Lack of inspiration, but still blogging...

I've been waiting for inspiration to strike now for a couple of days, since my last blog post. Waiting for my writing muse to slip me the tongue or for something to fall out of the sky and give me something blog worthy. Well guess what the muse has left me hanging and apparently apples ain't in season either. So brace yourself my minions, for another rambling twist of the mind of cheer_dad. Here we go.

I won't try to cover the status/progress of the UIGEA hearings, since Shamus over at Hard Boiled Poker just flat gets it RIGHT!!! Thanks for the phenomenal coverage and commentary. If that's still not enough head on over to Lou Krieger's blog for additional ongoing discussion.

I could talk about work a bit and recap the week for you but I'd like really to hang on to the few dedicated readers that I have. Let's just sum it up this way. There have been lots of donks to deal with and I haven't had the good fortune to find them at a poker table. Let me put these words together without spaces and have you decide if it's one word or two... "governmentinaction" It's been my experience here at the "DEBT" this week that the three word variety has begat the two word variety. But in the minds of some movement is progress. Frackin' 'tards. But I digress.

One bright spot in the week will be tonight at the Yanok's game. They're running their April qualifier tonight. I'm already assured a spot in the year end game having scored a small set of points in one game, but I gotta tell you thus far over there I haven't done well this year. My "luck" or at least my good fortune has been in the NDPT games. I've final tabled a lot. I would have to say that I'm doing better than break even, although an exact figure eludes me. For some reason I've become more interested in the ring game action, as opposed to tournaments. Not that I'm playing more of that variety... just preferring it in my mind. There have been times where I thought about logging on and playing at home in the evening when I've had free time and decided to spend my time in some other way, instead. I didn't decide to take a break, but I just kinda did it. Or didn't as the case may be.

Baseball practice will begin to occupy greater amounts of my waking hours, and then after Opening Day on April 26th, well I just won't have any free time at all. But it's for the children. And although I'm not coaching this year, I've already been drafted to help (wink wink) the official coaches. There really is not end to this thing is there.

And Cole and I watched the WWE on Monday night and saw THE NATURE BOY RIC FLAIR give his farewell speech to the world of pro-wrestling. I remember seeing him YEARS ago when I was a younger than Cole! Then they announced that he was retiring after 36 Years!!! Like it or hate it as for the wrestling, but to do something for that many years and to that degree, you gotta give the guy some credit. The send off was very respectful and he was clearly very emotional over the whole thing. And yes I know it's entertainment... not REAL. But there's enough reality out there to deal with. And hey the boy likes watching it, so I guess that'll have to be reason enough. Besides the divas ain't so hard to look at! Anyway RIC, thanks for the memories!

So I'll see some of you tonight at the Yanok's, and hopefully take your money. But I'll try to entertain as I do it, to help soften the blow.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Battle against UIGEA wages on and on...

I posted a comment over on Lou Krieger's blog following his article/post linked here, regarding a decision being rendered in relation to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.) I read through the post and as always I remain skeptical, so I went out to the iMEGA.org website to read just what was being lauded as a "victory" on the side of internet gaming (more importantly and specifically as it relates to poker.) That statement on their site included a link to the actual "Memorandum Opinion" that was rendered, found here. Unfortunately for Mr. Krieger and other journalistic venues including http://www.gambling911.com/online-gambling-031008.html have one fact reported incorrectly. The statement that a judgement came from "a U.S. Supreme Court Judge" is not accurate. The Memorandum Opinion was issued by Judge Mary L. Cooper, of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. This merely granted iMEGA the standing to pursue a challenge of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). As well within the 29 page opinion, I'm not finding the language which agrees entirely that potential criminal liability by financial institutions with regard to the UIGEA has been absolved by the judge's opinion. Trust me... I wanted to find it, but I don't see it there. Then again, I've missed things before and I'm not an attorney so I'll be the first to admit my inadequacy. If some additional documentation exists to add credence to the assertion that this element of the UIGEA has been thrown out, please someone let me know! I'd love to see it, and I'd start showing it to my own bank/credit union and pump more money into the poker economy forthwith.

Do NOT construe my comments as criticism of Lou Krieger who I greatly admire and respect. I believe he has reported consistently and kept the poker blogging community very well informed on the subject of the fight against the UIGEA. I for one am grateful.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Kahnawake Gaming investigation report released

Following completion of it's investigation into cheating and impropriety by Absolute Poker, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has released its report into the incidents and made it's rulings in the matter, which includes:

• Removal of all those involved with the cheating incident(s)
• Provision for continued reporting of business functions
• Random audits provided for, and to be paid by Absolute Poker
• Fine in the amount of $500,000

For the full text of the Commission's findings and report, please visit:

http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/KGC-AP-0111.pdf

The following user names were specifically included in the report as having been involved in the impugned activites and the Kahnawake Gaming Commision mandated their removal from involvement with Absolute Poker:

• GRAYCAT
• PAYUP
• STEAMROLLER
• POTRIPPER
• XXCASHMONEYXX also known as SUPERCARDM55
• DOUBLEDRAG
• RONFALDOXXB also known as ROMNALDO

This story received a great deal of coverage in the news, a number of blogs and forums, and the online poker community as a whole. The allegations and subsequent investigation put a black eye on the face of online poker and only served to tarnish the image of poker, and fueled efforts to ban US citizens from playing online poker. I am glad to see that the Commission has acted upon this incident, and perhaps this will disuade others from engaging in these types of activities in the future.

Probably the best coverage of this incident that I have viewed has been by Lou Kreiger, and I urge you to visit his blog at http://loukrieger.blogspot.com/ and read back through his coverage of the Absolute Poker debacle.

Regards,

cheer_dad