Talk Is Cheap

What a horrible step our country just took.. what a horrible Sunday.

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
“If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.”

-Thomas Jefferson

I guess I’m a little guilty.. I didn’t do much to help stop it.  I guess because I have felt powerless to effect any change.  So I’ve been part of the problem.  I, along with the vast majority of Americans, have been willing to sit by and watch, sit by and take what the government turns out.  The enormity and the complexity of the way our government works now fosters that feeling in me.  That I have no real voice.  I have no real say.

I’m starting to feel differently.  I’m starting to feel as though I need to do more or I have no right to complain when my government does things I don’t agree with.  Well, let me say that I’ve always felt that way.. now I feel ashamed, at myself and all the others who have done nothing for whatever reasons.

Not sure what I could have done.. and by doing something, I’m not talking about going to the Capitol and waving signs and shouting protests at a building.  What does that really accomplish.  The people that are going to draft our laws inside that building aren’t going to change their minds because 2000 people outside can all chant some slogan in unison.  I wonder if those protesters, or proponents even, actually think that what they are doing outside will somehow influence the politicians inside, that can’t hear them anyway..

What could I have done to actually help though, I’m forced to consider which dashes whatever personal grassroots groundswell thoughts I’d like to entertain.  To what lengths am I willing to go to even try and make my voice heard in this huge, corrupt machine we call our political system?  Realistically it’s pretty small.  I’ve always admitted to being lazy.

It just sucks to see more steps being taken toward such a personally dis-favorable agenda our “leadership” seems to be taking.  As unfounded because of my lack of personal involvement as it may be.. there’s my rant.

Well, Wynn had their union vote.  Not surprisingly, the union passed overwhelmingly (444-149).  I’m interested to see what happens.  There’s no guarantee that the union can get all the tokes paid back to the dealers, and if they do actually get tokes back to 100% for the dealers, what concessions the dealers will have to make.  Now that Trump Marina, Ceasars (both Atlantic City) and now Wynn have unions (so does the Argosy for that matter, but I haven’t heard about their influence) as well as the casinos in Detroit, will we start seeing a push in smaller markets such as ours to go union?

In all honesty, I don’t think there’s a damned thing a union could do for us.  Period.  I would just think it’s just another layer of apathy in a long line of it at work. 

Partypoker.com and 888.com (pacific poker and casino-on-net) have already said they will suspend American gambling on their sites once (if) the bill is signed into law by President Bush.

The new law doesn’t actually make playing poker online illegal, but it will make it illegal for US banks and credit card companies from transfering money to gambling sites. (most credit card companies already wouldn’t do that) This will only be a small hiccup as any US legislation will not affect foriegn money transfer sites like Neteller (headquarters on Isle of Man) and Citadel (Canada) that operate outside of the US and aren’t subject to comply with our laws.

There’s talk talk talk about how the kibosh has been put on online poker.. pfft.. I was suprised though about PartyGaming and 888′s announcing that they will not accept wagers from US gamblers if our bill is passed. I have a sneaking suspicion that they will “revise” plans and only comply with the way our law (seemingly) is written and they just won’t accept any funds directly from American sources that chose to violate the new US law, so that the online gambling juggernaut will continue on just as before. That’s a pretty big chunk of those two companies revenue.. PartyGaming has ~75% American players and 888.com has ~50%. I can’t see them giving them up just to be nice to some foriegn lands law (that doesn’t really prohibit gambling online anway, it seems).

2+2 forums bunch of links to poker sites official statements

http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org

http://www.pokernews.com

Are you a Democrat, a Republican?

Here is a little test that will help you decide.

The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife
and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock
40-caliber, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do?

(more…)

Ok, was working on some toke committee stuff today when a nice gentleman at the MGC directed me to this little tidbit:

http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/11csr/11c45-8.pdf

Pay close attention to Section 1.

Yup, supervisors couldn’t wrangle their way into our tokes anyway. And gaming being the way they are, I don’t see gaming falling for a change of title bit.

Jay

Folks,

I recently was perusing my email when I received a newsletter with the following information.

The house is currently considering HR 5917.  This bill would exempt from taxes, the first $10,000 of reported tips income.  Now, I did a quick crackdown of the numbers.  Taking 2005′s average toke rate of 11.88 and averaging 75 hours per pay period.  That totals $891 per pay period; with a total of $23, 166 for the year.  That basically means almost half of our tokes alone would be exempt.  Not sure of the numbers concerning with base pay, but it’s still a sizeable chunk of change that doesn’t go to taxes.

I think irregardless of what your political leaning is, this is a great bill for not only us in the gaming industry, but anyone who relies on reportable tips period.  Now, I generally don’t do much political activism, but this is something I think you all should call your Congressional Representative about.  Pass the word at work as well.  I’d put this on Dicedealer.com, but I’m having problems getting in for some reason.

Jay

Scientology harrasment.. they seem sooo smart. wow.. “you look like a child molester”

This would be funny if it were staged like the hypnotist but unfortunately it’s not.

This article at the Boston Globe is right on the money I feel.

The world must come to recognize the cynical way in which terrorists exploit civilian casualties. They launch antipersonnel rockets designed to maximize enemy civilian deaths, then they cry “human rights” when their own civilians — behind whom they are hiding — are killed by the democracies while trying to prevent further terrorism. The idea that terrorists who use women and children as suicide bombers against other women and children shed crocodile tears over the deaths of civilians whom they deliberately put in harm’s way gives new meaning to hypocrisy. We all know that hypocrisy is a terrorist tactic, but it is shocking that others fall for it and become complicit with the terrorists. Let the blame fall where it belongs: on the terrorists who seek to kill enemy civilians and give democratic enemies little choice but to kill some civilians behind whom the terrorists hide. Those who condemn Israel cause more civilian deaths and make it harder for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank.

Took 10 days for the 15 countries on the UN Security Council to draft the resolution and only 45 minutes till N. Korea rejected its compliance with it… a new record!

No “chapter 7″ which sanctions use of military force to ensure compliance with the UN Security Councils latest resolution.. but it’s a start.  Ok ok.. it started long before even they lied promised to dismantle nuclear weapons and weapon programs in 2005.  But flubbed ballistic missle tests it ran earlier this month weren’t going to be part of a nuclear weapons program.. nope.. not those missles.. they wouldn’t be used to for that purpose.. nuh-uh.