Edit 1: More ARKQ buying today (~50k shares). Thank you everyone for the positive feedback and discussion!
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) or TL;DR for the non-military types:
LMT is a good target if you want to literally go to the moon, and my PT is $690.26 in two years (more than 2x from current levels). Justification and some possible trade ideas are listed below, just CTRL-F “Trade Ideas”. I hope you guys enjoy this work and would appreciate any discussion or feedback. I hope to catch you in the comments.
Team,
We interrupt today’s regularly scheduled short squeeze coverage to discuss a traditionally boring stock, LMT (Lockheed Martin), with significant upside potential. To be clear, this is NOT a short squeeze target like many reddit posts are keying on. I hope that this piece sparks discussion, but if you are just looking for short squeeze content, all I have to say is BUY, HOLD, and GODSPEED.
The source of inspiration for me writing this piece is threefold; first, retail investors are winning, and I believe that we will continue to win if we continue to identify opportunities in the market. In my view, the stock market has always been a place for the public to shine a light on areas of innovation that real Americans are excited about and proud to be a part of. Online communities have stolen the loudspeaker from hedge fund managers and returned it to decentralized online democracies that quickly and proudly shift their weight behind ideas they believe in. In GME’s case, it was a blatant smear campaign to destroy a struggling business. I think that we should continue this campaign by identifying opportunities in the market and running with them. It may sound overly idealistic, but if reddit can take on the hedge funds, I non-ironically believe that we can quite literally take good companies researching space technology to the moon. I think LMT may be one of several stocks to help get us there.
Second, a video where the Secretary of State of Massachusetts argues that internet boards are full of a bunch of unsophisticated, thoughtless traders really ticked me off. This piece is designed to show that ‘the little guy’ is ready to get into the weeds, understand business plans, and outpace analysts that think companies like Tesla are overvalued by comparing them to Toyota. That is a big reason that I settled on an old, large, slow growth company to do a deep-dive on, and try my best to show some of the abysmal predictive analysis major ‘research firms’ do on even some of the most heavily covered stocks. LMT is making moves, and the suits on wall street are 10 steps behind. At the time of writing this piece, Analyst Estimates range from 330-460 (what an insane range).
Third, and most importantly, I am in the US military, and I think that it is fun to go deep into the financials of the defense sector. I think that it helps me understand the long-term growth plans of the DoD, and I think that I attack these deep-dives with a perspective that a lot of these finance-from-day-one cats do not understand. Even if no one ever looks at this work, I think that taking the time to write pieces like this makes me a better Soldier, and I will continue to do it in my spare time when I am feeling inspired. I wrote a piece on Raytheon Technologies (Ticker: RTX) 6 months ago, and I think it was well-received. I was most convicted about RTX in the defense sector, but I have since shifted to believing LMT is the leader in the defense space. I am long both, though. If this inspires anyone else to do similar research on other companies, or sparks discussion in the community, that is just a bonus. Special shout-out to the folks that read more than just the TL;DR, but if you do just read the TL;DR, I love you too!
Now let us get into it:
Leadership
I generally like to invest in companies that are led by people that seem to have integrity. Jim Taiclet took the reins at LMT in June of last year. While on active duty, he served as a C-141B Starlifter pilot (a retired LMT Aircraft). After getting out he went to work for the American Tower Corporation (Ticker: AMT). His first day at American Tower was September 10, 2001. The following day, AMT lost 13 employees in the World Trade Center attack. He stayed with the company, despite it being decimated by market uncertainty in the wake of 9/11. He was appointed CEO of the very same company in 2004. Over a 16 year tenure as CEO of AMT the company market cap 20x’d. He left his position as CEO of AMT in March of last year, and the stock stagnated since his departure, currently trading at roughly the same market cap as to when he left.
Jim Taiclet was also appointed to be the chairman of the board this week, replacing the previous CEO. Why is it relevant that the CEO came from a massive telecommunications company?
Rightfully, Taiclet’s focus for LMT is bringing military technology into the modern era. He wants LMT to be a first mover in the military 5G space, military application of AI space, the… space space, and the hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) space. These areas are revolutionary for the boomer defense sector. We will discuss this in more detail later when we cover the company’s P/E multiple and why it is absolute nonsense.
It is not a surprise to me that they brought Taiclet on during the pandemic. He led AMT through adversity before, and LMT’s positioning during the pandemic is tremendous relative to the rest of the sector, thanks in large part to some strong strategic moves and good investments by current and past leadership. I think that Taiclet is the right CEO for the job.
In addition to the new CEO, the new Secretary of Defense, Secretary Lloyd Austin, has strong ties to the defense sector. He was formerly a board member for RTX. He is absolutely above reproach, and a true leader of character, but I bring this up not to suggest that he will inappropriately serve in the best interest of defense contractors, but to suggest that he speaks the language of these companies effectively. I do not anticipate that the current administration poses as significant of a risk to the defense sector as many analysts seem to believe. This will be expanded in the headwinds section below.
SPACE
Cathie Wood and the ARK Invest team brought a lot of attention to the space sector when the ARKX, The ARK Space Exploration ETF, Form N-1A was officially filed through the SEC. More recently, ARK Invest published their Big Ideas 2021 Annual Report and dedicated an entire 7-page chapter to Orbital Aerospace, a new disruptive innovation platform that the ARK Team is investigating. This may have helped energize wall street to re-look their portfolios and their investments in space technology, but it was certainly not the first catalyst that pushed the defense industry in the direction of winning the new space race.
In June 2018, then President Trump announced at the annual National Space Council that “it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space, we must have American dominance in space. So important. Therefore, I am hereby directing the Department of Defense (DoD) and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces". Historically, Department of Defense space assets were under the control of the Air Force. By creating a separate branch of service for the United States Space Force (USSF), the DoD would allocate a Chairman of Space Operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and clearly define the budget for space operations dedicated directly to the USSF. At present, this budget is funneled from the USAF’s budget. The process was formalized in December of 2019, and the DoD has appropriated ~$15B to the USSF in their first full year of existence according to the FY21 budget.
Among the 77 spacecraft that are controlled by the USSF, 29 of them are Lockheed Martin GPS satellites, 6 of them are Lockheed Martin Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS), and LMT had a hand in creating and/or manufacturing for several of the other USSF efforts. The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Missile Warning Satellites (also known as Next-Gen OPIR) were contracted out to both Northrup Grumman (Ticker: NOC) and LMT. LMT’s contract is currently set at $4.9B, NOC’s contract is set at $2.37B.
Tangentially related to the discussion of space is the discussion of hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs). HGVs have exoatmospheric and atmospheric implications, but I think that their technology is extremely important to driving margins down for both space exploration and terrestrial point-to-point travel. LMT is leading the charge for military HGV research. They hold contracts with the Navy, Air Force, and Army to develop HGVs and hypersonic precision fires. The priority for HGV technology accelerated significantly when Russia launched their Avangard HGV in December of 2019. Improving the technology for HGVs is a critical next-step in maintaining US hegemony, but also maintaining leadership in both terrestrial and exoatmospheric travel.
LARGE SCALE COMBAT OPERATIONS (LSCO)
The DoD transitioning to Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) as the military’s strategic focus. This is a move away from an emphasis on Counter-Insurgency operations. LSCO requires effective multi-domain operations (MDO), which means effective and integrated strategies regarding land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. To have effective MDO, the DoD is seeking systems that both expand capabilities against peer threats and increase the ability to track enemy units and communicate internally. This requires a modernizing military strategy that relies heavily on air, missile, and sensor modernization. Put simply, the DoD has decided to start preparing for peer or near-peer adversaries (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) rather than insurgencies. For this reason, I believe that increased Chinese and Russian tensions are, unfortunate as it may be, a boon to the defense industry. This is particularly true in the missiles/fires and space industry, as peer-to-peer conflicts are won by leveraging technological advantages.
There are too many projects to cover in detail, but some important military technologies that LMT is focusing on to support LSCO include directed energy weapons (lasers) to address enemy drone technology, machine learning / artificial intelligence (most applications fall under LMT’s classified budget, but it is easy to imagine the applications of AI in a military context), and 5G to increase battlefield connectivity. These projects are all nested within the DoD’s LSCO strategy, and position LMT as the leader in emergent military tech. NOC is the other major contractor making a heavy push in the modernization direction, but winners win, and I think a better CEO, balance sheet, and larger market cap make LMT the clear winner for aiding the DoD in a transition toward LSCO.
SECTOR COMPARISON (BACKLOG)
The discussion of LSCO transitions well into the discussion of defense contractor backlogs. Massive defense contracts are not filled overnight, so examining order backlogs is a relatively reliable way to gauge the interest of the DoD in a defense contractor’s existing or emerging products. For my sector comparison, I am using the top 6 holdings of the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (Ticker: ITA). I hate this ETF, and ETFs like it (DFEN) because of their massively outsized exposure to aerospace, and undersized allocation to companies like LMT. LMT is only 18% smaller than Boeing (Ticker: BA) but is only 30.4% of the exposure of BA (18.46% of the fund is BA, only 5.62% of the fund is LMT). Funds of this category are just BA / RTX hacks. I suggest building your own pie on a site like M1 Finance (although they are implicated in the trade restriction BS… please be advised of that… hoping other brokerages that are above board will offer similar UIs like the pie design… just wanted to be clear there) if you are interested in the defense sector.
The top 6 holdings of ITA are:
Boeing Company (Ticker: BA, MKT CAP $110B) at 18.46%
Raytheon Technologies (Ticker: RTX, MKT CAP $101B) at 17.84%
Lockheed Martin (Ticker: LMT, MKT CAP $90B) at 5.62%
General Dynamics Corporation (Ticker: GD, MKT CAP $42B) 4.78%
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (Ticker: TDY, MKT CAP $13B) at 4.74%
Northrop Grumman Corporation (Ticker: NOC, MKT CAP $48B) at 4.64%
As a brief aside, please look at the breakdowns of ETFs before buying them. The fact that ITA has more exposure to TDY than NOC and L3Harris is wild. Make sector ETFs balanced how you want them to be balanced and it will be more engaging, and you will likely outperform. I digress.
Backlogs for defense companies can easily be pulled from their quarterly reports. Here are the current backlogs in the same order as before, followed by a percentage of their backlog to their current market cap. All numbers are pulled from January earning reports unless otherwise noted with an * because they are still pending.
Boeing Company backlog (Commercial: $282B, Defense: $61B, Foreign Military Sales (FMS, categorized by BA as ‘Global’): 21B, Total Backlog 364B): BA’s backlog to market cap is a ratio of 3.32, which is strong, but most of that backlog comes from the commercial, not the defense side. Airlines have been getting decimated, I am personally not interested in having much of my backlog exposed to commercial pressures when trying to invest in a defense play. Without commercial exposure, their defense only backlog ratio is .748. This is extremely low. I understand that this does not do BA justice, but I am keying in on defense exposure, and I am left thoroughly unsatisfied by that ratio. Also, we have seen several canceled contracts already on the commercial side.
Raytheon Technologies backlog (Defense backlog for all 4 subdivisions: 67.3B): Raytheon only published a defense backlog in this quarter’s report. That is further evidence to me that the commercial aerospace side of the house is getting hammered. They have a relatively week backlog to market cap as well, putting them at a ratio of .664, worse off than the BA defense backlog.
Lockheed Martin backlog (Total Backlog: $147B): This backlog blows our first two defense backlogs out of the water with a current market cap to backlog ratio of 1.63.
General Dynamics Corporation backlog (Total Backlog: $89.5B, $11.6B is primarily business jets, but it is difficult to determine how much of their aerospace business is commercial): Solid 2.13 ratio, still great 1.85 if you do not consider their aerospace business. The curveball here for me is that GD published a consolidated operating profit of $4.1B including commercial aerospace, whereas LMT published a consolidated operating profit of $9.1B. This makes the LMT ratio of profit/market cap slightly in favor of LMT without accounting for the GD commercial aerospace exposure. This research surprised me; I may like GD more than I originally assumed I would. Still prefer LMT.
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated backlog (Found in the earnings transcript, $1.7B): This stock is not quite in the same league as the other major contractors. This is an odd curveball that a lot of the defense ETFs seem to have too much exposure to. They have a weak backlog, but they are a smaller growing company. I am not interested in this at all. It has a backlog ratio of .129.
Northrop Grumman Corporation backlog ($81B): Strong numbers here. I see NOC and LMT as the two front-runners in the defense sector. I like LMT more because I like their exposure to AI, 5G, and HGVs more than NOC, but I think this is a great alternative to LMT if you like the defense sector. Has a ratio of 1.69, slightly edging out LMT on this metric. LMT edges out NOC on margins by ~.9%, though, which has significant implications when considering the depth of the LMT backlog.
The winners here are LMT, GD, and NOC. BA is attractive if you think anyone will have enough money to buy new planes. BA and RTX are both getting hammered by commercial aerospace exposure right now and are much more positioned as recovery plays. That said, LMT and NOC both make money now, and will regardless of the impact of the pandemic. LMT is growing at a slightly faster rate than NOC. Both are profit machines, but I like LMT’s product portfolio and leadership a lot more.
FREE CASH FLOW
Despite the pandemic, LMT had the free cash flow to be able to pay a $2.60 per share dividend. This maintains their ~3% yearly dividend rate. They had a free cash flow of $6.4B. They spent $3.9 of that in share repurchases and dividend payouts. That leaves 40% of that cash to continue to strengthen one of the most stalwart balance sheets outside of big tech on the street. Having this free cash flow allowed them to purchase Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.4B in December. They seem flexible and willing to expand and take advantage of their relative position during the pandemic. This is a stock that has little downside risk and significant upside potential. It is always reassuring to me to know that at the end of the day, a company is using its profit to continue to grow.
HEADWINDS
New Administration – This is more of an unknown than a headwind. The Obama Administration was not light on military spending, and the newly appointed SecDef is unlikely to shy away from modernizing the force. Military defense budgets may get lost in the political shuffle, but nothing right now suggests that defense budgets are on the chopping block.
Macroeconomic pressure – The markets are tumultuous in the wake of GME. Hedgies are shaking in their boots, and scared money weighed on markets the past week. If scared money continues to exert pressure on the broader equity markets, all boomer stocks are likely weighed down by slumping markets.
Non-meme Status – The stocks that are impervious to macroeconomic pressures in the above paragraph are the stonks that we, the people, have decided to support. From GME to IPOE, there is a slew of stonks that are watching and laughing from the green zone as the broader markets slip deeper into the red zone. Unless sentiment about LMT changes, I see no evidence that LMT will remain unaffected by a broader economic downturn (despite showing growth YoY during a pandemic).
TAILWINDS
Aerojet Rocketdyne to the Moon – Cathie Wood opened up a $39mil position in LMT a few weeks ago, and this was near the announcement of ARKX. The big ideas 2021 article focuses heavily on satellite technology, deep learning, and HGVs. I think that the AR acquisition suggests that vertical integration is a priority for LMT. They even fielded a question in their earnings call about whether they were concerned about being perceived as a monopoly. Their answer was spot on—the USFG and DoD have a vested interest in the success of defense companies. Why would they discourage a defense contractor from vertical integration to optimize margins?
International Tensions – SolarWinds has escalated US-Russia tensions. President Biden wants to look tough on China. LSCO is a DoD-wide priority.
5G.Mil – We still do not have a lot of fidelity on what this looks like, but the military would benefit in a lot of ways if we had world-wide access to the rapid transfer of encrypted data. Many units still rely on Vietnam-era technology signal technology with abysmal data rates. There are a lot of implications if the code can be cracked to win a DoD 5G contract.
TRADE IDEAS
Price Target: LMT is currently at a P/E of ~14. Verizon has roughly the same. LMT’s 5-year P/E ratio average is ~17. NOC is currently at a P/E of ~20. TSLA has a P/E Ratio of 1339 (disappointingly not 1337). P/E is a useless metric because no one seems to care about it. My point is that LMT makes a lot of money, and other companies that are valued at much higher multiples do not make any money at all. LMT’s P/E ratio is that of a boomer stock that has no growth potential. LMT’s P/E is exactly in line with the Aerospace and Defense Industry P/E ratio standard. LMT’s new CEO is pushing the industry in a new direction. I will arbitrarily choose a P/E ratio of 30, because it is half of the software industry average, and it is a nice round number. Plus, stock values are speculative and nonsense anyway.
Share price today: $321.82
Share price based on LMT average 5-year P/E: $384.08 (I see this as a short term PT, reversion to the mean)
Share price with a P/E of 30: $690.26
Buy and Hold: Simple. Doesn’t take much thought. Come back in a year or two and be happy with your tendies (and a few dividends to boot).
LEAPS Call Debit Spread (Based on last trade prices): Buy $375 C 20 JAN 23 for $26.5, Sell $450 C 20 JAN 23 for $12. Total Cost $14.5 for a spread width of $75. Max gain 517% per spread. Higher risk strategy.
LEAPS: Buy $500 C 20 JAN 23 for $7.20. Very high-risk strat. If the price target is hit within two years, these would be in the money $183 per contract for a gain of 2500%. This is the casino strat.
SOURCES
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2020/james-taiclet-from-military-pilot-to-successful-ceo.html
https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-response-to-senator-warrens-questions-secretary-of-defense-nominee-general-lloyd-austin-commits-to-recusing-himself-from-raytheon-decisions-for-four-years
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-08-30-Lockheed-Martins-Expertise-in-Hypersonic-Flight-Wins-New-Army-Work
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/hypersonics.html
https://research.ark-invest.com/hubfs/1_Download_Files_ARK-Invest/White_Papers/ARK%E2%80%93Invest_BigIdeas_2021.pdf?hsCtaTracking=4e1a031b-7ed7-4fb2-929c-072267eda5fc%7Cee55057a-bc7b-441e-8b96-452ec1efe34c
https://www.deseret.com/2018/6/19/20647309/twitter-reacts-to-trump-s-call-for-a-space-force
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2021/fy2021_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf
https://www.airforcemag.com/lockheed-receives-up-to-4-9-billion-for-next-gen-opir-satellites/
https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-gets-2-3-billion-space-force-contract-to-develop-missile-warning-satellites/
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/directed-energy/laser-weapon-systems.html
https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/lockheed-martins-ai-applications-for-the-military/
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2020/07/new-ceo-wants-lockheed-become-5g-playe167072/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/defense-firms-expect-higher-spending-11548783988
https://www.etf.com/ITA#efficiency
https://s2.q4cdn.com/661678649/files/doc_financials/2020/q4/4Q20-Presentation.pdf
https://investors.rtx.com/static-files/dfd94ff7-4cca-4540-bc4b-4e3ba92fc646
https://investors.lockheedmartin.com/static-files/64e5aa03-9023-423a-8908-2aae8c7015ac
https://s22.q4cdn.com/891946778/files/doc_financials/2020/q4/GD_4Q20_Earnings_Highlights-Outlook-Final.pdf
https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2021/01/27/teledyne-technologies-inc-tdy-q4-2020-earnings-cal/
https://investor.northropgrumman.com/static-files/6e6e117f-f656-4c68-ba7f-3dc53c2dd13a

English

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Heb je verdere ondersteuning nodig?

• Rode Kruis Hulplijn - 070 4455 888 - Hulp en advies bij quarantaine en een luisterend oor. Maandag t/m zondag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 21:00 uur.
• Luisterlijn - 0900 0767 - Voor een luisterend oor. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon, chat en e-mail.
• Stichting MIND - 0900 1450 - Voor ondersteuning bij psychische klachten en lotgenotencontact. Elke werkdag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 18:00 uur.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie - 0800 0113 - Voor hulp bij acute zelfmoordgedachten op anonieme basis. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon en chat.
• iPractice - 020 2444 889 - Voor een telefonisch consult door een psycholoog op donatiebasis. Bereikbaar op afspraak.
• Mantelzorglijn - 030 760 6055 - Voor informatie over mantelzorg en het coronavirus via telefoon en WhatsApp. Bereikbaar op werkdagen van 9:00 tot 18:00 uur.
• Coronahulp.nl - Verwijzingen naar websites voor praktische hulpvragen.

Alle vorige megathreads.

It was the Harrah's casino in Tunica and we saw from our hotel room window a car with caution tape around it and police around. The car was gone and the site was cleaned up within about 30 minutes. We were told by a buffet waiter that it had been a suicide and the guy had shot himself in the head in his car. When we didn't see anything about it on the local news we asked a floorman why and he said that they and local newspapers were paid off not to report it. He also said a guy committed suicide once at a blackjack table and the casino floor was not even closed down. They only put up fabric like barriers so no one could see it around the table and cleaned it up in no time flat so they could get the table back to making money. The employees are told to act like nothing happened and to sweep it under the rug so to speak. Any casino employees or ex casino employees redditors that have seen this kind of thing happen or can verify that this is true?

English

Hi theNetherlands. This megathread will serve as a hub for all information regarding the corona virus. Please don't share rumours or unconfirmed information.

• Corona virus Dashboard by the Dutch Government
• Current information and data regarding the Netherlands in English by RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
• Questions & answers about the corona virus by RIVM
• Current international information and data by Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) distance, wash your hands with soap often, cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow, use disposable paper handkerchiefs and don't shake hands. Wear a face mask in public transport and publicly accessible spaces. A curfew is in effect from 9.00 pm to 4.30 am. If you exhibit symptoms, stay home and make an appointment for a test with the GGD at 0800-1202 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm). If you have any other questions, call the RIVM at 0800-1351 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm).

Nederlands

Dag theNetherlands. Deze hernieuwde post zal dienen als verzamelplaats voor alle informatie rondom het coronavirus. Deel hier alsjeblieft geen geruchten of informatie die niet officieel bevestigd is.

• Coronavirus Dashboard van de Rijksoverheid
• Routekaart risiconiveaus en maatregelen van de Rijksoverheid (vernieuwd)
• Actuele informatie en gegevens over besmettingen in Nederland, door het RIVM
• Vragen en achtergronden over het coronavirus, door het RIVM
• Actuele internationale gegevens met besmettingen, door Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Actuele maatregelen

De volgende maatregelen zijn geldig tot ten minste 1 maart 2021, tenzij anders vermeld.

• De avondklok is verlengd tot tenminste 3 maart, 4.30 uur.
  
• De lockdown blijft tot ten minste 1 maart actief. Op 23 februari vraagt het kabinet advies aan het OMT of het versoepelen mogelijk en verstandig is.
  
• Er geldt een avondklok van 21.00 uur ’s avonds tot 04.30 uur ’s ochtends tot 10 februari. Als het noodzakelijk is om naar buiten te gaan, moeten mensen een formulier ‘Eigen verklaring avondklok’ meenemen. Als dit voor werk is, moeten mensen ook een werkgeversverklaring tonen. Uitzonderingen:
  
  • In geval van een calamiteit;
  • Als uzelf, een hulpbehoevend persoon of een dier dringend (medische) hulp nodig heeft;
  • Als u van uw werkgever voor werk naar buiten moet;
  • Als u naar het buitenland reist of terugkeert naar Nederland;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een uitvaart en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een oproep van een rechter, officier van justitie of bezwaar- of beroepschriftenzitting en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u in uw eentje een aangelijnde hond uitlaat;
  • Maaltijdbezorgers.
• De meeste locaties zijn gesloten:
  
  • Winkels (behalve voor essentiële zaken zoals levensmiddelen);
  • Locaties van contactberoepen zoals kappers, nagelstudio’s, seksinrichtingen;
  • Theaters, concertzalen, bioscopen, casino’s, etc.;
  • Dierenparken, pretparken, etc.;
  • Binnensportlocaties zoals sportscholen, zwembaden, sauna’s, wellness, etc.;
  • Restaurants en cafés.
  • Hotels zijn open, maar restaurants en roomservice in een hotel zijn gesloten.
• Winkels mogen vanaf 10 februari wel klanten laten bestellen en afhalen. Er moet een tijdsslot gereserveerd worden en er moet minstens vier uur tussen bestellen en ophalen zitten om funshoppen te voorkomen. Winkels die hun deuren toch openen worden helemaal gesloten.
  
• Onderwijsinstellingen bieden voornamelijk onderwijs op afstand tot en met ten minste 1 maart.
  
  • Basisonderwijs en de kinderopvang gaan open op 8 februari, met strenge voorwaarden. Zodra er één positieve test in de klas is, gaat de hele klas in quarantaine en laat zich testen. Er komen meer (snel)testen en intensiever bron- en contactonderzoek.
  • De buitenschoolse opvang en middelbare scholen blijven nog dicht tot 1 maart.
  • In het voortgezet onderwijs kunnen praktijkonderwijs, lessen voor examenleerlingen en het afnemen van schoolexamens in het (voor)examenjaar wel op locatie plaatsvinden.
  • In MBO, HBO en WO mogen examens en tentamens worden afgenomen en is praktijkonderwijs mogelijk.
  • In alle vormen van onderwijs mag er een uitzondering gemaakt worden voor het begeleiden van kwetsbare leerlingen en studenten.
  • Voor kinderen van ouders die een cruciaal beroep hebben, is er noodopvang op de basisschool of de kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang.
• Alleen (para)medische contactberoepen zijn toegestaan.
  
• Ontvang thuis niet meer dan 1 persoon van 13 jaar of ouder per dag. Uitgezonderd mantelzorgers.
  
• Ga maximaal 1 keer per dag ergens op bezoek.
  
• Werk thuis. Alleen mensen die essentieel zijn voor de voortgang van een bedrijfsproces en die hun werk niet thuis kunnen uitvoeren, mogen naar het werk komen.
  
• Ga alleen naar buiten met leden van je huishouden of met een groepje dat bestaat uit maximaal 2 mensen. Uitgezonderd uitvaarten tot 50 mensen.
  
• Volwassenen sporten alleen of met zijn tweeën, en alleen buiten. Kinderen t/m 17 jaar mogen sporten in teamverband en mogen wedstrijden onderling spelen, maar ook alleen buiten.
  
• Maak alleen gebruik van het openbaar vervoer voor strikt noodzakelijke reizen.
  
• Blijf in Nederland. Ga niet op reis naar het buitenland en boek geen buitenlandse reizen tot en met 31 maart. Er gelden reisbeperkingen. Een PCR-test én sneltest zijn verplicht en mensen moeten 10 dagen in quarantaine wanneer ze inreizen.
  

Hoe kun je verspreiding van het coronavirus voorkomen?

• Blijf thuis bij klachten, laat je testen en ziek uit.
• Was vaak je handen met water en zeep.
• Hoest en nies in de binnenkant van je elleboog.
• Gebruik papieren zakdoekjes om je neus te snuiten en gooi deze daarna weg.
• Schud geen handen.
• Houd 1,5 meter afstand (2 armlengtes) van anderen.
• Vermijd drukte en draag een mond-neusmasker in openbare ruimten.
• Werk zoveel mogelijk thuis.

Heb je meer vragen over het coronavirus?

Lees de Vragen en Achtergronden of neem telefonisch contact op met het RIVM via 0800-1351 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur).

Wil je laten testen of je het coronavirus hebt?

Neem contact op met de GGD via 0800-1202 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur). Hou je burgerservicenummer (BSN) bij de hand. De test is gratis. Lees ook de informatie van het RIVM.

Heb je verdere ondersteuning nodig?

• Rode Kruis Hulplijn - 070 4455 888 - Hulp en advies bij quarantaine en een luisterend oor. Maandag t/m zondag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 21:00 uur.
• Luisterlijn - 0900 0767 - Voor een luisterend oor. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon, chat en e-mail.
• Stichting MIND - 0900 1450 - Voor ondersteuning bij psychische klachten en lotgenotencontact. Elke werkdag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 18:00 uur.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie - 0800 0113 - Voor hulp bij acute zelfmoordgedachten op anonieme basis. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon en chat.
• iPractice - 020 2444 889 - Voor een telefonisch consult door een psycholoog op donatiebasis. Bereikbaar op afspraak.
• Mantelzorglijn - 030 760 6055 - Voor informatie over mantelzorg en het coronavirus via telefoon en WhatsApp. Bereikbaar op werkdagen van 9:00 tot 18:00 uur.
• Coronahulp.nl - Verwijzingen naar websites voor praktische hulpvragen.

Alle vorige megathreads.

English

Hi theNetherlands. This megathread will serve as a hub for all information regarding the corona virus. Please don't share rumours or unconfirmed information.

• Corona virus Dashboard by the Dutch Government
• Current information and data regarding the Netherlands in English by RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
• Questions & answers about the corona virus by RIVM
• Current international information and data by Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) distance, wash your hands with soap often, cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow, use disposable paper handkerchiefs and don't shake hands. Wear a face mask in public transport and publicly accessible spaces. A curfew is in effect from 9.00 pm to 4.30 am. If you exhibit symptoms, stay home and make an appointment for a test with the GGD at 0800-1202 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm). If you have any other questions, call the RIVM at 0800-1351 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm).

Nederlands

Dag theNetherlands. Deze hernieuwde post zal dienen als verzamelplaats voor alle informatie rondom het coronavirus. Deel hier alsjeblieft geen geruchten of informatie die niet officieel bevestigd is.

• Coronavirus Dashboard van de Rijksoverheid
• Routekaart risiconiveaus en maatregelen van de Rijksoverheid
• Actuele informatie en gegevens over besmettingen in Nederland, door het RIVM
• Vragen en achtergronden over het coronavirus, door het RIVM
• Actuele internationale gegevens met besmettingen, door Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Actuele maatregelen

De volgende maatregelen zijn geldig vanaf zaterdag 23 januari, 21.00 uur tot ten minste 9 februari 2021.

• Ontvang thuis niet meer dan 1 persoon van 13 jaar of ouder per dag. Uitgezonderd mantelzorgers.
  
• Ga maximaal 1 keer per dag ergens op bezoek.
  
• Werk thuis. Alleen mensen die essentieel zijn voor de voortgang van een bedrijfsproces en die hun werk niet thuis kunnen uitvoeren, mogen naar het werk komen.
  
• Ga alleen naar buiten met leden van je huishouden of met een groepje dat bestaat uit maximaal 2 mensen. Uitgezonderd uitvaarten tot 50 mensen.
  
• Er geldt een avondklok van 21.00 uur ’s avonds tot 04.30 uur ’s ochtends. Dat betekent dat je dan niet buiten mag zijn. Als toch het noodzakelijk is om naar buiten te gaan, moeten mensen een formulier ‘Eigen verklaring avondklok’ meenemen. Als dit voor werk is, moeten mensen ook een werkgeversverklaring tonen. Uitzonderingen:
  
  • In geval van een calamiteit;
  • Als uzelf, een hulpbehoevend persoon of een dier dringend (medische) hulp nodig heeft;
  • Als u van uw werkgever voor werk naar buiten moet;
  • Als u naar het buitenland reist of terugkeert naar Nederland;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een uitvaart en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een oproep van een rechter, officier van justitie of bezwaar- of beroepschriftenzitting en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u in uw eentje een aangelijnde hond uitlaat;
  • Maaltijdbezorgers.
• De meeste locaties zijn gesloten:
  
  • Winkels (behalve voor essentiële zaken zoals levensmiddelen)
  • Locaties van contactberoepen zoals kappers, nagelstudio’s, seksinrichtingen
  • Theaters, concertzalen, bioscopen, casino’s, etc.
  • Dierenparken, pretparken, etc.
  • Binnensportlocaties zoals sportscholen, zwembaden, sauna’s, wellness, etc
  • Restaurants en cafés
  • Hotels zijn open, maar restaurants en roomservice in een hotel zijn gesloten.
• Onderwijsinstellingen bieden voornamelijk onderwijs op afstand tot en met ten minste 7 februari. De kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang zijn in deze periode gesloten.
  
  • In het voortgezet onderwijs kunnen praktijkonderwijs, lessen voor examenleerlingen en het afnemen van schoolexamens in het (voor)examenjaar wel op locatie plaatsvinden.
  • In MBO, HBO en WO mogen examens en tentamens worden afgenomen en is praktijkonderwijs mogelijk.
  • In alle vormen van onderwijs mag er een uitzondering gemaakt worden voor het begeleiden van kwetsbare leerlingen en studenten.
• Voor kinderen van ouders die een cruciaal beroep hebben, is er noodopvang op de basisschool of de kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang.
  
• Alleen (para)medische contactberoepen zijn toegestaan.
  
• Volwassenen sporten alleen of met zijn tweeën, en alleen buiten. Kinderen t/m 17 jaar mogen sporten in teamverband en mogen wedstrijden onderling spelen, maar ook alleen buiten.
  
• Maak alleen gebruik van het openbaar vervoer voor strikt noodzakelijke reizen.
  
• Blijf in Nederland. Ga niet op reis naar het buitenland en boek geen buitenlandse reizen tot en met 31 maart. Er gelden reisbeperkingen. Een PCR-test én sneltest zijn verplicht en mensen moeten 10 dagen in quarantaine wanneer ze inreizen.
  

Hoe kun je verspreiding van het coronavirus voorkomen?

• Blijf thuis bij klachten, laat je testen en ziek uit.
• Was vaak je handen met water en zeep.
• Hoest en nies in de binnenkant van je elleboog.
• Gebruik papieren zakdoekjes om je neus te snuiten en gooi deze daarna weg.
• Schud geen handen.
• Houd 1,5 meter afstand (2 armlengtes) van anderen.
• Vermijd drukte en draag een mond-neusmasker in openbare ruimten.
• Werk zoveel mogelijk thuis.

Heb je meer vragen over het coronavirus?

Lees de Vragen en Achtergronden of neem telefonisch contact op met het RIVM via 0800-1351 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur).

Wil je laten testen of je het coronavirus hebt?

Neem contact op met de GGD via 0800-1202 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur). Hou je burgerservicenummer (BSN) bij de hand. De test is gratis. Lees ook de informatie van het RIVM.

Heb je verdere ondersteuning nodig?

• Rode Kruis Hulplijn - 070 4455 888 - Hulp en advies bij quarantaine en een luisterend oor. Maandag t/m zondag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 21:00 uur.
• Luisterlijn - 0900 0767 - Voor een luisterend oor. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon, chat en e-mail.
• Stichting MIND - 0900 1450 - Voor ondersteuning bij psychische klachten en lotgenotencontact. Elke werkdag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 18:00 uur.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie - 0800 0113 - Voor hulp bij acute zelfmoordgedachten op anonieme basis. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon en chat.
• iPractice - 020 2444 889 - Voor een telefonisch consult door een psycholoog op donatiebasis. Bereikbaar op afspraak.
• Mantelzorglijn - 030 760 6055 - Voor informatie over mantelzorg en het coronavirus via telefoon en WhatsApp. Bereikbaar op werkdagen van 9:00 tot 18:00 uur.
• Coronahulp.nl - Verwijzingen naar websites voor praktische hulpvragen.

Alle vorige megathreads.

English

Hi theNetherlands. This megathread will serve as a hub for all information regarding the corona virus. Please don't share rumours or unconfirmed information.

• Corona virus Dashboard by the Dutch Government
• Current information and data regarding the Netherlands in English by RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
• Questions & answers about the corona virus by RIVM
• Current international information and data by Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) distance, wash your hands with soap often, cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow, use disposable paper handkerchiefs and don't shake hands. Wear a face mask in public transport and publicly accessible spaces. A curfew is in effect from 9.00 pm to 4.30 am. If you exhibit symptoms, stay home and make an appointment for a test with the GGD at 0800-1202 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm). If you have any other questions, call the RIVM at 0800-1351 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm).

Nederlands

Dag theNetherlands. Deze hernieuwde post zal dienen als verzamelplaats voor alle informatie rondom het coronavirus. Deel hier alsjeblieft geen geruchten of informatie die niet officieel bevestigd is.

• Coronavirus Dashboard van de Rijksoverheid
• Routekaart risiconiveaus en maatregelen van de Rijksoverheid
• Actuele informatie en gegevens over besmettingen in Nederland, door het RIVM
• Vragen en achtergronden over het coronavirus, door het RIVM
• Actuele internationale gegevens met besmettingen, door Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Actuele maatregelen

De volgende maatregelen zijn geldig vanaf zaterdag 23 januari, 21.00 uur tot ten minste 9 februari 2021.

• Ontvang thuis niet meer dan 1 persoon van 13 jaar of ouder per dag. Uitgezonderd mantelzorgers.
  
• Ga maximaal 1 keer per dag ergens op bezoek.
  
• Werk thuis. Alleen mensen die essentieel zijn voor de voortgang van een bedrijfsproces en die hun werk niet thuis kunnen uitvoeren, mogen naar het werk komen.
  
• Ga alleen naar buiten met leden van je huishouden of met een groepje dat bestaat uit maximaal 2 mensen. Uitgezonderd uitvaarten tot 50 mensen.
  
• Er geldt een avondklok van 21.00 uur ’s avonds tot 04.30 uur ’s ochtends. Dat betekent dat je dan niet buiten mag zijn. Als toch het noodzakelijk is om naar buiten te gaan, moeten mensen een formulier ‘Eigen verklaring avondklok’ meenemen. Als dit voor werk is, moeten mensen ook een werkgeversverklaring tonen. Uitzonderingen:
  
  • In geval van een calamiteit;
  • Als uzelf, een hulpbehoevend persoon of een dier dringend (medische) hulp nodig heeft;
  • Als u van uw werkgever voor werk naar buiten moet;
  • Als u naar het buitenland reist of terugkeert naar Nederland;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een uitvaart en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u onderweg bent in verband met een oproep van een rechter, officier van justitie of bezwaar- of beroepschriftenzitting en dit kunt aantonen;
  • Als u in uw eentje een aangelijnde hond uitlaat;
  • Maaltijdbezorgers.
• De meeste locaties zijn gesloten:
  
  • Winkels (behalve voor essentiële zaken zoals levensmiddelen)
  • Locaties van contactberoepen zoals kappers, nagelstudio’s, seksinrichtingen
  • Theaters, concertzalen, bioscopen, casino’s, etc.
  • Dierenparken, pretparken, etc.
  • Binnensportlocaties zoals sportscholen, zwembaden, sauna’s, wellness, etc
  • Restaurants en cafés
  • Hotels zijn open, maar restaurants en roomservice in een hotel zijn gesloten.
• Onderwijsinstellingen bieden voornamelijk onderwijs op afstand tot en met ten minste 7 februari. De kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang zijn in deze periode gesloten.
  
  • In het voortgezet onderwijs kunnen praktijkonderwijs, lessen voor examenleerlingen en het afnemen van schoolexamens in het (voor)examenjaar wel op locatie plaatsvinden.
  • In MBO, HBO en WO mogen examens en tentamens worden afgenomen en is praktijkonderwijs mogelijk.
  • In alle vormen van onderwijs mag er een uitzondering gemaakt worden voor het begeleiden van kwetsbare leerlingen en studenten.
• Voor kinderen van ouders die een cruciaal beroep hebben, is er noodopvang op de basisschool of de kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang.
  
• Alleen (para)medische contactberoepen zijn toegestaan.
  
• Volwassenen sporten alleen of met zijn tweeën, en alleen buiten. Kinderen t/m 17 jaar mogen sporten in teamverband en mogen wedstrijden onderling spelen, maar ook alleen buiten.
  
• Maak alleen gebruik van het openbaar vervoer voor strikt noodzakelijke reizen.
  
• Blijf in Nederland. Ga niet op reis naar het buitenland en boek geen buitenlandse reizen tot en met 31 maart. Er gelden reisbeperkingen. Een PCR-test én sneltest zijn verplicht en mensen moeten 10 dagen in quarantaine wanneer ze inreizen.
  

Hoe kun je verspreiding van het coronavirus voorkomen?

• Blijf thuis bij klachten, laat je testen en ziek uit.
• Was vaak je handen met water en zeep.
• Hoest en nies in de binnenkant van je elleboog.
• Gebruik papieren zakdoekjes om je neus te snuiten en gooi deze daarna weg.
• Schud geen handen.
• Houd 1,5 meter afstand (2 armlengtes) van anderen.
• Vermijd drukte en draag een mond-neusmasker in openbare ruimten.
• Werk zoveel mogelijk thuis.

Heb je meer vragen over het coronavirus?

Lees de Vragen en Achtergronden of neem telefonisch contact op met het RIVM via 0800-1351 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur).

Wil je laten testen of je het coronavirus hebt?

Neem contact op met de GGD via 0800-1202 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur). Hou je burgerservicenummer (BSN) bij de hand. De test is gratis. Lees ook de informatie van het RIVM.

Heb je verdere ondersteuning nodig?

• Rode Kruis Hulplijn - 070 4455 888 - Hulp en advies bij quarantaine en een luisterend oor. Maandag t/m zondag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 21:00 uur.
• Luisterlijn - 0900 0767 - Voor een luisterend oor. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon, chat en e-mail.
• Stichting MIND - 0900 1450 - Voor ondersteuning bij psychische klachten en lotgenotencontact. Elke werkdag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 18:00 uur.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie - 0800 0113 - Voor hulp bij acute zelfmoordgedachten op anonieme basis. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon en chat.
• iPractice - 020 2444 889 - Voor een telefonisch consult door een psycholoog op donatiebasis. Bereikbaar op afspraak.
• Mantelzorglijn - 030 760 6055 - Voor informatie over mantelzorg en het coronavirus via telefoon en WhatsApp. Bereikbaar op werkdagen van 9:00 tot 18:00 uur.
• Coronahulp.nl - Verwijzingen naar websites voor praktische hulpvragen.

Alle vorige megathreads.

Reading through some of the posts I can see how a lot of newbies have FOMO (fear of missing out). Post after post of losers making huge returns. Everyone is getting rich but you. Boofuckinghoo. The smart investor realizes it’s all hype. Some of it works, most of it doesn’t. To be successful you need to be able to recognize the difference and to do that, you need time, knowledge and practice.
Here are ten tips that can help you along the way.
Tip 1 - You don’t know shit
You’re going to lose your money. Don’t get suckered by reading posts about guys who made 1000% return in 5 minutes. For every one guy that posts his massive gains, 100+ suckers have lost their money. The first lesson to realize is that it’s way easier to lose money in the market than to make money.
Tip 2 - Understand how money flows in the market
Money moves from the idiots to the knowledgable, from the impatient to the patient. Any dummy can make money short term. But to make money long-term and truly grow a portfolio, you have to be armed with knowledge and a shit ton of patience.
Tip 3 - Play for the long term
The most important rule you need to follow religiously is NEVER FUCKING LOSE MONEY. Print it big, tape it to your wall. Your top responsibility is protecting your capital. YOLO is a stupid play. 99% of you are going to bet at the wrong time with the wrong stock. Calm the fuck down and work on a long term strategy. You have decades dummy.
Tip 4 - Time is on your side, but not much else
The market never stops. The machine just churns and churns. Rich to poor, poor to rich, it just keeps on turning and turning. There are ALWAYS opportunities. Another IPO. Another MEME turd. FOMO is for fools. Miss a run? Big fucking deal. There’s another one around the corner. You have plenty of time to learn, test, and grow your capital.
Tip 5 - Paper Trading
Paper trading is a simulation. It behaves exactly like a real account with real active data but it’s all practice. No real money exchanges. It’s a great way to learn, to see how shitty you’re going to do without losing a penny. DO THIS FOR TWO YEARS. Take whatever capital you have right now and buy some long term ETFs or solid ass stocks with minimal risk. Keep adding to it EVERY paycheck. Build up some capital for when you’re ready to trade for real. Take two years to learn how to trade, watch your paper portfolio go to zero a couple dozen times, read and follow the news, WSB, Stocktwits, etc. Ask questions, test out your strategies. You’ll thank me two years from now.
Tip 6 - Understand taxes
Big difference between short term and long term capital gains. Uncle Sam loves you short timers. Paying taxes is for suckers.
Tip 7 - No one knows shit
There is no crystal ball, no one has the “inside track”, and only believe 10% of what you read. Be very fucking skeptical. About everything. Social media, analysts, CEOs, news, all if it, be fucking skeptical. It’s all manipulation. Don’t even trust Buffett. You are the guardian of your capital. Everyone wants to take it it away from you. Understand that and you won’t get suckered so easily.
Tip 8 - Learn to read fundamentals and understand valuations
As much as the market today feels like a casino, the underlying foundation of the market is investing, not gambling. With every stock you buy you’re buying a piece of a business. Learn to read fundamentals. Do they make money? Are they growing? Do they have debt? How are their competitors valued? Do they make more money today than they did 5 years ago? How will they make more? How do they return capital to shareholders? And on and on and on. Learn motherfuckers. Earnings per share. P/E rations. Intrinsic value. Net income. Figure out formulas for valuing stocks. Is TSLA worth over 250x earnings? Is WFC undervalued at 13x earnings? Investing blindly because big_dick_loser said so in a post is beyond idiotic. Just burn your money, you’ll have more fun.
Tip 9 - Get rich schemes are for suckers
Remove the bookmark for Ferrari. You ain’t getting one anytime soon. Play fucking smart. Go long. Think in decades, not days. You’re not smart enough to day trade and beat the system. Not long-term anyways. Most of you won’t beat the market over 10 years. So be fucking smart. Paper trade until you can consistently prove gains month after month. When you’re ready to trade for real, dip in slowly. Fuck FOMO. Fuck YOLO. Remember, time is on your side. Compound that shit.
Tip 10 - Discipline and dedication
Like anything in life, to be successful you have to fucking work at it. Easy money never lasts. Dig in, learn, practice, rinse and repeat. Be motivated to learn how to invest, take the time to study, read, test and constantly improve. Be disciplined with your money. It’s fucking hard to make, easy to lose. Protect that shit.
--
For those of you this resonates with, you’ll be fine long term. Do the fucking work. For those of you who love chasing the fantasy, good luck, I mean it. It’s a tough fucking pill to swallow watching your account get dwindled down to zero. Nothing tastes worse that losing all your money.
Peace.

English

Hi theNetherlands. This megathread will serve as a hub for all information regarding the corona virus. Please don't share rumours or unconfirmed information.

• Corona virus Dashboard by the Dutch Government
• Current information and data regarding the Netherlands in English by RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)
• Questions & answers about the corona virus by RIVM
• Current international information and data by Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) distance, wash your hands with soap often, cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow, use disposable paper handkerchiefs and don't shake hands. Wear a face mask in public transport and publicly accessible spaces. A curfew is in effect from 8.30 pm to 4.30 am. If you exhibit symptoms, stay home and make an appointment for a test with the GGD at 0800-1202 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm). If you have any other questions, call the RIVM at 0800-1351 (open daily from 8 am to 8 pm).

Nederlands

Dag theNetherlands. Deze hernieuwde post zal dienen als verzamelplaats voor alle informatie rondom het coronavirus. Deel hier alsjeblieft geen geruchten of informatie die niet officieel bevestigd is.

• Coronavirus Dashboard van de Rijksoverheid
• Routekaart risiconiveaus en maatregelen van de Rijksoverheid
• Actuele informatie en gegevens over besmettingen in Nederland, door het RIVM
• Vragen en achtergronden over het coronavirus, door het RIVM
• Actuele internationale gegevens met besmettingen, door Johns Hopkins University CSSE

Actuele maatregelen

De volgende maatregelen zijn geldig vanaf zaterdag 23 januari, 21.00 uur tot ten minste 9 februari 2021.

• Ontvang thuis niet meer dan 1 persoon van 13 jaar of ouder per dag. Uitgezonderd mantelzorgers.
  
• Ga maximaal 1 keer per dag ergens op bezoek.
  
• Werk thuis. Alleen mensen die essentieel zijn voor de voortgang van een bedrijfsproces en die hun werk niet thuis kunnen uitvoeren, mogen naar het werk komen.
  
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• Er geldt een avondklok van 21.00 uur ’s avonds tot 04.30 uur ’s ochtends. Dat betekent dat je dan niet buiten mag zijn. Als toch het noodzakelijk is om naar buiten te gaan, moeten mensen een formulier ‘Eigen verklaring avondklok’ meenemen. Als dit voor werk is, moeten mensen ook een werkgeversverklaring tonen. Uitzonderingen:
  
  • In geval van een calamiteit;
  • Als uzelf, een hulpbehoevend persoon of een dier dringend (medische) hulp nodig heeft;
  • Als u van uw werkgever voor werk naar buiten moet;
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  • Maaltijdbezorgers.
• De meeste locaties zijn gesloten:
  
  • Winkels (behalve voor essentiële zaken zoals levensmiddelen tot 20.00 uur)
  • Locaties van contactberoepen zoals kappers, nagelstudio’s, seksinrichtingen
  • Theaters, concertzalen, bioscopen, casino’s, etc.
  • Dierenparken, pretparken, etc.
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• Onderwijsinstellingen bieden voornamelijk onderwijs op afstand tot en met ten minste 7 februari. De kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang zijn in deze periode gesloten.
  
  • In het voortgezet onderwijs kunnen praktijkonderwijs, lessen voor examenleerlingen en het afnemen van schoolexamens in het (voor)examenjaar wel op locatie plaatsvinden.
  • In MBO, HBO en WO mogen examens en tentamens worden afgenomen en is praktijkonderwijs mogelijk.
  • In alle vormen van onderwijs mag er een uitzondering gemaakt worden voor het begeleiden van kwetsbare leerlingen en studenten.
• Voor kinderen van ouders die een cruciaal beroep hebben, is er noodopvang op de basisschool of de kinderopvang en buitenschoolse opvang.
  
• Alleen (para)medische contactberoepen zijn toegestaan.
  
• Volwassenen sporten alleen of met zijn tweeën, en alleen buiten. Kinderen t/m 17 jaar mogen sporten in teamverband en mogen wedstrijden onderling spelen, maar ook alleen buiten.
  
• Maak alleen gebruik van het openbaar vervoer voor strikt noodzakelijke reizen.
  
• Blijf in Nederland. Ga niet op reis naar het buitenland en boek geen buitenlandse reizen tot en met 31 maart. Er gelden reisbeperkingen. Een PCR-test én sneltest zijn verplicht en mensen moeten 10 dagen in quarantaine wanneer ze inreizen.
  

Hoe kun je verspreiding van het coronavirus voorkomen?

• Blijf thuis bij klachten, laat je testen en ziek uit.
• Was vaak je handen met water en zeep.
• Hoest en nies in de binnenkant van je elleboog.
• Gebruik papieren zakdoekjes om je neus te snuiten en gooi deze daarna weg.
• Schud geen handen.
• Houd 1,5 meter afstand (2 armlengtes) van anderen.
• Vermijd drukte en draag een mond-neusmasker in openbare ruimten.
• Werk zoveel mogelijk thuis.

Heb je meer vragen over het coronavirus?

Lees de Vragen en Achtergronden of neem telefonisch contact op met het RIVM via 0800-1351 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur).

Wil je laten testen of je het coronavirus hebt?

Neem contact op met de GGD via 0800-1202 (dagelijks geopend van 8:00 tot 20:00 uur). Hou je burgerservicenummer (BSN) bij de hand. De test is gratis. Lees ook de informatie van het RIVM.

Heb je verdere ondersteuning nodig?

• Rode Kruis Hulplijn - 070 4455 888 - Hulp en advies bij quarantaine en een luisterend oor. Maandag t/m zondag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 21:00 uur.
• Luisterlijn - 0900 0767 - Voor een luisterend oor. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon, chat en e-mail.
• Stichting MIND - 0900 1450 - Voor ondersteuning bij psychische klachten en lotgenotencontact. Elke werkdag bereikbaar tussen 9:00 en 18:00 uur.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie - 0800 0113 - Voor hulp bij acute zelfmoordgedachten op anonieme basis. 24 uur per dag bereikbaar per telefoon en chat.
• iPractice - 020 2444 889 - Voor een telefonisch consult door een psycholoog op donatiebasis. Bereikbaar op afspraak.
• Mantelzorglijn - 030 760 6055 - Voor informatie over mantelzorg en het coronavirus via telefoon en WhatsApp. Bereikbaar op werkdagen van 9:00 tot 18:00 uur.
• Coronahulp.nl - Verwijzingen naar websites voor praktische hulpvragen.

Alle vorige megathreads.

Been with Dogecoin since 2015. Mined a crapton of it, to the tune of about 66 million doge. Bought $10k worth of home depot gift cards with it to build my fence. This last couple weeks that 10k fence turned into a multimillion dollar fence. I was deployed at the time, so I never got to see the first big spike to .01. When I came back, it was still well under .01. The dogecoin subreddit was a fun, happy, helpful place, full of people who enjoyed doge memes, the adoption of doge, and USING doge to do good works in the world. Who remembers doge4water? Who remembers the Jamaican bobsled team, or the number 98 Nascar? Who remembers how we convinced many small businesses to adopt dogecoin AS A PAYMENT and deliberately focused our efforts on supporting them with our coins? Hell, I still have a stack of pocket flipbooks i bought with dogecoin. Lately, ive seen this subreddit shift to almost a match for WSB. The same frenetic, desperate energy, the diamond hand rocket moon emojis, the use of the terms autists, smoothbrains, paper hands, retards and lossporn. The constant barrage of "whose still holding", repeated attempts and pump and dumps, and spamming Elon Musk. This has to stop, this is not the way. Part of what makes WSB so great and so terrible is that flop sweat drenched focus on losing everything, suddenly gaining millions of dollars, or costing someone else millions of dollars. Its a casino floor and everyone is jacked up on mountain dew, and very often a sense of exclusivity for those not following the crowd. Dogecoin, on the other hand, is based on doge. Happy, friendly and welcoming. Dogecoin is not a stock, not a get rich quick scheme, not a middle finger to whatever mysterious man holding the levers of the economy. Dogecoin is a mindset and a currency. Dogecoin is about putting good into the world. Dogecoin is about adoption and use of an extremely solid technology that comes with a side of fun people. We want mass adoption, we need to mass adopt everyone else. The best way to do that is to be the happy, friendly, and welcoming shibes who are wagging tails about our coin and wanting to explore new places for it to go. Go out, talk, buy/spend/sell your coins, and be excellent to each other. Be the doge.

Sorry for the butchered title!
But me and my buddy are wanting to go to the casino queen tonight and he has the temporary paper for his licence till they send him the new one in the mail.
Will the paper be sufficient?

THANK YOU MODS FOR LETTING THIS THROUGH!
Please click HERE for the PDF version if you would like to download the dd.
(credit: research compiled by IG:@wydstockbros)
To get things started, I'm not a financial advisor, I'm not a bot, and this one goes out to you, Chamath.
---
tl;dr
AMC is the global leader in a $17 billion dollar industry that’s been beaten senseless to the ground with so much room to run. After pioneering deals with streaming services, buying out their competition, and upgrading their facilities worldwide, 80% short interest is highly inappropriate for its TRUE fundamental value — $69.69 a share.
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀$AMC TO $69.69🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀$AMC TO THE MOON🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
---
"I'm questioning whether they[WSB] are actually doing the research when it comes to things like GameStop and AMC ..." - clueless CNBC dude.
I fuckin miss movies. And when I say movies, I mean the whole damn experience. I wanna buy my $15 popcorn, pour an ungodly amount of butter and jalapenos on that shit and munch in a recliner seat watching in laser 4k quality. I like this company. I like this stock.
For the past few days, I've been scouring Google for news articles and company data. I've also been trying to find some detailed DD in here but they’ve all been pretty limp-dick when it came to AMC. And most of the news articles I've read were surface-level AT BEST with a grim outlook based on first-glance analysis. Guess these analysts are just too damn lazy to dig deep.
Because when we dive into these issues, we can easily see that the theater giant may not be in as bad a situation as the media/analysts are claiming.
In fact, I believe that AMC is absolutely misunderstood, overlooked, and undervalued.
Here is why I am more confident than ever that $AMC will not only reach $30 but is in the perfect setup to see ATHs and WELL ABOVE.

I. Ugly Start, Beautiful Setup

Chances are if you are currently holding a significant position in $AMC, then most likely you've already read up on the company and its current standing in the cinema industry. You've probably read about how the corporation has nearly $5 billion dollars worth of debt with many of its locations still closed as the pandemic remains a global issue. You may have realized that new movies haven't been coming out. But more than that, you're seeing that movies are just being released on streaming platforms anyway. You might be concerned for AMC, or even the industry as a whole.
All of these concerns are very valid and based on real uncertainty, but let's break down each of these points and see if they’re as bad as analysts claim.

II. A Discussion on Debt

Media outlets keep honing in on this debt like it’s an ugly scar of the corporation. But what we need to focus on is why that debt came to be, how the money was spent, and how this debt was a strategic play in order to cement AMC into the new era of cinema-streaming.
We can categorize the money used into four parts:

• New equipment and amenities
• Lease payments
• Maintenance costs (utilities, wages, etc.)
• Expansion (buying out the competition)

Pay close attention to the last category because this one is important. Over the past five years, AMC has been acquiring smaller theater companies like Odeon. After buying out these companies, AMC then had to suit its "new locations" with the standard luxury amenities AMC is known for. This makes for a significant bulk of their debt totaling over $3 billion in just acquisitions. This was the investment that helped solidify AMCs spot as the world's largest cinema chain.
On the topic of maintenance costs, AMC managed to raise enough money to get through 2021. With ongoing news of vaccines, we can hope their efficacy leads to a speedy reopening near mid-late 2021. But when the economy does reopen—and AMC is back at full operation—what will it look like?

III. The Future of AMC

There's an elephant here.. right in this very room. Yes, streaming and cinema have had some serious beef in the past. In fact, some cinema chains are having tensions with streaming to this day. But what has AMC done in regards to streaming? They were the first to settle deals in order to partner up and take part in streaming revenue.
Yup, you read that right. AMC is both having their cake and eating it too.
Why would motion picture companies do this? Why not just end the cinema industry? To put simply, analysts are deeply underestimating the value of the "cinema experience". Just as I mentioned in the intro, I miss the cinemas. But I am definitely not alone. But let's not talk about me and the hypothetical "people'', instead let's talk about research studies.
In a 3-year study done in Korea, researchers found that shortening the window of cinema exclusivity and releasing movies on streaming early did not have a significant effect on ticket sales. And though this is a limited study done outside of the US, remember that AMC is a global corporation and these results have a hopeful outlook for the future relationship of cinema-streaming for AMC worldwide.
"But wait, you still haven't mentioned what streaming gets out of this?"
It's not what streaming "gets out of this" but rather what these motion picture companies maintain in keeping a healthy relationship with cinemas. During the peak heat of the movie theater-streaming feud, AMC halted the showing of Trolls and vowed to never show a Universal Pictures film in its theaters again if they were to continue releasing their films on streaming platforms without a proper cinema-exclusivity window. But today, we can see that the tensions have fallen and both motion picture companies and AMC have found a way to mutually benefit each other.
Now besides streaming, AMC has been investing in luxury amenities as seen by their chairs, 4K laser projectors, MERV air filtration, and ultra-surround sound speakers. With so many locations and so many amenities, they are offering full theater rentals with high demand during the pandemic. AMC has further cultivated their century-old movie experience into modern times. And this pandemic didn’t just change their amenities.
They had to learn how to cut costs and have more efficient operations in order to survive. This only spells good news for when they emerge with better operations, more money to spend, and higher valuations. So that begs the question, how high can the company's share price go realistically?

IV. Valuation

First, let's look at the Movie Theater industry as a whole in comparison to a few other popular entertainment industries:
Movie Theater US Market Size $17.1 billion
Casinos US Market Size $15.7 billion
Amusement Parks US Market Size $14 billion
Music Label Music Production US Market Size $9.4 billion
Music Publishing US Market Size $7 billion
In the world of entertainment, cinema is a very lucrative business.
And, again, who is the largest movie theater chain in the world? Yup, AMC.
Clueless CNBC dude mentioned that we retail traders don't trade with a fundamental reason but is there a fundamental reason in shorting a $17 billion dollar industry GLOBAL leader down to its grave? Does AMC deserve to die? I surely don't think so.
Now I won't touch upon squeezes in this since I'm sure many of you folk have already read/heard enough about them, but I will leave this quick intuitive article about it. And yes, these shorts can and will be squoze once we have faith in our upper valuations and investors(we) begin buying again.
And buy again we will. As many users flee limp-dick Robinhood and join one of the real brokerages, their positions/funds will be settled and ready to trade come next week. Where do you think these angry RH refugees will be putting their investments? That's right, exactly into the positions that RH stopped them from buying last week: which includes $AMC.
If you were part of the RH user base and your plays were affected by the blatant market manipulation, it's not only "not too late", but I believe it is an opportune time to BUY.
How high can it go then? When will I know it's too late to take a position?
So when we talk about valuation, many people fear the uncertainty of a stock rising far past its current value. Well, I think Chamath Palihapitiya said it best:
"Everybody that bought that stock is also underwriting how they want to own it."
In our current price-action environment, it's not too ridiculous to see how we are forming the foundations for AMC to continue rising beyond ATHs. We are already hitting nearly $16 on the day and rallying +53% while enduring heavy trade restrictions. Who's to say that this passion cannot continue? Now I’m no expert and can’t tell you how high this can go, but I am personally eyeing $69.69 as a target.
With so many current factors at play including hype, short covers, and ITM options having to be exercised, this is actually the BEST entrance to manifest its ATH valuation and chart some never before seen territory in its price action. It's like the manifest destiny of stock valuation. In fact, we may never see this opportunity for AMC again if we don't act now and solidify its value upward.
At the end of the day, prices are what the buyers/sellers settle upon so WE can pioneer that value if we damn well please. This is what a free market is all about.
Will there be people that disagree with this?
Sure.
Will people continue to short AMC as it goes up?
Absolutely.
Do I think that AMC being shorted 80% and rising is fair?
Really? See section III.
But institutions are selling off! Like Silver Lake liquidating their 44m shares.
Yes, then the next day $AMC dipped to $7.50 and has since recovered… with AMC $600m less in debt.
We all know who is shorting AMC, and I am sick of these hedge funds who think they, alone, can decide whether or not a company is worth a damn.

V. Conclusion - Resurgence

We are at the cusp of AMCs resurgence. Because most of us have been kept from participating in social activities, we can better understand that the public is yearning for a sense of normalcy. Sure we've gone pretty far with just watching movies on our TVs or computers through the pandemic, but that doesn't scratch the itch for many folk.
What you're investing into when you invest in AMC is the entire experience in tandem with its new streaming deals. And having been beaten so low—while still holding such great fundamental prospects— its share price is ready to blow up.
In the future when “The Deep Squeeze” is turned into a movie, we’ll be a part of history.
And you’re going to want to see it on the big screen.
--
Position: $50k in calls and shares
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀$AMC TO $69.69🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀$AMC TO THE MOON🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

Your 14-minute Thursday report in 3497 words. Part 1.

anti-corruption: Defense Ministry official busted with bribery & tampering with draft during war

NSS report says: a Colonel, who had oversight over subdivisions, received a ֏975K bribe from a conscript to transfer him to another location on Sep-13-2020. Part of the bribe was transferred to his online gambling account.
When the war began, a draft was declared and recruits began training at a location in Armenia. The Colonel took a ֏1.2M bribe from a soldier in exchange for not sending him to the front lines.
During the winter draft, the Colonel took a ֏5.2M bribe from another conscript and used his connections to send him to the desired service location. A similar ֏1M bribe was requested on January 6th from another recruit.
The Colonel took another ֏1.4M bribe to help promote a conscript and allow him to work at a hospital instead of regular service.
On October 22nd, during the war, the Colonel decided to help a friend move from bordering Khndzoresk (Syunik) hospital back to Yerevan. As a result, the clinic became understaffed and couldn't fulfill its duties. Moreover, the Colonel then helped the same friend not to be deployed on Syunik borders as a soldier and instead to handle tasks in the rear, on October 26th, in exchange for a ֏300K bribe.
On October 13th, during the war, the Colonel and his accomplices wanted to help a soldier to leave Artsakh. When they learned that the latter was already on the "deserted" list, they took steps to remove him from the list.
Then, he learned that his friends' sons received a draft notice, and use his connections to remove them from the draft list.
After the war, on Dec-13, a friend asked the Colonel to make sure that his son, who was serving in Lusakert, wasn't sent to the front lines. The Colonel contacted the Lusakert facility but learned that the soldier was not among those who were supposed to be sent to the front lines. Nonetheless, the Colonel decided to defraud his friend by claiming that "he took care of it", and received a ֏200K bribe.
The colonel and over a dozen others were arrested. Illegal weapons were found under their possession. The investigation continues to expose other possible suspects.
https://youtu.be/ifo13WJLpsU
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042334.html

bill: harsher punishment for treason, spying, espionage

BHK MPs drafted a bill to increase punishment for traitors, spies, passing of state secrets. They want to raise the maximum punishment from 15 years to 20-life. The authors explained the move by citing many media reports about alleged "treason" incidents.
The bill was discussed at a relevant Parliamentary committee. The chairman QP MP Vladimir said he supports life imprisonment as the minimum punishment. However, during the discussion, they agreed to settle on 15-20 years plus property confiscation, or a life sentence.
The committee found the espionage punishment too harsh and asked the bill author to reduce it from 15 to 12 years. The BHK author agreed.
The bill was approved unanimously and will be debated/voted on the Parliament floor later.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042354.html

Jalal is back with another position

The wounded ex-Artsakh army commander Jalal Harutyunyan will serve as the Republic of Armenia's Defense Ministry's Head of the Military Control Service. He will replace General Movses Mosi Hakobyan who quit on November 18th.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042353.html

Russian-Turkish ceasefire monitoring group begins operations

Russian troops are using ORLAN-10 and FORPOST drones to monitor Am-AZ troop locations and movements.
https://youtu.be/ToSLqUDj6OE
https://factor.am/335089.html

ECHR received Armenia's complaint against Azerbaijan regarding 228 POWs / Azeris counter-claim for 13 POWs

Armenian families submitted a petition to ECHR to require Azerbaijan to provide information regarding 228 individuals. Azeris want to know data about 13 people.
(From the language it is unclear to me whether the petition is for confirmed POWs, or it also includes families of missing soldiers who want to know whether their relatives are POWs. Likely the former.)
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042406.html

Red Cross visited 4 Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

They were able to establish contact with families.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042428.html

Russia expects UNESCO to soon visit Armenian monuments that went under Azeri control

https://factor.am/335437.html

Russia removed tomato import ban on 13 Armenian firms

Russian regulator will allow 13 Armenian sellers to export tomato and pepper to Russia again after earlier finding a food virus in them. A similar ban was implemented against Azeri tomatoes.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042433.html

US Congressman demands an explanation from the US ambassador to Azerbaijan over "congratulatory" statement

Rep. Bred Sherman wants to know why the US ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger congratulated Azerbaijan's Economy Minister with "de-occupying territories and US's willingness to aid Azerbaijan with rebuilding those territories". He reminded the US officials that the US is a member of the Minsk Group and should take steps to ensure Artsakh's safety and prevention of a new war.
Bred Sherman praised Biden's appointee Anthony Blinken for stating that the US will review its military assistance to Azerbaijan after the latest war in Artsakh.
Artsakh MFA yesterday released a statement urging countries, officials, and organizations to refrain from such "congratulatory" statements.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042370.html

de-occupy Hadrut NGO

... aims to help 13,500 Hadrut residents who lost their homes during the war. It was founded during the war by activists who held protests in front of various embassies. In the early days, they received aid from President Sarkissian's office. The latter gave shelter to 25 families.
Today the NGO aims to help refugees with employment, while simultaneously lobbying for Minsk Group to de-occupy Hadrut so residents can return. "I hope that one day our NGO will shut down because Hadrut is no longer occupied," said co-founder Meri Davtyan.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042286.html

govt session: financial aid for Syunik border villagers

The government approved a new aid package for residents of Syunik's Shurnukh and Vorotan villagers. Those who lost their homes will qualify for the same aid package as Artsakh refugees: one-time ֏300K payment plus monthly ֏65K payments for 6 months. There is another pending aid package to build new houses for them.
Context: Two dozen houses in Vorotan and Shurnukh went under Azeri control because they were built on the Azeri side of the internationally-recognized borders.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042362.html

bill: disability ranking to be replaced with degrees of functionality impairment

The government approved a bill, yet to be approved by Parliament, to reform the disability system. The disability assessment process will analyze the person's level of functional impairment while taking into account surrounding conditions.
"Today, the system is run under a 1993 law that does not do a comprehensive assessment of the surrounding environment, person's ability to function in public life," says the govt.
The draft bill will repeal the 1-3 Categories and Disabled Child category. A person's functionality impairment degrees will be light, medium, heavy, or deep. Disability will no longer be considered a permanent health problem. The assessment will be based not only on the factor of health problems but also on the environmental factors of the person's activity and participation in public life.
Healthcare and Social Ministries, NGOs, the UN, and the EU worked together to create and test an assessment methodology.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042365.html
Tags: #DisabilityLaw #disabled

bill: require unknown Telegram/Facebook media channel owners identified before "linking" by mass media

QP MPs want to require social media channel operators identified before a "mainstream media" can link to them. It doesn't restrict citing "anonymous sources", however. It also requires outlets to disclose sources of revenues for transparency. Read yesterday's news for context and arguments in favor or against it.. The debate continued today.
QP MP Arthur: For example, a legitimate news organization with an editorial staff of 30 people generates information, holds interviews, etc., while a Telegram channel that we do not know where it is managed from and by whom, begins to disseminate sensationalized information and over time becomes more "legitimate" than real media outlets because media outlets "advertised" them.
This is also a national security risk because it is very possible that such sources are being operated by an adversary country to spread instability and an atmosphere of fear in the country. //
The co-author criticized the critics who "claimed that the bill intends to ban anonymous sources. That's not true. This also won't affect the protection of journalists' source secrecy."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042357.html
If you're interested in more debates:
https://youtu.be/MTHwRa4YjgY , https://youtu.be/ThDNVwZYEp8 , https://youtu.be/S6C_NocS9N0 , https://youtu.be/3_-i2Z23ubI , https://youtu.be/wiPnmfeLNJ8
Tags: #MediaLaw #TelegramLaw #FreeSpeech

rumors and rebuttals: Artsakh army isn't being dissolved

Serj's won-in-law Mishik earlier circulated rumors that were denied by state officials. Today, Kocharyan-ally Vitali Balasanyan, who serves as Artsakh's Security Council chief, confirmed that the army isn't "disintegrating." After the restructuring process, there will be subdivisions with professional contractors, he said.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042344.html

rumors and rebuttals: Azeri flag won't fly over Artsakh govt buildings

Vitalik Balasanyan also denied rumors about Azeri flags being installed on Artsakh govt buildings in Stepanakert.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042344.html

rumors and rebuttals: Azeri families won't resettle in Stenapakert / none are shopping in market

Vitalik Balasanyan said there are false rumors about two districts in Stepanakert being populated by Azeris, and Azeris allegedly freely shopping in Stepanakert market.
"Dear citizens of Artsakh, on behalf of the authorities of the Artsakh Republic, I assure you that despite the irreparable losses inflicted on us as a result of the war, the state is always committed to fulfilling its responsibilities to ensure the security and normal life of the population. Accordingly, I urge you not to pay attention to the false news. Everything is being done to create and expand the necessary conditions for a dignified life of the people of Artsakh."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042344.html

rumors and rebuttals: Artsakh envoy won't stop operating in Russia

The Permanent Representation of the Artsakh Republic in Russia will not be terminated, said the Artsakh govt in response to rumors.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042367.html

rumors and rebuttals: no single currency in EAEU trade bloc

EAEU would like to inform you that you've been misled about alleged plans to establish a single currency among member-states.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042427.html

location "Hollywood, Yerevan, Armenia"

There is a district called Hollywood in Yerevan, Armenia. Gamblers were caught running an underground casino in there. This is the second such bust in the past few months. The police say ֏5.5B in damages was done to the state.
https://youtu.be/sp0Sb--e_ms?t=60
https://factor.am/335320.html

anti-corruption: prosecutors charge education officials with ֏1.2B auction shenanigans

Prosecutors said: State Oversight Committee (SOC) audited the "National Center for Educational Technology" government-affiliated agency's finances between 2013-2020. Every year, the agency submitted a report on the work done by them towards servicing the education system. The bill was ֏700M annually.
It was revealed that between 2012-2015, they granted an auction-based contract to the same company. It received a combined ֏2.8B in funding. The law requires the auction-holding officials to examine the market and take other steps before the auction. They failed to do so.
Later, during 2017-2019, the same company was selected to do the job, but this time it was only paid ֏300-400M annually, far lower than during the previous years.
֏1.2B in damages was done to the state. A felony case is launched.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042389.html

re: Armenia's $750M eurobond sale / lowest % in history / $3B demand by investors / economy news

Read yesterday's news for context.
Pashinyan: The issuance of $750M eurobonds is a strong positive signal for the start of the economic year. The issuance was done under the most favorable conditions in the history of our republic, with the lowest 3.8% percentage rate. Our previous record was in 2019 at 4.2%. The demand was for $3B but we decided to issue only $0.750B.
First, it provides a guarantee of macroeconomic stability. Second, this is the first serious signal of overcoming the post-war economic shock, which shows that international investors have confidence in the economic future of Armenia and the policy pursued by the government. //
Economy Minister Janjughazyan: this was part of our long-term plan and we had planned to do it while drafting the 2021 budget. We planned to issue fewer bonds but decided to add $250M because of favorable terms. We plan to use that extra cash towards the stabilization deposit, as a safety pad, to be used throughout the year if necessary.
As long as our budget has a deficit we will have to borrow. But this is only part of the story; the country's overall debt burden is calculated based on various indicators. So far Armenia has been rated as a country with a lower debt burden.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042351.html, https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042352.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042363.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042393.html

how many people did leave and arrive after reopening air traffic with Russia?

The governments of Armenia and Russian worked on an "app" to allow mutual travel after taking a test. By February 15th, there will be 4-route flights in 2 directions. There were several flights in the past few days.
3900 left and 3400 arrived. 1423 Armenian citizens left and 1263 Armenian citizens arrived. "More people were willing to leave in December than today," noted Diaspora Committee chief Sinanyan.
"Some people flew to Russia but had to return due to a problem. This wasn't due to the COVID app implemented by us. Preliminary data shows that they went to Russia with a paper QP code which raised the suspicion of Russian authorities. We will work with them to resolve this," said Deputy PM Mher. (say what??)
"We need to better inform the public about the existence of this app. Restoring routine flights will help the tourism industry," said PM Pashinyan.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042358.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042383.html

Pashinyan about the suspended Amulsar gold mining project

He repeated his earlier position that "Decisions must be made that take into account Armenia's best interests."
"The mining industry plays a very important role in the development of Armenia's economy, including in the security context."
"We must make decisions to make investment programs acceptable for the Armenian public while taking into account interests of Republic of Armenia."
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042368.html

COVID stats

1829 tested. 147 infected. 352 healed. 11 deaths. 4637 active.
"We're negotiating for vaccines via COVAX global initiative. Separately, we're negotiating with Russia for Sputnik-V. Vaccines should be available in March. It will be targeted at specific groups. It won't be mandatory," said Healthcare Minister Avanesyan.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042341.html , https://youtu.be/vXz3pHx1BlM?t=92

the consumer market price increase in the past 12 months

Armenia's consumer market inflation was +4.5% from January to January. Food +6.4%. Alcohol & tobacco +10.8%. Clothing +2.6%. Utilities +0.6%. Appliances +5.8%. Healthcare +5.6%. Transport +5.7%. Telecom +0.5%. Leisure & culture -0.8%. Education +2%. Dining +1.6%. Misc +3.5%.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042323.html

Parliament MP stops a citizen's suicide attempt

Someone tried to jump from Kievyan bridge. QP MP Gor Gevorgyan was nearby and stopped the attempt. The police took the distressed person to a station.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042329.html

psychological support will be provided to war participants and the public

Emergency Ministry says 15-30% of people have PTSD after the war. Today the government approved a plan to provide psychological aid to war participants and others. The target group includes families of missing people, POWs and their families, those who received disabilities, families of those who died, those who fought in the war, IDPs, civilians who were affected in any way. The program will work in Armenia and Artsakh.
The government will purchase services from experienced mental health service agencies.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042403.html

Armenia will grow industrial marijuana on mass industrial scale / incentive to boost land utilization

Hemp is a type of weed that contains less of the substance that makes you feel high. The government wants to grow industrial hemp on a mass scale to boost mood land utilization and revenues.
Pashinyan: this is going to open room for many speculations. It's important to present the project in detail so the public will have a full understanding of what is being done. Unfortunately, "hemp" is interpreted as something else, while in reality, it is a very important industrial raw material. The growing process has risks but there are oversight mechanisms that have been tested in many countries.
Deputy PM Avinyan: the US, Russia, and China have a great experience with industrial hemp production. The practice was examined by the Economy Ministry. We're talking about industrial production only. It will significantly activate agricultural land utilization. Today, 40% of lands are gone unused. This is part of our plan to boost the production of high-value agricultural products.
https://youtu.be/ssZgr2DR3DM?t=7
https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana#marijuana
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042372.html

Education Minister says the "controversial" parts of Church/History merger were "resolved"

Education Ministry wants to merge the school subjects "Armenian Church History" and "Armenian History". Critics said it will shrink the church-related materials too much, others called it treason, while others supported the decision, stating that it's all part of our history and having a separate class is inefficient.
Education Minister Dumanyan says he met colleagues at the National Academy of Sciences and they resolved the conflicts "that caused a noise earlier." He will reveal details soon.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042379.html , https://youtu.be/V0sC3dx-gzU

Major education reforms: "education alone will not solve all problems, but there is no problem that can be solved without an education"

... said PM Pashinyan during a govt session while discussing education reforms. Kids in 1-5 grades will no longer receive grades; tt will be pass or no pass (still needs Parliamentary approval). "There will be a criticism. How can you not grade? But this is a comprehensive program that emphasizes the student's needs and preferences," said Pashinyan.
"We need to pay attention to how the time is spent in schools and what skills are being taught in school hours. It will reflect in our society 15-20 years later. It will define whether we have a technological product or not.
What we were doing in 12 years (school length) can be done within 9 years, but a 9-year school isn't the solution. Instead of shortening the school, we're trying to fill the gap in a way to have a 50% higher efficiency by the end of the 12th year.
In developed countries, education starts not from school but from preschool. The lower the education entry age the more developed the countries are," said Pashinyan. (the govt has a plan to make sure 70% of kids attend preschools by 2023)
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042394.html

cancer stats in Armenia / annual rate / drops among children / fewer abandon treatment

world
9.6 million people die from cancer annually. 1/3rd is possible to prevent. Another part can be cured with the help of early detection.
Armenia
Cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death in 2020. It has increased in the past 10 years but at a small rate. Lung cancer is more common among men, and breast cancer among women.
First time diagnosis by year: 2018 - 8762, 2019 - 7908, 2020 - 7050.
Deaths by year: 2018 - 5199, 2019 - 5434. 2020 - unavailable. (55% men, 45% women)
The cancer rate went up by 1.5x compared to 1990. However, it declined by 2x among children under 14yo.
Fewer people abandon treatment. 3 years ago 53% of lung patients did so, today it's 40%. Breast cancer treatment abandonment went from 47% to 22%. (I translated the word բարձիթողության as "abandonment". Correct me if it refers to something else.)
Artsakh
The number of cancer cases has decreased in Artsakh: from 345 to 260 YoY.
prevention
Oncologist Safaryan says the early detection helps to avoid complications and save lives, even if it's the type of cancer that is known to reappear. There are many patients who defeat cancer. "Smokers should get a lung x-ray twice a year. Those working in chemical plants should get a frequent screening. Do not ignore symptoms and չգցել ականջի հետև. You can defeat it more easily when it's at 1-2 stages. It's a lot harder when it advances to 4."
Preventing cancer isn't easy. The causes of this disease are many. Genetics, bad habits, obesity, surrounding environment. A genetic test can reveal the likelihood of suffering from illness. Some women choose to undergo a mastectomy to prevent possible breast cancer in the future.
"I decided that if 1-in-100 is destined to be cured, I will be that one," said Ashkhen, a woman who recently defeated cancer.
More: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042291.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042364.html , https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042405.html

cancer diagnosis, surgery, and radiotherapy are free

The treatment was made free recently. The Oncology Center urges the public to get screened as part of an early-detection initiative. The pilot program began in Vanadzor; 307 women were screened.
Cancer diagnosis, surgery, and radiotherapy are free, while the medication has a co-payment.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042423.html

today in history

2004: Mike Zuckerberg founded Facebook to steal your SSN
1949: Sri Lanka declares indpendence
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042309.html

president meets donor

Artsakh president Arayik met donor Alec Baghdasaryan and thanked him. "Only with the joint efforts of the Armenian people is it possible to quickly overcome the difficulties and to plan development programs." Alec plans more charity programs relating to education.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1042326.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 news

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.

I want to preface that the contents of this post is for informational purposes. I do not condone or approve of any harassments or witch-hunting or the attacking of anybody.
 
Richard Lewis recently did a stream talking about the terrible state of CS esports and I thought it was an important stream anyone who cares about the CS community should listen to.
Vod Link here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/830415547
I realize it is 3 hours long so I took it upon myself to create a list of interesting points from the stream so you don't have to listen to the whole thing, although I still encourage you to do so if you can.
I know this post is still long but probably easier to digest, especially in parts.
Here is a link to my raw notes if you for some reason want to read through this which includes some omitted stuff. It's in chronological order of things said in the stream and has some time stamps. https://pastebin.com/6QWTLr8T

Intro

• "The last month has convinced me, that we are going to be heading into a dark place for Counter-Strike esports in 2021."
  • "I think I've seen the scene essentially kill itself."
• "For the past 5 to 6 years, we've basically been in a holding pattern of people coming into our game wanting to run it, wanting to run all of the esports and wanting to profiteer and its been sort of a concerted effort to drive them off and push them away."
  • "We're spread way too thin."
• "If Riot don't get involved and stop the scumbags that have moved over to Valorant from getting their feet under the table, Valorant is going to have real problems."
• RL thinks too much has happened all at once for us to do anything except watch it play out, like:
  • Recent CSPPA strike against BLAST
  • ESIC failures and them not being supported enough
  • Teams cheating i.e. coaches/bugs
  • Widespread match fixing
  • The Pandemic
    • "People who try to hold bubble events are so incompetent and fuck up and people get the 'rona and its their fault."
    • "People who say Flashpoint is a bubble is full of shit and is a lie and people are now suffering for that lie."
      • "To save money they let people go home and break the bubble for a week."
      • "Not just Flashpoint peoples decision, they have a partner that handles the production." (hinting FACEIT)
      • "People are trapped in hotels essentially under house arrest because of COVID restrictions and has fucked peoples lives up."
• "It's all too much, all of this incompetence, all of this greed, maybe we ride it out."
  • RL says he has talked to the Riot devs (the ones working on Valorant) and says, "They are so cognizant of all the fuck ups and all the problems we have in Counter-Strike."
    • He continues to say that this is factored into their business plan and that we never had a competitor, but just so happens to have one coincide, when we are at our worst.

CSPPA - Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association

"Who does this union really fucking serve?"

• RL believes that the CSPPA is a mockery.
  
  • He points out the hypocrisy that they wouldn't strike for the pros who were kicked out of ESL Pro League, or for Jamppi or dream3r.
    • He also says ESL paid CSPPA and are racketeering and many other TOs have to pay them to get their "seal of approval"
      • He says they would strong-arm TOs saying "well if you don't give us the money, these guys are so we'll just have to commit to playing their event."
    • Also points out that they will strike against a competitor they are not in agreement with (Flashpoint)
    • RL: "It's what it says about every other time you haven't done it and it's about every time you don't do it now moving forward." "The issues they've chosen to ignore this year alone are embarrassing."
    • Then he points out that there was no strike for Valve qualifiers even if we have no major but Jamppi and dream3r can't play in them.
      • "and Valve have said 'Oh yeah we know actually their stories are accurate, Jamppi didn't cheat, now in a legally binding document. Yep dream3r did have his account hacked in a LAN café', but they still can't play. Where is the fucking solidarity? Gone. Doesn't exist. It's not important [because] it doesn't affect you." "That's what the union does right now, it looks after all the tier 1 people."
• He says the CSPPA doesn't represent all players all the time and has driven a divide where you have the haves and have-nots
  
  • "We have a tier of players that operate with impunity and do not help their tier 2 or tier 3 players out at all." "If you are not a tier 1 player you do not matter, they don't event ask your opinion."
  • He tells chrisJ to admit and own the fact that the reason he didn't speak up during the ESL Pro League debacle is because it didn't affect him
  • "They are looking after some players at the expense of other players. How the fuck is that a union?"
• He says the BLAST situation is a reasonable dispute and supports the players but is not the right time for a strike and have not even identified the correct enemy
  
  • He thinks players are lashing out now due to previous incidents and are upset that BLAST are working with ESIC
    • He stated that CSPPA shouldn't beefing with ESIC and they should be working in harmony
  • He says what they need to do is talk with the teams/organizations that have sold that right to BLAST
    • RL: "Your employers, the people who pay you that massive exorbitant salaries, when you don't stream and you don't do interviews and you offer no value beyond your ability to click heads and you get 25k dollars a month." "Why don't you talk to them about it? Oh right. You're happy to take away BLAST's paper, but you don't want to risk your own."
  • "I am seeing such unbelievable cowardice from the players here with the battles you choose."
  • "Where was the strike action when in the qualifiers for the world championship, there were teams and players engaged in huge conflicts of interest?" "Where was the strike action when your image rights were taken and sold to every league you've ever been in every union type organization you've ever been associated with like, WESA, to your org every time you sign a contract, to the leagues you play in."
    • "Your image rights are essentially worthless now, there's about 10 fucking separate parties that have them, and how many of them are giving you anything for it? Not much pretty much your org by the way."
    • "That's a big issue. Your image is you, your image is your brand. What are you doing about that? Nothing."
• He is also angry at SirScoots who is "popping off" at people on Twitter who all want the same thing, which is 'A unified Counter-Strike scene for everybody, that works for everybody, that has a sustained ecosystem that nourishes everybody.' "We don't have that now."
  
• He also says their rankings are a joke
  
  • "Just so happened, oh look TACO, that very important prominent member of the board, we pushed his team artificially up when they weren't even in the fucking top 20, not by a long shot."
• He also says the ineptitude of the CSPPA cost Flashpoint a monitor sponsor
  
• "Is it really a player association or is it like a fucking agency at this point"
  

ESIC - Esports Integrity Commission

"They have been put in an impossible position."

• RL says that Ian Smith, the founder of ESIC and who was done work in mainstream sports, is a good and honorable man who has dedicated his life to integrity and sports. He takes on both sides, ensuring match fixers are punished, but also doing appeals and ensuring those punishments were fair.
• "ESIC is a tiny organization" and are in need of money, "They didn't run a grift like the CSPPA did."
  • "Saying 'you want our support and you want the players to turn up you better pay us.' They don't do that."
  • "Had startup seed money from MTG and since then they've been pecking shit with the hens."
    • Ian Smith made sure that the money given by MTG (Modern Times Group, parent company of ESL, ESEA, DreamHack) was nothing more than startup money and wouldn't be in debt to them
      • Ian Smith sat down with other TO's not part of MTG and wanted to partner with them. They declined and called ESIC "ESL spies and we will never align ourselves with you"
  • "They only were just able to afford, hiring a PR guy on a full time salary to deal with the press and send out those releases you've seen, this year."
    • "They have a tiny group of staff investigating these things and they have taken on the biggest problems in our scene: the cheating, the match fixing."
• ESIC have had "unprecedented levels of cheating to deal with, because there's something wrong with our scene ever since we went online. There's something wrong with it, everyone's lost their fucking pride and self-respect and they got no passion for it anymore, so they think fuck it, what's in it for me?"
  • He calls out coaches who are talking about players rights when they would rob and steal from them.
    • Also says more coaches being banned are coming
    • He also points out flaws in community's reaction to the punishments to coaches bans: "Half of the cunts still have jobs and some of the cunts got new jobs. We didn't even shun the cheating coaches."
• ESIC have "found I think another 2 or 3 exploits like that one and they are investigating them all right now, it's going on right now."
  
  • "I know that there are going to be more names getting banned, again."
  • "So they're doing that on a skeleton crew while, investigating 3 continents worth of match fixing in MDL and semi-pro level CS." "They're doing this with half a dozen people." "They don't have any money or any help. People barely even fucking cooperate with them, they are treated like pariahs. It's ridiculous."
    • "Why are the CSPPA popping off at ESIC on my Twitter timeline, when you should be working together." "because its all about what's in it in for me." "2020, the online era of CS: 'What is in it for me?' How can I cheat, how can I get my paper, how can I bleed this scene one last time before I fuck off and play shooty shooty bang bang Riot Games babys first fps."
• RL says that in the CIS region, teams have gone to tournaments and have been eliminated multiple times by the same team. We found out they were cheating and those players who lost, have been cut from their roster, careers ended because of cheaters.
  

Stream Sniping

"They're all at it in the online era, they're all at it, they're all cheating, they're all using exploits, probably that see through smoke bug got used a bunch of times"

• RL talks about how there is no integrity from dead (the player), always denying when caught doing something
  • On the topic of 'BLAST never said we couldn't stream snipe': "Lies, BLAST never said you could do that, they had to sort of retcon it." "because what happened after that they fucking started snitching and squealing"
    • "Suddenly you had like, 10 of the top 15 teams in the world, staring into the abyss of being banned for 6-12 months in line with ESIC recommendations."
      • He says that ESIC was put in a tough situation and couldn't enforce the bans because it would have resulted in killing CS. What resulted was, BLAST, ESIC, and teams came together and gave them a warning and told them, in RL's words "don't do this again or you're gonna get got."
        • He then says the top teams brushed this off and didn't give a fuck
        • The new MiBR team playing Flashpoint, that wasn't involved in the previous incidents are doing it again (stream sniping). He gave credit to Flashpoint for the quick resolution and punishment and respect for cogu's response to the situation.
        • "ESIC came out and said, once more, 'Guys, zero tolerance from now on.'" RL then got upset at community's reaction calling ESIC "pussies" for their non enforcement and said if we want competitive CS we cant ban the top 10 teams.
• He points out how players have no integrity and will do anything for an edge as long as they won't get detected or banned or it's within a grey area.
• "All of this shit was mad avoidable, even in the pandemic era."
  • He talks about why aren't we filming them. Why aren't there representatives for leagues and tournaments making sure players aren't cheating?

Match Fixing

"How many years have we let our scene be fucking pillaged by these greedy cunts?" "We just let it happen."

• RL says that gambling and skins betting which existed in moderation was "accelerated and blown up by the Call of Duty greedy fucks."
  • "Never forget TmarTn was on the board of EnVyUs." "His website, CSGOLotto, they had a bunch of off-the-books sponsorships." "NBK promoted them. People forget."
• "Those people who had access to the skins, go to the players" "Even people like s1mple, best player in the world, even he scammed knives and skins off fucking fans."
• Owners of skin casino sites would approach pros and lend them skins to use in tournaments and possibly keep them after reaching a deal
  • Players would tip off inside info about matches and teams in exchange for skins. Info such as: roster changes, how they played in scrims
    • They would use this info to bet and subvert the odds on their sites. "That happened religiously, I can't even tell you how many times it happened."
      • "I had access to the biggest database of information, from an inside betting circle in NA, and it would take information and screenshots from other pro players, who were feeding them info in exchange for money or skins."
        • "Some of these players are still playing." "Incredibly, there are players still in the CSPPA today, complaining about the BLAST recordings, that were embroiled in this murky shit back then."
• RL also says that there were tournaments where teams contrived with each other, who should throw, who should win.
• "There's a handful of people that are trying to fucking clean it up, and you think you get something over the line and you see something like the CSPPA and it's run by corrupt fucking chuckle heads, and now you've got another corrupt body you have to fight on a fucking daily basis, it's demoralizing."
  • "It's too far gone. Our entire semi-professional scene is compromised."
• "It's rife guys, I'm not going to lie any more. It's not just China, it's not just Russia, it's here, it's NA, it's Europe, it's Australia, so much more than you think, so much more than we can prove."
  • "I get sent chat logs all the time […] and they're morons, these players, short-sighted, amateur, morons and they're doing it on WhatsApp." People would get cut from the bets because they want to make more money, then they leak the logs. He says, from the chat logs, they spread "little" bets across every site they can (400 to 1k dollars) to prevent shifting odds
• He says the scumbags who've fucked off to Valorant will do the same there if Riot doesn't do something and says Valorant "is an esports scene heading for a very early fall based on the sheer volume of scumbags that are already there."
• "That's tier 2 CS in a nutshell these days. They know they're never going to play in a major, so what's the punishment?"
  • "All of these tier 2 fucks that are fixing games now they are like the fucking mafia compared to iBuyPower" "These guys are working with organized criminals to fix entire seasons worth of games. That's what's going on in your tier 2 CS."
• "I'm literally being told that there are players fixing games at all levels of Chinese esports and motherfuckers with guns are turning up to team houses and stuff."

North America

"Everyone in NA has left we've lost a continents worth of support during this pandemic and Valve haven't said a fucking word."

• RL says the Call of Duty "goblins" that destroyed CS for years are the same people who are now trying to leave CS. "The nerve to treat a game where the fans, and the community, and the TO's were nothing but good to you." "To just kick the players out now and go and leave and say 'It just doesn't make financial sense.' Oh you'll slither back when we have a major though for them stickers won't you."
• There's a cascading effect in NA where people don't bother with CS anymore and people like Chaos suffer.
• He says NA team owners are incompetent for always wanting it easy and always wanting a guarantee on their investment without skill or nuance.
  • RL says he would be able to market a team correctly and would have a good ROI and also points out how TSM wouldn't even be bothered to tweet that their team, which was one of the best in the world, was playing at the Major.
  • He also says not all NA owners are like that, compliments and respects Jason Lake who nearly lost everything to keep Complexity going.
• He then calls out the incompetence in Infinite Esports when they acquired OpTic Gaming and bought an Indian CS team.
  • He says HECZ is not to blame here and that they couldn't tell forsaken was cheating when it was so obvious.
    • They measured his reaction time to the likes of dev1ce and s1mple
    • When an enemy showed up on his screen he won that duel something like 44% of the time
    • "was like the number 1 player in the world statistically"
    • He brought a laptop to their bootcamp and refused to use the high end PCs that hey provided
• He respects Andy Miller (NRG CEO) and HECZ but says that the attitude of not being able to easily monetize their teams is "piss weak" and there needs to be a risk.
  • He says Chaos EC shouldn't be cutting their roster and should be competent enough to be able to figure out how to make money off their team.
• He says there are still opportunities in NA and people are panicking and pulling out, and says Valorant will be the same if not worse.
  • He also says "bums" who couldn't even get out of groups in NA competitions, are making crazy money in Valorant and says it will continue to inflate.
• He also said that he heard rumors that EG (Evil Geniuses) are done.
• He also thinks that the rumors of a Valve franchised league from before was sparked up from "these lazy fabled weak NA fucking team owners basically trying to see if Valve would bite at the hook if it was dangled and they didn't"
  • Slasher says NA team owners are really in favor of franchised leagues because they want to make more money. "Most of the powerful team owners right now are on board with ditching this third party organization structure, or they are trying to play this power politics with all the TOs, and that is contributing to a lot of the problems there"
• RL says that Riot has proved they can run a franchised league (LCS) and will be profitable in 2021 which is what a lot of team owners care about and says the competition will only serve to snatch people away from CS.
• RL continues to say, "I am so sick and tired of what we have done to this scene, I am just exhausted with it." "I think we have legitimately fucked it, I really think we have. I think we're staring into almost like a CGS (Championship Gaming Series) wasteland in NA." "Counter-Strike esports is a fucking joke."

Talent

"TO's have treated CS talent like absolute human garbage for years now."

• RL says that people like Sean Gares and ddk switching over to Valorant isn't for financial reasons because they are making less over there.
• He points out that TO's can't even give talent a 3 month in advance calendar.
• Because of the pandemic TO's won't hire certain people and some people are working more hours for the same money.
• He says we as a community don't respect journalists enough which is why we don't have good journalists.
  • He also says DeKay is leaving the scene soon and that Thorin is close to leaving also
• He says he had to talk a caster down from quitting and was struggling to find reasons.
• He says that DreamHack told Vince they would hire him but not if he wants to stick with dusT and says that this is the norm in esports. "Constant leveraging of people against each other." and says this is why we don't have a talent union.
• New gen casters are getting put into shit situations and the community's reaction to them is adding fuel to the fire
• He says the reason Moses left was because of the terrible conditions
• He says that Anders had to constantly leave his family and kid because someone fucked up or broke promises and had to constantly tell his kid to their face that "daddy can't be home this weekend."
• He says that esports has always been a lie to sell you this dream, "Meanwhile there's about 2% of the cunts getting all the checks."

Valve

"Anything that Riot does, is better than Valve's inaction"

• Slasher says that the larger aspect of esports as a whole compared to other entertainment mediums and Valve's lack of inattention are the bigger problems. He continues saying that the fact that Valve let their game be ran as an esport, they need to take on the responsibilities of it.
  • Both Slasher and RL wants Valve to take control but not on the level of Riot Games, there needs to be a balance.
• In case it was ever a question: Gabe Newell has been to 0 CSGO Majors.
• RL calls Valve out saying they could have done something during the gambling era.
• He says Valve used to come to the majors, but doesn't think they do anymore.
• RL had met with Valve at the Cluj-Napoca Major and had tried to appeal iBP's indefinite punishment and had also gave Brax's life story:
  • A recent family member passed away, they had lost a lot of income, they had to live in trailer, iBuyPower did not pay any salaries, and was pressured by family to make money who didn't support his career.
  • RL said that Valve told him, "How dare you try and make us feel guilty." "We shouldn't feel bad about enforcing the only thing that matters that we need to make players afraid of: cheating and match fixing"
  • RL also tried to share other info about match fixing and nothing came of it
• RL points out that Source 2 or a new engine is not something you will want based on the experience of transitioning from CS 1.6 to CS:S. "Valve's track record with brand new engines being launched, not fucking great from what I remember."
• Slasher says "If there is anything the community should do, is pressure Valve to hire a community manager."
  • They say that we need a commissioner, a community manager (not the person who runs the Twitter who posts memes all day), then we need to have a circuit
• RL reiterates that Valve doesn't care about CS esports and says they need to change the culture at Valve to make them care about CS esports
  • Slasher says a systemic problem is making it so working on CSGO would be a bad decision for you as an employee for Valve
• He also hasn't talked to Valve in ages and have sent over bugs and cheats and doesn't get emails back anymore
• Slasher says we should be directing attention at the developer leads, pointing out Ido Magal, if he even is still the project lead
  • RL thinks that Ido and Brian are the only people that "vaguely even give a fuck about CS" and were the only people that RL recalled that actually read Reddit and paid attention from time to time
• "It is really fucking precarious. Somebody has got to step the fuck up and start giving a shit"
  • Slasher suggests org owners, with CSPPA, with ESIC, with TOs have a concerted effort against Valve
• "Riot Games are doing better things than Valve in the esports space" which is something RL didn't think he'd say.
• "People who used to be talent, working with unions, arguing with other talent, when the unions fucked them over, can't understand their perspective, TOs fucking over broadcast talent, broadcast talent wanting to leave and go and work for orgs, orgs having no money, Valve might take coaches away because all the coaches are cheating, ESIC has about 4 people in a fucking call doing the investigations, everyone thinks they're spies for ESL, ESL are just the evil fucking overlords wanting to rule the scene and will just somehow, like cockroaches outliving a nuclear bomb, and Valve are in a fucking holiday in Hawaii thinking about the next Dota character because they don't give a fuck about us."

Closing Statements

"We've peaked. If we want to sustain and exist, now is the time to figure it out. No esports lasts as long as this, we've already done 8 years. We've already broke the records. We have got to figure out a way to coexist and drive the negative forces out and we need to do it as a collective and we're not doing that."

• RL compared the Counter-Strike scene to the people on the Titanic who ran around with guns robbing people while the boat was sinking.
• "We have given up on being a respectable esports scene." "We are now a conduit to make money for those who want to just milk it, just have one last ride, one last roll of the dice. It's done." "What a fucking mess. What have we done to our fucking scene?"
• "There's just too much self-interest driving all of this." "I don't see a way we stop the dominoes." "When it's that bad, when there's that many dishonest people that ESIC have to come out and say that if we punish them all there's no one left. What does that tell you?"
• "How many opportunities have we had to clean house? How many times have we said, 'this must never happen again', and another scandal." "The entire skins betting operations was the biggest criminal conspiracy in esports ever executed and no one has been punished for it." "The people who could be driving that don't want to."
• "Right now people are fans of those organizations because the scene has value. It is worth being a fan of Astralis because they are excellent at Counter-Strike. It is worth being a fan of s1mple because he is the best player in Counter-Strike, maybe the exception of ZywOo. If the scene is devalued, if the scene loses its meaning, those things lose its meaning too, and people will leave, people will stop tuning into the games. I have seen it happen in multiple esports, this is not my first time at the rodeo. I am getting big Brood War vibes right now and I don't like it."
• "The role you play in all of this as fans, as viewers, as listeners, as consumers of esports content, it's absolutely imperative that you know who the good guys are. It's absolutely imperative that you use your voice. It's absolutely imperative that when things are bad, you know who, at least, is trying to make them good, and you have to apply your criticism to the right targets."
  • He continues saying it's no good in continuing to attack ESIC and saying how they are bad, ESIC have it hard
• He says CSPPA are on the right side of the argument on BLAST but have been on the wrong side of many arguments many times.
  • "If you are not willing to stand along side the weakest member of the union, with the least amount of influence, and the least amount of power, then it is not a union at all and you shouldn't pose as one." "You wanna serve a bunch of special interest do it, everyone else in esports fucking does, but do not pose as something you are not." "We love the players. I've been fighting for players rights for as long as I've been able to, but the CSPPA is not what we needed."
    • "They are not applying the pressure to the right people, they are not fighting the right battles, they are not helping their weaker members."
• He says what orgs have done by keeping or hiring coaches is bad. "When you give up on holding an appreciable standard, you've lost the scene" "Competition matters, rules matter, punishments matter, achievements matter, excellence matters" "If you start stripping that away, you have nothing" "You guys need to take that knowledge and apply it sensibly."
• "Valve has sold you all down the river, they sold everyone in the esports scene down the river, tournament organizers are selling their talent down the river. Don't hate on them for sounding tired after a 16 hour day. Don't hate on them because the hype for a matchup they've seen for the 20th time in the past 3 months, they can't be as excited or it sounds contrived. Support your guys, they're there for you, these are your people."
• "This community has got to start acting like one for the first fucking time. Just put the petty shit away, let's try and fix this fucking scene while we still have one to save."
• "You can't rely on Valve, you can't rely on ESL, you can't rely on the CSPPA, you can't rely on anyone." "Once again, it's gonna be the likes of us, the amateurs, the people who give a fuck, rolling up our sleeves and grafting." "I'm old and tired and I don't want to have to do it again. People need to pick up the torch and do it."
  • "Like Michal did, like Dudenhoeffer did. You see something wrong, fix it. You see somebody doing something wrong, call it out. If you think something could be better, let people know."
• "Vote with your wallets if you're not happy with the direction Valve goes in. If when we do get to the Major, they serve up another subpar, same old bullshit stickers and signatures package again, do not buy it."
  • "You're a powerful block and if you use it correctly we can fucking avert this disaster."
• "I'm not doing another year in this broken, bust-up fucking scene, where everyone is miserable, everyone is broke, everyone is tired, and everyone is trying to fucking rob everyone else, blind, while the fucking people who are meant to be protecting you, are just fucking enhancing it and lining their own pockets."
  • "I'm not doing it anymore and you shouldn't want to do it either."
• "I stand by every fucking thing I said. I mean it, because this game fucking matters to me, this scene fucking matters to me. I put my life into this, my adult life, and to see it in this state is fucking sad."