nemokc's Blog

I'm a degenerate!    At least, that's what they tell me.

Why am I a degenerate?   I'm a degenerate because I like to play games.  Not just any games...but one particular game.   A game that is as American as apple pie and cowboys.   I'm a poker player.   I'm one of an estimated 15 million Americans who regularly play poker online. 

People who don't play will tell you that poker is game of luck played in smoke-filled rooms by old men who curse as they lose their life savings on the turn of a bad card.   People who don't play will tell you tales of children who steal their parent's credit card to run up enormous charges that cost them the family home.   People who don't play will tell you that it's a sin to gamble because soldiers threw dice during the Crucifixion.  (And any poker player will tell you that it's one thing to figure odds on making a flush....but only crazy people bet dice!)

But the people I play with on line will tell you other stories.   They will tell you how they work in remote locations and online poker is how they relax in the middle of nowhere.  They will tell you that they are disabled vets from Iraq & Afghanistan and this is a sport they can still play like a man.   They will tell you they live on a fixed income and the lower stakes tables available online (some as low as $0.01/$0.05) are affordable where a live casino is not.   They will tell you they are college math majors who buy their books off of their winnings.   They will tell you that,  if I am a degenerate for playing poker....there's currently 35,980 fellow degenerates online with me on my favorite site as I type this! 

There is a difference between games of chance and games of skill.   When you walk into a casino you have many opportunities to try your luck.   Slot machines, roulette, craps tables and even Blackjack are games that are played against the house.   These house games have certain rules that can affect the outcome of the wager.  Like the dealer stands on 17 in Blackjack or the slot machine is designed to pay out a certain percentage of the time.  Poker is unique in that it is played against other players...not the house.  You can win with a bad hand by betting large amounts at a player you know is too scared to call you.   You can control your destiny on a poker table with a few good "reads" on your fellow players and rudimentary math knowledge.    Because that's what poker is all about...math and people. As the saying goes, "Play the people, not the cards!"

But in 2006, George Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which the government insists prohibits my rights to play a game online that all participants entered willingly into.

The UIGEA was attached to the Safe Ports Act to satisfy the conservative religious base of the GOP.   Its' passage was justified because prohibition of internet gambling would keep minors from playing, prevent problem gamblers from gambling and poker sites could not be used to launder terrorist money!  (Seriously that's what it's supposed to do!)

So let's examine these claims of the benefits of prohibition.  (Remember prohibition has such a wonderful track record of success in America.)   Even with the passage of UIGEA, the U.S. still represents the largest percentage of Internet poker players world wide. And since the UIGEA offers no enforcement on mandatory age limits or limits players with gambling addictions, its' usefulness is highly questionable. Its' success relies on keeping people from participating.  (Good luck with that!)  Even Department of Justice attorneys will admit that the law they are trying to enforce is so poorly written that it creates more problems than it solves. For instance, while it differentiates between games of "skill" and games of "chance", it doesn't define either term.  The lack of definition leaves poker in a legal limbo.  But the religious right wants to make sure that I (and millions of Americans like myself) follow their personal religious beliefs in lockstep!  And they don't believe in Poker!

Now the only real issue that should be of concern to Americans as a whole (as opposed to issues of concern to those of us who actually play poker) is the aspect of money laundering for terrorists.   This was actually what got the UIGEA passed originally.  What politician up for re-election wants to vote against a law that keeps terrorists from getting funding?   It never matters during a heated election that the law was a bad law, what matters is you are on the record as supporting Muslim terrorists if you vote against UIGEA.  But again, success depends upon people not playing poker online....and millions do every day!   (Sadly, the poker sites themselves can easily monitor games for discrepancies that would indicate money laundering, but UIGEA doesn't require them to do that. Another failure of the current legislation.)

During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Holder was asked if he would enforce the UIGEA.   His reply was that he would because it was the law of the land.  And last week, the Justice Department seized an estimated $34-36 million dollars in online poker payouts.

Now I'm not complaining about that.   It was to be expected.   A court battle will help clear up the issue.  Poker sites have replaced the money in the accounts of the recipients and alternate ways to distribute winnings will be made available.  But this does bring to light one very important aspect of online poker that could have an impact on ALL Americans.   That $36 million dollars was only one week of payouts.  It is estimated that over $16 billion dollars is held in the accounts of online poker sites.  That's a lot of money being taxed overseas and not here at home.   In fact, it is estimated that over $3 billion dollars a year in tax revenues could be gained by legalizing online poker.  (And that's a conservative estimate!)   With our country running record deficits, it only seems prudent to make use of this additional source of federal and state revenue.

Currently there is legislation pending in the House that would establish clear guidelines for internet poker.  The Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267) would: "establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework under which Internet gambling operators could obtain licenses authorizing them to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the U.S., on the condition that they maintain effective protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud, and enforce prohibitions or restrictions on types of gambling prohibited by states, and Indian Tribes."

Basically, this proposed law would not only provide protection to internet gamblers, it would also tax and regulate the industry providing much needed revenue for the Obama administrations many new programs.   With the current push to "pay as you go" on all new programs, legalizing poker could be a definite win/win for all concerned.

So even if you are not a poker player, pick your favorite proposed program requiring funding.  Then write your Congressman and tell them that you want your favorite program funded with poker money.   All they need to do is to go "all in" with their support of H.R. 2267!

Monday, January 19th is Martin Luther King Day.    It was conceived as a day of public service to honor the memory of Dr. King.   It is a day that we as Americans have been asked to find some way to contribute to our community.    And all across the country people will take time out of their day to do "something".   Hopefully you will be among them. It doesn't have to be much.   Simply baking cookies for your local fire station or picking up other people's trash along the side of the road.   Maybe you'll grab an extra bag of flour to drop off at a homeless shelter or church food pantry.    But what ever you do, take time to reflect upon the possibilities of the future.

For years we have complained that the "younger generation" doesn't care.   They are the product of broken homes, disfunctional schools and an economy that offers little hope of success to the graduate of a public school.    We complain that pop culture belittles the importance of education.    Video games and entertainment  glorify crime and violence.    We have called our children a "lost generation" with good reason.   Because they were and still are.    

Liberals say all we have to do is put money into education to fix the problem.   Conservatives tell us that it's the fault of kids with no drive to succeed.    And both sides are right.    Without the support of families and a quality education, the chance of a child succeeding is slim.    Without a drive to succeed and a belief that success is a possibility, the child has NO chance of succeeding.     Government can fix the schools, provide housing, food and medical care for the child....but it cannot convince a child that success is more than just a dream.   It takes people to do that.  

But today we stand a chance to make a difference.    All across this country there are children who have watched the election of Barack Obama and now BELIEVE that anything really is possible.   You don't have to play ball like Micheal Jordan or play guitar like Slash to succeed.     Dreams have grown into possibilities.   

On election night, I watched the results at a party.  One of the guests was a young man who is from a single parent home.   He had worked for the Obama campaign after school.   I watched the look in his eye when it was announced that Obama had won.    And after Obama had spoke that evening, I caught him alone in another room standing in front of a mirror giving his own "acceptance speech".   His view of the world and it's possibilities changed that night.   You watch the news and see countless examples of children inspired by an Obama presidency.   And this inspiration has given us as adults the chance to reclaim at least part of a lost generation.

But thier inspiration will be shortlived and of little use if we do not try to nurture it.    Don't get me wrong.    We won't save them all.   But the ones we do are worth the effort.    Much like fishermen, Americans tend to fall into two categories:  Those that focus on the "many that got away" and those that focus on "the catch we landed".    It's fun to complain about the ones that got away but practical people who focus on catching fish...get to eat.

And so this year on Martin Luther King Day, take time to reflect on what YOU can do throughout the year to change a generation ripe for that change.   Join a mentoring program or Big Brothers/Big Sisters.   Get involved in your church's youth group.   Do something weird like joining the PTA.   Because for the first time in years, our children are open to our help.   Some of them believe in new possibilities for thier lives.  We need to be there for them.   It's not a question of liberal or conservative, Christian or Athiest, Black or white.   It's about our future, their future and the future of our nation.

"We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. We are the hope of those boys who have little; who've been told that they cannot have what they dream; that they cannot be what they imagine.     Yes they can."

Barack Obama, Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008

New York City created quite a stir among civil libertarians in 1993 when the city installed the first "red light cameras" to monitor traffic violations.   "It's Big Brother come to haunt us!", they cried.   How can they prove that it was YOU driving your car at that particular place & time?  And everybody laughed at them for their stand.   It made sense.   All of the studies showed that the use of cameras to monitor cars that run red lights would decrease right angle crashes and save lives!  If you were against these cameras, you were willing to trade lives to spare your wallet from fines that resulted from your own bad driving habits.     You were nothing more than a horrible, self-centered, bad driver if you objected to the cameras.

Now some 15 years later, the charge that the cameras infringe on civil liberties seems laughable in this age of warrentless wire taps.    Why be concerned about something that in the long run does indeed decrease right angle crashes?    

And now these same cameras have arrived in Kansas City.    Ready to decrease our city wrecks.     Or will they?

Almost every study does indeed show a decrease in right angle crashes.  Fewer cars run the light & so fewer cars get broadsided from cross-traffic.  But those same studies also show an INCREASE in rear-end collisions!  It seems that a great many drivers in thier urgent desire to avoid the $100 ticket that accompanies your picture will slam on the brakes abruptly causing the driver behind you to collide with you.     OOOOPS!

In fact, a recent Department of Transportation report indicates that the money & injuries saved by a decrease in right angle accidents is severely offset by the increase in rear end accidents.   It also suggests that many of the previous studies have overstated the benefits of these cameras.

So why would any city want to install them?   The obvious answer is that it might have something to do with the $100 fine attached to each violation.    In Washington DC during the first 6 years they were installed, over 500,000 violations were issued resulting in over 32 million dollars of revenue for the District.

To be honest, it is somewhat of a tradeoff.    Lives do get saved.   Rear end collisions generally are not as bad as other accidents.   In this age of budget shortfalls, the revenue raised by the fines is  needed by most city governments to continue normal operations.   I might not like it but I can live with it.    I try to think of it as a tax on aggressive driving that helps our city operate.  (This may make me feel better when I pay my next ticket.)

But there is one other forgotten beneficiary of these cameras.  And this one REALLY bothers me.  Every time you get a ticket, every time you get rear-ended or you rear-end another driver, your insurance company gets to raise your insurance rates.   And that helps nobody but the insurance companies.

Oh, and one other thing you should know about many of the early studies that started this trend.  The studies that showed such significant & positive advantages to these cameras were funded by....auto insurance companies.   That's right.   The insurance companies funded the research that "proved" the need for the cameras.  The insurance companies then lobbied for the passage of laws to allow the use of the cameras.  And now the insurance companies get to make a lot of money off of you and me!    AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY!

I recently read a post on the Israeli-Gaza Strip conflict by Rosco that was entitled LIVING IN A SEWER PIPE.   It hurts a little to say this, but on this particular post he was right as he very accurately conveyed the feelings of the Israeli people regarding the Gaza Strip.    He wrote, "Imagine, your government kicks you out of your home and off your land to give it to terrorists who want to kill you and your family and your people. In return for taking your home, your land, and your livelihood, the Government promises you a new house, and enough land to rebuild your farm, and your life but instead puts you in a temporary house made of what amounts to compacted dust and cardboard and charges you rent while you wait for the promised home and land. And then, when the terrorists bomb your new temporary neighborhood from your old neighborhood, your Government gives you a sewage pipe to protect you and your children."   It is a very accurate description of the average Israeli's fear (of terrorists) and frustration (with thier own government).

The problem with the post is that it only tells one side of the story.   The same description could be used to explain the feelings of the grandparents of today's Hamas terrorists in regards to Israel.  Now, I take no sides on the problems of Israel.   I understand the need to defend yourself from missle attacks.  I can even understand the loss of civilian life in Gaza because it was the civilian population that elected Hamas to a leadership role.   But I also think that is is important that people remember the history of Israel and use that knowledge to try to understand WHY the conflict is so bitter.   Without recognition and  understanding of the feelings of both sides, it becomes impossible to reach any kind of acceptable resolution.  (If one actually exists.)

You see, while it is easy for us to forget that Israel as a modern nation is very young....it is a vivid nighmare to the people of Gaza.   

Between the Biblical times of King Solomon's Israel and the modern re-incarnation of the country in 1948, the land we know as Israel was controlled for over 1200 years by Muslims.   Then in the late 1800's, a large number of Zionists began to immigrate to Palistine.  Zionists at the time, were composed primarily of persecuted Jews from Russia and Europe who immigrated to escape persecution.   For over 50 years; Jews, Muslims & Christians lived together peacefully.  But the goal of the Zionist's was to re-establish a religious state in land promised them by "God".   To this end, they began to plot illegal immigrations to increase the population of Jews in the region.    By the end of WWII, the Jewish population was quite large and vocally demanding self-rule in a country that they had begun immigrating to less than a 100 years earlier.    The decision to grant them self-rule was made by the UN in 1948 and the region has been filled with conflict ever since.  The best land was given to the Jews and the poorer areas of the country were to be the Muslim state.    If you had lived in Palistine in 1945, you would probably be pretty upset by both the UN & the West on New Year's Day 1949.   You would also probably pass that anger and hatred on to your children.  I don't condone the violence, but knowing the history of the region helps to understand the reasons for the violence. 

Here's a hypothetical example for you to ponder on.  The Mormon Church believes that when Christ returns to earth he will establish New Jerusalem in Independence, Missouri.    So how would you feel if the UN decided to give the city of Independence to the Mormon Church?    All Christians within the city limits would have to give up their homes and move to Kansas City's East side.    Fences & walls would be placed to keep the former residents of Independence out of the city.    Promises would be made to make restitution "somehow" and Christians would be expected to sit quitely in thier run down East side apartments while a Mormon family moved into thier home in Independence.   How would you react?   I would be willing to bet that Rosco would be one of the first people on his rooftop with a rocket launcher aimed at Independence.  (And I couldn't blame him for his actions.)   I also would be willing to bet that any children who spent time with Rosco would grow up to HATE Mormons without reservation.   (It would be a natural reaction.)

The Israel-Gaza conflict is a horrible thing.  But the problem is now compounded by the fact that the root of the problem started 60 years ago.  A short time for a country but a lifetime for a person.  An entire generation has grown up in Isreal and it is the only home they have ever  known.   They are as territorial about thier country as the Muslims are certain that it should still be their country.   It is a case of 60 years of personal history versus 12 centuries of tribal history.    So the next time you hear a Christian speak of Israel's rights or you hear a Muslim speak of the evil of the Israeli's perhaps you can stop to remember that there are no easy or right answers to this question anymore.    The only thing left is to find a measure of peace for the region...and that will require both sides to accept something less than they have had in the past.   Never an easy sell for any diplomat.

It's a decision that has created quite a stir across the country.   It's a decision that managed to unite both the right & the left in their anger. Ironically it had nothing to do with policy but with Obama's choice to lead our country in prayer before he takes the oath of office.   The left hates the choice because Rick Warren supported California's Proposition 8.   The right hates the choice because Obama made it and Rick Warren isn't a true conservative!   

But this is what Obama has promised us all along....to find areas that we can agree upon and work together on those issues.  We are all filled with "differences".   We see the world from a different set of life experiences and it gives us each individually a different outlook on what is important.  But while the differences in ideology and social values are important, they are not nearly as important as the fact that we are ALL Americans.   United by our common citizenship.

Recently, I stumbled upon an article written by Melissa Etheridge (a local girl turned musician, Mom & Lesbian).  In it, she details her disagreements, misconceptions of and eventual meeting with Rick Warren.   She also explains why she will be in Washington at the Inauguration in spite of her misgivings on Pastor Warren.

It's an interesting read.   It reaffirmed my belief that there still is hope that we can overcome our cultural differences in honor of our country.    I hope you take the time to follow the link.  

This just in:

SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO REVIEW OBAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE LAWSUIT.

And I thought this was supposed to be a conservative court!

Gee, maybe it really is a frivolous suit!