THE TWEAK SHOW

Is it a scam? It's real.

So, it may not be sports betting, but for those who wish to wager on the outcome of events, there is a way for Americans to still "bet" online *legally (see note, below). For we, who enjoy gambling, betting and predicting the future is a safe "wager." There is a website that still exists, even after the U.S. Government tried to stop online gambling, and gives us some fun. It acts like the stock market, in its' approach. It is not a scam and is a "predictions market," rather than a sports betting site.

The U.S. Government made it illegal for companies based in the U.S. to offer online sports gambling, but the new law doesn't prevent American citizens from gambling, or betting on-line. Most gambling websites stayed in business and moved their operations off shore. Since the ban on U.S. online companies was enforced, prediction markets has seen a surge in that popularity.

I first became aware of prediction markets back in 2005, but my preference was online poker. I would play on Poker Stars and did fairly well, with some few hundreds in my account, but the people I played were oddly tight with their betting. Trying to squeeze out a $10 poker pot was extremely difficult. I never gave predictions much thought, because it isn't a "sports wagering" site. When the U.S. banned the poker site I looked at other options. I only wish I had opened a trading account sooner.

The site operates as a "Predictions Market." Much the same way the stock market works, it allows its' members to predict the outcome of future events. Those events can be some of what you might expect to see, such as Presidential elections, or the DOW Jones level on a certain date, for example. Other predictions (and there are hundreds) can be quite bizarre, but are available for you to predict. If you think the next Bird Flu outbreak will happen in 2009, or Mad Cow Disease in 2010, you can put your money on it. How about Osama Bin Laden's capture, Rod Blagojevich leaving office, the next earthquake, or the amount of snowfall in NY's Central Park?

The markets are created by the participants. The price is referred to as percentages. In my own case, as an example, when McCain was near elimination in the primaries (remember the lack of money issue?) his "percentage" of winning was at .5%. That meant that people were selling McCain contracts at .05 cents. I saw an attitude from him in one of the last debates that told me he wasn't finished yet. I figured I might squeeze out a .15 cent profit, before he quit. I bought $100 worth from someone who was selling (actually, putting their own money up at a nickle a share). Once I bought from him/her(?) I owned those shares. If McCain quit, my nickles would be worth 0 (the contracts would end) with no way to sell any of it. McCain survived, however. I sold those nickles for .68 cents. You do the math.

If you want to try prediction markets, rather than bet on the draw of a card, the speed of a horse, or a professional football team, then you should visit this website PredictionTrader.com.

It has a great download that will give you everything you need to know about getting started, winning and even how to get a credit card approved for funding prediction market accounts and gambling websites. Well worth the $27 charge.

The McCAIN BOBBLEHEAD and the OBAMA BOBBLEHEAD dolls seems to be the hottest thing since the ugly little cabbage patch decided to freak us out. I don't know who had the bright idea of actually making a bobblehead for presidential candidates, but it was a brilliant idea. Just the thought of a MacCain or Obama bobblehead bouncing along with no idea of what it should do other than react to any little bit of influence around it is actually fitting. Nothing will get done, just some nodding of approval or rejection. Obama or MacCain just bobbing happily along. I've been doing my own little election survey and I find Obama is leading in the Bobblehead Poll by 51% to 49%. I think though, with the introduction of a Palin Bobblehead doll, the need of having to purchase the set, even though you only want one, may result in the McCain Bobblehead doll gaining in future results.

If you're one that doesn't like bobblehead dolls and prefer the traditional methods of supporting your favorite candidate, who you believe is less likely to screw you over than the other guy will, click HERE to save some of the money you're so eager to spend.

UPDATE 8/14/08: BANS GIVES ITSELF AN UPDATE

I recently posted an article titled "BANS IMPLODING." In this posting I mentioned a few items disheartening to me regarding BANS and the changes I saw occurring over the last year. My main disappointment was in the forum and how it had gotten out of control in many ways that was detrimental to new membership.

Within days of that article being published, Adam and Kelvin, the founders of BANS, announced that a new forum and new rules of conduct on that forum would be implemented and the "look" of the forum would be changed. I waited with anticipation for those changes to arrive, as the forum was closed for two days while the forum format was altered, it was cleaned of many useless postings, new rules were created, and the entire program the forum was created on was transitioned.

FOR THE BEGINNER - AGAIN

On August 13th, 2008, the new BANS Forum was unveiled and it was a major improvement that brings BANS into a new era of growth. It has shed its' old skin of being an uncontrolled tiger-by-the-tail and transformed into a monster money making program with teeth - Only this new monster won't be eating its' young.

At the top of the list of new rules for members is the rule that abusive behavior toward newer members (or any member, for that matter) will not be tolerated. The rampant selling of affiliate programs through signature links has ended. It had become a place where members seemed to practice affiliate marketing far too much by posting useless responses only for the sake of getting an affiliate link seen and was thankfully killed. With just these two changes (among many), the flamers and sellers will likely find less reason to bother creating the problems that we had previously. The support system has also been improved, with a ticket and registration system that should go a long way to assist new members with any problems fellow members can not assist them with.

APPROVAL WITHIN BANS COMMUNITY
The response by members is overwhelming approval to the new forum and rules. We all like some order to our lives and our community. This applies to a cyber-community, as well.

Additional changes include more category listings to keep some order to the 100,000+ posts made on the forum, thus far, and the many more thousands that are sure to follow in the coming years. One addition I particularly liked was the new "Templates" made available to members. In addition to the basic template that arrives when you purchase the program, you can now download pre-made templates that are more appealing in color, design, and overall appearance, which translates not only into being more user friendly to the new member, but into more money, as a visitor to your site sees a more professional landing page. Though I have learned over the months to tweak the basic template, these new offering provide me even more options for creating websites with unique appearances.

TWO THUMBS UP!

With the changes now implemented to the BANS forum, support system, and membership, I can now give it my full and honest recommendation to all who want to make extra money through the internet. BANS is once again for the beginner and at $97 is still the best investment you will make. As always it requires a commitment from you to create your own fortune, but it is the best tool that allows any "Noob" to do so. Like an old house that needed repairs because the foundation was crumbling, those repairs are complete.

It's good to be home.

Since securing the nominations of their respective parties, John McCain and Barack Obama have move from their opposing right and left sides, toward each other. They are each approaching center. They both understand that winning the party nomination called for extremes. McCain with the hard-line conservative, stand behind the President, kind of rhetoric won the Republican nomination. Obama, the black liberal with tolerance and ending the war as his sword, wore down Hillary Clinton and secured the delegates necessary for victory.

Now they will begin to sound more like each other when they campaign, with only a few differences becoming focal points to demonstrate their opposing philosophies. As we will hear only of those few, repeatedly broadcast to pain our senses, we will assume that they differ on every issue.

In one example McCain has urges an "all of the above" strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. So does Barack Obama when he talks about an "all hands on deck" approach. Neither man has come up with the plan that actually meets that sound bite, but both are saying the same thing in different ways.

McCain, early in his campaign to secure the nomination stated that Iraq could be years of struggle (often quoted by others as 100 years) with our troops involved, to solve the problem. Obama promised an immediate withdrawal of the troops if he became President. Now that they are the candidates for President, each says that withdrawal can not happen immediately and will take as long as 18 months to complete.

Yes, these differences are narrowing -- though it's difficult to tell amid the rhetorical salvos each side is firing at the other. Unlike many environmentalists, Obama hasn't ruled out increased use of nuclear power and last week he praised a proposal from a bipartisan "gang of 10" senators that could open to offshore drilling as much as 200 million additional acres in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast. McCain, meanwhile, has edged somewhat closer to Democrats on alternatives. In the Senate, McCain often opposed tax subsidies for renewable sources like wind and solar. But he's proposed some in his energy plan.

What have the real issues coming to the forefront between these two candidates? If recent events is any indication, Obama’s suggestion of proper tire inflation was first ridiculed then accepted by the McCain camp as a fuel saver.

Then there is the issue of the race card. Complaints by both camps toward the other of bringing up the race card, because the issue was raised so subtly that nobody but “experts” noticed. It was supposed to be a non-issue, as agreed by both candidates. The experts then explained to the public what we were seeing, as we all missed it, because it was that subtle. Apparently the “experts” didn’t realize that race has been an issue since day one. Not day one between Obama and McCain, but day one between Obama and Clinton. To deny the obvious is to ignore the truth, which speaks poorly for the candidates, the media, and ourselves.
Neither candidate has given us plans or shown us how they will succeed at anything they promis. They continue to meet on the middle ground and circle each other like children in a schoolyard ready to fight. They circle and talk tough, but neither can get to fighting. Twins don’t fight.

Personally, I feel better knowing that when I vote I am making the correct choice. I can vote for either man and will get the same man in office. What’s nice is that this year I get a choice of colors.

JOIN THE FORUM!

The Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland Cheye Calvo got a taste of what the less influential people in this country are dealing with on an ever-increasing basis. Police brutality, excessive force and authority out of control.

The Mayor arrived to the house after work, took a parcel inside that was left on the porchand put it on a table. Police kicked in the door and stormed in, with guns drawn, shooting to death the couple's two dogs and seizing the unopened package that contained 32 pounds of marijuana.

Calvo and his wife were not connected to the drug possession in any manner of ownership. They seem to be victims of a method devised by two men to smuggle millions worth of marijuana. They had it sent to a number of unsuspecting residents and then a second person would follow the route to retrieve the packages.

Calvo was furious at the invasion. He stated Thursday that he and his wife, are asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the conduct.

"We were harmed by the very people who took an oath to protect us."

The two dogs killed, were black labradors. Anyone familiar...

THE COMPLETE STORY CAN BE FOUND IN OUR FORUM