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2006/12/07
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29893
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Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson was banned from flying to the US because she confessed to taking illegal drugs, according to a report.
The 54-year-old, who is a judge on cookery show The Taste in the US, admitted she had taken cocaine seven times and also to smoking cannabis during a court hearing.
Ms Lawson went to Heathrow on Sunday morning to catch a British Airway flight to Los Angeles. The Daily Mail reported that she was thought to have checked-in and cleared security when she was told she would not be allowed on the flight.
"She didn't seem to say much, but she did not look happy. She could not get on the flight so she had to turn around and leave," a witness told the paper.
The US asks people if they have ever been arrested or convicted in relation to illegal drugs. It can decide to prevent entry to the country even if the person involved was never charged.
The US Department of Homeland Security said it did not comment on individual cases.
But a spokesman said foreign citizens who had admitting committing drugs offences could be deemed "inadmissible".
"In general, an alien found inadmissible will need a waiver of inadmissibility," he said. "Depending on the basis of their refusal they may be eligible to apply in advance of travel for a temporary waiver of inadmissibility. The waiver application process can be lengthy."
A spokesman for Miss Lawson said: "We would never comment on Nigella's travel plans."
Independent
The 54-year-old, who is a judge on cookery show The Taste in the US, admitted she had taken cocaine seven times and also to smoking cannabis during a court hearing.
Ms Lawson went to Heathrow on Sunday morning to catch a British Airway flight to Los Angeles. The Daily Mail reported that she was thought to have checked-in and cleared security when she was told she would not be allowed on the flight.
"She didn't seem to say much, but she did not look happy. She could not get on the flight so she had to turn around and leave," a witness told the paper.
The US asks people if they have ever been arrested or convicted in relation to illegal drugs. It can decide to prevent entry to the country even if the person involved was never charged.
The US Department of Homeland Security said it did not comment on individual cases.
But a spokesman said foreign citizens who had admitting committing drugs offences could be deemed "inadmissible".
"In general, an alien found inadmissible will need a waiver of inadmissibility," he said. "Depending on the basis of their refusal they may be eligible to apply in advance of travel for a temporary waiver of inadmissibility. The waiver application process can be lengthy."
A spokesman for Miss Lawson said: "We would never comment on Nigella's travel plans."
Independent
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The parent company that also holds a majority interest in Real Deal Poker announced a deal to acquire fantasy sports platform DraftDay-com from CardRunners Gaming.
On Tuesday, MGT Capital Investments, Inc. announced the deal with with CardRunners to acquire DraftDay for $600,000 in cash and about 100,000 shares of stock. The transaction has not yet been completed, but it is expected the deal will be done within a week.
DraftDay is one of the top online sites for fantasy sports wagering in the world, particularly one-day fantasy sports.
According to Andrew Wiggins, co-founder of DraftDay:
“We have worked tirelessly to build an outstanding product and loyal player base. With MGT’s support, DraftDay will have greater resources to grow this business to new heights. Our employees look forward to making MGT the market leader in daily fantasy sports.”
MGT adds DraftDay to its fantasy sports portfolio, as it already has controlling interest in FanThrowdown-com. An MGT subsidiary, MGT Interactive, owns Real Deal Poker, “an innovative online poker technology with a patented card shuffling system, allowing for regulatory transparency and auditability, and a higher level of realism.”
CardRunners began as an instructional poker site back in 2005 and hit its height of success as a partner with Full Tilt Poker in 2008.
DraftDay Sold in Transaction Between Companies with Online Poker Interests
On Tuesday, MGT Capital Investments, Inc. announced the deal with with CardRunners to acquire DraftDay for $600,000 in cash and about 100,000 shares of stock. The transaction has not yet been completed, but it is expected the deal will be done within a week.
DraftDay is one of the top online sites for fantasy sports wagering in the world, particularly one-day fantasy sports.
According to Andrew Wiggins, co-founder of DraftDay:
“We have worked tirelessly to build an outstanding product and loyal player base. With MGT’s support, DraftDay will have greater resources to grow this business to new heights. Our employees look forward to making MGT the market leader in daily fantasy sports.”
MGT adds DraftDay to its fantasy sports portfolio, as it already has controlling interest in FanThrowdown-com. An MGT subsidiary, MGT Interactive, owns Real Deal Poker, “an innovative online poker technology with a patented card shuffling system, allowing for regulatory transparency and auditability, and a higher level of realism.”
CardRunners began as an instructional poker site back in 2005 and hit its height of success as a partner with Full Tilt Poker in 2008.
DraftDay Sold in Transaction Between Companies with Online Poker Interests
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
What is betcoiner.com and how does it work?
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Betcoiner.com is the place to bet bitcoins on real world events. An example of such an event may be “It will snow on August 31, 2014 in New York" or “The price of Bitcoin will be higher than $2000 somewhere in 2014”. Betcoiner.com offers a “prediction of events”.
On the site there is a list of currently open trades. The minimum stake is 0.01 BTC. All events have a probability of an outcome TRUE or FALSE, so you can agree or disagree with the rates as stated in the assertion.
The quality of the service lies in the fact you can make bets on events which create themselves, so you may also earn bitcoins by submitting new statements to bet on.
The user who posted an event for betting receives, in addition to its own rates, 9% of the total amount of bets for this event.
* For this moment 1BTC more than $ 400
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1 step ]]] Create 2 new statements for Betcoiner.com with different plot and short description
2 step ]]] Post your statements in this topic
3 step ]]] Get your reward after short moderate period in case statements confirmed
* statements should be confirmed by Betcoiner account
* do not forget to post btc-addy to recieve payment
* get BTC0,005 for each statement
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1 step ]] Submit your statement on Betcoiner.com with BTC0.01 bet
2 step ]] Post your statements in this topic
3 step ]] Take your bet back
4 step ]] Share your statement and get additional profit - earn 9% of its total budget
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2014/04/09
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1
Anointment of the 2016 Republican presidential nominee is far off, but one thing already seems clear: Sheldon Adelson will have the victor’s full attention. The billionaire CEO of Las Vegas Sands LVS -2.64% recently convened a meeting in Las Vegas to which likely contenders for the nomination flocked. They covet the massive scale of financial support that Adelson lavished on Newt Gingrich, and later Mitt Romney, in 2012.
“Everybody knows that, behind closed doors, politicians often sell themselves to the highest bidder; this time, they were doing it in public, as if vending their wares at a live auction,” commented Dana Milbank in the Washington Post.
The pilgrimage to Vegas (dubbed “the Adelson primary”) would seem to set up a speculative play on the 2016 election. Given Adelson’s pivotal financial as moneyman, the GOP nominee will presumably be sympathetic to his pet cause, a nationwide ban on Internet gambling. Adelson views online gaming as a competitive threat to his casinos. If the issue is not resolved by 2016, watch for brokerage houses to tout land-based casino stocks such as Sands as a bet on a Republican victory.
Make careful note to ignore that advice. The problem is not just that you could wind up backing the wrong horse. Suppose you correctly predict a Republican victory after going long the casino names, or, alternatively short those shares as a bet—which proves right—that the Democrat will win. There is a good chance that the stocks with which you expressed your election call will go the wrong way.
Research I conducted 20 years ago [1] showed that basing stock selection on future political developments is chancy. Along with my colleague of the time, Jón Jónsson, I found that stocks touted as beneficiaries of Ronald Reagan’s proposed federal tax reform underperformed the market when the legislation passed in 1986. In 1992, a portfolio of stocks that were expected to rise if President George H. Bush was reelected outperformed the S&P 500 despite his defeat.
One major reason to question whether gaming stocks will benefit from a GOP win in 2016 is that Sheldon Adelson may be completely wrong in seeing online gambling as a threat to conventional casinos. Most of the industry opposes federal prohibition of Internet gaming. Web sites espousing that position refer to Adelson as “the enemy.”
Peter Brooks, president of casino operator Genting UK, stated in 2013 that online gambling was not cannibalizing his company’s business. “The experiences on offer are very different,” he said. “One—online—is a solo experience and the other is a social experience.” Genting’s research found that less than 2% of land-based customers were migrating to online gambling in lieu of frequenting casinos.
The false idea has taken hold that Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts WYNN -4.27% is on Adelson’s side in the online debate. Wynn has backed away from earlier plans to diversify into Internet-based gaming, but not because of any perceived threat of cannibalization. He simply doubts that much profit will be obtainable once the regulators get involved.
Apart from the possibility that the market will not see casino stocks as benefiting from a ban on online gambling, there are other reasons why the stocks could flop as plays on a Republican victory in 2016. For example, unrelated developments might beat down casino values even as the likelihood of a prohibition increases. The surest way to profit from politically driven ideas dreamt up by brokerage houses is to become a stockbroker and rake in commissions from customers who buy the story.
As an aside, Adelson has failed to cover himself with glory in his war on Internet gambling. He argues that displacement of casino gaming by online activity will result in job losses. With equivalent regard for consumers and the free enterprise system, bricks-and-mortar bookstores could have urged Congress to strangle Amazon in the crib. It ill befits someone who has succeeded so spectacularly in the capitalist system to lobby so vigorously against innovation and competition.
Adelson is likewise poorly positioned to criticize online gaming for fostering gambling addictions. Slot machines in land-based casinos, which Adelson depicts as purveyors of wholesome family entertainment, are equipped with flashing lights that are known to encourage compulsive gamblers.
www-forbes-com/sites/investor/2014/04/22/dont-bet-on-internet-gambling-ban/
“Everybody knows that, behind closed doors, politicians often sell themselves to the highest bidder; this time, they were doing it in public, as if vending their wares at a live auction,” commented Dana Milbank in the Washington Post.
The pilgrimage to Vegas (dubbed “the Adelson primary”) would seem to set up a speculative play on the 2016 election. Given Adelson’s pivotal financial as moneyman, the GOP nominee will presumably be sympathetic to his pet cause, a nationwide ban on Internet gambling. Adelson views online gaming as a competitive threat to his casinos. If the issue is not resolved by 2016, watch for brokerage houses to tout land-based casino stocks such as Sands as a bet on a Republican victory.
Make careful note to ignore that advice. The problem is not just that you could wind up backing the wrong horse. Suppose you correctly predict a Republican victory after going long the casino names, or, alternatively short those shares as a bet—which proves right—that the Democrat will win. There is a good chance that the stocks with which you expressed your election call will go the wrong way.
Research I conducted 20 years ago [1] showed that basing stock selection on future political developments is chancy. Along with my colleague of the time, Jón Jónsson, I found that stocks touted as beneficiaries of Ronald Reagan’s proposed federal tax reform underperformed the market when the legislation passed in 1986. In 1992, a portfolio of stocks that were expected to rise if President George H. Bush was reelected outperformed the S&P 500 despite his defeat.
One major reason to question whether gaming stocks will benefit from a GOP win in 2016 is that Sheldon Adelson may be completely wrong in seeing online gambling as a threat to conventional casinos. Most of the industry opposes federal prohibition of Internet gaming. Web sites espousing that position refer to Adelson as “the enemy.”
Peter Brooks, president of casino operator Genting UK, stated in 2013 that online gambling was not cannibalizing his company’s business. “The experiences on offer are very different,” he said. “One—online—is a solo experience and the other is a social experience.” Genting’s research found that less than 2% of land-based customers were migrating to online gambling in lieu of frequenting casinos.
The false idea has taken hold that Steve Wynn of Wynn Resorts WYNN -4.27% is on Adelson’s side in the online debate. Wynn has backed away from earlier plans to diversify into Internet-based gaming, but not because of any perceived threat of cannibalization. He simply doubts that much profit will be obtainable once the regulators get involved.
Apart from the possibility that the market will not see casino stocks as benefiting from a ban on online gambling, there are other reasons why the stocks could flop as plays on a Republican victory in 2016. For example, unrelated developments might beat down casino values even as the likelihood of a prohibition increases. The surest way to profit from politically driven ideas dreamt up by brokerage houses is to become a stockbroker and rake in commissions from customers who buy the story.
As an aside, Adelson has failed to cover himself with glory in his war on Internet gambling. He argues that displacement of casino gaming by online activity will result in job losses. With equivalent regard for consumers and the free enterprise system, bricks-and-mortar bookstores could have urged Congress to strangle Amazon in the crib. It ill befits someone who has succeeded so spectacularly in the capitalist system to lobby so vigorously against innovation and competition.
Adelson is likewise poorly positioned to criticize online gaming for fostering gambling addictions. Slot machines in land-based casinos, which Adelson depicts as purveyors of wholesome family entertainment, are equipped with flashing lights that are known to encourage compulsive gamblers.
www-forbes-com/sites/investor/2014/04/22/dont-bet-on-internet-gambling-ban/
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
They're no Jon Hamm or Sean Bean. In fact, in television hits such as Mad Men or Game of Thrones, they are, literally, the smallest stars. But it's the children who are stealing the show, proving that size isnt everything.
The award for Mad Men's biggest personality has to go to Hamm's on-screen daughter, Sally, played by Kiernan Shipka. Shipka has aged along with the show: she was six when first cast. "To play someone from the age of six, while also being six, and then growing into a teenager, is the wildest thing. To grow up with Sally, and be able to evolve as a character like that, is something you don't get to do very often," Shipka, 14, told Vanity Fair.
In Nashville, the Dynasty-with-country-music series coming to One on May 7, Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere may get the biggest billing, but they're upstaged by the show's youngest stars: sister singers Lennon and Maisy Stella, who play Maddie and Daphne Conrad.
Lennon has to deal with some of the programmes biggest plotlines. But it's the pair's on-screen electricity and exceptional singing voices that have kept audiences hooked in the US.
Something similar has happened in Game of Thrones.
From the first series, which starred Bean as Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, it was the youngest member of the Stark clan, Arya, played by then 12-year-old Maisie Williams, who wooed viewers.
Even now, in series four, Williams still steals the show. Sansa Stark, Arya's elder sister, played by Sophie Turner is similarly captivating. The Stark sisters have some of the strongest plot-lines, but their appeal goes beyond the action.
So what's the secret? Casting director Lucy Bevan says the trick is to cast children to be themselves.
"It's a real challenge casting children, and you have to see lots of kids to find the right one. You need to find a child who is as close to the role as it's written as possible to bring it to life truthfully and authentically."
But it all hangs on the quality of the young stars themselves.
Mark Puddle, who runs Westend Stage, a Europe-wide theatre school for children, says: "The main thing is that young people have got better. There are more avenues to train, plus people have learnt more about how to direct children.
"It also helps that entertainment is seen as a serious career now, compared with 20 years ago. There is more confidence in the arts."
The award for Mad Men's biggest personality has to go to Hamm's on-screen daughter, Sally, played by Kiernan Shipka. Shipka has aged along with the show: she was six when first cast. "To play someone from the age of six, while also being six, and then growing into a teenager, is the wildest thing. To grow up with Sally, and be able to evolve as a character like that, is something you don't get to do very often," Shipka, 14, told Vanity Fair.
In Nashville, the Dynasty-with-country-music series coming to One on May 7, Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere may get the biggest billing, but they're upstaged by the show's youngest stars: sister singers Lennon and Maisy Stella, who play Maddie and Daphne Conrad.
Lennon has to deal with some of the programmes biggest plotlines. But it's the pair's on-screen electricity and exceptional singing voices that have kept audiences hooked in the US.
Something similar has happened in Game of Thrones.
From the first series, which starred Bean as Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, it was the youngest member of the Stark clan, Arya, played by then 12-year-old Maisie Williams, who wooed viewers.
Even now, in series four, Williams still steals the show. Sansa Stark, Arya's elder sister, played by Sophie Turner is similarly captivating. The Stark sisters have some of the strongest plot-lines, but their appeal goes beyond the action.
So what's the secret? Casting director Lucy Bevan says the trick is to cast children to be themselves.
"It's a real challenge casting children, and you have to see lots of kids to find the right one. You need to find a child who is as close to the role as it's written as possible to bring it to life truthfully and authentically."
But it all hangs on the quality of the young stars themselves.
Mark Puddle, who runs Westend Stage, a Europe-wide theatre school for children, says: "The main thing is that young people have got better. There are more avenues to train, plus people have learnt more about how to direct children.
"It also helps that entertainment is seen as a serious career now, compared with 20 years ago. There is more confidence in the arts."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Simon Cowell has lost £4 million on 'I Can't Sing!'.
The critically-acclaimed stage show - which is based on 'The X Factor', is to close on May 10, just six weeks after it opened at the London Palladium, and it has now emerged that it is one of the most expensive shows ever to have such a short run.
Simon's company Syco put up more than half of the £7 million budget for the production - which was written by Harry HIll and stars Nigel Harman - with Stage Entertainment UK, Glass Half Full Productions and Just For Laugh Theatricals also investing.
A number of factors are believed to have contributed to the closure of the show, including steep ticket prices, with the most expensive seats going for a staggering £87.50.
One source said: ''The show just didn't convince X Factor fans outside London it was worth making the trek and forking out a small fortune.
''London theatregoers are a particular bunch and many would say they aren't fans of Simon and his shows.''
However, theatre insiders are still shocked by the show closing so early as it was expected to run for at least six months.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: ''Tickets just weren't selling and everyone in theatre was saying it would only last six months.
''That it's been pulled so quickly has stunned us all. Ticket sales must have been even worse than we all thought.''
The critically-acclaimed stage show - which is based on 'The X Factor', is to close on May 10, just six weeks after it opened at the London Palladium, and it has now emerged that it is one of the most expensive shows ever to have such a short run.
Simon's company Syco put up more than half of the £7 million budget for the production - which was written by Harry HIll and stars Nigel Harman - with Stage Entertainment UK, Glass Half Full Productions and Just For Laugh Theatricals also investing.
A number of factors are believed to have contributed to the closure of the show, including steep ticket prices, with the most expensive seats going for a staggering £87.50.
One source said: ''The show just didn't convince X Factor fans outside London it was worth making the trek and forking out a small fortune.
''London theatregoers are a particular bunch and many would say they aren't fans of Simon and his shows.''
However, theatre insiders are still shocked by the show closing so early as it was expected to run for at least six months.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: ''Tickets just weren't selling and everyone in theatre was saying it would only last six months.
''That it's been pulled so quickly has stunned us all. Ticket sales must have been even worse than we all thought.''
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The bill "is an inappropriate and unnecessary use of federal powers that infringes on the rights of individuals and states," a coalition of ten libertarian groups said in a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on Monday.
The bill to ban most online gambling for money was introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) earlier this year. It would reverse a 2011 Justice Department ruling that reintepreted the Wire Act to allow online gambling.
Since that ruling, states have moved forward with efforts to legalize and regulate online gambling within their borders. Currently, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey allow online gambling, and a handful of other states — including California — are looking to do the same.
When introducing their bill, Graham and Chaffetz said the decision to allow online gambling should go through Congress, rather than take place unilaterally within the administration.
The letter from libertarian groups — including FreedomWorks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and R Street — called the bill from Graham and Chaffetz "a broad overreach by the federal government over matters traditionally reserved for the states."
A ban will push the inevitable onling gambling to the black market "where crime can flourish with little oversight" and consumers have little to no protection from predatory behavior," the letter said.
The libertarian groups also criticized the bill for "setting a troubling precedent and providing fodder to those who would like to see increased Internet regulation in the future."
"This bill allows the federal government to take a heavy hand in regulating the Internet, opening the door for increased Internet regulation in the future," the letter said.
The groups thanked recipients — House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) — "for standing against this government overreach and preserving the principles of federalism and free-market competition that underscore American democracy."
Read more: Libertarian groups slam online gambling ban | TheHill
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
The bill to ban most online gambling for money was introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) earlier this year. It would reverse a 2011 Justice Department ruling that reintepreted the Wire Act to allow online gambling.
Since that ruling, states have moved forward with efforts to legalize and regulate online gambling within their borders. Currently, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey allow online gambling, and a handful of other states — including California — are looking to do the same.
When introducing their bill, Graham and Chaffetz said the decision to allow online gambling should go through Congress, rather than take place unilaterally within the administration.
The letter from libertarian groups — including FreedomWorks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and R Street — called the bill from Graham and Chaffetz "a broad overreach by the federal government over matters traditionally reserved for the states."
A ban will push the inevitable onling gambling to the black market "where crime can flourish with little oversight" and consumers have little to no protection from predatory behavior," the letter said.
The libertarian groups also criticized the bill for "setting a troubling precedent and providing fodder to those who would like to see increased Internet regulation in the future."
"This bill allows the federal government to take a heavy hand in regulating the Internet, opening the door for increased Internet regulation in the future," the letter said.
The groups thanked recipients — House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) — "for standing against this government overreach and preserving the principles of federalism and free-market competition that underscore American democracy."
Read more: Libertarian groups slam online gambling ban | TheHill
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
I am Monish Mehta.I joined here to learn from experienced people on board.
My interests are reading books and play online games.
thank you all..
My interests are reading books and play online games.
thank you all..
Join:
2014/05/06
Messages:
1
monishmehta44 wrote:
I am Monish Mehta.I joined here to learn from experienced people on board.
My interests are reading books and play online games.
thank you all..
Welcome to ixgames forum
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Big-name musicians dominate the pool of finalists for the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards this year.
Urban artists David Dallas and Ladi 6 both have five nominations each and are up against performers from across the Pacific to take home trophies at the 10th anniversary of the awards, held tomorrow night.
Dallas, nominated for Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Pacific Urban Artist, Best Pacific Song, Best Pacific Music Video and Best Pacific Music Album, took home the Best Pacific Male Artist trophy in 2012.
Ladi 6, the Pacific Female Artist winner in 2011, is up for Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Urban Artist, Best Pacific Song, Best Pacific Music Video and Best Pacific Music Album. The Christchurch-born musician's third album Automatic, produced with her partner and music collaborator Brent Park, received critical acclaim.
Following a mostly sold-out national tour earlier this year, Sol3 Mio are up for Best Pacific Music Album and Best Pacific Group.
The awards will celebrate hip hop artist Che Ness, also known as Che Fu, as the Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.
Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua said Che's status in the music industry is befitting the significance of the 10th anniversary of the awards.
"Che has significantly influenced Pacific music in the past decade and inspired other artists to follow his lead. That is essentially what we are celebrating with his award and the awards themselves.''
Rev Strickson-Pua said the 10th anniversary "marks a milestone of Pacific achievement, where we honour our musicians, the industry and Pacific nations''.
The performers at the awards night held tomorrow at the Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland from 7pm will be a mix of 2014 finalists and previous award winners, including Creative Souls Project, BrownHill, Mark Vanilau, Kas Futialo, GiantKilla, Cydel, Kalaga'la, Smashproof and Ardijah.
Vodafone Pacific Music Award finalists:
Trillian Trust Best Pacific Female Artist:
Bella Kalolo - Time and Space
Ladi 6 - Automatic
MzJ - You Make Me Smile
NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Mark Vanilau - Dark Horizon
Swiss - Lucky Man
Niu FM Best Pacific Urban Artist:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Ladi 6 - Automatic
BrownHill - Firstlove
Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group:
BrownHill - First Love
Sol3 Mio - Sol3 Mio
Tomorrow People - One.5
NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:
David Dallas - Runnin'
King Kapisi - Crush
Ladi 6 - Ikarus
APRA Best Pacific Song:
David Dallas - Runnin'
Ladi 6 - Ikarus
Mark Vanilau - Giant of the Sea
Tagata Pasifika Best Pacific Language:
Fiafia - Band Pepelo
Kelemete & Kiligi Ta'ale - Penina Lalelei o Samoa
YFC Alumni NZ Choir - Amuia le Tagata
Best Pacific Gospel Artist:
Kelemete & Kiligi Ta'ale - Penina Lalelei o Samoa
Lifestyle - Lifestyle (of Worship)
YFC Alumni NZ Choir - Amuia le Tagata
Flava Best International Pacific Artist:
Fiji - Born & Raised II - The ReBirth
Kalaga'la - Aimons Nous
Spawnbreezie - Perfect
Auckland Council Best Pacific Music Album:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Ladi 6 - Automatic
Sol3 Mio - Sol3 Mio
Urban artists David Dallas and Ladi 6 both have five nominations each and are up against performers from across the Pacific to take home trophies at the 10th anniversary of the awards, held tomorrow night.
Dallas, nominated for Best Pacific Male Artist, Best Pacific Urban Artist, Best Pacific Song, Best Pacific Music Video and Best Pacific Music Album, took home the Best Pacific Male Artist trophy in 2012.
Ladi 6, the Pacific Female Artist winner in 2011, is up for Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Urban Artist, Best Pacific Song, Best Pacific Music Video and Best Pacific Music Album. The Christchurch-born musician's third album Automatic, produced with her partner and music collaborator Brent Park, received critical acclaim.
Following a mostly sold-out national tour earlier this year, Sol3 Mio are up for Best Pacific Music Album and Best Pacific Group.
The awards will celebrate hip hop artist Che Ness, also known as Che Fu, as the Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.
Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua said Che's status in the music industry is befitting the significance of the 10th anniversary of the awards.
"Che has significantly influenced Pacific music in the past decade and inspired other artists to follow his lead. That is essentially what we are celebrating with his award and the awards themselves.''
Rev Strickson-Pua said the 10th anniversary "marks a milestone of Pacific achievement, where we honour our musicians, the industry and Pacific nations''.
The performers at the awards night held tomorrow at the Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland from 7pm will be a mix of 2014 finalists and previous award winners, including Creative Souls Project, BrownHill, Mark Vanilau, Kas Futialo, GiantKilla, Cydel, Kalaga'la, Smashproof and Ardijah.
Vodafone Pacific Music Award finalists:
Trillian Trust Best Pacific Female Artist:
Bella Kalolo - Time and Space
Ladi 6 - Automatic
MzJ - You Make Me Smile
NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Mark Vanilau - Dark Horizon
Swiss - Lucky Man
Niu FM Best Pacific Urban Artist:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Ladi 6 - Automatic
BrownHill - Firstlove
Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group:
BrownHill - First Love
Sol3 Mio - Sol3 Mio
Tomorrow People - One.5
NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video:
David Dallas - Runnin'
King Kapisi - Crush
Ladi 6 - Ikarus
APRA Best Pacific Song:
David Dallas - Runnin'
Ladi 6 - Ikarus
Mark Vanilau - Giant of the Sea
Tagata Pasifika Best Pacific Language:
Fiafia - Band Pepelo
Kelemete & Kiligi Ta'ale - Penina Lalelei o Samoa
YFC Alumni NZ Choir - Amuia le Tagata
Best Pacific Gospel Artist:
Kelemete & Kiligi Ta'ale - Penina Lalelei o Samoa
Lifestyle - Lifestyle (of Worship)
YFC Alumni NZ Choir - Amuia le Tagata
Flava Best International Pacific Artist:
Fiji - Born & Raised II - The ReBirth
Kalaga'la - Aimons Nous
Spawnbreezie - Perfect
Auckland Council Best Pacific Music Album:
David Dallas - Falling Into Place
Ladi 6 - Automatic
Sol3 Mio - Sol3 Mio
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2006/12/07
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29893
The draft of a new gaming bill deposited by the Swiss Federal Government last week aims to regulate online gambling in Switzerland and allow brick-and-mortar casinos to use their licenses to also operate on the Internet. The bill contains no mention on the possibility for foreign operators to join the party.
According to the text, which is now out for consultation until August 20, 2014, all gambling winnings will be tax-free and poker tournaments will be allowed outside of the land-based casinos with some restrictions that still need to be clearly defined.
A few days after the Swiss Casino Federation issued a report accusing online gambling to be among the causes of the decline the Swiss gambling industry is suffering since 2007, the Federal Government decided to publish the draft of a new gambling act — the first expected since mid-2013.
According to a report from PokerFuse, the new bill plans to regulate online gambling within the country and allow land-based casinos to extend their offer in order to offer online services to Swiss residents.
Although Switzerland’s Federal Government plans to leave the country’s 26 cantons the freedom to decide upon licensing policies, it has included in the bill the creation of a new intra-national body to "institutionalize the exchange of ideas and cooperation between the authorities of the Confederation and the cantons."
As for what is included in the draft, Switzerland plans to make all gambling winnings tax free, as already happens in the United Kingdom, and to allow "small" poker tournaments and home games to be held outside licensed brick-and-mortar casinos. Nevertheless, the bill does not yet define what "small" exactly means, nor does it specify whether that relates to the buy-in, the prize pool or the amount of players involved.
The new gambling bill is seen by many as a prompt reply sent by the Federal Government to answer to the concerns expressed by Switzerland’s Casino Federation about the current status of the industry.
Early last week, an industry report published by the Casino Federation showed that brick-and-mortar casinos suffered for a 1.5 percent decline compared to 2013.
"In Switzerland, foreign online gaming is freely available," said the report. It is estimated that around CHF 100 million (approximately $113 million) go from Switzerland to foreign gambling operators every year.
Switzerland To Regulate Online Gambling | PokerNews
According to the text, which is now out for consultation until August 20, 2014, all gambling winnings will be tax-free and poker tournaments will be allowed outside of the land-based casinos with some restrictions that still need to be clearly defined.
A few days after the Swiss Casino Federation issued a report accusing online gambling to be among the causes of the decline the Swiss gambling industry is suffering since 2007, the Federal Government decided to publish the draft of a new gambling act — the first expected since mid-2013.
According to a report from PokerFuse, the new bill plans to regulate online gambling within the country and allow land-based casinos to extend their offer in order to offer online services to Swiss residents.
Although Switzerland’s Federal Government plans to leave the country’s 26 cantons the freedom to decide upon licensing policies, it has included in the bill the creation of a new intra-national body to "institutionalize the exchange of ideas and cooperation between the authorities of the Confederation and the cantons."
As for what is included in the draft, Switzerland plans to make all gambling winnings tax free, as already happens in the United Kingdom, and to allow "small" poker tournaments and home games to be held outside licensed brick-and-mortar casinos. Nevertheless, the bill does not yet define what "small" exactly means, nor does it specify whether that relates to the buy-in, the prize pool or the amount of players involved.
The new gambling bill is seen by many as a prompt reply sent by the Federal Government to answer to the concerns expressed by Switzerland’s Casino Federation about the current status of the industry.
Early last week, an industry report published by the Casino Federation showed that brick-and-mortar casinos suffered for a 1.5 percent decline compared to 2013.
"In Switzerland, foreign online gaming is freely available," said the report. It is estimated that around CHF 100 million (approximately $113 million) go from Switzerland to foreign gambling operators every year.
Switzerland To Regulate Online Gambling | PokerNews
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2006/12/07
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Pennsylvania is becoming a flash point in the fight over online gambling. Last year the state ordered up a report on the state’s flagging casino industry, and on Wednesday the analysis predicted that legalizing online gambling could bring $307 million in tax revenue annually (PDF). A state representative tried to preempt any such plans in February by introducing a bill that would begin punishing people who gamble online, in a move that was immediately hailed by the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, run by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
Pennsylvania’s interest in computerized gambling comes largely from the flagging fortunes of its physical casinos. American gambling institutions are suffering from a glut in the market, and Pennsylvania is no different. Revenues for the state’s casino industry dropped slightly last year and signs point to that trend continuing.
Pennsylvania’s gambling plans have largely focused on luring people from nearby states where casinos are illegal. But every adjacent state now offers legal gambling of some form. This is likely to result in a situation where the per-capita spending on gambling is the same across states, says Econsult Solutions, which wrote Wednesday’s report. Pennsylvania’s gaming revenue per capita remains higher than the region’s as a whole.
Many of the proposed solutions are likely to turn the stomach of anyone who has moral qualms about governments promoting gambling. In addition to straightforward economic incentives, like lowering the tax rates on gambling, the report suggests such things as serving alcohol past 2 a.m., allowing for cash advances with credit cards on casino floors, and letting players cash large personal checks at casinos.
While these proposals might raise objections from gambling opponents, they are unlikely to be as controversial as options for completely new lines of state revenue. The study says that Pennsylvania could make as much as $110 million a year from sports betting (at least if New Jersey is successful in its litigation against the federal government over the legality of such wagers).
Econsult estimates just over $300 million annually in tax revenue for the state. Here’s how that sort of projection gets made: The number crunchers look at countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to the U.S. where online gambling is legal. It then estimates Pennsylvania’s share of that total by looking at its share of gross domestic product and its share of the online poker market in 2010.
Take these numbers with a grain of salt. Early predictions from the government and private analysts vastly overestimated the windfall from online gambling in New Jersey. No one was more optimistic than the state of New Jersey itself, whose prediction that it would bring in $180 million in tax revenue this year was 40 percent higher than any other estimate examined by Econsult. In the first three months of the year, casinos paid $4.7 million to New Jersey in online gambling taxes. If it continues at that rate, the state would bring in just over 10 percent of what it was expecting.
Econsult acknowledges the shortcomings of New Jersey’s prognosticators, saying that technical glitches and hesitation among banks to deal with gambling revenues have stymied early returns. In a nod to the learning curve, it estimates that the first year of an online gambling industry in Pennsylvania would bring in only $184 million.
“These early numbers should converge with forecasts over time, and the estimates may still be met for the first year,” Econsult writes in its report. “However, the length of time before the market reaches the forecasts is uncertain, and there are some new concerns about liquidity in the New Jersey market.”
While temporary setbacks may be dangerous to New Jersey, “these should be less of an issue in other states going forward,” argues Econsult. As anyone who has every played the tables knows, it will be different the next time around.
Can Pennsylvania Do Online Gambling Better Than New Jersey? - Businessweek
Pennsylvania’s interest in computerized gambling comes largely from the flagging fortunes of its physical casinos. American gambling institutions are suffering from a glut in the market, and Pennsylvania is no different. Revenues for the state’s casino industry dropped slightly last year and signs point to that trend continuing.
Pennsylvania’s gambling plans have largely focused on luring people from nearby states where casinos are illegal. But every adjacent state now offers legal gambling of some form. This is likely to result in a situation where the per-capita spending on gambling is the same across states, says Econsult Solutions, which wrote Wednesday’s report. Pennsylvania’s gaming revenue per capita remains higher than the region’s as a whole.
Many of the proposed solutions are likely to turn the stomach of anyone who has moral qualms about governments promoting gambling. In addition to straightforward economic incentives, like lowering the tax rates on gambling, the report suggests such things as serving alcohol past 2 a.m., allowing for cash advances with credit cards on casino floors, and letting players cash large personal checks at casinos.
While these proposals might raise objections from gambling opponents, they are unlikely to be as controversial as options for completely new lines of state revenue. The study says that Pennsylvania could make as much as $110 million a year from sports betting (at least if New Jersey is successful in its litigation against the federal government over the legality of such wagers).
Econsult estimates just over $300 million annually in tax revenue for the state. Here’s how that sort of projection gets made: The number crunchers look at countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to the U.S. where online gambling is legal. It then estimates Pennsylvania’s share of that total by looking at its share of gross domestic product and its share of the online poker market in 2010.
Take these numbers with a grain of salt. Early predictions from the government and private analysts vastly overestimated the windfall from online gambling in New Jersey. No one was more optimistic than the state of New Jersey itself, whose prediction that it would bring in $180 million in tax revenue this year was 40 percent higher than any other estimate examined by Econsult. In the first three months of the year, casinos paid $4.7 million to New Jersey in online gambling taxes. If it continues at that rate, the state would bring in just over 10 percent of what it was expecting.
Econsult acknowledges the shortcomings of New Jersey’s prognosticators, saying that technical glitches and hesitation among banks to deal with gambling revenues have stymied early returns. In a nod to the learning curve, it estimates that the first year of an online gambling industry in Pennsylvania would bring in only $184 million.
“These early numbers should converge with forecasts over time, and the estimates may still be met for the first year,” Econsult writes in its report. “However, the length of time before the market reaches the forecasts is uncertain, and there are some new concerns about liquidity in the New Jersey market.”
While temporary setbacks may be dangerous to New Jersey, “these should be less of an issue in other states going forward,” argues Econsult. As anyone who has every played the tables knows, it will be different the next time around.
Can Pennsylvania Do Online Gambling Better Than New Jersey? - Businessweek
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2006/12/07
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29893
Farley Mowat, one of Canada's best-known authors and a noted environmentalist, has died at age 92.
Mary Shaw-Rimmington, the author's assistant, confirmed his passing to CBC News on Wednesday afternoon. Mowat died at his home in Port Hope, Ont.
Mowat, author of dozens of works including Lost in the Barrens and Never Cry Wolf, introduced Canada to readers around the world and shared everything from his time abroad during the Second World War, to his travels in the North and his concern for the deteriorating environment.
More than 17 million copies of his books, which have been translated into dozens of languages, have been sold worldwide. The gregarious writer was a consummate storyteller, whose works spanned non-fiction, children's titles and memoirs.
Describing Mowat as "a passionate Canadian," Prime Minster Stephen Harper touted the writer as "a natural storyteller with a real gift for sharing personal anecdotes in a witty and endearing way."
"His legacy will live on in the treasure of Canadian literature he leaves behind, which will remain a joy to both new and old fans around the world," Harper said in a statement Wednesday.
Earlier, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau remembered Mowat as "a family friend from my childhood" who "got along great with my father," former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, in comments to reporters in Ottawa.
WATCH: Justin Trudeau shares memories of Farley Mowat
He recalled that the writer once gave his family a dog, which they promptly named Farley, in his honour.
"Mr. Mowat was obviously a passionate Canadian who shaped a lot of my generation, growing up, with his books. He will be sorely missed," Trudeau said.
"We have lost a great Canadian today," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said in a statement. "Farley Mowat’s work as an author and environmentalist has had a great impact on Canada and the world."
Fellow Canadian authors Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson remembered Mowat as "so good-natured and down to earth."
"Farley was a great and iconic Canadian who understood our environmental problems decades before others did. He loved this country with a passion and threw himself into the fray — in wartime as well — also with a passion," the pair said in a statement.
Mowat won a Governor General's Award for Lost in the Barrens in 1956 and the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for The Boat Who Wouldn't Float in 1970.
His accolades also included being named an officer of the Order of Canada in 1981 and having a public school near Ottawa named after him in 2006. He joined Canada's Walk of Fame in 2010.
Born in Belleville, Ont., on May 12, 1921, Mowat developed an early love of writing and of nature, in part thanks to his father and great-uncle: a strong-minded librarian and an amateur ornithologist, respectively, who took him on his first trip to the Arctic.
He grew up in different communities, including Trenton, Windsor, Toronto and Richmond Hill, Ont., as well as Saskatoon, where as a preteen he wrote a regular column about birding for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix from 1930 to 1933.
At 18, he enlisted in the army to fight in the Second World War. He spent three years overseas, serving first in Italy, then in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. He returned to Canada in 1945, spending summers in the Arctic and winters studying biology at the University of Toronto.
The seasoned traveller would eventually live in, visit or write about most of Canada. In his later years, however, he divided his time between Port Hope and a summer home in Cape Breton.
His first book, People of the Deer, was based on his experience in the Far North with the Inuit people and made him an immediate celebrity. A lifelong naturalist, many of his books focus on man's relation to nature.
His 1963 book Never Cry Wolf is credited with helping to change the popular perception of wolves, even leading to a ban on wolf hunting in Russia after the book was published there.
The flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was named after him, with his blessing, in recognition of his activism against the whaling industry.
Considered among one of the most widely read Canadian authors, the outspoken Mowat inspired passionate debate and courted controversy.
Though highly praised by his fans, he was also criticized for exaggerating in his writing and playing loose with facts — for instance, a devastating 1996 Saturday Night magazine cover story probed the considerable discrepancies between his original notebooks with his published works.
Still, Mowat defended himself, stating in the mid-1970s that he "eschewed the purely factual approach," but was not interested in writing fiction.
"My métier lay somewhere in between what was then a grey void between fact and fiction," he wrote.
He delivered an even stronger defence during a 1999 Harbourfront International Festival of Authors discussion with Peter Gzowski, the then CBC host who passed away in 2002.
When Gzowski challenged Mowat about the volume of facts needed in writing non-fiction, the passionate writer declared: "F--k the facts!"
"Farley was, on the world stage, a giant," Green Party Leader Elizabeth May declared on Wednesday, emotionally noting that she had been planning to call him next Monday to wish him a happy 93rd birthday.
She also defended her longtime friend, whom she described as a legendary storyteller who never told a tale that was untrue.
"In telling a non-fiction story, you're allowed to tell a story," she said, adding that Mowat felt incredibly hurt by the negative Saturday Night article from the mid-'90s.
"He knew how to tell a story, but he also knew how to tell the truth."
The rabble-rousing Mowat was also barred by U.S. immigration officials from crossing the border for a book tour during the mid-1980s.
He eventually learned it was due to an old security dossier supplied to the U.S. by Canadian officials and detailed the
Mary Shaw-Rimmington, the author's assistant, confirmed his passing to CBC News on Wednesday afternoon. Mowat died at his home in Port Hope, Ont.
Mowat, author of dozens of works including Lost in the Barrens and Never Cry Wolf, introduced Canada to readers around the world and shared everything from his time abroad during the Second World War, to his travels in the North and his concern for the deteriorating environment.
More than 17 million copies of his books, which have been translated into dozens of languages, have been sold worldwide. The gregarious writer was a consummate storyteller, whose works spanned non-fiction, children's titles and memoirs.
Describing Mowat as "a passionate Canadian," Prime Minster Stephen Harper touted the writer as "a natural storyteller with a real gift for sharing personal anecdotes in a witty and endearing way."
"His legacy will live on in the treasure of Canadian literature he leaves behind, which will remain a joy to both new and old fans around the world," Harper said in a statement Wednesday.
Earlier, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau remembered Mowat as "a family friend from my childhood" who "got along great with my father," former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, in comments to reporters in Ottawa.
WATCH: Justin Trudeau shares memories of Farley Mowat
He recalled that the writer once gave his family a dog, which they promptly named Farley, in his honour.
"Mr. Mowat was obviously a passionate Canadian who shaped a lot of my generation, growing up, with his books. He will be sorely missed," Trudeau said.
"We have lost a great Canadian today," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said in a statement. "Farley Mowat’s work as an author and environmentalist has had a great impact on Canada and the world."
Fellow Canadian authors Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson remembered Mowat as "so good-natured and down to earth."
"Farley was a great and iconic Canadian who understood our environmental problems decades before others did. He loved this country with a passion and threw himself into the fray — in wartime as well — also with a passion," the pair said in a statement.
Mowat won a Governor General's Award for Lost in the Barrens in 1956 and the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for The Boat Who Wouldn't Float in 1970.
His accolades also included being named an officer of the Order of Canada in 1981 and having a public school near Ottawa named after him in 2006. He joined Canada's Walk of Fame in 2010.
Born in Belleville, Ont., on May 12, 1921, Mowat developed an early love of writing and of nature, in part thanks to his father and great-uncle: a strong-minded librarian and an amateur ornithologist, respectively, who took him on his first trip to the Arctic.
He grew up in different communities, including Trenton, Windsor, Toronto and Richmond Hill, Ont., as well as Saskatoon, where as a preteen he wrote a regular column about birding for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix from 1930 to 1933.
At 18, he enlisted in the army to fight in the Second World War. He spent three years overseas, serving first in Italy, then in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. He returned to Canada in 1945, spending summers in the Arctic and winters studying biology at the University of Toronto.
The seasoned traveller would eventually live in, visit or write about most of Canada. In his later years, however, he divided his time between Port Hope and a summer home in Cape Breton.
His first book, People of the Deer, was based on his experience in the Far North with the Inuit people and made him an immediate celebrity. A lifelong naturalist, many of his books focus on man's relation to nature.
His 1963 book Never Cry Wolf is credited with helping to change the popular perception of wolves, even leading to a ban on wolf hunting in Russia after the book was published there.
The flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was named after him, with his blessing, in recognition of his activism against the whaling industry.
Considered among one of the most widely read Canadian authors, the outspoken Mowat inspired passionate debate and courted controversy.
Though highly praised by his fans, he was also criticized for exaggerating in his writing and playing loose with facts — for instance, a devastating 1996 Saturday Night magazine cover story probed the considerable discrepancies between his original notebooks with his published works.
Still, Mowat defended himself, stating in the mid-1970s that he "eschewed the purely factual approach," but was not interested in writing fiction.
"My métier lay somewhere in between what was then a grey void between fact and fiction," he wrote.
He delivered an even stronger defence during a 1999 Harbourfront International Festival of Authors discussion with Peter Gzowski, the then CBC host who passed away in 2002.
When Gzowski challenged Mowat about the volume of facts needed in writing non-fiction, the passionate writer declared: "F--k the facts!"
"Farley was, on the world stage, a giant," Green Party Leader Elizabeth May declared on Wednesday, emotionally noting that she had been planning to call him next Monday to wish him a happy 93rd birthday.
She also defended her longtime friend, whom she described as a legendary storyteller who never told a tale that was untrue.
"In telling a non-fiction story, you're allowed to tell a story," she said, adding that Mowat felt incredibly hurt by the negative Saturday Night article from the mid-'90s.
"He knew how to tell a story, but he also knew how to tell the truth."
The rabble-rousing Mowat was also barred by U.S. immigration officials from crossing the border for a book tour during the mid-1980s.
He eventually learned it was due to an old security dossier supplied to the U.S. by Canadian officials and detailed the
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Politicians supporting Sheldon Adelson’s proposed online gambling ban claim to want to protect the poor and children and to prevent crime. But if they truly cared about these issues rather than getting in Mr. Adelson’s good graces, they would reject such a ban.
A ban on a good or service for which there is demand simply pushes people into the black market, creating a host of unintended consequences that make consumers less safe. Dozens of other countries have had legal online gambling for decades with few negative consequences. And there are many technological methods for verifying a player’s age, identity and location.
In fact, two of Mr. Adelson’s casinos — the Venetian and the Palazzo — offer a mobile gambling app that allows players to use their smartphones to bet on sporting events from anywhere in Nevada. As with buying lottery tickets, the decision to gamble online ought to be left up to individuals. Its regulation ought to be decided by the states, not Congress — and certainly not by a casino magnate.
The consequences of Sheldon Adelson’s push to ban Internet gambling - The Washington Post
A ban on a good or service for which there is demand simply pushes people into the black market, creating a host of unintended consequences that make consumers less safe. Dozens of other countries have had legal online gambling for decades with few negative consequences. And there are many technological methods for verifying a player’s age, identity and location.
In fact, two of Mr. Adelson’s casinos — the Venetian and the Palazzo — offer a mobile gambling app that allows players to use their smartphones to bet on sporting events from anywhere in Nevada. As with buying lottery tickets, the decision to gamble online ought to be left up to individuals. Its regulation ought to be decided by the states, not Congress — and certainly not by a casino magnate.
The consequences of Sheldon Adelson’s push to ban Internet gambling - The Washington Post
Join:
2006/12/07
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29893
Bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst won the 59th Eurovision Song Contest with a James Bond-inspired entry that had unleashed a wave of protests in Eastern Europe.
The power ballad Rise Like a Phoenix helped Wurst - the alter ego of 25-year-old Thomas Neuwirth - to secure Austria's second victory in the competition with 290 points. The country also won in 1966.
"This is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom," a tearful Wurst said as she accepted the trophy from Denmark's Emmelie de Forrest, who won the contest last year. "We are unity."
Pushing the boundaries of gender identity is nothing new at Europe's annual song contest, an extravaganza known for its eclectic, sometimes unlistenable lineup of techno beats, love songs and pop tunes. The winner in 1998 was Israel's Dana International, who had male-to-female gender reassignment surgery several years before competing.
Still, Wurst had faced some protests before the competition, highlighting a rift between Europe's progressive liberal side and the traditional values and nationalist rhetoric of Russia and some other nations taking part.
Amid growing tensions over the Ukraine crisis, some in Eastern Europe have blasted Wurst as an example of the West's decadence. Activists in Belarus had even urged the country's state television network to edit out the Austrian entry.
After her victory, Wurst told reporters she hoped gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people around the world were getting stronger in their fight for human rights.
Asked if she had anything to say to Russian President Vladimir Putin - who introduced a law last year prohibiting so-called gay "propaganda" - Wurst said: "I don't know if he is watching this now, but if so, I'll say it - 'We're unstoppable'."
The power ballad Rise Like a Phoenix helped Wurst - the alter ego of 25-year-old Thomas Neuwirth - to secure Austria's second victory in the competition with 290 points. The country also won in 1966.
"This is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom," a tearful Wurst said as she accepted the trophy from Denmark's Emmelie de Forrest, who won the contest last year. "We are unity."
Pushing the boundaries of gender identity is nothing new at Europe's annual song contest, an extravaganza known for its eclectic, sometimes unlistenable lineup of techno beats, love songs and pop tunes. The winner in 1998 was Israel's Dana International, who had male-to-female gender reassignment surgery several years before competing.
Still, Wurst had faced some protests before the competition, highlighting a rift between Europe's progressive liberal side and the traditional values and nationalist rhetoric of Russia and some other nations taking part.
Amid growing tensions over the Ukraine crisis, some in Eastern Europe have blasted Wurst as an example of the West's decadence. Activists in Belarus had even urged the country's state television network to edit out the Austrian entry.
After her victory, Wurst told reporters she hoped gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people around the world were getting stronger in their fight for human rights.
Asked if she had anything to say to Russian President Vladimir Putin - who introduced a law last year prohibiting so-called gay "propaganda" - Wurst said: "I don't know if he is watching this now, but if so, I'll say it - 'We're unstoppable'."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
In statehouses across the country, including our own Keystone state, legislators are carefully deliberating over whether to license and regulate online gambling, and specifically online poker.
Though the priorities for each state vary, two clear sides to this debate are emerging – one founded on the belief that states should preserve citizens’ rights to play poker online and provide the appropriate consumer protections to do so, while the other is rooted in the concern that embracing technological advancements will increase the risks of fraud and abuse and instead are considering prohibition as the law of the land.
Either way you look at it, the issue on the table in Pennsylvania is not about whether online gambling should be introduced or expanded in the state.
For many years, Pennsylvania horse bettors have been able to wager through the Internet and thousands of residents are still playing poker on unlicensed, unregulated websites. Instead, our state’s leadership must focus on how we can corral the current unregulated marketplace and turn it into a system that is safe for consumers and accountable to regulators and our government.
The answer is simple. By licensing and regulating online poker, our elected officials can provide for an open and competitive market that will foster innovation, encourage fair play for poker players and bring much-needed jobs and revenue within the state’s borders.
Already, we have seen states like Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey authorize and regulate Internet poker and Internet gaming. These states are paving the way for us to learn from their experiences and leverage the same benefits.
Our legislators must, at the very least, be open to learning these valuable lessons and commit to seriously considering the economic and societal benefits of licensed online gaming.
Not only will a licensed marketplace help drive revenue, but it will also lead to the creation of new jobs that are both directly and indirectly related to the new regulated industry including local marketing and customer and technical support services.
Licensing will also ensure that only financially qualified operators, who will continue to invest in the state, will be eligible to offer online gaming in Pennsylvania.
According to a recent economic study conducted by H2Gambling Capital, under a Pennsylvania regulatory regime, the state’s market size will amount to approximately $160 million Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in the first year from online poker alone and $534 million GGR from the entire online gaming market.
Furthermore, by regulating the activity, we can ensure that the right consumer protection technologies are in place to protect consumers. Today, in the U.S. and in regulated markets throughout the world, it is required that Internet gaming companies consent to audits, implementation of anti-money laundering compliance programs and multi-step identity verification processes.
These operators employ “best of breed” technologies that protect minors and problem gamblers, ensure that the games are fair, and require sites to block players in prohibited jurisdictions.
Additionally, regulated operators are accountable to the players, regulators, and law enforcement, and they are continually reviewed to ensure they are meeting (and exceeding) the prescribed technical safeguards.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania legislators are beginning to recognize these benefits and have recently taken several encouraging steps toward advancing our state’s footprint in this burgeoning marketplace. Beginning in 2013,
Representative Tina Davis introduced House Bill 1235 that would establish a regulatory framework for Internet gaming in the Keystone State.
Then just last week, a policy committee hearing was held to offer a wide range of experts the opportunity to discuss the safety and efficacy of licensing and regulation. Last week the Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee released a study commissioned by the state Senate on the gaming industry that forecasts revenues of online gaming in Pennsylvania would reach well over $100 million the first year and $300 million the second.
This is all encouraging to be sure, and if our policymakers are serious about improving consumer protections and raising state revenues, they must not let this valuable opportunity pass us by.
As more and more states weigh the benefits of online gambling, thousands of Pennsylvanians are sitting on the sidelines waiting for a safe and fair environment to play the game they love online.
The question is – are our state leaders ready to embrace the benefits of advanced technology and the responsibilities that come with it, or are we going to continue to keep our heads down and ignore the role it will inevitably continue to play in our lives?
Pennsylvanians are ready for online gambling: Willard Darling | PennLive-com
Though the priorities for each state vary, two clear sides to this debate are emerging – one founded on the belief that states should preserve citizens’ rights to play poker online and provide the appropriate consumer protections to do so, while the other is rooted in the concern that embracing technological advancements will increase the risks of fraud and abuse and instead are considering prohibition as the law of the land.
Either way you look at it, the issue on the table in Pennsylvania is not about whether online gambling should be introduced or expanded in the state.
For many years, Pennsylvania horse bettors have been able to wager through the Internet and thousands of residents are still playing poker on unlicensed, unregulated websites. Instead, our state’s leadership must focus on how we can corral the current unregulated marketplace and turn it into a system that is safe for consumers and accountable to regulators and our government.
The answer is simple. By licensing and regulating online poker, our elected officials can provide for an open and competitive market that will foster innovation, encourage fair play for poker players and bring much-needed jobs and revenue within the state’s borders.
Already, we have seen states like Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey authorize and regulate Internet poker and Internet gaming. These states are paving the way for us to learn from their experiences and leverage the same benefits.
Our legislators must, at the very least, be open to learning these valuable lessons and commit to seriously considering the economic and societal benefits of licensed online gaming.
Not only will a licensed marketplace help drive revenue, but it will also lead to the creation of new jobs that are both directly and indirectly related to the new regulated industry including local marketing and customer and technical support services.
Licensing will also ensure that only financially qualified operators, who will continue to invest in the state, will be eligible to offer online gaming in Pennsylvania.
According to a recent economic study conducted by H2Gambling Capital, under a Pennsylvania regulatory regime, the state’s market size will amount to approximately $160 million Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in the first year from online poker alone and $534 million GGR from the entire online gaming market.
Furthermore, by regulating the activity, we can ensure that the right consumer protection technologies are in place to protect consumers. Today, in the U.S. and in regulated markets throughout the world, it is required that Internet gaming companies consent to audits, implementation of anti-money laundering compliance programs and multi-step identity verification processes.
These operators employ “best of breed” technologies that protect minors and problem gamblers, ensure that the games are fair, and require sites to block players in prohibited jurisdictions.
Additionally, regulated operators are accountable to the players, regulators, and law enforcement, and they are continually reviewed to ensure they are meeting (and exceeding) the prescribed technical safeguards.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania legislators are beginning to recognize these benefits and have recently taken several encouraging steps toward advancing our state’s footprint in this burgeoning marketplace. Beginning in 2013,
Representative Tina Davis introduced House Bill 1235 that would establish a regulatory framework for Internet gaming in the Keystone State.
Then just last week, a policy committee hearing was held to offer a wide range of experts the opportunity to discuss the safety and efficacy of licensing and regulation. Last week the Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee released a study commissioned by the state Senate on the gaming industry that forecasts revenues of online gaming in Pennsylvania would reach well over $100 million the first year and $300 million the second.
This is all encouraging to be sure, and if our policymakers are serious about improving consumer protections and raising state revenues, they must not let this valuable opportunity pass us by.
As more and more states weigh the benefits of online gambling, thousands of Pennsylvanians are sitting on the sidelines waiting for a safe and fair environment to play the game they love online.
The question is – are our state leaders ready to embrace the benefits of advanced technology and the responsibilities that come with it, or are we going to continue to keep our heads down and ignore the role it will inevitably continue to play in our lives?
Pennsylvanians are ready for online gambling: Willard Darling | PennLive-com
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2006/12/07
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Bruce Willis would like to have a son "eventually".
The 59-year-old actor welcomed his fifth daughter into the world last week and, although he insists it's "pretty cool" having a household filled with women, he is keen to become a father to a baby boy at some point in the future.
Speaking to PEOPLE.com, he said: "Eventually, I'd like a son. But I'm okay now."
Meanwhile, the Die Hard star - who has grown-up children Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with his ex-spouse Demi Moore as well as Mabel, two, and one-week-old Evelyn with his wife Emma Heming - believes women have a higher level of intelligence than men, so they would make a better job of running the country than the male population.
He explained: "In general, I think women should be in charge of everything. They should be running the country ... women are just much smarter than men. Even if I had five boys, I'd still feel the same way."
And it seems Bruce even turns to his model wife, 35, for help with work around the house as he admits he gets angry at "domestic" things.
He said previously: "Domestic stuff gets me wound up - who moved these light bulbs? That sort of thing."
The 59-year-old actor welcomed his fifth daughter into the world last week and, although he insists it's "pretty cool" having a household filled with women, he is keen to become a father to a baby boy at some point in the future.
Speaking to PEOPLE.com, he said: "Eventually, I'd like a son. But I'm okay now."
Meanwhile, the Die Hard star - who has grown-up children Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with his ex-spouse Demi Moore as well as Mabel, two, and one-week-old Evelyn with his wife Emma Heming - believes women have a higher level of intelligence than men, so they would make a better job of running the country than the male population.
He explained: "In general, I think women should be in charge of everything. They should be running the country ... women are just much smarter than men. Even if I had five boys, I'd still feel the same way."
And it seems Bruce even turns to his model wife, 35, for help with work around the house as he admits he gets angry at "domestic" things.
He said previously: "Domestic stuff gets me wound up - who moved these light bulbs? That sort of thing."
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2006/12/07
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Leading online casino company, Jackpot247 has commented on plans announced by the Mississippi House Gaming Committee (MGC) to examine how online gambling could help stimulate the state’s economy.
MGC Chairman, Richard Bennett, has authorised a task force to produce a study as they look to address a steady decline in falling revenues from its shrinking casino industry.
As a major part of their investigation, the eight-member group will be scrutinising the states where online gambling is regulated, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, to assess their operating systems, geolocation technology and the policies they implement in order to prevent underage gamblers and gambling addicts from betting on their websites.
Allen Godfrey, executive director of the MGC, will oversee the taskforce as they look to deliver their non-legislative proposals by the end of 2014. Commenting on its responsibilities, he said: “Our most important role in this task force will be advisory, with data and analysis about internet gambling. We will not be making any recommendations regarding any new legislation or regulations.”
The Mississippi task force will also analyse sports betting options, after legislators convinced MGC Chairman of the potential benefits that it could bring to the state.
Similar to other casino states in the US, Mississippi has experienced a fall in gambling income over the last few years and in 2013 the decline in revenues exceeded 5% with $2.136 billion collected, compared to $2.251 billion the previous year. Consequently the state, whose casino industry employs 23,000 people, saw tax revenues drop to $263 million last year, with much of the decrease being blamed on the competition emanating from nearby states.
A spokesperson for Jackpot247 praised the decision saying: “The gambling industry is evolving and we applaud the decision of the MGC for considering the merits of online betting.”
Jackpot247 designs, creates and operates live roulette games broadcast on ITV and Sky channel 86, using casino certified equipment. With the best range of online casino games, the firm also provides live black jack online, roulette, poker, arcade games and Jackpot 247 casino slots available to play online and on mobile, with a view to providing an authentic casino experience to the home. The company encourages responsible gambling and only provides games manufactured to the highest standards to ensure customer satisfaction.
Jackpot247 responds to Mississippi plan for online gambling study | SourceWire
MGC Chairman, Richard Bennett, has authorised a task force to produce a study as they look to address a steady decline in falling revenues from its shrinking casino industry.
As a major part of their investigation, the eight-member group will be scrutinising the states where online gambling is regulated, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, to assess their operating systems, geolocation technology and the policies they implement in order to prevent underage gamblers and gambling addicts from betting on their websites.
Allen Godfrey, executive director of the MGC, will oversee the taskforce as they look to deliver their non-legislative proposals by the end of 2014. Commenting on its responsibilities, he said: “Our most important role in this task force will be advisory, with data and analysis about internet gambling. We will not be making any recommendations regarding any new legislation or regulations.”
The Mississippi task force will also analyse sports betting options, after legislators convinced MGC Chairman of the potential benefits that it could bring to the state.
Similar to other casino states in the US, Mississippi has experienced a fall in gambling income over the last few years and in 2013 the decline in revenues exceeded 5% with $2.136 billion collected, compared to $2.251 billion the previous year. Consequently the state, whose casino industry employs 23,000 people, saw tax revenues drop to $263 million last year, with much of the decrease being blamed on the competition emanating from nearby states.
A spokesperson for Jackpot247 praised the decision saying: “The gambling industry is evolving and we applaud the decision of the MGC for considering the merits of online betting.”
Jackpot247 designs, creates and operates live roulette games broadcast on ITV and Sky channel 86, using casino certified equipment. With the best range of online casino games, the firm also provides live black jack online, roulette, poker, arcade games and Jackpot 247 casino slots available to play online and on mobile, with a view to providing an authentic casino experience to the home. The company encourages responsible gambling and only provides games manufactured to the highest standards to ensure customer satisfaction.
Jackpot247 responds to Mississippi plan for online gambling study | SourceWire
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2006/12/07
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“We call him ... Gojira.”
Thus does the newest, American-made “Godzilla” acknowledge the origins of the King of Monsters, putting those words into the mouth of a Japanese scientist (played by Ken Watanabe) who knows a thing or two about the nuclearized origins of the great scaly beast. His father was in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped.
Not long afterward, awakened, irradiated and mad as hell, the prehistoric gargantua arose from the ocean depths, a fire-breathing symbol of Japan’s well-founded atomic phobia.
So the monster returns in “Godzilla,” bigger than ever, 355 feet of reptilian menace (he was 164 feet tall in the 1954 Japanese origin movie), and badder ... well, hmmm.
Definitions of terms like “good” and “bad” get a little slippery when discussing the big guy. Early on, he was truly bad, shredding Japan and its armed forces repeatedly. But in later movies, as he became a pop-culture icon, he fought monsters even badder than himself and evolved into a kind of ally of humans. Though, in those battles he still shredded Japan and its armed forces repeatedly. With friends like that ...
There’s plenty of city shredding in this newest “Godzilla.” Honolulu, aloha ‘oe. Sorry about that, San Francisco. Oh no! Not the Golden Gate Bridge again!
Godzilla is in what passes for his “good” mode here because there are a couple of other creatures on the scene even meaner than him, and they get way more screen time than the big guy. So much, in fact, that Godzilla is practically a supporting character in his own movie.
Apparently, director Gareth Edwards decided to do a “Jaws” with Godzilla, hiding him from view for much of the picture. He teases the audience with a close-up of a big lizard foot here — Stomp! — and multiple peeks at spiky dorsal fins sliding through the sea to pique our curiosity about the beast’s appearance.
Godzilla’s adversaries look like the hellish spawn of Rodan and the Alien with their slime-oozing, fang-packed mouths and big leathery wings. They maraud across the planet searching for their favorite food: radioactive materials. They gobble nuclear warheads like M&Ms.
Ineffectually opposing their rampage is the U.S. military. As the Japanese learned long ago, neither tanks nor jets nor missiles do anything other than annoy Godzilla and his ilk.
Watanabe’s character knows what must be done: “Let them fight.” And then finally we see Godzilla in all his state-of-the-art CG glory, going claw-to-claw with the nuke-eaters, blasting them with his radioactive fire breath and deafening them with his trademark bellow.
Edwards hits the anti-nuclear angle hard. He works diligently early on to humanize the issue by concentrating on the efforts of a traumatized engineer (Bryan Cranston) to expose a government cover-up of the monster menace and its atomic origins.
But although the actors — including Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Cranston character’s Navy officer son — are better at their craft than their counterparts in the Japanese movies, the dialogue they’re obliged to deliver is still quite hackneyed.
The Japanese “Godzillas,” with their awful acting and cheesy special effects, have a campy quality that makes them oddly endearing. Edwards’ “Godzilla,” far more technically impressive and more realistic-seeming, isn’t quite as much fun. As cities are reduced to dusty ruins and fleeing survivors jam highways, echoes of Sept. 11 resonate unmistakably, and that significantly dilutes the fun factor.
Thus does the newest, American-made “Godzilla” acknowledge the origins of the King of Monsters, putting those words into the mouth of a Japanese scientist (played by Ken Watanabe) who knows a thing or two about the nuclearized origins of the great scaly beast. His father was in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped.
Not long afterward, awakened, irradiated and mad as hell, the prehistoric gargantua arose from the ocean depths, a fire-breathing symbol of Japan’s well-founded atomic phobia.
So the monster returns in “Godzilla,” bigger than ever, 355 feet of reptilian menace (he was 164 feet tall in the 1954 Japanese origin movie), and badder ... well, hmmm.
Definitions of terms like “good” and “bad” get a little slippery when discussing the big guy. Early on, he was truly bad, shredding Japan and its armed forces repeatedly. But in later movies, as he became a pop-culture icon, he fought monsters even badder than himself and evolved into a kind of ally of humans. Though, in those battles he still shredded Japan and its armed forces repeatedly. With friends like that ...
There’s plenty of city shredding in this newest “Godzilla.” Honolulu, aloha ‘oe. Sorry about that, San Francisco. Oh no! Not the Golden Gate Bridge again!
Godzilla is in what passes for his “good” mode here because there are a couple of other creatures on the scene even meaner than him, and they get way more screen time than the big guy. So much, in fact, that Godzilla is practically a supporting character in his own movie.
Apparently, director Gareth Edwards decided to do a “Jaws” with Godzilla, hiding him from view for much of the picture. He teases the audience with a close-up of a big lizard foot here — Stomp! — and multiple peeks at spiky dorsal fins sliding through the sea to pique our curiosity about the beast’s appearance.
Godzilla’s adversaries look like the hellish spawn of Rodan and the Alien with their slime-oozing, fang-packed mouths and big leathery wings. They maraud across the planet searching for their favorite food: radioactive materials. They gobble nuclear warheads like M&Ms.
Ineffectually opposing their rampage is the U.S. military. As the Japanese learned long ago, neither tanks nor jets nor missiles do anything other than annoy Godzilla and his ilk.
Watanabe’s character knows what must be done: “Let them fight.” And then finally we see Godzilla in all his state-of-the-art CG glory, going claw-to-claw with the nuke-eaters, blasting them with his radioactive fire breath and deafening them with his trademark bellow.
Edwards hits the anti-nuclear angle hard. He works diligently early on to humanize the issue by concentrating on the efforts of a traumatized engineer (Bryan Cranston) to expose a government cover-up of the monster menace and its atomic origins.
But although the actors — including Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Cranston character’s Navy officer son — are better at their craft than their counterparts in the Japanese movies, the dialogue they’re obliged to deliver is still quite hackneyed.
The Japanese “Godzillas,” with their awful acting and cheesy special effects, have a campy quality that makes them oddly endearing. Edwards’ “Godzilla,” far more technically impressive and more realistic-seeming, isn’t quite as much fun. As cities are reduced to dusty ruins and fleeing survivors jam highways, echoes of Sept. 11 resonate unmistakably, and that significantly dilutes the fun factor.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
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Facts on land based forms of gambling are relatively easy to find but internet gambling is a relatively new activity and accurate information on online gambling statistics are not conclusive or very comprehensive. Most people can gamble responsibly but an approximate 3 percent of that group present issues with control. Out of control gambling was recognized as a clinical disorder back in 1980 with little being known yet about the internet’s effect on the gambler.
The first online casino launched in August of 1996 called the InterCasino, it was based in Antigua and only eighteen games were offered then. There are now thousands of internet gambling websites and thousands of new games appearing each day. Playing on "free" internet gambling websites is a common activity for teenagers and young adults who are tech savvy and already involved in the culture of the internet. The first online poker site PlanetPoker started in 1998 and now there are millions of people playing online poker and the online game has become legal again in parts of America. The demographic for online addictions in general is the young male.
The basic problem with any addiction is availability. If there are coffee shops everywhere and you are addicted to coffee it may be harder to control the urge to have one more. The interent is available almost everywhere now so the availability of online gambling is there too. Making a choice between work and online betting could be a hard one.
Online Gambling Responsibly is the Best Bet | Online-Casinos-com