks seeing the Santa Claus effect almost every year while we also have to wait and see if the FDA approves the Pfizer vaccine on the 10th of December which I believe will be a good catalyst for the market as it has traded sideways. Today we also got news that Regeneron’s antibody cocktail has just received emergency use authorization from the FDA, this is the drug that was administered to Trump and made him have a quick recovery from the illness. REGENERON / FDA / SANTA CLAUS / AVAILABLE MONEY
Thank you everyone for reading! Hope you enjoyed the contente!
Be sure to leave a comment down below with your expectations on the stock market!
Have a great day and see you next time!

This is a case I’ve been interested in for a while but not one that I think has been covered before (as far as I’m aware). Anyway, lockdown, no job, and all that, so I thought I’d have a go at writing it up!
Who Was Freddie Mills?
Freddie Mills could rightfully be considered one of the first superstar sports personalities in Britain, although his name is probably only recognised today by those who grew up in the fifties and sixties. Born in 1919 in Bournemouth, a seaside tourist town on the south coast of the UK, Fearless Freddie started boxing at the age of eleven. At the age of seventeen, he fought in a novices’ competition where he took part in three bouts and won all of them by knockout. Mills was noticed by manager Bob Turner and began touring around UK seaside towns to fight at fairground boxing booths. While Freddie was only five foot ten and lacked any formal training in the sport, he had other gifts that made him an effective boxer - he seemed to be able to take endless punishment. His opponents would extend all their energy in trying to bring Freddie down and when they got tired, he would spring into action, subjecting them to a relentless barrage of two-fisted blows until he won.
Not even the outbreak of war could stop the rising star of Freddie Mills; enlisting in the Royal Airforce in 1940,he carried on boxing professionally. His fights drew crowds of up to 30,000 and his fighting spirit was a huge morale boost for the British forces. In 1942, he won the British and Empire light-heavyweight titles. Featured on newsreels broadcast all over Britain, Mills was very effective at giving the British public a hero to root for and be a public face for the bravery of the boys on the front. While carrying on with his RAF duties, he also toured Burma and India, gave lectures, took part in exhibition bouts, and participated in boxing demonstrations for the troops.
Mills returned to the UK after being demobilised in 1946. That year, he would take his first shot at the world light-heavyweight title against American Gus Lesnevich. The ten round fight was a defeat for Mills but he’d set his sights on winning the title and living up to his reputation of being the best in the world. Lesnevich and Mills fought again in 1948, and after a brutal and savage fifteen round fight, Mills was awarded the title. He would hold the World Light Heavyweight title from 1948 to 1950. However, it was clear to Freddie and his trainers that his boxing career would not last much longer. He began suffering from severe headaches and bouts of dizziness. After losing the World title in a fight with Joey Mazim - where Mills had a number of teeth knocked out and embedded into his upper jaw - Freddie Mills announced his retirement from boxing in February 1950 at the age of thirty.
But Freddie’s fame would not end there. He had become a huge household name during the war and a real rallying figure for post-war Britain. For so many, the hardships of the war had just never ended; the UK was suffering financially, rationing was still in place, and many were struggling to return to a sense of normalcy. Mills was a local boy that had done good, carrying a glimpse of glitz and glamour that still seemed relatable and down to earth. If Freddie could make it, anyone could. Making radio appearances from 1949, Mills was quickly able to transition to television and film. He did comedy shows, television commentary for boxing matches, hosted his own radio programmes, and performed in pantomimes. Many Brits will recognise this career path - after all, haven’t sports stars like Frank Bruno, Gary Linekar, and Andrew Castle done the same once they’ve retired from their sport? (A fitting US example would be Dwayne Johnson.) There were plenty who would know him purely as a TV and film star, always ready to turn to the camera with a twinkle in the eye that made him a great family friendly entertainer in the variety act style that was still so popular.
By 1963, however, Freddie’s career in TV and radio was beginning to taper off. There had been problems behind the scenes. There was animosity in the boxing world after he’d had an affair with the wife of another boxer, Don McCorkindale. He later married Chrissie, and they’d had two daughters, but the damage was done. In 1954, he had been knocked unconscious during a comedy sketch when another performer hit him over the head with a real stool, rather than a prop stool. This seemed to make existing problems he’d already had with his head and spine even worse. He suffered from frequent headaches and dizziness from this point.
And that doesn’t start on the problems Freddie faced in terms of his finances. He’d begun investing in London property from the 1940s, probably thinking towards his future beyond boxing and how the city would be rebuilt after the damage of wartime bombing, but then he decided to make the move into London’s exclusive late-night scene. He opened the Freddie Mills Chinese restaurant in 1946, one of the first restaurants in the area that is now London’s Chinatown in the SoHo area (London’s Chinatown had originally been in the East End). SoHo is a vibrant centre of the entertainment and restaurant industry in the capital; however, it had a bad reputation at night. It was known for sex work, for gangsters, for illegal gambling and drugs, for beatniks and jazz music, and for - gasp! - a thriving gay scene. The area wasn’t a great fit for Mills’s family friendly image and the restaurant was never particularly profitable. In 1963, it was converted to The Freddie Mills Nite Spot.
Anyone who knows anything about London, nightclubs, and the scene of the 1960s will quickly realise who Mills would now be in contact with. Yes, he was now friends with the infamous Kray Twins and other members of their particular social circle. While Mills had wanted to make his club family friendly to best fit his public image, he was soon pressured into allowing ‘hostesses’ to work there. While the club was initially successful, profits soon began to drop. Mills desperately sold off other properties he owned in London but no one would touch his nightclub. He was in serious financial trouble and the kinds of people he owed money to were not the forgiving type.
The Death
On the 24th of July 1965, Freddie Mills was found dead. He liked to park his car in an alleyway behind his nightclub and had the habit of going back there for a nap. In fact, he had told staff that was exactly what he was doing that night and no one had thought anything of it. But at around 11.45pm doorman Robert Deacon discovered Freddie dead in the backseat of his own car. He had been shot through the right eye with a fairground rifle that was propped up in the footwell of the other seat.
Things get a bit fuzzy from this point. Staff at the club seemed to not know what to do after finding their boss dead. Someone managed to phone Freddie’s wife, who arrived an hour after the body was discovered, but she found that no one had thought to phone the police or an ambulance. An ambulance was phoned for, but still no police. The ambulance team removed Freddie’s body from his car, entirely disturbing the crime scene, and transported his body to Middlesex Hospital. Still, the police were not at the scene or involved in this decision. Unsurprisingly, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital and news began to break that beloved legend Freddie Mills was dead.
When the police finally became involved, they initially suspected murder but within one or two days decided against investigating Mills’s death. They considered it a suicide and a coroner’s inquest ruled it as such. He had been in serious debt to underworld figures, after all, and had been recently fined for liquor and gambling offences at his club. It made sense that he would be depressed and willing to take his own life. Mills was buried at Camberwell New Cemetery but Chrissie Mills’s fight had just begun.
Suspicions Are Raised
Unsurprisingly, the Mills family were not happy with the ruling of suicide. Chrissie received calls from a woman saying Freddie had been murdered and even Nipper Read, the detective who caught the Krays, began reinvestigating the case.
Chrissie, with or without the mysterious phone calls, never would have believed that Freddie could kill himself. Eighteen months before her husband’s death, he had told his best friend that ‘Life is there for the taking, go out and grab it with both hands’. She did not think this fitted with committing suicide - and that was on top of all the problems with how Freddie had died and the scene of the death.
There was the wound, for example. While the police testified that the angle of the bullet was consistent with a self-inflicted wound, who had ever heard of a man shooting himself through the eye? Surely, anyone would shoot themselves through the head or through the mouth, rather than line their eye up with the barrel of a gun and look down at what would kill them.
The rifle itself belonged to May Ronaldson, a friend Freddie knew from his fairground days and who ran a shooting gallery. Freddie had borrowed it a week or so before his death. But the rifle had not been in working order when he had borrowed it and now had been repaired.
And there was the position of the gun. If Freddie had shot himself, surely it would have fallen down between his legs. Yet it was found propped up in the other footwell.
And there were the bullet holes. Two shots had been fired in the car, one that had hit the front door and the one that had killed Mills - sitting in the front seat.
And there was the position of Mills’s body. He was found sitting with his hands on his knees. It was almost like his body had been posed after death or he had been sleeping when he was shot. Surely he should have slumped, or moved, or show any signs of having held a gun as he died.
And there was the evidence on the gun - or, rather, the lack of evidence. No fingerprints had been found on it. Not a single one - not even smears and partials from being handled before going into the car.
And there was the behaviour of the staff. Why had they waited so long to phone for an ambulance? Why had they allowed the scene to be so disturbed? Why had no one phoned for the police?
The Many Theories of Freddie Mills’s Death
Chrissie Mills was not the only one to find his death to be highly suspicious and a lot of people have had a lot of theories about what really happened that night.
There are Freddie’s finances to consider. He had lost nearly all the wealth he had built up over his career, dying with only £387 6 shillings and five pence to his name. A fundraiser had been put on to prevent his home from being repossessed from his widow and daughters. A gangland enforcer called Johnny Bradbury had alleged that Freddie Mills was making a stand against the protection racketeers connected to the Kray Twins and, for that, Mills was executed.
Just two weeks before Freddie died, another small club owner who refused to pay protection money had been warned ‘that something big would happen up the west end to serve as a warning to him’. This would fit with Freddie’s sudden desire to carry a rifle with him - he had needed to protect himself. He had napped in his car, unable to know that an unknown figure took up the rifle and shot him while he slept. This left the club free to be taken by the Krays - only they couldn’t owing to the public grief to Freddie’s death and the potential public backlash. The police had naturally covered it up; Wallace Virgo, who led the few days of investigation into the death, was found guilty of corruption in the 1970s after years and years of taking bribes from SoHo’s underworld to look the other way. Had he looked the other way for the killer of Freddie Mills?
However, Nipper Read was unable to find anything linking a member of the Firm (the Krays’ gang) to Mills’s death. His underworld contacts, so crucial in bringing the Krays down, firmly told him that no member of the Firm would kill someone with an old fairground rifle that might not even work. And the Krays were huge boxing fans. Freddie Mills was one of their idols. Killing him would have seen them shunned from that community entirely and the Firm told Read there was no chance of them ordering a hit on one of their heroes.
Others have taken a more, shall we say, headline grabbing route. Michael Litchfield published a book in 2002 that alleged that Freddie Mills was actually the notorious and uncaught serial killer ‘Jack the Stripper’ and was just about to be publicly exposed for the eight murders of sex workers that had taken place from 1964 - 1965. He also filled his book with claims that Freddie was secretly gay and had a relationship with Ronnie Kray. in fact, his marriage to Chrissie was a sham all along - he’d actually been in relationship with her first husband. The origin of this is a chain of Chinese whispers from former gangsters to policemen to freelance journalists until it landed in the lap of Litchfield - crime reporter for The Sun, a piece of media I am loathe to call a ‘newspaper’.
This theory has further mutated into the idea that Mills had been arrested on indecency charges in public toilets with young boys and that Chinese gangsters, seeking to take over the club, staged his death as a suicide. There is no evidence of Freddie Mills ever being investigated or arrested on charges like these.
A BBC documentary ‘Murder in SoHo: Who Killed Freddie Mills?’ explored the claims of Roger Huntman. He believed that American gangster Mayer Lanksy was responsible for Freddie’s death. The murderer? Roger’s own father, Benny Huntman, the manager who arranged the title fight of 1948. Freddie Mills had a gambling problem - or rather, he had a losing problem and would use the profits from the club to keep himself afloat - and Lanksy’s fortune and crime empire was built on the back of illegal gambling. Lanksy wanted to turn SoHo into Britain's own Las Vegas and Mills threatened to blow the whole thing up. Still, there is little evidence for this other that Huntman's own claims.
And the possibility of suicide cannot be discounted. Freddie was under severe financial stress at the time of his death, as well as having health problems associated with the long-term effects of boxing. He had been knocked unconscious many times over his life and that can cause serious damage to the brain. He might have been in the early stages of dementia and wanted to die before his condition worsened. He might have killed himself, only for the scene to be disturbed or staged by his loyal staff to try and protect his reputation. The police pathologist ruled that the gun was too close to Freddie’s skin for anyone else to have done it.
When it all comes down to it, questions will always be asked about Freddie Mills’s death because there is both so much evidence and not enough. The destruction and cover-up of the crime scene, the lack of photographs, how quickly the police ruled suicide - all of that may be entirely innocent and just an unfortunate series of events. But the London of the 1960s could be a corrupt and sleazy place, where the rot rose all the way up to the highest positions of power in Westminster.
What do you think? Did Freddie Mills kill himself or did someone else fire the rifle on that fateful night?
​
Some of the sources used -
Who Killed Freddie Mills?
The BBC documentary
Ten Strangest Sporting Deaths
How Freddie was driven to suicide by the Krays
Boxing Hero 'murdered eight women'
Who Shot Freddie Mills?
Freddie Mills: Death of a Sporting Hero

This is a piece I wrote myself recently. I have tried to make it balanced to appeal to people less sceptical than ourselves. I hope people enjoy it anyway.
My nearest city, Nottingham, is set for Tier 3 restrictions next week. While reading an article in relation to this on the Nottingham Post, a comment made by the Labour MP for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, stood out. It blamed the Government for not getting the virus under control. Now, there are plenty of legitimate criticisms you can aim at the Government over the way they have handled this crisis, but this whole notion that this virus can be controlled is utterly ridiculous. My personal phrase of choice is “virus is going to virus”. Greenwood’s comment is at best ignorant, at worst it is crass political opportunism. We are seeing a resurgence throughout Europe. Even in Germany, where there have been significantly less coronavirus deaths per capita than any other highly populated country in Europe, numbers are starting to rise significantly. Other coronaviruses are largely seasonal, and this is no exception.
On the 21st October, the United Kingdom saw 26,688 cases and 191 deaths reported. The total population of the UK is roughly 67 million. Let’s compare this to some other countries on a per capita basis using the information available on Worldometers.
Country
Approximate Population
Cases (capita adjusted amount in brackets)
Deaths (capita adjusted in brackets)
Netherlands
17,500,000
8,743 (33,473)
59 (226)
France
67,000,000
26,676 (26,676)
163 (163)
Spain
47,000,000
16,973 (24,196)
156 (222)
Czech Republic
10,750,000
8,841 (55,102)
100 (623)
Apologies for the poor presentation- couldn't get the table to copy and paste properly, but hopefully it is clear anyway!
All of these countries have implemented different policies. The Czech Republic locked down before the virus really had a chance to do significant damage, which is the most likely explanation for why it has seen such a big resurgence- the daily deaths now are actually much higher than they were at any point in March and April. France and Spain saw similar first waves to the United Kingdom and have followed the same patterns in terms of cases and deaths. The Netherlands was slightly less severely hit in the first wave, but has largely followed the exact same trajectory.
Yes, these are difficult times. It is understandable that people need someone or something to blame. It is wrong though, to apportion the blame to people not following the rules or “anti-maskers”. There was non-compliance from some even at the height of lockdown, VE day, the beaches and the protests, but all metrics dropped significantly by June. Furthermore, Spain has adopted widespread mandatory mask usage since May both inside and outside, nonetheless, they had more deaths on a per capita basis than the United Kingdom on the 21st of October and a higher death toll per million people. France has also implemented more mask mandates in the last two to three months, to no avail. Unfortunately, despite the Government implementing these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to try and do something to slow down the spread, they have little effect. Unfortunately, politicians’ main priority is simply covering their own backsides. If they were honest, they would say only a lockdown can bring cases down, but also make the point, rightly, that the collateral damage a second lockdown would do is far greater than the damage the virus would be prevented from doing. That said, it appears increasingly likely that there will be a second lockdown in England that will last for a minimum of two weeks.
It is also disingenuous to make comparisons with countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand which have successfully kept cases and deaths extremely low. There is good reason to believe there are several factors that are of great significance for why the Asian countries in question have done so well. Firstly, there is far less obesity in these countries- research suggests that obesity significantly increases mortality and the risk of hospitalisation. Secondly, while I acknowledge that this is not empirically proven, it is very likely that there are higher levels of pre-existing immunity to coronaviruses in the population, after all, SARS and MERS both were largely restricted to Asian countries. Thirdly, the contact tracing in South Korea and Taiwan is far more intrusive than would be acceptable in Western countries, and thus more effective. As for New Zealand, they are an isolated island with a population that is less than 10% of the UK. They have effectively shut their borders. Ultimately, they have no endgame except gambling on an effective vaccine, as the second they open up to the outside world, they have a population that will be susceptible.
Europe has tried to suppress this virus. Europe has failed. It is looking increasingly likely that even if a vaccine does end up being approved and distributed widely next year, it will not provide any long term sterilising immunity. It is time for European governments to stop displaying extraordinary arrogance and incompetence by doubling down on arbitrary, ineffective restrictions, and to accept that an endemic virus cannot be defeated. To be clear, this is not an endorsement of life going back to what it was in February 2020, nor an attempt to downplay the virus. What is clear, however, is that there only so much that can be done to control nature. It is time for a different approach that takes into account all facets of public health, rather than this tunnel vision like focus on coronavirus. Below are three potential recommendations to help achieve this.
1) We know the risk is significantly lower outdoors, so why not allow spectators to attend sporting events at reduced capacity, even is that is 25% or 33%? This could work for football by a combination of season ticket holders and fans being selected from a raffle system for the remaining tickets. For other sports, it could be that you do it on a first come, first served basis, and allow a maximum of two adults in a group. To allow families to attend, you would also be able to purchase unlimited U12 tickets. Spectator sport can bring some normality and joy to people's lives. Bring it back.
2) Ditch the 10PM closing time for pubs and bars. It has absolutely no merit to it whatsoever and simply serves to encourage more mixing in private households, potentially while intoxicated, while simultaneously hurting a hospitality industry that has very unfairly been made a scapegoat recently.
3) Moving away from the increasingly authoritarian way of enforcing the rules and moving towards a voluntary approach. To give an example, a measure such as the “rule of six” should not be enforceable by law, and it is ridiculously arbitrary that U12s are not exempt. Spending time with family and friends is extremely important for mental well-being. The government should instead recommend best practises in these situations, such as using hand sanitiser, making sure not to have any such gatherings if someone in any of the households meeting is even slightly sick, and not staying in close contact for too long with people, especially if they are in a vulnerable group. By contrast, to legally say a family of six that children cannot meet their grandparents, is a morally unjust encroachment of people's private lives. Loneliness kills too.

A House of Lords Committee has published a report on Gambling Harm, which highlights evidence that loot boxes cause gambling problems or exploit problem gambling, and calls for the Government to extend gambling legislation to cover loot boxes.
The report stresses that the Gambling Act does not need amending to allow it to cover loot boxes; ministers already have the power to make regulations to do this, so it could be done in a matter of weeks. [emphasis mine]
Link to petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300171 Press release: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/406/gambling-industry-committee/news/147122/time-to-act-to-reduce-gamblingrelated-harm-says-lords-report/ Full report: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5801/ldselect/ldgamb/79/79.pdf

As a man who has experienced female sexual abuse, I lean pro-choice; but I've consistently voted pro-life for a few elections now due to the lack of alternative options in the promotion of male sexual and reproductive rights.
While people know about male sexual aggression, we often ignore the scale of female sexual aggression and how this in turn can affect the way a man might vote.
Whereas feminists perceive two positions on male sexual and reproductive rights (pro-paper-abortion and pro-opt-in), non-feminists (incmuding I) perceive at least five separate and distinct positions to advance male reproductive rights (the last three of which aim at reducing the rate of unwanted pregnancies in the first place and so might attract sincere pro-life interest too). To understand these different positions, we first need to understand the male sexual experience and how this could motivate some pro-choice men to vote pro-life.
According to the World Health Organization:
'[I]nternational studies reveal that nearly 3 in 4 children aged 2-4 years regularly suffer physical punishment and/or psychological violence at the hands of parents and caregivers, and 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report having been sexually abused as a child.'
' Child maltreatment causes suffering to children and families and can have long-term consequences. Maltreatment causes stress that is associated with disruption in early brain development. Extreme stress can impair the development of the nervous and immune systems. Consequently, as adults, maltreated children are at increased risk for behavioural, physical and mental health problems such as:
'perpetrating or being a victim of violence
:depression
:smoking
' obesity
'high-risk sexual behaviours
' unintended pregnancy
:alcohol and drug misuse.:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment
According to the APA:
'A total of 43 percent of high school boys and young college men reported they had an unwanted sexual experience and of those, 95 percent said a female acquaintance was the aggressor.'
'Being coerced into having sexual intercourse was related to risky sexual behaviors and more drinking among the victims.'
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/03/coerced-sex
According to the online PDF report Internet sex addiction: A review of empirical research:
'In addition to the qualitative research studies, nine quantitative studies investigating Internet sex addiction in adults were identified in the literature review. These are presented in chronological order. Schwartz and Southern (2000) aimed to describe compulsive cybersex in a sample of 40 cybersex problem patients who were treated for mental health problems at the time of investigation. The sample comprised 19 males, 57% were married, 48% were white collar workers, 20% were blue collar workers, 12% were students, 68% had a history of sexual abuse, 43% suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and 73% suffered from some affective disorder. Furthermore, it was reported that 70% had a sexual addiction, 56% were dependent on some psychoactive substance, and 48% had some kind of eating disorder. The researchers based their analysis on preliminary descriptive data, reviewing clinical files including initial assessments, psychiatric evaluations, psychosocial histories, and other mental health assessments. In terms of the participants’ online sexual preferences, 26% had a predilection for some paraphiliac behaviour, 21% wanted romance and/or dating, 16% were looking for extra-marital partners (e.g., swinging), 11% wanted sexual chat, homosexual and/or teenage contacts online. Overall, their compulsive engagement in cybersex resulted in many negative consequences (e.g., relationship problems, work problems, personal problems, and excessive time involvement (Schwartz & Southern, 2000).'
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239750133_Sex_Addiction_on_the_Internet&ved=2ahUKEwiEqLO1u9fsAhVKQ80KHTV1DGMQFjABegQIChAC&usg=AOvVaw3FHuLze2t8h5TXJS_OecoM
According to the online PDF report Risky Business: The Market for Unprotected Sex:
'In this paper, we investigate why sex workers may not be using condoms. We begin by constructing a simple bargaining model of commercial sex that has a number of empirically testable predictions. The model predicts that a condom will not be used when the client’s maximum willingness to pay not to use a condom is greater than the minimum the sex worker is willing to accept to take the risk. Surprisingly, however, the model also predicts that when the client is worried about the risk of infection from unprotected sex, he may be charged more for using a condom than for unprotected sex. Similarly, when the sex worker prefers not to use a condom, the client is given a discount for not using a condom. The price differential between protected and unprotected sex is a weighted average of the maximum the client is willing to pay for not using a condom and the minimum the sex worker is willing to accept to take the risk of infection by not using a condom. The weights are a function of the relative bargaining power of the client and sex worker.worker.'
http://cega.berkeley.edu/assets/cega_research_projects/102/Risky_Business_The_Market_for_Unprotected_Commercial_Sex.pdf
According to the Youtube documentary Cowboys of Paradise, female buyers often prefer and male providers often willingly provide unprotected sex too.
https://world.time.com/2013/10/15/ignorance-and-a-thriving-sex-industry-fuel-aids-explosion-on-bali/
Even a masseuse can sexually assault a male customer:
https://metro.co.uk/2017/11/02/man-assaulted-by-masseuse-who-tried-to-perform-sex-act-on-him-after-massage-7050150/
According to the online PDF report The cost of HIV/Aids in Canada:
'The proportion of indirect to direct costs is also greater in estimates of total cumulative illness costs, because indirect costs due to premature mortality continue to accumulate even when direct costs cease at the time of death. Thus Albert and Williams estimate the total economic burden of HIV/AIDS in Canada to date at $36.3 billion, of which $29.9 billion are indirect costs and $6.4 billion are direct costs (a ratio of nearly 5:1). They also estimate the future economic burden associated with the current HIV population at $27.3 billion, (reflecting a 4% discount rate), of which $23.3 billion are indirect costs and $4 billion are direct costs, a ratio of nearly 6:11'
http://www.gpiatlantic.org/pdf/health/costofaids.pdf
This does not include the cost of unplanned pregnancies, syphilis and other STI's, and trauma.
The five male pro-choice positions I see are as follows:

1. Pro-paper-abortion (PPA)

According to this position, human life starts at delivery as a result of the woman's decision to not obtain an abortion.
A man might not have consented to the sexual act leading to the pregnancy.
Sexual assault is extremely difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt and when it can, it might take too long to do so.
Therefore the man should have the right to file for a paper abortion within the first eighteen weeks of pregnancy to permanently forfeit all paternal rights and obligations.
The above is not just theoretical: some actually promote it:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_abortion
I presume that supporters view it as a male post-conception equivalent of 'my-body-my-choice'.
Pros:
It could deter a woman from sexually assaulting a man with intent to entrap him through pregnancy.
Cons:
a. It can embolden more men to sexually assault women.
b. It could allow a consenting man to forfeit his obligations.
c. It could legitimize the idea that paternal rights and obligations are secondary to women's and so promote a slippery slope towards increasingly denying paternal rights and obligations.
d. It can enable male sexual addiction by removing a man's responsibility for his actions.

1. Pro-opt-in (POI)

This position simply takes the PPA position to its logical conclusion: if human life starts only at delivery as a result of the woman's decision to deliver, then it follows that she holds exclusive parental rights and obligations towards the child except to the degree that she allows the father to opt in.
Non-feminists who see the logical conclusion of the PPA position perceive it as a dangerous slippery slope towards the POI position.
The pros and cons of the POI positions resemble those of the PPA position but more significant.
Worse yet, the POI position is not just theoretical either. Some feminists have promoted that position too.

1. Pro-criminalization-of-fornication (PCF)

According to this position:
Human life starts at conception; but while the mother may have a legitimate reason to obtain an abortion and so should be free to decide according to her own conscience, the father does not.
Consent to fornication is a primary cause of unplanned pregnancies.
Consent to fornication is easier to prove than sexual assault so provides a more effective deterrent against sexual assault
Therefore, to deter unnecessary abortions in the context of decriminalization, consent to fornication should be punished by a heavy fine that doubles for each repetition of the offence.
It follows from this rationale that the father's paternal obligations stem not from whether he'd consented to the act that led to the conception, but rather from his biological paternity alone.
They would view financial assistance and mental-health support for a male victim of female sexual abuse as a separate matter for discussion.
As strange as this position might seem at first glance, given the pregnancy, STI, trauma, and other risks involved, regulating the exchange of bodily fluids betwen random individuals seems scientifically even more valid than imposing a fine for not wearing a facemask or not keeping physical distance.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fornication#Across_history,_cultures,_and_laws
Pros: Consent to fornication is easier to prove beyond reasonable doubt than sexual coersion or assault, prostitution, or paying for sex, so could more effectively deter these, reduce the spread of STI's, unplanned pregnancies, and trauma, and help sexual addicts to better manage their behaviour.
Cons:
a. It can reduce sexual freedom and, while it may deter sexual assault, does not prevent it.
b. It does not liberate a male victim of female sexual aggression from his paternal obligations.

1. Pro-Self-Exclusion (PSE)

This posion follows the same rationale as the PCF position above, but just doesn't take it to its logical conclusion.
Instead, it proposes to keep fornication legal by default but allow a man to self-exclude through some kind of administrative process (such as through an online passport account) from the freedom to give his consent to fornication under threat of a heavy fine that doubles for each repetition of the offence.
In exchange, a woman who encourages him (beyond just giving her enthusiastic consent)
to give his consent could face a heavy fine for incitement to commit a self-exclusion offence.
This would be easier to prove than sexual assault and so would provide more deterrence, which is important when we consider that a man's reproductive rights end at conception under all circumstances.
The woman would then need to confirm a man's status (perhaps from an official email message sent from his passport account) before encouraging him beyond just giving her enthusiastic consent to avoid the risk of paying a heavy fine for incitement to commit a self-exclusion offence.
A man could pro-actively send a formal email message from his passport account prior to a first dinner date alone at her home as a way to clearly communicate his nonconsent to any sexual interaction with her and warn her of the potential legal consequences if she tries to pressure him into sex.
Should she ignore this warning and continue to pursue or stalk him, he could sign into his passport account to resend the formal message, but this time with a CC to a police sexual-crimes unit. Receiving a formal email message with such a CC would probably deter most female aggressors from continuing the behaviour, especially if she an investigator later contacts her to question her and give her a casual warning.
Should she continue the behaviour, the man could resend the message with CC, which could provoke a police sexual crimes unit to open a formal investigation to determine whether the man has make a false rape accusation or whether the woman may be abusing him emotionally and sexually.
A passport account could allow its holder to sign in to self-exclude from the freedom to marry up to any chosen date up to a maximum of two-years into the future (extendable at any time). For added good measure, he could self-exclude, for the duration of a five-year passport and autorenewable every five years, from the freedom to marry without the free and explicit consent of both his and her living biological parents (with the exception of any parent who loses his right of parenthood as a result of a criminal conviction for rape, molestation, or gross negligence leading to abuse of the child). This could allow a man who feels extreme pressure to marry (such as when he faces a threat of suicide or other such blackmail) to self-exclude so as to be unable to give consent within a selected period of time, without involving their living biological parents, or both.
For men who already struggle with sexual addiction resulting from past trauma, self-exclusion could help them better manage their behaviour by proving a stronger deterrent than default laws can provide.
I have met at least one man who'd experienced a woman threatening him with a false rape accusation if he refused to have sex with her. Though I don't know how common that is and have never experienced that particular kind of abuse myself, the fact that it even occurs raises concerns about a man's self-excluded status making him not less, but rather even more vulnerable to female sexual aggression. To counter this, a man who self-excludes from the freedom to consent to fornication could be granted the right, on request, to an inquisitorial trial in Esperanto without the aid of an interpreter, protection from rape-shield laws, and the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
At my second wife's admissibility hearing, the Minister's counsel refused to share the names of anonymous witnesses with my wife's counsel and told her that she would need to apply through the Access-to-Information Act to get that information as a tactic to stretch the duration of the process and so discourage us.
Under the adversarial system, the Minister's counsel effectively served as the gate-keeper to the available evidence and was hired explicitly to prove my wife's guilt. In other words, she had a motive and the power to suppress evidence that exculpated my wife. The first judge recognized this tactic and so ruled in my wife's favour. The appeal judge ruled that the Minister's counsel had no obligation to present such evidence and that the onus was therefore on my wife to prove her innocence. This cost us tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and around two years of legal limbo. An inquisitorial trial could have empowered the judge to access that information himself.
In states that possess more than one official language, it is not uncommon even for people in positions of authority to fail to master their language of work:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_bilingualism_in_Canada#Educational,_linguistic,_economic,_and_other_challenges_of_official_bilingualism
Given how, in any state that has more than one official language, police and border officers, counsels, and even judges may fail to master their official language of work, an accused who distrusts the judge's competence in the language of the trial and the competence of an interpreter could request a trial in Esperanto without the aid of an interpreter so as to address the judge directly in a language that the judge could reasonably master.
According to one study, a person can learn as much Esperanto in 150 hours of instruction as he could English after 1,500 hours. To put this into perspective, a person who starts to learn Esperanto at the age of eight for fifty hours a year for six consecutive years could achieve the same mastery of Esperanto by the age of fifteen as he could after three thousand hours of English (as is simply not possible in any publicly-funded school anywhere in the world).
https://www.vie-publique.frapport/27650-lenseignement-des-langues-etrangeres-comme-politique-publique
(in French)
We should remember that a judge is not a language scholar but a legal scholar. This could save on legal interpretation costs too.
To grant a self-excluded person protection from rape-shield laws could protect him from an aggressor's attempt to weaponize the law against him by blackmailing him into unwanted sex through a threat of a false rape accusation.
The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt could protect a self-excluded foreign national from being expelled from the country on mere circumstatial evidence. Had my wife enjoyed such a right, she would never have had to face trial in the first place given the lack of evidence and revealed incompetence and prejudices of some of the people involved in her case. The same could apply to a falsely-accused foreign male.
Self-exclusion could present some risks. For example, a woman could coerce a man into consenting to fornication, in which case he would then hesitate to report her out of a fear that he could face a fine too. We should remember though that precedent already exists to take duress into account in cases of coerced consent. We should remember too that the man would have freely chosen to self-exclude with the understanding that self-exclusion would come with both advantages (such as more sexual protection under the law) and disadvantages (such as less sexual freedom under the law). It would be up to the self-excluded man to not freely consent to fornication so as to benefit from its greater protection under the law.
I know a few men (including me) who support this position and others who, following its rational conclusion, perceive it as a step or slippery slope to the PCF position above.
I see it as a male pre-conception equivalent of 'my-body-my-choice'.
A Right-to-Self-Exclusion Act (RSEA) could extend to alcohol, gambling, prostitution, and other addictions too:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-exclusion
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashless_Welfare_Card
Its pros and cons resemble those of the PCF position above for those who choose ti self-exclude and any other person in their interactions with the self-excluded.
If you would like to know more about what a Right-to-Self-Exclusion Act might look like, please let me know and I could email you the details.

1. Anti-abortion

In the absence of an alternative in popular political discourse, some men who otherwise lean pro-choice may vote pro-life in the belief that making abortion a criminal offence could more effectively deter female sexual aggression against men and, in so doing, more effectively promote male sexual and reproductive rights.
We can reasonably presume that many of these men would switch their votes to better alternatives to promote male sexual and reproductive rights if given the choice.
Where do you stand on male sexual and reproductive rights?