The pics speak for themselves

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnothe...47890.html

GET YOUR FUCKING MONEY OUT OF SPORTSBOOK.COM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE


After deciding I wasn't going to bet on the Superbowl, I tried to withdraw my $110 via an e-check. Problem was, I needed some kind of PIN in order to process this, which I didn't have and in fact never had. So I requested that the PIN be e-mailed to me. Except that they have my old, nonexistent address on file, and there is no way to go in and change your e-mail address without calling, which I didn't feel like doing at the time. So, I decided instead to have them send me a regular check, until of course I realized they also have my old street address on file and, yup, there's no way for me to change that either. Conveniently enough, there are no links, no FAQ's whatsoever regarding how to withdraw your money. So I ended up calling in to request both addresses be changed, which I was informed takes 24-72 business hours. A couple of days later I re-request my PIN and get it e-mailed to the proper address fairly promptly. So I log back in, enter the PIN and re-request that an e-check be sent.

A couple days later I got an email verifying that $105.75 has been sent via e-check to my checking account. It is minus $4.25 because that is the money left over from the $20 bonus deposit money they gave me when I initially made my deposit back in November. So all I had left in my account was $4.25, which I couldn't use to bet on any sports since the minimum for that is $5. I played four or five hands of blackjack before losing the $4.25, putting my balance right where I wanted it at $0.

About a week passes and while I'm logged into my bank account I realize there are no deposits of $105.75 anywhere from sportsbook. So I check the sportsbook account, and what in the fuck? The $105.75 is back in there. I didn't get any e-mail or notification of any kind on this. Perplexed, I call customer support.

Sportsbook.com's customer service headquarters is located in Costa Rica. As such, every single representative is a dirty fucking $3/hour spic with a grasp of the English language that can best be described as “fucked.” I was able to surmise from Enrique that between the time I requested my withdrawal and the time they began processing it, they ceased using their e-check system and could only issue regular paper checks. So the money was automatically put back into my sportsbook account, hoping I'm sure that I would suddenly have a change of heart and bet on the Superbowl.

Okay, no problem. I'll just have them issue me a paper check for $105.75, right? Wrong, dickless. Now when I go to withdraw it's only allowing me to withdraw $101.81, minus $3.94. "What in the fuck is this now?” I ask Enrique. I really wish I could have recorded the 5-10 minutes that followed. He was trying, so hard, to explain to me something that I still cannot fucking understand. Something about roll-overs and bonus money and since I didn't make the $4.25 last long enough, there is still $3.94 that is their money from the bonus they gave me. After a couple of minutes all I heard were words, being somehow strewn together but not having any sentence structure or comprehension whatsoever. I explained to him as best I could that I was allowed to withdraw $105.75, then there was some problem with your e-check system, so you're charging me $3.94 for that? What sense does that make? One day I'm entitled to $105.75, then the next, through no fault of my own, I'm only allowed $101.81?? But it was futile. His babbling continued until I stopped him and requested an e-mail be sent to me explaining this procedure that he clearly has no grasp of himself. I verified they have my updated e-mail address on file, and hung up with a slight headache.

I let a week go by, and still hadn't received any e-mails. I called back with more of a pissed off tone in my voice. Alejandro had an equally hard time explaining why $3.94 is being withheld. Again I was only able to make out every third or fourth word, which again dealt with roll-overs and that since I didn't do enough with my $4.25, there is still bonus money being withheld and blah blah fuckity blah. After informing him that he is doing an awful job of trying to relay these strange roll-over rules to me, I once again requested somebody e-mail me a clear, coherent explanation as to what the fuck is going on with my money. Just for fun, I pressed Alejandro as to why Enrique ignored my initial e-mail request. Naturally he had no response, so before hanging up I reminded him to please try not to ignore my e-mail request again.

This time I let two email-less weeks pass before calling back, having to use all of my strength to refrain from calling Jesus a fucking filthy spicface. (Probably not the smartest thing to do when they have access to your bank information.) This time I didn't even care about the whole not receiving any e-mails thing. Now I just wanted to speak to someone with an above 10th grade understanding of the English language. I began by requesting to be transferred to a supervisor, which he never did so I just started ranting to him instead. Once again, it was the same fucking roll-over story. Jesus, however was able to shed some more light on why the initial withdrawal was bounced back. According to him our good old US government enacted some new regulations disabling internet gambling sites from being able to issue electronic checks. Interesting. Still, the US government isn't withholding $3.94 from my sportsbook account, you are. After about ten minutes, Jesus was clearly getting aggravated with me, so I just kept arguing with him for a few more unproductive minutes. After hanging up on him mid-sentence, I just said fuck it, it's $3.94. It was never about the money, it was the principle of the thing. But clearly I wasn't getting anywhere and at least they were consistent. I might not have - still don't, in fact - fully understood, but at least they were consistent in their explanations, as incoherent as they were. They may not understand much English, but they do know how to read and interpret a script.

So a week or so ago I withdrew the $101.81 and still had $3.94 in my account, which I was going to keep there until the check cleared. Yesterday I got an email with my FedEx tracking number for my check of $71.81. Apparently there is a $30 fee for all paper checks issued less than $250. A paper check that I DIDN'T EVEN WANT IN THE FIRST FUCKING PLACE. So just to recap:

-On/around January 23rd I had $110, though I was only entitled to $105.75
-On/around January 26th the US government said "fuck you, you use that $105.75 to gamble with, cocksucker!"
-On/around February 8th I was only entitled to withdraw $101.81
-Today I am only entitled to $71.81

So I haven't placed a bet since the Dallas-Seattle wild card game, yet I've still somehow managed to lose almost $40 in a month. Yeah, that seems perfectly reasonable.

I called last night and finally got to speak with a supervisor, who basically told me to go fuck my mom. There's nothing we can do about the $30, homes. He feigned interest and sympathy to my situation, but I know he really doesn’t give a shit about my account.

As I explained to him, I live in fucking Vegas. I can gamble anytime I want, anywhere I want. But I liked the convenience of betting sports at home, in my underwear without ever leaving the house. I liked the fact that their parlay cards offered every single game and did not exclude "unfavorable" games like the casinos did. But if you win money at a casino, you can be goddamn sure they're not going to bullshit around with your money. So between blackjack and video poker I knocked my remaining $3.94 down to $0.04 and e-mailed them demanding to cancel my account.

Sportsbook.com is excellent, as long as you never ever ever want to withdraw any money from your account. Which, to me, defeats the whole purpose of gambling in the first place; if you can never actually see or use your winnings.

So to make a long story a bit longer, I encourage everybody (Sleeper) that’s using sportsbook to quit while they’re ahead and try – just try - withdrawing your money. It was fun while it lasted, but I have a feeling with all these new regulations and restrictions put into effect that the whole offshore internet gambling thing is going to become even more shady than it already is. Get out while you can.

……………………._„„„--~””””¯””~-,
.………………„-~”¯;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.…………„-~”;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.…….„~”;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.…,-“;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.../;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.…\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\
.…..\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; \
.…….\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\ ,
.………\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;” -,………………¸~””)
.………..\,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;”-,……….,-~”;;;;;/
.……….…\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;\…..,~“;;;;;;;,-‘.…_,-~"¯¯"~-,
.……….…..\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;”,-“;;;;;;__„-~"¯¯:::,-~~-,_::::"-„
.……….……\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;„~ ”;;;;„~"¯::::::::::::::"::::::::::::::::::\
.……….…….\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-~”__„„„-"::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,
.……….……..\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-~”-~"::,-':::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,
.……….………\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;„~"::__„-~":::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::"-,
.……….……….\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;_„-~”:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::_„„-~,~~~~--,:|
.………_„„„----~~\.……;;;;;,„-~”¯¸„„--~-,:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_,-~":'\'-,:\:|:\|::\|\:|:\:|
...,-~”¯;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;”-;_„„-~”::::::,-‘::::_:::::::::\:\:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :,~':\'-,::',"-\::'':\|:|/
...”-,_;;;;;;;_¸„„--~~””_,-'"~----":|::/,~"¯"-::|::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,~"::\'-,:\;;'-';;;;;;;;;;;,-'::\::|/
.…….¯¯¯.………,-':::::::::::::::\'-\~"¯_/:::/::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-',::\'-,:|::";;;;;;;;;;;;,-':\:'-,::\
.……….…………|::::::::::::::::::\¸:'~'::::,-'::,':::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,-':\'-,:\'-,';;';;;;;;;;;;;;;,-':\:::'\-,|''
.……….………...|::,-~"::::::::::::/"~-~"::,-'::::::::::::::::::::::::_,-~':\'-,|:"'";;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-'¯::'-,:',\|
.……….………../::/::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::_,„-~"¯\:\'-,|;''-';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-'--,::\-:\:\|
.……….………/::::|::::::::::::::::|::::::::::::::::::::::::,-';;'-';;;;',/;\/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-.,|:::\-,:|\|..\|
.……….……./:::::::\:::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::::::,-';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-~'''("-.,\:::|\:|::''
.……….…...,':::::::,':::::::::::::::|::::::::::::::::::,-'/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,--'::::::/"~'
.……….…..,'::::::::|:::::::::::::::|::::::::::::::,„-~"::|;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,-'::::::::,'::::/
.……….…./:::::::::|:::::::::::::„-|--~~""¯¯¯::',:::::,';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,':::::::|_,-'
.………...,'::::::::::::",:,-~"¯::::|::::"-,::::::::::|:::/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,':::::::|::::,'
.………../:::::::::::::::|::::::::::::|:::::::"-,:::::::\:::|¯¯¯"""~-,~,_/:::::,':::/
.……..,-“::::::::::::::::|::::::::::::|::::::::::"~-,_::|::\: : : : : : |: : \::::::::/:/
.…..,-“:::::::::::::::::::|::::::::::::|::",:::::::::::::"-':::\: : : : : :|: : :\::::::|::|\ ---RAWR
...,-“::::::::::::::::::::::\::::::::::::|::::",::::::::::::::::: :\: : : : : :\: : :|:::::|::|;;\
.-“:::::::::::::::::::::::::::"-,::::::::|:::::::",:::::::::::::::/|\ ,: : : : : : : |::::,'/|::::|
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"-,:::::|::::::::::"-,_::::::::::\|:/|,: : : : : : :|:::|'-,/|:::|
.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"~-,|_::::::::::::::"~-,_:::"-,/|/\:::::::::::\:::\"-/|::|
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::"~-,_::::::::::::',"-,:::"_|/\:|\: : : : \::\":/|\|
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::"~-,_:::::\:::\:::"~/_:|:|\: : : '-,\::"::,'\
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: "-,_:'-,::\:::::::"-,|:||\,-, : '-,\:::|-'-„
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: :::::,-,'"-:"~,:::::"/_/::|-/\--';;\:::/:||\-,
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: ::::/...'-,::::::"~„::::"-,/_:|:/\:/|/|/|_/:|
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: :::|……"-,::::::::"~-:::::""~~~"¯:::|
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: :::|………"-,_::::::::::::::::::::::::::/
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: :::\………….."~--„___„„-~~"
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::: ::::\...............
.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::O::::::::::::::::::: :::\..............
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::\
.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::\

Quote:Community 2.0
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Community 2.0 is a subset of Web 2.0, which refers to a second generation of services available on the World Wide Web that lets people collaborate and share information online. Specifically, Community 2.0 refers to the second generation of the Virtual Community. Community 2.0 is a social phenomena represented by rapid growth of multi-channel social networks that leverage live meetings, webcasts and on-line interactions in order to create and share information. Today, the virtual community of Community 2.0 is leading to increased performance in the business and personal realms due to its effective means of aggregating information and supporting collaboration.

[edit] General Characteristics

Community 2.0 refers to virtual communities characterized by rich user-generated content and dynamic interaction. Community 2.0 is mobile, ubiqutious, and continuous (real-time) computing.

Community 1.0 refers to virtual communities characterized by static content delivery systems such as message boards or list serves.

Community 0.0 represents live, person-to-person interaction of the pre-internet era. Community 0.0 is displayed in the conventional social environments of neighborhoods, religious organizations, or schools.

[edit] Technologies

Blogs - Online journals or websites on which articles are posted and displayed in chronological order. Their content most often centers around a particular subject or theme. A vast and distributed community of these web-based journals has evolved which has come to be known as the blogosphere.

Wikis - A collaborative online space in which many users can work together on a shared project. Users have the ability to add, edit, or delete content on the Wiki. Wikis can be used as reference tools (Wikipedia) and/or FAQs.

Tags - A way for users to attach meaningful keywords to content. Tagging allows users to classify and categorize their own digital collections. The use of tags has been incorporated into the functionality of most community and social sites.

Webcasts - Video (or audio) conference calls which take place over the internet. They typically are used for document collaboration, software demos, or tech support.

Podcasts - A term used to describe an audio blog, a podcast is an audio file or a series of them which can be listened to via a portable device such as an iPod or MP3 player as well as a computer. A podcast is often distributed by an RSS feed which transmits the most current episode. Podcasting technology has enabled the ordinary person to create their own talk shows and represents another technology in the move toward creating user-generated content.

Vlogs - Video blogs, or vlogs, are the latest development in the amateur media production sphere. These episodes are also distributed via RSS and are sometimes referred to as video podcasts. Many vlogs allow users to tag and leave comments in response to episodes similar to replying to a post on a blog.

Instant messaging - IM involves communicating with another person over the Internet in real time through the use of a client software. AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger and others have been around for some time and are still going strong with 53 million and 29 million active users respectively. New versions of IM clients, including Windows Live Messenger and MSN Messenger 8.0 empower community and content-related plugins allowing users to access information and collaborate more effectively.

Internet forums - Also known as message boards, these forums are used to host discussions and serve as FAQ databases.

Mobile technologies - Users stay connected to their communities on their phone, PDA, or iPod. These technologies add to the 'real-time' content represented by Community 2.0.

[edit] Community 2.0 in Practice

User ratings - Users rate items such as articles, recipes, books, movies, suggestions, people, and more.

User reviews - Users write reviews on items such as consumer electronics, hotels, restaurants, travel destinations and more.

Editorials - Users write and share their own editorials using blogs.

Books - Users write, collaborate, share, and publish a book using a wiki.

FAQ databases - Users create and collaborate on FAQ databases using a wiki to serve as effective customer support channels.

File sharing - Users share files such as music, movies, games, and software through community based file-sharing systems.

Content sharing - Users share their personalities, hobbies, photos, home videos, bookmarks, and wish lists.

Quote:MSNBC.com
XM and Sirius reach merger agreement
Deal between two satellite radio providers would be ‘merger of equals’
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 6:47 p.m. ET Feb 19, 2007

NEW YORK - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., rivals in the fledgling satellite radio industry, have agreed to combine in a deal that investors hope will result in lower costs, assuming it overcomes significant regulatory hurdles.

The companies billed the deal announced Monday as a merger of equals, with shareholders of both companies owning approximately 50 percent of the combined entity. However, Sirius will be giving $4.57 billion of its stock to XM shareholders, a substantial premium to the value of their shares.

Sirius' Chief Executive Mel Karmazin will lead the combined company, and XM's CEO Hugh Panero will stay on only until the deal is closed. XM Chairman Gary Parsons will remain in that role.

The deal faces substantial obstacles in Washington, including a Federal Communications Commission provision that specifically forbids the two companies to combine.

Analysts have noted that the FCC could change the rule, but in a statement late Monday FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that the "hurdle" would be "high" to prove that the deal would be in the public interest.

"The companies would need to demonstrate that consumers would clearly be better off with both more choice and affordable prices," Martin said.

A combination would also have to meet antitrust approval from the Department of Justice. The companies are expected to argue that they compete not only with each other but also with traditional radio and a growing base of digital audio sources such as iPods, mobile phones and non-satellite digital radio.

The XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius stock for every share they own, valuing them at $17.02 each based on Friday's closing price for Sirius shares. That gives XM shareholders a premium of 22 percent to the $13.98 closing value of their stock on Friday. Markets were closed Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday.

"This combination is the next logical step in the evolution of audio entertainment," said Karmazin. "Together, our best-in-class management team and programming content will create unprecedented choice for consumers, while creating long-term value for shareholders of both companies."

Investors and analysts have been speculating about a deal for months, and are hoping that the cost savings that would result would make up for softening retail demand for satellite radio units. Both services offer dozens of channels of talk and commercial-free music for monthly fees of about $13.

XM radio receivers can't receive signals from Sirius, and vice versa. But Karmazin and Parsons said in an interview that the companies are working on developing a receiver that could receive both signals.

In the meantime, they said, assuming the deal goes through, the companies would make other arrangements to bring programming that's currently exclusive to one provider to listeners of the other, such as getting Major League Baseball games — currently only available on XM — to Sirius listeners.

"We will be taking every effort to find the best possible programming combination," Parsons said.

It's too early to say what the deal will mean for subscription prices. The merger could bring down the cost of providing service, but at the same time give the company more pricing power as the only U.S. satellite radio provider.

Karmazin declined to comment specifically about how much the companies hoped to save by the merger, but he said he expected the deal to clear regulatory approval and close within six to nine months. "We understand that there's a lot of work to be done," Karmazin said.

Neither XM nor Sirius have turned a profit yet as they spent heavily to build up their programming lineups and subscriber bases, including a five-year, $500 million contract that Sirius made with the shock jock Howard Stern. Both stocks declined more than 40 percent last year on concerns about their continued growth in subscribers, but investors have held out hope of a merger.

The combined company would have had about $1.5 billion in revenues in 2006 and about 14 million subscribers, they said. The companies said they would work together to decide on a new name and also to determine where it would be based. XM is based in Washington, while Sirius is based in New York.

The new company's board will have 12 members, including Parsons, Karmazin, four independent directors named by each company, and one representative each from General Motors Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

News of a possible merger was reported earlier Monday by the New York Post.

On Friday, a Bear Stearns analyst said in a research note that a merger would have a good chance of overcoming regulatory obstacles.

Other analysts remain less sure. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said he gives the deal a "50-50" chance of passing regulatory muster.

Moffett said the deal could have a particularly tough time getting through the FCC, and said it was "anyone's guess" as to whether the FCC would change its rule barring a consolidation of the two satellite radio companies.

A group representing radio companies, the National Association of Broadcasters, put out a statement Monday urging federal regulators to block the satellite radio deal.
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive

URL: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17228226/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17228226/</a><!-- m -->
© 2007 MSNBC.com

Seriously. I shouldn't.

and jim fassell is still unemployed. the nfl is retarded.

So what's new? How have you been?

You look healthy.

news courtesy of whackbagkid

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/021507WebsiteHost.html">http://www.northcountrygazette.org/arti ... eHost.html</a><!-- m -->

Website Host Possessed Child Pornography

QUEENS---A Bronx man who maintains an unofficial fan website based on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show has been sentenced to four months in jail after admitting to possessing nearly a hundred images of young children involved in sexual activity on his personal laptop.

"The photos that the defendant has admitted to possessing were actual children who have been victimized and sexually exploited for no other purpose than to satisfy the prurient desires of sexual predators", Queens district attorney Richard Brown said. "This case should serve as a warning to all such predators that the law enforcement community will do everything within its power to protect underage children."

Edwin Morales, 38, presently of 2625 Third Avenue in the Bronx. Morales, who worked as a limousine driver, pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 to possessing a sexual performance by a child before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt who imposed the determinate sentence of four months in jail and 10 years' probation. Morales was also ordered to register as a Level One sex offender.

According to Brown, Morale's wife discovered child pornography on his personal laptop computer and notified police. At the time of his arrest on Nov. 10, Morales that the Acer laptop being held by the police was his and that he had possessed it while living at 34-16 Astoria Boulevard in the Astoria section of Queens.

Brown said Morales also admitted that he maintained a fan website (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.oavirus.com">http://www.oavirus.com</a><!-- w -->) based on the radio show, "Opie and Anthony" and that he received unsolicited mail, including a CD containing images and video clips of children engaged in sexual activity which he had downloaded onto his personal laptop computer.

In pleading guilty, Morales admitted that he possessed more than 95 images on his personal laptop depicting young children less then 15 years of age engaging in sexual acts.

Brown noted that there was no evidence that either Opie and Anthony or their radio show was involved in the defendant's criminal conduct. 2-15-07

Is coming