Amadeus

Well, yes, or do you work for free?

I work in the private sector and it’s not a jolly. It’s called work. Work to bring more business to IOM although I’m starting to wonder why I bother.

As far as I know it was just Lyle. He came to Manila after, where he attended our conference together with another staff member. Singapore is years ahead in AI (and everything else really) and we can only learn from them so the cost of his flight ticket and hotel to have a better relationship with the country is worth it and small fry. I’m not their biggest fan at times (see current future egaming strategy exercise that I might write about at some point - great idea badly executed) but the Singapore thing seems to be a good way to learn from a leader in the field and be mentioned in the same breath.

Local virtue signalling incoming. At least they condemn Hamas. And it’s Hamas who can have a ceasefire any time by giving up. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid026qzZYr4Wv7Yqi1JdZeixXdEp6GDAdpVpAE4LgvHiqXnK1H5e4TcG12377xuPZNKkl&id=100064842975813

Can’t believe anyone would post something like this but here we are.

Strangest thing is still that none of the other Arab countries want Palestinians in their midst. Egypt is even reinforcing its border wall. Should tell you something. Of course the totally lobotomised morons who like to run around shouting Queers for Palestine (the dumbest thing I’ve heard and seen in a long long time) and other stupid and antisemitic slogans usually lack the brain power to understand what sort of evil idea and group they are actually supporting. Many of the idiots running around London would get a free rooftop tour on arrival if they ever stepped foot into Gaza and it feels more like the fashionable thing to do rather than anything they spent 2 seconds actually thinking about. Hamas can stop all this in an instant.

Problem is that the Met has a pretty shitty track record when it comes to policing these terror supporters. Going as far as arresting the one guy who held a Hamas are Terrorists poster (and then later pretty much admitting they fucked up). The level of antisemitism allowed to be on display in London is shocking and the police has long lost control.

Helix is right, it’s not automatically anti semitic but if it’s being waved in the face of Jews by a group of Hamas lovers during a Gaza protest march, then I think it’s safe to assume they’re not meaning the Hindu or Buddhist meaning. That cop is a disgrace.

Every time you think the Met couldn’t possibly sink any lower, they go “Hold my beer and watch this”. What the absolute fuck.

They’re not really thinking about building those fucking things there?

It’s terrible. That’s what it is.

Not leaving for good maybe but I’m planning to spend more time off island again to balance things.

Yes they should and they’re not doing enough. Many firms in the IOM give pathetic amounts as their required annual contribution. Others are better but it still needs more.

I got the same impression, and know from some of them directly that they think Tesco is a nicer place to work.

Good on them for getting off the couch for something they feel strongly about: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw5z6knx720o Thing is, and I never thought I'd say this, BM is right. People will always gamble and the IOM has one of the safest frameworks for it. The aim of the GSC is to protect players and keep gambling crime free. I do suspect well meaning individuals like them have limited visibility of this industry. An industry that is not without problems or flaws, but what do they actually want? People to stop gambling completely? Never gonna happen. The IOM to give up its one consistent economic success story for the last twenty plus years, at a time when we are indeed the best jurisdiction in our field worldwide and hoovering up business? Sure, but then give an alternative and also lay out how you will prevent any of the other jurisdictions from taking our place, because they will and are already trying. Some of the comments are also a bit ? "But Mr Craine said more needed to be done and called for the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) to use "their powers more" to encourage minimum stakes." So he wants minimum stakes (and people to gamble more) or maybe this is bad reporting and he meant stake limits? "Protestor Robert Riding said gambling was "accessible to everyone via their mobile phones", which meant it was "destructive worldwide"." IOM rules ringfence player money, ensure the offering is fair, and require operators to have tools such as stake limits and self exclusion available. That's more than many other jurisdictions require. Would he prefer people gamble with unlicensed operators? Because, again, they will always gamble. "Fellow campaigner Deborah Taubman said gambling sent the "wrong message to society" and left people "chasing after something that's not going to bring any satisfaction"." That's simply not the case. Gambling is a legitimate source of entertainment, just as going to the pub is, or doing any kind of sport to get your kicks. Just like a number of people who go to the pub will develop an issue with alcohol, a number of people will develop issues with gambling. Ultimately, it's an adult activity and we can only try and make it as safe as possible. Which the IOM is doing.

I’ve never worked for them. Curious who would protest there though.

Only the odd typhoon https://jfit-for-science.asia/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Disaster-Mitigation-Implications-of-Study-of-Manila-Coastal-Flooding-Due-to-Recent-Typhoons.pdf

Love how Douglas beach looks now.

It was a bit more than luck. It’s still a good place for it even if the industry is changing. We don’t have a strategy for it at the moment but IOMG is asking the sector for feedback which is good. I did have my eye on the head of egaming job once (when it still existed) but then realised that I could never work for IOMG. Way too restrictive and I can’t work in an environment where you have to justify every drink you have with a client. The digital guys have been out here a couple of times now and it’s been nice to show them around and good to have them here for meetings. But if you think these trips are jollies for them then, think again.

Who was the AI guy at the digital isle conference? Doesn’t he already live here?

AI is data so if I had to create an a strategy around it, I would play on things like the cloud act and that companies are safe here, plus low tax. It’s not that hard to come up with something meaningful. We’re the best egaming jurisdiction (in a certain niche) worldwide right now. We can do the same in other sectors if we find the right angle and people.

AI is going to be important for all sectors, so it makes sense to try and put something in place. I'm not too fuzzed about the headline salary, which is low in tech terms. It's what we get for it, the measurable tangible financial and economic benefits that person creates for the island we need to look at. Lyle came from straight from Singapore to here last week, having signed a MoU with AI Singapore. The island needs to learn fast and try to benefit from this. I still have no idea what this "AI Biosphere" thing is supposed to be and there are the usual concerns that any business this person brings to the island, either directly or indirectly, is slowed down or hindered by the usual problems elsewhere (immigration, FSA, lack of housing, travel, etc, etc) but they have to do something. Get a few firms based here and you could have the new egaming sector equivalent with this.

DBC owns the Lord Street flats. No idea why up the road thinks they need to talk about it.

Bit early to drink, isn't it?

Well if something changed then yes