# Rest In Peace, Alan (xtcxtc)



## johnboy

On Australia Day, January 26th, the world lost a true original and Bluelight lost its patron.


Some of you may have known that Bluelight had a principal sponsor. Some of you may even have known, or guessed, who it was. It is safe to say that few knew how truly generous a man he was or how sincerely he loved this site of ours. There has always been a careful dance of privacy and respect when publically acknowledging who he was and what he has done for us, but now the time has come for full disclosure.


"xtcxtc" was his handle here but his real name was Alan Woods.


The official history of Bluelight, like most history, is a collection of names and dates that gives no real indication of the struggles and anxiety that the creation and growth of a community this size brings. Walter and Jase and all who came afterwards were always dealing with the problem of a site that was just getting too damn popular for its own good. A moment came when what began as a hobby was about to turn professional – in the sense that actual cash money was going to have to be spent on it – if if it was to continue at all.


None of us had ever attempted this before. Hell, it was almost ten years ago, back in the mists of the dawn of the Internet. No one knew you could actually make money off sites, at least not on a small, manageable size. These days every fool can "monetize" a "blog" but I doubt we had even heard either of those words at that time.


Not long after we began calling out for donations and ideas of how to go forward we received an email from a regular user who said, simply, "Whatever you need, just send me the bills". Literally, that was all that he said. If there was one thing that stayed consistent about Alan over the years it was his brevity.


Understandably it took a while for us to a) realise he was serious and b) realise that he could most certainly afford it. He had been around the site for as long as anyone could remember, adding his opinion to many a thread and posting up hilarious stories of high jinks that seemed, at the time, to be fictional. But we then discovered the next of Alan's consistent traits: he never lied. He was always good to his word, with the promises he made, as well as the stories he told.


It is hard to convey the relief we felt to know that we could put aside the worry of the financial elements and focus strictly on the site itself. Bluelight would not be the site it is today without that freedom. We have been able to use the talents and enthusiasm of our volunteers to improve the experience for everyone without ever having worry how the next server bill was going to be paid.


Those times are over but this is no cause for alarm. We will discuss where we go next in another thread, but this one is about Alan and it acknowledging that without his unflagging support we would not be the strong site we are today – a site that can cheerfully move forward to the next part of its life.


Below I have posted one of the many obituaries of Alan. It will give you an idea, if you weren't already aware, of how truly incredible his life story was. I will also later be adding some personal anecdotes of my (all too few) meetings with Alan and share some of the stories he told.


Bluelight is black today. A sign of respect for the passing of a friend, and for all the friends that are no longer with us. A time such as this is not about what we lost but what we share. And where we go next.





> Horse Racing Guru Alan Woods Dies
> 
> January 28, 2008
> 
> The world's most successful horse-racing gambler, Australian Alan Woods, died in Hong Kong on Saturday night.
> 
> Woods, 62, recently diagnosed with appendiceal cancer, is believed to have suffered a pulmonary embolism. He had begun chemotherapy treatment two weeks ago and passed away in the intensive care unit of the Sanitorium Hospital at Happy Valley in the presence of family and friends.
> 
> Born in 1945 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Woods showed an early aptitude for mathematics at school but was a losing punter in his earliest days at university and gambling played little part in his life until his 30s.
> 
> Working as an actuary in the late 1970s, Woods learned to count cards at blackjack and became a serious gambler for the first time in his life, travelling the world for three years as a professional card counter and undertaking all kinds of disguises and subterfuge to avoid identification by the world's casinos.
> 
> But his earnings at blackjack were tiny compared with his subsequent career in racing. Woods turned to horseracing in New Zealand in 1982 then shifted his life and focus to Hong Kong, and its big pools, in 1984.
> 
> A founding partner in the earliest computer betting team in Hong Kong, which split after a dispute between the partners in the early 1990s, Woods established his own hugely successful betting operation, with employees based around the world and had built a fortune estimated at more than US$600 million before his death.
> 
> Even as Woods grew to the point of dominating the Hong Kong betting scene in recent years, even over and above other successful computer teams, he also enjoyed his wealth and was famed in Hong Kong racing circles for his bacchanalian parties and celebrations.
> 
> Once a regular in Wan Chai's bars and nightclubs, Woods had become more reclusive and relocated to Manila several years ago, but his operation continued to annually lay out between one and two per cent of Hong Kong's entire racing turnover (which totalled US$64 billion in the last completed season).
> 
> He is survived by two ex-wives, two sons and a daughter.
> 
> "My father achieved great success at something so many people dream of doing well and fail to achieve but, along the way, he also provided jobs and support for so many friends - he kept them close to him and brought so many people together," said his daughter, Victoria, yesterday.
> 
> http://www.eog.com/news/full-article.aspx?id=34662


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## SA

Tragedy abounds. 

Bluelight will observe a week of mourning in honour of this most pivotal of figures in this site's history.

Rest In Peace, Alan


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## Mariposa

Alan:

I will always remember our talks. We still have a date with the ponies. If there's another side, I will eventually see you there. All of Bluelight is grateful for your immense contribution to our mission. I am grateful for the initial small conflict of values that led to our communications. Having found common ground with you taught me a lot about leadership, and that was before I ever knew you as anything other than a name on a message board. Thank you for guiding me and for the kick in the arse I needed. You never guided me wrong.

Thank you for your gifts to us. One would never expect a professional horse better to be a philanthropist, but you did so much for so many. Your memory lives on through all of us who knew you, however peripherally. You did it "your way" for sure. You lived one hell of a life, that's for sure.

To all: the reason you may not have known that Alan was our benefactor was that he expressed a wish not to be treated any differently than any other Bluelighter. For all Alan's success and all he gave us, he was never a braggart and never had a sense of entitlement.

Back to Alan: my life would not be what it is without you, and that is a small part of what you've done. Without Bluelight, I would not have my partner, my lifelong friends, and knowledge that may have saved my life. I will forever remember you with fondness, occasional amusement, and respect. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for everything.  Goodbye, and see you at the races someday.


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## L2R

rest in peace excellent sir.



i had a glimmer of hope to meet you next year in amsterdam. as it now stands, i'll have to wait a little longer.


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## ClubbinGuido

Thank you for giving us Bluelight.


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## Winding Vines

You know, I feel like I've been hit with a bat. So many little times he and i would chat, always was great. 

But to know, that with his support throughout the many crazy years (and you all know who i talk about when i say crazy :-D ). What a sad week, I mean god I wish i was best friends with him, what an amazing person and how so many of us impact eachother its beautiful.  I hope bluelight becomes stronger throughout even the saddest times, this has been my home for the past almost 6 years, my mental institution and procrastination. ha! 

I hope we all take time to appreciate what a special, unique and dynamic community we have, and how even I take it for granted, like a marriage, don't we all. Humility is so frail.

But damn, I don't know what kind of a person I would be without my best friends, lovers, fighters, and role models. 


bless us all.

PS- Allan hope you are sittin with bud-ala-jes-a hoti and a sweet laptop with a T-3 lurking man. Thank you so much, I hope you are reincarnated, because this world lacks so much kindness.


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## Slay

what you did willl always be remembered xtcxtc, we remember, rest in peace


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## eggman

RIP Alan

Thank you for what you have given us


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## taita

Rest In Peace Alan  So much could be said by me and many others about your great work and i'm sure it will be .. 

You will be missed


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## PriestTheyCalledHim

Thank you Alan, Rest in Peace.


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## @lterEgo

alan, you have left us all an amazing gift. the man may pass but the legacy lives on. RIP.


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## Crow

May the gods welcome him with open arms.


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## Slay

_the grass was greener
the light was brighter
the taste was sweeter
the nights of wonder
with friends surrounded
the dawn mist glowing
the water flowing
the endless river
forever and ever_


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## 64tf

I'm not ready to make a complete reply to this.  

Does anyone have some of the old content about Alan?  Skydance posted some things long ago about his horse racing software, and some of his other ventures.  Now that he's passed I don't think we need to conceal this information anymore.  He was a extremely interesting person, and it would be nice to share some of life with everyone now.


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## alias.

The LEGEND..


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## ClubbinGuido

alias. said:
			
		

> The LEGEND..



Indeed.


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## Damien

I didn't know you. I wish I had. You gave a great gift and I am sure saved many many lives.


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## chicpoena

Yesterday was the first day I stumbled upon his gallery. Then I happened to stumble upon a thread about him in the lounge. This is completely unreal since I had JUST discovered him. Since I spend a lot of my time on BL I thought about him a lot today since I had always wondered who paid for BL. This is insane actually, and is deeply disturbing. Rest in peace


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## patternagainst

may the forewinds blow you safely home...


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## 64tf

http://www.inside-edge-mag.co.uk/racing/features/137/the_life_hong_kong_betting_syndicates.html

The story of computer-assisted betting in Hong Kong begins with Bill Benter, the US-educated, impeccably dressed technician who developed the first successful programme put to use at Happy Valley. The importance of his pioneering work is confirmed by rivals and experts alike. Benter got his start in the mid-1970s, when he discovered Beat the Dealer, a bible for blackjack card counters. He memorised the best-selling book's strategies and hit the casino circuit, where he met his future partner, Alan Woods, a former actuary turned counter. In Las Vegas Benter stumbled on a slim handicapping guide - and turned from casinos to horse racing.

Equipped with a $150,000 bankroll provided mostly by Woods, the two card-counters planned to apply the theories of winning at blackjack to winning at the races. Beat the Dealer, after all, had been written with the aid of a computer that analysed every possible situation at a blackjack table and assigned numerical values based on which cards remained in the deck. The idea, when you follow that best-selling guide, is to rigorously stick to its formula and bet high - even when you have only a tiny advantage. In the long run, despite frequent fluctuations and potentially long periods of losing, you will win a prescribed percentage of money.

By the time their computer programme had been fully refined, he and Woods had bitterly fallen out. But in the end, each wound up with an odds- and probability-crunching machine. Woods, now operating out of Manilla with a Hong Kong-based team, uses off-the-rack Pentium computers, still runs DOS, and employs an out-of-print program called Revelation for his database. At its core, it remains the original system.

Most telling of all, though, when winners cross the finish line, you don't hear even a whoop from Woods and his crew. As any punter can tell you, the real miracle of this technology is that winning fails to come as a surprise.

This isn't the content I'm looking for, but it's a start.


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## 64tf

Horse Racing Guru Alan Woods Dies
January 28, 2008

The world's most successful horse-racing gambler, Australian Alan Woods, died in Hong Kong on Saturday night.

Woods, 62, recently diagnosed with appendiceal cancer, is believed to have suffered a pulmonary embolism. He had begun chemotherapy treatment two weeks ago and passed away in the intensive care unit of the Sanitorium Hospital at Happy Valley in the presence of family and friends.

Born in 1945 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Woods showed an early aptitude for mathematics at school but was a losing punter in his earliest days at university and gambling played little part in his life until his 30s.

Working as an actuary in the late 1970s, Woods learned to count cards at blackjack and became a serious gambler for the first time in his life, travelling the world for three years as a professional card counter and undertaking all kinds of disguises and subterfuge to avoid identification by the world's casinos.

But his earnings at blackjack were tiny compared with his subsequent career in racing. Woods turned to horseracing in New Zealand in 1982 then shifted his life and focus to Hong Kong, and its big pools, in 1984.

A founding partner in the earliest computer betting team in Hong Kong, which split after a dispute between the partners in the early 1990s, Woods established his own hugely successful betting operation, with employees based around the world and had built a fortune estimated at more than US$600 million before his death.

Even as Woods grew to the point of dominating the Hong Kong betting scene in recent years, even over and above other successful computer teams, he also enjoyed his wealth and was famed in Hong Kong racing circles for his bacchanalian parties and celebrations.

Once a regular in Wan Chai's bars and nightclubs, Woods had become more reclusive and relocated to Manila several years ago, but his operation continued to annually lay out between one and two per cent of Hong Kong's entire racing turnover (which totalled US$64 billion in the last completed season).

He is survived by two ex-wives, two sons and a daughter.

"My father achieved great success at something so many people dream of doing well and fail to achieve but, along the way, he also provided jobs and support for so many friends - he kept them close to him and brought so many people together," said his daughter, Victoria, yesterday.

http://www.eog.com/news/full-article.aspx?id=34662


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## RoxieQueen

Thank You Alan for giving us a Safe Haven and probly saving unknown lives in the process. I am fairly new to BL was Alan a user or just a great person you could talk to? (No offense meant) I don't want that to come across as that Users are not great people which they are, I just didn't know if he was a type of counselor or something.

@--'---  May Angels be by your side Alan

Blessed Be,
Roxxie


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## MyDoorsAreOpen

^^^ This is just too weird for me.

Just this week we were discussing xtcxtc in the Lounge thread 'Who owns Bluelight?', and I expressed concern over how the site would continue once he passed away. I had no idea that when I posted that, he just had. I definitely believe in either ESP or synchronicity now.

Edit: for chicpoena


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## Infinite Jest

Thank you Alan.

Our online communications were brief, but you always had something interesting to say.

You did so much for Bluelight. Some of us remember what this place was like before you started funding it. We were always looking for money. The admins of the time took donations, ran fundraising projects, and so on. The site, let's be blunt, sucked - no gallery, threads were limited to 100 posts to ease the load on the poor overworked server, and we encouraged people *not* to use the search engine, it slowed everything down too much.  Thanks to Alan, we got past that stage to become what you see now. 

I'd say rest easy, but I don't think that's your style. I hope you're enjoying the company of some real angels now


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## MrMoss

Rip


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## 64tf

RoxieQueen said:
			
		

> Thank You Alan for giving us a Safe Haven and probly saving unknown lives in the process. I am fairly new to BL was Alan a user or just a great person you could talk to?



Alan Woods = xtcxtc

He always wanted to be treated like any other user.  That's why you wouldn't have known him from anyone else.  

When I was a moderator I worked with him on few topics, and we talked on occasion.  I can't say we we're close, but I will say that I like him.  Alan had a bent of crazy that I love.  He was the kind of guy that I hang out with, and think it's dangerous to do so.  

At times he was a challenge to the staff.  He spoke with the voice of the people, but at the same time held the power of the funding.  It was an odd paradox, but it worked.  Alan wanted the best for the site.  He paid for it with one hand, and fought for its freedom with the other.  I don't know how he treated other staff members, but he never pulled his trump cards on me.  He respected me, and what I was trying to do.  At anytime I think he could have booted me from my moderator spot, but he didn't even when we disagreed.  

Sometimes he got all loaded and surly, and it was hard to understand what he was even getting at.  Then other times he’d say things that had insight beyond the smartest people I know.  I haven’t talked to Alan for over two years, and it breaks my heart to think that I won’t talk to him again.  I only saw a small portion of who Alan was, but it’s a small portion that I will miss.


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## smackem

Jeez what an amazing guy. I thank him for all he has given us. I also wish I could assure him that bluelight will continue to fufill its mission statement even after he is gone, and hopefully after I am gone. How did he die?


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## ego_loss

I didn't begin any correspondence with Alan until a few years ago... and most of it was bitching, asking that he use some of his assumed authority to help make some changes around here.

He always maintained a very definitely clear separation between his patronage and his participation. He paid the bills, but he left the politics up to the people.

The word has lost a great man. A true visionary.

I can only hope that they find a worthwhile actor to portray him in the movie they are sure to make out of the life he led.

Even if those of us known as Bluelighters know of his legend, his memory will live on.


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## peterluber

chicpoena said:
			
		

> Yesterday was the first day I stumbled upon his gallery. Then I happened to stumble upon a thread about him in the lounge. This is completely unreal since I had JUST discovered him. Since I spend a lot of my time on BL I thought about him a lot today since I had always wondered who paid for BL. This is insane actually, and is deeply disturbing. Rest in peace



That's really weird. Pretty much the exact same thing happened to me. R.I.P.


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## IcarusRisen

Whether he was a great man or not is a question that I cannot answer. What I do know is that his patronage has probably saved the lives of many people here on Bluelight and I'm sure has helped more than one friendship and perhaps even relationship to bloom.

Whoever he was, he did a great thing, and for that my hat is off to him.


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## NickyJ

What a fucking champion this lad was. There is no amount of gratitude in this world that could possibly thank him enough for the wonderful thing that is BL.


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## Bent Mk2

Well if Alan was the man who made this site possible, then he was the guy who saved a very close friend's life.  

A few years back I read about some PMA pills that were floating about.  One night I headed over to a friend's to start the night out, saw his personal stash for the night, recognised the pills and told him about them.  We decided it was best to flush them.  There were enough there to surely kill him (and he would have got through the lot) so there's no doubt in my mind Bluelight saved him.

And I have no doubt he's not the only person Alan saved over the years.  

Much respect sir. RIP Alan.


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## skoat

Not to say everyone isn't an interesting individual, but, WOW.

I had a feeling there were some truly incredible people floating around these forums, Mr. Alan Woods and his generous contributions to bluelight surely prove it.

I wonder who else has graced us with their presence?

R.I.P


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## StoneHappyMonday

I can't believe every time I am turning on BL now I am greeted with death. First Wesmdow, then Inonzi Prowler, now xtcxtc.

A phlanthropist is a philanthropist, but surely there are not that many who give their money to drug causes. To me, that alone makes Alan Woods special. He has used his wealth to set up what has become the primary harm reduction site on the net.

What a fine, upstanding member of the world community.

Alan Woods I salute you.

Today I will have a spliff, a bet and a shag in your honour. I feel it is probably what you would have wanted.

Rest in peacefulness.

SHM.


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## tambourine-man

Thankyou for what you did for this community.

It won't be forgotten.


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## Chicago66

What a generous, amazing person he is for giving us all the gift of BL.

R.I.P. xtcxtc


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## spork

RIP 

Over the past 8 years Bluelight has made such an enormous contribution to my life and has helped shape me into the person that I am today, especially the past 4 years when I actually started to post instead of just lurk. 

I know I can speak for many by saying that without Bluelight and Alan's generosity to the site that we all love I don't know where or who I would be today, though I'm positive my life is better because of all the information I've learned and the people I've met from the board. 

You've touched so many people's lives. Thanks for everything, Alan.


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## DarthMom

like lefty mentioned, this was one bl'er i was sincerely interested in meeting at next years meetup. i recall the first time i heard about alan, and it seemed too fantastic to be true. after reading a few posts of his and a few articles, i was shocked at such an interesting character being our benefactor. on a light note, i remember thinking before that revelation that xtcxtc was a young asian chick, and often wondered why she liked posting her sexual escapades pics so often! he will certainly be missed, he obviously led a full and interesting life, and i thank him deeply for his contributions here, and hope he went painlessly, and is resting in euphoric peace


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## nickthecheese

RIP Alan.

Thank you for your years of support. I always admired someone who could see through systems and make them work for them. 

You will be missed, but you contribution will live on and the amount of lives you have changed by your simple acts of generosity will be too infinite to ever fully comprehend.


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## indelibleface

MyDoorsAreOpen said:
			
		

> ^^^ This is just too weird for me.
> 
> Just this week we were discussing xtcxtc in the Lounge thread 'Who owns Bluelight?', and I expressed concern over how the site would continue once he passed away. I had no idea that when I posted that, he just had. I definitely believe in either ESP or synchronicity now.
> 
> Edit: for chicpoena



Yeah, I remember reading the topic. Agreed on the synchronicity bit.  

RIP, Alan.  Without you, none of this beautiful website we have today might have been possible.


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## mariacallas

Rest in peace Alan   I'm glad we got to talk for a bit a couple of years ago...you were always such a real, funny, genuine guy.

I'll be praying for you.....  Rest in peace my friend.


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## swilow

R.i.p


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## Pleonastic

Rest in peace.


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## felix

shocking news. 

much respect to the mighty benefactor. what a life he must have had, eh? 

thanks for everything you did for bluelight... and it wasn't just the money either.  %)


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## hoptis

There are quite a few around who not only spoke to but got to meet the man himself. Look forward to hearing more from them.

Thank you Alan, for everything we have here.


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## smackem

Ooo yea, xtc was the one with the asian hookers. His 'angels'. So how did he die? Naturally causes?


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## yossarian_is_sane!

^ Read the thread mate.
(http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showpost.php?p=5764700&postcount=20)

Wow. I'm quite shocked. He seems to have been an incredibly generous person. What has ultimately sprung out of his generosity has saved quite a few lives. RIP Alan


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## cassandragemini

what a truly amazing guy, thanks for everything alan. rip.


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## purplefirefly

What a tragedy.

Even though I never spoke with him I know that he will be greatly missed. His contributions to this site have most definitely saved lives. I'm grateful that he felt that the cause of Bluelight and harm reduction was a noble cause to stand by.

Rest Easy sir.


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## MethaContin

R.I.P, You have helped save many lives.........................


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## Shambles

Thank you for the light.


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## eDDe9

What a character.

I remember talking to Alan quite a lot in my early days, never once knowing he paid for bluelight and was immensely rich. A real down to earth REAL person.

I only found out about his links with bluelight and his gambling a few days ago.

As I would've said before I knew he was rich: I just wish I could've gotten to know this guy better.


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## LuGoJ

RIP


I am always amazed by the lives the people behind the screen name live, who would have thought that we had some sort of horse betting wiz amongst us?


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## That_Guy

This website has changed my life and I thank Alan for allowing all of us to help each other, play with each other, teach each other and share.

I read the Cigar Afficianado article that was linked in the Lounge thread "Who Owns Bluelight" last night and wanted to meet the legend.  I figured a trip to Asia would be just another step in my life´s journey, but to meet a man such as this would get me closer to...something.

RIP Alan, thank you


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## SubAbusePro1

*Rip*

Alan,

 May you go with God. Your generosity has benefited untold lives. May you find peace and rest easy knowing that you have saved many.

 SubAbusePro1


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## Phat_bass49

RIP 

much love xtcxtc


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## bennymore

I am amazed at how kind everyone here, I have not made many posts, I am a newbie, but whenever (if ever) I need, I will come.

I say rest in piece Alan, I didn't know you ( don't anyone really) but I hope noone else are lost from this website.  Rest in piece to the respected members.

- Ben


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## Pharcyde

Peace out dewd..........I wish I would have known you, I think we could have got on well.  What with our love of asian women............


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## General Bale

And another one passes away.  
Never got to know you but thanks for all you have done.
You saved many lives.
R.I.P.


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## phr

Thank you.

RIP


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## Pure_XTC

I just saw this for the first time today.  How sad.  

I hope he knew how much he contributed to all of our lives.  A lot of us have made lifelong friendships on this website that might not have existed without his generosity.  That's not even mentioning all the lives that have been saved here.  What a great man.   

RIP Alan


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## Neo2003

RIP Man, Thx for everything..


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## Roger&Me

R.I.P. Alan! This was truly a man that was the epitome of the word "badass." 

This is so very, _very_ tragic!


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## kubenzi_boy

Thank you Alan


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## chicpoena

MyDoorsAreOpen said:
			
		

> ^^^ This is just too weird for me.
> 
> Just this week we were discussing xtcxtc in the Lounge thread 'Who owns Bluelight?', and I expressed concern over how the site would continue once he passed away. I had no idea that when I posted that, he just had. I definitely believe in either ESP or synchronicity now.
> 
> Edit: for chicpoena



I believed in synchronicity before this, but this seals the deal. I was actually really emotional last night for what I thought was no reason. Late last night when I got up to pee after having been asleep I checked BL and I instantly thought "are you kidding me?"

Life is strange like that I guess. I just wish I understood it more.


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## AmorRoark

Thank you Alan for this website.

RIP


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## tambourine-man

Today has had me wondering about a few things:

How many people - outside of Bluelight - were aware that he funded such a site?  Did his family know?  His associates?  Members of his betting group?  Was it something that he spoke about much or mentioned?

His generosity towards specific causes is well-known (read some of his posts in the gallery)... but if it's the case that not many people were aware of his involvement in Bluelight, it makes me wonder how many other unpopular causes he supported without fanfare or recognition?

God bless ya, Alan.

RIP


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## Johnny1

Thank you, Alan, for your generosity and your humbleness.  

Rest in peace.


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## alasdairm

i'll miss him. thanks for everything, alan.

alasdair


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## specialrelativity

Thanks, Alan! See you on the flipside...


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## phactor

RIP and thank you


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## Madhatter4

Rip


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## wanderlust

wow 
rip


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## Winding Vines

*Another passes and tears shed like rainshowers*



			
				chicpoena said:
			
		

> I believed in synchronicity before this, but this seals the deal. I was actually really emotional last night for what I thought was no reason. Late last night when I got up to pee after having been asleep I checked BL and I instantly thought "are you kidding me?"
> 
> Life is strange like that I guess. I just wish I understood it more.



Funny chicpoena, nearly identical to what i experienced. Thething is last week and a friend brought him up out of the blue, and here I am now pulling out old memories and a pocket full of hopes and dreams.  I am truly inspired, if only all of us lead life by his example. I feel like every bit of words cannot express exactly how i feel, trivial, its so hard seeing someone, anyone, on this site for so many years. Like going to class and seeing the same faces, home, and to realize and appreciate fully, how much time and effort this class has put into the home, school whatever. 

My heart sinks at the thought of anyone of the community no longer being around, what ifs come to mind and throw on top of that a humble pie who has sculpted so many of us, without us even being fully aware of the influence. 

Come on everyone, pursue the amazing and innovate yourself and those you love. Life is too short to not make waves, I say rock the boat baby.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know it is odd, and maybe im just a mess now and the passing of alan has rendered me into a blob of salty monsoons and a marshland of heart.

 i wish i would've had the chance to say thank you, i am such an ungrateful bitch I wouldn't be who I am today without this site and the beautiful people that have entered, crossed, and exited my life. It is a scary idea,  to not have met who I have met....... Alan, you have some wonderful karma points, to the point of transcendence.


----------



## bromance

Thank you for this amazing site Alan.


RIP.


----------



## wondci2

Rip


----------



## ScattyD

Thank you Alan,

and may your soul flow in the river of love


----------



## axl blaze

thank you Alan. I hope to meet you one day.


----------



## Ghettochrist

Why is it that i have the most profound trip ever yesterday and so many coincidences are occurring and changes. 

there was even an earthquake and i'm in nottingham.

Never mind that if it's not relevant in any way i just felt i had to mention it in some way.

May The Alan Legacy continue.


----------



## entropy90

Thank You Alan for giving me the one website I truely love.

Rest In Peace


----------



## panic in paradise

thanks again _xtcxtc_.

R I P
Alan


----------



## tathra

omg, i cant believe this, this is so sad 
rest in peace alan


----------



## ~*geNeRaTiOn E*~

RIP Alan 

thank you for everything you have done for Bluelight, we all appreciate your generosity.


----------



## chicpoena

Winding Vines said:
			
		

> Funny chicpoena, nearly identical to what i experienced. Thething is last week and a friend brought him up out of the blue, and here I am now pulling out old memories and a pocket full of hopes and dreams.  I am truly inspired, if only all of us lead life by his example. I feel like every bit of words cannot express exactly how i feel, trivial, its so hard seeing someone, anyone, on this site for so many years. Like going to class and seeing the same faces, home, and to realize and appreciate fully, how much time and effort this class has put into the home, school whatever.
> 
> My heart sinks at the thought of anyone of the community no longer being around, what ifs come to mind and throw on top of that a humble pie who has sculpted so many of us, without us even being fully aware of the influence.
> 
> Come on everyone, pursue the amazing and innovate yourself and those you love. Life is too short to not make waves, I say rock the boat baby.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I know it is odd, and maybe im just a mess now and the passing of alan has rendered me into a blob of salty monsoons and a marshland of heart.
> 
> i wish i would've had the chance to say thank you, i am such an ungrateful bitch I wouldn't be who I am today without this site and the beautiful people that have entered, crossed, and exited my life. It is a scary idea,  to not have met who I have met....... Alan, you have some wonderful karma points, to the point of transcendence.



Such a beautiful post. He touched many of us without us even knowing it, and passed before we could ever thank him.

I am still struggling to understand the synchronicity many of us have experienced relating to his passing.

 RIP


----------



## 'medicine cabinet'

Been a sad month here at BL but to everyone that has passed we'll all meet up again one day at a big party in the sky. RIP alan, thanks for everything.


----------



## slortaone

Thankyou for everything uve done xtcxtc.
R.I.P Alan.


----------



## Dragynfyr

I had just learned about him a couple months ago too...I read his horse racing article and was telling my girl friend all about this awesome old man who had been funding bluelight all along and just enjoyed chatting it up on the boards inbetween IMs with hong kong and making millions of dollars.. And now he's with the angels...RIP Alan 


(Though he's probably going to have to wait another 60 years for his earth bound 'angels' to reach their time and join him out there =p )


He sure knew how to make the most out of life
Thanks for everything Alan, god knows how many lives you helped to save.


----------



## augustaB

My deepest sympathy to all those touched by this sad loss, and my respects to a man who lived life as he wanted to and helped make bluelight possible.


----------



## Tronica

Rest in peace Alan. I knew of you but never had the honour. As has been said above, your actions won't be forgotten. It is amazing and inspiring to think how one person can influence the lives of so many others. Bluelight is incredible in so many ways... thank-you for the large part you played in this!



			
				xtcxtc said:
			
		

> could you not guess ?? but i spent 4 wonderful years there but still managed to fail to get a degree ( failed at everything else in life also except managing money )



from here

Whatever your 'failures', this site and this community is an incredible success  and is an example of what can happen in this world, even when most of the rest of the world is against it.


----------



## vibr8tor

how sad; such a generous and caring person.  62 is way too young for someone who was having that much fun.  my thoughts go out to his family and friends


----------



## UnSquare

I never bought
_'The Zillionaire Genius Gambler With
A Philanthropic Bent
Towards
Harm Reduction
Is Funding This Site'_
story.

Dear Alan,
I'd never met you,
I doubt'd you even 
existed.

In the sadness of your 
passing,
I hope your family,
friends
&
all of BL
recognize how
wonderful 
the people you
don't know much
about,
maybe doin' so
much for the world.

You saved lives,
you buck'd the system,
an' it sounds like you lived
life in an astounding way.

You bless us with your generosity,
humble us with your humility,
an' restore my faith in humanity.

Such A Sad Loss.
But An Even Bigger Legacy.

You are an Inspiration.

Enjoy More Angels.

PEACE
UnSquare


----------



## Cyc

Alan:

I still have the e-mails you sent me when Jase and Skydancer had that falling out so many years ago. I felt privileged that you would confide in me and always respected your wealth of knowledge and experience. 

RIP


----------



## muzby

bah that really bites.

thank you for providing something that had an impact on my life...


----------



## TopRocka

Peace out to the biggest playa pimp hustla BL's ever seen, and could hope to ever see.

Few will live as full of a life as I know you did.


----------



## frizzantik

My favorite xtcxtc moment:  When he got AutoBahned!!!


----------



## Infinite Jest

^
"Someone sent me a PM that said...." :D


----------



## nezo

I'm stunned.   RIP xtcxtx.


----------



## Raz

Mariposa said:
			
		

> Without Bluelight, I would not have my partner, my lifelong friends, and knowledge that may have saved my life. I will forever remember you with fondness, occasional amusement, and respect. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for everything.  Goodbye, and see you at the races someday.


This is very similar to the first thing I thought when I read johnboy's announcement....I never met, chatted or in any way really interacted with Alan, but I know that his generosity has been a huge factor in making Bluelight what it is.

Without Bluelight, without the knowledge gained, the community here and the awareness of myself and the world around me which this site has fostered in me, I can honestly say that I don't think I would be here today.  I don't really use bl so actively these days, but I will never forget the importance it has played in making me who I am; and I know that I am hardly the only person who feels this way.

Other people have said it, but it's extremely rare that one person's actions should be responsible for so much good...rest in peace dude, you have helped create a fucking amazing thing.


----------



## bRoken&foRgoTTen

I never really knew him ... but anyone who has done as much as he has for BL def will be missed ...


----------



## Darkness2Light

R.I.P Alan,

I'm sorry to never have chatted with you, but none the less your actions will never be forgotten.


----------



## spun420833

This man lived a life few of us can even begin to fathom...I doubt he is "resting in peace".  My bets are that wherever this soul is he's doing the best he can to keep the party going.


----------



## spun420833

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K50d29SqWc

Alan Playing pool....


----------



## Sl33p3r

May his soul rest in peace.
Thank you for giving us this amazing site, R.I.P my friend.


----------



## nycrosshairs

Damn i wish i had his life. Gamble and get rich!

Hopefully BL won't turn to night walking to pay the bills!


----------



## kittyinthedark

I just don't have any words....


Thank you Alan.  You saved lives and helped even more take them back from the depths of addiction, depression, and countless other worldly sorrows.  For that, we are forever in your debt.  If only there were more like you...


----------



## thujone

r.i.p., renaissance man.  the world will feel your absence


----------



## IAMTHOUGHTS

holy shit!
thats crazy. who would have thought, $600 million?

what a great thing he did for us.


----------



## Surf N Satch

I cant say that I personally knew Allan, or even spoke to him. But, by reading what has been written,I can tell that he was a very respected, important and prominent figure in the development of this site,and knowing this, i feel that i must pay my respects to him for him efforts and care in developing this great site.

Ive only been a member of this site for a month, but im starting to realize this site for what it really is.

Allan has dealt a hand in making a wonderfull site, and has helped plant a seed that can become something of great importance.i believe now that this site can become a wonderfull thing, a plethera of self help and harm reduction information,as well as a place for like people to gather and share ideas and information as a strong community.

I feel i owe a great thans to Allan and all the poeple who play a positive role in the development of such a site.I feel this site is on the advent of a new age of information,and will play a great role in providing people with helpful and life saving information.We must give respect and thanks to the people who play an outstanding role in the bluelight community, people such as allan.

In closing, I give my deepest respect and thanks to Allan and all the poeple like him.May we all learn from such people and return their kindness and helpfullness in our own ways.
Rest in peace, Allan.

Peace and love-
-Rye-


----------



## Ximot

http://www.121s.com/viewtopic.php?t=30200

includes some photos.

RIP and thanks for supporting Bluelight - it has helped me too


----------



## Prelude2TragedyII

Thank you.
This man changed many, many lives.


----------



## MattPD

Gods...

RIP Alan...


----------



## PinholeStar

Thank you Alan.

Your patronage of this site has helped save many lives & aided in the education of many more. That is a truly wonderful legacy to leave behind & it will be fondly remembered.

Rest in peace my friend, & thank you once again.


----------



## DexterMeth

wow, fuck...i just found out about this.  you know, in some places of the world they celebrate the dead...that their soul has now ascended into the "nexteryear".  Alan, if you can hear me  ...i'll be trippin there with you soon enough.  Dare I say "RIP"?  No....Alan IS resting in peace.  It's us that are alive that are still stuck in chaos mode.  (I don't mean to sound incensitive, I just have a different view about death in general then "the norm".  Perhaps having so much of it in my life has stained my somehow...or uplifted?  I dunno..whatever..i hold my beliefs to be true)<<<<< Alan, I can't wait to join you bro...but SHIT, are you missing out on one hell of a trip...this LIFE.....this trip of chaos, love, and desperation and necessity.  

RIA.....that's "Air" spelled backwards.   Everyone reading this just take a sec to take a deep breath for Alan and release with an uplifting chant to the whole, and to Alan.."Ria".....Ria........Ria.........................


----------



## Kul69

Thank you for your contributions to Bluelight, both monetarily and intellectually. You always stood out to me among the masses of bluelighters. One of the posters I would always stop to read.

You seem like the kind of person who has a deep respect and appreciation of community. Thank you again for both participating in and sponsoring our shared Bluelight community. I'm sure you knew just how important this place is underneath it all.

I hope you've found enlightenment and new community in death. Good luck with whatever challenges you now face.


----------



## ~Miss*E~

I haven't been on BL for a while and the first thread I see is this   I'm lost for words.....RIP dude, thanks for everything you've done for all of us, BL wouldn't be what it is today without you.


----------



## L O V E L I F E

"Happiness is the only good.

The place to be happy is here.

The time to be happy is now.

The way to be happy is to make others so."

- Robert Ingersoll


Thank you so much, Alan.

For your kind words.

For being one of the people I have always looked up to as someone who had the balls to do what he loved most for a living WITH CONFIDENCE, no matter how long the odds on the tote board displayed.

You were one of only a handful of people I have ever encountered who taught me WITH YOUR ACTIONS that all-important lesson.

It is the most important lesson I have ever learned in my life.

Thank you, Alan, for all of the countless memories and for all of the other-worldly experiences I would never have had with so many amazing people I would never have met but for your monumental generosity.

Thank you for this incredible community.

But more than anything, Alan, thank you,  . . . 

. . . for getting it.


"The purpose of life is a life of purpose."

- Robert Byrne


I didn't know Alan particularly well, but to the limited extent that I did, I can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that in lieu of flowers, all he would want or expect any of us to do is simply this:

For each of us to be inspired by his passion, by his love of life, and by his generosity, and that each of us simply do our respective personal best to pay it forward.

Congratulations, Alan, upon achieving immortality.

You don't achieve immortality, as Woody Allen joked, by not dying.

Rather, you, Alan, have achieved immortality through your works and through the positive impact you have made upon the lives of so many people who have never even had the honor of knowing you.

That tattoo is permanent.

Much Love, Much Respect, and Rest However The Fuck You Want To, Kind Sir,

LL






.


----------



## Kledsky

very sorry to hear


----------



## notauniquesnowflake

Thank you Mr. Woods. I have been on bluelight for a long time and remember the fund raising and wondered why it suddenly stopped while the site became better. 
Now that I know I can't say thank you enough. Thank you for supporting Bluelight all these years.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there... I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow...
I am the diamond glints on snow...
I am the sunlight on ripened grain...
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you waken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of gentle birds in circling flight...
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry—
I am not there... I did not die...

Rest In Peace kind man, you will live on.


----------



## NeoLime

*Rest*

Rest in peace. May bluelight live on and thrive in your absence. 

May your memory remain until the end of days.


----------



## BREAKaBEAT

I can only express the sentiments that everyone else has in here.

Thanks for the chats , too


----------



## dilated_pupils

Rest in peace Alan, I know I didn't know you but your contributions obviously helped and touched so many people, it's impossible to ignore.
 Thank you.

-dilated_pupils


----------



## QuestionEverything

It wasn't the money that kept him going, it was the people, and through them he will continue to live.  Sad news to hear.


----------



## thedeadlywar

I may have never knew this man, but his death is still very tragic. I can't help but tear up when a man like him dies. His donations have most likely saved many lives thanks to the correct information being spread. With all the selfish uncaring people in our society today, he was one of the rare few we can truly look up to as a hero. I'll never forget you yet I never even knew you. We all love you Alan.


----------



## thedeadlywar

Winding Vines said:
			
		

> Funny chicpoena, nearly identical to what i experienced. Thething is last week and a friend brought him up out of the blue, and here I am now pulling out old memories and a pocket full of hopes and dreams.  I am truly inspired, if only all of us lead life by his example. I feel like every bit of words cannot express exactly how i feel, trivial, its so hard seeing someone, anyone, on this site for so many years. Like going to class and seeing the same faces, home, and to realize and appreciate fully, how much time and effort this class has put into the home, school whatever.
> 
> My heart sinks at the thought of anyone of the community no longer being around, what ifs come to mind and throw on top of that a humble pie who has sculpted so many of us, without us even being fully aware of the influence.
> 
> Come on everyone, pursue the amazing and innovate yourself and those you love. Life is too short to not make waves, I say rock the boat baby.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I know it is odd, and maybe im just a mess now and the passing of alan has rendered me into a blob of salty monsoons and a marshland of heart.
> 
> i wish i would've had the chance to say thank you, i am such an ungrateful bitch I wouldn't be who I am today without this site and the beautiful people that have entered, crossed, and exited my life. It is a scary idea,  to not have met who I have met....... Alan, you have some wonderful karma points, to the point of transcendence.


This is a great post, I could really feel the emotions in your words.



edit: Each year we need to all take some time out of our day to do something special for him here on blue light, It's the least we can do after he funded this entire site for us. Even if he's passed, It's time we properly thank him and say our good byes. RIP Alan.


----------



## Trancey

Thank you Alan, for all you've done, and lives you've touched. 

So many of us have taken your life for granted, thinking you'll always be here to help keep this site alive. 

You've lived such a rewarding life. Helped others, have been there when close ones needed you, lead an exciting and profitable life in something that you enjoyed. Even with your Angels, you have been someone to look to as an example for living a life to it's fullest potential. 

I thank you again, who knows if it was said enough while you were here with us. We'll see you again, someday.


----------



## specialrelativity

To the end of time, Alan!


----------



## echo off

Dear xtcxtc...  I'm sorry you were never more than a name to me, but I'm glad this was at least as you wished.  Your story reminds me of that of Henry Sugar, the man who used his own good fortune for the good of others, despite how hard you worked for it yourself.  I'm sure there were times when the legal and moral implications of maintaining an open forum were both a stress and a burden on you, and yet you carried for that weight for all of us.
Thankyou.


----------



## DJAcetone

Condolences ++


----------



## BA

I dont know if this was ever posted in this thread or not..

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,1413,00.html


----------



## SA

^
Quoting the above in its entirety. Thanks, BA!



*Gambling: The Hundred and Fifty Million Dollar Man*

Alan Woods has used computer technology to become one of the world's most successful gamblers. but it isn't always a sure thing.

By Michael Kaplan

It's just two hours before post time at Sha Tin Race Course, a big, modern-looking gambling mecca in the Hong Kong suburbs. Sleek Jaguars pull up to a members-only entrance, elite horseplayers show off custom-tailored finery, and Moët & Chandon flows as the Hong Kong Jockey Club (horse racing's ruling body here) prepares to host one of its richest days of the year.

It would seem to be the ideal place to encounter the world's most successful gamblers. But Australian Alan Woods and his team of high-flying horse bettors are nowhere in sight, even though they'll put millions of dollars into today's betting pools. This discreet bunch shun the track and are scattered across six countries, connected to the action via fiber optics and Instant Messages.

At Sha Tin, thousands of horse-obsessed gamblers crowd the stands and rush the betting windows to make wagers that are primarily based on half-baked hunches and illogical systems. Woods will have no part of that. Inside a small, neat home office, on the second floor of his duplex apartment some 1,500 miles away in a Manila high-rise, Woods is connected via computer to nearly $3 million worth of wagers that will be placed over the course of today's nine races.

These bets are all mathematically sound, divined from modeling software similar to what Wall Street's sophisticated hedge-fund analysts employ. And like the best stock market plays, Woods's wagers are rooted in a computer program that uses past performances and current conditions to find overlays—good-value bets where the odds being offered are longer than those calculated by the software. It's an approach that has revolutionized horse betting and transformed Hong Kong into a lightning rod for professional gamblers.

The 58-year-old Woods has used computer technology to win more than $150 million in Hong Kong racing during the last 16 years. But even Woods, who is well established among the world's top equine gamblers and more than a little jaded, is excited about today's most alluring wager: a Triple Trio. This requires bettors to pick the first three finishers in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth races, with a prize pool of $26 million.

Woods and his team—which include technicians, racing analysts, accountants and money movers—are so intent on snagging this pot of gold that they pursue it in a gargantuan way: betting on 1.77 million combinations, at a cost of $1.88 million. Around 14 percent of the $13 million in new money being wagered on today's Triple Trio will originate with them. Judging by the exclamation-pointed IMs flying between Hong Kong and Manila, however, this is a bigger percentage than would be desirable, coming as a result of overly optimistic expectations in regard to how much money would finally flow into the Triple Trio pool. "Ideally," says Woods, sounding slightly bummed, "we should have a fraction below 10 percent."

Wearing a pair of beaten-up gym shorts and a faded golf shirt, the barefoot and white-haired Woods sits in front of three screens and groans that Hong Kong racing is not what it used to be. "After 56 months of deflation in Hong Kong, the public's no longer so enthusiastic about jumping into these things." The subtext here is that as long as amateur gamblers are more conservative with their betting budgets, there is less for the professionals to win.

Woods sips a banana smoothie from a thermos as his pretty Filipino girlfriend enters the office with sandwiches. He grabs a crab salad croissant and matter of factly says, "Since 1995, the amount of money we bet has been limited only by the size of the pools." (In other words, he and his team are so confident of winning that they will wager as much as they possibly can without betting so much that it tilts the odds against them.)

Heady stuff for a small-town boy who failed to finish college and couldn't hold a job (Woods half-seriously blames the latter on a sleeping disorder, which, he says, made it impossible for him to reach the office by 9 a.m.). What young Woods could do, long before he made it as a horse bettor, was bluff his way around a poker table and play bridge brilliantly.

In 1972, while working at an actuarial firm, Woods became aware of the financial possibilities of card counting from a buddy on the bridge scene. Initially he doubted the viability of card counting because another friend had recently analyzed the house advantage at blackjack for a new casino in the Australian state of Tasmania, and he confirmed that, long term, players did not stand a chance. Nevertheless, Woods found himself intrigued and spent a weekend counting cards in the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, which was then Tasmania's only legal gambling venue. By Sunday afternoon, he doubled his $500 bankroll and became a believer.

But Woods didn't do much about it until 1979—after fathering two children, divorcing his first wife and having some success in the stock market—when he began to live the life of an itinerant gambler. He operated below casino radar, traveling around the world, backing other card counters, forming teams and playing solo; in his first six months, he earned what most people would consider an impressive income: $100,000.

During his time on the circuit, Woods learned to be emotionless about money. He secured five-figure loans from bare acquaintances, tolerated at least one blackjack partner with suspicious losses (he now figures that the "lost" money had been skimmed off by the dishonest player), and trusted strangers with inappropriately large sums.

"On the way home from a junket in Manila, I walked past airport security with $10,000 in each of my sneakers and another $10,000 down my underpants," remembers Woods, explaining that the Philippines had currency restrictions, which necessitated the subterfuge. "But I had another $20,000 that needed to get through. So I gave it to a guy to carry in his sneakers. I didn't really know the guy—we had just met on this trip—and the doors to the plane were ready to close when he had not yet materialized. I wasn't worried about him robbing me so much as I was concerned he'd miss the plane. It turned out that he had to go to the hotel to get his luggage, and he made the flight, with my money, but at the last possible second." Though Woods sounds pretty cool about the whole thing, you have to wonder what he'd have done if the guy failed to show up. "I would have tried to find him in Sydney. But I don't even know that I had his address."

This casual relationship with cash came in handy in 1984 when Woods and an Australian friend named Malcolm Sims discovered the potential riches of horse racing in Hong Kong. It was a place with huge amounts of money wagered (thus making it possible to lay down enormous bets without hurting your odds), small pools of jockeys and horses (easy to maintain stats), and enough superstitious bettors to make the city into a candy store for savvy gamblers with objectivity.

Ultimately, Sims opted out of the Hong Kong racing venture, but Woods teamed with a fellow card counter named Bill Benter and their Vegas friend Walter Simmons. Benter and Simmons believed that computer technology could be used to find an edge in horse racing. Woods wasn't so sure, but he put up most of the bankroll anyway and did much of the bet placing. Meanwhile, Simmons built the database and Benter wrote a software program designed to find overlays. Years later, this system turned all three of them into multimillionaires.

But it wasn't easy. "The beginning was nightmarish," says Woods, explaining that the software was full of kinks that needed to be worked out. "We started with a $150,000 bankroll and most of it went—on expenses and losses, including blackjack losses. I remember going to Korea on gambling trips and twice losing my bankroll of $10,000 very quickly, as a result of nothing but bad luck. Then I had to spend the rest of those trips not gambling."

Things were so bad that when Benter retreated to Las Vegas, where he hoped to raise additional funds from gambling pals, he was turned down, despite a willingness to give up as much as 70 percent of the group's racing profits. "People had so little faith in the system," says Woods, "that they would not have invested for 100 percent of the profits."

After a few years, however, once the system was up and running, there was plenty of cash to be made. Woods says he had his first winning season in 1986/1987, right around the time when he and Benter parted ways over money disputes. In the end, each wound up with his own number-crunching machine and put together teams.

Woods and Benter saw their profits rise in multiples that usually define bubble economies. Only this was no bubble. The margins kept getting bigger. And bigger. And bigger. "My third year in Hong Kong I won $100,000," remembers Woods. "I would have benefited by not telling anybody about this—thus not tipping off the several other computer teams that have since come in here and made their own millions. "But that is an extremely difficult thing to do. I just could not keep my mouth shut."

The most stunning thing about watching a computer team in action is how little actual handicapping seems to take place on race day. While some adjustments might be made for how a particular horse looks in the paddock and amounts wagered are dictated by monies that flow into particular pools, most of the hard work gets done long before the ponies are led to their starting gate.

As post-time looms, the biggest job centers around printing betting slips and making hundreds of wagers. The actual picking of horses, after all, gets entrusted to a computer system that is regularly updated with fresh information about horses, jockeys, track conditions and hundreds of specifications each week. "The only input that we do is based on the pool sizes," explains Woods. "But there are default values and the variation generally is not very much. Ten years ago Bill [Benter] said he could just switch the computer on and leave it during the race while he has a nap or drinks a beverage. But of course you'd be too scared to actually do that."

The system is so automated that Woods barely pays it any mind on this particular day and, for the first few races at least, he devotes most of his attention to his middle monitor. It is connected to a U.K.-based peer-to-peer wagering service called Betfair.com, which permits him to bet on today's races directly with other gamblers. "The turnover at Betfair is very small, which makes betting there a waste of time," Woods acknowledges, pointing out that it's patronized mostly by professionals and others with smart money, which turns the online wagering site into a more efficient (and tougher to beat) market than the racetrack. "But we do it with the hope that it'll eventually get bigger." Plus, it can be a good gauge as to where the sharp action is going. "Occasionally, we'll adjust what we're doing at the track based on what we see happening with Betfair."

You'd think that somebody who wagers the way Woods does would care deeply about horses and racing. He doesn't. For him it's purely a numbers game, and he brags that the last time he watched a race in person was some 18 years ago. Woods has had a couple misadventures with thoroughbred ownership, but he got into those situations only because friends presented them as sure deals. Not surprisingly, they never came to much.

As for today's races, Woods watches them on a jerry-rigged simulcast that appears, with severe time delays, on the screen of his laptop. Woods dispassionately checks out the races, occasionally eyeing his plus columns as they build during the first few contests. But even as he appears to be nearly $200,000 in the black, Woods shrugs it off: "This money is trivial. I could lose it all in a single race. The real excitement will come with the Triple Trio."

That Woods doesn't allow himself to get worked up by a couple hundred thousand dollars of profit is testament to the swings he's previously experienced. One afternoon in the mid-'90s, Woods did not have a single horse come in and he dropped $3 million, his worst showing ever. Then there's the single race day in 1995 on which he managed to win $8 million even though he was out of town, not monitoring the betting. The year before, he had also won $8 million with a successful run of soccer bets on the World Cup. When Woods mentions that he won "$5 or $6 million on the 1996 European Championship" and that he currently bets $100,000 per game on the National Football League (with the help of a handicapping colleague in the States), it's impossible not to wonder how he strategizes all of these wagers. Woods smiles tightly and replies, "Let's not talk about that."

A friend of Woods's once likened him to Howard Hughes. Though the reference was based on Woods's reclusiveness, it could have just as easily stemmed from his racing riches: $1.5 million, earned in a single session, is where Woods's idea of a good day begins.

He keeps himself holed up in an air-conditioned apartment where the view is sprawling, a pool table dominates the living room, and a downstairs TV spans 48 inches. "I don't leave this apartment during the day, except to go swimming in the rooftop pool, because it's too hot and humid. If I need something from the market, I get my maid or girlfriend to shop for me," says Woods, adding that he prefers to eat dinner in front of the television or computer and that his leisure time is fairly regimented. "I like going to the seedy girlie bars in Makati [an upscale neighborhood of Manila, where hookers are a main attraction for some Westerners]. I go out only a few nights per month, but on those nights, I tend to come home with two girls, or, usually, more."

Over the years Woods has earned enough money from racing that he was able to withstand a $100 million hit when he attempted to short the NASDAQ, a year too early. And while one of his more memorable stock investments involved shorting the Hang Seng Index in 1987—perfectly timed and bringing him a $1 million windfall in a single day when the stock market crashed—he has no problem in making distinctions between gambling and investing. "When you look at how much money I have consistently made from the horses, from 1987 onward, compared to what I've done in the market, horses would seem to be a far safer investment than stocks," says Woods, adding that he's not the only one who's benefited from his horse sense. "Outside investors [who put money into Woods's horse betting syndicate] normally get 100 percent returns on their money each year. The downside for them is that I can take it away whenever I want. There's no permanence."

Back at the races, a chunk of Woods's wagers is still above water as we head into the sixth event and the final leg of the Triple Trio with the 26 million up for grabs. But Woods and company are not going in with the sort of advantage that makes them comfortable. As he relates in an IM to his partners in Hong Kong: "We outlaid 13.8 percent of the TT [Triple Trio] pool and are alive for only 12 percent. If we miss, lose heaps." This is punctuated by the unspoken reality that for all of their computer technology and prep work and financial risk, the team is disappointingly underlaid as this next race gets set to go off.

For Team Woods to have a good chance at realizing its big payday, the No. 1 horse in the sixth race needs to finish in the running. But it is a favorite, so the team does have a chance, though Woods is quick to point out that it's less than 50 percent. He watches this race intently, but even judging by the choppy feed that comes in from Hong Kong, things seem less than ideal. Long before horses are shown crossing the finish line, Woods sighs deeply and says, "Oh, dear." He turns to me and adds, "I'm guessing we haven't got this." Then, right on cue, comes an e-mail from Hong Kong, punctuated with a frowning face: "No good."

Woods appears disappointed but not the least bit angry. He taps his index finger up and down, checks the screen layered with spreadsheets, looks at a scrap of paper in front of him, scribbles numbers and punches some information into a calculator at his side. The audio feed from Sha Tin resonates with all the emotion Woods lacks—"Somebody has won a hat-load of money," enthuses a British-sounding announcer—and it almost seems like taunting. Seeming to ignore it, Woods glances up from his work and says, "We lost $1.6 million on the TT."

The news is delivered in a neutral tone and followed by a moment of silence before things start to heat up for the next race. In no time Woods is back to work, monitoring Betfair, IM-ing with Hong Kong, momentarily resembling a teenager lost in death-match nirvana as he resumes finding an edge and winning money.



Michael Kaplan is Cigar Aficionado's gambling columnist.

source (as in above post): http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,1413,00.html


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## MynameisnotDeja

Wow I havent been at bluelight in a little while and I just barely saw this. Im just here to say RIP and


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## Samadhi

I can say with honesty that this site has changed my life.  Alan, i will be forever grateful to you.

Now Alan has another group of Angels to keep him company and make him smile.


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## therollingstoner

I could only have hoped to meet this man. Wow, just wow.


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## Whatchamacallit

As a long time member but infrequent poster I owe this man a lot. It was this site that gave me the true and as factual as possible consequences of drug use. I accepted them and am a better man for it.

Thank you Mr. Alan Woods (xtcxtc)  

God speed and rest in peace my good man.


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## Jamshyd

He certainly rests in peace.


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## Mysterier

you had all of my respect and appreciation.


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## fizzle

I wish I had had the chance to speak to you. Thank you for all you did for this site and everyone on it. I hope we can continue to keep your memory alive through keeping this website alive.

RIP and party with the angels!


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## nowonmai

OMG! I only just found out. RIP Alan... you were a giver to the end.


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## allover

*Rip*

Unfortunately I just came across this thread. I love the bluelight site and xtcxtc  seems like the main person to thank for it (not to discount the extensive work of the mods and others behind the site). I'm not very good at situations like this, but all I can say is I thank you much for your dedication to the site over the many past  years xtcxtc. May you rest in peace as well as the afterlife.


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## BanE

A great man indeed. I'm sure Alan will smile down in five or even ten years time to see what a great community Bluelight will become. Thank you everyone for being a part of this awesome site, let's not disappoint him! 

RIP Alan, thank you for the light


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## Malice

RIP

This man set the gold standard for provactive pics in BLs gallery.  Kudos, seriously: Bravo.

Never met the guy, but from what I've read, seen and interacted with him online leads me to believe that he lived a kick ass life.


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## crazy_lil_1

Thank you Alan.
RIP Mate


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## frizzantik

Thanks again


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## ~Miss*E~

Dear Alan,
Again, what can I say? Thanks to you, I am not dead in the gutter. Bluelight has taught me more than I expected to learn from a 'random website' that I happened to stumble upon. If it wasn't for you I may never have found bluelight, I may never have learned what I now know, and I may not be alive today. Because of you Bluelight has saved many, many lives, You are (were) a legend in your own right. Your memory and spirit will live on, we will make sure your legacy is not forgotten.
Rest In Peace, dear friend


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## FrostyMcFailure

XTC-XTC-XTC-eeexxxx (got a hundo guns a hundo clips, nigga's Im From N-J!)

 allen, Thanks for everything on behalf of myself & future generations of BL.  

& for his two sons & daughter; You guys had an amazing dad, he gave his all to help keep the general BL public informed (and more importanatly safe).   I do realize its a tad late for this but it had 2 be said if it hasnt been already; He was a great man and a BlueLight (and real life) Hero.

A foe of few a friend of many, This Tokez 4 u.


Rest In Peace. && Congrats on completing a great fucking life.


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## Aros2k

rip


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## Mariposa

Alan:

I always trusted you never to mince words with me.  I'm in a state of conflict about some stuff.  I wish I could talk to you about it, but you are at peace now, and I will have to resolve these things on my own.

In the meantime, I can only state that I hope you adequately expressed your wishes during your lifetime, and that if you did not, those who follow behind you will honor your legacy.  You have no way to enforce the furtherance of that legacy now, so I hope you have chosen wisely.  A lot of people depend on your goodwill.

Best regards,

Mariposa


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## onetwothreefour

somehow i only just heard about this.

certainly i never knew alan personally, and only engaged with him on a few occasions on this board. on those occasions, though, he struck me as very intelligent, quite stubborn, forthright - i.e. truthful... it's a virtue - broadminded, and, perhaps above all, pretty fucking weird.

i liked him.

beyond that, what he did in funding this website was phenomenal. obviously he trusted the admins of the website a great deal - there aren't many people in this world who'd give mountains of cash, however much it was, to a bunch of drug-addled idealists seeking to educate the rest of the fools. but alan did, and in doing so, saved countless lives.

to anyone who respected alan's life and respects him in death, i can only hope that they continue to agitate for the cause that bluelight stands for - harm minimisation, self-autonomy, and education. these things are paramount imo, and it's a tribute to alan that he thought so highly of them.


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## onetwothreefour

for some reason my post isn't showing up? (i don't mean to derail the thread or show disrespect, i'm just a touch confused.) i thought maybe i'd imagined it, but i searched and my post is there. but when i view the thread... it's not?


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## Infinite Jest

^
I can see it - you mean the one starting 'somehow I only just heard about this'?


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## onetwothreefour

that's the one. the last one i see before mine just now ("for some reason...") and yours, is mariposa's, timestamped 04-06-2008, 12:13.

odd.


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## duck_racer

Samadhi said:
			
		

> I can say with honesty that this site has changed my life.  Alan, i will be forever grateful to you.



I wanted to echo this statement. Thank you so much Alan.


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## deeCee

I randomly thought of you yesterday.. Kinda weird..


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## MynameisnotDeja

Samadhi said:
			
		

> I can say with honesty that this site has changed my life.  Alan, i will be forever grateful to you.




Same here. So much love.


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## Ravr

Rip


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## wazza

R.I.P Alan. Very sad news to hear of this, I've been away from Bluelight due to some struggles of my own. Recently have healed good enough to get back onto life and I travelled through Hong Kong on the last leg of my belated honeymoon. I didn't even know of your passing 

You will be missed by many people for many reasons, you were a person with a beautiful heart. May you be enjoying your "angels" and smiling upon us.


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## sharpsense

I used to be at Bluelight a long time ago. Unfortunately I forgot my password, that's why I registered again this year.

I remember Alan, he was a very special species in this world and an absolut genious in gambling.

As already said, he was always in the back, even though he donated Bluelight.

At the time I was a moderator, I remember that some moderators where amazed that he had the permission for the moderator forum, that was the first time, I came aware of his donating.

R. I. P.


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## GoddessLSD-XTC

Wow, I didn't realize who was posting those "Angels" in the Gallery. 

Ppl that are good at math (like Alan) seem to benefit from LSD by at least trying it once or twice. (Many ppl in Silicone Valley used LSD.)

Wonder what Alan's experience with 'cid was?

I hope someone at Bluelight is working with his Estate to enforce xtcxtc's Will!

R.I.P.





http://www.121s.com/viewtopic.php?t=30200


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## Infinite Jest

sharpsense: what was your user name? If you can prove your identity somehow, PM me and we'll see if we can recover it for you (probably you'd need to know or have met a current admin or senior mod who could vouch for you).

Goddess: we're not getting anything from his estate, unfortunately


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## haste

R.i.p.


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## Ace123

I can only imagine what it'd be like to meet this man in person. From the limited knowledge I have of his life it sounds as is if he personifies many of the characteristics my fantasized future self has. When I read about this I was hit with an odd feeling of comfort in that there really are people that choose a different, more eccentric and risky path and end up ridiculously successfully in the end. Success not only in accumulation of wealth, but in how that wealth is used to show gratitude for the life he was blessed with. I only wish i talked to him more when he was here.

R.I.P

BL Forever!


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## 64tf

Infinite Jest said:


> Goddess: we're not getting anything from his estate, unfortunately



What happen?  I know how fucked estates get.  I've had more experience with it than I would like, but I am curious.  Alan made some comments to the effect that his family might block any support for BL.  Is that what happen?  Are some of those legal fees going to represent BL in court on this matter?


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## FoX

Thank you Alan, you made an almost unmanageable job so much easier. We owe you so much.


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## New

Thank you for living your life the way you did so that I could live my life the way that I did.


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## Seith

What a wonderful guy


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## kroozer_*

Some have to go to make it possible for us to keep going. Rest In Peace to all BL'er who are gone but will not be forgotton


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## Mariposa

Dear Alan,

This thread was bumped by someone else, but dammit, I miss you right now.  I miss the dialogue and the ideas bouncing around.  I miss your guidance and your brutal honesty.  Never once did you steer me wrong.  You taught me a lot about perspective by both words and deeds.  I know that in the great thereafter, whatever it may or may not be, that I can carry out what you told me you wanted without subjecting myself to baser emotions and actions.

I continue to respect and admire you not for your wealth, but for your ability to voice dissent without attacking.  I feel a void right now, and if you're capable of watching over me -- please help me to see that 10 years from now, the difference I make now will be something of which I am proud.

Say hi to my mom from me if you can.   

Yours sincerely,

Mariposa


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## SA

... and the show goes on...

RIP
...


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## iCafe

R.i.p


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## James.

Well he seemed to live a full life, as an open minded person. Rest well xtcxtc, and thank you.


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## Htownkilla

Thanks you Alan and R.I.P. Your generosity will benefit people for years and years to come


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## Colossi_UK

I'm moved @ even reading about this man


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## Sessionz

R.I.P
A life well lived, it seems.


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## Void

Damn I had no idea who Xtcxtc was... totally awsome bloke... RIP...


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## panic in paradise

thanks alan.
just your being here alone meant a lot.
a little late, but, youve proven the type to be hard to keep up with in many ways.


im sure youve found a way to give wings to the right ponies, now from any distances.


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## designed_reality

goodbye....
save heaven, 
new, new earth
i'll be waving
goodbye.........


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## New

Thank you for making Bluelight possible. The number of lives you have saved and will continue to save remains uncountable. The number and quality of friendships that you made possible remains similarly bountiful. Your charity while alive towards our community will always be remembered and praised.

Your passing reminded me of how incredible your contribution to all of our lives was, is, and will always be.


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## Harry@somewhere

*xtcxtc*

Sorry but the new registration system has defeated me so I'll post here and hope that one of the mods here can be so kind as to move this post to the thread in the Shrine about Alan.


Five years ago this week Alan passed away. Without him, Bluelight would not be here today. But we all missed the anniversary. Sorry about that Alan. Without you BL wouldn't have saved all the lives that it has saved. I just hope that the angels up where you are now take as good care as the angels did back in your BL days.


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## herbavore

You never know what an act of generosity is going to engender. In this case, a whole world came into being, a world that continues to change and evolve and impact the lives of thousands of people. Thank you for your love of life, your generous and adventurous spirit and the gift of Bluelight.


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## Whosajiggawaaa

Heard he was a pro poker player. RIP


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## zephyr

Yo Alan

You were fucking cool man. Wish you were still here but ixnay on the pics xxx


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## cj

Whosajiggawaaa said:


> Heard he was a pro poker player. RIP



Nah he was a legendary horse racing gambler. We owe Alan alot his generosity has saved countless lives.


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## yepyepwoah

zephyr said:


> Yo Alan
> 
> You were fucking cool man. Wish you were still here but ixnay on the pics xxx



I remember lurking back in the day and being like "who the fuck is this dude with all the asian prostitues ("angels")


veryyyy interesting


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## zephyr

Mariposa said:


> Dear Alan,
> 
> This thread was bumped by someone else, but dammit, I miss you right now.  I miss the dialogue and the ideas bouncing around.  I miss your guidance and your brutal honesty.  Never once did you steer me wrong.  You taught me a lot about perspective by both words and deeds.  I know that in the great thereafter, whatever it may or may not be, that I can carry out what you told me you wanted without subjecting myself to baser emotions and actions.
> 
> I continue to respect and admire you not for your wealth, but for your ability to voice dissent without attacking.  I feel a void right now, and if you're capable of watching over me -- please help me to see that 10 years from now, the difference I make now will be something of which I am proud.
> 
> Say hi to my mom from me if you can.
> 
> Yours sincerely,
> 
> Mariposa



Sup Alan,

Time for my shrine visit again.

There's a fair amount of my mates here with you and many more that have lost the same people.


Jillian, once again good timing on your part.   Claire has axl making himself present and I have you.


I miss you guys and catch you on the flip side


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