Pheasant Hunting With Tom Brokaw

Even at his busiest sitting at the anchor’s desk of NBC News for more than 20 years—longer than Walter Cronkite at CBS—Tom Brokaw managed annual pilgrimages to South Dakota to remind his Labs why he was feeding them in his Manhattan studio the other 11 months a year. The state draws him back most autumns for what he describes as a religious holiday in these parts, a pastime most who grew up here celebrate come October. Welcome to pheasant hunting central, a bird and a state whose brands have become synonymous.

Much of South Dakota is a pheasant pasture owing to an ideal mix of grasslands, food crops and shelter belts that sustain and protect the birds throughout the state’s seasonal weather extremes. There are, however, a handful of places where the bird transcends the wingshooting lifestyle. One such destination is the 5,000-acre Paul Nelson Farm, an understated phone book name for a retreat that was created on a passion for pheasant hunting. This isn’t one of those quaint lodges for six or eight guns at time, but rather is closer to the Taj Mahal of featherdom.

Throughout the expansive, two-story campus, there are cigar lounges, private bars, poker tables and giant television screens that make the place one enormous and opulent man cave. Everywhere you look there are reminders of the birds—mounts, paintings and photographs—along with all manner of South Dakota artifacts from bison skulls to ancient native tools. A nearby jet strip makes it easy for the corporate set to arrive, do deals while toting a shotgun through thousands of acres of idyllic pheasant cover and return easily to their home ports. During the Bush-Cheney years, the Vice President was a frequent visitor, famously shutting down the air space around the capital of Pierre as Air Force Two arrived for the pheasant opener, the unofficial New Year on the Dakota calendar.

Victoria Beckham Dubbed ‘Pampered Prima Donna Millionairess’ After Furloughing Staff

Victoria Beckham has come under fire for furloughing 30 staff members at her eponymous fashion label, despite an estimated £335 million ($416 million) fortune.

Her employees were sent letters explaining that they will be paid 80% of their salaries (up to £2,500 a month, as per the Retention Scheme’s limits) for the foreseeable future, and a spokesman for Mrs Beckham confirmed the furloughed will last for two months “so far”.

The former Spice Girl, whose handbag collection is thought to be worth £1.5 million alone, could therefore claim up to £75,000 of taxpayer money per month.

Broadcaster and professional agitator Piers Morgan shared the news with the country on Good Morning Britain earlier today, calling Beckham a “pampered prima donna millionairess” who shouldn’t be using taxpayer money to bail-out a “failing vanity project”.

In response, culture secretary Oliver Dowden said businesses should only rely on the government’s bailout scheme if they have to: “I think each person and each company should ask themselves: do they have to rely on the taxpayer?”

Critics have taken to social media to slam Beckham for taking advantage of the scheme, rather than using her own wealth, considering she and her ex-football husband David reportedly spent £17 million to buy a penthouse in Miami just two weeks ago.

The couple’s astounding property portfolio includes a £25 million mansion in Holland Park (London) and a £6 million converted barn in the Cotswolds (just south of London) where her family has been living throughout the lockdown.

Personal finance aside, her company hasn’t actually made a profit since it launched in 2008 and suffered losses of £12.3 million in 2018, a year after David had to help Victoria out of a £10.3 million hole.

She is, of course, not the only millionaire to furlough employees either. On a grander scale, billionaire Richard Branson has asked the British government for a £500 million bailout today, though he hasn’t paid tax in the country for fourteen years.

Other companies, like EasyJet, have also appealed for taxpayer support despite handing shareholders £174 million in dividends.

And that’s just a few needles in the haystack.

When the Government's coronavirus furlough scheme website launched for applications this morning, it received 67,000 claims in the first 30 minutes.  selskabskjoler

How Two Of Fashion's Biggest Designers Are Redefining Creativity

In an unexpected move for the fashion industry, it was announced that Raf Simons will join Prada as co-creative director alongside Miuccia Prada, who has helmed the brand since inheriting the company from her grandfather in 1977. Starting on April 1st, both esteemed designers will share the creative responsibilities of the Italian fashion house equally. Announced earlier this week at a press conference in Milan, the partnership is making headlines and marking Simons' first big move since abruptly leaving his position as creative director of Calvin Klein in 2018. Worth an estimated $11.4B, Prada runs the handbag and fashion empire with her co-CEO and husband, Patrizio Bertelli.

As one of the industry's most revered creative talents, Simons is well known for designing menswear at Jil Sander (which is owned by the Prada Group), and earning the label its critical and commercial success over a tenure that lasted 7 years. "I'm extremely happy to start this new phase, it's certainly going to be extremely exciting,” Prada said at the press conference. As for how long the contract will last, the partnership between the two creatives is as personal as it is professional. "The contract is forever, there is no end date to the contract,” Prada added.

What stands out most about the decision, however, is the designers's comments about signaling a return to emphasizing creativity in an industry where the focus has shifted to other facets of the game. Simons elaborated, saying " We have to look at creativity... how can that evolve? At this moment, lots of creatives feel troubled, feel the fashion industry is [becoming] an industry where it might move to excluding creatives... We do believe that collaborating could reposition that aspect of the business.” Signaling a huge cultural shift in the luxury fashion industry, the collaboration marks a brand new era.

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