March 11, 2009
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is probably one of the most exciting poker tours around the world. It has some amazing locations, ideal for a young or older poker player looking to take some trips on their poker bankroll. There are a lot of internet satellites that offer players to get to these destination tournaments for a fraction of the price.
I just navigated to PokerRoad.com, one of my favorite poker sites to hear pros talk about the circuit, and there was a link to watch the EPT Copenhagen event stream live. It’s interesting, because it’s almost like watching poker on TV 10-15 years ago. No one knows what the hole cards are, unless the hands are played to a showdown. It’s like railing at the highest stakes online but getting to see the players. You may not get to see what they have, but you can see how they act, which is sometimes more important. I think that a big part of growing in poker is isolating certain elements trying to understand them apart from the whole. There’s a lot to observe, even if you don’t know any of the players.
The stream is showing one featured table and the tournament has been cut down to a field of 10 players, 5 at each table. When they get down to 9 players, they will condense to the “last table” and then they will break for the day when they get down to 8 players, then being the “final table”.
Final Table sizes differ from tournament to tournament. The World Poker Tour (WPT) declares their final table at 6 players. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is 9-players, and the EPT is 8 players. Some casinos have a final table at 10 players. Usually it has to do with a large pay bubble and nothing more. On a televised tournament, making it to the TV table or the Final Table can be the chance of a lifetime. If you are recognizable, you might be able to land some sponsorship deals and even get bought into future events in casino games.
I was talking with someone from Argentina, someone from Norway and also another American. The attraction of poker is worldwide now, and the EPT really celebrates this. As it appears, a large part of the final table of the EPT Copenhagen Event is Scandinavian. I can’t wait until tomorrow to watch the final table play out live!
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Unless your head has been super-glued inside a science book, you have observed the furious debate between proponents of intelligent design (ID) and supporters of evolution; a debate that has bounced from courtrooms into opinion pages around the country. Pointing to the complexity of life on earth, IDers posit the existence of an intelligent designer and reject the notion that all can be explained by evolutionary theory.
The issue has become a political tractor with conservatives and liberals attempting to bulldoze their opponents. Conservatives hope to acquire the seal of authenticity for their theory of ID, an accolade that only “fact-based” and “respectable” science can provide; while the liberals want to protect their turf from what they see as a religious crusade into the “objective” halls of learning.
The controversy has emerged in Georgia, Kansas, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri and South Carolina, as well as Pennsylvania where a judge recently ruled that reading a single sentence about intelligent design in biology class would violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. In California, the El Tejon Unified School District permanently cancelled a philosophy class about intelligent design after Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit.
Religion was once the supreme authority on all matters, but when the Enlightenment’s onslaught of secular ideas swept over the European continent, it carried away the minds–and sometimes the hearts–of many who had been devout.
Seventeenth century philosopher Baruch Spinoza rebelled against traditional Judaism and Christianity, replacing them to a great extent with the rational and scientifically based metaphysic of determinism. This metaphysic argues in favor of a mechanistic, causal universe and is bolstered by scientific findings, including later Darwinian theory.
In keeping with the prior rebellion against religion, today there is arguably a rebellion against the new leader called “science.” Kings risk being toppled from their thrones, and ID has emerged as a weapon to be used against this final arbiter of “truth.”
Why are IDers making their move now? First, it could be said that science has ventured into “disquieting” areas of study, such as cloning, transgenetic engineering, cross-species transplants and stem cell research. There may be an urge to rein it in with philosophical or theological “wisdom.” As Albert Einstein, a pantheist and disciple of Spinoza, said, “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Teaching is never value-free, and an omission can convey a powerful message. When students fail to discuss the ethics of scientific actions and outcomes, they often end up like my former, high school classmates: giggling and hurling dissection specimens across the room, a behavior that conveys lack of respect for the animals who died and inability to comprehend that dissection is considered by many to be ethically impermissible in the first place.
Secondly, science has faltered recently, leaving it vulnerable to attack by those who hope to depose it. Scientific fraud has leapfrogged to the public’s attention with confessions by Korean researcher Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, who admitted fabricating cloning studies for the past two years. Esteemed scientific journals published his concocted data, and his peers did not question his work. One journal editor recently stated that scientific error and dupery occur from time to time, even at leading American universities, a statement that taints the image of science as trusted authority.
Thirdly, IDers may feel that any disagreement among prominent scientists opens the hatch to alternative theories. The discovery of “spooky” quantum mechanics occurred in conjunction with a pervasive disillusionment with science and its fundamental tenet: causality. While some quantum physicists, such as Einstein, support a deterministic hidden variable theory, others, such as Werner Heisenberg and Max Born, defend a framework based on the uncertainty principle. If it is acceptable to teach opposing theories in quantum mechanics, then why not let ID arm wrestle with Darwin?
Because words such as “spookiness,” “magic” and “trickery” are associated with the quantum world, one could argue that mystical, veiled or opaque theories, such as ID, befit the scientific realm. If quantum strangeness can be taught, why must intelligent design be expelled?
Lastly, postmodernism–which rejects any form of absolute truth, even in science–has permeated modern society, and conservative IDers are embracing it. This is ironic because the “right” has traditionally embraced the objective and absolute while the “left” has endorsed the subjective and contextual.
In describing postmodernism, Richard Rorty says, “truth is made rather than found,” and Jean-Francois Lyotard emphasizes the importance of avoiding totalizing grand narratives and maintaining an infinite number of perspectives. Darwinian theory is nothing if not a totalizing grand narrative.
Should ID be allowed to “act up” in science class? Most people might say yes. According to a 2005 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll on evolution, 84 percent of Americans believe that God created humans in their present form or helped guide their development, while a mere 12 percent say God had no part in the process.
The bouncers in the “12 percent club” guard the door from party crashers. They look at “fake” ID, saying it is creationism incognito and that it lacks “real science” credentials. They announce to the crowd, “If you think it qualifies, you’ve had one too many drinks.”
They are correct in that intelligent design fails Karl Popper’s falsifiability test; it cannot be proved wrong. ID is philosophy, not science. But does this mean it should be denied entry?
I am convinced by the evidence of natural selection and treasure Darwin’s theory because it promotes an interconnectedness of all living things, but I hold that the intense battle to keep ID out of the classroom is misguided. The shrill, political feud between conservatives and liberals has spiraled away from protecting students and the Constitution into a rendition of Hannity and Colmes.
Do we lack confidence in our children to evaluate, to separate evidence from fiction, to interpret for themselves? Sweeping ID under the rug makes for a huge lump that curious teenagers will investigate.
What is the resistance to cross-disciplinary study or “big picture” teaching in which related fields, such as history, philosophy and biology, are integrated? Math partners with chemistry; philosophy and ethics could collaborate with all branches of science. Compartmentalized study may lead to a lack of synthesis, thus an absence of learning in general.
Why is postmodernism a no-no in science, but a welcome visitor in other disciplines? No area of study should lose the doubt and humility that a postmodern filter provides. Theories from the past have been toppled, and some that are accepted today will be mocked tomorrow.
Fighting may be inappropriate in school, but arm wrestling, well, isn’t that a fundamental freedom? Now let’s roll up our sleeves and let the theorizing begin.
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Payday loans are the short-term loans for immediate cash requirement. This facility is just for emergency as per the situation or the circumstances. Getting approval for a job is not big job but to repay it in timely manner is much more important and crucial. In case of non-repayment of loans give bad credit profile to the borrower. The most affected amongst these borrowers are the military personnel.
Many newspapers gave a detailed report fro 2003-04 as how military personnel are targeted by the payday loans lenders and how military personnel get affected by military payday loans. Report clearly stated that military payday loans have maximum outstanding of repayments. The recent reports in papers stated that payday lenders are much interested in giving military payday loans to inexperienced and young military personnel. These people get low wages and shoulder lot of family responsibilities, which are not fulfilled by their paychecks. Thus military people are always in need of cash. Further they receive checks from the government, which are timely and accurate without any unforeseen deductions. This helps them in availing loan very fast.
Lenders for military payday loans have different locations. Generally they are located in areas nearby to military bases. They also use military bases connections to reach out to the military recruits and other persons. They also keep their firm names based on the military base name. These lenders are usually former military persons or appoint former military person to avail military payday loans to the people for the base.
Military persons should be very conscious while availing military payday loans. It is most likely that the person gets trapped in the debt trap, which leads to the fear of getting reprisal from their senior commanding officer. In fact the person who has taken military payday loans and fails to repay the amount is a victim against the violation of UCMJ Act 123a and 134. Under this act he can be punished in different ways to the extent of being court-martialed. He can also have loss of security clearance or may be transferred to different unit or can be discharged of his duties.
Due to insufficient incomes many military personnel are going in for military payday loans. This eventually leads to financial stress as the person needs to meet the expenses both at home and abroad. This is the main reason that military personnel go in for military payday loans. Due to arising bad debts from military people, military has started to help out its people. Outside organizations like Army, Navy Marine Caps, etc have also come forward to help. They have decided to provide financial counseling and then if required they provide the financial assistance. To fulfill short-term needs of the military personnel military credit account has also been opened.
To qualify for the military payday loans one must be an active duty member of military or 20 years retired duty member. One should have the most recent LES and military identification. This facility of military payday loans is open for all ranks and all grades of people. Applications are reviewed on the basis of filled in details. This financial situation can be seen through rank or grade at which the person is positioned. The safeguards and strict controls keep all the information completely anonymous. Services for military payday loans are committed to provide loan to whole country’s armed forces present worldwide.
Peter Sissons, Retired Loans Officer and Military Payday Loans advisor – focusing on Cash Advance and Payday Loan
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“Owning your business category online
is more than just a few keywords…
Is your website broken?”
Let’s face it, the Internet is a crowded place… and it’s becoming even more crowded as you read this. Your business can’t stand still online, and you can’t afford to look backwards. Qualified, targeted traffic generation is what we all desire. Owning your category online goes a long way in providing just that.
It’s not about just looking forward, but moving forward and taking some ownership. Every business online today is worried about being found in the Top 10 Search Engines and Directories for their products or services – and they should be! Statistics still make them (search engines) the number one stop for all surfers.
But, just for a moment let’s imagine that these search engines and directories provide the most relevant results. That’s right, let’s just say for the sake of this article, that they all work extremely well. O.K?
Now, since we believe that our products or services are way more relevant than those companies listed above us in (today’s) search engines results – we have to admit something is wrong… but remember, the search engines are perfect.
We all know you can buy your keywords in Google and Overture right? Does that make you the best? (not.) Do surfers know this? (Yes.) Does it make your business (your website) any more relevant? (No.) It does put businesses with a larger budget at the top of the pile again, that’s all. Is this why many of us don’t click on sponsored links? (Ahem…)
If the search engines were (are) perfect, then let’s get back to something else being wrong. Hmmm, my website must be broken! Wow, somebody is actually staying with me here.. My website must be broken?
Why else would all those “other” websites be showing up ahead of my business when people search for my products/services/information? Don’t these people know we are the experts? (nope.) Don’t they know our products are superior? (nope.) Can’t they see the skill we employ and our dedication to employee and customer service? (nope.) Haven’t they read the reviews? (probably…)
So, in an effort to help you “own your category online”, here’s some suggestions to assist your business in getting ahead of those “other” websites and putting your business where it rightly belongs! If you already employ all these practices, we commend you. But if you find yourself behind, these tips can help your company without having to become a Webmaster or a Search Engine Marketing Professional. Pass these on to your Marketing Team and get better results and recognition starting today!
Do: Research the search terms (keywords) that people would use in seeking out your offerings. You can start with Wordtracker and the search terms you first come up with.
Wordtracker will help you locate terms that are similar to your terms in meaning and search. It is a tool that gives you an *idea of what the general terms people are using, and how many searches are taking place on these terms… * that’s another book though. This is a great starting point and the trial really is free!
Tip: Do not just ‘look-up’ your company name, – prospective customers or vendors or partners are not looking you up by your ‘company name’ in Google – they don’t know it yet…? Surfer’s have become quite good at ’searching’. Be specific and general. You can also learn who you have to beat online! – Who’s kicking your butt when people search for your product or service online? That first page of results is your market share online!
Do: Make sure you have a *keyword specific “Title” for every webpage that’s relevant to the content on that page (*keyword specific, not keyword stuffed).
Page Title; Top of the screen, blue ‘title’ bar (in explorer). I still see thousands of websites with “Homepage” in the title bar, or “MyOneHotBusiness.com” and just that phrase or ‘Title’ is repeated throughout every page on their website! Each page in your website is (content) unique – make it’s ‘Title’ unique too! Or call your webmaster with new “titles” for each of your website pages. Different values are placed on this “page title” from the different search engines and directories.
Tip: Add “Chicago, Chicagoland, Illinois” to the end of your Title (your city, state). This helps in regional search queries.
Do: Have at least 200 words of (content specific) text on the pages of importance (homepage, category pages, etc.).
This is what the engines and directories DO read, these words and links are how the engines interpret what’s on this page. Images or pictures of words or “ads” are not “read” so-to-speak. Make this text content highly relevant to the topic (product or service) on this page.
Tip: Put your fancy Flash commercial on a link from your homepage and put up a content relevant page of your best text instead! Visitors will still look at your commercial if you tell us it’s cool, but don’t force us to watch it! – That’s not what we came for. This Flash file does almost nothing for search engines and directories.
Do: Have yourself or your professional staff write articles on their specific area of expertise in product or service. Make these articles a webpage with relevant links to the product or service directly.
Short of hiring a Search Engine Marketing Consultant or a Professional Copywriter, these detailed articles if rich and full of relevant content, are the exact pages that will generate you the most qualified and targeted visitor to your business! Once these ‘article pages’ are crawled (indexed) by the search engines you will be pleasantly surprised to see that (now) you are a more relevant search result.
(Not to be confused with ‘links’ or ‘reciprocal linking programs’ – your (article) webpages are much more “read” and effective in sending the reader to your site, or keeping them there, not to mention the branding opportunities)
These articles not only show your business as an authority, they prove it in words and information for the reader, me, a human. These concise type articles are an excellent way to gain exposure, recognition (branding), traffic, and yes, even sales. You said you were an authority, now prove it.
Tip: Submit these articles to other online and offline publications and Ezine’s. You make them available to other websites just for leaving your Author and link intact. There are businesses craving this type of content for their website’s success! Your business website will begin receiving quality traffic from every website that posts your company’s article(s)! Now there’s a strong statement.
Do: Include your URL (www.) in every piece of material you print – every piece of traditional advertising you already pay for!
Every week I read through different newspapers and magazines – I can’t believe how many businesses forget to put their web address in that Advertisement they paid for. You pay big bucks for a quarter page ad or whatever, and then never mention your website!?! Which is open 24/7/365 – and that Tribune is just around for two days! Start your marketing return on investment right there!
Tip: Offer a website only promotion or coupon in your Ads to generate further interest and traffic to your specific offer web pages!
Do: Ask visitors to “Bookmark your site” or “Tell a friend” or “Send this article to a friend”…
Your visitors don’t always think of it, so just ask them? Bookmarks not only increase return visitors, but they also give you a vote of confidence in providing something worthwhile… even if that’s a return trip! This does not have to be bold and obnoxious either, a simple button saying “Bookmark Us” will do on any business website.
Do: Be Patient. All search engines and directories have different timeframes for updates, changes and new submissions.
After making changes or additions to your site, allow 90 days after initial submission for realistic results to begin showing in the major search engines and search directories.
Owning your category online is more than just a few keywords. Don’t just say you do all these things!
Do: Go and check!
Tip: Go and check again!
Because if you do your best with these few suggestions – your website will show up higher in the search results for those relevant terms you selected. You’ll be hundreds of websites ahead, and getting more qualified visitors too. There’s much more to owning your category online, but every business should be employing these “level one” marketing concepts.
There, now we can stop imagining that the search engines are perfect.
Good Luck.
Written by and Copyright © Scott Sedwick
http://www.hyperformancemedia.com
About The Author
Scott is the Founder and Sr. Project Manager for
Hyperformance Media, Inc. a website marketing company
since 1996. His 24+ years experience in the computer
industry can help your business succeed online!
Copyright SS
ss@hyperformancemedia.com
http://www.hyperformancemedia.com
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