Hello Dante? What Level Is This?

[Suliso]

Interestingly Russians don't do it either after overthrowing the Czar. The next one might be handpicked by Putin (no guarantee of even that), but there is a zero chance of him being a family member.

[ti-amie]

June 18, 25

Warning issued over Donald Trump ‘scam’ golden phone as buyer reveals what happened when he ordered one

By Phoebe Egoroff

The Trump Organization’s latest venture into tech (a gold-covered Android device called the T1 Phone) is already off to a rocky start, leaving at least one early buyer bewildered by the pre-order experience.

Promoted as a patriotic alternative to the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, the T1 Phone is paired with a $47.45-per-month Trump Mobile service plan and is marketed as being “for Americans, by Americans.”

However, questions remain about how much of the device is actually made in the U.S., and concerns over the product’s launch are only growing.

Journalist Joseph Cox from 404 Media attempted to pre-order the T1 Phone shortly after its announcement, only to find himself navigating a glitch-filled process that raised doubts about the phone’s availability and the site's reliability.

“I tried to pre-order the phone and pay the $100 downpayment,” Cox wrote in his opinion piece, “but the website failed, went to an error page, and then charged my credit card the wrong amount of $64.70.”

Despite being undercharged, Cox received a vague confirmation email from TrumpMobile.com stating he would receive an update when the phone shipped, despite never providing a shipping address or paying the full $499 price.

His attempts to access his Trump Mobile account or reset his password also ended in error messages, leaving him locked out entirely. “It is the worst experience I’ve ever faced buying a consumer electronic product,” he wrote, “and I have no idea whether or how I’ll receive the phone.”

Cox’s chaotic experience has sparked widespread criticism online. Many commenters expressed skepticism, with some lambasting the malfunction-ridden launch.

One Reddit user commented sarcastically: “What’s up? Got scammed by the president?” while another advised: “If you’re going to buy this, at least use a credit card for fraud protection.”

In addition to frustrations over functionality, serious concerns have emerged over the phone’s privacy and data security. Some critics fear that user data could be vulnerable or even subject to government surveillance.

Donald Trump Jr. has pushed back against those concerns, arguing that the phone’s “American-made” status reduces the risk of foreign spyware being embedded in the hardware. But that reassurance has done little to quell broader fears, especially among privacy-conscious consumers, Reuters details.

Whether or not the T1 Phone eventually lives up to its promises remains to be seen. For now, however, the buying experience is raising more questions than confidence, leaving many to wonder whether this device is truly ready for the market.

https://vt.co/us-news/warning-issued-ov ... rdered-one

[ti-amie]

Well there were the steaks, the university, all of them successful. I'm sure the startup glitches will be worked out.

/s

[ti-amie]

Isn't this something he's against?

[ponchi101]

Don't know. It is clear that this is no so good for your skin, but nothing to be shocked about.
I guess.

[ti-amie]

Jeff Bezos is getting married in Venice. Here's why people are protesting the wedding
By Georgie Hewson with wires


Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos are set to wed in Venice this week. (Reuters: Danny Moloshok)

Billionaire tech tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura(sic) Sanchez are set to hold an opulent three-day wedding in Venice this week.

And some locals are not happy about it.

One group has plastered banners on the Italian city's famous Rialto bridge reading "No space for Bezos!"

Many details of the wedding are still under wraps, including the precise day it will happen.

But a lot of big names from film, fashion and business are expected to arrive in the Italian city to see Bezos tie the knot — provided they can get past the protesters.

Here's what we know about the lavish event and why some locals are angry.


Protesters display a banner reading "No Space for Bezos!" on the Rialto Bridge. (Reuters: Manuel Silvestri)

The wedding
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 61, and his fiance, journalist Laura Sanchez, 55, got engaged in 2023.

Sanchez is also known for being part of the all-female trip to space with Bezos's Blue Origin space exploration venture.

The couple were set to arrive in Venice from Sunday by sea on Bezos's 417ft mega yacht called the Koru, as well as an accompanying ship with a helipad.

They've reportedly spared no expense on the celebrations.

The Koru is believed to be the largest sailing yacht in the world and cost about $US500 million ($776 million) to build.

Once in Venice, 35 to 50 water taxis have reportedly been hired to ferry guests about through the city's iconic canals.

According to Italian media, the entire island of San Giorgio is also reportedly booked out.

The local government has denied claims that every luxury hotel in Venice has been booked out, but the extravagance of the wedding is likely to be extreme, with The Hollywood Reporter reporting a spend of "more than $US10 million".

Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio are among the names reportedly on the guest list.

Lady Gaga and Elton John are rumoured to be performing, and Bezos's fellow tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are expected to attend.

The couple have kept the exact venue and day under wraps, but it is estimated to take place between June 24 and 28.

Why are locals protesting?

Protesters say the hosting of the wedding highlights how Venice has prioritised its tourism trade over the locals who face housing shortages, a high cost of living and the closure of basic services.

This week, in addition to banners over the Rialto bridge, protesters threatened peaceful blockades of Venice's canals.

Organiser Tommaso Cacciari said he believed the city was being exploited by outsiders.

"Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue," he said.

"Venice is a living city, not a place to rent to the highest bidder," the collective wrote on social media.

Protesters also hung a huge banner with an X over Bezos's name on a bell tower overlooking the Venice lagoon before the sign was removed on Thursday.

But not every Venetian is against the wedding.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia argue the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals.

Rosa Salva, the city's oldest pastry shop, has been commissioned to make biscuits for the nuptials.

Antonio Rosa Salva, the sixth generation in his family to run the business, said the wedding order was an important recognition of his family's long tradition of baking Venetian specialties.

"Events like this bring quality tourism to Venice,'' he said.

"I don't see how an event with 200 people can create disruptions.

"It's responsible tourism.

"It's prestigious that a couple like this, who can go anywhere in the world, are getting married in the city."

A couple of months ago, in the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the local government issued a statement clarifying that it would not disrupt Venetians' everyday lives.

The local government said only 200 guests were coming, a number that could be easily accommodated without any disruption.

The statement also pointed out that Venice had extensive experience in hosting international events "much larger than this".

It also denied reports wedding organisers reserved large numbers of gondolas and water taxis, saying it was their "utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone".

Wedding planners address backlash

With images of protests being shared by news outlets of the weekend, the event planning firm organising the wedding published a statement defending the event.

The company, called Lanza & Baucina Limited, doesn't use social media, instead making a statement published by Page Six, which is the New York Post's entertainment website.

"From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events," the company's statement said.

"Rumours of 'taking over' the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality.

"No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests."

ABC with Wires


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-23/ ... /105445512

I suspect some kind of AI was used due to the spelling and grammatical errors.

[ti-amie]

Steve Herman
‪@newsguy.bsky.social‬



US Embassy Thailand - All who are applying for an F, M or J nonimmigrant visa must adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to 'public' for vetting.

[mmmm8]

Actually has there been a case of successful father-son transition in any South/Central American dictatorship? That seems more like an Asian thing, maybe African in few cases.

Not a direct succession nor directly dictatorial, but the Battle family in Uruguay produced 4 presidents, including two father-son pairs. This type of dynasty is also frequent enough in non-dictatorship North America, from the Adamses to the Bushes to the Trudeaus!

[mmmm8]

Steve Herman
‪@newsguy.bsky.social‬



US Embassy Thailand - All who are applying for an F, M or J nonimmigrant visa must adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to 'public' for vetting.

While the social media screening is obviously totalitarian, I actually think this post might be the embassy subverting the regime by warning people that they need to clean up their social media to not be denied.

[ti-amie]

More people celebrating the Bezos - Sánchez nuptials

[Owendonovan]

I hope these billionaires keep going over the top with everything making more and more people detest them.

[ponchi101]

Why only the billionaires? There are plenty of very rich people, still not in the Billionaire zone, that live lives of total obscenity when it comes to money.
The billionaires could be tamed; for example, Amazon could be (and should be) broken up. What do you do with the ridiculous influencers that seem to set the standard for this crassness?

[skatingfan]

[ti-amie]

I can't like that but boy does that sum things up.

[Jeff from TX]

Why only the billionaires? There are plenty of very rich people, still not in the Billionaire zone, that live lives of total obscenity when it comes to money.
The billionaires could be tamed; for example, Amazon could be (and should be) broken up. What do you do with the ridiculous influencers that seem to set the standard for this crassness?

I had read somewhere that the bride was supposed to have 27 wardrobe changes for the wedding festivities. I can't even begin to fathom why anyone would want to do this - all that you would be doing would be changing clothes. Just send pictures to the guests - no need for them to attend since you obviously want have any time to visit/see them, aside from perhaps "hello". Details like this does nothing to aid their case.