Monthly Archives: August 2021

The Irony of BSP and SP Going From Being Anti-Brahmin to Now Wooing Them – The Wire

Posted: August 11, 2021 at 12:25 pm

On November 20, 2018, Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey sparked controversy by holding a poster that read Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy.

This made Congress leader Manish Tewari furious.

Although Brahmanism is an ideology and theoretically not equated to any particular social group, but in popular reception, anti-Brahmanism is often interpreted as being anti-Brahmin, which is also evident in Tewaris tweet.

Even though there was no substance behind Tewaris claim, he would not have thought that three years later, the flag-bearers of Mandal politics, whom he blamed, in Uttar Pradesh Bahujan Samaj Party [BSP] and Samajwadi Party [SP] would take his claim so seriously.

The announcement by BSP, which was followed by SP, to hold Brahmin Sammelans (Prabudh Varg Sammelan) across the state to woo the community to revive their electoral fortunes, gives rise to the host of issues. Is BJP forcing parties like BSP and SP to redefine their politics? What happens to their anchoring principles of social justice and secularism in the process of this re-envisioning? Would such a move yield electoral dividends for these parties?

The effort by SP and BSP to lure Brahmins would appear an ill-convinced strategy as they have not lost elections because the community has stopped voting for them. Rather, one of the prime reasons behind their electoral debacle is the shift of non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits towards the BJP.

For instance, data from the Lokniti-CSDS post-poll survey on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 suggests that 72% of non-Yadav and non-Koeri-kurmi OBCs have voted for the BJP, and only 18% of them have voted for the gathbandhan. Such a decisive shift of lower OBCs and Dalits is puzzling, primarily because their representation in the BJP is marginal and not proportionate to their share in the population. A total of 44.9% upper castes, as opposed to 19.7% OBCs, were fielded by the BJP in UP.

Also read: Heading Towards the UP Polls, What Lies Ahead for Akhilesh Yadav?

No economic progress

What explains the shift of lower OBC and Dalit votes towards a party primarily dominated by upper castes? How has the BJP managed to penetrate the imagination of these communities without stoking discontent among its own core voters?

It can be said that these groups have switched their allegiance because Mandal politics has neither benefitted them materially (in terms of jobs and education) nor politically (political representation and recognition), and most of the advantages have been cornered by some influential castes. These claims are not entirely ungrounded.

For example, the commission, appointed in October 2017, to look into the matter of sub-categorisation within the OBCs at the central level observed that according to the last three years data of OBCs admissions to Central higher education institutions, including universities, IITs, NITs, IIMs and AIIMS, 97% of Central OBC quota benefits have gone to just under 25% of all sub-castes classified as OBCs. Around 983 OBC communities 37% of the total have zero representation in jobs and admissions. Besides, just 10 communities of OBCs have availed 24.95% of jobs and admissions.

It appears that reservation has worked as a double-edged sword. Although it was instrumental in uniting the disparate lower castes against the dominance of upper castes, at the same time, such a skewed and uneven distribution of the benefits of reservation has proven to be a severe handicap for the larger solidarity and collective action. It also partly explains the increasing number of caste-specific outfits (such as the Nishad Party) and loyalty towards a single jati, which is used as a bargaining chip to appeal to particular castes, bereft of any larger concerns.

Consequently, it paved the way for the BJP to mobilise the lower castes into its fold without offering any tangible benefits or representation. Thus, the massive fragmentation amid a rampant BJP is the twin crisis that Mandal politics is witnessing recently.

Also read: UP: Will Rivalry Between Two Caste-Based Parties Over the Nishad Community Benefit the BJP?

Lessons on caste politics from SP-BSPs electoral rout

In spite of the fact that the concerns of lower OBCs and Dalits are genuine, BSP and SP have been reluctant to take their grievances seriously and even failed to acknowledge them. The inability and unwillingness to comprehend the reasons for their electoral rout has resulted in drastic changes in these two parties electoral strategies in each successive election.

To illustrate, SP fought the 2017 assembly elections on the plank of development; symbolised in the slogan kaam bolta hai (construction of expressways and metros, distribution of laptops, etc.), but had to switch to social justice; embodied in the idea of samajik nyaay se mahaparivartan, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But it failed miserably on both occasions.

In a similar vein, BSP tried to win over Muslims by giving over 100 tickets to them in the 2017 assembly elections, but this also failed to pay-off. BSP is now trying to do a similar experiment with the Brahmins. Thus, neither development-oriented nor Mandal style of politics seems to be paying dividends for these parties. No doubt, the BJP has redefined the electoral mobilisation based on caste by pitching some sections of the OBCs against the others. But instead of trying to win back the support of those social groups who have hitherto supported SP and BSP, these parties are trying to entice Brahmins.

Ironically, in this process of reimagining their politics, they are increasingly becoming indifferent towards the fundamental principles of Dalit-Bahujan politics: social justice and secularism. That is why we hardly see any spirited struggle by these parties on the vital issues of social justice such as the continued non-implementation of existing quotas and denial of OBC reservations in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for several years,the introduction of lateral entry without any provision of reservation in government jobs, governments refusal to carry out caste census and the passage of EWS reservation, etc.

Besides, BSPs Brahmin Sammelan in Ayodhya appeared to blur the distinction between BJP and BSP, which was evident in chanting of the Jai Shri Ram sloganand a promise to make the temple faster than the ruling dispensation.

Interestingly, instead of denouncing these events, Mayawati has announced to intensify the sammelans in the wake of FIR against the organisers for violating the COVID-19 protocols during BSPs Kasganj sammelan. Ironically, BSP seems to be compromising on its core values in a context wherein caste-based atrocities and oppression have increased in recent years in Uttar Pradesh. The National Crime Record Bureau data recorded an increase of 7.3% in crimes against the Dalits between 2018 and 2019.

It must be noted that BSPs assumption that Brahmins would vote for the party as they did in 2007 is too naive, as the political landscape has changed radically. The ascendant BJP has benefitted Brahmins in almost every sense, be it economically (10% EWS quota, disinvestment and privatisation), politically (number of ministers, MPs etc.), or culturally (cow vigilantism, thrust for vegetarianism and construction of Ram Mandir).

There is very little that SP or BSP can offer to Brahmins in comparison to the BJP in the current scenario. Therefore, the much-hyped Brahmin anguish with the BJP should be seen as a bargaining tactic to extract a greater share in power by the community within the BJP. There is hardly any substance in their anger: it has more to do with the hurt pride, which is evident in their cry over caste-based encounters (even of deadly criminals) and their reluctance to digest the Rajput dominance.

Also read: As UP Polls Inch Towards Bipolar Contest Between SP and BJP, Alliances Remain Crucial

Thus, it is doubtful that they would switch sides and join hands with those parties that challenged their socio-economic supremacy in the first place. Besides, the interests of the Brahmins and Dalit-Bahujans are largely antithetical. It is amply clear that BJP is setting the discourse, and these parties are dancing to their tunes. And in this process, parties are themselves becoming active agents of counter-revolution against Mandal politicsrather than fighting against it.

Hence, it is not theBrahmin Sammalensthat would revive their electoral fortunes. They need to devise a strategy that should be able to combine two things at once: continue adhering to the central concerns of social justice and secularism, yet reframing them in a manner that appeals and caters to the aspirations of new generations.

Additionally, they need to acknowledge the grievances of lower OBCs and Dalits and find ways to accommodate their interests. An increased number of tickets to candidates belonging to these social groups would be the first step in this direction. In this regard, they can learn from the tactics Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) employed during the Bihar elections last year.

It tried to stick to its ideological commitments of secularism and social justice by introducing reservation in party organisation for lower OBCs, vehemently opposing EWS reservation and Citizenship Amendment Act, and protesting against the dilution of SC/ST atrocities Act. It played a central role in the passage of resolutions in the state assembly both in support of caste-based census and against the pan India NRC.Instead of falling prey to the terms set by the BJP, Yadav and his party set the electoral agenda and surprised us with his leadership style, electoral promises, and ability to appeal and gain support across castes.

On the contrary, the SP and BSP have constantly failed to reinvent their politics in the right direction and lack an ideological anchor. That is why they appear to neither offer anything new to the electorate nor being sincere to their foundational values. However, it must be kept in mind that these parties cannot afford to be defensive on these vital issues as it can further alienate their core voters. The shift of Muslims towards All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Bihar must be seen as a warning sign for Bahujan politics across North India that Muslim votes can no longer be taken for granted.

Pankaj Kumar is a PhD scholar at Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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Gotterdammerung the twilight of the gods – Antigua Observer

Posted: at 12:25 pm

He seemed to be speaking with a seething, barely-controlled rage. He tried to sound reasonable and magnanimous and statesmanlike. It availed little; it was fooling no one. Were talking about Monday evenings address to the nation, from a high place, broadcast on national television a colossal flop that changed no minds. You see, despite the attempt to sound agreeable, his bitter words came out like wormwood and gall; they fell from his tongue, as would dripping venom from mouth of a snake.

The performance, totally lacking in nuance and subtlety, reminded many of the clever seduction of the woman in John Miltons treatment of the story of the fall of man in PARADISE LOST. Save that, whereas Miltons snake was cool and cunning, he of a high place here in our fair State was boorish and off-putting. How else can one describe a leader hissing and spitting a diatribe replete with bile such as, Our political opponents deceptive, demonic agendas to fuel chaos and confusion . . . violent aggression and lawlessness . . . partisan thugs posing as freedom fighters . . .blah, blah, blah. Losers, loafers hot air, hot air, . . . criminal elements . . . blah blah blah. . . .The prime time speech was spectacular for its manifest contempt for the people.

Of course, in the aftermath of last Sundays face-off between the police and the peaceful, law-abiding citizens of this fair State, we here at NEWSCO began asking questions, and based on the answers that weve been receiving, it appears as though there is much discontent in Antigua and Barbuda. For one thing, we suggest that the setting of fires, the stone throwing at buildings, such as the old PDO building, and the widespread defiance displayed by the people speaks to a general frustration with this callous out-of-touch administration. Seems, alls not well in Mudville! Seems, this is Gotterdammerung, the implosion and daily diminution of a regime, desperately fighting to remain relevant. The thing is that the people have already begun looking past the incumbency. They are daily reminded and persuaded that the future of Antigua and Barbuda does not, indeed cannot, lie with this hapless administration.

The people are tired of the routinely late monthly wages, and their inordinately late Social Security monies. Contractors are fed-up with the non-payment of bills on the part of this welching administration. Nearly everyday, some entity is taking action against this administration for non-payment of monies owed. (See one of the school-uniform suppliers). Many persons who have had dealings with National Housing all have horror stories faulty wiring, incomplete work, shoddy workmanship, bedrooms that are too small, and National Housing personnel in high places that are rude and belligerent, and so on and so forth. It is a national disgrace!

Daily life is a herculean struggle for the masses of the people who can find neither hide nor hair of the people whom they elected to represent them. Of course, they are only asking for running water, decent roads, clean gutters, and sidewalks that are not a threat to life and limb. Sadly, with this administration, those basics are a bridge too far, and the people languish in disillusionment and despair. There is an overall dissatisfaction with the way that this administration has been handling the affairs of State the sloppiness, the lack of polish and savoir faire that ability to handle matters smoothly and with a reassuring confidence. This administration says or does one thing, then back-tracks and second-guesses and bungles. It screws up everything it touches in an astonishing reverse Midas touch. Oh so amateurish!

And then there is the naked aggression. Some in high places seem to thrive on getting involved in petty back-and-forth on trivial matters. They threaten and bully! They engage in silly and unbecoming name-calling and assorted public foolishness. Tsk! Tsk! Whatever happened to graciousness and fealty to the dignity of the offices held? All fall down! Instead of paying attention to finding the other/s involved in the Nigel Christian shooting, instead of bringing to account the person or persons who allegedly forged a signature at Customs, instead of sorting out our electricity and internet situation, instead of keeping the many promises that they flippantly make, those in high places are busy gratifying themselves with melee and stupidity on social and other media.

So, he of a high place, goes on national television to defend the indefensible. The defense falls flat, because he does not even believe the nonsense that he spouts himself. Remember, while in opposition, he and his band of agitators and rabble-rousers routinely staged marches and protests, defying the authorities and engaging in name-calling most vile. The cloak of piety this past Monday fools no one.

Interestingly, our fair State earned the dubious distinction as one of only two countries around the world to tear gas its citizens for their opposition to some of the governments policies as they pertain to vaccines. Heres what the WASHINGTON POST [August 1, 2021] reported on the goings-on in Paris: Police in Paris used tear gas Saturday as thousands of protesters joined marches to denounce plans for vaccine health passes,the latest tensions around the world over government mandates to reward those who get vaccinated and maintain restrictions on those who refuse. Hmmmm! Ah yes, in the land of liberte, egalite, fraternite! (the national motto of France and Haiti) Sigh!

Perhaps we ought to end this piece with the words from the second stanza of King Short Shirts NOT BY MIGHT: Give me liberty or give me death / Guns will never quell / The struggles of freedom / Where injustice dwells / The spirit of revolution / Will never bow down to a man / The quality of virtue increases beneath oppression / The more we are suppressed and denied our right / To pursue all happiness and liberty / Its the greater our resistance / To tyranny shall be. No power, not by might! Never mind the tin-pot dictators!

We invite you to visit http://www.antiguaobserver.com and give us your feedback on our opinions.

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‘Glitchpunk’ Available On Steam Early Access – Trailer – WorthPlaying.com

Posted: at 12:23 pm

The gameplay of Glitchpunk is a feast for all fans of high-octane action, explosive shootouts and cyberpunk aesthetics. It is top-down action inspired by the classics of the genre, wrapped in a futuristic neon cloak. Theres plenty of guns, melee weapons and vehicles for you to choose from and cause havoc with. Experience frantic action and wild police chases while listening to futuristic beats on your stolen cars radio.

Run, hack, steal, drive, shoot and blast your way through the criminal underworld of the future. Make some friends, make even more enemies. Kill or be killed, even if it means killing everything you love.

But thats not all: Glitchpunks dystopian streets, back alleys and skyscrapers are also stage for themes like transhumanism, xenophobia and religion as well as an all too human story about relationship, self-discovery and betrayal. The sex and drug infused world of the future raises many questions, only one thing seems certain: humanity is a matter of perspective.

You are an android gifted with a special trait called "glitch": It enables you to go against your programming. Set out to destabilize the tyrannical governments of the post-nuclear world, it's up to you to craft your own agenda. Across four unique locations filled tech-crazed gangs, drugged-up gangs and governed by ever-present megacorporations, take up contracts, earn money and upgrade yourself.

Influence whether or not a gang leader stays on top of the food chain, or let heads roll. There might be something more for you to gain than just money: An ally, or a friend? Maybe even a lover.

Glitchpunk is out now in Steam Early Access at $19.99 with a 20% discount at launch.

Celebrating the release, tune in on launch day, August 11th, to see the official Glitchpunk cosplay model, bloodyfaster, stream the game at 2 PM CET (3 PM EST / 12Pm PT) on Twitch in full costume! See the insanity of Glitchpunk in action, and get a cool look at the games protagonist in real life.

Theres plenty more on the way with Glitchpunks first city, New Baltia, available now and Outpost Texas arriving in three to four weeks. Two more cities Neo Tokyo and Moscow will be added during the Early Access journey. Each city has its own gangs and characters while also continuing the protagonists gripping story. Keep an eye out for more information on Glitchpunks Early Access updates as a detailed road map will be on the way soon after the games launch.

Key Features:

Glitchpunk is is coming to PC (Steam) in 2022.

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'Glitchpunk' Available On Steam Early Access - Trailer - WorthPlaying.com

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Space Colonization – Top 3 Pros and Cons – ProCon.org

Posted: at 12:22 pm

While humans have long thought of gods living in the sky, the idea of space travel or humans living in space dates to at least 1610 after the invention of the telescope when German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote to Italian astronomer Galileo: Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes. In the meantime, we shall prepare, for the brave sky-travellers, maps of the celestial bodies.

In popular culture, space travel dates back to at least the mid-1600s when Cyrano de Bergerac first wrote of traveling to space in a rocket. Space fantasies flourished after Jules Vernes From Earth to the Moon was published in 1865, and again when RKO Pictures released a film adaptation, A Trip to the Moon, in 1902. Dreams of space settlement hit a zenith in the 1950s with Walt Disney productions such as Man and the Moon, and science fiction novels including Ray Bradburys The Martian Chronicles (1950).

Fueling popular imagination at the time was the American space race with Russia, amid which NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed in the United States on July 29, 1958, when President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law. After the Russians put the first person, Yuri Gagarin, in space on Apr. 12, 1961, NASA put the first people, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the Moon in July 1969. What was science fiction began to look more like possibility. Over the next six decades, NASA would launch space stations, land rovers on Mars, and orbit Pluto and Jupiter, among other accomplishments. NASAs ongoing Artemis program, launched by President Trump in 2017, intends to return humans to the Moon, landing the first woman on the lunar surface, by 2024.

As of June 17, 2021, three countries had space programs with human space flight capabilities: China, Russia, and the United States. Indias planned human space flights have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they may launch in 2023. However, NASA ended its space shuttle program in 2011 when the shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21. NASA astronauts going into space afterward rode along with Russians until 2020 when SpaceX took over and first launched NASA astronauts into space on Apr. 23, 2021. SpaceX is a commercial space travel business owned by Elon Musk that has ignited commercial space travel enthusiasm and the idea of space tourism. Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin have generated similar excitement.

Richard Branson launched himself, two pilots, and three mission specialists into space from New Mexico for a 90-minute flight on the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission on July 11, 2021. The flight marked the first time that passengers, rather than astronauts, went into space.

Jeff Bezos followed on July 20, 2021, accompanied by his brother, Mark, and both the oldest and youngest people to go to space: 82-year-old Wally Funk, a female pilot who tested with NASA in the 1960s but never flew, and Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old student from the Netherlands. The fully automated, unpiloted Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launched on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and was named after Alan Shepard, who was the first American to travel into space on May 5, 1961.

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied by groups of six astronauts since Nov. 2000, for a total of 243 astronauts from 19 countries as of May 13, 2021. Astronauts spend an average of 182 days (about six months) aboard the ISS. As of Feb. 2020, Russian Valery Polyakov had spent the longest continuous time in space (437.7 days in 1994-1995 on space station Mir), followed by Russian Sergei Avdeyev (379.6 days in 1998-1999 on Mir), Russians Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov (365 days in 1987-1988 on Mir), Russian Mikhail Kornienko and American Scott Kelly (340.4 days in 2015-2016 on Mir and ISS respectively) and American Christina Koch (328 days in 2019-20 in ISS).

In a 2018 poll, 50% of Americans believed space tourism will be routine for ordinary people by 2068. 32% believed long-term habitable space colonies will be built by 2068. But 58% said they were definitely or probably not interested in going to space. And the majority (63%) stated NASAs top priority should be monitoring Earths climate, while only 18% said sending astronauts to Mars should be the highest priority and only 13% would prioritize sending astronauts to the Moon.

The most common ideas for space colonization include: settling Earths Moon, building on Mars, and constructing free-floating space stations.

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, stated, I think there is a strong humanitarian argument for making life multi-planetary, in order to safeguard the existence of humanity in the event that something catastrophic were to happen, in which case being poor or having a disease would be irrelevant, because humanity would be extinct. It would be like, Good news, the problems of poverty and disease have been solved, but the bad news is there arent any humans left. I think we have a duty to maintain the light of consciousness, to make sure it continues into the future.

According to some philosophies, humans are the only beings capable of morality, and, thus, preserving humanity is the highest moral imperative. Following from that premise, Brian Patrick Green, Director of Technology Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, concluded, Because space settlement gives humankind the opportunity to significantly raise the chances of survival for our species, it is therefore a moral imperative to settle space as quickly as possible.

Some theorists, including Gonzalo Munevar, PhD, interdisciplinary Professor Emeritus at Lawrence Technological University, believe colonizing space will increase clean energy on Earth, provide access to the solar systems resources, and increase knowledge of space and Earth. The benefits to humanity created by the resources and knowledge create a moral obligation to colonize space.

Sheri Wells-Jensen, PhD, Associate Professor of English at Bowling Green State University, argues that the moral imperative goes even further than simple preservation: [W]e have a moral obligation to improve: that is, to colonize yes, but to do it better: to actively unthink systems of oppression that we know exist. To spread ourselves without thought or care would probably result in failure: more planets spiraling toward global warming or space settlements filled with social unrest.

Fred Kennedy, PhD, President of Momentus, a space transportation company, explained, Ill assert that a fundamental truth repeatedly borne out by history is that expanding, outwardly-focused civilizations are far less likely to turn on themselves, and far more likely to expend their fecundity on growing habitations, conducting important research and creating wealth for their citizens. A civilization that turns away from discovery and growth stagnates. Kennedy pointed out that while humans still have problems to resolve on Earth including civil rights violations and wealth inequality, Forgoing opportunities to expand our presence into the cosmos to achieve better outcomes here at home hasnt eliminated these scourges. We shouldnt avoid exploring space based on the false dichotomy of fixing Earthly problems first.

Humans are not a species of stagnation. Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com who traveled to space in 2021, asserted that exploring space would result in expanded human genius: The solar system can easily support a trillion humans. And if we had a trillion humans, we would have a thousand Einsteins and a thousand Mozarts and unlimited, for all practical purposes, resources and solar power unlimited for all practical purposes.

Space, in particular, is connected to exploration and growth in the human imagination. In 2014 Elon Musk stated, Its obvious that space is deeply ingrained in the American psyche SpaceX is only 12 years old now. Between now and 2040, the companys lifespan will have tripled. If we have linear improvement in technology, as opposed to logarithmic, then we should have a significant base on Mars, perhaps with thousands or tens of thousands of people.

While Earth is experiencing devastating climate change effects that should be addressed, Earth will be habitable for at least 150 million years, if not over a billion years, based on current predictive models. Humans have time to explore and colonize space at the same time as we mend the effects of climate change on Earth.

Brian Patrick Green stated, Furthermore, we have to realize that solving Earths environmental problems is extremely difficult and so will take a very long time. And we can do this while also pursuing colonization.

Jeff Bezos suggested that we move all heavy industry off Earth and then zone Earth for residences and light industry only. Doing so could reverse some of the effects of climate change while colonizing space.

Munevar also suggested something similar in more detail: In the shorter term, a strong human presence throughout the solar system will be able to prevent catastrophes on Earth by, for example, deflecting asteroids on a collision course with us. This would also help preserve the rest of terrestrial life presumably something the critics would approve of. But eventually, we should be able to construct space colonies [structures in free space rather than on a planet or moon], which could house millions. These colonies would be positioned to construct massive solar power satellites to provide clean power to the Earth, as well as set up industries that on Earth create much environmental damage. Far from messing up environments that exist now, we would be creating them, with extraordinary attention to environmental sustainability.

Space Ecologist Joe Mascaro, PhD, summarized, To save the Earth, we have to go to Mars. Mascaro argues that expanding technology to go to Mars will help solve problems on Earth: The challenge of colonising Mars shares remarkable DNA with the challenges we face here on Earth. Living on Mars will require mastery of recycling matter and water, producing food from barren and arid soil, generating carbon-free nuclear and solar energy, building advanced batteries and materials, and extracting and storing carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide and doing it all at once. The dreamers, thinkers and explorers who decide to go to Mars will, by necessity, fuel unprecedented lateral innovations [that will solve problems on Earth].

Briony Horgan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Planetary Science at Purdue University, explained that terraforming Mars is way beyond any kind of technology were going to have any time soon.

In one widely promoted plan, Mars needs to first be warmed to closer to Earths average temperature (from -60 C/-76 F to 15 C/59 F), which will take approximately 100 years. Then the planet must be made to produce oxygen so humans and other mammals can breathe, which will take about 100,000 years or more. And those two steps can only be taken once Mars is thoroughly investigated for water, carbon dioxide, and nitrates.

A 2018 NASA study concluded that, based on the levels of CO2 found on Mars, the above plan is not feasible. Lead author Bruce Jakosky, PhD, Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, stated, terraforming Mars is not possible using present-day technology.

If a workable solution were found and implemented, a project of that magnitude would cost billions, perhaps trillions.

Billionaire Elon Musk explained that the SpaceX Mars colonization project would need one million people to pay $200,000 each just to move to and colonize Mars, which doesnt include the costs incurred before humans left Earth. Returning to the Moon would have cost an estimated $104 billion in 2005 (about $133 billion in 2019 dollars), or almost 7 times NASAs entire 2019 budget.

But, a person has yet to set foot on Mars, and no space station has been built on another planet or natural satellite.

Further, as Linda Billings, PhD, Research Professor at George Washington University, noted, all life on Earth evolved to live in Earth conditions If humans cant figure out how to adapt to, or arrest, changing conditions on Earth then I cant see how humans could figure out how to adapt to a totally alien environment.

If humans have the technology, knowledge, and ability to transform an uninhabitable planet, moon, or other place in space into an appealing home for humans, then surely we have the technology, knowledge, and ability to fix the problems weve created on Earth.

Lori Marino, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, asserted, [W]e are not capable of enacting a successful colonization of another planet. The fact that we have destroyed our home planet is prima facie evidence of this assertion. It is sheer hubris to even consider the question of whether we should go or not go as if we are deciding which movie to see this weekend because we really are not in a position to make that choice What objective person would hire humanity to colonize a virgin planet, given its abysmal past performance in caring for the Earths ecosystem (overpopulation, climate change, mass extinctions)?

Some assert that leaving Earth in shambles proves we are not ready to colonize space in terms of cultural, social, or moral infrastructure, regardless of technological advancements.

John Traphagan, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, argued, Colonization has the odor of running away from the problems weve created here; if we do that, we will simply bring those problems with us. We need a major change in how we think about what it means to be humanwe need to stop seeing our species as special and start seeing it as part of a collection of species. In my view, as long as we bring the [idea] of human exceptionalism with us to other worlds, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes we have made here.

As novelist Andy Weir explained, The problem is that you still dont want to send humans to the moon. You want to send robots. Humans are soft and squishy and they die. Robots are hard and nobody gets upset when they die.

Bioethicist George Dvorsky summarized the hostile nature of Mars: The Red Planet is a cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earths. The paltry amount of air that does exist on Mars is primarily composed of noxious carbon dioxide, which does little to protect the surface from the Suns harmful rays. Air pressure on Mars is very low; at 600 Pascals, its only about 0.6 percent that of Earth. You might as well be exposed to the vacuum of space, resulting in a severe form of the bendsincluding ruptured lungs, dangerously swollen skin and body tissue, and ultimately death. The thin atmosphere also means that heat cannot be retained at the surface. The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 degrees Celsius), with temperatures dropping as low as -195 degrees F (-126 degrees C).

Meanwhile, lunar dust is made of shards of silica and cuts like glass. The dust clung to the space suits of Apollo astronauts, scratching their visors and getting in their eyes and throats, which could result in bronchitis or cancer. And the radiation on the Moon is about 200 times higher than on Earth, in addition to other problems colonizing the Moon would cause humans.

Humans would have a host of illnesses to deal with due to climate differences on Mars or the Moon: cancer, radiation illnesses, reproductive problems (or sterility), muscle degeneration, bone loss, skin burns, cardiovascular disease, depression, boredom, an inability to concentrate, high blood pressure, immune disorders, metabolic disorders, visual disorders, balance and sensorimotor problems, structural changes in the brain, nausea, dizziness, weakness, cognitive decline, and altered gene function, among others. Astronauts who have spent just a year in space have demonstrated irreversible health problems.

Humans havent even attempted to live in Antarctica or under Earths seas, which have many fewer challenges for human bodies, so why would humans want to live on a planet or on the Moon thats likely to kill them fairly immediately?

Discussion Questions

1. Should humans colonize space? Why or why not?

2. If humans were to colonize space, where should we start: Mars, Earths Moon, or another celestial body? And what should be done on that body: residences, industrialization, or another purpose? Explain your answer(s).

3. If humans were to colonize space, how could life on Earth change? And would these changes be good or bad? Explain your answer(s).

Take Action

1. Analyze Christopher Schabergs position that Were Already Colonizing Mars.

2. Consider the language used to talk about humans living in space with Bill Nye.

3. Explore George Dvorskys position that Humans Will Never Colonize Mars.

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives.

Sources

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WW3 fears grow as Taiwan plans biggest ever war game to prepare for China attack – Daily Star

Posted: at 12:19 pm

Taiwan is set to hold its largest ever war games exercise in a bid to test out whether it is ready for a potential conflict with China.

Tensions in the region are rising, with China claiming sovereignty over the self-ruled island. It has also sparked tensions between China and western nations.

Taiwan's live-fire military exercise will involve all branches of the force and will be staged for five days from September 13.

It will feature simultaneous air, sea and land drills as tensions ramp up, the South China Morning Post reports.

Major General Lin Wen-huang, director of the defence ministry's operations and planning office, said: "A test of emergency take-offs and landings of fighter jets on the Jiadong wartime runway - a major element of the exercise - will be conducted as planned."

Warplanes will for the first time test emergency take-offs and landings, while the drill will simulate a scenario in which Taiwan's military and civilian airports are seriously damaged by enemy fire, leading to jets landing on the highway.

Ministry spokesman Major General Shih Shun-wen declined to comments on reports that Japan planned to deploy missile units on Ishigaki Island, just 300km off the coast of Taiwan, to counter China's growing naval presence in the area and defend against a potential Chinese attack.

General Shih said: "We will do our best to ensure our combat readiness and safeguard our national security.

"We will also work with like-minded countries to continue to strengthen military exchanges and cooperation in order to increase our defence capability and ensure stability in the Taiwan Strait and peace in the region."

War fears are growing with tensions over Taiwan rising during 2021.

Taiwan has been self-governing since just after the Second World War, but China has sought to assert sovereignty over the island this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

Last month China's president Xi Jinping warned foreign nations will "get their heads bashed bloody" if they attempt to interfere with the country's plans for Taiwan.

He reaffirmed the country's "unbreakable commitment" to unifying Taiwan, adding he would "fulfil the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation".

The US and Japan have both been critical of China's plans for Taiwan.

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Cardinal Health report spotlights solutions to optimize, improve safety in healthcare supply chain – DC Velocity

Posted: at 12:19 pm

Cardinal Health report spotlights solutions to optimize and improve safety in the healthcare supply chain

Today Cardinal Health WaveMark Supply Management & Workflow Solutions released a whitepaper outlining how automated solutions can mitigate supply chain operational issues, with a focus on inventory management. Using data from health systems that currently use Wavemark, the whitepaper provides a look at how the business improved key health system metrics and outcomes. The whitepaper and an infographic highlighting top data are available for download here: https://ww3.cardinalhealth.com/l/104412/2021-07-06/5df9bk.

According to the findings, supply chain costs are at an all-time high with hospitals on average spending $12.1 million annually unnecessarily, including on product inventory that expires before it can be used.

This is significant hospitals and health systems are simply spending too much on their supply chain when an automated and clinically integrated workflow solution could mitigate these costs, decrease product wasted and improve patient safety, said Shawn McBride, vice president and general manager, WaveMark. The pandemic especially exposed the need for tech-enabled supply chain innovations, like WaveMark, that provide better visibility to medical inventory at the point-of-care.

Inventory management efficiencies are vital to allowing healthcare staff fighting COVID-19 to focus more time on patient care instead of product stocking decisions. Yet, according to the report, many hospitals and health systems are still manually tracking inventory identified as one of the root causes for a never event, in which an expired or recalled product is used on a patient. Approximately 7 to 10 percent of clinical products expire on hospital shelves before being used and more than 25 percent of hospital staff know of an instance where an expired or recalled product was used on a patient.

Using a solution like Wavemark optimizes product stocking decisions and provides visibility to at-risk inventory which significantly reduces the number of expired products sitting on shelves and, at times, being used on patients, McBride said. Our customers use Wavemark to track products all the way from manufacturer to the point of patient care and are reporting an average of only 1.5 percent expirations on shelves an 85-percent improvement over industry average.

These manual processes can also lead to underbilled patient care. Nearly 90 percent of patient cases are underbilled in some form, leading to more than $1.94 billion of revenue leakage for hospitals each year. In 2020, Wavemark tracked nearly 600,000 encounters in operating rooms and interventional suites throughout the U.S. with a near-perfect documentation accuracy of 99.8 percent, identifying an additional 8,500 clinically important, high-value products that werent documented at the point of care. This tracking enabled the average hospital to capture $7.7 million in supplies and an additional $65,000 to $212,000 in product charges that would have otherwise been lost.

The opportunity for hospitals to regain some of this missed revenue is significant, but without supply visibility, you cant identify problem areas that are costing you money, McBride said. A solution like Wavemark helps diagnose causes of supply issues and improves utilization and SKU management all resulting in major cost efficiencies and decreased revenue leakage. It also takes one more layer of distraction off our essential hospital staff so they can focus on what matters most: their patients.

About WaveMark Supply Management & Workflow Solutions WaveMark empowers teams to work together to enable better patient care by connecting healthcare providers and manufacturers to create clinically integrated, digitally automated supply chains. Aligned with industry best practices, WaveMark supports an optimized supply chain strategy with service and technology offerings that help support more effective patient care at the lowest operational cost. With WaveMark, clinicians and supply chain teams gain the freedom to focus on what matters most, which includes enhancing the patient experience, increasing enterprise visibility to supplies, supporting clinical documentation accuracy, and enhancing the overall value of the supply chain.

About Cardinal Health Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of performance and data solutions for health care facilities. With 50 years in business, operations in more than 40 countries and approximately 48,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is essential to care. Information about Cardinal Health is available atcardinalhealth.com.

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Media: Cari Wildasinn (614) 757-8287 cari.wildasinn@cardinalhealth.com

Investors: Kevin Moran (614) 757-7942 kevin.moran@cardinalhealth.com

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U.S. Gambling Revenue To Break $44 Billion Record In 2021 – Forbes

Posted: at 12:18 pm

Betting on America: Revenue in the second quarter of 2021 hit a record of $13.6 billion. Table games and slot machines saw a 12% jump in revenue over the same quarter in 2019.

Americans are gambling their way through the pandemic.

U.S. gambling revenue hit $13.6 billion in the second quarter of 2021, a new industry record, according to data from the American Gaming Association. The revenue from states that allow gambling is up 22 percent from the previous record of $11.1 billion in the third quarter of 2019, months before the Covid-19 pandemic plunged the industry into a recession.

In 2019, gambling revenue hit a record of $43.6 billion but as the industry rolls towards a faster recovery than previously expected, 2021 is on track to surpass $44 billion in gambling revenue and become the highest-grossing year in the history of legal gambling. Year to date, states have collected nearly $25 billion.

The gaming industry is on its way back, says Bill Miller, the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association.

Nearly every state with casinos saw its gambling revenue surpass pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter. According to the AGA, 22 out of 25 states that have casinos recorded greater revenue in the second quarter of 2021 compared with the same time period in 2019. And 19 out 25 states collected more money in the first half of 2021 compared with the first half of 2019.

Nevada brought in the most money of any state with $3.46 billion in gambling revenue during the second quarter, up 17% compared with 2019. Pennsylvania is in second with $1.21 billion, up 44.6% and New Jersey collected $1.11 billion, up 35.5% compared with the same time in 2019.

Nevadas gambling industry has been on fire this year as it has beat all revenue records over the last four months. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the state collected $1.2 billion in gambling revenue in June, which was thefourthconsecutivebillion-dollar monthand a 14.6% increase over June 2019. The Silver States $3.46 billion in casino revenue during the second quarter marks the largest quarterly gaming win in the states history.

While the Las Vegas Strip still needs convention business and international travel for a full recovery, American gamblers are spending enough money in Sin City to keep things afloat. Revenue from casinos on the Strip for second quarter of 2021 is the third highest of all time at $1.79 billion. According to Nevadas gaming authority. The quarter is up 8.3% compared with the same quarter in 2019. But year to date, the Strip is down 11% compared to the same time in June 2019, which means the tourist-dependent Strip still needs time to recover.

According to a report published by Fitch Ratings in early July, the Las Vegas Strip will fully recover in 2023, a full year earlier than the firm had previously anticipated.

Mobile sports betting and iGamingdigital poker, slots and other online gameshave helped keep the industry afloat, but in-person gambling at casinos are contributing to the industrys record-breaking quarter and faster recovery. Revenue from brick-and-mortar casinos are up nearly 10 percent from its previous high in the third quarter of 2019. Traditional casino games have seen a 12% jump in revenue from two years ago. Revenue from slot machines alone jumped 16% over the second quarter of 2019.

Revenue from iGaming, which is only legal in six states, also set a record with $901 million in revenue during the quarter, which is a 15% increase from the first quarter of 2021. For the first half of 2021, iGaming brought in $1.66 billion in revenue, which already surpassed the $1.55 billion in revenue collected in the entire year of 2020.

Sports betting, which is legal across 22 states and Washington, D.C., has continued its expansion across the U.S. Americans bet $889 million with legal sportsbooks in the second quarter, which is down from the first quarter. (March Madness helped buoy the first quarter.) Thanks to 10 more states launching legal sports wagering since the second quarter of 2019, revenue is up nearly 650%.

Big Score: Americans wagered $889 million with legal sportsbooks in the second quarter of 2021, which is up nearly 650% compared with the same quarter of 2019.

The growth has set off a frenzy of deals in the sports betting world. Last week, Penn National Gamingannounced an acquisitionof Canadian company Score Media, which owns the mobile sports betting app theScore, for $2 billion, and the real estate investment trust Vici Properties acquired MGMs real estate portfolio company for$17.2 billion. On Monday, DraftKingsannounced that it will acquire Golden Nugget Online Gaming in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $1.56 billion.

But Covid-19 and its variants are threatening the industry. Nevada just reinstated its mask mandate for all employees and guests, regardless of vaccination status. The industry also needs international travel and business conferences for a full rebound.

In any other environment, these quarterly numbers would be a victory lap, says Miller. But there are still a few missing pieces to the puzzle. A full recovery requires the meaningful return of meetings and events, as well as the revival of international travel. It requires everyone working together to move beyond the realities of the past year, and the Delta variant has reminded us that were not there yet.

When asked if the record-breaking numbers are sustainable, Miller says hes betting on football season.

As we eagerly await the return of football, I anticipate the numbers were seeing today will pale in comparison with whats to come, he says.

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The Place to Place Your Bets – Sports Illustrated

Posted: at 12:18 pm

Whats changed in the three years since the Supreme Court granted all 50 states the right to legalize sports betting? Everything. By the end of 2021, online or in-person wagering will be sanctioned in more than half the country. Revenue is skyrocketing. Leagues are evangelizing. And booming business means big changes for anyone who operates, plays, coversor bets onthe games we love. Welcome to the Gambling Issue.

When Jim Missiris opened Linwood Pizza in Fort Lee, N.J., 43 years ago, he thought he was merely running a restaurant that would churn out pies, Buffalo wings and trays of penne oozing with vodka sauce. In recent years, though, Missiris has seen his pizzeria take on an additional purpose, especially during weekend mornings in the fall.

Missiriss enterprise benefits immensely from its location; the George Washington Bridgeconnecting Jersey to New York Cityis less than a mile away. And over the past three years, that placement has proved particularly advantageous due to the neighboring states differing laws regulating online sports betting. InAugust 2018, New Jersey became the first state outside Nevada to accept legal sports wagers online, while New York will not sanction any online action until the upcoming football season at the earliest. So in recent years, family-owned Linwood Pizza, nestled between a Starbucks and an outdoor gear store in the nondescript Fort Lee Plaza, has become a hub for New York sports bettors eager to try their luck on NCAA or NFL games. I love it, Missiris says. Its almost like a party, being in here.

During football season Missiris, 64, leaves his home in Rockland County, N.Y., around 9 a.m. After a 25-minute drive hell fire up his ovens and start prepping for the early-morning rush. On a normal weekday he initially whips up 12 specialty pies. During football season, to account for his hungry wagerers, that number goes up by 50%.

When the pizza parlor opens its doors at 11, groups of customers file into the mirror-plastered dining room, which seats 32. Patrons order food as they pull tip sheets out of their pockets and backpacks. Conversations turn to how the afternoons games will go and which teams to bet on. Cellphones essentially replace the sportsbook window. Until three years ago, Missiris says, We wouldnt get busy till 2 or 3 oclock, but now, with this betting phenomenon, its busy from the start.

Traveling over state lines to wager on sports is not a new conceptor one unique to New York and New Jersey. Before the Supreme Courts 2018 decision to strike down a law that prohibited sports betting outside Nevada, customerstraveled to the Silver State to place legal wagers.

But as states adopt legislation permitting online sports bettingas of July 1, 14 other states and Washington, D.C., had joined Nevada and New Jersey with some form of legalized online sports wageringthat paradigm is shifting. People were always willing to go to great lengths to [bet on sports], says Jeff Hoose, FanDuels regional manager for the Midwest. Now, its just becoming much more convenient.

Yet nowhere has the phenomenon of borderhopping to bet online been more prevalent than in New York and New Jersey. Says Chris Grove, a partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, a gambling research and consulting firm. There really just arent a lot of other situations where you have that kind of population, a major mass that close to another states borders.

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. is a lifelong resident of Queens. He played hockey, football and baseball growing up and fell in love with the Mets around the time that Tom Seaver was becoming one of the all-time greats. As hes aged, Addabbo has lived with the seemingly annual suffering fans of his favorite team endure. While watching baseball, hes also grown accustomed to experiencing another frustration.

If Im watching the Mets game and I see commercials come on for Jersey and mobile sports betting, and its geared to the New Yorker but its about betting in Jersey, I want to throw my shoe at the TV, Addabbo says.

Addabbo has been a member of the New York state Senate since 2009, where he currently chairs the committee on racing, gaming and wagering. He has long wanted New York to legalize online sports betting. For years, his pleas were largely dismissed.

A recent study conducted by Eilers & Krejcik found that in 2019, New York residents wagered $837 million in New Jersey on sports bets, amounting to around 20% of the $4.6 billion handle in New Jersey. Bettors merely need to be within New Jersey boundaries when their wager is placed, which is why 44% of all mobile bets in the state were made within two miles of the border, according to GeoComply, a leading geolocation tracking company.

Bettors will travel in from anywhere and everywhere around the 108-mile New YorkNew Jersey border, by car, bus and even bicycle. A PATH train from Christopher Street in lower Manhattan takes less than 10 minutes to get into Hoboken, N.J., making rail an especially popular mode of transportation to place a quick wager.

For instance, on Super Bowl Sunday in 2020, data recorded by GeoComply found that the volumes both before and during the Chiefs-49ers game were highest in and around Hoboken. Numbers there were disproportionately inflated by commuting New York City bettors, Eilers & Krejcik wrote in a report analyzing the phenomenon, and vastly exceeded the total bets placed in Jersey City, which has five times Hobokens population. Even in June, one could find a DraftKings advertisement with the tagline Settle Into the Land of Anything Can Happen up a flight of stairs from the PATH train platform, marking just one of the many DraftKings ads in the popular transportation hub.

Thats our money leaving our state, Addabbo says. New York is the major capital of sports in the world, and here we are playing catch-up in mobile sports betting. Its kind of a hard position for New York to be in.

In recent years other states have also watched from the sidelines as their neighbors generate additional revenue from sports betting. Hoose recalls that when FanDuel opened an in-person sportsbook in Northwood, Iowa, in August 2019, hundreds of Minnesotans flocked to witness Vikings great John Randle place the first bet. And gamblers have continued to come from Minnesota for the betting windows just inside the border.

At a hearing in June, Massachusetts legislators cited a DraftKings statistic saying that 30% of the companys sports bettors in New Hampshire over the last year had Massachusetts addresses.

This is really one of the underlying themes of gambling expansion in the U.S., Grove says, which is how do [states] pull revenue from neighboring states in order to shore up [their own] budget?

Since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in the spring of 2018, 31 states have approved laws legalizing sports betting, either online or at physical sportsbooks (laws in nine of those states have not yet gone into effect). In April, Addabbo finally got his wish as New York passed language in its budget allowing for mobile sports wagers, doing so amid an economic deficit largely caused by COVID-19. He says that the additional tax revenue generated from online betting will be allocated, in part, to educational funding, gambling awareness programs and creating jobs.

Missiris sees an uptick in bridge business on game day.

LEBRECHTMEDIA/Sports Illustrated

I think it changed the trajectory of gaming, especially online gaming, maybe forever, Addabbo says of the pandemic. Were usually out front, but here we have been that wobbly carin the right lane and all these other fast cars, like Jersey and Pennsylvania, are whizzing right by us.

The state is hoping to have its first online sports bet placed this coming football season. But Super Bowl LVI in February remains the key date, in Addabbos words, in evaluating how the state is faring.

Addabbo recognizes that the mere act of passing legislation wont definitively end the border-hopping phenomenon. Questions still remain about what New Yorks online gambling product will look like, what the tax rate will be and what the states philosophy will be on pricing and promotions.

Then, there is also a question that ties back to the bettors who frequent Linwood Pizza or show up at the Starbucks next door to Missiriss shop: Even with legislation passed, will bettors still visit such establishments as a means to socialize?

It gets them out of the house on a Sunday morning, Missiris says. They take a ride over the bridge and hang out with each other. They talk, they laugh. Everybody makes their bets. They get their slices and then they go.

If thats the case, maybe, out of habit, Missiriss weekend morning customers will still come out because they enjoy the food, company, atmosphere and betting convenience. Says Grove, If you describe the pizza parlor in agnostic terms of whats happening there on Sundaypeople are watching sports, eating food and betting. It would be indistinguishable from how you describe the sportsbook.

And while Missiris loves engaging with his customers, he also knows to maintain some distance. In recent years he has grown so close with a number of them that they have even asked for advice on who to bet on. But I never get involved, Missiris says. Because if I give you a loser youll know where to find me.

More From the Gambling Issue:

How the League Went On Defense Do Today's Fans Blame Athletes More For Betting Misfires? The Beats Go On

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Spanky, Titanic, And The Greeks: The 10 Best Gambling Nicknames Of All Time – US Bets

Posted: at 12:18 pm

If youre going to be a serious casino gambler or sports bettor, it pays to have a colorful nickname. Back when Americas true national pastime was in its nascency, this advice was taken a bit too literally, as gamblers nicknames were too often rooted in ethnicity, to borderline or over-the-line offensive ends.

Thankfully, there are plenty of playful if not entirely politically correct gambling nicknames worth celebrating. US Bets consulted several sources, online and off, to come up with the following, very subjective list of the 10 greatest gambling nicknames of all time (presented in descending order, for maximum suspense), many of which come from the wild world of poker:

10 (tie). Jimmy The Greek Snyder & Nick The Greek Dandolos. These two Greeks harken back to the aforementioned ethnic-rooted monikers, although calling a Greek person The Greek is relatively benign. What wasnt benign were the racially incendiary comments Snyder made that led to his firing from his role as a CBS Sports commentator. As for Dandalos, he was a high-rolling horse bettor and poker player who claims to have chaperoned Albert Einstein on a journey through Las Vegas, introducing him to his cronies as Little Al from Jersey.

9. Wild Bill Hickok. An Old West folk hero known mainly for gunfighting, Hickok was also an avid gambler who was shot to death in 1876 while playing poker in a saloon in Deadwood, S.D.At the time of his demise, he was holding two pair black aces and eights or what would come to be known as the dead mans hand. In life and in death and in his nickname Hickok was a true wild card.

8. Amarillo Slim. Everythings bigger in Texas, though not necessarily better. But its cities tend to have some pretty righteous names, and Thomas Austin Preston Jr. a.k.a. poker great Amarillo Slim is nicknamed after one of them. Born in Arkansas, Slims parents moved the family to Turkey, Texas, before settling in Amarillo, making one wonder where Turkey Tom would rank on this list.

7. Parlay Patz. Parlay Putz might be a better nickname for Ben Patz, who rose to gambling fame and then infamy by cashing in a string of monster parlay bets and then threatening to kill members of the Tampa Bay Rays after they screwed up one of his wagers. Patz was recently sentenced to 36 months probation for sending these threatening Instagram messages, but, hey, a great nicknames a great nickname, regardless of whom it belongs to.

6. Bobby The Owl Baldwin. A World Series of Poker champ, top-rated billiards player, and former casino executive, The Owl is still knocking around Las Vegas nowadays. The origins of his nickname remain as mysterious as the bird itself, which makes him that much cooler.

5. Texas Dolly. The 87-year-old poker icon better known to some as Doyle Brunson just announced that hes coming out of retirement to play in a few tournaments this year. As for his gender-bending nickname, its rooted in his old pal Jimmy the Greek referring to him alternately as Texas Doyle and Texas Doylee in his gambling column in The Las Vegas Sun. The Associated Press then misprinted Brunsons nickname as Texas Dolly and that version stuck.

4. Minnesota Fats. Minnesota Fats (real name: Rudolf Walter Wanderone) isnt actually from Minnesota. The pool hustler hailed from New York and was originally called New York Fats. But then Jackie Gleason appeared in The Hustler as a pool-hustling character called Minnesota Fats, which was rumored to have been influenced by New York Fats. So New York Fats re-nicknamed himself Minnesota Fats, in a case of life-imitating-art-that-had-imitated-life.

3. Clyde Puggy Pearson. It is always admirable when someone turns something thats seemingly a flaw into a positive attribute or in this former WSOP champs case, a nickname. Pearson, a pal of Dandolos and Brunsons who helped get the WSOP off the ground and honed his gambling skills while serving in the U.S. Navy, suffered a disfigured nose in a childhood accident. Hence, Puggy.

2. Titanic Thompson. Golf legend Sam Snead called Thompson (given name: Alvin Clarence Thomas), an ace gambler and golf hustler whose traveling exploits predated Vegas rise, the greatest hustler ever, while Minnesota Fats dubbed him the greatest action man of all-time. His nickname is directly derived from historys most famous shipwreck: After a young Thompson hustled a Missouri shark out of $500 by diving headfirst over a pool table without touching it, the shark said he must be the Titanic, the way he sinks everybody. He also married five women and killed five men before dying at the age of 80 in 1974. What a life.

1. Gadoon Spanky Kyrollos. A well-known, high-rolling professional sports bettor whos based in New Jersey and loathes the limitations of Las Vegas, Kyrollos tops this list because he pairs a great nickname with an even better real name. That combo is tough no, impossible to beat.

Honorable mention: Diamond Jim Brady, Loud Mouth Dave, Wally Monday (he always paid on Monday), Patty Snaps, The Protractor (he had every angle), Carlos El Matador Mortensen, Chad Downtown Brown, Crandell Dandy Addington, David Devilfish Ulliott, The Orient Express Johnny Chan, Michael The Grinder Mizrachi, Daniel Kid Poker Negreanu, Antonio The Magician Esfandiari, Phil The Unabomber Laak, Mike The Mouth Matusow, Joey Tunes, Matty Simo, Teddy Covers, Donnie Rightside, Blackjack Fletcher, Tommy Two Times, Montana Mel, Herbie Hoops, Vegas Dave (just kidding).

Photo of Minnesota Fats and a pool-playing priest by Rick Musacchio/The Tennessean

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5 Gambling Trends Transforming the Gambling Industry in 2021 – The FINANCIAL

Posted: at 12:18 pm

It is estimated that the global online gambling and casino industry generated 262 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic was a blessing to the sector as it grew by 13.4% in 2020 compared to the previous year. Norway is among the European countries that have taken huge strides in the online gambling industry, as evidenced by multiple sites in the country.

However, the online gambling industry in Norway ten years ago is not what we have today. What are the changes that have taken place, and what are the trends dominating the sector? According to our expert Benjamin Reppersen (check profile) here gambling trends to watch in Norway in 2021:

Competitive gaming has been with us for many decades but betting on such events is a recent thing. The first eSports event was held in the 1970s, but it has now grown to become a million-dollar industry, with estimations showing that it might reach 1.3 billion USD in revenue by 2025.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a blessing to the eSports sectors as physical sporting activities were limited. Norwegians had limited options, and eSports was one of them. There was also a spike in the number of online players as people had a lot of free time on their hands.

eSports is expected to continue growing as more organizations are formed and signing players from different parts. Some of the most popular games that professional gamers play on eSports are FIFA and Call of Duty.

The Norwegian online gambling sector has hundreds of sites. The cutthroat competition evidenced in this sector calls for different online gambling platforms to develop marketing techniques that will help them stand out from the rest.

Bonuses and promotions are very efficient when it comes to attracting new users and retaining the existing ones. No deposit bonus-an offer where players are rewarded for just creating an account with a casino is one of the most famous in Norway. The casino bonus uten innskudd resource, which lists the best no deposit casinos in Norway, has helped many Norwegian players land the best offers.

Internet users are already used to such promotions and will thus avoid those sites that do not offer the same. Such players also sign up for newsletters and follow the Norwegian casinos on social media to get the latest offers.

One of the things that were lacking when online casinos were introduced is the socializing factor. However, the introduction of live dealers now allows gamblers to experience an environment as if they were in a land-based casino.

Players can now enjoy table games such as Baccarat and Blackjack, just like what happens in physical casinos. Some of these casinos also allow players to play against each other instead of gaming against the machine. Some online casinos also have chat options where players can send messages or even exchange ideas and interact.

Modern businesses are trying as much as possible to understand their customers and offer products that suit their needs. AI comes into play during KYC to ensure that only eligible players join the Norwegian casinos. Such casinos also use AI to check consumer habits and patterns and send them offers that suit them. For instance, AI can note that player A loves slots a lot and will thus be sending slot offers frequently. Artificial intelligence also comes in as a customer support tool and saves the casinos on staffing.

Virtual reality is one of the technologies that has loads of potential in the gaming sector. VR tools are now becoming more affordable, and it is only a matter of time before they take over. Norwegian players can now visit casinos virtually and interact with other gamers through VR headsets. NetEnt is one of the companies ready to adopt the technology and already has a demo for Jack and the Beanstalk slot.

Above are some of the trends that are dominating the Norwegian gambling sector. Gambling online has now become a norm, and those frequenting the land-based casinos are reducing day by day. Casino operators who will fail to observe these trends and change their offerings accordingly are likely to be kicked out.

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