Hi there Folks...

CSTEELE - Many thanks for your words of welcome, I really appreciate them.

LEXI, thank you for your two Links, more on them later.

RUNNER; I wasn't aware that you endured some exposure to the world of gambling ? And as you say there are many who get caught in it's grasp, experiencing severe losses, not only of money, but spouses, jobs, in fact heavy gamblers often lose everything, including that of self respect, sadly ! While these unsavoury criminal slugs, engorge themselves on others hard earned assets, causing no end of misery, and without any compunction or conscience whatsoever ?

Reluctantly I must agree with PERICLES when he asserts, the introduction of a (permanent), formal government watchdog, is just a waste of time, pie in the sky situation...? Then what ? How can society ensure the industry IS adequately regulated, and the criminal element is purged completely from it for all time ? Or is it simply, all too hard eh ?

Gee, we're a joke, if we can't even clean up our own agency of 'The Sport of Kings' ? Yet here we are, gloating thunderously on how we gained temporary membership of the 'United Nations Security Council', and we can't even interdict our own Horse Racing Industry ! Are we fair dinkum, us tanned, rock hard, tough Aussies, sons of the famous fighting Diggers !

Or are we, as once described to me, by a visiting 'pommy' detective many years ago; '...you're (we're) like a Cat trying to catch mice while wearing gloves...' ? Says it all perhaps ?

Thank you all for your contributions.

o sung wo good to see you around friend.
Any one notice how slow the site is today?
My first bet o sung wo was at age 5, 6 pence each way the horse Neville selwood was riding.
Continued till I left work, and cut the habit clean.
A thousand story's can be told, true ones, of dirty tricks and the fact you just can not win.
Unless you are a book maker or one of the criminals .
Current problem in front pages, includes a bloke, no names no pack drill, who at a charity function on stage!
*told the world more money was to be made pulling horses up than riding winners*
I have been totally hooked on greyhounds trots and gallopers.
My love for NRL football warns me, believe me and most followers, its often the controllers/judges who are most bent.
Do not mistake me, I have bought new cars on a days winnings, but in the end the game is crook and you should go in to it knowing that.

Dear runner,

I appreciate your decision to avoid gambling. Unless one owns the venue it's generally a harmful activity.

I attended two Atheist Conventions at the Melbourne Convention Centre. I do not gamble or smoke and had one taste of an alcoholic beverage this year. When I told my host I really didn't want any more after he offered me another kind of alcoholic beverage he accepted that. From what I have observed of most atheists they smoke, drink and gamble less than the general public does. The Atheist Conventions were picketed by both Christians and Muslims who were presumably disturbed about our spiritual welfare.

The Crown Casino was next door to the Melbourne Convention Centre. There were throngs moving in and out of that venue. However, nobody was picketing that den of iniquity. Possibly those who gambled also were likely to smoke and drink.

From this I conclude:

Muslims and Christians accept those who gamble, smoke and drink
But are mightily enraged by those who question and think.

o sung wo, truth is we would not be in the race.
Cleaning up such a sport has seen hundreds of years pass without successes.
My words re my form of football, league, is likely to be strange to those who do not follow the game, but is just as apparent in any game that brings betting.
NRL fines players and coaches, for just being honest!
That seems clearly to stop us talking openly about match fixing by on field and of officials.
One night at a suburban trotting track, I saw with my own eyes, a race fixed before the horses left to warm up.
Grey hounds have been fixed more often than let run on their merits.
If big money is involved so is crime.

david f

'From this I conclude:

Muslims and Christians accept those who gamble, smoke and drink
But are mightily enraged by those who question and think. '

you obviously have not seen the froth coming from the mouth of pseudo scientist when their gw or evolutionary fantasy is challenged.

Dear runner,

It is the pseudo-scientist who accepts the creation fables in the Bible as scientifically valid. There is no more reason to accept that than to accept the Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent account of creation. They are both mythology. There is no evidence for either.

Fables must not be taught in schools as fact. You can believe what you like but keep such nonsense out of the schools.