Taunt the rich

[butchersapron]

I knew there was a reason why you were my fav poster sihhi.

 

[sihhi]

For firky asking for DVDs list:

 

[Mr.Bishie]

200 quid for a fuckin' toaster?

 

[DotCommunist]

samantha met a black woman

 

[DotCommunist]

200 quid for a fuckin' toaster?

I'm reeling at 95 quid for a bin.

 

[butchersapron]

Years of use.

 

[_angel_]

I'm reeling at 95 quid for a bin.

Didn't we have a thread about this once?

 

[weltweit]

Some of that is just wrong, Ikea bookshelves don't cost more than £40 .... iirc ...

And back up the thread, Jacob Rees Mogg is a self important prig, I am frankly amazed that any constituency would have selected him as their candidate let alone voted him in. What is the world coming to?

 

[sihhi]

Some of that is just wrong, Ikea bookshelves don't cost more than £40 .... iirc ...

It is other interior designers' suspicions/analyses. IKEA do a wide range of shelving styles, another expert one I'm more inclined to trust peg it as OKA.

The toaster could be £130 or £190 depending on if it's dual, triple or quadruple - hard to tell.

It is probably part of a set deal as this picture makes clearer:

labelled as

21. Petworth cabinet, £1,260, OKA
22. Replica Castiglioni Arco floor light, £250, Iconic Lights
23. Cross silver nib ballpoint, £55, refills, £3.75, Peter Jones
24. Edward Sofa from La Fibule, £3,925
25. Knoll Tulip fully upholstered chair by Eero Saarinen, £1,524 each
26. Library shelves, £665, OKA
27. Philips LCD TV, £399
28. Framed artwork from The Economist’s ‘Radical Britain’ cover

OKA advertises itself as 'shabby chic' :
http://www.okadirect.com/en-GB/products/living-room/living-storage/cabinets-armoires

and its brand spokesperson is apparently (multiple private school graduate then not-Oxbridge, hence armed forces) Ben Fogle:

Fogle's interior style is inspired from his travels making him a natural fit for OKA, a brand as famous for their Chinese wooden trunks as their stunning Indian-inspired Ikat fabrics. "I love design and eclectic styles from different eras and countries," says Fogle. "I don't like conformity in design. I'm quite eclectic and OKA's design range seems to work well with things you’ve inherited or found on wonderful holidays or travels." His Notting Hill house is a shrine to his adventures to remote corners of the world; "I usually pick up something either small or useful for my home that reflects my travels. My favourite place for shopping is Peru and Bolivia. I have a large collection of antique Ponchos which are incredible."...

He says of Hastens beds which are top of his wishlist, "They are incredible. I once slept in one and promised that I would one day treat myself. They are eye-wateringly expensive, but what price to you put on a good night’s sleep?" When not trekking across remote lands, Fogle likes to host parties in his kitchen in London. "My wife and I live in this light, spacious room and we love sharing dinner with friends and family around the big table." What does he advise for hosting at home? "Be relaxed and fun with your décor. Prepare as much as possible in advance so that you can enjoy spending time with your guests when they arrive instead of setting the table or cooking."

 

[cesare]

Didn't we have a thread about this once?

 

[sihhi]

The non-political books are interesting, amongst the Taschen Art books, large cookery books, trusted arch-monarchist Shakespeare, there is the (neo-)Victorianism of the 1861 publication Mrs Beeton's Household Management.

17. ENGAGING DOMESTICS is one of those duties in which the judgment of the mistress must be keenly exercised. There are some respectable registry-offices, where good servants may sometimes be hired; but the plan rather to be recommended is, for the mistress to make inquiry amongst her circle of friends and acquaintances, and her tradespeople. The latter generally know those in their neighbourhood, who are wanting situations, and will communicate with them... Every portion of work which the maid will have to do, should be plainly stated by the mistress, and understood by the servant. If this plan is not carefully adhered to, domestic contention is almost certain to ensue, and this may not be easily settled; so that a change of servants, which is so much to be deprecated, is continually occurring.

18. IN OBTAINING A SERVANT’S CHARACTER, it is not well to be guided by a written one from some unknown quarter; but it is better to have an interview, if at all possible, with the former mistress. By this means you will be assisted in your decision of the suitableness of the servant for your place, from the appearance of the lady and the state of her house. Negligence and want of cleanliness in her and her household generally, will naturally lead you to the conclusion, that her servant has suffered from the influence of the bad example.
The proper course to pursue in order to obtain a personal interview with the lady is this:— The servant in search of the situation must be desired to see her former mistress, and ask her to be kind enough to appoint a time, convenient to herself, when you may call on her; this proper observance of courtesy being necessary to prevent any unseasonable intrusion on the part of a stranger. Your first questions should be relative to the honesty and general morality of her former servant; and if no objection is stated in that respect, her other qualifications are then to be ascertained. Inquiries should be very minute, so that you may avoid disappointment and trouble

I suspect a further shift towards domestic service-domestic assistance, as the recession progresses (more people looking for work) and as equality between sexes in professional careers is expanded with rights to paternal leave, flexible hours etc etc.

Interestingly when (private school, Oxbridge) BBC Newsnight Allegra Straton viciously attacked and edited the interview of Shanene Thorpe (a youngish single mother) part of her argument was 'Why on earth are you on benefits, couldn't you/why don't you go do housework for someone for money?'

 

[Quartz]

It's funny, you know. For much of history, being a servant was a much-sought - and valued - position.

 

[Firky]

For firky asking for DVDs list:

Wow!

Where did you find that?

Didn't we have a thread about this once?

Probably but I am liking this voyeurism.

 

[frogwoman]

Fogle sounds like a name of a cat.

 

[Pickman's model]

Fogle sounds like a name of a cat.

it sounds more like vogel, the german for bird

 

[Pickman's model]

It's funny, you know. For much of history, being a servant was a much-sought - and valued - position.

depends who you were servant to. being servant to d'artagnan for example was more hazardous to life and limb than being valet to bertram wooster

 

[Firky]

That light (22) I have seen similar on Amazon for about £50, I toyed with getting one myself but for £50 I thought it would probably be shite. Didn't realise it was some kind of design classic.

Instead I have a boring uplighter one from B&Q that cost £30 in the sale and is equally as flimsy. Fills up with dead insects too :z

 

[DotCommunist]

Fogle is a proper meathead

 

[Firky]

Fucking hell £25k for kitchen units

 

[DotCommunist]

and this is just for the one kitchen. Fuck knows how much of our tax money got spunked on the other two.

 

[sihhi]

Wow!

Where did you find that?


Probably but I am liking this voyeurism.

I can't remember.
More case studies of them taunting us. Lord Conrad Black.

His whole media image was of a smooth continental new aristocrat - take the famous Florida photo-shoot with his wife Barbara Amiel. A very smooth lawn, classical divine figure statue, perfectly symmetrical square and trees, single armchair, Barbara Amiel in submissive pose - bare feet crouching against his knee.

Conrad against the pillar in control, smooth

That's been blown apart by prison, right? No, not exactly.

It was a dent, but the duo are back after him serving over 3 years in a prison in Florida specifically for 'minimum-security and 'low-security' categories. (Even simple drug sale offences can land you in high-security prisons).

Barbara Amiel referring to the prison 'ordeal': "I would stand at the gates of the Miami Federal Correctional Institution in a pretty dress in one of the colours the prison rules had never allowed when visiting—which was pretty much every colour that looked any good on me except for black. "
Then the days before the release: "I was trying to find the cheapest way to fly out of the States without going commercial. Okay, I know that means dozens of letters telling me how rich and lucky we are to be able to have that as an option and yes we are. ... A friend, Sid McMurray, had arranged the charter from Skyservice, which was vital it turned out because the time Immigration and Customs Enforcement was prepared to hand over Conrad changed a few times and Skyservice’s Lyn Shinn (known as the Divine Shinn in our household) arranged for the plane to stand by all day for pennies."

Once he is released he gets that private charter flight. (Take a look at Skyservice's private aircraft if you wish here). He clears up his immigration status, usually very difficult for anyone convicted in the US. So he visits London once again boasting he still has £50million of his £250million even after the IRS claw-back to a party in Mayfair launching his memoirs, (which bombed in sales) but he still gets the advance.

Daily Mail tells the story it, describing Jonathan Aitken as an "authority on prison reform" :

‘I have come here straight from Pentonville Prison, where I was doing a visit,’ said Mr Aitken, who perhaps more than anyone else of the peer’s acquaintance can understand what he has been through. ‘Conrad will find coming out of prison is harder than going in. He will find out who his real friends are, and it is a very bumpy process. It is amazing the ones you expect to stay true who you never see again.’ Mr Aitken, who has become an authority on prison reform, had sound advice for Black. ‘It is much easier to adapt to life outside if you become a bitterness-free zone. Prison is a chapter that has passed. To keep that chapter open is a mistake,’ he added. The banker Rupert Hambro, who was a director of the Telegraph group when Black was in charge, was also at the party. ‘We have been friends for years,’ he said afterwards. ‘It is important to stick together.’ The party for the book, published by Biteback, a company partly owned by Lord Ashcroft, former deputy chairman of the Tory Party, was organised by Mayfair bookshop Heywood Hill, which belongs to the Duke of Devonshire. Heywood Hill is run by Nicky Dunne, who is married to the Duke’s daughter Lady Jasmine Cavendish. All were notable absentees from the party. As for Lord Black himself, as he left the party he was asked if he had paid for it. ‘Do you think I would pay to sell my own book? It hasn’t come to that, brother!’ He is expected to be back among friends today at the quarterly board meeting of the Catholic Herald, where he is a major shareholder. In the evening, he is being wined and dined at a private club in the City by William Shawcross, the official biographer of the Queen Mother.

Soon after, Conrad Black returns as a press figure in north America, commenting on Obama, who is “completely irresponsible in not making any serious suggestions” about the US economy because the cuts are only "$400 billion a year for 10 years. It still leaves you with a $1 trillion deficit every year. It won’t work"

His [Obama's] irresponsibility is the largest cause but, to be fair to him, he did inherit developing problems that go back even before George W. Bush. And he did inherit an economy that has been run by people who believed in the elimination of savings, the spending, and borrowing to the maximum degree possible by households as well as by government...

... As long as you have laws that defend employees, and defend them against being exploited and mistreated, and there are such laws — and there should be, and they should be enforced — you don’t need unions... They’re terribly retrograde for us. ... And, the right to strike against the public interest should not exist anywhere. If people don’t like their jobs in the public service, then they quit. No one is saying they can’t quit.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/conrad-black-debt-crisis/2012/12/12/id/467562

Nothing changes, even though the press are describing him as facing a tough life since he was arrested - he hasn't faced anything...

They were taunting in 2000, when they went through the park in full view of the public dressed as Cardinal Richelieu and Marie Antoinette to get to a royal party at Kensington Palace:

and they are still doing it now:- Conrad Black looking to become some kind of conservative commentator, being smarter with his investments, Barbara Amiel judging Canada's biggest nonfiction literary prize the Writers’ Trust Prize, still a columnist at MacCleans (Canada's equivalent of Newsweek/Time), his sole daughter Alana Black continuing as some kind of expert at Vogue magazine.

At his book launch party in Oct 2012, still smiling not able to control everything in media terms, but still that essentially similar smile.

These people don't drift away even after they are banged up, they continue to leech in exciting new ways.
He had a film made about him in 2004 before he was imprisoned following him around in court, and now he said recently he wants to do another one.

 

[sihhi]

For starters:

In a neo-colonial vein in Afghanistan:

In a neo-colonial vein at home, at the derelict Temple Meads Royal Mail plant, launching no-tax enterprise zones:

In a more balanced Rees Mogg moment in his Oxfordshire constituency:

It's very hard to find any press pictures of Cameron in his massive home in his constituency.
A non-press aerial view is here:

The only one is here and it shows nothing of how big it is:

The interesting thing about the Camerons' Notting Hill home is that much of the expansion work was done underground effectively adding a new floor of rooms under the main terraced home.

Their first home in Notting Hill:

replaced for this one:

 

[ViolentPanda]

I'm reeling at 95 quid for a bin.

Shhhh, Butch gets a bit embarrassed when you mention Brabantia bins!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Years of use.

Even if you dent it!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Some of that is just wrong, Ikea bookshelves don't cost more than £40 .... iirc ...

And back up the thread, Jacob Rees Mogg is a self important prig, I am frankly amazed that any constituency would have selected him as their candidate let alone voted him in. What is the world coming to?

Jacob Rees Mogg is a warning to us of all of the results of incest and intergenerational boarding-school sodomy!!

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Shhhh, Butch gets a bit embarrassed when you mention Brabantia bins!

Does he take a dump in one?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Does he take a dump in one?

I seem to recall a story about Geri buying a nice shiny Brabantia bin, and Butch coming into dent-making physical contact with it within days of the purchase of the over-priced piece of kitchen equipment.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

lol

 

[Betty_Rubble]

900 quid for a dishwasher, what does his Filipino do?

 

[Mr.Bishie]

900 quid for a dishwasher, what does his Filipino do?

Fucking Samantha, what else.