I hate money. Apparently the feeling is mutual.
I know this because I am writing this from a hotel room near the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas, following a typical encounter between a poker table and me.
Here’s how this usually goes, and also how it went again today:
I sit down, feeling relaxed and ready to have a fine time with my close personal friend, money. A few minutes or hours later my money – that ungrateful Judas – goes home with someone else.
Gambling is evil
I should stop at this point to state the obvious. Gambling is terrible for you. It’s terrible for society.
When I am finally appointed Lord of all Catan and get to set the rules for everything everywhere, gambling will be outlawed in this country except in tiny pockets of sin like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Like many, I see a big difference between what’s “fair for me” – I personally like to play poker – and what’s “fair for society” – most people should never gamble.
In the same spirit, I deliver the following Public Service Announcements: Kids, don’t do drugs! Also, definitely avoid intimate contact until marriage!
Anyway, like I said, gambling is terrible. (Also, its super fun!)
All joking aside, I have an important message today – a non-hypocritical Public Service Announcement – inspired by my visit to the Golden Nugget.
Market as Casino?
When I taught a course for adults recently called “Get Rich Slow” one of my students asked whether the stock market ‘just represented one big casino.’
Appears like gambling, but if done right, it isn’t
A retired widow herself, she commented that young people see investing in stocks as a ‘a rigged game, only benefitting the wealthy.’ Is it true, she asked?
She is dead wrong.
Also, she is righter than she knows. I feel very strongly about this, both ways. I’ll explain.
