Let your mouth speak archive

Haitian-American singer, Wyclef Jean is making headlines today after making comments linking actor Sean Penn to cocaine sniffing. Wyclef made such claims during a concert where he sang his song “President” and changed some of the lyrics around to lash out at Penn who openly expressed his thoughts about his presidency during a CNN interview.

Wyclef who announced his interest in running for president of Haiti in August, did not qualify due to him not meeting the proper residency requirements. If anyone is to run for president of Haiti, they must reside in the country for at least five years.

The problem started when Sean Penn made certain comments during a CNN interview with Larry King where the actor expressed his feelings about Wyclef running for president. He referred to Wyclef’s campaign as being “about a vision of flying around the world, talking to people.” He also touched on his feelings about Wyclef’s Haitian Charity where over $400,000 which was donated went missing or was mishandled.

His next comment was made to the Huffington Post where he criticized the singer for being absent after the January Haitian earthquake. "None among us felt or expressed anger toward it, but rather a universal sadness for his silence, as he is America's most admired cultural link to Haiti," the actor wrote.

Needless to say that those comments led to Wyclef’s recent backlash during a Hot 97 concert where he openly sang "I got a message for Sean Penn: Maybe he ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine," he sang.

As for Sean Penn, his rep released a comment saying that Wyclef isn’t aware of the physical demands of the life of a Haitian volunteer and that Sean’s volunteer organization has a zero tolerance policy on illicit drug use. He also commented on Mr. Jean’s comments being reckless and saddening, but not surprising.

So it seems that Wyclef took the comments to heart and made a fool out of himself by responding to criticism foolishly. His comments let the world know that he probably wasn’t quite ready to take on the challenge of running for president.

:dirol

The German government's monopoly on most forms of gambling must be ended immediately, according to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The court ruled that "the German rules do not limit games of chance in a consistent and systematic manner." It said that the state the monopoly is not justifiable.

Under German law, only the country's 16 federal states or companies run by them can offer gambling services. The state therefore has an effective monopoly on gambling and lotteries. The law also bans most Web-based betting, and forbids advertising such services.

The German State Treaty on Gambling came into force in 2008 to curb a growing trend in gambling addiction. Critics say it simply ensured that the state received a substantial chunk of the revenue from gambling.

Internet betting agencies based abroad

A number of private betting companies have challenged the treaty, saying it is inconsistent, because the federal states do not hold a monopoly on certain forms of gambling like slot machines and casinos. Numerous Internet users place bets illegally with private online companies registered abroad, which tend to offer better odds.

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For those that have wondered what lies behind the minds of the country’s most powerful lobbyists, the release of Casino Jack and the United States of Money will definitely clear up a few things for you. Not to say that all lobbyists follow in the footsteps of the mega-lobbiest Jack Abramoff but well, we’ll let you fill in the blanks. This Friday, the shocking documentary about the life and times of the Jack Abramoff will be released and includes a tell-all about what went on behind the scenes of a government lobbyist gone terribly wrong.

The documentary created by Alex Gibney, gives a detailed account of what shaped one of the most notorious lobbyists who was imprisoned for four years for bribes, tax evasion and fraud among other things. While the documentary focuses on Abramoff’s involvement in scandal after scandal, they also take you deep inside what shaped this charming go-getter whose overdeveloped persuasive skills handed him the world on a silver platter.

So why is this documentary called Casino Jack? As the story goes, Abramoff had close ties to the casino industry including the fraudulently purchase of Sun Cruz Casinos which led to the mysterious murder of the original owner, Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis. Abramoff was also known for defrauding of Native-American casinos for millions of dollars and coined the phrase “stupid people get wiped out.”

With alleged ties to the mob, world leaders including ex-President George Bush, who denied any ties, Abramoff ran one of the most notorious lobbyist networks in the U.S. (that we know of).

Casino Jack and the United States of Money is to be released by Magnolia Pictures on Friday September 10th.

Side Note: This movie not to be confused with the movie: Casino Jack starring Kevin Spacey. 😄

Hi all,

I am hosting a very brief online study about the thoughts and feelings of internet gamblers. I have had great feedback from participants so far.

The link is:

Untitled Page

Thank you!

(I am from Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, and this research has no industry or commercial links)

The European Union’s highest court ruled this week that Germany’s attempts to protect state-run gambling monopolies are unlawful. German regulations currently state that lotteries and sports betting are offered exclusively by state-controlled monopolies. However, the European Court of Justice said Wednesday that the rules for the German state betting monopolies were not “consistent and systemic enough” to uphold the argument that restrictions served to protect the public from gambling addiction.

“The German rules on sporting bets constitute a restriction on the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment,” stated the Court’s ruling. “The public monopoly of the organization of sporting bets and lotteries in Germany does not pursue the objective of combating the dangers of gambling in a consistent and systemic manner.”

In its ruling, the court said the German monopoly advertised radically to lure customers, essentially damaging the argument of the states that their monopolies limited addiction. State gambling monopolies are only permitted to operate if they meet certain guidelines, and the European Court of Justice found this particular instance to be illegal.

“In such circumstances, the preventive objective of that monopoly can no longer be pursued, so that the monopoly ceases to be justifiable,” the court said.

The result of this week’s ruling could lead to new gambling regulations in Germany that could effectively wipe out state-run gambling monopolies. But the Deutscher Lotto und Totoblock (DLT😎, which operates the German Lottery, feels differently. The organization believes Germany could comply with the court’s decision by imposing tougher restrictions on automated gambling machines.

“The European court has made it clear that E.U. member states can decide whether they want a commercial model or a state-authorized model governed by the public interest,” said Erwin Horak, chairman of the DLTB.

Online gambling is still officially banned in Germany, but it produced an estimated €1 billion in annual revenue for offshore operators that take bets or provide online gaming in the country, according to marketing firm Goldmedia. The firm says that the total has been rising at an annual rate of about 30%, leading to a decline in revenue for the state-run gambling companies.

Many Europeans nations like Italy and France have already done away with betting monopolies in favor of licensed regulation. In April, the French Parliament passed a bill to legalize and regulate online poker, sports betting, and horse racing, putting an end to the state monopoly on online gambling. This allowed privately owned international websites such as PokerStars, Everest Poker, and Full Tilt Poker to offer platforms in the flourishing French market.

Meanwhile, the United States waits patiently for the next step in its own online poker regulation after the passage of HR 2267 in July. The bill received over a dozen amendments during the markup phase and now awaits its time on the House floor. Congressman Barney Frank hopes to move the bill simultaneously with its revenue companion in the Ways and Means Committee (HR 4976) later this month. Congress was on summer recess until September 10th.

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An additional 3.2 million people logged on to gambling websites last year, compared with only 2.2 million more who accessed social networking sites such as Facebook and its near-rivals, said market research group Nielsen.

Online poker sites were particularly successful. Partypoker.com pulled in an extra 870,000 visitors last year, increasing its audience by 174 percent. Partycasino.com, a smaller site, grew by 360 percent last year.

Nielsen said almost half of all online gamblers earn more than £30,000 ($49,717).

Women comprise 46 per cent of online gamblers - many of the estimated 2000 gambling websites employ "female friendly" pink color schemes and other gimmicks thought to appeal to women, such as gambling horoscopes.

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"The over-65s and those on lower household incomes have historically been heavy users of gambling sites, but in the face of the recession this profile is changing," said Neil Beston, of Nielsen.

"While the phenomenal growth in gambling sites over the last two years has been driven by men and women of all ages, it appears to be powered particularly by middle-aged men, the well-educated and high-earning households."

Gambling charity GamCare expressed concern over the figures. Adrian Scarfe, the charity's clinical training director said. "The internet is readily available, it's 24/7 and it's right in the heart of a home. The vulnerable groups are those who are less risk-averse - young people and women, and no one knows if you're drunk."

:dirol

He brought glitz, he brought glamour and the luscious gaudiness that Las Vegas is known for – Liberace. The showman, who is synonymously linked to everything that Las Vegas embodies, had a museum and a very special foundation set up in his honor which after 30 years of operation is now closing down.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, the announcement was made today that all staff would be let go as of October 17th. The demise of the museum came about after visitor numbers started dropping and eventually reached a point where the income could not support the operation.

There was a point in time where the museum was one of the biggest draws in Vegas and attracted a packed house which was a tall order for an attraction off the main strip. In the end, the East Tropicana location just simply couldn’t keep up with Vegas’ top attractions which tend to out-do each other quite often. The museum houses a full collection of Liberace’s outlandish pianos, jewelry, flashy costumes among other artifacts.

Where will all of Liberace’s memorabilia go? The foundation’s plan is to put the items in storage and prepare for a tour starting in 2011 which will at least be able to support the scholarship program Liberace set up for budding musicians. The Las Vegas Sun also mentioned how they eventually plan to reopen the museum in a more prime location someday but for the moment the Liberace museum will need to close its doors. :crying

A judge has hit out at online gambling and credit companies after jailing a Co Tyrone man who fleeced his bosses of more than £300,000 to fuel his addiction to internet betting .

Dungannon Crown Court Judge David McFarland described it as “a moral tale of almost Biblical proportions” as he jailed 27-year-old Eamonn McGirr for 20 months after he agreed to serve a further 12 months on probation.

McGirr, from Richmond Drive in Clogher, admitted charges of fraud. He stole the money over a two-year period from Tyrone Tiling Services in Omagh.

Judge McFarland said online gambling companies needed to look at how they did business, pointing out that people with |addiction problems could — apparently unchecked — gamble away thousands of pounds with a single click of a mouse.

He said McGirr had not only betrayed trust placed in him and defrauded the company, but potentially put the jobs of his fellow employees at risk.

Prosecution lawyer Michael McAleer told the court that McGirr would write company cheques to himself and deposit them in his own bank account.

The court heard how McGirr had become fascinated with gambling while a student and how that fascination had turned into a much bigger problem when he started work.

However, he soon had two overdrafts on two bank accounts, a loan of almost £5,000 from the Credit Union and was also running up bills on five credit cards. All this money was quickly lost and it was then that he began to steal from his employer. Defence QC Brian Fee said the fraud had been “unsophisticated” and McGirr had known he would eventually be caught.

Former Armagh GAA footballer Oisin McConville, who also had a highly publicised addiction to gambling, was in court to support the defendant, who has been undergoing treatment for his addiction since his actions were uncovered last year.


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It's official. Ozzy Osbourne is betting on America's Got Talent. During the live show tonight, judge Sharon Osbourne said that Ozzy put $100 on Michael Grimm to win the show!

Prince Poppycock, who has 6/1 odds to win in the Bodog Sportsbook, is first up and descends a spiral staircase wearing a flamboyant suit of armor. Poppycock is singing "Nessun Dorma," while a woman is strapped King Kong style behind him. The performance is strange and serious, unlike Poppycock. Thus, over halfway through the show, Piers Morgan buzzed him, in the finals no less!

The audience along with Sharon Osbourne gives Poppycock a standing ovation, while Piers argues that Poppycock has blown it by taking himself too seriously in the finals. Sharon calls Piers "selfish" for buzzing Poppycock in the finals, saying that it's Poppycock's night and the choice is in America's hands now.

Up next is Michael Grimm, who Bodog's oddmakers have as 15/1 odds to win. Grimm, once again is introduced with his "my grandparents raised me" story. Grimm sings “When a Man Loves a Woman” and is backed up by a string section. His rendition of the song is ok, but nothing to scream about. However, judges go nuts over it. Sharon says that he nailed it, while Piers says that this is what he came to see tonight. Go figure.

Ten-year-old Jackie Evancho, who has 4/7 odds to win, is really pushing the angel theme. Dressed in white, she sings "Ave Maria" alongside a harpist and a choir behind stained glass. Howie compares listening to Jackie sing to a near-death experience, while Piers says that the bad news for Sharon is that Ozzy just lost $100.

The 13 Virginia Tech fraternity brothers that make up Fighting Gravity, who are given 7/4 odds by Bodog oddsmakers, explain that there final act is a battle between good and evil, with “good” having white doors on the upper level, and “bad” with red doors on the lower level. They move between the doors coming in and out and it's an extremely interesting and creative act to watch. However, Piers points out that there is a flaw in their performance which was obvious to viewers (not this one) and that Jackie Evancho pretty much has it in the bag. Do you think Piers is right? Who do you think will win the crown? Will Evancho prevail? Tune in tomorrow for the live results where a winner will be crowned.

:dirol

Daniel Tzvetkoff gained the trust of many online gambling websites when the Australian became heavily involved with payment processing for the online sites. That was until his business went bad, leaving the sites out millions of dollars.

Tzvetkoff was arrested in Nevada by US authorities and was charged with money laundering and a series of other crimes. The US contends that the former high profile businessman helped launder over $500 million. The US has started to crack down on the processors involved with online gambling sites, and Tzvetkoff may be a key to more arrests.

The details behind Tzvetkoff's release are not available for the public to see. This has led to speculation that the industry insider may be cooperating with US authorities as they continue to crack down on Internet gambling related crimes. Tzvetkoff could be facing a severe sentence due to the amount of money that was allegedly laundered.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act went into affect back in June, and although the law does not criminalize actually placing bets online, it does target those who process the payments. The law requires financial institutions to deny payments to online gambling sites.

Many sites continue to operate in the US despite the attempt by the government to stop Internet gambling. Many lawmakers in the current administration believe the UIGEA is an ill-advised law, and have taken steps to overturn the law. In the meantime, the US has made several high profile arrests in the past year.

The targets of law enforcement have been the processors. Douglas Rennick, from Canada, was arrested and charged with racketeering almost $400 million. Rennick is waiting on sentencing later this month.

PartyGaming, one of the world's largest online gambling operators, settled their legal differences last year stemming from business they had conducted in the US. PartyGaming is hoping that if the laws change, they will be able to gain a license to operate under a regulated system in the country.

:dirol

They shoulda threw away the key on him...

Tomorrow marks a very important day for citizens of Mexico, it’s Mexican Independence Day and what better way to celebrate than with a margarita or two in hand. While it’s a proud day for Mexican citizens, anyone looking to live it up with a little food and drink can surely find an activity nearby but you’ll want to be in Vegas for some of the hottest acts and parties around.

If you should make it out to Vegas then you’ll be able to catch a few Mexican heart throbs on stage (or at least they once were). Alejandro Fernandez will be performing with his tight leather pants or favorite mariachi outfit at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and performs historically important songs as well as a few pop ballads that he’s generally known for.

Another act joining the festivities will be singer, Luis Miguel who is a huge pop star known throughout Latin America for his gooey pop songs and awesome tan will be performing at the Colosseum. He’s been linked to actress/model Daisy Fuentes and has won a barrage of Latin Grammys for his work.

Thirdly, there is comedian /actor Carlos Mencia who will be performing at Treasure Island on Friday. You can expect to catch his stand-up act full of the ranting and raving that he’s known for but people seem to like him.

There will be many other activities going on throughout the whole weekend including a Mariachi Festival at the Rio and lots of awesome Mexican food.

In celebration of this grand holiday I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite Margarita recipes which should help you join in the festivities:

Top Shelf Margarita
1 ½ oz. Top Shelf Tequila
½ oz. Cointreau
2 oz. Natural Lime Juice
Lime Garnish

*Serve chilled in your favorite Margarita glass.

😄

Ozzy Osbourne's bet on Michael Grimm paid off. Yes, the 31-year-old blues singer who played gigs at small bars and restaurants in Las Vegas, beat out a drag queen opera singer, a group of weightless frat boys and a 10-year-old angel. Yes, Michael Grimm has shaken the shackles of a down-and-out Mississippi upbringing by winning both the million-dollar prize and headlining Vegas act at Caesar's Palace on this season's America's Got Talent.

Prince Poppycock took fourth place after judge Piers Morgan had controversial buzzed him during his performance the previous night. Upon Poppycock's elimination, Morgan said that he watched the tape back and realized that he was wrong to buzz him. Third place went to 13 frat boys slash engineering majors, Fighting Gravity, while second place went to pint-sized angelic opera singer, 10-year-old Jackie Evancho.

"Is this real?" Grimm asked host Nick Cannon after the win.

Said second place winner Evancho, "This experience has been amazing. I have loved every minute of it."

Grimm, whose grandparents lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, has repeatedly vowed to take care of them, should he win the million-dollar prize. Now, luckily for Grimm, he gets to keep that promise.

With all the fanfare, hoopla and drama over the results, the L.A. Times Blog put it best: "While Twitter is ablaze with outrage over the results, in our opinion, America made the right choice. Grimm gets his Vegas show, his grandparents get their new house and Jackie will be free to pursue her career on her own terms."

The longer the US government looks into the world of online gambling, the quicker it may change the current laws. Goldwater Bank agreed to forfeit $733,804 to settle a claim by the Justice Department that the money was involved in illegal online gambling.

The Justice Department has been busy this year sending messages to the online gambling industry. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act went into effect in June, and the government has already had several cases involving Internet gambling funds.

Goldwater claims they had no knowledge that the money in question came from illegal transactions. The UIGEA placed the burden on financial institutions to stop online gambling transactions, and the Goldwater settlement shows that the government plans to go after banks that do not abide by the law.

In the process of shutting down several payment processors in recent months, the government has seen the millions of dollars that is being spent on Internet gambling by residents in the US. The large amounts of money could lead to regulation of the gaming industry.

"The government has been told how much money is being spent on online gambling, but the numbers have been projections," Said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz. "Now, as they bust these processors, they are seeing first hand just how many millions of dollars are heading to offshore online gambling sites. With that much money involved, it may not be long before the laws change."

Representative Barney Frank has already placed the wheels in motion to change the current laws. Rep. Frank had a bill passed in his House Financial Services Committee that would overturn the UIGEA and lay the framework for a regulated Internet gambling industry in the US.

Federal officials had accused Goldwater of accepting transactions that were traced to PokerStars. That connection will not be good for PokerStars, who had hoped to gain a license to operate in the US if the laws are changed in the future.

One of the amendments to Rep. Frank's legislation is that any company that has been in violation of the existing laws in the US would be ineligible for a gaming license. PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were two sites that were thought to be the reason for the amendment, and the connection between PokerStars and Goldwater will not help their efforts in the future.

The Goldwater issue arose after Ahmad Khawaja and his processing companies, Allied Wallets Inc., and Allied Systems Inc., agreed to forfeit $13.3 million in funds tied to money laundering. The government believes the funds were used in transactions to and from online gambling sites and US Internet gamblers. :thumbsup

The two candidates for governor of Alabama, Democrat Ron Sparks and Republican Robert Bentley, split over gambling in their first televised debate.

Sparks said he would reopen closed casinos and tax gambling to provide money for education and Medicaid. Bentley said taxing gambling is not the answer to Alabama's economic problems. He said the answer is putting people to work in real jobs.

Bentley said gambling has not helped any state, but Sparks said Georgia college students have benefited from that state's lottery.

The candidates agreed on some issues, like removing the state's 4% sales tax on groceries and supporting a $1 billion road building program that voters will decide on Nov. 2.

The one-hour debate Thursday night at the University of Alabama will be followed by another Oct. 19 at Auburn University.

:dirol

Good news for online payment processors who are ducking for cover from the long arm of the US Department of Justice. Douglas Rennick, the Canadian who was charged with money laundering and operating an online payment processing service between offshore groups and US gamblers, was handed a particularly light sentence by the New York Federal court system.

Rennick was sentenced last week to six months probation for money laundering – a crime that usually carries a much heavier sentence.

:dirol

17 million bucks was handed over to the feds also, and the climate for playing online in the US still sucks. Will regulation be worse or better? Maybe the good ol' days are gone and things just get more complicated from here, whaddaya think? I'm not optimistic about it. 😔

Please discuss for utmost digestion : the ideology of [cool] [chill] [cold] [frozen]

and why as a species do we deny the rights of other species in retrospection it may have allowed for us to be where we are, trains switch tracks though yea?

the bees are aware
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It wasn’t exactly the most romantic kiss, especially after a 33 hours of a lip-numbing smooching session, but New Jersey buddies Matt Daley and Bobby Canciello proudly set the Guinness World Record for the longest kiss on record this past weekend in New Jersey – beating out last year’s winners who kissed for 32 hours and 7 minutes.

While the event may sound a bit flowery and fun, the two College of New Jersey students had to prepare both mentally and physically for the lip locked event. Keep in mind that there were no bathroom breaks, no sleep, no meals and had to stand before their college campus while kissing from Saturday morning to Sunday night. While it almost sounds physically impossible to kiss for that long, the two underwent physical training and had to undergo some detox methods that would deter them from needing to use the facilities. That was a good plan since according to the Guiness World Record officials, the two were not allowed to use any diapers.

The entire event was recorded and posted via UStream for the Guinness World Records committee to review which they will then determine if the record was officially set.

The two record holders who admit to being gay are just friends and according to the Gawker, their mission was to “queer the Guinness World Records.”

Bet on the latest celebrity props at Bodog Sports anytime you feel the need to dive into the Hollywood scene. Get your celebrity kicks at Bodog Sports today! 😄

Online gambling site Betfair has announced its intention to float, as the company unveiled pre-tax profits of £18m in the year to the end of April. Sky's City editor Mark Kleinman first reported on Betfair's plans for an autumn stock market listing in July.

He said the flotation would value the company at around £1.5bn.

According to Kleinman, the floatation will aid the betting site's expansion into new markets, both internationally and other areas that use similar technology.

Only 10 percent share of the company will be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Ed Wray and Andrew Black founded the gambiling website 11 years ago.

Ownership is currently split into four blocs between the founders, Japanese bank Softbank, venture capital firm Balderton Capital, and the company's 2300 employees.

The company is being advised by American banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

Betfair abandoned an attempt to float in 2005.


:dirol