Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: States Use Gambling to Save Economy

REBLOG> Carpe Diem: Seize the Day: States Use Gambling to Save Economy:
Phil Andows' Original Blog

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Gambling Addiction

Policymakers in USA is starting to see gambling as a panacea to be the cure for all economic ills but gambling addiction it the ugly side of the coin. USA Today is in the view that gambling states are addicted to easy money in its report dated 25 Sep 2014. The Editorial Board cited New Jersey are the prime example of the worst offenders in the world of gambling. "They are both addicts and pushers. They throw temper tantrums and upset settled policy when their fix of gambling revenue runs low."

Save the Economy

New Jersey began offering online gambling last year to bring in more tax revenue as Atlantic City casino revenue took a sharp dive. Since the revenue from the online gambling was not much of a help, the state will come up with more gambling products. Governor Chris Christie has given the green light for casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting. A federal judge will hear Christie's argument on Oct 6 as a 1992 federal law banned the practice in all but four states where it previously existed.

Gambling Expanded Widely

The good days are gone. Christie can't expect gambling to be the savior. New Jersey is no longer the gambling mecca of the East Coast. Adjoining states - Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware - have all opened casinos recently. As of 2012, America had 513 state-licensed casinos, plus 466 on tribal lands. With more players, it is obviously going to be less share for the same pie.

Gambling Destroys Lives

There is a deadly social cost for gambling. Compulsive gambling habits from 1% to 2% of gamblers are known to destroy lives. People lose their jobs, families and self-confidence due to heavy losses. A study done by Baylor University in 2011 estimated the cost of gambling ill at $9,393 per compulsive gambler per year. The state should explore alternatives instead of always relying on gambling to bail them out.

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Veronica Glowsome Commented

It is like a gambit in chess. A small piece is sacrificed to gain advantage. The gambit here is 1% to 2% of gamblers who will turn into rotten gamblers.

My Comments

"One for all and all for one" can't work with the government policies.

Light and Easy Talk: Casino Regulators Ruled Unshuffled Cards in Mini-b...

REBLOG> Light and Easy Talk: Casino Regulators Ruled Unshuffled Cards in Mini-baccarat Legal:
Veronica Glowsome's Original Blog

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Golden Nugget Casino

An unshuffled card game for mini-baccarat at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City on 30 April 2012 was ruled illegal under state casino rules because the cards had been unshuffled. Superior Court judge James Isman had vindicated the Golden Nugget in his ruling on 14 June 2014. It should be noted that the New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement fined the casino for the unshuffled cards.

The Incident

Gamblers capitalized on the unshuffled cards by increasing their bets from $10 to $5,000 per hand after seeing the same sequence of cards being dealt over and over again. Gamblers rode on a forty-one consecutive winning streak on this day. They were surrounded by casino security that was eager to find evidence to show that they were cheating. The security personnel was unable to spot the unshuffled cards because they were all focused on the wrong thing.

New Jersey's Consistency

The New Jersey casino regulators recently ruled that the game in which gamblers won $1.5 million did not violate any rules or laws, the Associated Press reported on 24 Sep 2014. The consistency with the New Jersey casino regulators and the Division of Gaming Enforcement should be applauded.

Timely Ruling

The call by the New Jersey case had been timely as the case had been reinstated the CBS Philly reported on 4 Sep 2014. Isman recently retired and a different judge granted a motion to reconsider the decision. Judge Allen Littlefield said that the gamblers can continue the discovery process and argue their case at trial this fall.

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My Comments

There is still hope left for gamblers involved.

Time Is a Thief: The Disappearing Thief of Las Vegas

REBLOG> Time Is a Thief: The Disappearing Thief of Las Vegas:
Amenda Steels' Original Blog

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Unsolved Crime

Gambling Tales had a good collection of gambling stories. All the tales - such as, gambling addiction, violence in the casino, crimes against gambling outlets - were not mysterious. They were reported cases in which lawbreakers were brought to justice. This story about stealing from the casino published by 8 News Now on 27 Sep 2014 had an uncanny twist. It took place at the Stardust Hotel and Casino 22 years ago and the whereabouts of the thief remains unknown today.

Bill Brennan

The thief was an employee of the casino named Bill Brennan. He worked for the casino as a sports book cashier. After being on the job for four years he decided it was time to leave. On Sep 22, 1992 Brennan simply walked away with $507,361 in cash and chips in the morning. He did not use force or violence. "It appears he left the casino without being filmed by the surveillance cameras," Metro Police Lt. Joe Greenwood said in an interview in 1992.

Brennan's Character

Race and sports writer for "Gaming Today," Richard Saber said, "He was basically a total complete loner. He lived alone with his cat." Saber was former sports book manager at the Stardust when Brennan worked there. Judy Pope, manager of Brennan's apartment said during a 1992 interview that he was "just a nice kid, that's all." When police got to the apartment, Brennan and his cat was long gone. "They never found a trace of Bill Brennan anywhere. Never a trace," Saber said.

Bad Company

Hanging around with the wrong company could be the reason this "nice kid" undergone a change of character. Brennan was known to be hanging out with a big bettor. "This was a bettor that we didn't trust. He was a shady character. He disappeared from the face of the earth too just a few months after Bill had gone," Saber said. Scotty Schettler, who hired Brennan during the boom years, said, "He got influenced by outside sources, and his attitude changed, and he wanted desperately to be a supervisor, but with his change in attitude, I couldn't put him in charge of all that money."

Tracking Brennan

Being on the FBI's most wanted fugitive list never turned up leads. Authorities said they never saw any sign of Brennan show up in his native Pennsylvania. Metro Police Sgt. John Sheahan said if new leads come in this cold case could be reopened. Perhaps after 22 years someone knows something and Crime Stoppers is taking tips. "Nowadays, we're able to track someone with their cell phone down to within feet of where they're standing," Sheahan said.

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My Comments

You don't expect such a "nice kid" to pull off such a heist but look can be deceiving.

Miley Cyrus Danced Topless in Tiger Mask at Alexander Wang Party

From Princess to Queen

Miley Cyrus desire to shed her teenage Disney image increases as her hemlines decreases. This is her method to move from Disney princess to crop-top queen. She attended Alexander Wang’s Fashion Week after-parties with the intention to steal the show. She skipped a shirt in favor of tasseled pasties resembling sparkly ice-cream cones, which she paired with pill-covered cat-eye sunglasses.

Tiger Mask

Once inside the Bushwick for a thumping warehouse dance fest she got really cozy with Alexander Wang. Pole-dancing topless in tiger mask, she stole the show NY Mag reported on 7 Sep 2014.

Anything Under the Sun: China Corruption Blitz Hits Macau Junkets

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: China Corruption Blitz Hits Macau Junkets:
SavySeph's Original Blog

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Laundering Money

Rotten gamblers, especially the whale bettors, could be mistaken for money laundering. This may be the assumption of Chinese President, Xi Jinpin. His crackdown on corrupt officials and tycoons is starting to drain China. This almost 2 years blitz had caused the sale of luxury good to dwindle and the VIP rooms at Macau casinos to slow down. It had driven rotten gamblers to other gambling destinations. This is like sending away the goose that laid the golden egg to your fellow neighbors. The claim of coming by a windfall from the casino is not that easy to justify with the generous amount of surveillance camera covering the casino. Coming up with the bankroll to make the amass the extraordinary win would be a great question mark.

Macau's Casino Junket Squeeze

The prolonged crackdown is now starting to squeeze the junkets in Macau. As the Chinese economy dragged its feet, the whale gamblers shy away. In Macau, whale gamblers will punt HK$1 million without second thoughts. Junkets who lend them money and settle their debts are not longer as flexible as debt recovery is not as easy. Authorities are digging junkets for information on Junkets are had left the industry. Chinese officials suspected of corruption who may be laundering money through Macau. The pressure is too much that, "I can't sleep at night. There are just too many problems," said one 54-year-old junket operator who didn't want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. "I'm not optimistic for the future of the VIP junket industry here." Of Macau's 220 licensed junket firms, at least 15 have shut up shop in the big casinos this year the Reuters reported on 24 Sep 2014.

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My Comments

This blitz will likely continue until all corrupt officials are brought to justice.

Restaurateur Drugged Customers with Poppy Laced Noodles

Addictive Noodles

A restaurant owner in Yan'an, Shaanxi province cunningly added an addictive ingredient into his noodles to keep his customers coming back. Zhang uses poppy buds, which he crushed up into powder and mixed into meals as his secret recipe. An anti-narcotics police agent said that chemicals from poppy, even poppy seedpods, could build up in the body to be tested positive for opiates on a drug test. When ingested over long period, it could cause addiction. Zhang was detained for questioning for 10 days. He confessed that he purchased 2kg of poppy shells for 600 yuan.

Poppy Laced Noodles Exposed

Zhang's plot was exposed when Liu Juyou was tested positive for drugs during a routine urine test under an anti-drink-driving check. The 26-year-old patron of the restaurant was shock by the test result because he never touched illegal substances. He was detained for 15 days. To clear himself Liu asked his family members to do a urine test after eating noodles from the restaurant. After confirming Liu suspicion, the authorities investigated the restaurant.

Poppy Users

Being an unconscious user and victim of Zhang's unscrupulous profiteering practice, Liu appealed against his detention. The police dismissed the case on the ground that laws were design to detect drugs and punish drug users. Opium, heroin, morphine, marijuana and any other anesthetic and psychotropic drugs which can be addictive are illegal in China. "Poppy shells used to be an ingredient in a popular hot pot sauce until the product was banned", the South China Morning Post reported on 24 Sep 2014.

On Empty Thoughts: Alcohol Ban at Stratford Supercasino

REBLOG> On Empty Thoughts: Alcohol Ban at Stratford Supercasino:
Guerrilla Gamblers' Original Blog

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Violence at Gambling Outlets

p>I will update Gambling Tales Facebook and Google Plus Page with this article on Violence at Gambling Outlets. Alcohol never ceases to cause trouble for Aspers Casino in Westfield Stratford City. Since they have so much trouble handling their drinks, it had been taken away from them.

Alcohol Ban

A recent news dated 23 Sep 2014 from the Newham Recorder the Supercasino has had its alcohol license revoked by Newham Council after security staff allegedly "beat up" a punter. A Newham Council spokesperson said: "The decision was made in view of the seriousness of the incident and the police and licensing sub-committee’s concerns about the casino’s ability to prevent crime and disorder. The suspension will remain in force until a full licensing review hearing." Aspers Casino will not be able to serve alcohol or food from 23:00 to 05:00.

The Incident

The incident took place on Saturday night of 20 September. CCTV footage of the assault on the customer by a security staff showed that the customer sustained "severe injury". The involvement of alcohol in the attack was not mentioned by the press. Aspers Casino did not comment on the incident.

Banning Use of Glasses

Two week ago the casino was banned from using glasses to serve drinks and the casino resorted to using plastic cups. This was following two serve cases of glassing. One resulted in an inch long cut to the victim’s head which required gluing. In the other case, the glass used to commit the crime was thrown away by casino staff, leading to the loss of vital evidence (see Newham Recorder's report on 9 September).

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My Comments

Others who serve liquor had not problems. It could be bad karma.

Time Is a Thief: Taxi Fares Lowest in Beijing

REBLOG> Time Is a Thief: Taxi Fares Lowest in Beijing:
Amenda Steels' Original Blog

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Highest Taxi Fares

Taxi fares for Beijing is the lowest in the cheapest among international cities. Survey shows that Tokyo had the highest taxi fares in the world the China Daily reported on 23 Sep 2014.

International cities highlighted by the daily are a per table below.

International Cities	Fare for 10km in Euros
Tokyo	25.39
Hamburg	22.60
London	22.39
Dortmund	18.10
New York	13.98
Paris	12.20
Beijing	3.78

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My Comments

When cab fare hikes to a high level, the Chinese will use it for special occasions and emergencies too.

Pest in Midst: Laggard to the Casino Industry

REBLOG> Pest in Midst: Laggard to the Casino Industry:
XingCai's Original Blog

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Casino Industry in Asia

Singapore is considered a laggard to the casino industry in comparison to her neighbor, Malaysia. To make up for being half-a-century late Singapore decided to have two casinos. Other Asian countries - Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Japan - are joining the bandwagon to intensify the fight for gamblers patronage. Like good foodies, gamblers will travel the extra mile for a wager.

The Singaporean Stunted Growth

Macquarie, a leading financial services provider in Australia, "think the Singapore gaming market cannot grow." They noted that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the nation had plateau around $6 billion a year since 2011. "After three big years, tourist arrivals in Singapore have started to decline (down 3 percent year-to-July) and most importantly, Chinese visitors who form more than 50 percent of Singapore VIP volume have fallen by 29 percent year-to-date," Macquarie said. VIP volumes make up around 80 percent of the city-state's total gaming volume, it said [CNBC 23 Sep 2014].

Singaporean Senseless Optimism

Carey Wong, an analyst at OCBC, is optimistic about the situation. He sees the drop in overseas visitors to be temporary as it is partly due to China's economic slowdown and corruption crackdown. He said, "Once things die down, we'll see the return of these high rollers," he said. "From an Asian perspective, Asians will gamble regardless of good times or bad. It's different from a Western perspective, where gaming is more for leisure." Wong does not seem to make much sense when he claimed that economic slowdown was the cause of decline in Chinese visitors yet advocating that bad times will not stop Asian gamblers. Singapore's strong currency and lack of tourist attraction in their tiny island is more likely the cause for their failure to attract foreigners.

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My Comments

Laggards are the worst form of loser ...[Chinese saying]

Light and Easy Talk: Man Commits Suicide after Ramming Truck into Casin...

REBLOG> Seeking Enlightenment: Man Commits Suicide after Ramming Truck into Casino
Sophia Logica's Original Blog

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Suicide Attempts

Ryan Brown ramped a pickup through the glass front doors of the Stratosphere Casino on Sep 10, a Las Vegas police arrest report showed. The 40-year-old electrician was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving and possession and use of cocaine, the Reuters reported on 19 Sep 2014. Brown was released without restrictions after prosecutors failed to file criminal charges on 15 Sep. Toxicology reports were required to pursue charges and the judge set a status hearing in October. On 18 Sep Brown was found dead at the Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. The Clark County coroner’s office reported that Brown died of asphyxia and hanging, police spokesman Larry Hadfield said. According to arrest report, Brown was fired due to a domestic dispute with his wife. He told the police in a drug-fueled diatribe that he had been on cocaine and speed for six days and had smoked crack about two hours before deliberately crashing into the casino. Brown said, “He intended to run up to the top of the Stratosphere and jump off.

Doubtful Released

Brown was preoccupied with Suicide. He thought of jumping off the Stratosphere Casino but ended up crashing into it instead. He contemplated on an idea that would hurt himself but performed an act that could hurt others. “Darren Richards, assistant Clark County public defender, whose office was not involved in the case said, “I don’t know what the District Attorney was thinking, why they didn’t file some charges against someone who had been caught driving through the lobby of a casino.” The Clark County District Attorney’s Office, which provided the arrest report, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Brown’s release. “It is not against the law to be mentally ill,” Hadfield said when asked why Brown was not arrested after his release.

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Veronica Glowsome's Comments

Gambling Tales had a good collection of gambling stories. This is good stuff for the Bizarre Section. My guess is he blown a fortune, quarrel with his wife, felt miserable and thought of suicide.

My Comments

It is common for a gamblers to commit suicide when they loses more than they can afford.

Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: Watchdog to Named and Shamed Bookies:
SavySeph's Original Blog

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Saving the Gaming Industry

Bookies who break promises on advertising will be “name and shame” by a new watchdog. This watchdog should also penalize those who admit minors. This ruling is often violated and never taken seriously. The four biggest bookmakers in Britain pledged to set up an independent body to safeguard against any further heavy-handed clampdown on the gambling sector.

Exposing some Scapegoats

Big industry players - Gala Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill - came up with this self-policing measures to save their own hides. They want to toss the little guys out of the game so that they can glorify themselves. Humiliating a few small players to save the industry is a good strategy. In view of the increasing political and public pressure, particularly over the controversial “crack cocaine” gaming machines, a few scape goats would be sufficient to pacify public rage.

Independent Policing

This independent body is scheduled to be up and running in January with “multi-million pound” budget funded by the big four bookies. The promise of independent comes with an independent “standards commissioner”. The commissioner will adhere to the “Nolan Principles” - a set of standards for those working in public office - the Telegraph reported on 14 Sep 2014.

Responsible Gambling

Promoting responsible gambling is another feature of the voluntary measures of the new independent body. All advertising for fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) or any electronic casino games described by campaigners as the “crack cocaine” of gambling, will be removed. Responsible gambling messages will comprise 20% of advertising in betting shop windows.

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My Comments

Bookies are paying lips services when they say they are supporting responsible gambling

Jack of All Trades: Ben Affleck Admits Counting Cards in Casinos

REBLOG> Jack of All Trades: Ben Affleck Admits Counting Cards in Casinos:
Jack Omnitrade's Original Blog

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Advantage Players

Savy Seph gave a good explanation of advantage players. "The advantage players have an edge over the house given that they tend to win more than they lose. While cheating at casinos is a criminal activity, advantage players use legitimate means to beat the house. Since they play by the rules, they deserve to pocket their winnings. The casinos may frown on the advantage players but they are not able to use legal means to throw advantage players in jail. This shows that the law recognizes advantage players to be a different kettle of fish from the unethical cheaters." Card counting, a form of advantage play, was used by Ben Affleck at the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas to win $800,000 in May 2014.

Ben Affleck Admits

Sky News had a few interesting quotes from Affleck in their 18 Sep 2014 article. "That is a true story. I mean, that took place. I took some time to learn the game and became a decent blackjack player," he said. "And once I became decent, the casinos asked me not to play blackjack. I mean, the fact that being good at the game is against the rules at the casinos should tell you something about casinos."

Casino as a Sore Loser

Blackjack is the only casino game that is vulnerable to a good system. The casino is a sore loser and they will reject your patronage. "They don't even want you to have a sporting chance, really. There's a lot of hospitality, backslapping, when they think you're gonna come in and dump money, and if they think you might leave with some money, it's like, 'You know what? Why don't you try craps or roulette?'."

Dispelling Rumors

Affleck dispelled the rumors surrounding his visit to the Hard Rock Casino in May. With respect to being kicked out of the premises he said, "I wish I could say they were afraid of me in every capacity, but they only said, 'No blackjack'. That would be awesome [if they threw me out]. 'Get him outta here! He's a magician!' Unfortunately, they just came up and said: 'We can't let you play blackjack. But we have other table games. We have Chinese poker'." Affleck also rejects reports that his blackjack playing was affecting his marriage to actress Jennifer Garner.

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My Comments

To be banned for card counting you have to be good at it.

Gamblers Go to Vegas to Avoid Macau Corruption Blitz

Nations Bow to Gambling

Gambling Tales claims that banning casinos would cause black market to flourish or drive gamblers to casinos in a neighboring country in the article "Nations Bows to Gambling". On Chinese soil, gambling is legal only legal in Macau but China would not sanction their own citizen gambling on their soil. Corruption blitz had been carried out at Macau to rid the activity on their sovereignty.

Corruption Crackdown Affected Gambling and Luxury Malls

SavySeph's blog on Tumblr covered the news on the Chinese anti-corruption crackdown of gambling in Macau and shopping outlets specialized in luxury good in Hong Kong to rid the stench of corruption from the land. Here is a reblog of SavySeph.

Reblog Savy Seph

Beijing’s intensifying crackdown on corruption is hitting the VIP rooms at Macau casinos and luxury shopping malls in Hong Kong hard, the Wall Street Journal reported on 1 Aug 2014. “This anticorruption crackdown in China is much more widespread and deeper than the VIP community had anticipated and as a result there could be prolonged weakness in the market,” said Union Gaming Research analyst Grant Govertsen.

Sales of luxury goods fell by nearly a third in the second quarter, including a 40% decline in April. With Beijing monitoring conspicuous consumption and capital flight closely, it would not be kool to be seen buying diamond-encrusted watches or punting millions at a baccarat game.

A New Playground

XingCai a tumblr user commented that these Chinese gamblers will find a new play ground soon. I have just found the news about their new playground as reported by Sidney Morning Herald on 17 Sep 2014. Junket operators, which organise casino trips for wealthy Chinese VIPs, are bringing those gamblers to other locations such as Australia, Europe or the US, according to Credit Suisse analysts Kenneth Fong and Isis Wong.

Viva Las Vegas

Casinos' revenue on the Las Vegas Strip has increased 3.7 per cent to $US3.7 billion ($4.1 billion) in the year to end-July, driven mainly by a 14.4 per cent jump in baccarat revenue, according to Robert Shore, a Las Vegas-based analyst at Union Gaming Group. This indicates "an inverse correlation" with the weaker performance from high rollers in Macau, he said in an e-mail. "Las Vegas is a brand that is clearly world-renowned and that people continuously want to come to," Dan D'Arrigo, Chief Financial Officer of MGM, said via telephone when asked about Chinese gamblers.

Anything Under the Sun: Ohio Approves Preshuffled-cards

REBLOG> Anything Under the Sun: Ohio Approves Preshuffled-cards:
SavySeph's Original Blog

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Green Light for Pre-shuffled Cards

Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has approved the use of pre-shuffled cards in the state’s casinos. It made me reflect on the unshuffled cards causing a casino millions and Brogata accusing Phil Ivey for collaborating with the card manufacturer to mark cards to be used in play. While the unshuffled card at Golden Nugget Atlantic City may be a one in a lifetime affair, Brogata’s wild accusation could possibility become a regular affair with this new regulation.

Casinos Wants Red-tape Cut

Dealers would spread out all 312 cards in the six-deck stacks to carefully inspect before use. “It can take 30 minutes to get the first table going and up to 90 minutes to get all six tables going,” said Tosha Tousant, Horseshoe Cleveland’s director of table games. With such procedure to ensure fairness, casinos need to cut down the red tape as the Horseshoe Cleveland uses a total of 16,000 decks a month. Hollywood Casino uses about 20,000 decks a month, the Columbus Dispatch reported on 16 Sep 2014.

Protecting the Integrity of the Games

For Matthew Schuler, executive director of OCCC, the integrity of the games would be his main concern. He was skeptical when Ohio casino executives requested permission to use pre-shuffled decks. He sent his staff to inspect the United States Playing Card Co. in Erlanger, Kentucky. He was convinced as cards were shuffled so thoroughly and randomly that there’s no way for dealers or players to know what card will come up next. The company became the only card manufacturer the OCCC has approved to supply pre-shuffled cards. The application of other card factory are being processed, Schuler said.

United States Playing Card Co

United States Playing Card Co is equipped with a fully automated production line. “We load sheets of printed decks at the front of the production line. They are cut and then shuffled automatically by our approved equipment, and then we load finished and secured, pre-shuffled cartons of cards into a shipping carton,” said company spokesman Scott Madding.

Human Intervention

Schuler’s investigation was based on the machines ability and credibility. The machine can mechanically and methodically shuffle the cards thoroughly and randomly but the aspect of human intervention is ignored. For the right price a motivated individual will make the necessary alteration to the advantage of any players who will pay the price. Schuler made no remarks on the security procedures of the factory that monitor the intervention of these motivated individuals.

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My Comments

Human element is not easy to predict or manage.

ISIS Beheads David Haines

Third Victim Beheaded

The ISIS intention of instigating war with America and its allies is clear with the recent video that purportedly shows British aid worker David Haines being beheaded. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage. However, the images were consistent with that of the filmed executions of two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, in the past month.

Instigating War

In the video, Haines addresses David Cameron (UK Prime Minister) was responsible for his execution. He said, "You entered voluntarily into a coalition with the United States against the Islamic State, just as your predecessor, Tony Blair, did. Following a trend amongst our British Prime Ministers who can't find the courage to say no to the Americans. Unfortunately, it is we, the British public, that will in the end pay the price for our Parliament's selfish decisions." Foley and Sotloff also made similar speeches to U.S. President Barack Obama.

The Enraged

Cameron condemned the killing and said he would bring the killers to justice. "This is a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker. It is an act of pure evil. My heart goes out to the family of David Haines who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude throughout this ordeal," he said in a statement released by Downing Street. "We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes."

David Haines

Haines, a 44-year-old father of two from Perth in Scotland, was kidnapped last year while working for the French agency ACTED. Paris-based ACTED has previously said Haines had been engaged in humanitarian work since 1999, helping victims of conflicts in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East and that he was taken hostage in March 2013 in Syria.

Crusade War

While Cameron's predecessor was traced to Blair, the ISIS is indirectly relating theirs to the Al-Qaeda. To them this is the call of the faithful to jihad (wage holy war). They see this as another crusade war. Unlike the previous crusades, this is a cowardly war. This war on terror could not even be termed as a guerrilla warfare.

McDonald’s Trademarks ‘McBrunch’

Trademarking McBrunch

McDonald's Corp. filed an application to trademark the term "McBrunch" in July but offered no further details. With the taste of the Millennials generation moving towards organic food and health products , the burger giant is losing sales and needs to come with something new fast to grab customer's attention. Burger Business.com looks at the breakfast menu of McDonald's in other parts of the world to and came up with 10 possibilities on what the McBrunch would look like. I have selected only those that offers a substantial portioning because that is what people need when two meals were merged into one.

Massive McMuffin

Massive McMuffin (on McDonald’s breakfast menu in New Zealand): Two sausage patties, bacon, a freshly cracked egg, a slice of cheese and ketchup on a hot toasted English Muffin.

Frukostmackan

Frukostmackan (Sweden): Think outside the breakfast sandwich box. That is how Sweeden does it . This morning sandwich has smoked ham, Wästgöta Abbey cheese, crispy lettuce, butter and sun-ripened tomato on freshly baked bread.

FIT Sandwich

FIT Sandwich (Serbia): The Serbs designed their breakfast burger for the health-conscious brunch eater. Ham, cheese, Bun, deluxe sauce, chopped with ham, cheese, arugula, and tomato would be filling enough for a health freak's brunch.

Breakfast Roll

Breakfast Roll (Ireland): A breakfast sandwich with a heartier profile. Sausage, Irish bacon and an Irish egg in a crispy roll served with ketchup or brown sauce.

Seeking Enlightenment: Financial Habits of Millennials

Switch to organic food and health products is interesting.

REBLOG Seeking Enlightenment: Financial Habits of Millennials: The Millennials The habits of the new generation known as the millennials is the target of marketers, economists, corporations, and journal...

Human Evolution Theory Challenged

It is widely accepted that homo sapiens evolved in Africa 200,000 years ago. Based on the evidence of bones found outside Africa, it was believed that they stayed there until 60,000 years ago. After that they broke out through the Middle East and spread around the world.

This orthodoxy is beginning to fade gradually as ancient bones are uncovered in the east to challenge it. Last month (July 2014), Christopher Bae of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Wei Wang of the Guangxi Museum of Nationalities in Nanning, China, and their colleagues described two teeth from the Luna cave in China's Guangxi Zhuang region. The team argued that at least one of them must have belonged to an early Homo sapiens based on the proportions of the teeth.

Teeth alone is not sufficient to support any claims. "I am not convinced that these teeth are diagnostic," says Erik Trinkaus of Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. He says too little is known about how teeth evolved over the millennia in Asia. Until more conclusive evidence is discovered, homo sapiens will still be regard as evolving from Africa.

Source: New Scientist