72M Magazine: Are we the 99%; The Mathematics of Poverty

seventy2minutes.com November 2015

Issue 19

T A K E

3 FREE EASY STEPS

TO YOUR

SUBSCRIPTION

A new digital issue is released every 3 months; filled with the thoughts of 72M contributors eager to share their news and views with you. We’ll send you an email with each new release, including any offers from affiliates and partners.

In 3 easy steps you’ll be on your way to your free subscription to 72M Magazine.

• Click ‘SUBSCRIBE’ • Enter your details • Subscribe!

Your privacy is very important to us. We won’t share your details with anyone outside of Seventy2Minutes. com, 72M Magazine and The Freperie; all trading names of Soul urge Ltd. Registered in the UK. Company number 7327013. For more information about Soul Urge Ltd please contact admin@seventy2minutes.com

2

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

fabulous, frivolous, fashion; online - in app - 24/7

sevent y 2minutes  november 2015

3

contents

72M vox 06 / editor’s review 20 / dave calcutt - are we the 99% 22 / alexis king - lies, damned lies, and mathematics 38 / mbeke waseme - the mountains in life

discover 10 / palermo, sicily 12 / brit on the boulevard 18 / the black farmer 28 / heart london’s cocktail soiree 32 / atul malhotra’s “amar akbar tony” 42 / art for the masses?

46 / trillionaire toys club

learn 26 / 10 tips for wordpress beginners 48 / world wise women - rich mum / poor mum 50 / know your economic self

4

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

contributors

the editor

dinah sackey- founder, editor and dreamer of bigger things

the philosopher alexis king - knowing that all that we know just ain’t no thing

the entrepreneur darren darnborough - seemingly, omnipresent, certainly multi-talented

the teacher

dave calcutt - english, male and in Serbia teaching words (English ones)

the pr guru

catherine lyn scott - promoting london with flair

the marketeer

terri seymour - a font of articles, resources and information

the consultant

mbeke maseme - teacher, mother, mover, shaker

sevent y 2minutes  november 2015

5

the editor s review

I

t’s believed that the root of the 99% political slogan lies in an article penned by Joseph E Stiglitz, for Vanity Fair, in May 2011. “Of the 1%, For the 1%, By the 1%” discusses the growing wealth inequality in the US and scolds the 1% for ignoring the broader ramifications of their hoarding. Comparing the US societal structure to Russia and Iran, referencing Brazil as a better example of successfully narrowing the poverty gap, and denouncing “marginal-productivity-theory” makes for a controversial read however the sentiment took firm hold.

The Occupy Wall street movement that followed the financial crash grasped this sentiment and converted it to a political meme that calls out the drastic differences between those who have, and those who have not, albeit from an American perspective.

Along with this political slogan came the social media cascade. Photographs, placards, testimonies, pleas. Then came the retort of those who felt they were part of the 1%, voicing their solidarity with the 99%, followed quickly by the 53% movement, often described as tragic, wherein participants countered the grievances of the 99% with the perceived value of “less whining, more bootstrapping”…

In this issue Our Man in Belgrade, Dave Calcutt, gives a view on the mathematics of poverty from his standpoint (p26), Alexis King challenges the misdirection inherent in the mathematics of poverty (p28), as our Art (p48), and Technology (p50), sections ponder over the spending prowess of the fabled 1%er.

Intertwined with this conversation we still take time to join our resident Brit on the Boulevard (p18), converse with The Black Farmer (p24), and discover how to negotiate the Mountains in our life (p42).

Join the conversation.

Dinah 6

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

hashtag

#99%

sevent y 2minutes  Issue 19

7

1 year

4

conversations

5

platforms

With over 13,000 followers, 20,000 impressions per issue, and 40,000 web page views per month we’re working on changing the conversation.

join our flock

8

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

“start a conversation change the world”

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

9

I

taly is an endless adventure of beauty and culture that deserve more than 24 hours but if you’re indulging in bite size city breaks you can certainly return again and again, and Palermo is as good as any to start with .

The bustling capital can be reached by a quick flight in to Aeroporto di Palermo (Falcone e Borsellino) where transfers by coach, to the city centre, can be as cheap as 6 euros.

A city that has nearly 3000 years of varying cultural influence is going to be packed with delights for the senses so be prepared for whirlwind of activity in your 24 hours if you want to taste the slightest morsel of what Palermo has to offer.

Where to stay

Try the Palazzo Brunacchini, a restored mansion, tucked away the in student quarter. Unmassuming until you step into the night and find yourself surrounded by life! This boutique hotel is the right balance of affordable and attractive with large clean rooms, comfortable beds, and modern bathrooms. The in house restaurant is excellent and you’ll love the selection of treats at breakfast!

What to see

With so much to see and so little time take in the big tourist attractions – they’re notable for a reason and will whet your appetite when you return for more. Fontana Pretoria is an Instagrammers wet dream and & the nearby Quattro Canti a baroque marvel. For a renowned jewel of Byzantine influence the crypt of the Capella Palantina is a white hot tourist spot. Cameras, and smart phones supposedly banned, but many a happy snapper got through. You may even spot a location used for ‘Il Padrino - Parte III’ if you know your movies.

Things to do

Catacombs, Art Galleries, Botanical Gardens, and Puppet Museums… take your pick! You can fit in at least two of these activities in your 24 hours if you have the energy. If you need to slow the pace down to a leisurely stroll pick one, delve in and enjoy.

Eat, eat, eat!

Eat anywhere. Eat everywhere! From small family run café’s to popular, notable restaurants, the food is so, so very good. Be as adventurous as your pallet will allow and don’t leave without trying the Ice Cream sandwich!

s r u ho

in

Palermo

sevent y 2minutes  november 2015

11

12

sevent y 2minutes  november 2015 

darren darnborough

H

ave you ever seen one of your friends become 30ft tall?

It’s possible when you live in LA. This summer, during our annual trip down to the behemoth of ‘geekdom’ that is San Diego ComicCon, I had the pleasure of seeing my first friend in LA, Judi Shekoni, on a huge house-sized billboard, thanks to her having landed a lead role in the reboot of Heroes.

For those that haven’t been to the convention, it’s five days of fantasy madness, parties, panels, and events all based around comic books and their spinoffs, where the whole city gets involved.

Needless to say the stars of the screen are royalty here, and we used our connections to swan around from the Wired Café to Crave Escape featuring Cold War Kids on the USS Midway (a concert on an aircraft carrier!); from Playboy’s club bash to Nerd HQ’s gaming gathering, rubbing shoulders with Game Of Throners and Walking Deaders and everyone in between.

Following that, I popped back to LA briefly to visit the set of

Jessica Oyelowo’s new short film “After The Storm”, starring Chiké Okonkwo and Gugu-Mbatha Raw, before road-tripping halfway down south again to celebrate Mary and my anniversary in a favorite part of the coastline, Laguna Beach.

We stayed at an idyllic little boutique property, Casa Laguna, which spoils its guests with evening wine tastings and fantastically inventive gourmet breakfasts, with views of the ocean from most rooms. A little juxtaposition never hurt anyone, so we found ourselves having an equally inventive lunch of deep-fried random everything at the OC County Fair. The rides and sideshows seem just a backdrop to the crazy food options that lure you, such as a ‘fryolated’ triple burger with donuts replacing the buns, or a caviartopped Twinkie! Definitely not a trip to confess to your nutritionist.

Our regional expedition in my classic Jaguar XJS continued out to the peaceful and green mountain town of Idyllwild, which nestles in the range overlooking Palm Springs.

This bohemian, artsy community has a no chain-store policy, fine food and nature trails abound – a great

escape to breathe in some clean air and reset. We stayed in a cozy yet well appointed cabin at the Quiet Creek Inn, disturbed by nothing except the crackling of the log fire, and the local inquisitive squirrels.

No, scratch that – disturbed only by a couple of big TV auditions that came in for me, meaning a drive back to LA twice in as many days. Murphy’s law, but luckily the winding mountain path down was a beautiful commute.

From the fresh mountain air, we transitioned to 100 degree heat, literally at the foot of the range, in Palm Springs, the LA desert weekend getaway. It’s amazing how you can go from jacket and scarf to a scorching poolside in minutes – such is the beauty of California. The Alcazar Hotel provided a fresh and relaxing base for us to explore the area, with bright modern poolside rooms, and breakfast legend Cheeky’s on site.

We cooled down with a hike in the San Jacinto Mountain State Park after ascending to 8500 feet in the world’s largest rotating tramcar, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, where the views were phenomenal, sitting atop a peak looking out over the California desert towards

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

13

brit on the boulevard Las Vegas. Descending into some Palm Springs history, a meticulously crafted cocktail and classic American gourmet fare later greeted us at the recently renovated Mr. Lyon’s steakhouse, housed in a former pub, but with all the throwback glamour of the Ratpack heyday.

The deep mahoganies and elegant fixtures will have you feeling an exclusive nostalgia even if you weren’t there the first time round.

We finished off with excellently mixed flamboyant drinks beneath pufferfish lamps at the quietly popular Bootlegger Tiki, a place steeped in history of its own.

Not quite ready to return to Hollywood, we rounded off August in the lakeside town of Arrowhead, grilling some mean homemade burgers in the backyard of a classic forest log cabin.

Occasionally, this Brit On The Boulevard longs for the taste of home…in the form of a good curry, which is actually near impossible to find in LA. There’s lots of Indian restaurants, but not the standard we are used to, so I was excited to find the Brit-owned Cardamom on Beverly Blvd (a more upscale alternative to my simple fave Anar) where we dined to celebrate my good friend, Brit actor Jimmy Akingbola’s new role on the hit TV series Arrow.

Helping him with his research, we hit the Oaktree Gun Club at the weekend to polish up on our archery skills, along with former Golden Globe nominee Hannah Taylor-Gordon and my own Mary Tran, before heading to watch Mary’s elegant performance in Julia Clancy’s hit fashion film “Across Time I Cry” at the Standard Hotel poolside on Sunset Strip.

Despite all the movie success around us, we’d heard good things about the film industry in the South East USA, so Mary and I decided to 14

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

darren darnborough make a trip to Atlanta – we’d never been, so it seemed a perfect time to mix a little business with pleasure.

After a red-eye flight, the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead provided a rejuvenating day on their Wellness level in the Jasmine suite, specifically decorated and appointed for relaxation and focus. Replenished with fresh juices and time in the spa and pool area, and a little help from Famous Amos’ breakfast grits (a 20 year tradition), we were ready to get busy.

Busy on meetings, and busy eating.

Between chats with agents and casting directors, we wolfed down local legends from eclectic jerk chicken platters at Eats on Ponce De Leon; dreamy soft BBQ beef sandwiches at Lone Star BBQ in a room adorned with dollar bills; the famous rock and roll Vortex Burger in Little Five Points and a blues-accompanied full-rack slab and Brunswick stew at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Our home base of Hilton Garden Inn downtown was perfectly located to explore these joints, and Atlanta’s pride attractions World Of Coca-Cola (where you can try ALL the flavors they own) and the world’s largest Aquarium – a pretty spectacular collection, which we naturally visited after the world’s largest burger drive-in, The Varsity.

I always love meeting locals too, so we put together an impromptu happy hour of actors and filmmakers in Inman Park at Barcelona, and was a truly great way to feel part of the fabric.

Needing a little nature, decompression and alternative to the fine junk food of the city, we took a drive eighty miles east to Lake Oconee, to stay at the idyllic and peaceful Ritz Carlton Reynold’s Plantation.

One of the nicest US resorts I have stayed in, they pampered us with a unique Vichy Rain Experience massage – a full body treatment under sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

15

16

sevent y 2minutes  Issue 19

darren darnborough cascading showerheads, and a multicourse chef ’s special dinner at their Linger Longer steakhouse – aptly named when you have incredible cuts of meat and seafood to get through, along with an impressive cocktail and wine list, and their signature soufflé – all served by Chef Chris Heath with a southern comfort influence.

The resort itself offers incredibly spacious suites with elegant but comforting décor, in vast grounds full of relaxing activities, from the lakeside infinity pool, to kayak rentals.

Winding down at night is perfectly achieved with S’mores around the bonfire. It’s no wonder Carrie Underwood chose this venue for her wedding – the level of Southern hospitality and quality throughout the property is unmatched.

Time for wine, we roadtripped through Walking Dead backcountry to Chateau Elan, where literally on the way we passed derelict farms full of battered rusted cars that would have you believe you stepped into the apocalypse, making me wonder if they simply abandon the sets and move on? Arriving at the 3500 acre fairytale estate, we tried a number of their excellent wines before polishing off a very satisfactory meal in Café Elan (the short rib deserves a special mention, as do their international

staff) before a whisky nightcap at the onsite Paddy’s Irish pub.

Back in midtown Atlanta, Mary and I celebrated our new agency offers with a night in the wonderfully charming Stonehurst Place. This 19th century bed-and-breakfast, filled with relevant historical artifacts is truly unique in the area, and the attention to detail in the guest bedrooms is impeccable, affording you a whimsical yet traditional stay that is still perfectly appointed for central attractions, and the personally served gourmet breakfast and bakery items by Innkeepers Lori and Paul along with their historical knowledge sets you up for a day of exploration.

September culminated in a very event-heavy month back in LA. We attended the opening night of Maia restaurant, a beautiful outpost of LORE restaurant group that fuses Californian and Asian cuisine with an inventive cocktail list that includes an avocado margarita, housed on the former classic Sunset-Strip restaurant Mirabelle.

I hosted a fantastic end-of-summer party for my company WeRehearse. com along with co-hosts The Workshop Guru and Mentoring For Actors, where hundreds of LA’s young talent and celebrities

turned out to Mixology 101 at the Grove for a night of extremely attractive fun and networking.

We laid low in the A-list haunt Chateau Marmont on Emmy weekend, before going all out in style and Parisian glamour at this year’s Face Forward Annual charity gala at the Biltmore Hotel, where guests at the Moulin Rouge themed bash rocked out to Chaka Khan and Macy Gray, whilst raising thousands to help domestic violence survivors for this organization I am honored to sit on the board for.

I had some more fun with British pop star Robbie Williams after co-producing a shoot for the new Electric Jukebox company in LA for which he is the spokesperson, before a quick overnight trip to Portland, Oregon to satisfy two big addictions – the new Apple iPhone 6s and some fantastic farm-to-table gourmet food – both being tax free there, so well worth the effort.

Fittingly so, we rounded out the month overlooking Santa Barbara’s magical coast at the launch of new personal development magazine “Give Yourself Permission” – a mantra that I fully intend to adopt in the coming months for my jaunts on and off the boulevard.

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

17

discover

A

story that fascinates and inspires. of a self-made man and a making that could not have been easy, nevertheless, now on the surface a rich, land owning, conservative. 72M spoke to Wilfred about focus, wealth redistribution, and running for office.

Asked to describe himself in the never so easy three words, Wilfred chooses; Intuitive, inspiring and focussed.

how does he view ideas of wealth redistribution?

“I would regard myself as on the left of the Conservative party and I have left leanings. I fundamentally believe that we cannot achieve anything on our own. We need the help of the people around us, our community, our society to help us achieve or personal goals.

Rampant capitalism has demonstrated many times over how it is not good for the human condition. It has the capacity to take us back to our basic survival instinct which takes away our humanity.”

“Intuitive; because I am able to very quickly get to the heart

of the matter – whether that is with an individual or a company.

By listening to what is being said and observing behaviour I am able to cut through what is irrelevant and pinpoint the key issues.

Inspiring; My life has taken me on a very interesting journey. I have worked hard every day, and continue to do so, to achieve what I have.

I hope by telling my story to others who face similar obstacles, whether personal or business, that I can inspire them to follow their dreams.

Focussed; I have never allowed myself to be distracted from achieving my goals. Once I have made up my mind what I want to achieve absolutely nothing and on-one will stand in my way.”

Owning a small farm was a significant stage in that journey, but by no means the end. In fact, having bought the farm it was Wilfred’s inspiration to launch The Black Farmer food brand. Fulfilling The Black Farmer’s potential as an international brand is now an ambition. But more important than that is making a difference in everything he does and to inspire others to achieve their potential.

When it comes to facing challenges, being diagnosed with Leukaemia and having a stem cell transplant resulting in spending most of last year in hospital is no small hurdle.

“It was the single most challenging thing I have ever had to face.

I had to dig very deep to find a level of strength and courage to overcome this disease and not let it defeat me. I instinctively knew my life’s journey was a long way from its destination. I am a fighter.”

The 99% v the 1% concept, does he consider himself a part of that? No I don’t. I never see myself as part of anything. I am an outsider and live according to my own rules. Throughout my life I have been given breaks by others who saw something in me and wanted to give me a helping hand. I strive to do the same and will go out of my way to offer opportunity to others whenever and wherever I can.”

Wilfdred stood in the 2010 UK General Election for the Tory party in the Chippenham constituencey, had he won what issues would he favour?

“To make rural Britain more relevant to urban Britain, where the power lies. When you get outside of the urban centres, it is as though you are in a different country, that Britain is divided and I would want to show that we might have different ways and ideas but we are still part of the same collective.”

As someone who has shown an interest in politics 18

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

With regard to business does he advise anything in particular to the budding entrepreneur? “The most important thing is not to come up with a ‘me too’ product or service. The UK needs game changers, products or services that will challenge the status quo and bring something new and different. When I launched The Black Farmer brand there were many different sausages available. While I was researching the market I learned that one in 10 people in the UK suffered with a wheat or gluten intolerance, so I launched The Black Farmer as a gluten free brand – not as a niche product, but into the mainstream. So my advice would be to look at what you can bring to the market that will make a real difference. Stay focussed” Like any parent Wilfred wishes for the happiness of his children and that they find their own dreams to follow and achieve. “It would give me enormous pleasure if either of them wanted to be involved in The Black Farmer business once they have lived their lives a bit, but that would be their choice. I hope that I have set an example and work ethic that they would be proud of and hope to emulate in their own lives.”

When asked of a personal legacy and how would he like to be regarded for the things he has done, Wilfred simply responds, “He inspired others to chase their dreams.”

wilfred emmanuel-jones is...

the black farmer

A brief internet search reveals that Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones came to Britain, aged four, from Jamaica in the 1950s with his parents growing up in inner-city Birmingham. 1 of 9 children he considered his father’s allotment an oasis away from those surroundings, promising to one day own his own farm. Fast forward several years and he now owns that farm in Devon.

sevent y 2minutes  november 2015

19

are we the 99%? t h e

m a t h e m a t i c s

B

ased on my net worth, I very definitely fall into the 99% suggested in the title of this edition Or, at least, that’s what I thought.

pay for 150 doctors in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan and what would take the average UK earner a year to earn would take a labourer in Zimbabwe 33 years.

In fact, the reality makes for some interesting and, at times, very sobering reading.

Even with my earnings here in Belgrade, a city whose average monthly earnings are approximately 400 Euros, I still rank among the top 13% of the world’s richest people.

If we consider the fact that the average annual UK salary is somewhere in the region of £27,000 and we then compare that with averages from around the world, we start to see just how poor you need to be in order to qualify as “poor”.

An individual earning the UK average salary is actually in the top 1% of the world’s richest, albeit only the 50,369,724th richest person in the world, according to globalrichlist.com.

To put that in some kind of perspective, the average UK salary earner’s monthly income would

$72m>%+$1618033/

20

o f

p o v e r t y

elite club, made up of the top 10% of the 1 Percenters, who appear to own a significant and vastly disproportionate cut of the pot.

So, it starts to become apparent that the “mathematics of poverty” are actually an awful lot more severe than we may at first have thought.

If figures reported by Bloomberg are to be believed, being a member of this super exclusive club requires a net worth in excess of $100 million. Additionally, there are approximately 85 individuals who control as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest in the world. That represents either some seriously super wealthy people or, conversely, a mass of desperately poor people.

At the other end of the scale things are worse, or better depending on your perspective, than first impressions may suggest.

Surely those super rich have more money than they will ever need and, as such, should contribute to the poorer members of society?

It is usually considered that 1% of the world’s population, the so called “1 Percenters”, owns the vast proportion of the world’s wealth.

Closer examination of the facts, however, reveals that there is an ultra

Well, in my opinion, no they shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it would be quite nice to have a rich benefactor willing to fund my need to purchase those things that I cannot currently afford, but I am also not so

dave calcutt //is <>1+007-/(1)^$936,48

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

keen on the idea that the rich should somehow be obliged by law to redistribute their considerable wealth.

The current system, with all its faults, does at least encourage individuals to strive to increase their wealth.

With increased wealth comes an increased tax contribution which, in turn, provides more revenue with which governments can provide services and facilities to society, especially those in most need.

This may sound like a somewhat simplistic rationale and, of course, in many ways it is, but is the alternative really the best way to proceed?

without any law forcing us to do so.

There are many examples of incredibly wealthy people who voluntarily set up charitable foundations or who make regular substantial charitable donations.

If these same people were legally forced to donate a percentage of their wealth, I think there is a very real danger that this would be viewed in the same way as we currently view taxes. The result could well be that there would be a huge industry around the ways in which these enforced donations could be legally avoided.

We are legally obliged to pay taxes and most of us dislike this obligation and will do all that we can to either reduce or completely remove it.

Donations to charities happen for a number of different personal reasons, chief among them being that it makes you feel good. Take away the “feel good factor” and you potentially remove a powerful reason for giving in the first place.

However, many people will happily give to charity in one way or another.

It is a choice that we can make

Another factor to consider is the tax raised from the “1 Percenters”.

According to the American Tax

85>/3.1415///

Foundation, in 2011, the taxes paid by this group accounted for just over 35% of the total, while the bottom 90% of society contributed less than 32%.

Whichever system is employed, there will always be those who “do the right thing” and those who will do all that they can to abuse their position of advantage; its human nature.

In my opinion, the current system encourages ambition and entrepreneurship which, in many cases, leads to the creation of wealth. From this pool of wealthy individuals we can cling to the hope that sufficient numbers are inclined towards philanthropic acts to make a real difference to the lives of those truly in need.

The mathematics of poverty will never produce an ideal solution, but inequality in the treatment of the wealthy is not, in my opinion, the fairest way to balance the equation.

our man in +>>/ belgrade //$996,781/:+=/ sevent y 2minutes november 2015

21

l

damned

i

lies,

e

and

s

mathematics by alexis king

22

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Issue 19

T

he unanalyzed social meme has the power to mislead whole peoples and has been likened to a virus of the mind in the way it is transmitted by thoughtless repetition.

“We are the 99%” is such a meme and its pathology is one of divide and rule where the provocation of the emotive is intended over the substantive.

If from a whole you can derive a 99% and a 1%, from those two new wholes we can sub-divide further and similarly ad infinitum.

Associating this, as it is alleged we must, with the economic status of real flesh and blood human beings, one appears to then make a distinction, moral or otherwise, based upon the means of the demarcated relatively better off minority against the relatively worse off majority.

With reassessment of each successive new ‘whole group’ do we find that there will always be relatively less abundant 1%ers and relatively more prosperous 99%ers.

Is the asininity not already apparent?

The culmination of this process would eventually find everyone simply less well off than the wealthiest individual, whilst simultaneously being more well off than the poorest. Obvious, and according to perception alone can it then be determined which of the two financially barometric and polarising terms is more appropriate to describe any position between those two pillars.

Being highly unlikely to determine their identity and reliably account for their means and subsequent true ‘wealth’, only two theoretical individuals could thus be reliably described as being ‘poorer’ or ‘richer’

the alex is experience than no-one.

Oversimplistic phrases are far from adequate to sum up or ‘coin’ the overall liquid nature of the entire financial system, where alike to the individual drops of water that compose a river, position is not only relative, but continually motile according to past, present and even perceived future economic climates.

No small wonder then that when referring to the pecuniary we use words like current, flow, rates, and liquidity, the latter being the by-word for the relative ease of accessibility to capital funds and subsequently the possibility of accessing financial wealth in real terms as issued, again like the river, according to the position of the ‘banks’…

But what of the acquisition of a disproportionate amount of material wealth by the tiniest number of individuals and families over time as the context to this meme, inadequate as it is as both a moral determinant and to actually describe empirically any such case, even though no such context is offered when the “We are the 99%” trope is bandied about.

Let us for arguments sake say that you made a plan, perhaps a commitment, a vow, even better an oath to the acquisition of material gain. Over the period of your life you work, save, invest, buy, deal, and trade to make good on this oath.

Is this in itself ethically unsound, morally reprehensible, or plain evil?

Being that this seems to be the name of the earthly game, you would not be alone in your pursuit, and the competitive nature of the materially motivated means others are always looking to increase their position, perhaps at the expense of all that you strive for.

But you will not be denied. You enlist

your dependents and other relatives to multiply your abundances. You run your enterprises with the sole aim of maximizing your material gains, always with the intent to do only what is financially expedient.

You begin to amass resources; land, farms, livestock, property. Your family acquires also reputation and in order to protect your interests you must now hire men willing to put themselves at physical risk against any rising opposition, and on occasion to force your way into new exploitations so that your endeavors may continue. You have long since realized it is better to be alive than dead.

However, one day what you have built surpasses your physical lifespan and those heirs who outlive you, who carry your name and ideals are endowed with the deepest commitment as well as fear of loss, to continue what you have started.

They will make alliances with other powerful groups, by marriage, by sworn allegiance, mutual profit, shared goals. They will make enemies, eliminate opposition, go into battle, declare war. They may by now also have begun to coerce, manipulate, bribe and even assassinate.

Over generations this continues, always looking to increase the family’s interests, the head of the clan being advised to make decisions to the greater interest of all who support it but with a specific aim to greater material ownership and with it ever increasing earthly power. That individual may by now have adopted a title that indicates a superior status.

Given many centuries the family’s interests have become vast and complex, their connections and skill to their task highly developed, their allegiances twisted and entwined.

By this time they have realized that sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

23

72M vox to be in open view of their enemies and detractors is a fool’s errand, and so they retreat to the shadows to employ instead many facades and puppets so that they may scheme on unencumbered by the scrutiny of the people, the law that they themselves have written, or by morality itself.

So sophisticated would the enterprise of such a coterie have become that systems would by now be in place that prescribe what the many people, who now work unknowingly on their behalf to amass their greater wealth and power, should believe, think, learn, know, do and say that these people would be perpetually distracted by the proxy enemies and resultant constructed conflicts that inevitably arise between themselves that most are not even aware that such puppet masters exist.

One tool of atomization frequently and historically employed might then be the constructed thought form, issued and spread by simple repetition to drum it into the mind of the populace and then masquerade over time as a truth, however ludicrous, flimsy and unsubstantiated.

Examples might include ‘He died to save you’, “Land of the free, home of the brave’, “Je Suis Charlie’...

The meme then, acts as a kernel for the very perpetuation of those bent on amassing more material power and on the destruction of good in favour of gammon.

Does “We are the 99%” benefit only those of whom it does not speak?

If you so choose you can consider your individual position according to this particular cultural pacifier contrived on your behalf. By so doing you might assume you are firmly of the proletariat. Come the revolution then your head would be far from the block and the baying throngs.

24

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

alexis king But on the basis of simple ignorance, not least of elementary mathematics, that is the fertile ground of theis particluar baseless meme there would be overwhelming numbers in the firing line to satisfy the perception of targeting those who have been variously described as the Oligarchy, the blue-bloods, the bloodline, the Elite, the Zionists, the Patrician families, the Royals, the Aristocracy, or simply ‘them’, without even coming close to displacing those that insurrectionists might dream of eliminating.

Yet even this action has always been to the service of the ensconced, who each time hoover up the displaced wealth. For revolution is defined as the rotation around a central point to arrive again at the original position.

So after the millennia of lies, damned lies and now mathematics that can be, like any language, open to a variety of interpretations, what can we the ‘meme immune’ do in the face of such determination to domination and control at seemingly any cost?

A simple antidote administered to others to begin to combat these mind poisons and to assist the beginning of our psychological and spiritual recovery would be appropriate.

First, perhaps, an infusion of questioning. Follow that with a shot or two of refrain from repeating unsubstantiated absurdities.

A tincture of the spirit of self-reliance, combined with a course of education to higher knowledge beyond the material and the road to recovery can only open up wide in front of us.

What then of the reality of a malevolent few?

Perish their thoughts.

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

25

mind your business

W

ordpress may have started out as a blogging platform but it has evolved so the features you can now add to your site are endless. There is no cost to use Wordpress. You can install it and modify it however you choose and it is fairly easy to learn but there are some tips for beginner’s to get going more smoothly.

1

When you create your WP site you do not want to use a Wordpress folder so it shows up in your URL. I have seen sites that do this and end up with URLs like mysite.com/Wordpress. Install the WP in your main directory or use a subdomain.

2

Although they are a great tool to use, be careful not to use too many plugins. When I first went to the plugin directory at wordpress.org I was like a kid at Christmas downloading just about all of them. Now I use the plugins I actually need and make sure they all get along. Some plugins don’t play nice together so if you notice a problem after installing a plugin, deactivate it and see if that fixes the problem.

3

Pages and posts are different and should be treated as such. A page is static or fixed and displays the same way to each visitor because the information is embedded in the HTML code. A post is dynamic which means visitors can interact with the content and it can change. Your pages should be your permanent webpages... About Us, Privacy Policy, i.e., any content that you want to remain constant.

4

If you have ever experienced the loss of a website, you know it is not a pleasurable experience. To prevent this from happening be sure to backup your WP site regularly. Some hosts will provide a 24 hour site backup if anything happens but not all of them do. There are other backup services and plugins that can do this as well. Search the plugin directory at wordpress.org where there are hundreds of options.

5

Using quality images in your posts and on your pages can increase your conversion rate dramatically.

The brain processes images much better than text so they do much more for your products/services.

Be sure you are using images legally and always add an alt text. This will help the search engine spiders to “see” the images that you have posted.

Unfortunately many people overlook the footer at the bottom of the page. This is where you want to add your copyright, business information and other pertinent information or links. Keep it up to date as well, many people make a point of looking at the footer to check this is and for other information.

6

Choosing a theme is a vital part of building your website. The theme forms the design and layout of your site. Determine the purpose of your website and what you need it to do for your business. Take the time and research each theme thoroughly to see if it will provide what you need including any support.

Try the theme and see if it “fits” with the needs of your site and content. If the theme you choose initially doesn’t work they can easily be changed.

7

Permalinks are the URLs given to your post by Wordpress. The default permalink can be ugly or extremely long depending on your post titles. You can change the structure of the permalink by going into Settings>Permalinks. Then choose one of the listed options or you can customize your links.

8

Social media must play an integral part of your website. There are many options for automating social sharing via plugins so every time you post, it will be shared with your social media followers.

There are also plugins that will allow your visitors to easily share your content on their social pages.

Be sure to use these plugins to your advantage.

9

Wordpress and its plugins are constantly being changed and revised. Keep up with these updates and check to see when updates are available. If you aren’t up to date you could increaase the chances of your site being hacked and could cause problems with interaction between old and new plugins and features.

Check for an Update Available alert next to your plugins or at the top of your admin dashboard.

10

For me, Wordpress is the best thing since chocolate! There is a ton of information available so take the time to thoroughly research Wordpress if you have not yet considered it, look into all the possibilities it can provide for your website and see what it can do for youto help you start or grow your business.

26

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

by terri seymour Š F o r a n y o n e w a n t i n g a n e c o m m e r c e w e b s i t e , Wo r d p r e s s i s o n e o f t h e easiest ways to produce a professional profit producing website or blog and is an excellent tool with which to launch your new business.

T E N T I P S F O R WO R D P R E S S B E G I N N E R S sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015

27

c s

o

c

o

k i

t r

a

i e

l e

Party season will soon be upon us, so you are likely to be attending a few or maybe hosting one. To help you out with your tipples, we found some tasty cocktails for you to try!

28

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015â&#x20AC;&#x192;

heart london Ver mouth is one of Belsazar is the big gest sh drinks tren The Red, aking it up with the ds q u W al ity of their this year and h it e, Dry and using six base ingredie Rose Ver m wines, infu nts. o botanicals u se th d are blended with home and Schlad g row erer Fruit brandies. T n peels, petals, ry these recipes; BELSAZA R VERMO UTHS

BELSAZAR Method: Pour 5 0 m l Belsazar R ROSE & TONIC: cubes and top osé into a up with Fever Tree Tonic W highball glass, fill with ic ater. Ser ve w ith lemon zes e t.

BELSAZAR An alter native R O S to E A S P p er R ol Spri ITZ: with ice cubes, top up with spa tz, pour 50ml Belsazar Ros é in rkling wine, stir gently and serv to a wine glass, fill e with a raspber ry

ganic made with Tiana Raw Or e, rit ou fav l nia ren pe a e classic mix Piña Colada is ost melts in your mouth. Th alm ink dr is th ss, ne od Go t ture.

Coconu kes add to the wonderful tex fla t nu co co e th d an er th blends well toge OS ’ HAVA NA CL UB ‘3 AN A D A L RUM PINA CO

or food processor ; add 3 er nd ble a o int es cub ice d ut Put 4 – 6 crushe ana Raw Or ganic Coconend Ti of res asu me 2 ce, jui Anos’. Bl measures pineapple asure of Havana Club ‘3 ple wedges. eap pin th Goodness and a double ame nish wi gar d an ss gla l tal o int ur until smooth. Po Distilled five times at and unique from tra the Distillerie de Chevanceaux in So ditional grain distill uthern France atio crafted from fine Fr ench grapes, and so n, Ciroc Ultra-Premium Vodka is has the benefit of be ing gluten-free.

Ciroc Pineapple is the most rece nt to a cocktail, but the flavour is so sm incarnation and can be added ooth and sweet, it straight up over can be enjoyed ice, while savour ing the distinct pineapple aroma.

Ciroc Berry adds to Cape Codder, a de the natural fr uit flavour of cranberr lig y in the Berry Cape Codder swap ht for fr uit lovers to enjoy. If you prefer a classic the Ciroc Berry Vo dka for the Origin al Ciroc Vodka.

C IR O C B E R RY CAPE CODDER

Pour a Double mea re of Ciroc Red B ry Spray Cranber ry Csu Vodka and 120m of lassic Light Juice Derrin Ocean k over ice in a highlba ll glass.

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

29

For gin lovers all roads lead to Tanqueray G perfect for the in, which is classic G&T – but we love th of Tanqueray e fresh taste Gin with Bottl egreen Elderflow er Cordial.

TH E E LD E R FL O WER & T A N Q U E R AY G & T

Fill a chilled glass with Bottlegreen Elderflower cubes of ice. Add 50ml of Tanqueray Gin a choice of fresh cucum Cordial. Squeeze a wedge of lime into the glaand 5ml of ber, mint or strawberr ss y. Top up with fresh ton and add ic and stir.

ilas del is produced by Tequ a uil teq e av ag 0% 10 Mexico.

Herencia de Plata’s business in Jalisco, n -ru ily fam ion ing rat Señor, a fourth gene ed in 1997 to commemorate the wedd uc od Garcia.

It was originally pr ny founder, Manuel pa m co e th of e th of of Juan Garcia, son ther the sweeter and smoo is is illa qu Te ejo An ata The agave aroma The Herencia de Pl quila connoisseurs.

Te all at all. r fo t us m a variant, t overwhelm the glass no es do d an s ru cit e blended nicely into th ATA TE Q U IL A H ER EN C IA de PL

anco Herencia de Plata BlPlata sp cri d an an cle th, Tr y also the smoo the classic ‘slammer’ or Herencia de te.

Tequila, perfect for for a definite kick without aftertas Reposado Tequilla

y have in Compan The Ely G innovative fr uit e created som r winter nights. If fo ct fe er e Sloe gins, p ry lover mix th you are a cher in with sparkling G with Cherry king a winter ta , o cc onths.

Prose d a few m drink forwar E LY G IN S

er ry nd the raspb The lemon afor a twist on are great Gin and Tonic. the classic

30

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

Jägermeister can be an acquir ed taste, but mixing it wit h Bundaberg Ginger Beer wil l make you a convert. The unique flavour of Jägermeister and delicate ginger flavour entwin ed, you could easily drink it all nig ht.

RO OT 56

Pour a double shot of Jägermeister and 50 ml of Bundaber g Ginger Beer into a highball glass over ice.

autiful blend Lovo is a be conut water co of pure Thai Vodka, with and premium natural sugar. less than 1% rving contains Each 250ml se ries, with calo 128 just gar, su refined absolutely no vo s or fla urs. artificial colour LOVO

k! Extremely We love this drinstes healthy too. refreshing , it even ta

Tea cocktails are all the rage we made this an beautiful refres d hing cocktail with Tea Earl Grey T pigs Darjeeling ea. This cock is fresh and fr uity, but no tail t sweet. It is o ne of favouri too te Heart Londo s n, maybe bec at ause we made it up ours elves.

H E A RT L O NDON LEM ITA To one m ea Darjeeling Ear sure Teapigs l Grey Tea ad da Double Shot of the juice fro Limoncello & m 1/2 a lem on.

alcohol? and Sorbets d just ate cre Luschice have can be so ol oh that. Low on alc The y. da of e enjoyed any tim te tas gy tan sh Margarita is a fre a d an d rin sh of lime, with fre , sty Ta a. uil teq welcome taste of eat Gr g. hin res innovative and ref prise. for a dinner party sur

LU SH IC E SO RB ET S

lada Also available in Pina Covou rs. fla & Strawber ry Daiquiri

For a drink that will send your taste buds into overdriv e try this. The smooth taste of th e Havana Club Rum is met with the sweetness of Liquor 43 and blended with orange juice , you have a match made in co cktail heaven.

S PA N IS H S U N R IS E 43 Shake 2 measures Havana Club Rum, 25ml of Licor 43, and 50 ml of Orange Juice in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice in a highball glass.

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015

31

amar, akbar & tony a film by

atul malhotra

32

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Issue 19

A

film

mar, Akbar & Tony is a coming of age film that chronicles the journey of the protagonists from childhood to adulthood, charting their friendship as it carries them through pivotal moments in their lives. Additionally it weaves in the dynamic of how culture has a heavy hand in shaping our lives.

Having been fortunate enough to preview this heartwarming, engaging, and humour filled film 72m spoke to Director, Atul Malhotra about the path from concept to creation;

the script

I wrote the initial first draft over two months in the winter then spent a year working on other paid work before coming back to it the following winter, when work was quiet, to write the 2nd draft. Once I got past that phase I started to look to raise money for the film and rewrote it a further 6 or 7 times till we started filming.

the soundtrack

I’m very proud of the soundtrack and the score, both of which were created by Rishi Rich. I’m a big fan of Rishi’s previous work and I always wanted him to compose the music for the film - particularly as I’d always seen the music almost like another character in the piece. Rishi read the script and agreed immediately. After that, it was a closely collaborative process. I learnt a lot from Rishi and I think his musical instincts are amazing. I remember struggling to find the right feel for a crucial scene in the film, which is a catalyst for the story, and Rishi just said ‘leave it with me’ – he then played me this beautiful haunting and mesmeric piece of music that he just created on the spot and it was bang on the money!

That’s what went into the film.

the dinner scene

I’m quite fond of this scene as I think the cast play it brilliantly. The awkwardness of the fathers discussing terrorism, the soon to be wedded couple Akbar and Samantha sharing their discomfort through glances across a table while the younger brother tries to hit on Samantha’s older sister. And the look of sheer disdain that actress Cloudia Swann gives Shide Boss always makes me laugh.

I guess the idea was always to undercut the serious topic at hand with humour while simultaneously making a social point. Hopefully we achieved that.

iconography

Amar’s look was something Rez and I discussed in detail.

I was always keen that Amar’s character be a proper sardar (a turbaned sikh) because that’s how I’d always sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

33

film pictured him, even when writing the script. It was relevant to me dramatically that when he felt he had shamed his family that he didn’t feel that he deserved to wear the turban anymore and shaving his head was symbolic of this. It’s also interesting on another level that this is probably the first time a turbaned sikh has been the protagonist in an English film.

twists

The development of Amar’s uncle’s story is a brilliant twist. We won’t post any spoilers but how do you think this will be received by the Asian community and what kind of realisations / conversations do you hope it will ignite?

I think part of what ‘Amar Akbar & Tony’ reflects is that times have changed and the Asian community is less rigid than it used to be. Yet there are still those whose views on society and social mores are a few decades old and they may perhaps be unhappy with some of the depictions in the film.

hopes for the future

We’re not a film that’s been backed or supported by any funding body or UK film institution. In that regard we’ve struggled from the outset in raising money and actually getting the film to the screen. So for me it’s already a massive achievement to have made a film I’m proud of and to get it out there. But making the film is just one part of the process; marketing is what let’s the audience know it’s out there. In this regard we have no money to promote the film and can only hope that word of mouth helps our audience to find the film. So we really need people to help us by telling their friends about it and sharing the films links on social media.

34

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

amar, akbar & tony 72m also spoke to 3 of the film’s What were your first

main protagonists to gain a rounded impressions of the script view of how it was like being in when you received it?

AAT and the experiences shared.

M.R. How much of your I loved it. I knew it was going to be character is based on a great project that I was proud to yourself or people you be part of. know?

R.K. Manrina Rekhi: I loved it totally. I felt I could really The script writer/ director, Atul Malhotra, once told me he based the characters on people he had met throughout his life. I think we can all relate the characters to someone we have met along the way.

Rez Kempton:

What’s great about playing Amar for me is that even though I’m not him, I can really relate to him. It’s that thing we actors do – try to get under the skin of the characters we play. We have to make them believable for the audience. What I do is find what elements are me of the character and then do the “if I was in that situation” what would I do and balance that against what the character does. Find what feels truthful with the help of the director and go for that. Atul, who directed, also wrote the script and he said he loosely based them on people he knew and grew up with – of course being the discreet fellow he is, he didn’t divulge!

relate to the characters in the script.

I grew up in East London and just like West London, I grew up in a healthy melting pot of diversity and hence have friends from all walks of life. What I learnt then was that I had more in common with those friends then differences. I love that Amar Akbar and Tony celebrates that and doesn’t make an issue out of it as so may other films do.

M.D.

I really enjoyed it. I found it refreshing to read a ‘coming of age’ story with characters that little bit older, taking the journey into true adulthood, as it were. I found it funny and heartfelt but most importantly extremely current. There are a few homages to the Bollywood film and surreal comedic moments but the heart of it, the story, is one of truth and love.

The love of three ‘brothers’ and the pursuit of love in their lives.

Do you think the arc Martin Delaney: of the story will help For me, I try and serve the script as those who have a best as possible. The fortune I had misunderstanding of with the role of Tony was all of Asian culture recognise his quirks and slip-ups were right the breadth beyond there on the page. There were a lot what the mainstream of circumstances that made him media portrays? enjoyable to play and meant that I had potential to make him funny.

I felt like he was quite similar to a character I had played when I was younger but he’s certainly not based on anyone I knew.

Yes, I hope so

M.R. R.K.

I certainly hope so. That was certainly discussed at the script reading of our film and it was heartening to

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

35

&A hear the other actors feel the same.

I feel Atul really set out to celebrate multicultural Britain and move away from the stereotypes that we all are just so tired of. What’s ambitious about the film is that Atul really attempts to blend some Bollywood with traditional British filmmaking to create this hybrid of style and culture.

I love those guys, plain and simple.

It was a huge pleasure to work with them the entire process. It made work easy and simply a joy! To be honest I have a huge amount of love for the entire cast. Not a single bad egg in there. The girls are wonderful fun and I’m grateful we all got to spend that time together.

Were there things that M.D. you learned about I think anyone who is ignorant Asian culture that you enough think that Asian culture isn’t weren’t aware of, more than the mainstream media during filming? portray, is not going to change their mind based on a film. Sadly. I do however, think Amar Akbar & Tony is an honest reflection of the West London I grew up in. I know that British-Asian audiences find it hugely refreshing to not see large numbers of race-related clichés in our movie.

That to me is very important. As I mentioned before, the heart of the story is about brotherhood and love, it’s universal in its themes and there’s a lot for audiences to thoroughly enjoy, regardless of culture and background

I loved the comradery between A A &T – How much of this continued once the camera’s stopped rolling?

M.R.

All 3 guys had great chemistry on and off screen. I think they really became good friends.

R.K.

We really became great mates during filming and continue to do so. It can be difficult because our working lives take us away a lot but it was really apparent from the casting sessions that we’d get on and we did. It’s really important for the movie that you feel these guys are lifelong friends. I feel we achieved that, I hope.

M.R.

Being Indian I’m not sure that I learnt anything but definitely related to all of it.

R.K.

I play a religious Sikh guy so I wanted to get that right. I had talks with friends of mine that are Sikh – visited the Temple and really importantly learned about the turban and how important it is and what it symbolises. Atul and I also discussed that we couldn’t think of a single western film in which a turbaned Sikh man was a lead – so we felt we wanted to get it right.

M.D.

Not really, growing up in a vast family of immigrants myself, a lot of it felt familiar. My father’s family are from Ireland and my mother’s from Burma, so I am actually British-Asian myself. In both sides of my family, closeness is an important element of ours lives. I knew little about Sikh and Muslim faith before the film and grew up Catholic just like Tony, but as the film points out, these are no major differences that affect the majority of individuals.

What were your favourite scenes to film and what are your favourite scenes to M.D. watch now the film is its

36

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

complete form?

M.R.

My worst scene to film was the chapati scene. I was cringing at myself throughout. I loved how the audience responded to it though and how much everyone remembers it and loves to reference it.

I love my scene running around the lake; Martin is so funny as Tony. I got great exercise when filming, running around that lake for hours!

R.K.

Too many to list. Honestly I was so lucky to have a great script with loads of fantastic scenes to play. Great actors to work with – the entire cast is not only amazing but genuinely lovely. It made coming into work a pleasure everyday. Atul should be proud of assembling such a fabulous team – doesn’t always happen that everyone gels so well. He did a great job.

M.D.

I very much enjoyed filming the comedic scenes with Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. They are just lovely women to work with! There’s also a scene with Rez Kempton who plays Amar, where I need to apologise to him for something that happens early on. I felt like it was nicely written, subtle enough but heartfelt. I liked finding a side to Tony in there that’s harder to see elsewhere in the piece.

Are there any memorable moments during filming you’d like to share?

M.R.

It was great getting to know Ace Bhatti, who played my husband. He’s a great actor and a fun guy.

R.K.

I really enjoyed the scene when we open the restaurant. I don’t get to play a lot of comedy in the film and

to be able to let loose in that scene was really fun for me. It was a late into the night scene but we were all laughing so much that we didn’t really notice and the time just flew by!

M.D.

There are many but one that springs to mind was the first day actually.

I don’t smoke but at the top of the film was due to smoke a joint in one scene. The art department kindly made me a number of rolled cigarettes to smoke; however the scene had a particularly tricky shot involved. Needless to say we ended up doing a large number of takes, sending me a lovely shade of green.

I may have been sick in a bush. May.

What messages do you hope the film will portray?

M.R.

The classic ‘F@#! society’ line seems to have an impact on the audience. It’s important for Indian society to stop worrying about what others think.

It’s great for Caucasian audiences to learn about different cultures.

R.K.

Even though we may come from different backgrounds or beliefs essentially we are the same and have loads in common more than the differences that we perceive.

Sometimes we only focus on the negatives but there is so much more to be gained by embracing diversity and together we are stronger.

M.D.

To be honest, I’m not sure I see it as that kind of film; it’s more fun than that. It’s fair to say though, that there is an over-riding message of acceptance. Not only in our three protagonists and their cultural differences but also a societal message around acceptance of people’s choices and lives they intend to lead. sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

37

the mountains in life by mbeke waseme

38

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015â&#x20AC;&#x192;

mbeke waseme

T

his thing called life brings us challenges. The challenges can often be positive if we have the tools in place to deal with them beforehand.

How can I deal with a challenge that I don’t know is coming you may ask? You need luck on your side! Don’t exhale yet! Luck is not some mystical concept that happens to fall into some people’s lives and not into others. No way! I completely accept the definition that luck is when preparation meets opportunity! That is right! So when the challenges come your way, as they will, how prepared are you?

m e n t a l

p r e p a r a t i o n

So much of what happens in our lives, begins in our minds. The ability to visualize the picture or the opportunity that is yours is a key way of preparing for the change that you want. Seeing not only the picture but also being able to imbibe all of your senses into the future experience is a part of this process.

If your future house will have a stream running close by, in your visualization, you can hear the movement of the water, smell the rushes on the bank, feel the grass as you walk towards it, and experience the calm effect that the smell, feel and sound create. You are able to use your mind to form the reality of your future. Doing this regularly is a part of your mental preparation.

The practices of meditation and of being still are other tools of mental preparation that can serve you well in your lives. The ability to take long deep inhalations in a space that you value and in which you can sit quietly are key factors for our mental preparation. Sitting in a dark room for anything from 5 minutes to one hour where your main focus is on your breathing, your third eye and the positive future, will move you towards your goals becoming your reality.

In our world of gadgets and 24 hour messaging, this is indeed a skill that is becoming more and more necessary; to rest our hearts and minds from the constant need to ‘respond’ to the calling from others. This discipline is a part of the mental preparation.

The skill of meditation and self-awareness, transform themselves into your daily activities and, in acknowledging how to use elements of this practice, you can fully enhance your waking life. Your conversations can become less confrontational as your self-awareness will guide you to stop and take a deep inhalation before you respond.

Mental preparation improves with practice and the art of meditation is definitely part of the ‘Art of War’ in reclaiming the space and time to stop, to ground yourself

and to connect with you again.

p h y s i c a l

p r e p a r a t i o n

That body that you are walking around in is either happy with you, not so happy or down right disappointed!

The happy body will be fed on diets of water, healthy meals and juices with periods of fasting, light eating and regular exercise. It will be comfortable walking until sweat breaks out, engaging in jogging, training, tennis, skipping running up and down the stairs etc. This body will sleep well and strive to give itself food based on nutritional value and understanding, over that of taste and pleasure.

The not so happy body will suffer from grave contradictions. This may include very healthy main meals followed by regular excessive deserts and alcohol. This body will be overweight due to the excessive deserts and alcohol intake that eliminate any of the good that the healthy meals may have provided. The mind may associate sugar and alcohols as rewards for having eaten the healthy main meal.

The down right disappointed body is afraid of food that looks healthy and will leave anything from the salad or vegetable family that is placed on the plate unless it is covered in sauces or disguised as a ‘stew’. The only exercise this body will get will come from walking to the bathroom, walking to the car, to the office or restaurant.

In fact, the exercise will be dictated by how close the car can get to the final destination and, in some cases, the destination may be dictated by the distance that is needed to be walked.

h o w

w i l l

y o u

c l i m b ?

The physical and mental preparation will determine how well you make the climb. How would someone from each of the above groups, respond to the challenge of climbing a mountain? In this case, the mountain is real.

It is Afadjato in the Volta region of Ghana West Africa.

It is the highest peak in Ghana and stands at 885 meters.

This mountain also represents the challenges that will come our way and the success in overcoming these challenges. The success in getting to the top of the mountain will be the success in overcoming challenges with win-win solutions! Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!

The fitness of your mind and body will enable you to climb this and many other mountains. Your physical and mental well-beings are the two key tools that will support you in managing your life changes.

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

39

72m vox

Look at each of these every day mountains...

1. A family, whose children leave home. Their roles will change drastically. They must reinvent themselves.

2. A child who leaves the family home to work or to go to university. They will need to reinvent themselves.

3. A man, whose company downsizes and is made redundant as a result of this. He must reinvent himself.

4. The individual in a couple, who have been together for 40 years when one of them dies. They will have to reinvent themselves.

5. Families who are torn apart through wars. They have to reinvent themselves.

6. Anyone who goes to work in a country in which they were not born. They must reinvent themselves.

7. New parents, they must reinvent themselves.

8. People who experience physical changes as the result of illness or accident. musts reinvent themselves.

These mountains are real and are happening everyday.

The ability to climb them successfully is made possible by the ongoing mental and physical work that we do.

The strength of the body and of the mind, will give each one of these people you and I, the ability to climb your mountains with ultimate success.

40

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015â&#x20AC;&#x192;

m y

A f a d j a t o

c l i m b

When I volunteered to climb Mount Afadja in Ghana, known locally as Afadjato, in July 2015, I did so confident that my physical and mental well being would allow me to complete the climb. I did not expect it to be easy but I was confident that I would complete successfully.

The walk up was hard. It would seem that nature had positioned the trees strategically and grabbing onto these whilst not looking at the fall below, were a crucial part of reaching the top. We began as a group and one member of the group realized early on that he was not physically able to go on.

He decided to stop, wait or return to the bottom of the mountain. There was a moment and a pause. We had started together and we all wanted to reach the top.

However, the bottom line was that as well as being a part of the collective, we all had our own vision of success that needed to be completed.

Navigating the rocks that were slippery from the recent rain was sometimes hard. At the arrival of the stop points, the childlike adventurer that continues to be alive in me, was happily climbing, grabbing onto trees and laughing at the success of each stage. As I approached a patch of crazy large ants, I took a deep breath and ran up past them! None of them got me!!!

As a group, we tried to remember work songs that would have motivated us but none of us knew the same songs.

the mountains in life

(middle image. climbers l to r: Setriakor, Mbeke, Dr. Esi & Sara Asafu-Adjaye) I started to sing ‘Gotta get through this’ and a great Black Eyed Peas high-energy song. They both kept me going. It worked and allowed me to suspend any fears that occasionally crept in.

At the top there were 5 local people sitting and enjoying the view! It made me smile as I remembered a poster of the 1980s or 90s where the white astronauts land on the moon and an elderly African man is sitting there with a walking stick, dressed in a wrapper! They looked at us in our walking clothes and as we exclaimed our joy at successfully reaching the peak. They were certainly bemused.

I felt good. My body and mind had been able to climb this mountain!

Going down was much harder than going up had been.

It began to rain but wearing the rain jacket left me hot and sticky. I handed it back to the navigator Jay. The limestone and the rock meant that my footwear could not grip onto the stones. I fell! Once. Twice. Thrice. At

I followed the advice of the navigator and stopped walking straight and started to walk sideways. It provided a better grip for a part of the walk. I watched the others but only at short bursts as 85% of my concentration was on my feet and where I was placing them.

I had become obsessed with not slipping any more! I started to feel drained and elated at the same time. As I descended I couldn’t remember where the ants had been.

I was pretty sure that it would have been more dangerous to try to run past them in the rain. I don’t remember seeing them on the way down. I assumed the rain had sent them running for cover! I was sooo pleased.

As we walked off the mountain with muddy buttocks and exhaling, we knew we had done it! We had been successful!

One of the women on the walk was in preparation for her Kilimanjaro climb to raise money in order to document the stories of the elders in Ghana. I decided then I too would climb that mountain in the near future. Anyone want to join me???

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

Afadjato climb organised by dziedzorm@braveheartsexpeditions.org

Another member of the group started to feel nauseas.

She considered going back but we were half way up! She didn’t know if she could make it and looked troubled.

Her options were to descend alone or to continue with the group. We agreed to stay closer together and to keep each other motivated. The rocks, trees and rough ground kept us all challenged. As we approached the peak, my legs started to hurt. I wish I had trained more this weekend. I was grateful that I train regularly though.

one point I decided to slide down a section rather than try to walk when it seemed there was no grip. My child had really come out to play!

Grabbing the trees felt more urgent as we descended.

The slippery surface provided much less control and whilst the trees acted like safety points, they seemed much further apart as I walked down.

41

42

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015â&#x20AC;&#x192;

art

art for the masses

for the masses?

W e can argue forevermore as to what constitutes Art. An unmade bed? A tiny block of wood? A stack of radios emitting asynchronous sound? The ceiling of a religious building?

Art, it seems, is in the eye of the beholder… or the investor, for there are some pieces of art that the masses simply do not have access to and the questions is; does it really matter?

A ‘Forbes’ article in 2009 attests that “Wealthy patrons and collectors have been the lifeblood of the art world for centuries”, citing the Medici’s, Frick, and Melon as early investors who have propped up the Museum trade.

Current day investors follow in these footsteps by collating valuable, coveted, works of art such as Van Gogh’s infamous “Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear”, and Picasso’s “Yo Picasso”, with reports suggesting

that the world’s top billionaires invest an average of 18% of their net worth in art. A clear indication of the monetary, and cultural, importance of art.

It’s often proclaimed that art should be for the people, and rare pieces should be displayed publically for generations to enjoy, and be inspired by.

However art in the hands of the few does not necessarily deny access for the many.

Several private collectors allow their investments air time so the masses, or those of the masses that are interested, can put eyes on some of the world’s highest valued works.

There are many lists on the internet that proclaim to boast the top xx most valuable private collections and whilst some of these come with caveats as to the accuracy of evaluations the usual include;

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

43

art

P h i l i p N i a r c h o s

A name that has bounced around in the top 10 and is currently regarded as the premier private collector.

Having inherited works from his shipping magnate father it is reported that amongst his collection is Van Gogh’s infamous “Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear”, Picasso’s “Yo Picasso”, and Warhol’s “Shot Red Marilyn”.

F r a n c o i s P i n a u l t

Multi-billionaire Pinault has been reported in the top 10 for years and has even reached the heady heights of Number 1. His collection is reportedly between $1Billion and $1.4Billion. An unselfish collector he is renowned for opening museums and galleries to provide access to his collection which has (may still) consist of pieces by Rothko, Warhol, Koons, and Hirst.

Th e R o t h s c h i l ds

Although it’s never explicitly stated how much of the Rothschilds Über wealth is invested in art, an article dated 1931 suggests that there’s is a generational, and acute, habit that has led to the amassing of some great, and expensive, works. It is thus assumed that their ‘collective’ collection is gargantuan.

D G

d n

The music executive and DreamWorks founder has been buying and selling artwork, if reports are to be believed, for decades. He too has occupied the number 1 position (according to Business Insider) like Niarchos, and Pinault, and he’s thought to be in possession of pieces by Jackson Pollock, Rothko, and de Kooning.

B r o a d

Sitting comfortably in the top 10 – although not yet reaching the number 1 spot, Broad is thought to be philanthropic with his billions and like Pinault has opened museums to house his collection of over 200 artists, valued at $1 billion

a v e f f

E l i

i e

Additionally there are pieces of work belonging to private collectors that may never make a “top 10…” list but their collective hoard includes works by Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Botticelli and many notably historic pieces that some might feel belong in a museum as opposed to a high security bank vault.

44

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

art for the masses?

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Issue 19

45

technology

46

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Issue 19

trillionaire toys club

trillionaire toys club what do you get the 1%er who has everything?

Money. Got that. Power? That too. Connections? How do you think money and power came into the equation?! When the super-rich “invest” in technology the rest of us merely watch on as the media works itself into a frenzy. Let’s take an imaginary trip through the lifestyle of the uber-rich and fantasize about what their billions could buy.

1963 ferrari 250 GTO racer

As you dream of the speed of a Bugatti Veyron or of cruising, windows down, beats up, in your Maybach Exelero the 1%er in your life is rubbing their chin calculating whether it’s worth investing in that 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO. Fetching $25million when last at auction it’s now well established that classic cars are increasingly popular and that $25m could easily mature into $125m when the great-grandchildren cash in their trust fund.

a t l a s

/

v a l k y r i e

Not the published kind, nor the kind that sits silently with the world on his shoulders… we’re talking about your friendly neighbourhood robot. Atlas has cameras, head-mounted lasers, and 28 hydraulically-operated joints. At 300lbs and 6’ 2” you can relive your ‘dystopian future’ fantasies and rename him “The Terminator”, just for laughs [evil cackle]. Come the revolution when the 99%ers bay for your blue blood simply unleash Atlas / Terminator and observe the descent into chaos from your panic room or executive escape pod. Bliss.

(P.S. Atlas currently belongs to Google so you might have to ask Daddy to pull some strings. Failing that maybe NASA will let you have Valkyrie for $7.5m and you can call her T3. Just for laughs of course…)

diamond encrusted pumps

Designed by Tom Ford and sported by Nick Cannon on America’s Got Talent these Jacob the Jeweller enhanced kicks would make a sparkling investment for the fashion conscious 1%er. With 14,000 white diamonds, totalling 340 carats, who cares about the blood on these diamonds? Elvis can keep his blue suedes.

z e u s

j u p i t e r

P C

1%ers have evolved beyond blue sky thinking. It’s all about reaching for the stars and nothing says ‘interstellar magnate’ like a diamond studded, platinum cased personal computer. At $750k it won’t break the bank but diamonds are forever so it could very well hold its value for years to come. Let’s not talk about the spec, that’s not the important factor here – let’s just focus on realising the benefits of this small investment.

the supercomplication pocket watch

Whilst the nouveau riche salivate over the Audemars Tourbillion, pocket change at a mere £195,000, the 1%ers are contemplating the $24m Patek Phillipe Supercomplication, if it ever comes on the market again that is. Commissioned by Henry Graves Jr, son of Henry Graves Sr, founder and partner of the Maxwell & Graves banking firm, this legendary time piece allegedly took 3 years to design and 5 to build.

sevent y 2minutes Issue 19

47

learn world wise woman

T

• In 60 seconds $141,540.00 has been spent on Amazon. com. That’s $12,2 Billion per day.

• Americans are consuming (think Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, McDonalds, Coca Cola, toys, guns) at $101,135.89 per second. That’s $6,06 Million per minute, or $364 Million each hour, or $8,7 Billion per day • Every second $3,075.64 is spent on pornography. That’s $266 Million each day.

Poverty being a game of numbers it seems that by • It’s predicted that the world will spend $251m per day on shifting the poverty line the World Bank has instantly video games in 2015 lifted millions out of destitution by declaring that • By 2017 the cosmetic industry expects to make £726 it’s now possible to live on $1.90 per day. That’s Million per day he Make Poverty History movement reports that in 2001 the eight wealthiest nations promised to halve world poverty by 2015.

A seemingly gargantuan and altruistic promise, yet by 2015 it would appear the World Bank has made significant strides towards achieving this. How have they managed this? Numbers.

1.26 GB pounds, or 1.77 Euros, or 0.0049 Bitcoin.

Suddenly their achievement doesn’t look so good, especially when research suggests that of the 7.3 billion humans estimated to live on this planet 4.2billion exist on less than $7.40 a day, the calculated sum necessary to achieve the normal human life expectancy of 70 years old Considering that women and children are thought to comprise 70% of the worlds poor (Oxfam) that’s a lot of women and children that have been swindled out of the hope of a better existence. Crudely speaking this calculates as;

7.3bn People 4.2bn Living on less than $7.40 p/d 70% Women and Children 2.94bn Women and children living a life of poverty It’s important to note that this isn’t ‘relative’. This is the calculated sum, across the globe that would allow a human being enough resource to exist until 70 years old. It doesn’t mean that this human would enjoy 2 holidays a year, nor does it mean that this human could afford the additional material goods that a better off person would enjoy. This is just enough for the human in question to exist (think basics; clothes, food, shelter).

So lift

how much these 4.2

money Billion

would it out of

take to poverty?

$21,756,000,000.00 That’s $21.8bn dollars a day.

For some perspective on that figure let’s take a quick gander at what we (the people) are spending billions on;

48

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

And this is just the relative tip of our global spending iceberg. Food, shelter, transport, and education costs have been excluded as some will consider them quite essential to our existence, at any given stage of human development, but it is eye-opening to consider that our global habits when it comes to porn, gaming, cosmetics, and consumptive consumerism could resolve the world poverty issue with $450million+ change at the end of each day. Coincidentally it will also burn a hole in the pocket of some of the 1% we have come to vilify.

Clearly the issue is deeply complex, emotional, psychological and political but sometimes numbers can focus on the breadth of the barriers

personal, absolutely help us we face.

It’s arguably difficult for those who want to see a change in the world but still love their Pumpkin Spiced Latte, cannot resist the next Call of Duty, and crave the latest M.A.C nail shade; but calling for the wealth of the 1% to be redistributed to the poor essentially approves of the system we live in (i.e. everything’s ok as long as you share the money) and ignores the global dragnet of the term “1%” (there are many online calculators that will tell you where you sit on the global income curve. Prepare to be surprised).

The change we need to see is understanding how we are part of the equation, how our every action adds, or subtracts, from it and what we can do to make a difference.

Then once we know better we must simply do better.

r i c h m u m / p o o r m u m a person needs $7.40 per day to live until 70 years old.

2.94 billion women and children, around the world, live on far less than this

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015

49

F

rom the advent of 72M our mission statement for “You-Ology” was very much “Know thyself ”. Our ambition was to introduce readers to the many fantastic ways in which this can be achieved.

We’ve studied the palm of our hands, the shape of our faces, and the alignment of the planets when we were born. We’ve investigated the numerical importance of our names, the curves of our feet, and the very real influence of the people we are born to. All have leaned towards the spiritual, physical, and metaphysical.

This You-Ology brings us to the economical. Some may think that economic standing and spirituality, or money and personal value, are diametrically

50

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

opposed. Phrases like “Money does not make the

man”, “Money is the root of all evil”, “Money cannot buy you happiness”, and “More money, more problems” have become platitudes that obscure the reality of the societal structures most of us are born into.

Unless your intent is to upend the society you live in, usurp the order of things as you know it, and introduce new ways of living (for all things are possible), it’s likely that your aim is to simply live the best life you can.

For some this might have nothing to do with economic prosperity, for others it could be the very foundation of happiness, yet how are we to know if we never ask ourselves the difficult

you-ology

your

K N O W economic self

questions that solicit the most honest of answers?

Wealth is relative, feeling wealthy is personal. To understand our own needs, not that determined or influenced by others, we have to ask ourselves “what is enough for me?

There are many interesting calculators on line that will tell you where you sit on the global personal income scale. Some might open your eyes to how comparatively “rich” you are but if, in the country you live, this does not translate into a feeling of economic contentment it’s time to ask yourself why.

There is no shame in simply admitting that you would like to make more money, have more space,

travel freely, or give without feeling anxious.

Your questions might even lead you to think about “where” you live. Maybe the life you’re aiming for means moving to another part of the world – whether for opportunity, to accumulate the wealth you seek, or the ability to live comfortably without (what you might consider) excess.

Once more there are many tools available to give you a surface level insight as to how your standard of living compares to somewhere else in the world.

Additionally if you need some inspiration to pursue your economic goals, or advice on how to live better with less there is a wealth of information available to encourage and guide.

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

51

seventy2minutes.com AFFILIATES

72M Magazine and seventy2minutes.com are free to read online. We aim to bring you content from contributors around the world and some of our work is supported through affiliate marketing. We choose our partners carefully and select offers we feel may be of interest to our readers. To access affiliate websites and offers click a link to open a new browser and ‘shop away’! Offers and/or discounts advertised are available at the time of publication but we cannot gurantee that these will remain the same or that specific products will be stocked. This does not affect your statutory rights under consumer protection laws in your country of residence.

52

sevent y 2minutes november 2015

sevent y 2minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x192; november 2015

53

Advertising queries? Contact advertise@seventy2minutes.com