Saturday, March 20, 2010

The charm of Sir Richard rubs off on Perth kids - Fairfax Media - 19th March 2010

There are not many people in the world who can say they have Sir Richard Branson wrapped around their little finger.

But that's exactly what six-year-old Perth boy Jarvis Brett did this morning when he met the billionaire entrepreneur.

Sitting in Sir Richard's lap as the visiting special guest of Perth charity Strike A Chord for Cancer met with some of the sick children he was there to help, Jarvis looked shy as cameras flashed in his face.

But as soon as the formalities were over, the little boy with neuro blastoma showed Sir Richard just how flexible his fingers were, and then delighted in trying to pull Sir Richard's fingers out of their sockets.

Today, Sir Richard will attend a variety of events held around the city in aid of the Perth charity.

Fans of the entrepreneur have forked out up to $3300 each to socialise with him. Those paying the premium price will enjoy a cruise on the Swan River this afternoon on board a 94-foot yacht as they eat dishes created by Knee Deep winery chef Bradley Hornby and drink Billecart champagne.

He will also attend a cocktail function at Indiana restaurant overlooking Cottesloe beach with 200 guests, and a party dubbed Branson by the Pool at Burswood later tonight with another 700. More than 1000 people will attend breakfast and lunch functions at which he will appear today.

Strike A Chord for Cancer offers emergency funds to families who have children suffering from cancer, while also providing them with musical instruments and lessons to help take their mind of their illness. Tonight, a band made up of children who benefited from the charity will play at the pool party.

Sir Richard said he came to Perth for the kids.

"They're fantastic kids, except for the one that's been trying to break my finger!" he said.

"No, he's absolutely adorable. It's a tremendous charity and great to be able to spend the day trying to raise money for it. You can see the joy in the kids' faces, how excited they are to be playing in their band tonight, having been given the equipment by the charity and taught how to use it."

Sir Richard said he travelled the world to attend charity events, and worked on his foundation that raises money for children in Africa.

"I do about 20 events a year," he said.

"I do some speaking and put 100 per cent to the charity, or towards the foundation we have in Africa.

"That's about helping African kids who have different sorts of problems." (Credit: Fairfax Media)

Australian Casino And Poker News: Overseas Passenger Terminal And Burswood Casino Packs Em In, by Greg Tingle - 19th March 2010

It's been a huge 24 hours in the Australian casino, employment, poker, media and social and community entrepreneur sectors.

Billionaire Inc Connection...

James Packer's Burswood Casino aka Burswood Entertainment Complex, based in Perth, Western Australia, is on a roll. Poker and online poker continue to do massive numbers, and Crown Limited (Crown Casino and Burswood Casino etc al), PartyGaming's PartyPoker, Media Man and Gambling911 are in the thick of the action.

Must be magic that Packer and Perth mining magnate, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest are weaving. "Twiggy" have brought his infectious can-do attitude, work ethic and Aussie humour in spades to Sydney. Yep, the Billionaire, understood to now be Australia's Richest Man, still has the common touch.

Packer and Forrest were in Sydney last night, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, joined by 500 power players in the Australian business, political and entertainment arena to officially welcome in GenerationOne. For the record, Media Man had to report from the sidelines as the event was jam packed, but did have the pleasure to speaking to some execs very close to the powers that be...and they were pleased to hear of our assistance to groups such as Githabul people, Yuggera tribe, Deadly Awards, Friends of Malabar Headland and Virgin Unite, and mentioning that we owned shares in Crown Casino didn't seem to hurt the cause!

Movie stars Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe attended last night, where movers and shakers exchanged ideas (plus gossip) and saw their palms projected onto the sails of the Opera House in a show of support. Us Aussies are likely giving the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City a few free ideas!

The story that Media Man and Gambling911 collaborated on and broke worldwide, has dominated Google and Google News for the past 24 hours or so, and shows no sign on slowing down for the weekend... a favorite time for punters, both in Australia and around the globe.

The GenerationOne movement has also triggered us to open up negotiations with the state and federal government to see how we here at Media Man may qualify to take on a couple of suitable indigenous peoples as contract staff to assist our business endeavors... could be for photography, video, graphic arts or internet portal development.

Australia New Zealand Poker Tour

The event is the toast of the town in Perth, ok, that may be talking it up a notch, but you get the idea.

Burswood Casino, PokerStars and the online poker community, not to mention bars,
restaurants, taxis and limousines are sure doing well out of it. All the action also means that Burswood will need to keep staff numbers high, which is good news for GenerationOne, but fortunately those infamous plastic handcuffs have yet been witnessed on site.

Insiders advise over 60 players got through day 1b at the PokerStars ANZPT Perth Main Event. Mr Yu-chang Cheng leads as the only player from the flight with over 100,000 in chips.

Many of Australia’s best poker players attended with PokerStars pros Tony Hachem, Eric Assadourian and Grant Levy all surviving with pretty average chips.

Joel "Strong Play" Dodds who continues his roll with ANZPT to sit in third chip position with 97,600 and APPT Sydney champion Aaron Benton returned strongly from a short stack to concluded with 74,900 chips. ANZPT Adelaide champ Rennie Carnevale gets to Day 2 with 47,550.

The ANZPT Perth Main Event attracted 222 players, beating the previous record for a Perth event - 142 players. The top prize is $132,750.

Here's the numbers as of time to publication

Top ten chip counts:
Nik Lackovic – 104,625
Yu-chang Cheng – 101,425
Joel Dodds – 97,600
Dominic Sinagra – 93,350
Aaron Wilson – 90,950
Kelvin Beattie – 90,125
Christopher Evans - 87,600
Tu Le – 84,425
Jimmy Wong – 77,925
Aaron Benton - 74,900

So punters, be casino, poker or community assistance being your passion or poison, as you can see its been a massive period for casino, poker and entertainment news down under.

Wait, there's more!

GenerationOne - The Numbers Build

In the next report we expect to be able to give more updates on the amount of jobs GenerationOne is generating. New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally, already has 2229 jobs earmarked for indigenous people, Packer has approx 100, "Twiggy" with multiple thousands, and Media Man has put aside 2 contract jobs for locals. It's more paperwork, but the end result is worth the effort.

Mr Packer has employed 60 indigenous workers and is looking for 50 more. Like many, he had always wanted to do more in the area and Mr Forrest had shown him how.

"It's not about rich people can do more, or poor people should get off their backsides, or government should get out there … It's about all Australians", Mr Forrest said.

"People tell me, 'This is just another campaign.' I say show me the 20,000 (promised jobs so far) in any other campaign."

Readers, have fun playing your games of preference, and be assured that we will continue to support the readership and community who support us.

Let's hear it again for the Australian - American connection... Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi Aussie Aussie Aussie USA USA Aussie Oi Aussie Oi USA Oi Oi Oi!

* Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

* The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

* Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, operating in over a bakers dozen vertical markets

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Big names lend hand to campaign - 19th March 2010

Hand prints of some of Australia's biggest movers and shakers will be projected onto Sydney Opera House to kick start a campaign to end indigenous inequality.

Interactive artwork will build up over two hours covering the Opera House sails from 8pm (AEDT) on Friday.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, mining magnate Andrew Forrest, media baron James Packer, and actors Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett will be among the 500 participants at the GenerationOne launch.

The campaign aims to boost aboriginal employment, literacy rates, year 12 completion rates, and help curb alcohol abuse and welfare dependency in indigenous communities.

As part of the launch, artworks will also be projected onto five iconic buildings in other cities - Flinders St Station in Melbourne, the Adelaide Festival Centre, Brisbane City Hall, Canberra Australian National Gallery and the Perth Bell Tower.

Cape York Kokoberra woman Tania Major, the 2007 Young Australian of the Year, is one of faces of the campaign.

"As I get around this country, I find Australians really are unified around a desire to ensure that this is the last generation to suffer indigenous disparity," she said prior to the launch.

Joint spokesman Jack Manning Bancroft said cooperation was needed nationwide.

"GenerationOne is different from previous attempts to fix this problem because it isn't just calling on governments to act. It's calling on business, government and all Australians," he said.

GenerationOne will have a national roadshow from March 23 to May 20 to encourage people to get involved.

Australian Casino King, Business Tycoons And Social And Community Entrepreneurs Unite For Indigenous, by Greg Tingle - 19th March 2010

Tonight's the night!

Australian casino king, James Packer, friends, associates and even a few Hollywooders will gather at the Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney in aid of indigenous Australians - GenerationOne!

Mr Packer and mate, Andrew Forrest, having been working the phones and rumor has it even Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett will be there. Billionaires and celebs a plenty.

They will all get together to project their hands via a colourful laser display on the Opera House to launch GenerationOne - an ambitious project to secure appropriate training and employment for indigenous Australians.

A positive and determine billionaires' swag - one that Packer, Forrest, Kerry Stokes, Lowy clan and Lindsay Fox make the running on a cause they have taken into their own hands.

Media Man is hopeful of getting up close to the action tonight, and rest assured follow up stores will follow, many of which positive outcomes are forecast.

Prime Minster Kevin Rudd has publicly said Sorry to indigenous Australians, but saying sorry is not enough... actions speak louder than words, and who better to action than influential whales and dolphins in the casino, media and entertainment industry.

Numerous Australian government agencies and charity groups have previously given money and attention towards Aboriginal Australians, but sustainable solutions - jobs and the like are what's needed. Just throwing money at problems doesn't work, and the Packer - Forrest clan has runs on the board and has experienced indigenous Australia close up... both the good and the bad.

These leaders of business have their work cut out for themselves, but they are used to beating the odds... and winning. Look at Packer's recent "comeback of the decade". Big business, backed by positive (and cashed up) folks, coupled with people power, has a good chance to win this struggle.

Corporate social responsibility has become a focus for many companies over the past years. Sustainable employment seems to have overshadowed the environmental - greeny barrow. A Media Man insider was overheard, "All this talk about the environment... well and good, but if someone is sleeping in a cardboard box and hungry, that's their environment. Millionaires, billionaires and the right mix of social and community entrepreneurs can sort out many of Australia's problems".

Billionaire Inc is willing to use some of its its money and clout garner community interest and balanced news media attention to push a unified cause. Egos will be pushed to the side, results being paramount.

Forrest is the individual who has driven this to date. He's got jobs for the right folks, so has Packer. All members of the brains trust understand that correct training, willingness to learn, adapt, hard work and positive mental attitude is key.

The initial jobs target is 50,000 indigenous placings. Packer's Crown and Forrest's mining operation can't fill all of the positions, so they are looking to other suitable Australian companies to assist. It's seen as a win - win - win.

Part of the task for Team Forrest - Packer is about convincing big business that indigenous employees, properly trained and equally valued, are economically valuable and inspirational to the other employees and can become mentors. This isn't about fulfilling a charitable quota.

For Forrest and Packer this quest is most personal.

Forrest was raised in a remote West Australian station where until the age of nine all his friends were Aborigines. He says that the Aboriginal elders mentored him and taught him many life skills, including how to track and how to fight.

"I grew up believing the more you know Aboriginal people the more you love them", he told Fairfax Media.

At the age of nine Forrest was sent to a boarding hostel where Aborigines lived.

The majority of the billionaires he has mustered have either experienced their own struggle or have learnt hardship from their parents.

The Packer and Forrest collective empires are in a strong position at present, and perhaps this has been instrumental in the timing of this bold project.

Media Man and Gambling911 applaud this champion effort. It's mate helping mate, breaking down the divide between the haves and the have nots. Media Man and Gambling911 hope your gaming experience is a positive and enjoyable one, and if you get lucky, please consider assisting a worthy cause or two. In the coming days and weeks more details will be provided on GenerationOne. Crew, let's hear it... Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company.

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Australian Casino Attacks: Perth's Burswood Bouncer In Hospital Following Headbutt, by Greg Tingle - 14th March 2010

A man has been questioned by police after a bouncer was allegedly head-butted at Burswood Casino in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police said a 26-year-old man from Southern Cross would be summonsed to appear
in court on an assault charge after he allegedly head-butted the male security officer (aka "Bouncer") about 3.30am.

The victim was taken to hospital with a suspected broken nose.

The alleged offender was apprehended at the scene by security officers before police arrived to take him away for questioning. Ya bloody mongrel.

Media Man and Gambling911 have been following the history of violent attacks at Australian hotels, pubs and casinos for a number of years. Mugs like the above mentioned have been tarnishing the good name of Australian casinos for too long now.

Burswood Entertainment Complex, owned by James Packer's Crown Limited group, is one of numerous Crown venues that will be implementing a plastic handcuff policy, expected to be rolled out later this year.

Negatives Into Positives...

As reported last month, Mr Packer has vouched to help find employment for masses of Indigenous Australian youth, and by the sound of it there's still room to boost the numbers of security offers at the Crown group of facilities. Insiders tip Crown to initially open up close to 100 vacancies for suitably qualified staff, but the overall plan from the Packer - Andrew Forrest - Kerry Stokes - Rupert Murdoch connection is looking to cater to 50,000! Readers, you will be hearing lots more about The Covenant and Generation One.

Burswood and Crown Casino remain iconic Australian tourism landmarks, despite detractors staying otherwise. Last year golfing great Tiger Woods brought in $10 million to Crown coffers alone, largely due in part to a large contingent of casino and golfing whales and dolphins who followed him down under. Tiger's Aussie tour brought more excitement and headlines than expected and witnesses say a certain Miss was seen in Crown Towers... you know, the one who grasped international headlines et Rachel Uchitel. What a bingle that was, of the Aussie Lara Bingle magnitude.

We're hoping things settle down for Tiger and Australian casinos, and the next wave of news will be more positive in nature. We applaud media giants News Limited and Fairfax, both of which have been filing numerous balanced and positive reports on Australian casino king, James Packer, and his substantial empire. Insiders are calling Packer's return to the uppers of the BRW Rich List "the comeback of the decade", likely the only thing he shares in common with Hollywood toughman Mickey Rourke.

No plastic handcuffs required for online casinos, online poker or sports betting, but always bet with your head, not over it.

Big Business Opportunities...

Last call... Media Man thinks Crown might do well to get a b2b deal in place for online casino games with the likes of PartyGaming. Party's PartyPoker secured a large number of online poker players for Crown's Aussie Millions Poker Championship via satellites last January. Party subsequently signed Crown winner Tyron Krost to a lucrative contact. Krost claims he learned to play online poker via PartyPoker.com Party's themed and branded slots such as The Godfather, Mission: Impossible and Top Gun (both featuring Packer's mate Tom Cruise).

Let's face it, some of the attacks at Australian land based casinos are likely going to keep some punters away, but most will have access to an internet connection, thus the online casino. History shows us via the Las Vegas experience that casinos who embrace the internet appropriately are likely to stay ahead of competitors. Packer said himself, "Internet is like electricity".

U.S casino and gaming Giant, Harrah's Entertainment, is the latest U.S casino to make a big splash in online b2b, and we think Packer's Crown should be Australia's first. We understand that Crown competitors TAB and Centrebet are currently making moves to be able to offer Australian's a wide range of online casino games and we think that the Packer People's Army would do well to beat the comp to the punch, pardon the pun, and offer some games featuring some unique Aussie culture. How about a Kerry Packer, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, Underbelly, The Man From Snowy River and Ned Kelly slot? Now I'd be prepared to pay for that, as one would expect from masses of passionate Aussies. Crown shares on 8.170 (share price, not blood alcohol reading). Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi, Oi.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor to Gambling911

*The writer owns shares in Crown Limited

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company, gaming being just one of a bakers dozen of sectors covered

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