Today I consider the crucial issue of the Google image - the barcode appearing on their home page today, to celebrate the anniversary of the invention of the barcode.

Is this the first time the word google hasn't appeared? Does it actually translate into the word Google? Or does it give the price of Google stock perhaps? Anyone got a barcode reader?

Yes, I do have more important things to be worrying about today but I can usually rely on Google for the answers - today it's raising more questions…

Despite recent newspaper reports declaring that the poker club Dusk Till Dawn may have to shut its doors within weeks, founder and owner Rob Yong has said that the club will continue to operate and there's no chance of it closing any time soon.  He also said that there are parties interested in buying out the club, so it's unlikely it would ever close even if he had to eventually leave the venture.

Here's the official press release:

OFFICIAL DTD PRESS RELEASE

Dear DTD Employees and Members,

Following on from some recent speculation, rumour and misquotes, I would like to make it absolutely crystal clear that there is no chance of us closing in the near future, or trading unlicensed to avoid paying higher taxes.
In reality, closing the doors would probably never happen, as a number of companies have registered an interest to acquire us, should we ever feel that the "struggle" gets too much!

When we chose to take the legal route by applying for a full casino license, we budgeted for all of the additional costs of operating legally, such as licensing fees, extra security measures and the employment of a dedicated compliance officer. Unfortunately, because we chose this path, we have recently become "caught in the crossfire" between the authorities and the casino industry. Consequently, we now face major tax increases in the form of;

1. VAT - this is now based on our total gaming area, so our 46 poker tables are treated exactly the same as having 46 roulette tables – now that is a super casino! Therefore, VAT is not reclaimable on almost all of our running costs, including any capital expenditure spent on the building.

2. Business Rates - these have literally gone through the roof and we are now paying the same rates as a 22,000sqft fully equipped casino. It has been indicated that this re-evaluation was prompted by another casino objecting to the level of rates that we were previously paying.

3.Gaming Duty - the appropriately nicknamed "Poker Tax" is now payable on all tournament registration fees and cash game charges, unlike a full casino, poker is 90% of our income and this new tax is applied to all of our poker revenues - whether we make a profit or not.

Despite these setbacks, it will still be "business as usual" at DTD; however, Nick and I will be considering the options as we move ahead. We also intend to consult our members and employees for their views at a future date. Thankfully we are in a good financial position, whereby there is no pressure to make any hasty decisions, but the reality is that we must address these significantly increased costs. Furthermore, we must also factor in the probability of more tax increases in the future, as the authorities continue to target the UK casino sector.

Cheers, Rob

PS. Last week's DTD Grand Slam overlays will have no effect on our future plans - at least the cash goes directly back into the poker community! I am certain that we will be more successful in the future. This was our first attempt and many venues would be pleased with a 194 field for a £1000k buy-in, especially taking into account the WSOP changed their dates and the market leading £1000 GUKPT took place just a week earlier.

Just returned from an amazing trip to Hong Kong - and in many respects it's like stepping 20 years into the future - skyscrapers that link together on a grand scale to blend housing, hotels, businesses, shops and restaurant facilities; cheap and plentiful transport; and a crazy mix of culture - East meets West on a grand scale to showcase the best and worst of both worlds.

Serious air pollution and smog issues aside, one thing this European eco-socialist was amazed at was the multi-media lightshow extravaganza that lit up the Skyscrapers to music. The twenty minute show occurs every night from 8pm. It's estimated cost in financial terms $1,000,000 an hour!

Not only does it create an impressive show to those watching from the Kowloon side - but it also throws a definite two-fingers in the direction of global concerns over carbon emissions!!

Yesterday was the last London Marathon sponsored by Flora.  From 2010 onwards it's going to be sponsored by Virgin.

One of the first changes that they've made is to overhaul the ballot entry process, and instead of sending your entry in via mail in the months running up to the ballot in October, they are asking people to do it online over the next few days.  This is all good, and in the name of progress.  You'd expect them to have the site working though…

They knew it'd be busy, and to claim it's due to unprecedented demand is a bit daft - of course it's unprecedented, it's the first time it's been done this way!

Three days to go until the London Marathon, and all my preparation is done.  I'm now carbo-loading, which has to be the easiest part of the training.  Tomorrow, I'll go out and run about 4 miles to keep things ticking over.  It's funny that at the start of the year 4 miles was a run - now it's hardly worth getting my running gear on for!  I suppose that's a sign that the training has gone pretty well.

The one thing I have no control over is the weather.

Having trained in great conditions for running (nice and cool, maybe a drop of rain, little wind), the weather this week has made a turn for the worse/better.  It's pretty warm and humid at the moment, and not ideal conditions for long-distance running.  So I'm wondering what it's going to be like on Sunday.  I've consulted two different sites for their forecasts, and they are markedly different.

The Weather Channel v the BBC Weather (if you click on those links you'll see the forecast from whenever you click - so no point clicking on them sometime in May, unless you're interested in the weather forecast for London from then).

Anyway - this is what they say the weekend, and most importantly Sunday will be like:

Great idea, but not sure how practical it'd be. It'd definitely be a talking point, especially after a few glasses… 

I'm also not sure how much it will cost to buy.  I'm thinking that John Lewis would sell this sort of thing, and it wouldn't be cheap.

Looking at it a bit more, the potential for drinking games utilising this glass is huge.  In fact, I definitely want one now.

You can find out more about this and other great product designs on Kyouei's website.

I don't think words are necessary…