Monthly Archives: June 2017

So You Want a Cultural Revolution? – The American Conservative

Posted: June 28, 2017 at 6:48 am

Horrified by images of American students shouting down and physically attacking speakers on their campuses, some commentators have reasonably invoked memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The problem with that analogy is that it is simply lost on most readers, including most younger than middle age.

So what exactly was this Cultural Revolution thing anyway? The U.S. media does a wonderful job of recalling atrocities that they can associate with the Right, while far worse horrors stemming from the Left vanish into oblivion. In reality, not only does the Cultural Revolution demand to be remembered and commemorated, it also offers precious lessons about the nature of violence, and the perils of mob rule.

In 2019, Communist China will celebrate its seventieth anniversary, and in that short time it has been responsible for no fewer than three of the worst acts of mass carnage in human history. These include the mass murders of perceived class enemies in the immediate aftermath of the revolution (several million dead), and the government-caused and -manipulated famine of the late 1950s, which probably killed some 40 million. Only when set aside these epochal precedents does the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76 seem like anything other than a unique cataclysm.

By the early 1960s, Chinas Communist elite hoped for an era of stability and growth, modeled on the then-apparently booming Soviet Union (remember, this was the immediate aftermath of Sputnik). The main obstacle to this scenario was the seventy year old leader Mao Zedong, whose apocalyptic visions held out hopes of revolutionary transformations almost overnight, of a near immediate move to perfect Communism. Mao himself loathed the post-Stalin regime in the Soviet Union, seeing it as a revisionist system little different from Western imperialism. In an ideal world, Mao would have been kicked upstairs to some symbolic role as national figurehead, but he proved a stubborn and resourceful foe. He outmaneuvered and defeated his revisionist Party rival Liu Shaoqi, who became a symbol of all that was reactionary, moderate, and imperialist. Brutally maltreated, Liu was hounded to death.

So far, the conflict was the bureaucratic backstabbing typical of Communist regimes, but Mao then escalated the affair to a totally different plane. From 1966 onwards, he deliberately incited and provoked mass movements to destroy the authority structures within China, within the Party itself, but also in all areas of government, education, and economic life. Mao held out a simple model, which perfectly prefigures modern campus theories of systematic oppression and intersectionality. Even in a Communist Chinese society, said Mao, there were privileged and underprivileged people, and those qualities were deeply rooted in ancestry and the legacies of history. Regardless of individual character or qualities, the child of a poor family was idealized as part of the masses that Communism was destined to liberate; the scion of a rich or middle class home was a class enemy.

The underprivileged poor peasants, workers, and students had an absolute right and duty to challenge and overthrow the powerful and the class enemies, not just as individuals, but in every aspect of the society and culture they ruled. In this struggle, there could be no restraint or limitation, no ethics or morality, beyond what served the good of the ultimate historical end, of perfect Communism. In a Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, the oppressed need observe neither rules nor legality. Even to suggest such a constraint was bourgeois heresy.

What this all meant in practice is that over the following years, millions of uneducated and furious young thugs sought to destroy every form of authority structure or tradition in China. To understand the targets, it helps to think of the movement as a systematic inversion of Confucian values, which preached reverence to authority figures at all levels. In full blown Maoism, in contrast, all those figures were to be crushed and extirpated. Bureaucrats and Party officials were humiliated, beaten or killed, as was anyone associated (however implausibly) with The Past, or high culture, or foreign influence. Pianists and artists had their hands broken. Professors and teachers were special targets for vilification and violence, as the educational system altogether collapsed.

Anarchistic mobs replaced all authority with popular committees that inevitably became local juntas, each seeking to outdo the other in degrees of sadism. Some class enemies were beaten to death, others buried alive or mutilated. In parts of Guangxi province, the radicals pursued enemies beyond the grave, through a system of mass ritual cannibalism. Compared to such horrors, it seems almost trivial to record the mass destruction of books and manuscripts, artistic objects and cultural artifacts, historic sites and buildings. The radicals were seeking nothing less than the annihilation of Chinese culture. Within a few months of the coming of Revolution, local committees had degenerated into rival gangs and private armies, each claiming true ideological purity, and each at violent odds with the other. Such struggles tore apart cities and neighborhoods, villages and provincial towns.

Outside the military and that is a crucial exception the Chinese state ceased to function. The scale of the resulting anarchy is suggested by the controversy over the actual number of fatalities resulting from the crisis. Some say one million deaths over the full decade, some say ten million, with many estimates between those two extremes. Government was so absent that literally nobody in authority was available to count those few million missing bodies. China became a textbook example of the Hobbesian state of Nature and a reasonable facsimile of Hell on Earth. Only gradually, during the early 1970s, were the Chinese armed forces able to intervene, sending the radicals off en masse into rural exile.

Chinas agony ended only after the death of the monster Mao, in 1976, and the trial of his leading associates. From 1979, the country re-entered the civilized world under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, who is today lionized as a great reformer. That portrayal is correct but we should never forget that as an architect of the earlier Great Famine, Deng had almost as much blood on his hands as did Mao himself.

So extreme was the violence of the Cultural Revolution that we might reasonably ask whether any parallels exist with the contemporary U.S. However ghastly the suppression of free speech at Middlebury College and elsewhere, however unacceptable the rioting in Berkeley, nobody has as yet lost his life in the current wave of protests. But in so many ways, the analogies are there. As in the Cultural Revolution, American radicals are positing the existence of historically oppressed classes, races and social groups, who rebel against the unjust hegemony of others. In both cases, genetics is a critical means of identifying the two competing sides, the Children of Light and Children of Darkness. If you belong to a particular race, class or group, you hold privilege, whether you want to or not. Consistently, the radicals demonize their enemies, invoking every historical insult at their disposal, no matter how inapplicable: Berkeleys would- be revolutionaries describe themselves as Antifas, Anti-Fascists, as if any of their targets vaguely fit any conceivable definition of fascism.

For the oppressed and underprivileged, or those who arrogate those titles to themselves, resistance is a moral imperative, and only the oppressed can decide what means are necessary and appropriate in the struggle for liberation. The enemy, the oppressors, the hegemons, have no rights whatever, and certainly no right of speech. There can be no dialogue between truth and error. Violence is necessary and justified, and always framed in terms of self-defense against acts of oppression, current or historic.

Presently, our own neo-Cultural Revolutionaries are limited in what they can achieve, because even the most inept campus police forces enforce some restraints. If you want to see what those radicals could do, were those limitations ever removed, then you need only look at China half a century ago. And if anyone ever tells you what a wonderful system Communism could be were it not for the bureaucracies that smothered the effervescent will of an insurgent people, then just point them to that same awful era of Chinese history.

If, meanwhile, you want to ensure that nothing like the Cultural Revolution could ever occur again, then look to values of universally applicable human rights, which extend to all people, all classes. And above all, support the impartial rule of law and legality. The Cultural Revolution may be the best argument ever formulated for the value of classical theories of liberalism.

Philip Jenkins teaches at Baylor University. He is the author of Crucible of Faith: The Ancient Revolution That Made Our Modern Religious World (forthcoming Fall 2017).

Read this article:

So You Want a Cultural Revolution? - The American Conservative

Posted in Government Oppression | Comments Off on So You Want a Cultural Revolution? – The American Conservative

Gregory County finding success in war on drugs – Daily Republic

Posted: at 6:47 am

Judge Bobbi Rank has sat behind the bench in Gregory, Tripp, Todd and Bennett counties since her appointment in October. She joins the Sixth Judicial Circuit at an interesting time, as charges of possession and ingestion of Schedule I and II drugs, which include methamphetamine, plummet in one of her counties and skyrocket in another.

In Gregory County, 22 charges of possession or ingestion of Schedule I and II drugs were filed in 2015, according to the Unified Judicial System. The next year, only 20 charges were filed.

But so far this year, there have only been four charges filed, according to UJS.

At that rate, Gregory County would see an estimated 8.44 drug charges, a nearly 62 percent reduction in only two years.

"Anytime we've got less drug crimes, that's beneficial to society," Rank said.

Scott Anshutz, Mayor of Gregory, the largest town in Gregory County with about 1,300 people, credited the decline to county and city law enforcement, even though every officer in Gregory's three-person department was hired in 2016.

"The newer generation versus us older guys probably know what to look for," Anshutz said.

The three officers are 31 years old or younger, according to Gregory Chief of Police Travis DeBuhr, and two had no prior law enforcement experience. But DeBuhr said his officers have been quick to learn, and they know what to look for.

"I think just working with the other departments and putting the hard work into it is the only way you can really get it done, especially with the new guys, trying to get them caught up on it," DeBuhr said.

The reduction in drug crimes is even more impressive compared to the state average. In South Dakota, possession and ingestion charges rose more than 25 percent from 2015 to 2016, from 7,898 to 9,906. With 4,751 charges filed so far this year, the state is on pace to break 10,000 total charges.

But despite the reduction in one county, Rank said drug crimes still make up the bulk of her caseload. In Tripp County, Schedule I and II drug charges rose 178 percent in 2016, topping out at 64 charges. It's on pace to drop back down, but this year may still outpace the 2015 total.

The greatest rise in Rank's counties comes in Bennett. There were 12 charges filed in that county in 2015, but they more than doubled the next year and have continued to grow exponentially. So far in 2017, there have already been 34 charges filed, putting the county on pace to file more than 70 possession and ingestion charges, which would be a nearly 498 percent increase in two years.

Rank doesn't know why drug crime is increasing there, but she said judges across the state are staying busy with drug charges, and she was prepared to handle any situation after applying to take now-retired Judge Kathleen Trandahl's place.

"I think when you apply to be a judge, you just, you know as part of your application that you can take any sort of case," Rank said.

But even with drug crimes and a murder case in the area, Rank, who grew up near Winner, is happy to bring her family back to Tripp County.

View original post here:

Gregory County finding success in war on drugs - Daily Republic

Posted in War On Drugs | Comments Off on Gregory County finding success in war on drugs – Daily Republic

Sports betting bill tracker – ESPN

Posted: at 6:47 am

Which other states are on the path to getting legalized sports betting like Nevada?

Sports betting is increasingly getting the attention of state lawmakers.

The uptick in legislative activity for traditional sports betting -- think point spreads, totals, money lines and prop bets -- follows dozens of states that have considered laws specifically permitting daily fantasy sports.

New state laws about sports betting had been largely dormant since the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was enacted. For two decades, PASPA dissuaded states from legalizing sports betting. But that changed in 2012 when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation to permit Nevada-style sports gambling. The NCAA, NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL sued to stop New Jersey's plan. That lawsuit will now be heard by the Supreme Court.

Now that the Supreme Court has decided to hear New Jersey's appeal in its long-running quest to offer legalized sports betting, ESPN's gambling experts examine how we got to this point and answer other key questions moving forward.

Despite the lawsuit, additional states have recently moved to introduce legislation that would legalize sports betting. Some of the proposals would only be activated if PASPA is repealed by Congress or overturned by the courts. Other proposals are direct affronts to PASPA and might result in additional litigation.

At the same time various state lawmakers are considering sports betting legislation, Congress is too. Representative Frank Pallone, D-N.J., introduced a "discussion draft" in early 2017 that would replace PASPA. Hearings on the bill have yet to be scheduled.

The dual track of proposals -- state and federal -- have increased in frequency since the start of 2017. Below is a synopsis of the newly proposed state laws, with updates to follow.

This file was updated on June 27, 2017.

According to the Hartford Courant, Connecticut's new bill would empower state regulators to allow sports betting within the state, but the law would not take effect if in conflict with PASPA or any other federal law. As of June 23, a copy of the bill had yet to be posted on Connecticut's publicly available legislative website.

Maryland House Bill No. 989 was introduced on Feb. 9 and calls for the establishment of a task force to "study the implementation of sports gaming in the state." The draft legislation includes the allocation of a "sports gaming license" and the ability to accept wagers on sporting events if the bettor is at least 21 years of age. The proposed Maryland legislation would only come into effect if federal law allowed it.

On Jan. 18, legislation was introduced to amend the state's current gaming control law. Michigan's proposed bill would allow any holder of a casino license to "accept wagers on sporting events." The state's gaming board would be required to "promulgate rules to regulate the conduct of sports betting under this act."

In addition to the legislation part of the long-running court case with the five sports leagues, New Jersey has also seen a "nuclear option" introduced. The proposal -- bent on getting around PASPA's ban -- would be a full repeal of "all NJ laws against sports betting," according to State Sen. Raymond Lesniak. A bill to "remove and repeal all State laws and regulations prohibiting and regulating the placement and acceptance ... of wagers on professional, collegiate, or amateur sport contests or athletic events" was introduced late last year.

Bill S01282 "authorizes gambling on professional sporting events and athletic events sponsored by universities or colleges." The New York bill would allow gambling to take place at any authorized racetrack, off-track-betting location or casino in the state. The proposed legislation mandates that all proceeds from any sports gambling be applied to education.

Pending legislation would allow the Oklahoma governor to expand the tribal-state compact and include "sports pools." The expansion would consist of "wagering on the outcome of one or more competitive games in which athletes participate, or on one or more performances of such athletes in such games where all bets are placed in a common pool or pot from which all player winnings, prizes and direct costs are paid." The proposed bill would only take effect if permitted by federal law.

Pennsylvania saw two sports betting bills introduced in 2017. Senate Bill No. 750 would expand current gaming law to allow sports wagering. The Senate bill defines sports wagering as the "business of accepting wagers on sporting events or on the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or combination of sporting events by any system or method of wagering, including, but not limited to, exchange wagering, parlays, over-under, money line, pools and straight bets." House Bill No. 519 includes the same definition and also provides for applicants to receive a sports betting "certificate" upon approval from the regulatory board.

House Bill No. 3102 would amend South Carolina's Constitution to allow "sports betting on professional sports." Any betting would be "strictly" regulated and limited to "specified" areas. According to a court document from the now-resolved New York daily fantasy litigation involving DraftKings and FanDuel, South Carolina's current definition of gambling "includes betting money on the outcome of any 'game,' regardless of the skill involved in the game."

On March 1, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill titled "Legalizing Sport Pool Betting." The legislation would allow the state's lottery commission "to promulgate legislative rules establishing sports betting." The bill also includes language indicating that is a direct affront to PASPA, finding that "federal law prohibiting sports betting in West Virginia is unconstitutional."

See original here:

Sports betting bill tracker - ESPN

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Sports betting bill tracker – ESPN

This client physically attacked his financial adviser when confronted about his gambling – MarketWatch

Posted: at 6:47 am

Joe Heider

Demanding clients can push advisers to do better. Joe Heiders client pushed him against a wall.

A financial planner in Cleveland, Ohio, Heider befriended a tech entrepreneur in 1990. Lets call him Dave (not his real name). Over the next decade, Heider offered Dave informal financial advice on occasion.

At first, he had no real money to invest, Heider recalled. But that changed as Daves company grew.

By 2000, Dave became Heiders client. Soon after, their friendship took a nose dive.

For years, Heider had noticed that his pal enjoyed alcohol and gambling. But he never seemed like an addict.

Hed have a drink in his hand at a party, but it wasnt binge drinking, Heider said. And he liked to gamble maybe $100 on a Sunday football game, but he didnt have a bookie or anything.

Yet Heider began to suspect something was amiss. Reviewing Daves wire transfers from his brokerage account, Heider detected several unusually large withdrawals just before the Super Bowl and college basketballs March Madness.

Because his friend had recently sold his business and reaped a windfall, his net worth soared above $7 million. That meant Dave had more money to lose, and Heider helped him craft a plan to alleviate financial worries for the rest of his life. (Both Heider and Dave were in their 40s at the time.)

After Dave moved to another city, Heider retained him as a client, visited regularly and even stayed at his house. Heider realized he needed to confront his chum on his next trip.

Even though he was a friend, when people have problems they dont want to acknowledge it, Heider said. So I brought it up very carefully.

The conversation occurred on a Saturday morning, after Heider awoke to find Daves four landlines lit up in the midst of basketball season. No one else was home.

You have a pattern of unsustainable withdrawals in your portfolio, Heider told his friend later that morning. My concern is what youre doing will destroy the financial plan that we agreed to.

Heider hoped that Dave beefy former professional athlete would reply, Yeah, I know I have a problem.

Instead, he grabbed Heider, lifted him up and shoved him against a wall.

It wasnt like youre wrestling with your brother and you get a little rambunctious, Heider said. It was so violent. It was shocking. I wasnt afraid hed really hurt me. But it pissed me off.

Dave barked at Heider to mind your own business and do your job, but Heider stuck to his message after Dave released his grip.

Im concerned about you as a person, Heider replied. Im concerned youll destroy yourself and everything you have.

The gambling abated in the months that followed, only to resurface with a vengeance. And Daves drinking worsened as well. Eventually, he lost his home and declared personal bankruptcy.

Heider cut the cord with Dave, but looked him up two years later and invited him to dinner. Dave agreed as long as Heider paid.

On his second martini, he starts telling me, Its your fault. You shouldve done an intervention and had me go into a rehab center, Heider said. That was the last time I saw him.

Now 63, Heider extracts a lesson from his experience: Speak up sooner rather than later when a clients behavior threatens their financial future.

The takeaway is to become more assertive earlier when I see signs of trouble, he said.

Visit link:

This client physically attacked his financial adviser when confronted about his gambling - MarketWatch

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on This client physically attacked his financial adviser when confronted about his gambling – MarketWatch

Zelda Breath of the Wild guide: Gambling – Polygon

Posted: at 6:47 am

After you complete the Take Back the Sea side quest (which is as simple as just killing a bunch of bokoblins on a nearby beach) and restore Lurelin Village, youll find a house in the northeast of the town where you can gamble your rupees for a quick buck.

Travel to the Yah Rin shrine and head down into Lurelin Village. Keep heading roughly northeast as you follow the paths through town. Youre looking for a house with the door open you can see it when you look northeast from the Lurelin Village inn.

Bear in mind that this is by no means a get rich quick scheme. When you walk into the house, talk to Cloyne. Hell explain the rules of the game to you you pay 10, 50 or 100 rupees for a one-in-three chance to win money. Buying in at 10 or 50 rupees gives you the chance to double your money. Paying 100 rupees, on the other hand, will triple it.

After you buy in, all you have to do is go pick a treasure chest. Theres no way to game the system here youre just at the mercy of chance. Two of the chests contain a single rupee, and the third has either double or triple what you paid in.

Originally posted here:

Zelda Breath of the Wild guide: Gambling - Polygon

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Zelda Breath of the Wild guide: Gambling – Polygon

Police: Man ran half-dozen illegal gambling rooms in Austin area – MyStatesman.com

Posted: at 6:47 am

Updated: 6:48 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, 2017| Posted: 6:24 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Chong Pak, 53, has been arrested in connection to an illegal gambling operation in Austin.

Police found nearly $750,000 in cash in Paks home after serving a warrant, officials said.

Police believe Pak owned six to eight game rooms in the Austin area.

Austin police have arrested a man in connection to citywide illegal gambling activities, but the case remains open as they expect to file more charges in the future against others, police said.

Authorities identified 53-year-old Chong Pak as their primary suspect in the case. No other warrants have been issued yet, police said.

In January, Austin police began an investigation into several illegal gambling operations throughout the Austin area, according to a news release.

After police maintained surveillance on Pak and his associates for three months, they conducted a search of Paks home at the 1200 block of Augusta Bend in Hutto, officials said.

EYE ON CRIME: Click to receive our Crime and Safety Report by email every Monday

In the home, police said they found $724,736 in cash believed to be income derived from the operation of the illegal game rooms, three vehicles valued at $94,550, and approximately $7,500 in gold and silver ingots.

Police believe Pak owned six to eight game rooms where he operated straight-line machines. He also leased machines for other illegal operations in the area, officials said.

People who play with these particular machines do not have a legitimate chance of winning, police said.

These activities are of interest to police because of the related crimes that could occur, such as robberies and violent crimes, police said.

Austin police believe there are about 80 illegal gambling operations housed in warehouses, homes and storefronts throughout the Austin area, said Austin police Cmdr. Troy Officer of APDs organized crime unit.

Pak was arrested and charged with money laundering and engaging in organized crime, the release said. If convicted, Pak could face up to life in prison and a $10,000 fine, the release said.

Link:

Police: Man ran half-dozen illegal gambling rooms in Austin area - MyStatesman.com

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Police: Man ran half-dozen illegal gambling rooms in Austin area – MyStatesman.com

Editorial: On NY gambling, enough is enough – Plattsburgh Press Republican

Posted: at 6:47 am

The question of whether New York state has enough gambling outlets is on a lot of minds lately.In fact, some people have been saying for quite some time that the state has well more than enough.

To our way of thinking, public gambling has gone from virtually off limits to plentiful. Adding more would produce seriously diminishing returns.

As recently as the mid 20th century, gambling was considered by many a moral affront. Ironically, religious and philanthropic organizations used it in fundraising efforts while chastising those who endorsed it as a money-making and tax-producing mechanism.

In our region, only Saratoga Race Course has enjoyed full government and public approval over the generations.

But, as other gambling venues began to thrive in other states, New Yorkers wondered if they were missing out on something lucrative. The Atlantic City casinos may have begun the second-guessing.

Native-American gambling enterprises sprang up as the tribes negotiated with the federal and state governments over Indian rights.

In the North Country, we have the Akwesasne Casino in Hogansburg and, on a much smaller scale, the Ganienkeh bingo and slot-machine operation in Altona.

Meanwhile, the state lottery has become a central factor in many peoples daily lives.

New state-chartered casinos were approved in three regions of the state, including one in Schenectady, and Massachusetts is among nearby states where gambling parlors are either open or about to be.

The New York State Legislature is now considering allowing online poker. The beneficiary would be state education, as is the case with the lottery.

Currently, New York is home to 11 Native American casinos, nine racinos and the three state-approved casinos. Last year, the legislature added sports betting to the states list of allowable gambling opportunities.

Vernon Downs Racetrack in Oneida County is threatening to close down because of too much competition from other kinds of gambling.

So the question people are asking these days is, Is there too much gambling in New York to go around? It used to be, Is New York too prudish for its own good by not allowing public gambling?

The tone of the debate has switched entirely, from moral and ethical to practical.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a proponent of the new casinos. His father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, was steadfast in his opposition to gambling.

It has become clear that something can be learned from each. Weve not heard an avalanche of complaints that state-sanctioned gambling has ruined lives and families on a large scale across the state.

On the other hand, when institutions such as Vernon Downs are threatened by competition from other gambling venues, its time to assess the inventory.

Imagine, for example, if Saratoga Race Course were jeopardized by the lure of other gambling offerings. The New York Racing Authority is having trouble enough without taking gambling competition into account.

It may be time to draw the line. The gambling market may finally be saturated.

Read the rest here:

Editorial: On NY gambling, enough is enough - Plattsburgh Press Republican

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Editorial: On NY gambling, enough is enough – Plattsburgh Press Republican

Charitable gambling site opening delayed – Eagle-Tribune

Posted: at 6:47 am

SALEM, N.H. Though the opening date has been pushed back, town officials are anticipating that Salems forthcoming charitable gambling operation will have a regional impact.

During a planning board meeting on Tuesday, Planning Director Ross Moldoff proposed that the board consider naming the new charitable gambling business as a development with regional impact.Under state law, local land use authorities such as planning and zoning boards can formally mark a project as having a regional impact. Once designated, the town must notify a regional commission and it is recommended that the town or cityto consider the interests of other potentially affected municipalities.

Its such an unusual type of facility, thefirst of its typethat weve seen. Its going to attract people from all over, Moldoff said.The board ultimately did not make the designation.

Cheers Poker Room and Casino will be the first charitable gambling organization to open in Salem sincethe voters approved charitable gambling andthe closure of Rockingham Park last year, and will bring in money for many local nonprofit organizations.

Money made at Rockingham Park supplemented the budgets of 36 local nonprofits, generating nearly $2 million annually, according to the racetracks general manager.After the racetrack closed last September, multiple businesses filed proposals to open charitable gambling locations. However, citing zoning concerns, the town rejected all of them. The issue then went to the voters, who approved it in March.

The poker room and casino will be located at 286 North Broadway next to Isabellas Pizzeria. The 12,00-square-foot facility once housed a gym and, previously, Maxwell Plumbing Supply.

About anything that Dan Dandreo does to this site will be an improvement, planning representative George Fredette said.

Dandreo had originally planned to open the gambling business in June, but has pushed it back to the last week of summer as they work to get permits and building plan approvals. The poker room has yet to determine where the driveway will be and submit a traffic study. They also must get approval from the state Department of Transportation, as North Broadway is a state road.

Once it opens, Cheers Poker Room and Casino will be open until 1 p.m. There are homes 350 feet away on nearby Old Rockingham Road, and a police detail will be employed during peak times.

Hobbyist and self-professed poker room expert Ashley Adams and other poker players attended Tuesdays hearing in support of the business and dismiss any misconceptions about gamblers.

Poker rooms and poker players are almost always exceptional corporate citizens. There are exceptions, but theyre less than at Fenway Park or what used to be called the Boston Garden, he said.

Cheers will seat almost 300 people and will include food and beverage options. It is expected to employ close to 30 people.

See the article here:

Charitable gambling site opening delayed - Eagle-Tribune

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Charitable gambling site opening delayed – Eagle-Tribune

Las Vegas Club opened for gambling but only briefly – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted: at 6:47 am

The Las Vegas Club opened for business Tuesday. But it was closed before the lunch buffets ended downtown.

The Las Vegas Club opened for business Tuesday.

But it was closed before the lunch buffets ended downtown.

Thats the nature of the quirky pop-up casino phenomenon, a mechanism in place to allow a casino to preserve its gaming license when a building is closed, torn down or under extensive remodeling.

The quick opening and closing of the Las Vegas Club and Wednesdays eight-hour opening of nearby Mermaids were the latest properties to take advantage of the process as Derek and Greg Stevens, owners of downtowns D and Golden Gate properties, prepares to demolish the buildings and build anew on the Fremont Street frontage.

Eight-hour opening

For properties in Clark County, a nonrestricted licensee must have a casino open at least eight hours once every 18 months. For those within the city of Las Vegas, its eight hours once every two years.

So, for 16 hours Tuesday and Wednesday, gamblers were invited to play 16 slot machines the minimum number necessary to maintain a non-restricted license between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Based on the likely timetable of the Stevens project, the whole exercise may need to be repeated two years from now.

Tuesdays Las Vegas Club opening was accessible from a gate in a fence surrounding the demolition and construction site.

Players were met with a horseshoe-shaped bank of 16 slot machines in front of curtains that hid the view of the Las Vegas Clubs interior. The 16 slots were linked multidenomination, multigame devices, some branded as Gamblers Bonus machines.

As of about noon, two hours before closing time, about five players gave the slots a spin. One guy won about $5.

Not all the same

Not every pop-up casino is the same.

Every one is a little different, said Deborah Richardson, director of regulatory compliance for United Coin Machine Co. Sometimes, we just have an area inside a free-standing building thats curtained off, sometimes we set up a tent on a site and sometimes we have a trailer that we bring in.

Representatives of United Coin, a subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Century Gaming Technologies, staffed the temporary setups after receiving special licensing from the Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday.

United Coin, which operates convenience store and tavern slot routes in Nevada and Montana, operates the temporary casino under contract from the buildings owner. The Stevenses acquired the buildings in 2015 and 2016 and plan to build an as-yet-unnamed property starting next year.

Richardson did not disclose terms of the space lease agreements for the Las Vegas Club and Mermaids.

But under the deal, United Coin must provide security and personnel to pay out large jackpots. Rather than establish a video security system like most major casinos, United Coin has a monitor watching play, and itll have someone available to handle payment transactions.

Downtown interest

Richardson said the level of play varies on the temporary casinos the company sets up. At sites that have some historic or sentimental significance, gamblers will show up and play so they can say they were one of the last customers to play at a specific location. She said the Las Vegas Club and Mermaids have received above-average interest from prospective players, just as the site of the Moulin Rouge has over the years.

Sometimes, well have quite a few people come through, but in some places we havent had a single customer, she said.

Richardson said her company is a popular choice for temporary facilities because we know the drill.

United Coin has become the go-to company for temporary setups.

Were licensed, and its one of the services we provide, Richardson said. Were comfortable doing it.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.

Other pop-ups

This weeks temporary casino openings at the Las Vegas Club and Mermaids were the latest licensed to United Coin Machine Co. Other sites the company has worked:

Read the original:

Las Vegas Club opened for gambling but only briefly - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted in Gambling | Comments Off on Las Vegas Club opened for gambling but only briefly – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Understanding Death | Home Pet Euthanasia of Southern …

Posted: at 6:47 am

It is important to understand what the body does when death occurs. Not in an attempt to be morbid, but so that you will not experience unpleasant surprises and so that you will be prepared to witness the passing of your pet.

In the process of a quiet, peaceful home euthanasia, it is unlikely that you will witness anything very upsetting or unsettling. In about 95% of the cases, you will not see anything else than the cessation of breathing and of motion. Body reactions can occur however, and in the event that you see something it is important for you to understand that these body reactions do not equate suffering and are part of the natural event of dying.

The genetic entity is geared towards survival. Cells and bodies are reluctant to let go of life and when death occurs, the body may attempt to stay alive even though the spirit is leaving the body. This is not an indication that your pet was not ready or anything of the sort.

The most surprising of those reactions is the agonal breathing. This looks like sudden or convulsive breaths which do not actually lead to oxygenation. They are more or less a reaction of the nerves in the body trying to kick start the body back into life again. There can be only one "shudder" or several in a row (4 or 5 or rarely more). When those occur, there is not enough oxygen to the brain for the pet to be conscious. Agonal breathing occurs as the body is dying and the pet has no consciousness of this and certainly does not feel like "he can't breathe". Most of the times, those are silent, but occasionally, breathing noises can accompany them. Some people describe it as a shudder or a grunt, I've also heared the term "death rattles", but the pet has no consciousness of this occurring. They do not always occur. As a matter of fact, they are unlikely to occur because we use a drug that calms the body and that helps to prevent agonal breathing. In addition, injecting the euthanasia solution slowly also helps to prevent agonal breathing. However, sometimes, despite the use of this drug and despite the slow injection of the euthanasia solution, agonal breathing cannot always be eliminated. It is important to understand that agonal breathing does not mean that the pet is suffering and that pain is experienced. Remember, if and when they do occur, the pet is already unconscious and chances are that the heart has already stopped. For all intents and purposes, the pet is already gone.

Other reactions that can be seen are little twitches of the muscles or skin. These can sometimes last for several minutes after the pet has passed away. They are normal nerve reactions but do not always occur either. They are very subtle and not always observed. When observed, they are most often seen around the lower part of the shoulder or around the muzzle, but they can be seen anywhere on the body.

The normal relaxed position of the eyes after a pet (or a person) has passed away is open. Eyes will likely remain open. Rarely they close and sometimes they are in a sort of a neutral position, neither open or closed. Pet owners often ask me to close their pets eyes. Unfortunately, even if we close the eyes, they will inevitably re-open unless a little drop of surgical glue is put under the eyelids. Some people find it particularly unsettling to see their pets eyes open and prefer that I use that little drop of surgical glue. If this is the case for you, please do let me know.

In addition to the eyes remaining open, the cornea (the clear part of the eyes) will take on a glassy or blurry appearance within a few minutes.

Bodily fluids and gas will leak out. If the bladder is very full, there will be a large puddle of urine under your pet, so it is important to prepare for this and to have towels readily available to slide under your pet after his passing. Even if your pet has recently urinated, it is likely that there will be a little bit of urine leakage. It is not as common for feces will leak out, but it can happen, especially if your pet has had diarrhea. If your pet has been very ill with severe diarrhea or bloody stools, it can be quite messy after his passing. Again, better be prepared. Out of respect for your pet, we will never force your pet to lie down on something unusual that he may be uncomfortable with. But if towels are nearby, as soon as your pet has passed away, we can slide those towels underneath him before leakage occurs.

Sometimes, particularly in cases of congestive heart failure, chest bleeding due to a ruptured tumor, pneumonia or trauma, blood tinted fluid can escape the nasal cavity or mouth. This can look scary, but as your pet has already passed away, his suffering has ended and this will be of no consequence to him and is a normal part of such disease process. If your pets illness did not involve the conditions named above, this nasal or oral bleeding will not occur.

Other normal occurences include the ears becoming pricked, the tail can curl up, the hair (hackles) along the spine (particularly at the base of the spine and on the tail) can become raised. Very rarely, the entire body can stretch during the death process or immediately after.

After the passing of your pet, when his body is moved or lifted, sometimes, the air empties out of the lungs and as this happens, you may hear something what sounds like a breath or a grunt. This does not mean that your pet is still alive or is still breathing. It is just the leftover air leaving the lungs.

With all the above said, you should not worry yourself unduly that the passing of your pet will be traumatic to you. A home euthanasia is usually very peaceful and the reactions described above are benign and not very scary or traumatic to a pet owner. Being aware of what can occur will find you prepared for all eventualities and will minimize the upset and trauma you will inevitably feel at the loss of your beloved pet. The most important thing to remember is that your pets spirit left peacefully and the body reactions which can be considered potentially unsightly by more sensitive people are just body reactions and they do not indicate suffering upon euthanasia. If you know that you are very sensitive and likely to be very upset in the unlikely event that you see any of these reactions, you may want to consider not being present for the final injection and may want to choose saying your final goodbyes beforehand.

Death occurring naturally, unaided by euthanasia is usually more dramatic to a greater or lesser degree. Agonal breathing is likely to occur and may last for several seconds and even minutes. Twitches are usually more evident. If your pet is experiencing pain, he may vocalize. The manifestations of death vary depending on the disease process causing death.

Read more:

Understanding Death | Home Pet Euthanasia of Southern ...

Posted in Euthanasia | Comments Off on Understanding Death | Home Pet Euthanasia of Southern …