Let your mouth speak archive

Good news for Natalie Portman who has been rockin’ the critic’s corner with her latest flick Black Swan and who also seems to have another big surprise on the way. The 29-year-old actress is pregnant and engaged to choreographer Benjamin Millepied, whmo she met on the set of Black Swan.

It was great that Portman had time for love during such an intense movie which required so much from her both mentally and physically. In the film, you saw an incredibly slender version of Portman who worked out 8 hours a day with trainer Mary Helen Bowers, a former New York City Ballet dancer, to help her achieve the look and help her perform many of the ballet sequences you see in the film. According to Elle Magazine, the two trained a year prior to the beginning of rehearsals which helped her perform over 90% of the dance sequences and led to her lose 20 pounds.

During the preparation of the film, she seemed to have cozied-up to the film’s choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who is from Bordeaux, France and is a principal dancer in the New York City Ballet. The couple is expecting their first child to arrive in 2011.

Portman’s next project will be a romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher called “No Strings Attached,” where the two friends are involved in a “friends with benefits” type situation. It’s a bit of a breather after the insanely intense movie, Black Swan and boy does the girl have range.

In the UK where online casino gambling is legal, there’s a strong demand for Internet Gaming Technology. Not so in the United States where online poker and many of the other most popular games are still illegal.

All of the experts in the online gambling industry will tell you that that if the US legalizes online gambling at some point in the future, IGT could be the predominant software firm to contend with. It’s thought they could even replace premiere brands like Microgaming and Playtech if things go well in the United States.

In a related story from the world of online casino gambling and online poker, a new survey will deal with the fact that Australians are concerned about a possible jump in mobile gambling. The survey will be called ‘Prevalence of Gambling and Problem Gambling in NSW’ and it will be money used from a grant totalling $250,000 from the Responsible Gambling Fund. There will be 10,000 Australians interviewed about the gambling habits they usually adhere to. The project will begin in March 2011, and will conclude sometime in 2012.

The study will look at the habits of gamblers over the last year and include sections on a variety of different trends.

It would be GREAT to see Hellmuth dancing......on the end of a rope! :dance::1orglaugh

The Mega Millions Lottery was created with the hopes of offering bigger payouts than regular state lotteries could deliver. On Tuesday night, gamblers all across the US were hoping to hold the ticket that correctly picked all the matching numbers. If any tickets were grand prize jackpot winners, the gamblers would win almost $200 million.

State lotteries sometimes approach $100 million, but with many only holding drawings once a week, it can take months for the jackpots to grow that high. With Mega Millions and Powerball, the jackpots grow quickly as gamblers in many states are also contributing to the prize pool.

The holiday season has brought a large Mega Millions jackpot, and when nobody matched all the winning numbers on Christmas Eve, the jackpot was expected to be $196 million for Tuesday's drawing. The cash payout for anyone wishing to take a one-time lump sum was $$124.6 million.

Forty-two states currently offer the Mega Millions game, with many also holding their own lottery drawings each week. For gamblers who like the idea of winning big jackpots, the Mega Millions is the game of choice. The state lotteries typically have jackpots ranging anywhere from $1 million up to $100 million.

The lottery in many states have had an added responsibility in recent years with the addition of casino gambling. The Kansas Lottery is the owner of four casinos that were approved several years ago, and the Lottery Commission has been responsible for choosing developers to operate the casinos.

Lottery sales have been down throughout the US following the economic recession. In most cases, the lottery funds education in a particular state. The lotteries have also expanded from the days when only one lotto drawing occurred each week. Now, most states have different variations of lottery games for gamblers to play. In Florida, the lottery has even started to offer scratch off lottery ticket vending machines in popular grocery stores.

Maybe the last thing you’d want to do is to party with ‘celebutant’ Kim Kardashian but if she’s giving away free tickets to her Tao Las Vegas New Year's Eve mega party then maybe you’d reconsider. The socialite extreme is giving away free tickets to her New Year’s party to 10 people who are interested in playing her wicked games.

So here’s the deal, she made the announcement yesterday so she’s probably already assigned tickets but you never know, she may give away extras. She’s trying to drive traffic to her site so what she claims to have done is to have hidden five golden tickets within her photo galleries which include an 8-digit number, so the first few to find these numbers are to post the information to her original post advertising the giveaway. The first few winners will be chosen from her Comments section and will be rewarded with two tickets to her Tao party which are valued at $200 a pop.

Winners will be entitled to entrance to the Tao Las Vegas party along with an open bar (score), hors d’oeuvres from 9-11 p.m. and a midnight champagne toast. They will also receive free entry to the Lavo Nightclub in the Palazzo after the Tao event.

“New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite nights of the year. Time to celebrate everything you’ve achieved in the past year and look forward to everything to come in the new year. This New Year’s Eve I’ll be celebrating at Tao in Las Vegas. I can’t wait😡,” she said.

So yeah, you’d still have to pay for your flight and accommodation if you’re not in the area which sucks but if you can make it happen, then by all means go for it and if you win then let us know how it goes. Pictures please!!

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At 62, Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish have officially become parents. The couple welcomed Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John to the world via a surrogate mother on Christmas Day and couldn’t be happier.

According to Time Magazine, Zachary weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was born in the state of California to a surrogate mother whose identity is remaining concealed. "We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment," John and Furnish tell Us Magazine in a joint statement. "Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents."

The happy couple had previously tried to adopt a Ukranian child who was HIV positive back in 2009 but unfortunately the arrangement fell through due to complications tied into their civil marriage and Elton’s age. The guy is 62-years-old but it seems that he’s been ready to become a dad with his longtime companion David Furnish for quite some time. David is a Canadian filmmaker who is better known for his documentary: Elton John Tantrums and Tiaras (1997), which follows Elton during a tour back in 2005 and includes interviews and personal snippets.

The couple was married back in 2005 after having been together for 11 years and shared a lavish $1.7 million wedding in England where celebrities such as Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger,Victoria Beckham and Liz Hurley attended. Elton and David were one of the first openly gay couples to marry in the U.K., even though marriages are not officially recognized, they still have rights in areas such as employment, pensions and inheritance.

Congratulations to the happy couple who welcomed Zachary into the world.

Depending upon who you ask, a movie depicting the trials and tribulations of troubled actress Lindsay Lohan is in the works. Since Lohan has been very vocal about suing the pants off anyone using her name or likeness as in the great E*Trade debacle.

Filmmaker Charles Casillo recently bragged to the New York Post that his upcoming movie, "Dogs in Pocketbooks," which stars Lindsay Lohan look-a-like Lydia Hearst, saying, "Lydia will play a bratty movie goddess in and out of rehab, in trouble with the law, and hounded by greedy agents, predatory paparazzi, off-the-wall stalkers and crazed media."

He went on to tell Page Six, "[The movie] is in no way mean-spirited towards Lindsay. It's the kind of thing she has spoofed about herself in the past. It's more of a satire about the crazy people around her…"

Now Dina Lohan is weighing in, saying, Casillo's flick "is definitely based on Lindsay's likeness," and "We have a very strong case."

The Lohans have also lawyered up with Stephanie Ovadia, who says they have a strong case: "They are again using her likeness without her being compensated."

Now Casillo is doing some serious backpeddling, claiming that the movie is loosely based on multiple fallen Hollywood starlets including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears as well as icons like Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow and telling TMZ that reports that the flick is based on Lindsay are "totally blown out of proportion."

Meanwhile, Hearst, the actress attached to the project is also getting cold feet and took to her twitter today to distance herself from the project.

"Just so we are all clear.. My hair is Red because I am the new face of Schwarzkopf color. I am a model. I dyed my hair to front the campaign," she tweeted. "As for any theatrical roles I am currently filming Two Jacks directed by Bernard Rose. My next project is Catwalk by Tony Hickox.. Thank you all for your messages of encouragement during my transition to acting. I truly love and appreciate it. At this time I am not officially signed onto any other projects."

Dina Lohan had also threatened to sue the Fox network recently when Glee made fun of her famous daughter.

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When it comes to gambling all things American seem to have some sort of odds attached to them. Everything from the Simpsons to Dancing with the Stars has a bookie giving odds on who will say what or win what. Just a week or so ago the announcement was made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that the nominations were decided for the brightest and best talent in the movies for 2010.
Bookies are putting their feelers out to determine the best odds on most all of the categories.
Founded in 1927 by 36 of the most influential men and women in the motion picture industry at the time, the Academy is an honorary membership organization whose ranks now include more than 6,000 artists and professionals.
Dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures, the Academy’s corporate management and general policies are overseen by a Board of Governors, which includes representatives from each of the craft branches.
English book makers seem a little bias but then again talent from Britain has made significant contributions to the motion picture industry.
William Hill has tipped David Fincher’s ‘The Social Network’ to win the Oscar for Best Picture with odds of 8/15, with Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech as a firm second favourite at 5/2.
Joe Crilly, a William Hill spokesperson commented, “Biographical films have featured heavily in recent years in the nominations, falling short at the final hurdle, however, there is a real chance that The Social Network or The King’s Speech could walk away with the big prize this year,”
There is a lot to wager on during Oscar night which arrives February 27, 2011, for example Ryan Gosling is placed at 20/1 for Best Actor for his role in ‘Blue Valentine’, with his co-star Michelle Williams at 16/1 for the Best Actress title. Whatever the outcome it’s fun to watch and fun to wager.

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Lindsay is a desprate drug addict who has been getting away with everything basically and now she wants something for free.never cared for her anyway.

KUALA LUMPUR- Police raids have dealt a staggering S$586 million blow to illegal gambling and vice syndicates this year.

Statistics by the Bukit Aman Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies (D7) division revealed that the syndicates suffered a major setback during the Fifa World Cup in South Africa in June.

CID Director Comm Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said the syndicates lost RM1bil (S$41,840,644) during the World Cup alone.

He said police also carried out 270 raids in that month, seizing about RM10mil (S$4,183,963,946) from suspects receiving illegal bets.

Besides the World Cup betting, the division was also successful in crippling other gambling activities such as illegal lottery, bookie, common house gaming and open area gambling.

"To curb such illegal activities, the police carried out 18,897 raids throughout the country," Comm Bakri said here yesterday, adding that 16,511 people were arrested.

"This year, the syndicates lost RM4bil (S$1,673,585,578) following continuous raids by the police."

He said D7 personnel had also crippled vice activities such as prostitution, gangsterism and human trafficking.

Police conducted 13,283 raids on prostitution dens this year, a 28% increase from last year, and arrested 10,825 foreign women, 5,453 of whom were Chinese nationals, followed by 1,597 Thais and 1,270 Indonesians.

Comm Bakri said this year, police received 115 reports relating to human trafficking involving 857 victims, all of whom were rescued unharmed.

"We also arrested 187 people believed to be involved in such activities," he said.

It used to be that coupon clipping was only beneficial for supermarkets and department stores. IN recent years, with competition growing in many industries, coupons have been found in almost all walks of life, including the casino gambling industry.

Around the US, no industry has grown faster over the past decade than casino gambling. States that have long denounced gambling are now using casinos as a way to deal with the economic hardships of the past few years. Many of these casinos have players club memberships, where gamblers receive coupons in the mail as a service designed to keep the bettors coming back.

The coupons that come are usually a wide variety of services the casino has to offer. Depending on how much a gambler plays usually determines what kind, and how valuable, the coupons are. The casual gambler can receive coupons for a free coffee or a discounted buffet.

The high rollers can sometime receive thousands of dollars in free play. The casinos use free play as a way to get the gamblers to the slot machines with the hope that once they are there, the player will not only lose their free play money, but also leave behind some of their own cash.

In order to cash out the free play that come with these coupons, a bettor must wager a certain number of times of what the denomination is. That figure varies from casino to casino, but no matter what the amount, the coupons have been effective in bringing gamblers out to the casinos for years.

Promotions are a popular way also for casinos to bring in customers, and the promotions are sometimes mixed with the coupons. A player may receive free entries into a drawing the casino is holding on certain days. With the economy still struggling, coupons have become more popular than ever, and that is a good things for millions of gamblers across the US.

Anthony "Tony" Volpe, the reputed elder statesman of Hartford, Conn.'s extortion and gambling rackets has died, a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent said.

He was 78 when he died Tuesday after a long hospitalization.

Volpe was said to be aligned with New York's Genovese crime family, and until his death allegedly was involved in central Connecticut's mob enterprises, including truck hijacking, sports betting, labor racketeering and loan-sharking.

Retired FBI agent Donald Brutnell focused his efforts on making cases against Volpe and other alleged South End Hartford hustlers, mobsters and gamblers during the 1980's and 1990's, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported Wednesday.

"It's the end of an era, absolutely," Brutnell said.

Just as Chris Brown was slowly earning back some street cred, he quickly blew it by lashing out a former member of the R&B group B2K.

Somewhere Chris Brown's publicist is crying.

It all started when De’Mario Thornton, aka Raz B, tweeted, "Im just sittin here Thinking how can n**gas like [Eric Benet] and [Chris Brown] disrespect women as Intelligent as Halle Berry, Rihanna."

Brown, referring to Raz B's past when he claimed he was molested by his band's male manager, tweeted back, "n**ga you want attention! Grow up n**ga😡 Dick in da booty ass lil boy."

Razb2k fired back, "Is this your way of coming on to me😟? Dude im not Gay! i was molested! stop disrespecting the LGBT community!"

Brown then wrote "AWWW YOUR butt hurt😡 literally.. i cant .. i gotta stop" and "you didnt get raped😟 so that means you liked it."

Brown then tried to back peddle with a follow-up tweet, writing, "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful😡"

Raz B taunted back, "YOU need to stop Hidin behind that Michael Jackson picture! MJ would never hit a Woman! you should take down Mike and PUT up IKE" He even tweeted to Rihanna, "I see why you not with that Clown. Keep going hard I wish you the best with your success."

For his part, Raz B also accused Brown of being on the down-low, accusing Brown of being in the closet. By the end of the twitter war, both parties apologized to followers and each insisted they weren't homophobic. Brown actually making strides with his image since his February 2009 attack on then girlfriend, Rihanna. Brown had gone to anger management classes and completed a community service in place of jail term. He even tweeted a picture of his anger management certificate of completion. We're assuming this twitter war won't score him any PR brownie points.

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New Year's Eve has arrived and all across the US cities are planning for the dozens of party's that will take place. The biggest party's however, will be held in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the US. Party-goers will be treated to plenty of gambling and hip hop legend Jay-Z.

The Cosmopolitan is the newest facility on the Vegas Strip, and it is being counted on to revive the city's gaming industry, which has struggled since the emergence of Macau and the economic recession. The Cosmo will be doing its best to live up to the hype with their choice of entertainment later tonight.

Jay-Z is perhaps the biggest draw in the world when it comes to musical acts, and he has been booked by the Cosmo for $1 million. The hip hop mogul has secured a staggering fifty rooms at the casino, meaning that the after party may be even better than the actual performance.

Las Vegas has shown to be one of the premiere party spots in the world on New Year's Eve in past year's and with Jay-Z in town, the city is again in position to be the center of the partying universe. The casinos may all be thanking the Cosmo by the time the night comes to an end.

Gamblers will have plenty of options on New Year's Eve in Sin City, but the majority of them will be content to ring in the new year at their favorite gaming tables. The casinos themselves will be holding midnight toasts and some will be hosting party's throughout the night.

The other big hot spot in the US over the past couple of years has been South Beach. This year, gamblers had an East Coast options when considering a place to gamble and party. Florida lawmakers loosened their gaming laws this past year, allowing the Seminole Indians the right to offer blackjack.

While many within the online gambling industry has now dismissed the possibility that the Internet gambling laws will change in the next two years, there are many reasons to believe that online gambling regulations may still be a strong play for the next Congress.

Senator Harry Reid has not given up his effort to pass his proposed online poker legislation, even though he failed in his attempt to do so during the lame-duck session. Reid has vowed to bring the bill to the Senate in 2011, and that is where the start of law changes for the industry may occur.

Senator Reid still has plenty of allies in the Senate and House, and the Democrats do still have control of the Senate. It isw conceivable that a bill could come out of the Senate and be moved along to the House, which is where it likely would find the strongest opposition.

President Obama and several members of the Republican party have made it a point to say they will work toegther in the new year. Whether that is just political talk will be seen soon enough, but there are other reasons outside of bi-partisan politics that Conservatives may start to swing on their Internet gambling stance.

The most obvious is the fact that several states are moving quickly towards online poker regulations. If states regulate online poker, it would be nearly impossible for lawmakers at a federal level to not want a piece of the action. With the 2012 elections around the corner, the last thing that incumbent legislators want is for state lawmakers to show how they have cut their budget deficits successfully.

Any progress that is made on a state level, would have to be either challenged, or adopted federally. If there is anything the past couple of years have shown it is that millions of Americans are gambling online, and if their states regulate their activity, and the federal government tries to step in and block that progress, it will bring more people out to vote in the next election.

Conservatives may be content with the amount of voters that are currently showing up at the polls. As the 2008 election and 2010 mid-term election showed, the more voters that turn out, the better chance the Liberals have of winning.

It is not a slam dunk that online gambling regulations will occur in the next two years, but it also is not out of the question. Reid and his pro-gambling colleagues will have plenty of opportunities to bargain with Conservatives on various bills. Previously, the legislators pushing the issue did not have enough clout to make the process work for them, Reid does.

Many bills will come to the Senate from Republican leaders, and if lawmakers have shown anything, its the willingness to abort their positions on one issue if it means getting something they really care about to pass. That leaves the online gambling industry with enough hope to believe that even if the odds do not look good, the job may get done.

Isabelle Caro, the French model whose shocking anti-anorexia billboard displaying her emaciated naked body brought the modeling world to their knees in 2007, has died after years of suffering the effects of anorexia.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Isabelle actually died back on November 17 but her death wasn’t actually publicized until today.

Caro had dealt with the eating disorder since she was 13 years old and became an activist for the cause that eventually killed her. She was very open with the media about her condition and made several public appearances in her efforts to raise awareness for her cause. She attracted world-wide attention after working on an ad campaign for Benetton which was photographed by controversial Oliviero Toscani and displayed her skeletal figure weighing in at 68 pounds.

"I said if I can put my years of suffering to good use then it will not have been pointless. I know it's a shocking photo, and I want it to shock. It's really a warning that it is a serious illness," she told CBS in 2007.

Her more publicized works included being a judge on France’s Next Top Model and was a guest on Jessica Simpson’s VH1 show, The Price of Beauty, where she was invited to answer some questions about body image. The emotional interview brought Jessica to tears to which she commented, “And it is important to know that how skinny you are does not make you beautiful.”

Fashionistas on the other hand fail to recognize the link between anorexia and the high-pressure world of modeling.

Like a serious hangover after too much $3 champagne, the New Year is almost upon us.

If you're like me, with only one day to go until the big countdown, you have yet to commit to a New Year's Eve gameplan. After all, New Year's is a holiday symbolic of the past and the future; many believe that what you do and how you feel at the stroke of midnight signifies how the rest of your year will play out. This is not a time to take your destiny lightly.

In the spirit of steering your fate toward a prosperous 2011, here are a few ideas on where to go and what to do this New Year's Eve to get your year headed in the right direction.

1. If crowds and large scale pyrotechnics are what you crave, you're going to want to head down to the San Francisco waterfront for their midnight fireworks display. A staple of the Bay Area New Year's Eve scene, the main event begins right at midnight, when elaborate fireworks are launched from barges anchored in the bay just off the city's waterfront and synched up to music. Bundle up and stake out a spot along the Embarcadero early for the best view, or claim a less populated viewing area a bit further from the action. Treasure Island can sometimes be a great destination to watch the festivities from afar, but if the fog has rolled in be warned: you may see only flashes of colorful light in the mist.

2. Shivering under a brilliantly lit sky may not be for everyone, so those who want to be amongst fellow revelers while keeping warm and dry may want to ring in 2011 in the ornate and classically structured rotunda of San Francisco's City Hall. Perhaps the Bay Area's biggest New Year's party, this event will feature three rooms of music, an open bar from 8 to 9pm and a midnight champagne toast and balloon drop. Buy tickets here.

3. A bit closer to home, Brisbane's Radisson Hotel will host a Gala Ball and Dinner from 7:30pm to 1am. Enjoy a five-course meal, live music and dancing. Contact the hotel for reservations.

4. Mildred Owen Concert Hall will host one of Pacifica's New Year's Eve events, where the Brother Buzz Band will roll out their rock/funk tunes for dining guests. For $45, partygoers will enjoy appetizers, drinks, desserts and champagne at midnight. Discounts are available for members, seniors and minors, and reservations are recommended.

5. Closer to Belmont, re-live the glory days of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones at Redwood City's Fox Theatre. Beatles cover band the Sun Kings and Rolling Stones cover band The Unauthorized Rolling Stones will play a show that begins at 8pm and keeps the crowd moving all the way to midnight, when a champagne celebration will ensue. The event offers VIP package offers, as well as discounted tickets for designated drivers.

6. Many restaurants, like Kingfish in San Mateo and Junnoon in Palo Alto, will serve special pre-fixe menus and have live entertainment and dancing well into the New Year. Modern Indian eatery Junnoon will even have a fortune teller on hand to give guests a sneak peek into what the New Year holds.

7. If a few laughs are what you need to bid 2010 adieu, a number of comedy clubs around the Bay Area will put on late night shows, like Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale, which will feature comedian Steve White and a midnight celebration. San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts will feature an array of comics for their 15th Annual Comedy Countdown, and the Herbst Theater hosts an until-midnight Not Your Normal New Year's Eve celebration with five different comedians performing.

Of course, going out is not for everyone on the big night. For those who would rather avoid heady crowds and pass the time at home with the people they really care about, here are some ideas to perk up the standard New Year's house party.

8. Capitalize on the popularity of "mixology" while making a little less work for yourself by setting up a self-serve cocktail bar. Set out a variety of libations on an accessible surface and put out unique mixers and garnishes, like simple syrup, cucumbers, mint and rosemary, along with glasses and necessary tools, like shakers and muddling sticks. More traditional hosts can stick to classic mixers like cola, orange juice, limes and soda water, and leave out a tub of rimming salt. Letting your guests mix their own cocktails allows them some creativity and saves the host from being stuck bartending all night. Check out Costco for deals on bulk liquor, and keep plenty of ice nearby.

9. Beer has come a long way from the "Animal House"-style college kegger. Class up your party with some local seasonal microbrews, like Anchor's "Our Special Ale" or Anderson Valley's "Winter Solstice", or some imports, like Belgium's St. Feuillien "Cuvee de Noel," a strong, robust ale, full of spice. Have each guest bring their favorite brew and set up tastings, making sure to stock plenty of bread and cheese to cleanse your palette between sips. At midnight, toast 2011 with a refreshing, summery Saison rather than champagne.

10. Couldn't make it to Vegas this New Year? Break out the poker chips and cigars and have a casino night at home. Set up different game tables for blackjack, craps and any other Sin City favorites and tell your guests that drinks are free as long as they keep playing. Throw on some Cher or late-era Elvis in the background for a full-on throwback Las Vegas party.

In my experience, the best New Year's Eves were determined by who I was with rather than what I did, so grab your loved ones and toast to a 2011 spent with them!

Just as the worlds of politics, sports, and entertainment have had their noteworthy moments in 2010, so has the universe of gambling.

In fact, some of the more significant gambling events of the last 12 months have involved, well, politics, sports, and entertainment.

Here are a few:

1. Internet poker failure. Those pushing for federal oversight, including taxation, of online poker thought they had their best shot of seeing that happen this year since passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. With an online gambling friend, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D., Mass.), chairing the key House Financial Services Committee, a bill that would have removed most obstacles from playing poker online came out of that committee by a 41-22 vote in July. But the legislation never went any further. With Republicans in control of the U.S. House for at least the next two years, online poker advocates are holding far weaker hands these days.

2. Pennsylvania sets the table. Table games arrived in Pennsylvania last summer, transforming the state's 10 gambling halls from slots parlors into full-scale casinos. In the early going, the introduction of tables games has caused a spike in Pennsylvania gambling revenues, but has put even more pressure on an already-foundering gaming industry in New Jersey.

3. Money-changing Temple. One of the most stunning point-spread turnarounds of the year occurred in a game between local college football teams when Temple and Villanova opened the season against each other with the Owls a 41/2-point favorite. The Wildcats, although trailing by 25-24, seemed to have the point spread beaten as they took the kickoff on the last play of the game. But Villanova's razzle-dazzle return attempt went awry and Temple returned a Wildcats fumble for a touchdown to cover the spread, 31-24.

4. Lions roar. Among NFL teams, surprising Detroit - despite a 5-10 record in the NFC North - is assured of at least tying for the best record in the league against the point spread. The Lions are 11-4 entering their final game against Minnesota on Sunday. Since at least the 2003 season, no NFL team with a losing record has beaten the spread as many times as the Lions have this year.

5. Grinding it out. As the World Series of Poker was about to start in late May, news stories broke describing the dire financial difficulties of poker pro Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, whose problems included foreclosures on several failed real estate investments and Internal Revenue Service inquiries into some of The Grinder's past tax returns. But Mizrachi set aside the distractions and won the first tournament of the 2010 WSOP, a $50,000 buy-in event that drew the world's best players, earning the Florida pro a $1.55 million payday. Later, Mizrachi went on to become a focus of ESPN's TV coverage of the Main Event when he advanced to the final table from among a field of 7,319 players and finished fifth for another $2.33 million.

Philly poker pro cashes big. Chris Klodnicki, who lives in Old City but grew up in Voorhees, finished second in the World Series of Poker Circuit Eastern Regional Championship last week at Harrah's Atlantic City, earning $221,452.

Klodnicki lost in heads-up play to Chris Bell, of Raleigh, N.C., who won more than $358,000. The $10,000 buy-in tournament had 136 starters.

Klodnicki, 25, a diehard Philadelphia sports fan, fought his way to the final table despite missing a good portion of the first day of the four-day event because he was watching the Eagles-Giants game when the Birds rallied to win with 28 points in the fourth quarter.

For Klodnicki, a Lehigh graduate, the high finish in the WSOP Circuit event is just one in a string of big paydays over the last few years in both live and online tournaments.

Last December, he won a WSOP Circuit Main Event, also at Harrah's Atlantic City, for nearly $216,000, and in the 2008 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, Klodnicki finished 12th for almost $592,000.

New Years Day can be a frightening experience once you realized that you probably shouldn’t have mixed champagne, beer and spirits but hey, it only happens once a year right? So at that point you’re probably hoping and praying that the hangover gods come to rescue you from utter misery or the best hangover cure appears before you. The bad news is that there actually isn’t a fool-proof method to beat a hangover but there are a few preventative measures you can take to ease the pain.

So you know the symptoms, a shoot-me-now headache, nausea and maybe even the sweats which are mainly caused by dehydration. According to Businessweek, of all people, they don’t recommend buying any over-the-counter hangover cures because they just don’t work and neither does the ‘Hair of the Dog’ theory – that actually just prolongs the hangover effects.

It’s actually recommended to eat a greasy meal, if you can bear it, before your evening begins. As you very well know, fatty foods will coat your stomach lining which in the end will slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

Another tip is to drink water before going to bed and again after waking up which will help you take steps toward rehydrating your body. If you can help it, stay away from coffee which will dehydrate you even more.

While you may have your own personal magical hangover cure, in the end, the best solution is to just let it ride and try to focus on the awesome new year to come. That may be tough if you’re hugging the toilet but you can at least try.

It’s the time of year that everyone gets to recap their little corner of the world for previous year. There are articles on the Best and Worst of on almost every topic under the sun. But in the gambling world the big story was really the ongoing stories of the past several years and New Jersey. Below find our Cheers and Jeers for the online gambling industry in 2010.

Though Jeers have outweighed Cheers over the last few years this year saw several bright lights in the online gambling industry.

1) Barney Frank: The Massachusetts representative pushed very hard to get the UIGEA repealed and made solid headway with HR 2267 – The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. Frank managed to get 69 Representatives to support his bill and had the bill advance with a 41-22 vote back in July. However, more pressing issues like the economy, health care and re-elections doomed the Bill which never advanced through several other committees and reached the full House of Reps for a vote. Frank did get re-elected in November and though his power will be diminished a bit, he most certainly will still fight for personal freedoms.

2) New Jersey: It was inevitable. Atlantic City is dying due to the economy and the rise in casinos in neighboring states. So, New Jersey, specifically Senator Raymond Lesniak, introduced and pushed through legislation for online poker and casino games within the state borders and has a ballot initiative scheduled for the New Year regarding sportsbetting. In addition, they are looking at more ways to wager on the Internet for their horse racing industry which has been spiraling downward for several years. Look for New Jersey to top this list in 2011 and, if they get their ways and introduce what has passed through the legislature, for other states to follow New Jersey’s lead.

3) Bookmaker and 5Dimes: These two books stepped up big in 2010 by scooping up or ‘bailing out’ several smaller books. Had Bookmaker not stepped in with GamblersPalace and Las Palmas/EHorse, thousands of customers would certainly have been stiffed. 5Dimes acquired/partnered with Sportbet/Island and VietBet/BetAnySports to solidify those operations. We still expect to see more consolidation as the fast-paced online gambling industry continues to grow and expand.

4) iMEGA: This group continues to make our list. They are an assemblage of lawyers and industry people that in 2010 fought domain seizures and helped out with New Jersey’s fight regarding online gambling and sportsbetting. iMEGA continues the tireless fight in courtrooms around the country and though this year did not see them quite as active as the two previous ones, they played an important role and will certainly be working hard in 2011.

5) Canada: The ally to the North has certainly gotten the attention of the U.S. In Canada, B.C. and Quebec got into the online gambling business and now Ontario and other provinces are ready to follow suit. They did have a glitch in one of their games that cause a stir back in November, but the Canadians seem to get what the U.S. government refuses to acknowledge: People are already betting offshore/online and thus, maybe legalization and regulation is a better way to go.

Las Vegas Senator Harry Reid gets a couple of Cheers and a Jeer. Reid faced a huge fight in his home state of Las Vegas in the mid-term elections and did get enough support to win. He gets a Cheer for fighting hard to retain his seat and also get an additional Cheer for circulating a bill after his re-election in the lame duck session of Congress to legalize and regulate online gambling. However, he also deserves a Jeer for not following though with the same tactic that got much of this mess going – the attachment of the UIGEA (a online gambling bill that had little chance)to the 2006 Safe Port Act (a must pass bill). C’mon Harry, don’t tease us in 2011, if you start something in the next session of Congress, please, please follow through with it!

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1) Kentucky: We reported back in 2008 that the state had almost no chance of seizing 141 domain names that it claims are breaking Kentucky law by allowing residents to wager with them. Instead over two years later they are still fighting their case in the courtrooms of the Bluegrass State. Thus, a case that never should have been allowed to occur gets our #1 Jeer for 2010.

2) U.S. Department of Justice: This law enforcement arm of the government has ceased going after online gambling companies and instead have focused on payment processors. The DoJ simply waves the UIGEA and seizes funds from payment processors. The take is in the hundreds of millions and this year payments were disrupted at many online gambling establishments simply by the easy ‘take down’ of money processing companies.

3) California: The state was poised to pass legislation to allow online poker in 2010. With supporters far outweighing opponents, the bill regulating California intrastate online gambling seemed a lock to pass. But infighting amongst Indian tribes and existing card rooms that may or may not benefit from online play derailed the efforts of State Senator Roderick Wright. Until these groups figure out how to carve up the lucrative online poker pie, California will take a back seat to New Jersey and perhaps others.

4) UIGEA implementation: How the banks become the police of Internet gambling still boggles our minds. Still, the 2006 law was implemented in June and now online gaming houses will not process MasterCard for fear of having thier funds frozen. Many books were left scrambling at several points during the year and saw check-writing houses close, person-to-person transfers reduced and repeated delays in payout times. Even U.S.-based Internet horse racing sites had problems getting payments through after the mid-year implementation due to the vagueness of the law.

Considering the speed at which the online g