Memories of 2005


In my continued walk down memory lane, in this week’s newsletter I revisit 2005. 2005 was a good year when business was running well and I had fun traveling and having fun as a top affiliate for Bodog. I had two kids at the time, who would have turned 3 and 8 that year.

Bodog party

Here is one of many pictures I have from Bodog parties with some of their lovely models.

San Jose del Cabo

At a gaming show I won a trip to Mexico. It was spent at a beachfront condo in San Jose del Cabo, which is near Cabo san Lucas but smaller and quieter. I highly recommend it.

Mount Langley

Here I am juggling atop Mount Langley. At 14,032 feet, it is the seventh highest peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

cat Simon

This is our beloved cat Simon – RIP.

Rolling Stones concert

I was a big player at the MGM at the time. They kindly comped me outstanding seats to a Rolling Stones concert. They put on an outstanding show.

Slot machines

I have a side business designing slot machines. Most of them are for Internet casinos, but this was a rare example of a physical machine I did, seen at the Global Gaming Expo.

Rickshaw ride

Here I am giving a rickshaw ride to my two kids at the time.

Finally, I got a comment about my last newsletter on Ramadan trivia. The writer said my newsletter missed the deeper meaning of Ramadan. Here are some points he made:

  • My answer to question 3 was not complete on the beginning and ending of Ramadan. It begins and ends with two consecutive crescent moons. This year, it goes from April 12 to May 12.
  • Sinful behavior should be avoided all the time. Things like smoking and sex are not allowed during Ramadan between sunrise and sunset.
  • Fasting should begin well before sunrise and ends at sunset.
  • The deeper ideology is that by fasting one will feel what it is like to be hungry and hopefully have more compassion for those who are all the time. When someone truly understands what it is like to be hungry, hopefully he will be more generous with Zakat, or the giving of alms to the poor.

I would like to thank Hakan Dagtas for his comments and helping me learn more about Ramadan.