Rik Mayall, star of The Young Ones, dies aged 56 R.I.P

British comedian and actor Rik Mayall has died aged 56.

He played obnoxious, poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones with his friend Adrian Edmondson. The pair later starred in the sitcom Bottom.
A pioneer of the 1980s alternative comedy scene, Mayall also appeared in Blackadder and The New Statesman.

"He was a quiet, polite, caring gentleman. The antithesis of the characters he played”

Laurence Marks Creator, The New Statesman

His manager Roger Davidson said: "It is a terrible shock. All we know... is that Rik died at home. He touched many lives, and always for the better."

Edmondson added: "There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing.
"They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him.
"And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard."

 

 


Police said they were called to reports of a sudden death of a man in his 50s at 13:19 BST on Monday, in Barnes in south west London.
London Ambulance Service said "a man, aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene".
The Metropolitan Police said the death was not believed to be suspicious.

Rik was inspirational, bonkers, and a great life force”

Nigel Planer

The actor, who was married with three children, was left seriously ill after a quad bike accident in 1998 which left him in a coma for several days.

His big break came at The Comic Strip Club, performing with comedy partner Adrian Edmondson as 20th Century Coyote in the 1980s, which led to cult television hit The Comic Strip Presents.
He co-wrote The Young Ones with Lise Mayer and Ben Elton, which ran for 12 episodes between 1982 and 1985. It shared cult status and schoolboy humour with later sitcom Bottom.
Mayall and Edmondson's slapstick comedy often involved fires, explosions, and hefty blows to the head with a frying pan.
The pair met at Manchester University before forming the on-stage comedy duo The Dangerous Brothers.
It was there Mayall had befriended Elton, who said of his friend: "He changed my life utterly," adding: "He always made me cry with laughter, now he's just made me cry."
Anarchic characters Mayall's film roles included the comedies Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.
He also famously played the loud-mouthed and lecherous Lord Flashheart in BBC comedy series Blackadder, starring Rowan Atkinson.
The actor appeared in the second and fourth series, shouting catchphrases such as "woof!" and "let's do-oo-oo it!".
But his early, anarchic characters gave way to the smooth, scheming Conservative politician Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman, which ran on ABC from 1986 to 1992.


Blackadder producer and writer John Lloyd paid tribute, telling the BBC: "It's really a dreadful piece of news."
"He was the most extraordinarily good actor as well as being an amazing stand-up comic. Apart from being great company, he was a great professional," said Lloyd.
Stephen Fry, who appeared with Mayall in Blackadder, described his co-star as "an authentic comedy genius and a prince among men," adding he was "simply distraught" at the news.
Writer Laurence Marks, who created The New Statesman, described Mayall as "a quiet, polite, caring gentleman".
"He was the antithesis of the characters he played," he said, adding that the comedian's health had deteriorated after his quad bike crash 16 years ago.
"I think he lost his long-term memory, so often when we were discussing The New Statesman, he couldn't remember it."
Nigel Planer, who played the hapless hippie Neil in The Young Ones, said he was "very, very sad and upset that we've lost Rik, who was inspirational, bonkers, and a great life force".
He described Mayall as "a brilliant comedian and someone who made everyone else's lives more fun. He will be really, really missed".
'Truly brilliant comedian' Among those paying tribute on Twitter was comedian David Walliams.
He wrote: "I am heartbroken that my comedy idol growing up Rik Mayall has died. He made me want to be a comedian."
"Growing up there was no one funnier," said The Mighty Boosh comedian Noel Fielding. "We will really miss you Rik Mayall you genius."
Alan Davies, who starred opposite Mayall in Jonathan Creek, said the star was "great to be around"
"Funny, funny man and a comic hero in my teens. Terrible news."
The BBC's director of television, Danny Cohen, paid tribute to his "vibrancy and energy".
"If you look at something like Blackadder Two, Rik just had quite a small part in that series as Lord Flashheart - but it's one of the most memorable scenes in any series of Blackadder.
"And I think that tells you something about Rik. He stole scenes because of his energy and his vibrancy and his comic performances and he was truly extraordinary."

Speaking about his 1998 quad bike accident last year, Mayall said doctors had kept him alive on a life-support machine for five days and were about to turn it off when he began to show signs of life.
He used to mark the occasion by exchanging presents with his wife and children and said the near-death experience changed his life.
He said: "The main difference between now and before my accident is I'm just very glad to be alive.
"Other people get moody in their 40s and 50s - men get the male menopause. I missed the whole thing. I was just really happy."

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): Net Neutrality

a wonderful piece from John Oliver in which he skewers net neutrality and the cable companies.

As funny as this piece is (and it is hilarious), this issue is a tremendously important one that far too few people understand — something that is being counted upon by those looking to gain an advantage from proposed legislation — so share this with as many people as you can.

This won’t interest EVERYBODY, however. If you don’t use the internet, then this one probably isn’t for you...

Steen Jakobsen: Expect A 30% Stock Market Correction in 2014

Steen Jakobsen is one of the few CIOs of major banks who is prepared (and allowed) to say exactly what he thinks about the state of the global economy — even when the story he tells is somewhat alarming.

In this great interview with Chris Martenson, Steen explains why he is 70% in fixed income and why he expects a 30% stock market correction before 2014 is in the books.

There’s plenty more to get your teeth into, so sit back and enjoy Steen’s take...

Stephanie Pomboy Wine Country Conference 2014 "Confessions of Ben Bernanke"

Stephanie Pomboy gave a tour de force performance at this year’s Wine Country Conference in Sonoma in early May, with her presentation of “The Confessions of Ben Bernanke.”

There are many reasons why Stephanie is followed by many of the smartest people in the world of finance, and this presentation gives a glimpse into why...

“The 50-50-90 rule”.

“The 50-50-90 rule: anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90% probability you’ll get it wrong.”

— Andy Rooney

Russia-China gas deal could ignite a shift in global trading

Russia-China gas deal could ignite a shift in global trading

“The unipolar model of the world is over”, declared Vladimir Putin last week.

“The global picture has completely changed”.

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum was less well-attended than usual. During previous visits to this annual “Russian Davos”, now in its 18th year, I’ve regularly been mown down by American and West European CEOs, as they’ve purposefully stomped down carpet-tiled corridors, their retinue of aides and cameras in tow.

This year, while plenty of Western executives did make the annual trek to Russia’s beautiful second city, keen to sell more cars, soap powder and financial services in Europe’s most valuable consumer market, the corridors were safer. Many of the top names stayed away.

The sanctions imposed on Russia in response to events in Ukraine put Western business leaders under pressure. Fearing unsavoury headlines, and often responding to specific government requests, some of our best-known corporate pole-climbers gave “Putin’s vanity summit” a miss.

Such absences, along with the UK’s local and European election shenanigans, meant the St Petersburg Forum generated less comment than usual. Yet I’d say this year’s event provided confirmation of one of the most important pieces of news to emerge from Russia since the Soviet Union was dissolved a quarter of a century ago.

I’m referring to the $400bn (£237bn) deal struck between Moscow and Beijing, under which Russia will supply 38bn cubic metres (bcm) of gas to China over 30 years from 2018. Before that happens, the two sides are to share the estimated $77bn cost of building the new “Power of Siberia” pipeline, stretching from Eastern Siberia to China’s populous north-east.

While that will already amount to the world’s biggest construction project, this joint initiative could yet see a second pipeline built to the Western Provinces of the People’s Republic, expanding Russia’s annual Chinese gas sale to 61bcm.

This deal has been a long time coming. Last spring, after a decade of negotiation, state-run energy giants Gazprom and CNPC signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the initial pipeline route. Putin’s visit to China last week, followed by events in St Petersburg, cemented the high politics of the tie-up.

Some say the Ukrainian crisis has forced an “isolated” Russia to do this China deal now, in a scramble for allies. Others judge that Beijing, showing its disapproval of Western adventurism and lingering Cold War attitudes, is deliberately standing next to Moscow in a joint display of strength. Whichever way you spin it, the outcome is the same. Russia, source of a third of all natural gas used in Western Europe, will soon have a major alternative market for its vast exports. And that can only put upward pressure on both wholesale and retail gas prices.

Enemies for much of the Cold War, Russia and China are now building serious commercial ties across their 2,700-mile border. Under-reported in the West, this fast-strengthening relationship will do much to shape the world economy in the years and decades to come.

As recently as 2003, cross-border trade between Russia and China amounted to just $12bn. Over the last decade, that’s expanded more than seven-fold, reaching $90bn last year. Both sides recognise the synergies between the world’s largest energy exporter and the world’s most populous nation and biggest manufacturer.

In 2009, Russia’s oil giant Rosneft secured a $25bn oil swap contract with China. Last year, that relationship deepened, after Rosneft agreed to double oil supplies to China in a deal valued at a colossal $270bn. This reflected Russia’s plan to shift its focus away from saturated and crisis-ridden European energy markets and towards Asia — a plan well in train years before recent events in Ukraine.

Under the latest oil agreement, Russia pumps an extra 300,000 barrels to China daily for the next 25 years, doubling the crude it already sells to the energy-hungry People’s Republic. The speed of change in the direction of Russia’s oil exports has been stark. Russia now sends about 750,000 barrels a day to Asia, a fifth of the oil it sells abroad, helped by the East Siberia Pacific Ocean crude pipeline, linking Russia to China, which opened in 2010....

Interview with Marine Le Pen: “I Don’t Want This European Soviet Union”

Interview with Marine Le Pen: “I Don’t Want This European Soviet Union”http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/interview-with-french-front-national-leader-marine-le-pen-a-972925.html

SPIEGEL: Ms. Le Pen, having won 25 percent of the French vote, your Front National party stands as one of the primary beneficiaries of the May 25 European Parliament election. How could such a thing come to pass?

Le Pen: The French want to regain control of their own country. They want to determine the course of their own economy and their immigration policies. They want their own laws to take precedence over those of the European Union. The French have understood that the EU does not live up to the utopia they were sold. It has distanced itself significantly from a democratic mode of operation.

SPIEGEL: Yet, prior to the election, it was said that the establishment of lead candidates for the two biggest groups — Jean-Claude Juncker for the center-right and Martin Schulz for the center-left — would strengthen democracy in the EU.

Le Pen: That is totally bogus. Everybody knew that the parliament wouldn’t be making the final decision on the next president of the European Commission.

SPIEGEL: Do you want to destroy Europe?

Le Pen: I want to destroy the EU, not Europe! I believe in a Europe of nation-states. I believe in Airbus and Ariane, in a Europe based on cooperation. But I don’t want this European Soviet Union.

SPIEGEL: The EU is a vast project for peace. It has helped ensure 70 years without war on the Continent.

Le Pen: No. Europe is war. Economic war. It is the increase of hostilities between the countries. Germans are denigrated as being cruel, the Greeks as fraudsters, the French as lazy. Ms. Merkel can’t travel to any European country without being protected by hundreds of police. That is not brotherhood.

SPIEGEL: You now intend to head to Brussels only to fight the system.

Le Pen: And why not? The EU is deeply harmful, it is an anti-democratic monster. I want to prevent it from becoming fatter, from continuing to breathe, from grabbing everything with its paws and from extending its tentacles into all areas of our legislation. In our glorious history, millions have died to ensure that our country remains free. Today, we are simply allowing our right to self-determination to be stolen from us.

SPIEGEL: In truth, though, you didn’t win the elections because of the EU, but because the French are furious with their economic situation and with President François Hollande. Have you thanked him?

Le Pen: No. Then I would have had to call Nicolas Sarkozy as well. France is in this situation because the conservative Union for a Popular Movement (Sarkozy’s party) and the Socialists (Hollande’s party) submitted to European treaties. These treaties promote German interests quite well, but they are poor at defending France’s interests.

SPIEGEL: Germany is to be blamed for France’s misery?

Le Pen: Whenever I hear people utter anti-German sentiments, I say: You can’t blame Germany for defending its own interests. I can’t blame Ms. Merkel for saying she wants a strong euro. I place the blame with our own leaders who are not defending our interests. A strong euro is ruining our economy.

SPIEGEL: Why would you say that the euro is only helping Germany?

Le Pen: For a very simple reason: It was created by Germany, for Germany.

SPIEGEL: It was François Mitterand who wanted the euro in order to contain Germany. In fact, it was difficult for the Germans to give up their beloved deutsche mark.

Le Pen: That’s another story. Mitterand wanted to push integration forward with the euro. But from an economic standpoint, the euro is German. Were we to return to our national currencies, the D-Mark would be the only one to appreciate in value, which would be a competitive disadvantage for Germany. Our currency, by contrast, would be devalued, which would give us a bit of room to breathe.

Wall Street concerned over China’s gold hoarding

Wall Street concerned over China’s gold hoarding

The People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, is the world’s biggest gold hoarder and the bane of Wall Street traders, reports the Chinese-language financial news website BwChinese, citing a Hong Kong financial analyst.

Leung Hai-ming told the portal that China’s central bank took advantage of the US Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program in 2013, when the price of gold fell by 27%. The bank bought in over 1,000 tonnes of gold, representing almost one third of the world’s 3,756 tonnes last year.

There is reportedly less than 180,000 tonnes of gold reserves left, and only 20% of that remaining gold is tradable. This means that the People’s Bank of China will likely keep hold of the gold, limiting the gold trading volume — a concern for both the US government and Wall Street traders.

Leung said that the US Federal Reserve loans gold to investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and others every year to trade in the market. The amount of gold ranges between 400-500 tonnes and the move acts to artificially suppress gold prices. When the prices are in their favor, these investment banks buy back the gold and return it to the Fed.

But this measure is absolutely useless because China’s is hoarding the gold and does not follow the rules, Leung said. When it sees that gold prices are going down, the first thing it does is buy them, and does not sell when prices continue to fall. It seems that Wall Street cannot do anything to counter China on this, according to Leung.

The analyst said that the People’s Bank of China is putting pressure on Washington and Wall Street as the US dollar has been linked with gold prices since its rise as the leading global currency. The Fed hopes to manipulate gold prices in its favor, Leung said, but the Chinese central bank is standing in its way.

Businessman “who bought HK$270m of gold” ends up with rusty metal bars

Police were last night making arrangements with a mainland businessman to check whether HK$270 million of gold bullion he bought in Africa was genuine after part of the consignment was swapped with metal bars.

On Wednesday, Zhao Jingjun, 43, opened part of his shipment in front of his buyer in Hong Kong and discovered the gold had been switched for worthless metal.

A senior officer said it would be the city’s biggest heist in a decade if it was confirmed that all the gold had been stolen.

An initial inquiry showed Zhao purchased 998kg of gold bars from a company in Ghana in mid-April, police said.

The consignment, in 14 cases, was escorted by his staff and delivered from Ghana on a chartered flight late last month.

“Officers were told that his employee confirmed the cases contained the gold before it was loaded onto the chartered flight in Ghana,” a police source said.

The source said the employee left Hong Kong after the consignment was handed to the staff of a logistics company at Chek Lap Kok airport. It was then couriered to a Tsuen Wan warehouse.

The businessman arrived from Hebei province on Monday and checked into the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. On Wednesday, he had five of the cases couriered to his buyer’s Hung Hom office.

“When he opened the boxes, he found they were filled with metal bars instead of gold bullion,” the source said. “He told officers the cases appeared to have been tampered with.”

Police received a report from Zhao on Wednesday night when he returned to his hotel room.

He went to Tsim Sha Tsui police station yesterday with documents proving he bought the bullion in Ghana and that it was delivered to Hong Kong.

A police investigator said: “We don’t rule out the possibility that the gold bullion may have been switched for metal bars before being delivered to Hong Kong.”

Zhao has reportedly made several such transactions. His business activities include the purchase of iron ore from Australia, Africa and South America.

Four years ago, 265 gold bars were taken from a Yuen Long company. Police arrested three men and recovered most of the HK$90 million in bullion stolen.

Link:  http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1525986/all-glitters-businessman-who-bought-hk27m-gold-ends-metal-barsLinl:

Marine Le Pen: EU robbed us of all liberties, we should fight to get them back (FULL INTERVIEW)

A truly remarkable woman, France may not yet be completely swallowed by the Obama administrations imperialism with people like her there is still hope for the Country. Long live Marine Le Pen. 

EU's foreign policy sovereignty stolen and replaced with USSA sovereignty – Marine Le Pen

By labelling the FN "far-right" the mainstream media seek to marginalise and demonise grass roots movements such as FN - It is subtle and effective (nobody wants to be seen as extremist). Mme Le Pen knows this, which is why she is threatening to sue media organisations labelling them as "far-right" Long Live Marine Le Pen! She is a politician trying to look after the people who have voted for her rater than to promote the "globalisation" agenda of a global elite. 

The EU will indeed collapse. A country needs full control over its currency and other monetary policies.

the leftists are always first to cry racism, but never in favor of their own kind...
what a traitorous bunch of fools. I sincerely hope when Europe finally breaks out in the next civil/race war, these muso appeasing Politicians will be hanging from the streetlamps first.

Marine La Pen the New Joan of Arc! Long Live Marine!!! 

The EU has lost control of its foreign policy to Washington, France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen told RT, calling the bloc's diplomacy a “catastrophe” in which no independent voice of reason could be heard.
“The European Union's diplomacy is a catastrophe,” Le Pen told RT'sSophie Shevardnadze in an exclusive interview to be broadcast Monday. “The EU speaks out on foreign affairs either to create problems, or to make them worse.”
Where Ukraine is concerned, Le Pen believes that Europe had no right to blackmail the country into breaking up its historical and cultural ties to Russia.
“When offering a partnership agreement to Ukraine – which would mean breaking off of its allied relations with Russia – the EU has clearly set blackmail in motion. And that can't help but fuel dissent inside the country,” Le Pen told RT, adding that “pouring oil onto the fire” could lead to an increasing risk of a civil war.
“The EU has been doing nothing but making the situation worse using threats, blackmail and sanctions, which, as we can see now, clearly do not encourage anyone to sit at the negotiation table in order to come up with a peaceful and reasonable solution to the conflict.”
Le Penn, whose National Front party in late May secured a third of France’s seats in the European Parliamentary elections, says the EU's foreign policy has been badly misguided by the United States – Syria and Libya being just some of the most recent examples.
“We've made a great deal of foreign policy mistakes under Washington's influence, but the worst of them is Syria,” Le Penn said.
There are “no independent states left in Europe” that would call for peaceful solutions to conflicts, the National Front leader says.
“We [National Front] have been the only party to stand against the option of intervening in Syria. When the crisis first started, we said France is supplying arms to jihadists, who would spread terror if they win. That's what already happened in Libya.”
“That's the way the US acts in the international arena. But what is even more horrible, is that one can't hear the voices of European countries,” Le Pen added.
Watch the full interview with Marine Le Pen on RT’s SophieCo on Monday, June 9.