World Gaming Chairman, Board Member Quit

The chairman and director of Internet gambling company World Gaming PLC have resigned from the company's board.

James Grossman, nonexecutive chairman, and Clare Roberts, nonexecutive director, handed in their notice at a board meeting.

World Gaming had announced earlier this month that it was in the early stage of talks with Sportingbet PLC about being taken over in a deal worth about 56 million pounds ($106.4 million). That announcement came the same day Sportingbet said its Chairman Peter Dicks had been arrested in the U.S. on gambling charges.

Dicks was the second executive from a British gaming company to be detained in the U.S. in recent months, after former BetOnSports PLC Chief Executive Officer David Carruthers was arrested on federal charges in July.

Dicks, who has resigned from Sportingbet, has been released on $50,000 bail. Carruthers remains under house arrest in the St. Louis area awaiting trial.

Source

The most popular virals on the net

Viral video chart

Virals have taken the world by storm. All those funny video clips, pictures, digitally manipulated images and jokes we receive in our Inbox daily, have probably been around the world millions of times, and will continue to do so.

So to make sure you don’t send a Hoff picture to a friend 6 months after the craze ended, have a look at which video clips are taking the internet by storm, which are the ones being mailed to friends from one side of the earth, to the other.

It’s the world’s most talked about videos…currently tracking the most popular on YouTube, MySpace and Google Video.

Check it out

2 detained Bwin CEOs released on bail

After lengthy questioning, the two joint chief executives of Austrian betting firm Bwin.com - formerly Bet and Win were released on EUR 300,000 bail, an amount to be paid personally.

Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelbergerwere were told they could face up to three years in jail if found guilty of violating gaming laws.

The bail will be used to cover any fines that may be imposed, and to ensure that both Co-CEOs will obey any future summons to appear in court. A verdict is expected within a year.

Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger were detained for questioning by French authorities on Friday over alleged breaches of French gaming laws and were held in custody over the weekend.

They were arrested on Friday as they prepared to give a news conference outlining a sponsorship deal with French Football Club Monaco. The football club confirmed at the weekend that it would maintain its sponsorship arrangements with the Austrian company.

Top 10 Pickup lines for International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Top Ten Pickup lines for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 of Sept)
(We came up with these in an effort to interest The Other Dave (Letterman) in TLAPD. His staff liked 'em, but alas, his show was"dark" the week of Sept. 19.)

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Bonus pickup lines (when the ones above don't work, as they often won't)
They don’t call me Long John because my head is so big.

You’re drinking a Salty Dog? How’d you like to try the real thing?

Wanna shiver me timbers?

I’ve sailed the seven seas, and you’re the sleekest schooner I’ve ever sighted.

Brwaack! Polly want a cracker? … Oh, wait. That’s for Talk Like a PARROT Day.

That’s the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Let's get together and haul some keel.

That’s some treasure chest you’ve got there.

Top Ten Pickup Lines for the Lady Pirates

By popular demand ...

10. What are YOU doing here?

9. Is that a belayin' pin in yer britches, or are ye ... (this one is never completed)

8. Come show me how ye bury yer treasure, lad!

7. So, tell me, why do they call ye, "Cap'n Feathersword?"

6. That's quite a cutlass ye got thar, what ye need is a good scabbard!

5. Aye, I guarantee ye, I've had a twenty percent decrease in me "lice ratio!"

4. I've crushed seventeen men's skulls between me thighs!

3. C'mon, lad, shiver me timbers!

2. RAMMING SPEED!

...and the number one Female Pirate Pick-up Line:

1. You. Pants Off. Now!

It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Tuesday September 19 is: Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Aaaaargh!

Don't believe me? Click here to check out how other wannabe pirates celebrate the day and drive other (normal) people batty with shouts of Aaaarrrgggg! and by ending all their sentences with "matey"....

Nissan develops anti-drunk driving cars

Nissan Motor is developing cars that will not start if the driver is intoxicated as Japan steps up action against drunk driving.

Nissan said it is considering installing a straw-like tube on the driver's seat, which the driver would have to blow into to start the car. The engine would not start if the machine shows the driver is intoxicated.

Nissan is also studying a device that requires drivers to enter personal identification numbers of many digits, which may be a difficult task if they are drunk, Nissan spokeswoman Ikue Matsuura said.

"No specifics have been decided yet but we are considering developing models that would prevent car accidents, including drunk driving," she said.

The move comes amid a growing movement in Japan against drunk driving after an intoxicated driver killed three children in the southwestern city of Fukuoka.

Following the incident, 21 local governments out of the nation's 47 prefectures and 15 major cities are considering tougher penalties on drunk driving, said a survey by the Sankei Shimbun newspaper published Wednesday.

Fukuoka Mayor Hirotaro Yamazaki has said the city is considering heavier punishments for its employees if they drive after drinking, even if they are not arrested.
The government of Kanagawa prefecture, bordering Tokyo, has already decided to dismiss employees who drink and drive or who ride in cars knowing the driver is drunk.

What I’ve learned – by Homer Simpson

Priceless quotes by good old Homer!

Some of my favorites include:

Be generous in the bedroom -- share your sandwich.

And

Sometimes I think there's no reason to get out of bed . . . then I feel wet, and I realize there is.

More Homer truths

Phone and Save the Future of Online Poker!

Today, Tuesday September 12, 2006, concerned online poker players, online gamblers, and anyone interested in seeing their personal freedoms protected should call 800-289-1136.

PocketFives.com, representing the voice of the online poker player, and the Poker Players Alliance have teamed up for a Phone March on Washington. With this effort, the groups hope to keep online poker alive in the United States.

When you call the above number, a toll free system will ask you to enter your zip code. You’ll then be connected, free of charge, to the appropriate Senators’ offices.

“This is an easy way to send a message,” says PocketFives.com President Cal Spears. “If everyone voices their disapproval for this legislation on the same day, we will send a clear signal to the Senate that America does not support banning internet gambling and online poker.”

“The threat to online poker is real. We need everyone possible to make their voice heard on September 12th from 9:00am to 5:30pm ET,” says Poker Players Alliance Spokesperson John Pappas.

On www.pocketfives.com, callers can find a complete background on the bill itself, including a story concerning the arrest of Sportsbook.com CEO Peter Dicks. In addition, PocketFives.com also has talking points for the Phone March on Washington: “It is extremely important that we all send the same message to our Senators,” stresses Spears. “Please read the talking points on PocketFives.com before placing your call so that we are all have the same arguments. From there, your job is free and easy: just dial the 800 number and you will be connected directly to your Senators’ offices.”

Online games help develop your social skills - experts

New York - Video games involving multiple players serve as informal gathering places akin to old-time pubs and coffee shops, and can thereby boost the players' social connections, researchers argue in a new study.

I'm definitely saving this one for if my (future) girlfriend should ever complain that I spend too much time playing games...

Don’t believe it? read more.

Another Gaming Exec Detained by US Authorities

The United States has detained a second Internet gaming executive, adding to fears it is cracking down on the lucrative industry and sparking share price falls that wiped over 800 million pounds off the market value of the sector.

According to Sportingbet, their non-executive chairman Peter Dicks was detained by US authorities while visiting the US on non-Sportingbet business.

Dicks' detention follows the arrest of BetonSports PLC's former chief executive David Carruthers earlier this year and the subsequent 22-count indictment served on BetonSports, alleging various charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud, including breaches of the 1961 Wire Act.

Read about it

GoldenPalace stinks it up with Britney's half-eaten egg sandwich

How much would you pay for Britney’s half-eaten sandwich…?

WTF??

I freaking hope you didn’t actually contemplate an amount after that ridiculous question. Your answer should be a resounding, unwavering, crystal-clear “What the $^%@ is wrong with you, or anyone that would steal a half-eaten piece of bread??”

Sadly, there are attention-craving lunatics that really get off on these types of things, and (lucky for them) there is always someone willing to supply. Like GoldenPalace.com. They thrive on sad media-fueled buys (think William Shatner’s kidney stone) to try and drive like-minded lunatics to their casino. Which is why they bought Britney's half-eaten egg-salad sandwich and Kevin Federline's corndog on eBay.

Perhaps they should rather focus on being a proper online casino, and lay off the theatrics. I’m sorry if I come across a bit strong, but I’ve had bad experiences with them once too often.

If ridiculous paraphernalia is your bag, then I guess these types of things would appeal to you. However, if, like me, you prefer to have a decent game at a decent casino or poker room that doesn’t try to dilute its service with utter crap – there really is no appeal.

PartyPoker player arrested while playing at home

Police raided professional poker player Richard Lee's Shavano Park house in San Antonio last week. They referred to his residence as the "nerve center" of a suspected Internet gambling operation, and police confiscated a money-counting machine, five Lexus cars, plasma screen TVs and a large amount of cash.

But Lee, who recently won more than $2.8 million in the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, hasn't been charged with a crime, said Sandy Gutierrez, spokeswoman with the San Antonio Police Department.

Lee denied operating an Internet gambling Web site but said he was taking part in an online poker tournament on partypoker.com when police arrived.

Read more