I’ve tried to warn you about the evils of gambling. It gets in your blood and spoils your life. It uses the most powerful psychological tool known, called “intermittent positive reinforcement.” If you took a psychology class, ever, you know that negative reinforcement is punishment, and positive is reward. And you learned that consistent rewards will produce the target behavior, but when the reward stops, so will the behavior. But is the reward comes irregularly. If you get a cookie, or a jackpot, every third or fifth or seventh try, the behavior may never go away, even when no more rewards are produced.
So why is this seniority issue? As you know, I read the news, so you don’t have to. In Connecticut, home of Foxwoods, the worlds largest casino, there were these two older adult sisters. They always went to the casino together to play bingo and cards. Then in 1995 one of them won a big jackpot, $160,000 bucks! They had an agreement to share winnings, and they did. They even wrote up a little contract, and had it notarized. Now you may not know it, but most gambling contracts are not valid. A legal agreement to do something illegal can’t be enforced. But the two sisters had a falling out. Now they are 83 and 87 years old. And big sister won a half million dollars in the powerball lottery.
Even though they hadn’t talked for a few years, little sister saw the news and wants big sister to cut her in for half! And guess how far the case has gone? All the way to the State Supreme Court. And they seem to be on little sister’s side. It was illegal to gamble when that exception was devised, and the lottery is legal, so then should be the contract.
And aside from the jackpot, you know who wins? Of course they both have lawyers, and they’ll get paid, collections fee for $250,000 is going to buy someone a new pool, you betcha!

Pick a little, talk a little.

There is a letter to the editor in today’s Pasadena Star News asking why people talk during the performances at concerts. The writer, from San Gabriel may have been at the concerts at the park here in Temple City or at Arcadia or one of the many other town concert series held during the summer. “It seems disrespectful to the performers and the audience” says the writer.
I go to these concerts, and I don’t go for the music. It’s usually mildly entertaining, but the chance to catch up with neighbors I might only see there or at the polls on Election Day encourages visiting and talking. Some of the people that I only see there are Ken Picas kids. They’ve got lives away from Temple City and come home to see their Mom in the summer, and come to the park to see the rest of us.
We buy raffle tickets, and discuss the politics of the city- it’s really interesting this year. We buy snacks from the boy scouts and sister city organization. The concert is just an excuse to show up. There may be a shift in focus, I notice Westwind Productions isn’t on our calendar this year, and the Hula dancing, fire eatin’ group is one of my favorites.
The music is certainly loud enough to hear over a nearby conversation. So mind the stage, lady, this is a private conversation!