In recent days, I have both received in the mail and seen on television advertisements for California Propositions 94 - 97: Indian Gaming Compacts.

While this is not a political blog, seeing the ads on Indian Gaming reminds me of my thoughts on gambling in general.

The Truth about Gambling

To stay in business, a casino must earn more in revenues (e.g. the “house” must win, the players must lose) than it spends on expenses (e.g. restaurant buffets, staff, decor, power, etc.). The fact that gambling is a multibillion dollar industry means that the business model must be working pretty well. And doing any sort of research will tell you that all games are stacked in the house’s favor, some more so than others, but in the house’s favor nonetheless. So, the question is whom does the casino “earn” their money from?

Gambling is Marketed to People Who Should Not Gamble

I see the ads on cable, the billboards along the freeways — these are meant to be seen by everyday people. With gas prices soaring, and housing in the Bay Area among the most expensive in the nation, should people be gambling, hoping to get easy riches?

The Illogic of Encouraging Gambling As a Means to Raise Funds

I have been known to visit a casino or two, usually during “downtime” on a ski trip — we usually just eat at one of the buffets in the evenings and a few of my friends would try their luck at the craps or blackjack tables. What I’ve noticed is that the majority of the gamblers are very “average”, normal clothes and attire, nothing like the glamor of a James Bond movie or anything like that (maybe I’m in the wrong casino). So, the very people that are supposed to be helped by social programs, are the ones that are footing the bill. But guess what? It’s not a dollar-to-dollar transfer. The money that the Indian casino wins are divvied up along the way to middle-men (administrators, campaign contributions to politicians, to name a couple), and who knows how much actually comes back to those social programs — certainly a lot less than what left the gamblers’ wallets.

What about the Rich?

I have to think that 99% of the Rich did not get wealthy through gambling, but rather through hard work, investing, stock options and the power of compound interest. Once they HAD the money, that’s when they can go gamble as “high rollers”.

The End Does Not Justify the Means

As for the propositions, we’ll see what happens in next Tuesday’s elections, but I certainly don’t think encouraging gambling ever helps anyone except whoever owns the casinos.

Far-Sightedness versus Short-Sightedness

I learned the difference between far-sightedness and short-sightedness in high school, and I’m not talking about needing to wear glasses. I’m talking about seeing long-term and short-term effects of a specific action.

It Happened in History class

The inciter was one of my history teachers, whom I shall call Mr. F.

He was certainly not a great teacher by any means — in fact, he normally taught P.E. — but for whatever reasons, we had him for one semester of U.S. History.

What normally happened was we would be cruising along through the textbook during lecture when one thing or another from the text would prompt him to go off on tangents. Here are two that I recall:

• Railroads - Mr. F would wax nostalgic about the railroad system of the late 1800’s, during the Industrial Revolution. Tracks spanned all across the country, and you can go most anywhere via a romantic train ride. Cities and industries grew due to the “iron horse”. Then, along came the trucking companies, who, in the interest of increasing truck sales, started buying up the railroads, and then simply shut them down, all in the name of profits. For Mr. F this was one of the great injustices wreaked by corporations, one apparently he had never forgiven.
• S.F. Municipal Transportation - On another occasion, Mr. F would talk about something closer to home — San Francisco used to have a lot more streetcar lines (verified by looking at any old historic S.F. photo book). However, the same automobile companies came along and convinced (read: bought off) local politicians to have many streetcar lines removed, so that buses could be sold to the city.

Mr. F would go on exclaiming, “Do you know how many trucks are needed to haul all the freight that can be loaded onto a string of freight cars pulled by a single locomotive, and how much fuel is wasted!?” And he would the class in a huff!

Similar diatribes would occur throughout the semester, and we, being young teenagers, would always snicker afterwards and shake our heads, thinking how bitter Mr. F was.

Looking Back at that Class

Now, looking back, that’s where I got my first taste of the kind of harm corporations can do when they emphasize short-term gains over the greater benefit that often comes from actions geared toward a long-term vision. The idea to always think about long-term effects has stuck with me ever since.

All because of one bitter old man.

I found the recent Yahoo! Finance article 7 Extreme Ways to Save Money pretty interesting. It basically discussed various (extreme) ways to cut costs. For me, the last one mentioned is the simplest:

Ditch the TV

The Yahoo! article says by trashing the TV, people would be saving money because they’d no longer be bombarded by ads, which makes sense, right? However, I think the idea of either no longer watching (or watching much less) television is worthy of an entire post.

Disclaimer - I DO Watch TV

First of all, I will admit that growing up, I was a TV junkie. My summers were often spent watching reruns of everything from Leave It to Beaver to Gilligan’s Island to Star Trek and Monkees. So, yes, I’ve watched my share of TV, and a lot of who I am did come from the influence of TV shows (see my post on Star Trek).

Today, my weak spot is Heroes.

But really, with our society so bathed in media 24/7, sometimes it’s a good idea to simply…disconnect.

Benefits of Foregoing TV

Being self employed and with a family as well, I find I have very little time for TV anyway. If it’s on these days, it’s really only for the kids.

For me, here’s what not watching the ol’ tube has allowed:

1. I’ve Regained the Opportunity Costs - for me, this is the most important. This means that instead of spending time watching TV, that time is now used for something else that’s more productive, such as spending time with the family, doing chores (brownie points from the spouse), working (good for clients), or sleeping (good for me )
2. I’m more Proactive - TV is a passive medium. You sit there and simply get spoken to. When it’s on, I get into the mindless and time-wasting habit of channel surfing, trying to find something worth watching. Now, I either read, do some exercise, or go out for a walk.
3. I Free my Mind - When I’m not watching TV, I no longer have to get enthralled in some reality show, listen to a get-rich-quick-scheme, hear about the latest diet fad, or be cajoled into calling right now while operators are standing by to get the extra free knife set (still have the pay shipping)! When I think about it, those shows serve no real good purpose except to eat up my time. I’m not going to be on Jeopardy! or do anything where useless TV knowledge will come in handy, and I certainly don’t need to buy more stuff. Because it’s easy to access, cheap (or free), and there’s a lot of it, TV is like junk food for the mind. Free yourself from its grasp, and now you’re able to think.
4. I Have a Quieter Household - In the old days, I used to turn on the TV, and it would be on for hours, even if I was doing something else. But now, with it usually off, it’s much more peaceful — and I can even listen to music.
5. I Can Appreciate the Good Shows more - Now, on the rare occasion I do watch a show, it’s more of a well-deserved break from my busy day. I’m sure the experience will never be like in the Golden Age of Television where families tuned into live shows, but at least I am more in control of my own life. And I pick and choose more carefully the one or two shows to watch for simple entertainment.

Try Less TV

Television is a powerful medium, with great influence on people who watch. I am not saying we should completely ban TV, either. I have simply just found that now that I really don’t watch TV that much, I have more time to simply be myself, and to think for myself and do the things I want to do in this life.

If you watch more than an hour a day, try taking a break for a week with the mindset you’ll do some of the things you’ve always wanted to work on (read that book, work on that painting, go workout, etc.)

You might like it.

We live in such a fast-paced society — how often have I said that already this month — I often like to stop and smell the roses, as the proverb goes.

Although, while I’ve actually done that when I was attending university years ago (roses seem to grow really well in Berkeley), these days when I get a few moments in my busy life I am more likely to reflect on other simple pleasures.

Some Simple Pleasures of Life that May Not Be Obvious

• Modern Plumbing - I don’t know about you, but I know I never really appreciate the convenience of the modern bathroom until the toilet gets stopped up, or a drain doesn’t flow. I can’t imagine having to go do it in an outhouse, or worse yet, in a hole with leaves — ech! But really, what a treat it is to have running hot and cold water — it’s really like magic: move a lever, turn a knob, and clean, life-giving water comes out of the spigot. And, along the same lines, there is almost nothing quite as pleasurable as a nice hot shower on a wintry day to chase away the chill in the bones.
• Walking on the Beach - A weekday is best for this, but anyway, just being on the beach on a nice sunny day, barefoot, alone with your thoughts, with the sounds of waves crashing filling the salty-air with an all-encompassing roar to drown out city sounds, I find all the physical sensations to be soothing and calming. The rhythm of the waters seem to put me in tune with the planet, and my thoughts often wander into wonderment of the past as I look upon the sand and rocks, knowing that waves have been and will be pounding away over and over again, and in the grand scheme of things, we humans are just but a speck of sand. It’s really a perfect place to think.
• A Good Book - I’ve already expounded on why I think books will always be around, but I will still mention it in this list, because in such a gadget-heavy society, I still prefer reading a book in bed or my favorite chair, when the kids are asleep, and me and the honey are just working on our own stuff. And as such, that brings me to the next pleasure…
• The Library - I always thought it was cool in some of those computer games about world civilizations that building a Library was one of the “super” achievements that will raise your score — but actually, a library IS cool. We take it for granted in our society, but here is a place filled with tangible vessels of knowledge, entertainment and communication from people in the past. When I’m in a big library, I can sometimes feel the power of all that stored history — or maybe that was the air conditioning…
• Tea - For some it may be coffee, but for me, it’s tea. Sipping a hot cup of good tea allows me to pause what I’m typing, collect my thoughts and my breath, and warm up the insides. If it’s really cold, I can use both hands to hold the cup for a minute or two.
• A Good Chair - When I was growing up, my favorite chair was this green recliner (it was green, so my mom always had it covered with some cloth with a floral arrangement). These days, I have a black, faux leather recliner. What’s great about it is that recliners allow for complete support of my body, all the way up to my neck and head. And for someone who sits in front of the computer all day, I really can’t say enough about taking short breaks on a regular basis. Having a nice chair to go to is quite an enjoyable luxory — just don’t fall asleep!

Seeing Things Before the Goal

Oftentimes we have our eyes set on some prize that’s only attainable with a lot of hard work and dedication, and we always have to be in a hurry to accomplish these goals. But every now and then, it’s a good idea to pause and think about where we are, and what we already have in this world.

What kinds of simple pleasures do you enjoy?

Excellence Comes from Training

Michael Jordan. Jerry Rice. Fred Astaire. Gene Kelly.

What do they have in common?

Yes, they’re all guys, and yes, they were all considered the best in their profession. They were also known for their incredible commitment and dedication to practice, training, and/or rehearsing.

Practice Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, like any worthwhile ability, is also a skill that needs to be nurtured, developed, and practiced on a regular, constant basis in order for it to be effective.

So here are 5 ways to improve one’s critical thinking skills:

1. Learn to Listen First - We often start thinking the moment someone starts talking to us, thinking to such an extent that we actually fail to listen. If we fail to listen, how can we get all the facts that are crucial to correct decision-making?
2. Set Aside Time to Practice - Just as with an exercise regimen, critical thinking should be practiced at regular times. Fit the activity within one of your routine habits, tasks, or chores. See my post on The Best Times to Think for tips.
3. Be Open Minded - Someone once said, “The mind is like a parachute; it functions only when open.” An open mind will be amendable to accepting new data and ideas that can be used to form new opinions and decisions, or modify old ones.
4. Practice Cause and Effect - Be observant of people’s behavior, and work backwards to speculate how they may have arrived at that behavior.
5. Ask Questions - Be inquisitive and ask questions, look things up in the dictionary. Learning new things will keep the brain stimulated.

Hopefully, these will be useful exercises.

Motivational Books Abound

Visit a bookstore today, and you will find a self-help section filled with books, all claiming to offer ways to help you with your productivity, love life, finances, and everything else under the sun (well, stuff “under” the sun would probably be in the Astronomy section…)

The Motivation Niche Blogs

Go online, and you will find a multitude of websites and blogs who offer information to similar effects, including the excellent Zen Habits, the inspiration for this one.

But Who’s First?

I’ve been wondering who was the first motivational speaker?

“Influencers” on Today

Last century we had Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and others whose books are still popular today (I’m currently working my way through a Napoleon Hill book). This site features an article that suggests that Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first motivational speaker of modern times.

Historic Figures

Of course, I have not read every single historical book out there, but with my somewhat typical college-level education, I would wager that some of the better known historical figures with whom people are familiar were actually the first motivational speakers:

• Shakespeare - perhaps he spoke more through his “players” than himself, but can anyone argue against all the life lessons found in his plays?
• Socrates - going back further, I would have to say many of the principles espoused by today’s great motivational speakers were explored in ancient Greco-Roman times
• Confucious - the Chinese philosopher and scholar to whom we usually attribute the Golden Rule offered principles a hundred years earlier

Of course, there are lots of other notables, including religious and political ones, that we can consider motivational speakers, for they truly did motivate people to do things (good or bad things, that’s up for debate).

We will never find out who was truly the very first motivational speaker (most likely, it was probably a caveperson who wanted his/her clan to move to a new spot where there were unpicked wild berries.)

What Really Matters

In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Today there are tons of motivational speakers, life coaches and other pundits. As long as the principles they put forth are constantly explored, analyzed, questioned and tested, and those that “make the cut” for the critical thinker are practiced in a way to better all of humankind, that’s all that really matters.

Why We Should Like Corporations

Simply put, corporations allow for massive economies of scale. That’s how we can buy a reasonably good car for $13K. That’s how we can buy groceries at the local supermarket. And that’s how we can get our new-fangled technologies (on which to write and read blogs).

Why We Should Hate Corporations

Again, simply put, corporations usually answer to shareholders, and what the shareholders want may not be in the best interest of the non-shareholders (see my post on smoking). Since there are fewer shareholders than non-shareholders, the few have power over the many.

What Can or Should We Do?

• As consumers, use critical thinking to be aware and not be taken advantage of.
• As shareholders, employ the same insight to see beyond short-term gains.

Think About It

A corporation is legally considered an entity, but in the end, a corporation is really made up of people. As people all living on this planet, shouldn’t we think beyond us-versus-them, and instead use the power of corporations to find a way to live in a peaceful, sustainable world, one that will endure for future generations, long after you and I are gone?

Over at ZenHabits is another useful post, 7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done. In it, Leo mainly talks about the book The War of Art by author Steven Pressfield, and discusses how to overcome our natural urge to not do the things we really want to do and rather maintain the status quo.

Of the 7 steps listed, number six jumped out at me:

“Know your motivation. Why are you doing this? Why is this task important? What is it working towards? And how important is that end goal to you? Why is it important? You need to know these things to build up the motivation to overcome Resistance.”

Motivation is Key for Me

Most of us have seen or read crime thrillers, where the detective needed to find the motive (and evidence, and opportunity) that will finger the bad guy.

Well, in real life, we have motivations for everything we do (hopefully not crime). As such, motivations play key part in explaining why there is so much conflict in our societies: different priorities, agendas and the like. On a more personal level, though, understanding my own motivations is a step towards understanding myself, and that’s what I want to talk about today.

Think about it.

A Baby’s Motivation

As a little baby my motivation was to survive. I needed my:

• food
• water
• shelter
• love

The basic needs.

A Child’s Motivation

As I kid, my main motivation was (probably) to have fun, to play.

However, as I mentioned in my post about reading, at some point my motivation became the need to satisfy a thirst for reading fun books, which I guess can still be viewed as to have fun.

A Young Adult’s Motivation

College for me was quite a long, circuitous path, because I did not know what I wanted to do for the longest time — I did not have the motivation. There was also the allure of making (okay) money at a dead-end job, money to pay for more expensive past-times (dates, trips, video games, and other grown-up “toys”).

A Parent’s Motivation

Now, I have a business I love, and my main motivation to do well?

To provide for my family. I know that when the time comes for me to leave this existence, I want to be able to answer in the positive to this question: “Did I do my best for my family?”

Motivations “Grow Up”

It’s interesting how my motivation for the longest time was: for the Self. It began as the basic needs, but I now realize that the rest of my “needs” over the years and the resulting actions (why we need to buy certain things, say certain things, perform certain actions) all derived from motivations that I acquired through learning from my parents, my peers, and the media. From time to time, I was able to re-evaluate my motivations and modify them.

Throughout a lot of my life, my main motivation remained geared toward the self. And although I didn’t think of it as much, it was a form of selfishness, a self-love.

However, once I got into a serious relationship, one that has developed and grown over the years, that main motivation has changed. I now do what I do to provide for my family, to teach the young ones and instill in them values that hopefully will remain and help them grown into good, productive young men.

I find myself teaching, and MOTIVATING them.

Have you thought about why you do the things you do lately?

If you liked this post, you may like:

• Sheer Force of Will

Since we’re observing the birth of Dr. Martin Luthor King, Jr. today, I thought I’d list a few of my favorite quotes from this influential man.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

– I see this as a universal truth on how we should deal with setbacks and failures, when the going gets rough, when we feel overwhelmed and stress.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

– this one hits home, and is one of the underlying reasons for this blog, and why I chose to focus this blog’s theme on Critical Thinking.

“One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.”

– Inspiring. Of course, Dr. King must have been referring to Rosa Parks.

If you’re interested in more quotes, check out Brainyquote.

Why Being Punctual is Important in Our Society

Here in the U.S., being on time to appointments, dates, work, meetings, etc., is important. Unlike some cultures where tardiness is routine, or even expected, we’ve developed the expectation of punctuality because we live in a fast-paced society. With automobiles being as popular as they are (see how many on the road have only one driver), and cities full of things to do, places to go, etc., it becomes important to schedule events and tasks. Being late to something early in the day can have a domino effect on the rest of the day, resulting in frayed nerves and ill-feelings.

What Happens When We’re Late

• Resentment - A person being late will generate at least a modicum of resentment in the person that was waiting, unless it’s become such a habit that the other person EXPECTS the tardiness, which in case…
• Unreliability - A person who is late gains the reputation of being unreliable. This dependability issue may come into play when a person is being considered for a job or a promotion or even a pay raise or bonus, since…
• Uncaring - A person who is late will come to be thought of as uncaring. I would say that the uncaring borders on arrogance, as it seems as if the person has no regard to the feelings, needs and deserved respect of the person waiting.

Tips to Ensure Habitual Punctuality

So, if by now, you think as I do, that being punctual is important, I’ve put together a few pointers to aid in that endeavor:

• Acknowledge the Importance of Punctuality - Like ending any bad habits (e.g. smoking), the first thing to do is the acknowledge the problem, and develop the desire to do something about it. Without this important first step, it’s an uphill battle.
• Be a Time Realist, not a Time Optimist - Realize that we live in a space-time continuum where time flows non-stop whether we do something or nothing. So, be mindful of the little things we do: brushing teeth - 3-5 minutes; reading and responding to an email - 5-10 minutes; putting on make-up - 10-15 minutes, whatever, and know that doing a bunch of them will add up to a large chunk of time.
• Pad Your Appointments - Allow for things like travel and breaks, and even some “breathing room” when planning appointments if possible. Say you have two one-hour meetings. If possible, put in a 15 or 30 minute “break” between them to allow for things like having the first meeting run over a few minutes (because someone else was late), or so you have time to gather material and prepare for the second meeting without being rushed, etc.
• Have the Correct Time on all Clocks - I think it’s a better idea to have all your clocks and watches be set to the correct time, rather than setting them 5 or 10 minutes fast. By setting them fast, you subconsciously know you have an extra 5 or 10 minutes, and what usually happens is procrastination. To set the correct time is very easy these days — some clocks have built-in radio communication that automatically sets the time, and for all the other devices, use your computer or cell-phone as a reference point.
• Prepare the Night Before - Using the divide and conquer principle, figure what tasks can be done the night before, if being somewhere on time in the morning is your goal: getting clothes out, making lunch, etc. If you have kids like I do, getting their clothes out is a good strategy, as is making sure their schoolwork is already packed up in their backpacks.
• Work Backwards from Desired Appointment - Here is what I feel is the main key to punctuality. All the previous tips are supporting blocks to this one. Since life is filled with uncertainties, we allow for some time for little “hiccups” to occur. So, for a job interview, the target time to arrive would be 15-20 minutes before the appointment. For a regular job, the target time would be 8-10 minutes before the official start time. Once the target arrival time is determined, work backwards to arrive at a realistic time to leave. Use experience to determine a realistic amount of travel time, and from that derive your departure time. From that, continue working backwards to allow time to eat, satisfy bathroom needs, groom and get dressed, etc., to arrive at a realistic wake-up time. Then use an alarm to wake up at that time. If you have trouble waking up, then it’s obvious an earlier bed time is in order.

Being on Time is a Desire

In the end, being on time is as much a desire as it is a coordination of logistics.

If you have any thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them.