Money

We have all met the guy who is a day trader. The guy who wakes up, logs onto his computer and makes thousands of dollars with a few clicks of the mouse.

Yup, I have met these guys. I have asked the obvious questions and been given generic, wordy answers in return. Funny thing is I can't remember what the names of these cats are today.

Did they crash and burn with the latest cycle of the market?

I am going to go out on a limb and postulate that the latest batch of "day traders" are not traders at all, but gamblers. You heard it first here, gamblers.

And why not? Both professions are potentially lucrative. Both involve a grundle of risk. Both involve a computer and the illustrious internet. Wait, what?

Welcome to the 21st century. On tap we now have for your amusement, enjoyment, employment and addiction online gaming. All that is required is a credit card, computer and an internet connection.

I know, gambling is not gainful employment, right? Wrong. What are the fundamental differences between, oh let's say online poker and playing the stock market?

Both are legitimate businesses. Both are government regulated and both can make or break college funds, futures and marriages. Huge profits (winnings) and enormous losses are possible in both lines of work. Cheaters have been caught in both industries. Some haven't been caught and have gone on to make oodles of cash.

So what is the social stigma associated with the online gambler? I personally know of one of these guys, who makes a pretty fair living playing games for money. There is some education and research involved with both fields, especially to become proficient. However, I'm guessing the dark cloud associated with gambling can find its' roots within our religious cultures.

The term degenerate gambler immediately comes to mind. This phrase was coined a few hundred years back and the connotation hasn't really changed since. But does money spend differently based on its origin?

I submit the lines between playing the market and cards is very thin, at best. My contention is gamblers have the same motivation to generate revenue as those who play the market. That children and wives and utility bills are the same regardless of what kind of coin is paying them.

Besides, I have never heard of anybody jumping out of their offices or living rooms to their death when the gaming industry crashed.

Rockstars

I turn on the radio to get in the shower and Rush Limbaugh is doing his usual diatribe. I came in during the middle of one of his rants, and it went something like this:

"we are living in the middle of a cultural and social phenomenon. Nobody understands him because we aren't smart enough. He won't make a hard decision because he can't. His aimless ramblings are incoherent except for the chosen few. Nobody is on his level of knowledge." There was also something about a rockstar lifestyle too.

Naturally I assume  he is talking about Charlie Sheen, as dude has been burning up the media as of late. But NO, he is referring to the President. Obama a "rockstar"? He might be the leader of the free world, and be one of the most powerful men on the planet but a "rockstar"? The only parallel I can draw between the two is he spends a shit load of money on stuff he can't afford. Oh yeah, when I say "he" I really mean us. Hey Obama, you wanna be profound? Prolific? Go to rehab and do a reality show. Until then you are just another in a long line of personal failures who just happened to fail upwards.

How to beat Vegas

I have a childhood friend of mine who is in the casino security game in Vegas. I tend to head to Vegas in order to escape the rigors of life in LA. During one of these self imposed exiles we went to get wrecked at a locals bar, where my buddy is tight with the bartender. The topic of conversation quickly turned to a sure fire method to beat a casino without cheating. After all, the odds are on the side of the casino except for poker games (video poker not withstanding). It was proposed to me that at a game like roulette, if each bet was doubled in size (ie $100 to $200, $200 to $400 etc) and IF an unlimited betting limit was in place that a player could theoretically end up a winner. Here is how. By increasing the bet each time, at some point the "win" covers all previous losses, and actually creates a winner. I have yet to find a flaw in this theory. Oh yeah, knowing a bartender in a locals establishment got two of us wrecked for $35. Winner!

Hispanic Reporter

Caught a portion of the press conference of president Obama and Mexican president Calderon. So this hispanic cat asks Obama if he is interested in "vetoing" the second amendment. You know, that little blurb about keeping and bearing arms that is a staple of our American society? The contention of this "reporter" was that the guns sold in this country have made their way to Mexico and are killing the folks down there. Hey dummy, the drugs you make down there are killing people up here. How about you kill the meth presses and weed cultivation? Try keeping your people who are inclined to grow weed out of our parks and BLM lands. Before you go to the "oh, we are so poor" card, keep this in mind. We up here in America like guns. We don't really care about soccer. We like sour cream on our tacos and the repeal of the second amendment will NEVER happen. Feel free to clean up your own back yard, police your citizens and pick up after yourself. Clean up your cities and maybe sweep up here and there. That country of yours is filthy.

Freedom of Speech

The US Supreme Court rendered its decision today that religious zealots can hold hate signs proximal to funeral proceedings for anyone, including dead US servicemen and women. The First Amendment is one of the tenets that separates the US from oh, let's say the Taliban, or Iran, or, well you get the idea. However, and this should be noted, a constitutional right does not guarantee one that a punch in the face is not forthcoming. In other words a religious guy may be allowed to hold a sign at my dead brothers funeral as is his right. His sign can extol his personal hate message and he is constitutionally protected to be able to exercise this right. On the same token, I also have some rights. I have the right to punch that guy with the sign in the face. I have the right to stomp his skull. I have the right to belittle him as I kick him in the groin. There are consequences for being stupid, and although the universe doesn't always get even thank God we have the ability to reason and opposing thumbs so any one of us can make a fist and exercise our freedom of expression.

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen is the guy most hetro, white males want to be. Charlie sleeps with no less than two "hotties" each night, does huge amounts of narcotics, has a hit network TV show, lives life on his own terms and told (arguably) the most successful producer on TV today to go fuck himself. Oh yeah, Charlie can afford it pulling in just shy of 2 million dollars per episode. Charlie has had his two young children taken from him, and for what? Smoking crack with porn stars? How many parents have ever done that? Right.............me either. But that isn't to say that there aren't a gaggle of "parents" who do. Those upstanding citizens just lie when it comes to their parenting skills. Here is an idea for you who are of the opinion that Charlie is a poor parent - spend a week being COMPLETELY HONEST. No little white lies to spare the feelings of others. None of the greasy BS answers to make your spouse / boss / coworker / friend / family member feel good. Go ahead, tell them how fat they are and that a proper introduction to a treadmill is way overdue. Go ahead and let them know how pretentious their life has become. Tell them how they are one cliche away from obscurity. Try it for one week, and see how long you have your kids.