Enter a casino for the first time and you are assaulted by the myriad jingle-jangle ringing of the slot machines.
Rows upon rows of bright lights and three-note chords echo through your mind's eye and ears, and take you for a psychedelic dollar-by-dollar ride into the blank daze that is gambling.
You've heard of slot machines being called the "one-arm bandits" haven't you? Well, I don't know if it's true of other modern casinos, but the slot machines *I* saw were mostly computerized. No levers to pull but plenty of buttons to push.
Pavlov himself would salivate at the very embodiment of his well-known behavioral theory, even if the embodiment of that theory consisted of retirees spending their potentially limited income and gambling themselves into an almost slavish trance.
There were even drink carts being pushed around by casino staff, enabling gamblers to just sit there and push buttons endlessly, as though their life depended on it. (And that's really no joke, considering the cost of health care these days, and continual slashing of Medicare. It's no wonder that older folks flock to casinos in hopes of high payouts---they might be on heart or blood pressure meds that cost a fortune.)
I would be a hypocrite to say, however, that I did not join in the trance for a while, because I did. There was one machine in particular that seemed to "work" the best, given this was my first time gambling. I had managed to get up to a certain amount of machine credit where, if I had pressed the 'cash-out' button, I would have gotten approximately $15 dollars, give or take a few quarters. But I pressed on, thinking that I would win bigger and bigger...which is precisely the trap that gambling lays for the partaker.
I am not saying that gambling itself is a crime, or a sin, or some such nonsense. We must all take risks in life sooner or later. Life itself is a gamble, and the stakes, evolution-wise, are *very* high indeed.
I can say, however, that I just don't think I'm the sort to want to constantly sit there and put in money, because the payouts are always in favor of 'the house,' as any seasoned risk-taker knows.
And frankly, it was almost hellish to watch all these people just go from machine to machine, sitting there hour after hour...I felt like I was right smack in the middle of the 'Devil' Tarot card--but instead of the image of a man and a woman being chained to the devil's chair, an image of a man and a woman chained to slot machines appeared.
I don't necessarily believe that there is an actual physical "devil." I do think that the 'Temperance' card is in the Tarot pack for a reason. And if there is any place that needs a big reminder of temperance, it's a casino.
I can only imagine when they officially start serving alcohol on the gambling floor, because the casino buffet itself is a paean to Jupiterian excess!
So, yeah, that was how I spent most of my 4th of July holiday...and when we got home, Q and I didn't even want to go see the fireworks...we'd already been out of the house for 6 hours and we were mentally wiped out.
And mind you, Q and I are Sensitives--we kinda felt the stress and the chaos a bit more than most people. For us, if we do this kind of thing again, it's going to be a special occasion occurrence.
I will say that I would much rather give my hard-earned moolah to the Native American tribe that runs the casino we went to, than tossing the money at places like Wally-world.
It'll be interesting to see what we end up doing next year....
BB, Kat ^.^
Posted: Friday July 4, 2008, 9:30 pm Visibility:
Everyone
female, age 30
committed relationship
Marshalltown, IA, USA
A'S SHARES
Jul 3
Blog: Back to Business!
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
—
Wow! 490-something days
since my last blog entry?
Sheesh! I've got gobs of
blogs...just like I've
got gobs of regular paper
journals...I think I'm
addicted! Which tells me
I had better jump on my
writerly
tendencies...I've got a
lot to say and so I g... more
Feb 27
Blog: Jon Anderson's 'Angels Embrace'
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
— Hi everyone! I
know...it's been ages
since I last posted, but
then it's been ages
since I've been able
to purchase anything
related to, or written
by, Jon Anderson.My
last purchase was
"Olias of
Sunhillow," which I
listen to... more
Sep 27
Blog: Olias of Sunhillow...
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
— Well, I just received a
copy of Jon's 1976
solo album called
"Olias of
Sunhillow." If
you've never heard this
before, but have gotten
your own copy, you are
soooo in for a treat! :-D
This is music to get lost
in and not regret getting
l... more
Alert: Clemency For Missourian Stacey Lannert by Kristi K.
(3 comments
|
discussions
)
— The above pictu
re that was taken of
Stacey Lannert when she
was still in high school.
She is now 36 years old
She has been in
prison since 1990 and has
served one-half of her
life. Without a pardon
from the Governor of
Missouri, she wi... more
Oct 14
Blog: 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake by Patt L.
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
—
4 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa
1 egg
3tablespoon milk
3 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoon chocolat
ships (optional)
a small splash of vanills
extrct
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to
mug and mix well
Add egg and ... more
Oct 12
Blog: A Noble Loser vs. A Dirty Winner by Deepak C.
(1 comments
|
discussions
)
—
A Noble Loser vs. A Dirty
Winner
Deepak Chopra - October
10, 2008
The reason that the
Democrats have become
experts at losing the
Presidency is that the
Republicans have become
experts at the dirty win.
Or so the mythology goes.
This idea gai... more
Oct 9
Blog: Oct 9, 2008 by Patt L.
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
— I have had quite a ride
these last few months. I
was layed off from a job
I loved. Went to work at
another place and it was
horrible! I'm now back at
work at my favorite
place. I am so happy! I'm
also relaxed now. more
Oct 7
Blog: Saving the U.S. Economy Through “Trickle Up” Economics by Deepak C.
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
—
Saving the U.S. Economy
Through “Trickle
Up” Economics
Deepak Chopra - October
06, 2008
Dear Friends,I would like
to share with you the 14
Point Program that my
good friend, Rinaldo
Brutoco founder and
president of World
Business ... more
Blog: Mobiles Internet: Mehr Strahlung mehr Leiden by Initiative O.
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
—
Appell Mobiles Internet
Nachfolgend der Link zum
aktualisierten Infoblatt
über das
Mobile Internet mit
Appell an alle
Internetnutzer. Es
handelt sich um das
mobile Internet mit
Laptop-USB-Zusatzger&Atil
de;¤t, iPhone,
Blackberry ... more
Blog: Mast ranks voice their anger over phone companyÂ’s plans by Team O.
(0 comments
|
discussions
)
— Oct 16 2008 by Kathryn
Williams, Rhondda Leader
RESIDENTS in Ynyshir who
stopped a mobile phone
company building a phone
mast near their homes
have now got another
fight on their hands.
Three years after
fighting off two attempts
to put a mast behind... more
Blog: Set-back for mobile phone mast plans by Team O.
(0 comments
|
0 discussions
)
— 1:57pm Wednesday 15th
October 2008
By Andy Walker
CONTROVERSIAL plans to
install an 18-metre
mobile phone mast have
suffered another
set-back, after local
councillors agreed to
support
residentsÂ
objections.
Telecommunications
company Vod... more
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.