Postcards From The Ledge

Anti-Theft Coffee Cup

2007-03-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

Tired of the office clepto stealing your mug off your desk and wrapping his grubby lips around it, taking loud, disgusting slurps?

Help is at hand.

This great mug has a unique key/plug you have to plug in, otherwise the coffee makes a very messy exit.

Messy if you don’t remember to put the key/plug in yourself, but you’ll probably only forget that once or twice….

Source

British schools take on gambling addiction

2007-03-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

As the online and offline gambling addiction among the youth of U.K. s increasing, some schools are taking that extra step in preventing it. At least two private schools in England are now offering their pupils classes which focus on the dangers that could result from compulsive gambling. Harlow School, located in Middlesex, and King's College School in south London are helping their young students to avoid gambling addiction.

At King's College School, suspicion was raised when some students start showing an odd behavior, being unprepared and distracted in class. It turned out that those students were gambling on the Internet until the late hours. Following this incident, the school, which already had a gambling educational program, went a step further as to bring a recovered compulsive gambler to the class.

Harlow School, which is a boarding school, is not aware of such incidents occurring with their pupils, because it's easier for them to monitor the Internet activities of their students, than the parents at home with their children. This did not ease the school board of the Middlesex school and they introducing their own program for gambling awareness.

It is expected over the course of the next few years more and more schools to employ such programs, or refurbish existing ones to cover the potential dangers of Internet gambling and betting.

OG Paper.com

Sexy Multimedia Picturephone from the Future Is Coming

2007-03-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Latest buzz on the gadget scene is Verizon’s upcoming FiOS Fone, which it calls "the phone that pretty much does it all."

From the cryptic description, it looks like a videophone, desktop organizer and multimedia player that can also handle a contact list, voicemail, calendar and personal memos.

Read more

Israel recalls ambassador found naked, drunk

2007-03-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Diplomat found bound, wearing sex toys outside El Salvador residence

JERUSALEM - Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found bound, drunk and naked in the yard of his residence, a spokeswoman said Monday.
Tsuriel Raphael has been removed from his post and the Foreign Ministry has begun searching for a replacement, said spokeswoman Zehavit Ben-Hillel.

Two weeks ago, El Salvador police found Raphael naked outside his residence, tied up, gagged and drunk, Israeli media reported. He was wearing several sex toys at the time, the media said. After he was untied, Raphael told police he was the ambassador of Israel, the reports said.

Ben-Hillel said the reports were accurate and that Raphael has been recalled, although he did not break any laws.

“We’re talking about behavior that is unbecoming of a diplomat,” she said.
The ambassador did not file a police complaint in the incident, she said.

History of embarrassing incidents
Raphael had served for six months as the ambassador in El Salvador and for several years at different missions around the world, she said.

The embarrassing affair was one of several involving Israeli diplomats in recent years. In 2000, Israel’s ambassador to France died of cardiac arrest in a Paris hotel under circumstances the Foreign Ministry refused to publicize. Media reports said he was with a woman who was not his wife at the time.

Last year, Israel replaced its ambassador to Australia, Naftali Tamir, after he said Israel and Australia are “like sisters” because both are located in Asia and their peoples don’t have the Asian characteristics of “yellow skin and slanted eyes.”

In 2005, Israel canceled the appointment of a diplomat to Australia after it was discovered that he published pictures of nude Brazilian women on the Internet while on a mission in Brazil.

Source: MSNBC

Don’t go and play poker in Norway…

2007-03-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

Poker Bust in Norway

Authorities in the Industrial area of Strommond, Norway arrested 32 people at a poker club for ‘illegal organized poker’.

Most players were simply fined and allowed to go home, but those who were believed to be the organizers of the game were detained for further investigation.

The local police prosecutor had a very ‘Chief Wiggam’ style quote about the whole thing. "It was difficult to determine any connections among them," said Nicolas Nyhus.

"They most probably were just individuals who meet in the club to play poker."

Source

Man prangs £830k Bugatti Veyron

2007-03-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

As a fan of all things fast and furious, reading this really hurt….

An unknown driver trashed an £830,000 Bugatti Veyron on Sunday in what UK tabloid The Sun is calling "the world's costliest road crash".

The 253mph beast crashed in pouring rain on a 40mph stretch of the B375 near Chertsey, Surrey, while allegedly doing 100mph. The driver apparently lost control and the hand-built French motor hit a Vauxhall Astra before "smashing into trees up a 3ft bank".

An eyewitness told The Sun: "It was clearly an almighty bang. Bits of Bugatti were strewn all over the road. The front had been virtually ripped off, every panel was damaged and the front wheels were pointing in opposite directions."

The Veyron is owned by by a businessman "who runs a car hire and management company with his brothers", The Sun notes. He claimed he'd rented it to the driver for a cool £20,000 having coughed up an over-the-odds £925,000 for the car, which was delivered just a week earlier.

Regarding a possible salvage operation, Nick Lancaster of car dealers HR Owen said: "It is the first Veyron I have heard of being damaged. We cannot say yet whether it is written off or not."

The Register

A Canine Carsick Cure and Frozen Doggie Sperm

2007-03-01T03:43:00.000-08:00

No more doggie puke in your car! Help is on the way. If you dread taking your four-legged friend anywhere in your car, then say hallo to Cerenia. This Food and Drug Administration approved drug will keep your pooch from vomiting when it gets motion sickness.

The bad news: You’ll probably have to take the dog to the vet (in your car), to approve its use.

Meanwhile,

More people are reportedly freezing Fido’s sperm.

WHY???? You might ask.

While professional breeders have long relied on canine semen banks to help ensure that the genes of top dogs are passed along to future generations, veterinarians say dog lovers everywhere increasingly are using sperm banks with the goal of eventually creating puppies with the traits of a favorite pet.

Another obvious question is: HOW????

Unlike men, male dogs aren't turned on by pornographic pictures or videos. Instead, canine semen banks often rely on a female in heat known as a “teaser” dog. When the male gets ready to mount her, technicians manually stimulate the dog's penis until the animal ejaculates into a collection kit called an "artificial vagina."

Sometimes, electrical stimulation is used to retrieve the sperm.

That’s my appetite gone….

Source: MSNBC and
WGRZ

Former 888 CEO Summoned In French Gambling Investigation

2007-02-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

France's recent moves to restrict or ban certain forms of Internet gambling received confirmation with the news that that country's authorities have summoned former 888 Holdings CEO John Anderson to an 'interview' connected to online gambling in France. 888 is the parent company of Pacific Poker, and while specifics regarding France's interest in Anderson have not been released, the request continues France's protectionist push, which mirrors closely similar efforts in the United States.

888 has been among the most aggressive marketers in France, including short-lived sponsorship of the of the Toulouse football (soccer) club, undertaken during

protect its state-run Pari-Mutuel-Urbain and Francaise de Jeux gambling operations, and 888 has been among the most vocal of the online gambling firms defending its status under the European Union's free-trade provisions.

888 and Anderson, who remains a non-executive director with the firm, have signaled their intent to comply with the French interview request. The company's statement offered this: "888 is in consultation with its legal advisers with regards to this inquiry and further announcements will be made in due course if appropriate." Reports indicate that France accounts for less than 5% of 888's current revenues.

The move follows two similar events of recent months, confirming that France's views on the topic of online gaming differ markedly from its neighbors. Those prior newsmaking events were the September, 2006 arrest of two Austrian Bwin executives, and the forced cancellation of the EPT Deauville poker event, scheduled for just last week.

888's stock dipped by several points following the news, triggering a sell-off among stocks in London's online gaming sector. Other firms were affected to a smaller degree, including PartyGaming, which at least temporarily stopped taking new French customers earlier this week, perhaps as part of an 'arm's length' approach to current French efforts. Party declined extended comment on the matter, noting only that "It's not our policy to discuss activities or policies in any individual country."

Pokernews.com

Blogger jailed for four years for insulting Islam

2007-02-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

In a landmark case for freedom of expression in Egypt, a young blogger has been jailed for insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak, drawing angry condemnation at home and abroad.

Abdel-Karim Nabil Suleiman (22) a former law student at Cairo's al-Azhar University, was sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Alexandria on Thursday after being arrested last November over eight articles he posted on his blog.

Suleiman was expelled from al-Azhar for criticising the curriculum and attacking religious extremism. At the university's urging he was then charged with spreading information disruptive of public order, incitement to hate Muslims and insulting the president.

Hafiz Abu Saada, of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, said: "This is a strong message to all bloggers who are put under strong surveillance that the punishment will very strong."

Suleiman was one of several bloggers arrested last year, most of whom have connections to Egypt's pro-democracy reform movement. Others were freed but he was put on trial -- a sign of the sensitivity of his writings on religion. He was first detained in 2005 after criticising Muslim rioters in a post about sectarian clashes in his neighbourhood headlined The Naked Truth of Islam as I Saw it.

He also described some of the companions of the prophet Muhammad as terrorists and likened Mubarak to the pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt.

Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said: "This sets a chilling precedent in a country where blogs have opened a window for free speech. The Egyptian government should abide by its commitments to uphold free expression and release Suleiman without delay." Amnesty International called it "yet another slap in the face of freedom for expression in Egypt".

Blogging is increasingly used across the Arab world to challenge governments and discuss taboos. In Egypt it has helped get around restrictions on traditional media. The pro-democracy Kifaya movement and the banned Muslim Brotherhood group have created many websites and encourage blogging.

Egypt is a traditional centre of cultural and intellectual life.

The case highlights the way secular regimes are showing increasing sensitivity about criticism of Islam for fear of helping the cause of opposition Islamist movements. Last year Egypt was included on the blacklist of countries considered enemies of the internet and freedom of expression drawn up by the press freedom watchdog Reporters without Borders.

Last month a court in Morocco banned weekly magazine, Nichane, for insulting Islam with an article entitled How Moroccans laugh about religion, sex and politics. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia and Bahrain block access to www.rezgar.com a secularist site known for advocating freedom of expression, minority and women's rights. Other Arab countries block access to sites relating to pornography and gambling. - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006

Source

Blogger jailed for four years for insulting Islam

2007-02-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

Hunting dog 'shoots' owner

2007-02-22T05:18:00.001-08:00

A Bosnian man could lose his leg after his playful dog triggered his shotgun following a failed fox-hunting trip, a daily reported on Wednesday.

Milivoje Radoja of the northern Bosnian town of Laktasi suffered the serious leg wound when his five-month-old polish shepherd, Gara, pawed at the weapon while it was hanging off a tractor trailer, said the Nezavisne Novine newspaper.

"Gara found the swinging shotgun ... interesting and she jumped at it. Only God knows how she managed to shoot me in my left leg," Radoja said as quoted by the daily, which described him as an experienced hunter.

Since the accident last week, the 48-year-old has been hospitalised in nearby Banja Luka awaiting a second operation on the leg, which doctors are trying to save from amputation.

Source: AFP

Soldiers gone wild

2007-02-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

Being in the army isn’t the pain and suffering it used to be.

An army base in Georgia spent $300,000 on a new nightclub so the soldiers don’t have to drink and drive to get down with the ladies.

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) - On weekends, Army Pfc. Keith Smith used to drive 45 miles to Savannah to find a nightclub with hip-hop music, single women and a bar open well past midnight.

The 24-year-old soldier would often have too much fun to make it back to the barracks. "There's been times I went to Savannah and had to sleep in the car because I didn't want to get a DUI," the New Yorker said.

But now he can do his drinking, dancing and lookin' for love just blocks from his Fort Stewart billet, without even leaving the Army post.

Deciding too many soldiers were dying behind the wheel after partying out of town, Fort Stewart commanders spent $300,000 turning a defunct sports bar on the Army post into Rocky's, a bar and nightclub that aims to mimic the after-hours party scene of Savannah's hippest spots.

Knowing booze and dance tunes wouldn't be enough, commanders also eased security restrictions at the post's front gate to encourage civilians - namely women, who get free admission between 10 p.m. and midnight Fridays and Saturdays - to party at Rocky's, which opened in November.

"We never want to glamorize alcohol, but we've got to be realistic about this," said Col. Todd Buchs, garrison commander. "If we know they're going to drink, let's provide a safe place for them to drink so we know they're going to be alive the next morning."

Traffic deaths among soldiers have alarmed the Army since soldiers began returning home from Iraq in the 2003-04 fiscal year, when the number of soldiers killed in car crashes jumped 28 percent over the previous year. A total of 434 Army soldiers have died in wrecks outside combat zones since October 2003.

Alcohol was a factor in the deaths of at least seven of the 13 Fort Stewart soldiers killed on the roads in fiscal year 2006, Buchs said.

Fort Stewart has gone more than 140 days without a traffic death. Buchs said Rocky's has helped extend that streak.

"It's an innovative step in recognizing where their risk is," said Lt. Col. Laura Loftus, chief of the Army's Driving Task Force at Fort Rucker, Ala., which monitors soldier traffic accidents.

From bowling alley beer taps to cocktails at the officers' club, the serving of alcohol on Army posts is nothing new. But with Rocky's, Fort Stewart is trying to stay on top of trends to draw in troops.

Commanders at Fort Stewart, home of the 19,000-soldier 3rd Infantry Division, noticed troops had little nightlife nearby. Fort Stewart had one sports bar that shut down after the war began, and its bingo nights and Western-theme dance club, decorated with John Wayne posters, did not exactly appeal to troops raised on video games and hip-hop.

Neighboring Hinesville has a few bars and clubs, but they closed at midnight on weekends. The real party was in Savannah, often described as a mini-New Orleans for the promenade of bars and clubs open until 3 a.m. on its cobblestone riverfront.
At Rocky's lights above the dance floor flash to the beat of a sound system loud enough to vibrate the candlelit tabletops. The main bar area has 18 flat-screen TVs and 10 video-game kiosks that are networked so troops can play head-to-head in shootouts. There is also a mini-theater where troops can watch DVDs on a 120-inch screen with surround-sound speakers.

"I was thinking, it's a bar on post, it's got to be run-down or something. But when I got here, I was surprised," said Pvt. Rodney Webster, 21, of Dodge City, Kan., who is a repeat customer.

One of the greatest challenges Fort Stewart faced with Rocky's: Only 9 percent of soldiers here are women.

"You've got to have the ladies," said Staff Sgt. Tim Brinson, 28, of Thomasville, Ga., an Army truck driver who moonlights as the club's DJ. "If the ladies don't come, there's no reason for the guys to come."

Post commanders realized this and decided to give Rocky's civilian customers, male or female, easier access through the gates. Instead of having to park their cars at the gate to register for a pass, civilians can request a special pass to Rocky's from a gate guard, show a driver's license and drive on through.

Fort Stewart has issued at least 1,000 Rocky's passes since the club opened.
"We had to weigh the force-protection risk vs. the risk to our soldiers of drinking and driving," Buchs said. "Is it a risk we're willing to accept? Yes."

On a recent Friday night, women accounted for about 40 percent of the nightclub's customers.

Jessica Kunkle, 19, of neighboring Ludowici checked out Rocky's with her friend Veni Thelin, the wife of a Fort Stewart soldier. (Rocky's allows patrons 18 and up, but only those 21 and older get a wristband allowing them to buy alcohol.)

"I'm looking to meet people and have a good time," Kunkle said. "I don't think it feels like you're on an Army post."

Source

Beware of Cupid at work

2007-02-14T04:08:00.000-08:00

It's way too late for me, but what applied to me in those days, still applies today.

Don't shit where you eat!

New York - Cupid in the cubicle can be a problem for employers who are unprepared to deal with the fallout from workplace romances.

With Valentine's Day here, experts warn that many employers are caught by surprise by the ripple effects of intra-office relationships, which can demoralize staff and spread envy and resentment.

The problems range from the serious, such as a messy Break-up between a boss and a subordinate, to the less obvious, such an exchange of risqué e-mails or a kiss in the hallway that can distract colleagues and hurt productivity.

"People are a little sloppier around Valentine's Day," said Debra Mandel, a psychologist and author on the subject of office relations.

"They might let the relationship out of the box more."

A soured relationship puts the company at risk

Employers are not just at risk when a staff member becomes romantic with a supervisor, which can lead to claims of sexual harassment.
A soured relationship between peers also puts the company at risk if it leaves one of the workers feeling harassed at work.

Companies may be at risk even if the office relationship ends well, said Shanti Atkins, president of Elt, which offers online ethics and legal compliance training.
She cites the example of Gavin Newsom, San Francisco's single mayor who recently admitted having an affair with a married staff member, and the impact it could have on staff in city government.

40% of US workers have dated an office colleague

She said it could create the impression "one has to sleep with the boss to get ahead," and an employee could sue, claiming it created a hostile working environment.

A recent poll by Spherion Corp, a workplace recruiter, shows that nearly 40% of US workers have dated an office colleague.

The same survey also showed that 84% of US workers said their employer did not have a policy covering office romance or they were not sure if such a policy existed.
In part, that reflects the difficulty employers face in balancing the need to maintain a comfortable work atmosphere with employees' right to privacy.
Experts say many employers decide it is easier to do nothing.

Business etiquette

"As long as people are professional in the office, it's no one's business what people do outside the office," says Barbara Pachter, who writes about business etiquette.

Enforcing a policy that forbids office dating could drive some staff to quit. Also, like decrees that ban internet surfing at work, rules against dating co-workers risk being considered frivolous by staff and could undermine a company's authority.
"People don't follow the dress code so how will you get them to follow a romance code?" Pachter said.

Instead, experts suggest companies educate staff about what is considered appropriate behaviour at the office and incorporate it into training.
Sexual harassment claims

"You want to set basic guidelines, such as keeping the interaction out of the office," said Ayana Brooks, an associate at Meyer Suozzi English and Klein, a law firm that specialises in sexual harassment claims.

Proper training can alert supervisors to issues that are born out of office romances but extend to more serious problems. The recent case of astronaut Lisa Nowak, accused of being obsessed with another astronaut to such an extent that she stalked and attacked a perceived romantic rival, might have been prevented if colleagues had been trained to tell supervisors about unusual behaviour, Atkins said.

"My prediction on that case is that as news trickles out there will be reports of people knowing about a lot of cumulative behaviour over time," she said.

"There is a lack of reporting from employees on these issue. That's the high price of silence. The only way to get these addressed is to get at them early."

source: Reuters

Why People Love Dogs

2007-02-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU THINK

I loved this article...

My friend and fellow dog lover Edie, an occupational therapist in Massachusetts, has been looking for a mate for nearly 10 years. She finally thought she'd found one in Jeff, a nice guy, generous and funny, who teaches high school. They dated for several months, and just as there was talk about a future, it occurred to Edie that Jeff hadn't really bonded with her yellow Lab, Sophie. In fact, as she thought more about it, she wasn't sure Jeff was a dog guy at all.

She confronted him about this at dinner one night, and he confessed, in some anguish, that he didn't love Sophie, didn't love dogs in general, never had.
They broke up the next week. More accurately, she dumped him. "What can I say?" Edie told me, somewhat defensively. "Sophie has been there for me, day in and day out, for years. I can't say the same of men. She's my girl, my baby. Sooner or later, it would have ended."

Having just spent two months on a book tour talking to dog lovers across the country, I can testify that this story isn't unusual. The lesson Edie gleaned, she says, was that she should have asked about Sophie first, not last.
In America, we love our dogs. A lot. So much that we rarely wonder why anymore.
This, perhaps, is why God created academics.

John Archer, a psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire, has been puzzling for some time over why people love their pets. In evolutionary terms, love for dogs and other pets "poses a problem," he writes. Being attached to animals is not, strictly speaking, necessary for human health and welfare. True, studies show that people with pets live a bit longer and have better blood pressure than benighted nonowners, but in the literal sense, we don't really need all those dogs and cats to survive.

Archer's alternative Darwinian theory: Pets manipulate the same instincts and responses that have evolved to facilitate human relationships, "primarily (but not exclusively) those between parent and child."

No wonder Edie ditched Jeff. She was about to marry the evil stepfather, somebody who wasn't crazy about her true child.

Or, to look at it from the opposite direction, Archer suggests, "consider the possibility that pets are, in evolutionary terms, manipulating human responses, that they are the equivalent of social parasites." Social parasites inject themselves into the social systems of other species and thrive there. Dogs are masters at that. They show a range of emotions—love, anxiety, curiosity—and thus trick us into thinking they possess the full range of human feelings.

They dance with joy when we come home, put their heads on our knees and stare longingly into our eyes. Ah, we think, at last, the love and loyalty we so richly deserve and so rarely receive. Over thousands of years of living with humans, dogs have become wily and transfixing sidekicks with the particularly appealing characteristic of being unable to speak. We are therefore free to fill in the blanks with what we need to hear. (What the dog may really be telling us, much of the time, is, "Feed me.")

As Archer dryly puts it, "Continuing features of the interaction with the pet prove satisfying for the owner."

It's a good deal for the pets, too, since we respond by spending lavishly on organic treats and high-quality health care.

Psychologist Brian Hare of Harvard has also studied the human-animal bond and reports that dogs are astonishingly skilled at reading humans' patterns of social behavior, especially behaviors related to food and care. They figure out our moods and what makes us happy, what moves us. Then they act accordingly, and we tell ourselves that they're crazy about us.

"It appears that dogs have evolved specialized skills for reading human social and communicative behavior," Hare concludes, which is why dogs live so much better than moles.

These are interesting theories. Raccoons and squirrels don't show recognizable human emotions, nor do they trigger our nurturing ("She's my baby") impulses. So, they don't (usually) move into our houses, get their photos taken with Santa, or even get names. Thousands of rescue workers aren't standing by to move them lovingly from one home to another.

If the dog's love is just an evolutionary trick, does that diminish it? I don't think so. Dogs have figured out how to insinuate themselves into human society in ways that benefit us both. We get affection and attention. They get the same, plus food, shelter, and protection. To grasp this exchange doesn't trivialize our love, it explains it.

I'm enveloped by dog love, myself. Izzy, a border collie who spent the first four years of his life running along a small square of fencing on a nearby farm, is lying under my desk at the moment, his head resting on my boot.

Rose, my working dog, is curled into a tight ball in the crate to my left. Emma, the newcomer who spent six years inside the same fence as Izzy, prefers the newly re-upholstered antique chair. Plagued with health problems, she likes to be near the wood stove in the winter.

When I stir to make tea, answer the door, or stretch my legs, all three dogs move with me. I see them peering out from behind the kitchen table or pantry door, awaiting instructions, as border collies do. If I return to the computer, they resume their previous positions, with stealth and agility. If I analyzed it coldly, I would admit that they're probably alert to see if an outdoor romp is in the offing, or some sheepherding, or some beef jerky. But I'd rather think they can't bear to let me out of their sight.

Source:Slate

Beer with your face on it!

2007-02-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

Looking for more stuff to personalize?

Then take a swig of this.

Danish brewery, Tuborg, has joined the personalisation-trend and launched a service called "Your Tuborg" (Din Tuborg), which invites people to customise the beer label when ordering a minimum of 30 bottles of Tuborg.

The beer and your own 'mate-impressing' label is delivered directly to your door within 4 weeks of placing an order.

Cherryflava

How not to become a millionaire...

2007-02-05T06:45:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK - Idaho resident Kathy Evans brought humiliation to her friends and family Tuesday when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."

It seems that Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question, and proceeded to make what fans of the show are dubbing "the absolute worst use of lifelines ever."

After being introduced to the show's host Meredith Vieira, Evans assured her that she was ready to play, whereupon she was posed with an extremely easy $100 question. The question was:

"Which of the following is the largest?"
A) A Peanut
B) An Elephant
C) The Moon
D) Hey, who you calling large?

Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all consuming panic as she realized that this was a question to which she did not readily know the answer.

"Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie," said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief and disgust. "I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be."

Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50. Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure.

"Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!" exclaimed Evans. "Darn. I think I better phone a friend."

Using the second of her two lifelines on the first question, Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant.

"Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!" said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. "Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun."

Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds.

"Come on Betsy, are you sure?" said Evans. "How sure are you? Puh, that can't be it."

To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice and pick 'The Moon.'

"I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright. So I think I'd like to ask the audience," said Evans.

Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life.

"Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking," said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. "But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut. So, let's see. For which is larger, an elephant or the moon, I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant. Final answer."

Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath, and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'

New blog keeps players updated on gambling regulations

2007-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

Clarion ATE, producers of the popular European Gambling Briefing (EGB) conference, has launched a pioneering online blog, Gambling Law Debate, offering players and industry professionals a one-stop-shop to access up-to-date information on current regulatory issues relating to the gambling industry.

The new blog provides an online network for legal professionals, lobbyists, media companies, and regulators to deliberate over all the key developments in online gambling legislation.

The blogsite is intended to significantly enhance the reach and weight of the discussions that take place at the 3rd annual EGB conference, a senior-level two day briefing that addresses a wide range of issues relating to gambling regulation across Europe and beyond.

Clarion ATE will use the site to ask for opinions, articles and comments to help form the basis of debates that will take place in Brussels on 8th & 9th May. Lawyers, lobbyists and regulators have already been invited to contribute.

www.gamblinglawdebate.com

Nuns on the run

2007-01-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing is sacred any more… We live in a day and age where even nuns are corrupt and run out on debt they’re not supposed to have in the first place!

Fifty-five nuns - all called Maria - are on the run after racking up debts of £400,000.

The women had secretly run a knitwear company on the side for ten years.
Their convent supplied 25 shops and they blew money travelling to fashion shows across Europe, reports the Sun.

The nuns of St Kyrikos and Ioulite in Northern Greece hit money problems after spending huge sums on new machinery.

Their expensive knitting machines were put on a lorry and the sisters disappeared a few days later.

Greek Orthodox Church officials believe they may be hiding at a monastery in Volos, Central Greece.

The nuns' lawyer Dionysios Pelekis said they had asked church superiors to settle the debt by selling 16 convent-owned properties. But the request was refused.

Ananova.com

Google & Yahoo To Stop Online Casino Ads

2007-01-25T02:42:00.000-08:00

The US Justice Department has warned giant search engines, Google and Yahoo, for allowing online casino advertisements and promoting gambling indirectly to an underage audience through advertising pop-ups. As a result Google HQ has decided to impose a global ban on casino ads.

The voluntary decision applies only to the United States in the case of Yahoo!, where Justice officials have been exercising a major crackdown on all aspects of Internet gambling. However, Google plans to extend the ban globally.

The news follows reports that the US Justice Department is to order banks in the UK to hand over information concerning their dealings with several online poker sites. The DOJ seem to be targeting big online sites that trade their stock publicly on the London Stock Exchange, such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings.

Source: Casino News Online

Crazy Dutch make expensive beer for dogs

2007-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

I’ve always thought the Dutch are a bit fucked in the head.

They create a beer specially for dogs. But there’s no alcohol in it, humans can drink it, and worst of all – it costs four times as much as a Heineken!

Jeez, just give the damn dog a bit of your Heinie in a little bowl of his own. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the beer buzz just as much as you do.

Beer for Dogs

A brewery in the Netherlands has created a beer - especially for dogs.
Kwispelbier makes the special brew from a mix of beef extract and malt.

The beverage is the brainchild of pet shop owner Gerrie Berendsen from the eastern town of Zelhem.

The beer is non-alcoholic and fit for human consumption, but costs four times as much as a Heineken.

Ms Berendsen said: "Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it."

Source:Ananova

AIDS group to sue Pfizer over Viagra ads

2007-01-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

The Aids Healthcare Foundation doesn’t want you using Viagra for recreational purposes and they don’t want advertisements making it look as if Viagra enhances your lifestyle.

If not for recreational purposes, what the fuck else for?

Relieving boardroom boredom? Chasing your secretary down the hall in a corporate environment? To use as a makeshift towel rack?

Reuters says that according to AHF, Pfizer’s actions of marketing Viagra as a lifestyle or sexual enhancement drug has led to risky behavior by men and an increase in HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

For old geezers like me, Viagra is a godsend. So why don’t you pompous AHF fuckers focus on more important things and just leave it the hell alone?

Just my opinion. Use it, don’t use it.

Read it

InstaDebit also abandons US gamblers

2007-01-19T04:26:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that InstaDebit has ceased ALL US transactions. This applies to Money-In and Money-Out. Money Transfer will be pulled globally.

The reason for this is reportedly because Money Transfer transactions are initiated on Western Union.com and there is no control over who sees it. In order to prevent US customers using it, it will reportedly be pulled from all gambling sites immediately.

This follows in the footsteps of NETeller and Citadel who earlier withdrew from the US market.

Unease as Neteller, Citadel Shut Down Internet Gambling Transfer Service

2007-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

Unease as Neteller, Citadel Shut Down Internet Gambling Transfer Service

There must be a more-than-mild panic in the Online Gambling industry following the withdrawal of Neteller and Citadel.

Neteller withdrew from the US market, effective immediately.

In a statement it said:

"Due to recent US legislative changes and events, effective immediately, US members are no longer able to transfer funds to or from any online gambling sites.

All US members will continue to be able to use their NETELLER e-wallet account to safely transfer funds to and from non-gambling merchants and are not required to close their account or withdraw their funds."

Earlier, Citadel announced that it has shut down Financial processing for non-domestic internet gaming merchants for USA consumers.

According to Gambling911.com, many online poker rooms and gambling sites in general have become increasingly dependent on third party payment processor, NETeller.

For instance, Full Tilt Poker was reportedly about 75% dependent on NETeller, while PokerStars’ dependency lies around 60%.

This could mean that these large online casino and poker sites are in danger of losing out to other venues less reliant on NETeller.

But only time will tell…

Pimp my toilet!

2007-01-17T00:19:00.000-08:00

You’ll never leave the bathroom again. Thank the pimped out toilet from Roto Rooter.

"This is the seat of power."

Roto Rooter is trying to re-introduce itself to a new generation so the company is giving away the ultimate throne. A toilet with everything but the kitchen sink. It's got a flat screen HDTV, iPod and dock, TiVo, xBox 360, and DVD player. There's a laptop, bullhorn, bike pedals, beer tap, fridge.

The toilet is a Kohler. "Which is a 1.4 gallon flush. which is not weak."

And if there's a plumbing problem. "We have the Roto Rooter emergency button if something goes wrong you can hit that, that's sort of our version of On-Star."

Roto Rooter spends more than $30 million in Yellow Pages advertising.

It's spent tens of thousands on the toilet contest, hoping to bring some edge to its brand.

And who knows, maybe the contest will even teach men to take better care of the bathroom.

"You've got this investment."

"You don't want it to look junky."

"I mean if I had something like this I would never leave the bathroom."

"I think you're not gonna see your man for a long time if he wins this thing."

The contest for the toilet starts January 24th on the company's website.

Source: wgrz.com

Take Your Porn With You - Porn Video glasses keep it private

2007-01-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

Sleek video glasses that turn film viewing into a private affair went on view at the world's biggest porn show on Wednesday, just after they were demonstrated down the road at the planet's largest consumer electronics show.

Victor Quitoriano of Body Care Resort coaxed passers-by to shut out the bustling activity at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo by sampling an intimate video-viewing session complete with audio through an ear piece.

He had been demonstrating models of the same glasses at the Consumer Electronics Show a short distance away in the Sands Exposition Centre just a day earlier.

"Our technology crosses over," Quitoriano said. "The videos we showed there weren't porn, because we didn't want to offend anybody.

"Here, it's different. Imagine you can take your porn all over the place; in a plane or a train, but not in the car unless you are the passenger."

The video glasses, made in Taiwan and sold by California-based Body Care, connect to all of the latest video-playing devices, from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles to Apple's iPod and Microsoft's Zune MP3 players.

The model being shown off by Quitoriano carry a suggested retail price of $349 (about R2 540) but were discounted for show-goers.

"The only competition I've seen is Sky Mall," Quitoriano said, referring to a gadget catalogue commonly found on the seatbacks on commercial airplanes. -- AFP

Microsoft's Vista launch promoted with space ride prize

2007-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) - A Microsoft online puzzle game launched this week promises to send the winner on a rocket ride into orbit around the Earth.

The Redmond, Washington-based software giant teamed with computer chip maker Advanced Micro Devices to promote the new Vista operating system with Vanishing Point, a "large-scale online and offline collaborative puzzle game."

Microsoft is to launch the home version of Vista on January 30.

The companies used the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as a venue on Monday to reveal prizes including Microsoft Zune MP3 players, Xbox 360 video game consoles, Vista-based computers, and a sub-orbital space ride.

A NASA-trained astronaut will take the winner just beyond the Earth's atmosphere for "the ultimate vista" courtesy of Rocketplane, Microsoft said.

The puzzle game challenged players worldwide to decipher clues from "spectacular events at various locations" beginning on Monday at the Bellagio Casino here, according to Microsoft.

A taunting video interspersed with numbers, symbols, equations and the hint "it's all about time" was projected onto dancing fountains in front of the casino after dark.

Players have established online forums and wikis -- web pages that visitors can modify -- devoted to the game, the companies said.

Microsoft created the website www.vanishingpointgame.com to provide rules, videos of clues, a "count down" and other information.

Flamin' hot!

2007-01-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Day 9 of 2007 and Lady Luck is still smiling on me...

Wife has gone to visit the kids for a couple of weeks, so it's been heaven.

Just those wonderfully generous slots and me.

...and maybe a jackpot or two...

Still deciding if I'll tell the wife if I DO strike a big one...

decisions, decisions...

Old Spice turns to Humor to Draw Young Men

2007-01-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

Remember what your dad used to smell like when you were growing up? That manly smell you buried your nose in when he gave you a hug. The smell of Old Spice.

Well, call me old fashioned, but I still use Old Spice.

Always have, always will.

Every Christmas, at least one family member tries to convert me to some new brand of aftershave, but there’s no contest.

Now, to my horror, Procter & Gamble are trying to freshen and update the image of the Old Spice line of products to appeal to younger men.

According to reports, a television, print and online campaign with the theme “Experience is everything” will take a cheeky look at modern masculinity as it seeks to extol the virtues of Old Spice as a brand family as well as to stimulate sales of specific products like deodorants, body washes and fragrances.

For example, a Web site (experienceoldspice.com) will provide advice on topics like “Animals you can ride and how to ride them,” “Easy ways to avoid getting picked in a lineup” and “How to talk your way across an African border sans passport.”

Print ads will offer wry captions for photographs of subjects like a shepherd (“This man loves sheep”), a woman eating an ice cream cone and a foot-long frankfurter. And commercials will feature a puckish spokesman, the actor Bruce Campbell of the droll “Evil Dead” movies, sending up the concept of taking advice from your elders.

I think you shouldn’t fix it if it ain’t broken…

Source: Cherryflava

Alarming: Warrantless mail searches may be allowed

2007-01-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

Civil libertarians enraged by White House stance on opening mail.

WASHINGTON - A statement attached to postal legislation by President Bush last month may have opened the way for the government to open mail without a warrant.

The White House denies any change in policy, but civil libertarians are alarmed, saying the government has never publicly claimed that power before.

Federal law has long required a search warrant to open first class mail unless postal inspectors suspect it contains something dangerous, like a bomb or a hazardous chemical, reports NBC News' Pete Williams.

But in signing a postal bill just before Christmas, President Bush said federal law also gives the government authority to open the mail "for foreign intelligence collection."

White House spokesman Tony Snow said that's nothing new. “All this is saying is that there are provisions at law for — in exigent circumstances — for such inspections. It has been thus. This is not a change in law, this is not new.”

"What the signing statement indicates is what present law allows, in making it clear what the provisions are," Snow said Thursday in his daily briefing.

But members of Congress — Republicans and Democrats alike — say that's not what they intended the law to do. And they call it another example of a president claiming new legal authority while signing a bill into law.

“I was really surprised. There was absolutely nothing in the Postal Reform bill that in any way diminished or changed the privacy protections for domestic sealed mail,” Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said.

The law requires government agents to get warrants to open first-class letters.
But when Bush signed the Postal Reform act, he added a statement saying that his administration would construe that provision “in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances. ...”

“The signing statement raises serious questions whether he is authorizing opening of mail contrary to the Constitution and to laws enacted by Congress,” said Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “What is the purpose of the signing statement if it isn’t that?”

She said the group is planning to file request for information on how this exception will be used and also asking whether it has already been used to open mail.

Source: MSNBC

Ching-ching into the New Year

2007-01-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

I’m not a great fan of the holidays.

I’m sure there are people who would love to dunk me in fetid eggnog for saying that, but it’s true.

Christmas is all too loud, annoying, expensive and elaborate.

Too much for a simple soul like myself.

The upside is that all the crazy activity has actually given me more time to hide behind my pc and get some quality play time in. Just the jingle of the online slots machines and me.

No hassles. No fuss.

And it seemed the machines were even more generous than usual, and I managed to make a killing simply by playing progressives.

Hopefully this is an indication of a great gambling year ahead.

Meanwhile, this audio clip had me in stitches. It’s one cool way to get rid of those @^$%# annoying telemarketers…

How To Prank a Telemarketer

What $1 Million Will Buy You In Real Estate Around The World

2006-12-21T04:46:00.000-08:00

Interesting how many more luxuries $1 million can buy in other countries..

Check it out

Nasa and Google form cosmic union

2006-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Google and Nasa work together to brings detailed 3D images of the Moon and Mars to web users.

"This agreement between Nasa and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said Nasa administrator Michael Griffin.

The two organisations said they will now collaborate in a variety of areas including adding data collected by Nasa to the online mapping tool Google Earth.

Read more

Xmas shopping: It's war, so don't go unarmed!

2006-12-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

It's war out there. Christmas is rearing its head like a big, ugly pimple on the butt of your peaceful holiday - and there are presents to be bought...

Don't go unarmed. Take this knowledge with you and prevent pre-Christmas breakdowns and alcohol-fueled rages...

1. The item you want is probably gone already. Don’t trust internet inventory locators, they’re always wrong. Call the store and ask someone. Most stores, even during the holidays, will begrudgingly hold something for you if you can get there fast enough.

2. All bets are off. Don’t turn your back on the spoils in your cart and expect it to remain untouched. Someone else wants that poop-herself-pretty-pretty-princess. She who has her hands on it last, leaves the store with it.

3. Bring cash, and bring extra. Almost every holiday season my store’s card services went down after being overloaded with requests. Card processing will time out, and writing checks runs you the risk of having your eyeballs clawed out by the impatient lines behind you.

4. You won’t find a parking space, so don’t bother trying. Just take the spot in the middle of nowhere, it will take you less time to walk to the store than it does to sit in your car pissing off everyone trying to get around you.

5. There won’t be anyone to help you. The nearest salesperson is teetering on a ladder, getting the last thingamajic and whatchamacallit from the store’s highest display, for a moth-ball scented old bag who’s “just looking.” Know what you want and where it is.

6. If a store does offer free gift wrap, you don’t want it, and you’re a jerk if you get it. This means you’re pulling away staff from the salesfloor and cash registers, potentially inciting a riot. And if you’re getting something oddly shaped or oversized, they’re not going to be able to wrap it any better than you would, it’s still going to look like a blob of crumpled up gift-wrap. Just go home and stick whatever it is in a gift bag, besides it’s easier for your stuffy sister-in-law when she regifts.

7. Always ask for a gift receipt first, even if you don’t want one. You never know when you’ll need it, your tastes aren’t infallible and you don’t want Aunt Ethel to know how cheap you are, and the cashier will have to get a manager to reprint one for you.

8. Get out of there. As soon as you’re done, leave the store, sprawlmart, or ye olde mall towne immediately. You never know who you’re going to run into. One unfortunate Christmas Eve I fell prey to a local weather girl gone investigative reporter spotlighting last minute shoppers, and my whole family got a sneak preview of their gifts on the ten o’clock news.

Tips courtesy of: Resist Media

No more light loo reading: FHM US closes its pages

2006-12-14T04:35:00.000-08:00

It’s a sad day indeed.

FHM have announced the end of their US publication.

The wonderfully wacky tribute to T&A will however continue to exist online

Hurray

Source: Cherryflava via AdAge

Want to live longer? Toss back a few cocktails

2006-12-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

Alcohol in moderation may extend life span, researchers find

Not that I needed an excuse anyway… (might help to convince the wife, though…)

Moderate drinking may lengthen your life, while too much may shorten it, researchers from Italy report. Their conclusion is based on pooled data from 34 large studies involving more than 1 million people and 94,000 deaths.

According to the data, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol — up to four drinks per day in men and two drinks per day in women — reduces the risk of death from any cause by roughly 18 percent, the team reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

That’s where the good news ends, so I’m cutting it off right here. If you really want the rest of it, click here

Israeli Online Gambling Tycoon Bids $1B for peace

2006-12-12T04:53:00.000-08:00

Apparently money can’t buy you love – but can it buy peace? So desperate is one Israeli millionaire for an end to the hostility between his country and the Palestinian territories that he’ll scrape together a billion dollars to make it happen.

Avi Shaked, 53, said he would give an initial installment of $100 million to the Palestinians if their prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh and Israel’s Ehud Olmert began talks.

Shakes quickly became one of Israel’s wealthiest men through 888 Holdings, a conglomerate of gambling Web sites such as 888.com, Pacific Poker and Betmate.
He reportedly has a group of financiers who will put forward the money as soon as some sort of accord is reached.

Read more

At last - a Viagra ad worth looking at...!

2006-12-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

Source: Kottke.org

Garage door openers threaten Homeland security!

2006-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Government radio frequency also handles 50 million remote control units

DENVER - What do remote-control garage door openers have to do with national security?
A secretive Air Force facility in Colorado Springs tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat. But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the area found that theirs had suddenly stopped working.

Read more

25 tips for a better flight

2006-11-29T01:27:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on how to improve flying over the festive period

Lots of people travel to their holiday destinations by plane. Personally, I hate flying. It’s cramped, the food’s normally crap, kids start screaming, young people get drunk and loud and my wife takes 2 sleeping tables with her mini bottle of vodka, passes out and snores all the way.

Not quite heaven…

So I found these travel tips by James Wysong. There are some gems…

General travel advice
• Make a note of where you parked your car at the airport. After a long trip, your memory will almost always fail you.
• If your seat mate won’t stop talking, pretend to be asleep.
• Cross-pack with a travel companion. That way, if the airline loses your luggage, you’ll still have half the clothes you need for the week.

Health
• Wear shoes to the restroom. Bare feet and bad aim are an unpleasant combination.
• Match each alcoholic beverage with at least two glasses of water.
• If you are allergic to cats, bring your allergy medication. Passengers often bring cats on board and carry dander on their clothes.
• Always, always check that there is a barf bag in the pocket in front of you. You might not get sick, but you never know about your seat mate.

Other peoples’ kids
• When kids are howling or staring at you from the seat in front of you, hand them some crayons and a sick bag and tell them to make a hand puppet.
• Pack a small toy or a bag of snacks in your carry-on to quiet the screaming kid three rows back. Works every time and costs only pennies.
• Bring dollar bills, and if the kid behind you starts kicking your seat, bribe him with money to stop. Tell him that if he can keep from kicking your seat for the remainder of the flight, he’ll get $5. Works like a charm.

Comfort
• Wear comfortable slip-on shoes.
• Unless you are traveling with children, always ask for an exit-row seat. You’ll get more legroom.
• Pack your favorite hot sauce. It can turn the worst in-flight or airport meal into a culinary delight.
• Wear noise-canceling headphones.

Mental health
• Arrive early.
• Practice patience, and be prepared to test it abundantly.
• Forget how it used to be and play by the new rules — whatever they are.
• Be the person you would most like to fly with.

Entertainment
• Listen to an audio book. It takes up more time than the in-flight movie and is better exercise for your imagination.
• Make up lives for your fellow passengers. See that woman in the sweats, the one who looks tired but eager? She works in an office with a bullying boss, but today she’s flying to see someone she loves and trusts enough to be comfortable. The guy who’s pacing back and forth with the briefcase? He’s pitching a million-dollar client. The kid with the guitar case wearing rumpled clothes and a tie? You get the idea.
• Books! I was scolded many times for not including this tip. After all, I’m a writer myself. So, now that you mention it, you should bring one of my books!

Humorous
• Ladies: Take the batteries out of your personal massage units; otherwise, the security search could prove quite embarrassing.
• Have great sex the night before you fly. You will be in a better mood and be more likely to sleep on the airplane.
• Hire your own jet and pilot.
• Drive instead!

Source: MSNBC.com

Black Friday; The Super Bowl of Shopping

2006-11-24T05:50:00.000-08:00

Many Americans whine and gnash over the queuing, pushing, shoving, sweating frenzy that is Black Friday shopping.

But there’s no denying the popularity of this annual spectacle. On Black Friday last year, about 2 million shoppers appeared with credit cards in tow — and that's just at Wal-Marts across the nation, within the first hour of their opening.

Tens of millions more scurried through retail stores from Seattle to Sarasota. More than $20 billion is expected be spent this year on the day.

David Sweet takes a slightly different look at this crazy day.

Read it

A time to give thanks for: Online Betting!

2006-11-23T04:43:00.000-08:00

According to research, Gambling reaches an all-time high over the Thanksgiving period.

Thanksgiving Day sees more betting action on football games. Many college students take a break from their studies by heading to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to release and relieve some of their schoolbook stress. Others go home to find that while they were gone, slot parlors were approved and new casinos opened up, like in Hollywood, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Even online casinos see a rise in bets and total wagers through the end of the year. "This is typically our busiest time of the year," says one Internet casino manager. "I don't know why people love to gamble during the holidays... but it is something real and it happens every year."

It’ll be interesting to see whether this betting culture will subside with the new anti-gambling laws set in place by George W.

Personally, I think that harmless pastimes like betting on your favorite team on Thanksgiving Day or spending some of your hard-earned money on online slots or poker is non of the government’s damn business.

Next, they’ll want to tell me which brand of toilet paper to buy….

Anyhow…. Happy Thanksgiving and good luck with the bets!

Additional info: CasinoGamblingWeb.com

A new approach to teaching Thanksgiving. Good or Bad?

2006-11-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

Instructors try more realistic look at relationship between Indians, whites

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Teacher Bill Morgan walks into his third-grade class wearing a black Pilgrim hat made of construction paper and begins snatching up pencils, backpacks and glue sticks from his pupils. He tells them the items now belong to him because he “discovered” them.

The reaction is exactly what Morgan expects: The kids get angry and want their things back.

Morgan is among elementary school teachers who have ditched the traditional Thanksgiving lesson, in which children dress up like Indians and Pilgrims and act out a romanticized version of their first meetings.

He has replaced it with a more realistic look at the complex relationship between Indians and white settlers.
Morgan said he still wants his pupils at Cleveland Elementary School in San Francisco to celebrate Thanksgiving. But “what I am trying to portray is a different point of view.”

Others see Morgan and teachers like him as too extreme.

“I think that is very sad,” said Janice Shaw Crouse, a former college dean and public high school teacher and now a spokeswoman for Concerned Women for America, a conservative organization. “He is teaching his students to hate their country. That is a very distorted view of history, a distorted view of Thanksgiving.”

Indians split

Even American Indians are divided on how to approach a holiday that some believe symbolizes the start of a hostile takeover of their lands.

Chuck Narcho, a member of the Maricopa and Tohono O’odham tribes who works as a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, said younger children should not be burdened with all the gory details of American history.

“If you are going to teach, you need to keep it positive,” he said. “They can learn about the truths when they grow up. Caring, sharing and giving — that is what was originally intended.”

Adam McMullin, a member of the Seminole tribe of Oklahoma and a spokesman for the National Congress of American Indians, said schoolchildren should get an accurate historical account.

Source: MSNBC

Flavored Golf tees: For the golfer who has everything…

2006-11-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

Entrepreneurs John Packes and Ramon Peralta have come up a product line called Tasty Golf Tees in various flavors including mint, cherry, strawberry and grape.
Mint is the strongest-tasting flavor in the range.

"It will knock out the foulest of cigar, beer breath within five seconds," said Packes of Norwalk, Conn.

Packes said they came up with the idea while walking along the fairway one day and noticing that many golfers popped a tee in their mouth as they headed to the next hole or waited to tee up.

Tasty Golf Tees, which cost about 25 cents each, are made from uncoated wood, which is sanitized and flavored. They look and play like regular wooden golf tees.

Check it out

[via]

Web designers and hosts charged in massive online gambling sting

2006-11-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

More than two dozen individuals and corporations in four states have been charged in connection with a billion-dollar-a-year gambling Web site.

One of the corporations is an offshore Internet company with an American counterpart, said Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Ryan said the case is "one of the first times that a Web designer corporation and the companies that maintain the websites have been charged." He says, "we have initiated a $500 million asset forfeiture case," one of the largest in state history.

Read more

Soccer moms take over the gaming scene

2006-11-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

Step aside spotty teenagers. Soccer moms and grannies are taking over in the gaming scene!

The soccer mom demographic has been experiencing such a huge growth that big players in the industry are taking notice—and adjusting their business plans accordingly. In fact, the majority of casual gamers—60 percent—are women, mostly over 35.

What’s the appeal of these games for women—many of which are busy moms, most with full-time jobs? Mainly, it’s the ease-of-use: Casual games also don’t require hours of commitment, so it’s easy to feel satisfied by just short bursts of gameplay. Also, casual games can also be relaxing, supplanting television as a wind-down evening activity.

In the meantime, Nintendo also has its eye trained on an older generation. In June, the company rolled out its Touch Generation sub-brand in the United States — and it’s aimed squarely at 40 and 50 year-olds. The Nintendo DS handheld system allows the old fogies to play anywhere with an easy-to-use touch screen and pen.

Read more

Name Your Porsche

2006-11-14T00:42:00.000-08:00

Those lucky enough to own a Porsche can now be even more of a show-off by adding an exclusive personal touch.

Instead of the type designation, you can have customised text in the same font placed on your Porsche. Texts can be made for all 911 models - Cayenne - Boxster and Cayman.

The personalised text is manufactured in the same colours as the type designation, in grey or black, or 'chrome' or 'gold' if you prefer.

The fun never stops when you own one of these bad boys, as you can let your creativity run wild. Things like “I’m your Daddy” “You can try” or even just your name springs to mind as replacing Carrera2 or Cayenne on the back.

The costs are € 375 or $ 450 for 5 letters in the original colours - grey or black. Extra letters cost € 50 or $ 60 each. A chrome or gold name or text costs an additional € 75 or $ 90.

Find out more

Spreading the joy, but not the million..

2006-11-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Thought I’d share the joy (but not the money, if I win it!)

Received a newsletter from River Belle earlier that one of their progressive slots, King Cashalot has reached a jackpot of almost $930,000.00.

Needless to say, I’ve been putting some extra time into playing King Cashalot.

There’s nothing quite like watching that jackpot ticker go up, up, up and actually stand a (remote?) chance of winning a million…

And I’m having fun doing it.

It seems even retirement has its excitement…woohoo..

The joke that is Bush...

2006-11-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

Don't get me started on politics and the damned idiot that is running this country.

Our president chose to hunker down at the White House for a beef loin dinner with top advisers while his party was drummed into the ground over the Iraq war and corruption scandals.

White House spokesperson, Tony Snow told the press that "The president is in a good mood." That's probably because the idiot didn't realise what just happened.

He was probably too busy trying not to choke on the beef, or pretzel, or whatever.

Anyway, he's expected to break his silence today.

I can't wait....

Ladbrokes in Talks with 888

2006-11-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

According to iGamingBusiness, Ladbrokes, the UK's second-largest bookmaker, is in talks to buy the online poker and casino group 888 Holdings in a deal that could potentially be worth £470 million.

Executives of the betting shop group flew to Israel over the weekend to discuss a takeover deal with 888 founders and controlling shareholders Avi and Aharon Shaked. The Shaked brothers together control 51% of the company after floating it on the London stock exchange last year and each selling shares worth £52m.

The discussions are believed to have been brokered by 888's outgoing chief executive, John Anderson, who is also a former Ladbrokes director. Ladbrokes issued a statement yesterday confirming it was “in the early stages of reviewing a possible transaction involving 888. No decision has been made.” Reports over the weekend suggested 888 could fetch as much as £470m.

Read more

Extortionists target Internet

2006-10-31T02:42:00.000-08:00

Virtual gangsters charge ‘ransom’ to websites

Organized crime networks are demanding ransoms from offshore gambling websites, using the threat of shutting them down to extract payouts typically ranging from $45,000 to $67,000. These "cyber-extortionists" infiltrate personal computers without the owners’ knowledge. They use viruses to install secret programs allowing criminals to gain control of thousands or even tens of thousands of computers.

The programs can stay dormant for weeks or even months before hackers activate “zombie computers” to attack an Internet gambling site. These computers to send messages to a particular site. They overwhelm the site. There is no way that site can respond to all these messages coming from all over the world. So the site starts to slow down, crawl, or actually can be just taken down."

That’s when information super-highwaymen send in a ransom demand.

Find out more

PartyGaming and 888 in Merger Talks

2006-10-30T05:21:00.000-08:00

IGamingBusiness reports that online gambling groups Partygaming and 888 Holdings are in talks about a possible merger.

The Gibraltar-based firms are two of the biggest victims of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which effectively makes internet gambling illegal.

PartyGaming has since pulled out of the U.S., but Chief Executive Mitch Garber has said the changes are, ' a golden consolidation opportunity for Partygaming'.

The Sunday Times reported executives from the two companies - which would have a joint market capitalisation of almost 1.6 billion pounds ($3 billion) - expected to hold further talks in coming weeks as gaming firms consider options to combine their online pool of players.

PartyGaming has declined to comment on the report. 888 was not immediately available for comment.

Source

Canada Wants To Ban Online Gambling Ads

2006-10-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Another front in governmental war against online gaming was opened this week when legislators in Canada's Ontario province --- of which Toronto is the largest city --- announced the introduction of a bill intended to stop all advertising for online gaming.

The proposed bill, actually a modification of Ontario's Consumer Protection Act of 2002, is spearheaded by Ontario Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips, who has said that despite the 'illegality' of online gambling, enforcement of existing regulations has not been a high priority.

Since the legislation of online gaming itself does not occur at the provincial level in Canada, the legislation attempts to choke the pipeline somewhat by banning all ads promoting online sites, a practice that does fall within Ontario's enforcement

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What does the average American know about "THAT" act?

2006-10-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

More than we think, it seems...

Aaron Todd, a specialist and expert writer on matters gambling published a fascinating opinion piece on the reaction of the average American to the new Unlawful Internet Gambling Entertainment Act this week, pointing out that just 4 percent of Americans have gambled on the Internet.

Read more

Things People Do at Movie Theaters

2006-10-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

I loved this article about the annoying things people do when they go watch a movie.

Here are a few choice quotes:

About making out in the movies: “Also, we've all heard the stories about the people who have sex in the theater, and that just makes me very apprehensive about putting my cup in the cupholder. “

About eating in the movies: “A delicious Crunch bar can be just the thing to get you through that godawful Hugh Grant movie you've been dragged to. But the problem that goes along with it is that it makes a shitload of noise, especially popcorn, and when I'm sitting there trying to hear the Hoover Dam blow up or whatever in the climactic final moments of "Die Hard 8: Die Harderererererer," all that chomping is just distracting.”

Read it all

Big Oops: Casino Magnate Pokes Hole in Picasso

2006-10-19T03:09:00.000-07:00

Picasso’s famed “Dream” painting turned into a nightmare for Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn when he accidentally gave the multimillion dollar canvas an elbow.

Wynn had just finalized a $139 million sale to another collector of his painting, called “Le Reve” (The Dream), when he poked a finger-sized hole in the artwork while showing it to friends at his Las Vegas office a couple of weeks ago.

Wynn reportedly raised his hand to show the group something about Picasso’s 1932 portrait of his mistress Marie-Therese Walter, when his elbow crashed backward right through the canvas, tearing a black hole the size of a silver dollar smack in the middle of the painting.

According to reports, Wynn has decided to release the buyer from the sale agreement and to repair and keep the painting himself.

Click here for the whole story.

XXL Club Stops US Bets Despite Promises

2006-10-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Playtech-powered XXL Club has become the latest online casino to ban US players.

Their American operation was ended on Tuesday in response to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Initially the company had been confident in maintaining operations for US players, but in a statement the company revealed that they could no longer continue their US business. 'Given the development during the preceding week, including but not limited to, the unfavourable view of payment processors, financial institutions as well as our software provider regarding online gambling in the US, we have been forced to cease activities and comply with this prohibitionist legislation.'

The company vowed to continue monitoring the US gambling market and will re-open the casino should a viable option present itself.

Source: IGaming Business

WILL BUSH SEND ONLINE GAMING BILL BACK FOR MORE CLARITY?

2006-10-13T01:38:00.000-07:00

Washington lobbyist says it is a possibility

A Washington protest against the new Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has produced new information that runs contrary to the almost universal view that President Bush will sign the Act into law tomorrow as part of a port security measure.

Lobbyist Debbie Richardson, who declines to identify her company, organized a small protest in Washington earlier this week, and plans a bigger turnout for November 3.

Richardson claims that during the protest unidentified political sources in the Capitol told her that there is a possibility that President Bush may elect to refer the online gambling legislation back to Congress, since there are too many flaws due to the last-minute nature of amendments that had to be made in order to attach the proposal at the eleventh hour to the port security bill on which it passed.

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All I want for Christmas…

2006-10-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Is a $1.7 million trip to space with 5 friends….

The 2006 Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog of exotic holiday gifts has been revealed. The most exotic is a six-person charter to space.
The chartered trip to space, which sends six passengers 63 miles above the Earth via Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, costs just over $1.7 million. Once those passengers return to mother earth, they get to indulge in an all-inclusive four-night stay on Virgin chairman Richard Branson's private retreat in the British Virgin Islands. So it's worth it. Right?

Check out the list

Internet gambling companies to challenge bill legally

2006-10-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

British-based online gambling companies could mount WTO case

Gambling911.com reports that British-based internet gambling companies may be joining forces with the Antiguan government to challenge the new US legislation targeting internet gambling.

Hans Kundnani of the London Guardian is reporting that Sportingbet chief executive Nigel Payne has been in Antigua since Tuesday afternoon and is understood to be meeting the Antiguan authorities to discuss the US legislation. Sportingbet has a licence in Antigua, which allows it to operate servers and customer support in Costa Rica for its US customers.

"Antigua, which has already successfully challenged previous US laws on internet gambling, said yesterday it would be willing to work with UK companies such as Sportingbet to challenge what they see as US protectionism," the report says.
Sportingbet, while maintaining a substantial customer base outside the United States, features several dozens of online gambling licensees, most of which cater almost exclusively to US and Canadian customers.

Read more

Internet gambling stocks: A good time to buy?

2006-10-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Get 'em while their hot....or better yet, get 'em while their not. In the wake of a blood bath that witnessed internet gambling stocks come crumbling down Monday right through into Tuesday, one has to ask themselves: Can it really get any worse?
Aside from PartyGaming and 888.com, most of the other internet gambling firms trading on the London Stock Exchange seem poised to stay put and continue catering to the US market.

Following the passage of an internet gambling bill that sailed through Congress Friday night as an attachment to the popular ports security measure, the online gambling community including the nearly 100,000 member strong Poker Players Alliance, were left wondering if they still had an industry to call their own following Monday's stock carnage and the biggest online poker site, PartyPoker, announcing plans to leave the US.

The banking sector and attorneys calmed nerves somewhat with some encouraging news that gamblers themselves would not be held liable and that banks could only enforce regulations with credit cards.

If a bill passes Congress ordering all hospitals to ensure there is a cure for cancer within a nine month period to cut down on health care costs, that doesn't mean the hospitals would be able to comply. A similar situation exists here where banks have already informed lawmakers they can not and will not be able to monitor checking instruments used for the purposes of online gambling within 9 months, or maybe even 9 years for that matter. The technology is available the same way we have the technology to drive fuel free Hummers. In other words, it's not.
So with that bit of news, can things really get much worse?

Read more

Reaction To Online Gaming Bill Vehement And Outraged

2006-10-02T02:23:00.000-07:00

Reaction to the online gaming legislation passed in a late night pre-recess session in Congress has been one of outrage as poker lobbying organizations and support groups prepare for the future.

Late Friday evening, Congress was able to link a bill regarding online gaming to the latest bill regarding American port security.

The online gaming legislation added to the port security bill is very difficult to enforce. While it doesn't outright state that online gaming is illegal, it does outlaw the payment of gaming implements through banks and credit card companies in the United States. It does not address, however, the multitude of online payment systems (such as NeTeller) that exist or what can occur through them.

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Poker players make their voices heard

2006-09-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

More than 3,000 people phoned the U.S. Senate offices earlier this month to express their opposition to legislation that would ban online poker.

According to The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the game, many Senators received more than 100 calls from their constituents during a “Phone March” on Capitol Hill, Tuesday September 12th. The effort was lead by the PPA and supported by leading poker blogs and forums.

PPA President Michael Bolcerek called the Phone March a tremendous success, crediting the activism of poker players from around the country who phoned their U.S. Senators: “The March sent a clear message to the Senate that Americans are passionate about their ability to play this popular game of skill on the Internet. Congress can no longer disregard citizen support for online poker and their freedom to use the Internet. Poker is a game rooted deep in American tradition and simply putting the word ‘Internet’ in front of poker should not make the game or the people who play it suspect.”

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U.K. Betting Firm Stops Taking Wagers From U.S. Gamblers

2006-09-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

U.K. betting company William Hill PLC has stopped taking casino and poker business bets from customers with a U.S. address or credit card in the wake of uncertainty surrounding Internet gambling.

More than two months after the first arrest of an online gaming executive in the U.S., William Hill is pulling out of the lucrative market until there is clarity about the Wire Act, which prohibits the use of telephone lines to make bets.

Read more

World Gaming Chairman, Board Member Quit

2006-09-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

The chairman and director of Internet gambling company World Gaming PLC have resigned from the company's board.

James Grossman, nonexecutive chairman, and Clare Roberts, nonexecutive director, handed in their notice at a board meeting.

World Gaming had announced earlier this month that it was in the early stage of talks with Sportingbet PLC about being taken over in a deal worth about 56 million pounds ($106.4 million). That announcement came the same day Sportingbet said its Chairman Peter Dicks had been arrested in the U.S. on gambling charges.

Dicks was the second executive from a British gaming company to be detained in the U.S. in recent months, after former BetOnSports PLC Chief Executive Officer David Carruthers was arrested on federal charges in July.

Dicks, who has resigned from Sportingbet, has been released on $50,000 bail. Carruthers remains under house arrest in the St. Louis area awaiting trial.

Source

Teenagers who play poker sharpen skills

2006-09-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Parents For Poker

Playing the game is more popular than ever with teens. Why some moms and dads think that isn't such a bad bet

Poker is resuming its place as one of the most popular and socially accepted activities in teenagers' lives, and the parents don’t seem to mind. Why the parental aiding and abetting? It's not just that poker in the home keeps kids off the unpredictable streets. Many parents are saying that their kids get real-life lessons from playing poker with one another.

Keeping track of the odds and the cards can help sharpen math skills without the kids even knowing it. And perhaps more important for teenage boys, who studies show lag in the development of their emotional intelligence, poker provides personal interaction. The game's central task--reading faces and psyching out opponents--can boost their EQ in ways that many other typical teenage activities do not.

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When online gambling becomes a problem - help is just a click away

2006-09-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Online Responsible Gambling Tool Given Green Light

Help is on hand for those who feel their gambling is getting out of control, and need help online.

A pilot service that was launched to help control and monitor online gambling behaviour has received so much endorsement that it is now set to be fully integrated within the industry later this month.

gamAid will be the first online service providing instant, real-time, one-to-one professional guidance for remote gamblers whose gambling activities are out of control or for those who wish to better understand the concepts of responsible gaming.

The new service which has been piloted on a trial basis for the last six months has already hosted over 55,000 visits, providing 1000 one-to-one help sessions between April and July alone.

'On-line advice is tailored to a client's needs and includes one-to-one consultations and information about managing a gambling habit. We also provide on-line links to support services, forums and specialist counselling local to the client, in whatever country they live.'

Read more

Bodog.com cancels its conference again

2006-09-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

Bodog.com has cancelled its second attempt at putting on a conference in Nassau, Bahamas during the month of December.
Bodog Founder, Calvin Ayre, issued a statement Tuesday night.

“Due to the uncertainty created by the U.S. Department of Justice's recent actions, the decision has been made to not proceed with the Bodog.com Marketing Conference at Atlantis in December.

With all the attention our industry has garnered in recent months by certain officials within the U.S. government, a number of speakers and attendees have communicated their apprehension about participating in an industry event of such magnitude. It is in light of these concerns, and with the best interest of all delegates in mind, that our decision to not proceed with the conference was made.

In an effort to bring together the elite of the online gamblíng industry, Bodog will continue hosting world-class WSOP-style Bodog-parties at various main events.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Be assured our decision was made with careful consideration for the safety of everyone involved.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Calvin Ayre
Bodog.com Founder “

Bodog.com cancelled its original conference in Las Vegas following the much publicized arrest of British online gambling CEO David Carruthers in the US. Carruthers served as the head of BetonSports.com prior to that company shutting down and terminating its detained CEO.

The Casino Affiliate Convention held in Las Vegas last week witnessed a huge decline in attendance following yet another arrest of an online gambling exec. Peter Dicks was picked up at a New York airport on a Louisiana State arrest warrant but was later released.

CAC anticipated close to 1000 attendees but when all was said and done, approximately 300 actually showed up. A large percentage of online gaming exhibitors pulled out at the last minute.

The whole article

Internet Gambling Bill Stalled and unlikely to Pass In Senate

2006-09-14T00:50:00.000-07:00

It appears that the Internet gambling bill won't make it through the Senate this year, thanks largely to the banking industry.

The banking sector has voiced strong opposition to provisions that require banks to block electronic funds transfers or e-check payments to online gambling sites. These provisions are essentially broad and unenforceable, the banks claim; moreover, even if it were possible to surmount technical obstacles, prospective gamblers could easily use alternative means to finance such transactions.

No bill is likely before the end of this legislative year, leaving the online gambling issue to the new Congress, which convenes in January 2007.

This is great news for those who enjoy Internet Gambling.

Source: Casinomeister

Online Gambling – Our Choice, Our Responsibility

2006-09-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Drinking and gambling should remain a choice that people can make of their own free will and not have the government decide how citizens' hard earned cash is spent.

Read it

Woman hits $1 million jackpot – AGAIN

2006-09-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

Some people have all the bloody luck...

NEW YORK - A 56-year old woman who won $1 million from a state lottery game four years ago has improbably hit the jackpot again.

Valerie Wilson, who works at a Long Island deli, said she won another $1 million on a lottery scratch-off game last month.

“The first time I couldn’t believe it,” Wilson told Newsday. “This time I said, ’God’s on my side.”’

Read more

I wish God would be on my side too….
PS. Why was she still working in a deli after winning a million?

A special thought....

2006-09-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Naturally, today’s all about 9/11 remembrance.

I believe that all of us were changed in some way the day, 5 years ago, when terrorists flew our own planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Although I wasn't directly affected, I still say a special prayer for all those directly touched by the tragedy.

May God bless you all and keep you strong.

Another Gaming Exec Detained by US Authorities

2006-09-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

The United States has detained a second Internet gaming executive, adding to fears it is cracking down on the lucrative industry and sparking share price falls that wiped over 800 million pounds off the market value of the sector.

According to Sportingbet, their non-executive chairman Peter Dicks was detained by US authorities while visiting the US on non-Sportingbet business.

Dicks' detention follows the arrest of BetonSports PLC's former chief executive David Carruthers earlier this year and the subsequent 22-count indictment served on BetonSports, alleging various charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud, including breaches of the 1961 Wire Act.

Read about it

Have Your Say in Largest Online Gambling Player Survey

2006-09-07T00:14:00.000-07:00

Players urged to have their say

eCOGRA has launched its much anticipated Global Online Gambler Survey. Millions of poker and casino players worldwide will now have the opportunity to have their say, in what has been widely reported as the largest research initiative ever undertaken into the behavior and attitudes of online gamblers.

Covering areas such as poker, casino, player protection, responsible gambling and luck, the survey will be promoted to players via an unprecedented show of support from leading software providers, operators and portals, as well as through eCOGRA's own contact database.

The results are expected to create a better understanding of players' needs and concerns and to hear directly from players as to what makes rewarding and safe online gambling experience.

Click here to complete the survey.

Bidding on hurricanes, bidding on heartache

2006-09-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

These days, you can bet on anything.

Sports, those annoying "American Idol" winners, bloody Britney Spears’ marriage, etc. etc.

So I guess it was logical that the next step would be something no one could control. The thrill of betting on Mother Nature and her fury. The thrill of betting on the pain, suffering and heartache of hurricane sufferers.

So the question begs – how do you get the gall to bet on how many homes, hopes, dreams and lives will be destroyed in the next hurricane? Do you estimate how many months you think the power will be out, how many trees will be uprooted, houses flooded and destroyed and cars swept away?

Do you live in the hope that the next one will be a whopper, just so you can make a bit of cash off the misery of others?

Shame on you, I say.

Banks stand up against Congress over electronic gambling transfers

2006-08-31T00:41:00.000-07:00

It’s about time.

Banks are finally getting together to stand up against the US government. Hoorah!!

A group of 5,000 small banks is standing up against a tool lawmakers hope to use to stop illegal online gambling. This could post a challenge to what is widely seen as the government's best shot at cracking down on the activity.

Read more

Ugly footballers and even uglier streakers....

2006-08-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

This is not normally my style, but I laughed my head off at this site:
Uglyfootballers.com

I especially loved the pictures of the ugly streakers. Classic.

Go, ugly streakers, go!

Stuck in DIY hell

2006-08-28T04:54:00.000-07:00

Haven’t been able to get near my pc for a couple of days now, and I’ve been itching for some quality time with the slots.

The wife has gotten it into her head that (a)being a man, and (b)being retired, I now have the knowledge, skills, time and actual WANT to do little odd jobs around the house.

Let me put the record straight. I DO NOT like to work with my hands. The thought of sweating over a hammer and nails is my idea of DIY hell.

Luckily, I stumbled upon the DIY Doctor site. It explains all the tools and techniques you need. Very handy, indeed – but I’m definitely not telling the wife The minute she finds out, the list with ‘the little odd jobs’ will become neverending, and I’ll never see the comforting glow of my pc screen ever again…

The DIY Doctor

Irish firms sign up to anti-lap dancing charter

2006-08-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

A nation mourns...

Nearly 50 companies in Ireland have signed up to a charter pledging not to spend corporate cash at lap dancing clubs.

Read more

Cartoon smoking scenes to be edited

2006-08-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Cartoon duo Tom and Jerry have been investigated by media watchdogs for lighting up on screen."

Bloody ridiculous...Next the Animal Anti-Cruelty Leauge will probably jump on the wagon and say the cartoon promotes cruelty towards animals...

Read more

BetOnSPORTS CEO released on $1m bond

2006-08-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

Davd Carruthers has been released on a $1m bond following a hearing in St Louis.

During the hearing, before District Judge Mary Ann Medler, Carruthers was told he would remain under twenty-four hour house arrest.

Carruthers will live, until his trial, in a hotel in the St Louis suburb of Clayton.

It has been made clear that none of Carruthers’ bail money has come from the Betonsports treasury.

Peace and quiet at last.

2006-08-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

Finally had a chance to logon and play a bit. Had a good chuckle playing Cash n Curry. Didn't win much, but enjoyed it so much, I didn't really mind. Tried Lucky Barstard for a while, but didn't really take to it, so I think it's time to go to bed.

Experts agree gambling industry in mild shock

2006-08-16T03:20:00.000-07:00

The grandcritters are spending the night, which means no peace and quiet and the bloodpressure medication on hand at all times... At least the mutt loves it - it's 'walkies' every time the screetching darlings get too much for grandpa...

Been keeping a keen eye on the BetOnSports fiasco, so enjoyed this survey on how the gambling industry sees the current critical issues.

According to the survey, 98% of Online Gambling Experts Believe that the Recent Shockwaves Will have a Medium-term Impact on the Industry.

Read more

To take part, or not to take part...

2006-08-10T01:07:00.000-07:00

Another day in retirement purgatory.

Sent the wife shopping for a couple of hours of peace and quiet.

Fired up my PC and found solace in the soothing sounds of slots. No great winnings yet, but building up some solid credits.

Ok, so the biggest global online gambling player survey yet attempted seems to be on the cards.

eCOGRA has reportedly commissioned experts from both the USA and the UK to carry out the online survey, which will access the opinions of some 20,000 players.

http://www.online-casinos.com/news/news2654.asp

Interested to take part? Hell yes.

Who knows - someone might even read it and take note.

Life begins at ...??

2006-08-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

So the kids have flown the nest, the darling wife nags more than ever and even the dog has gone gray. Don't know so much about the 'golden years', I figure it should be called something like the Desperately Boring Years or Please Help Me I'm Slowly Dying (Of Boredom).

Not that I can complain. I've had my fill of traveling the world and experiencing different things and different cultures. It's just that you can only get excited about walking the (graying) dog so many times, or raking up leaves or watching reruns on tv.

Hence the blog. So I get to annoy people other than my wife with my old man rantings about... well... nothing and everything. I might even talk sense every now and then about things I hold dear. Like jazz. And good service ( I don't care what industry you're in - there's no excuse for bad service) and my latest pastime - online slots. Which is coincidentally another thing the wife nags about.

Anyway... Time to walk the dog.