Here we go again. There are 24 of my random, scattered thoughts below about nothing in particular. These “random” articles come when I am at a loss; they actually lift my spirits during those times.
Our favorite resort in Florida – The Sandcastle in Sarasota – got flooded out permanently with Helene. The end of an era for our family.
I vowed to dedicate part of my life to helping students professionally; I just loved it.
Planning another presentation of Winning at Casinos in the near future.
The most underrated movie of all time is Random Harvest, starring Greer Garson (a true beauty) and Ronald Coleman.
My dining favorites are: Soup – avgolemono; Salad – Ceasar’s; Meat – Lamb (naturally) followed by ribeye steak followed by short ribs; Fish – Pick it
Ribeyes are unquestionably the tastiest of the steak cuts.
Swing the Teapot in Floral Park (at the Queens/Nassau border) is a gem of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
I’m on borrowed time at 90+.
Harry’s Hilltop Deli in Williston Park does a nice job on Greek food. Mary used him for parts of her menu for my 90th birthday party.
It has become more painful to bury a dear friend or close relative. Just lost former classmate Neophitos Ganiaris, a fellow Greek.
2024 was truly an exciting baseball season. The Mets really put a show on in late September and the playoffs.
I have made every attempt to stop patronizing businesses (particularly restaurants) that charge for using a credit card.
Astoria is still your best bet for Greek food.
School taxes are really getting out of hand.
More and more streets in Queens and Nassau County are in dire need of repair.
Did I call it with Rodgers? I’m a Jet fan but he was 2 years older, and lost his desire, mobility, and running capability.
Dining out – with the sales tax and increased tipping – has become overly expensive.
The Hambones has become one of our favorite go-to music groups; John Kouri is a great entertainer, and his lead guitarist is just super. Same for Hell or High Water with Tom Wiff.
Could it possibly be true that somewhere between 10-20 million undocumented (or is it illegals) are now in our country?
Dinner out with entertainment is turning out to be no more expensive than just dining out.
I love D’Angelo’s (Williston Park) grandma’s pizza.
Getting a Ph.D. today is almost like getting a bachelor’s degree when I was growing up.
When I’m at a loss, I start writing; it lifts my burden(s) or solves a problem.
The last half of the last century passed into the sunset a quarter of a century ago. I was on top of the world: horses, the Queen, Killeen’s, Astoria, Rockaway Beach, Ph.D., great students. Those were the days.
Sleep apnea is a disorder of the respiratory system in which breathing ceases for a period of a few seconds before resuming. Such periods, which may also occur during sleep, are sometimes alternated with periods of rapid, heavy breathing known as hyperpnea.
On a personal level, I snore. But what’s worse is that I suffer from apnea, a term which means “no air.” It seems nearly one in three Americans snore and one in ten have sleep apnea.
Well, is it a nuisance or is it a health concern? The answer: both. Most of us know that snoring can be extremely bothersome to your bedroom partner if he / she is not a sound sleeper. The snoring occurs when your breathing airway is partially obstructed by tissues (that may vibrate) near the pharynx in the back of the mouth. Alternately, the air passage may be extremely narrow or partially blocked; a small jaw can also cause problems. Thus, anything that narrows the breathing airways can cause snoring. In these cases, the noise usually ends when the problems are addressed.
When total blockage occurs, it is defined as the aforementioned sleep apnea. Breathing ceases at this point and the individual is deprived of oxygen. Individuals on average can suffer from a few to a hundred of these episodes per hour. This in turn leads to an increase in blood pressure. Although the apnea effect may only last a few seconds, this starting-and-stopping process can lead to a heart attack, stroke, hardening of the arteries, or kidney failure. In addition to these problems, sleep apnea can cause difficulty in reasoning, short-term memory loss, headaches, muscle pain, depression, and slow reflexes.
From a medical perspective, the delivery and deposition of oxygen to the heart is a requisite to sustaining life. The breathing process provides the regular and continuous requisite supply of oxygen content of the air to various locations within the body.
One of the oxygen passageways to the lungs is the pharynx (often referred to as the windpipe); its opening is ½ inch in diameter. However, the passageway can be partially blocked by muscle tissue at the entrance to the windpipe. This tissue normally hangs loosely in the pharynx during most hours of the day. During sleep, particularly when one is dozing face up, the tissue can flop downward due to the force of gravity and partially (or totally) block the opening.
The blockage phenomenon also arises because muscle tissues in the uvula at the back of the throat and the entrance to the pharynx can sag under the force of gravity. This effect may be exasperated due to a similar action at the epiglottis.
When blockages occur, the resistance to the flow of air in the passageway increases, which in turn reduces the flow of air to the lungs. This sleeping disorder process has come to be defined as the aforementioned sleep apnea.
There are several possible solutions to sleep apnea.
The first is to sleep on one’s stomach with a prop pillow to support one side of the face. This prop pillow can be similar to a doughnut used by a pregnant woman to relieve pressure from one side of her body. By sleeping on the stomach, the gravitational effect on the trachea and any blockage of the airway will be minimized or eliminated.
The second possible solution is to insert a mouthpiece similar to that of a wrestler or boxer. This mouthpiece forces the mandible jaw to remain in the forward position which keeps the airway open during the course of the night. Your dentist can also provide a soft plastic device that can be custom-fashioned to hold both the jaw and tongue forward during sleep. This solution may cause some discomfort to the patient and is not recommended for all individuals.
Use adhesive plastic strips to hold the nostril (more) open. This solution helps to reduce the resistance of flow to the lungs.
The treatment by somnoplasty, a procedure that employs radio frequency energy to treat the affected area in the air passage. Here, an automated radio frequency control delivers a measured amount of thermal energy to a specific area at the back of the mouth. The process effectively burns off the unwanted fat and / or tissue without damaging the throat lining. Somnoplasty usually takes less than five minutes and can be performed in a doctor’s office.
The fifth solution is a lifestyle change, and only pertains to some sufferers of sleep apnea. Changes that include: eliminating the use of alcohol and other depressants, loss of excess weight, and maintaining regular sleep times. Depressants such as alcohol relax the muscle cells of the trachea, causing them to partially collapse and prohibit the flow of oxygen. Eliminating these drugs can lower the occurrence, or even prevent sleep apnea in some patients. Losing excess weight can lower the risk of sleep apnea because, if the trachea is made up of less fatty cells, it will have less tendency to collapse during sleep. By maintaining regular sleep times, the effects of extreme fatigue on the muscle cells in the trachea can be minimized. Two other lifestyle changes can include: smoking cessation and avoiding unhealthy snacks before sleep.
The new kid on the block (this year) prompted the writing of this article involves using an expensive (relatively speaking) simple strip across the mouth that forces one to breath through the nose. The inventor claims that it will solve the apnea problem.
Well, that is what is out there in terms of solving the apnea problem. What do I recommend, you ask? My solution earlier first employed process (3), which was followed by (2). Both, at best, marginally solved my problem. Process (1), which I first recommended 20 years ago, did the job. It is what I recommend, and don’t tell me you can’t sleep face down! I presently continue to employ (1) and have no plans to visit a sleep apnea doctor; and, I have no plans to use process (6).
I’m now in the last decade before officially becoming a centenarian. A host of people have questioned my secrets on longevity. (Webster simply defines longevity as: “length of life.”) Could it be genes? Maybe. But, then again, maybe not. If not, what then?
Here are my half-dozen keys to longevity. This is followed by a host of other “minor” suggestions that one might consider.
WALK! This is the most important of my 6 keys. Up until this year, I walked a mile at a leisurely pace in the morning (on awakening) and at night (following dinner). It’s now down to the morning walk and a 1/8 to 1/4 mile at night. I also do a few deep knee bends and seven pushups in the morning. I also try to walk 25 to 100 feet several times in between these walks. If you choose to run, don’t run too far, and don’t overexert. The important thing is to get all parts of your body moving without putting any excessive pressure on other parts of your body. Don’t bypass this key; as I indicated above, I believe it is the most important suggestion you will find in this article.
DRINK WATER. Lots of it! Water is the common name for the liquid state of the hydrogen – oxygen compound H2O. It is the major constituent of all living matter. Approximately 75% of the weight of living organisms is water. It plays an important role in the metabolic breakdown of protein and carbohydrates in our system and has been defined by many as the “universal solvent.” Did I say drink lots of it? Well, if you’re not feeling well, I suggest you drink even more of it. I believe that it helps flush out the evil demons within us when ill. Colleague and former student John McConway suggests drinking the water at ambient temperature (no ice) and with a glass (not a bottle) to reduce the resistance to flow. A good idea. Remember, it’s water – not coffee, tea, soda, etc.
DON’T SMOKE, DRINK ALCOHOL OR TAKE DRUGS. I smoked for one year during my mid-twenties. You will be spared of the tales of the effects of smoking on some of my friends. I drank alcoholic beverages for approximately 25 years but haven’t had a drink since 1977. And I don’t miss it. I guess alcohol in moderation would be okay, but given a choice, I wouldn’t drink. As you might suppose, I have never done drugs in any manner or form. I think those that do are playing with fire.
TAKE DEEP BREATHS. I do just this on awakening and prior to going to sleep. Oxygen is the most abundant of all the elements known to man. It composes 23% by weight of the atmosphere, 86% of the oceans (98% of pure water is oxygen); and, as a constituent of most rocks and minerals, 47% of the solid crust of the earth. Oxygen comprises 60% of the human body. It is a constituent of all living tissues; almost all plants and animals, including all humans, require oxygen to maintain life. Oxygen is administered medicinally to patients whose respiratory functioning is impaired and is supplied to individuals in aircraft flying at high altitudes where the concentration of oxygen is insufficient to support the normal respiratory process. I suggest the aforementioned deep breaths be taken through the nose. You might also consider doing it during the middle of the day.
MAKE OTHERS HAPPY. Since the mid-1970s when I survived a fierce battle with depression, I have attempted to make someone happy every day of the year. How, you ask? By saying thank you whenever the occasion arises. By complimenting people. By overtipping the waiter and commenting on the services. By tipping the bus boy. By tipping anybody who has gone out of their way for me, etc., etc. It really is a good feeling.
MAINTAIN TIES WITH IMPORTANT RESOURCES. The resources would, of course, include your physician(s), dentist, psychiatrist, hospital, etc., at the medical level. But also maintain ties and surround yourself with individuals (and things) that are happy, smart, kind, positive, and (most importantly) funny. There are few things that beat a good laugh.
As you might suppose, there are other things that you should consider doing. Some of my other “favorites” are listed below.
Read.
Get educated.
Try writing or painting. I don’t paint. But I did get educated to a point where I have written 117 books…plus nearly 200 articles for my monthly newsletter.
Drive defensively.
Vacation occasionally. A change of pace is good but there is nothing like home.
Slow down and get rid of that protruding belly.
I’ve been successful in minimizing sugar and salt intake.
Expose yourself to extreme temperatures on a regular basis; cold during the winter and heat during the summer.
Stay away from snacks. I guess a small snack on occasion is ok.
Wed later rather than earlier in life. I got lucky. Girls didn’t want to know me. Then – and I still can’t believe it – I hit the jackpot.
Don’t overextend exercising. On the other hand, Mary does just the opposite.
Do puzzles. Newsday provides a crossword puzzle, a Jumble, and 2 crypto quotes.
I’ve been on a diet the last 13 years. It consists of 600 – 800 calories one day per week.
Back to longevity. Lifespan is the length of time that embraces all the events of one’s life, from conception to death. The maximum lifespan for humans has not changed significantly in the last several centuries. The average lifespan, however, has increased greatly for persons living in industrialized countries. The average lifespan has risen from nearly 40 years of age at the end of the 18th century to about twice that age today. And, the average lifespan of American women now exceeds that of American men by approximately seven years. Interestingly, humans have the longest average lifespan of almost all mammals. The longest living animal is the giant tortoise, which is believed to attain a maximum age of about 200 years. Some plants, such as trees, however, live much longer than any animal; redwoods, for example, may live for more than 3000 years!
How about you in the reading audience? Any comments? Any contribution(s)? I’d appreciate some help here.
Note: I will be presenting an encore (by popular request) seminar tutorial on gambling (particularly dice) based on my book Winning at Casinos on February 5 at the Village of East Williston Library, 2 Prospect Street, East Williston, at 7:00pm. Entry is free and refreshments will be served.
NEXT POSTINGS
FEBRUARY 1: On Sleep Apnea III
MARCH 1 : On Purely Chaste, Pristine and Random Thoughts XXXVII
This one is for those in the reading audience who bet on sports. Once again, it’s transition time. It is time to leave a truly exciting baseball season (particularly for Met and Yankee fans) and return to the tainted world of college basketball. Both are important to many of us since sportsbooks have now become front and center for the betting public. For me, it’s DraftKings. For others, it’s FanDuel. In any event, here’s how baseball came down for me and what’s coming up with basketball.
BASEBALL. What a dream season for those of us who are Met fans. It was almost better for the Yankee season (even though they made it to the World Series). But, what about my bets? I probably won a couple of bucks only because of partnerships with two of my dearest friends (who are still around). Mary and I naturally had several bets on the Mets. My key bets were on San Diego and Cleveland. Believe this or not but I had $2 on San Diego to win the National League at 180-1! Ouch! *!@#. Both these two bets lost, although I had a $20 pickup on a Cleveland futures over bet. But, baseball is behind us and it is now time to talk basketball and this season’s basketball bets.
BASKETBALL. As noted last Spring, I caught Connecticut at 40-1 two years in a row. I’m hoping that the 2024-25 season will be another good year.
Keep in mind that there are primarily two types of bets available in sports betting: the point spread and the money line. My recommendation is future bets (that I refer to as seasonal bets). These are bets on a team or individual winning a championship, league, division, award, etc., and the good news is that each of these bets (hopefully) applies over an entire season. In college basketball, it is who is going to win the NCAA Championship or make the Final Four. For example, last year, I had a $2 bet on Yale to make the Final Four at 1000-1, and $5 on North Carolina State to win it all at 50-1. But that was last year. What remains is what do I have for this year?
Here are some of the approximate future odds to win the NCAA Tournament:
UCONN (9-1) KENTUCKY (25-1)
DUKE (10-1) BAYLOR (30-1)
ALABAMA (11-1) INDIANA (45-1)
HOUSTON (14-1) TENNESSEE (50-1)
NORTH CAROLINA (20-1) ILLINOIS (60-1)
Do I have any suggestions? Of course I do! I’ll be putting some money ($2 – $10) on the following teams: Houston, Illinois, and Tennessee (my key).
Whatever you do, if anything – good luck. Kansas (12-1) and Michigan State (55-1) look good, but I can’t bet them since I believe both coaches should be barred by the NCAA. This also hurts: St. Johns will have to be reckoned with this year; but, I hope I’m wrong.
Don’t forget that it is also the season for the NHL, NBA, NFL, and college football. I offer these comments:
NHL: Try the Rangers and Devils to win it all.
NBA: Pass.
NFL: My money is on Baltimore (AFL) and Green Bay (NFL).
College Football: I got in early on Oregon, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
It’s election time. And, I’m not going to tell you whom to vote for.
I have given much thought to the upcoming Presidential election and have reached some conclusions in terms of what direction I would love to see the government head. There are five concerns, and I have detailed them below in terms of five wishes.
Term limits have to be put in place. Everybody, including politicians, claim something has to be done about it. But nobody, including both Democrats and Republicans, have taken action. What we now have is that our elected officials are primarily concerned about getting reelected; governance has taken a back seat to it. In the meantime, elected officials keep becoming multi-millionaires at the taxpayers’ expense.
The policy of obstructionism has to end. Webster defines an obstructionist as, “one who hinders progress, especially one hampering legislation by obstruction.” Nancy Pelosi introduced this when she became Speaker several years ago. It took a while but the Republicans noticed it and so now our government is effectively in a lockdown mode. I feel you really can’t have democracy with the present obstructionists’ activities.
Media bias must end. And, don’t tell me there is no media bias – I read the headlines in The New York Times every day and have seen tapes of CNN and CNBC commentators. I believe that close to 50% of the electorate are not being fully and truthfully informed. Here too, democracy can only exist if the media is fair, balanced, and unbiased.
We need more Americans to think and act like the American of yesteryear, particularly during my childhood days with WW II. I wish more people loved this country as much as I do; it was this country that delivered me from the slums of New York City to where I am today.
We need a national energy policy. There is no comprehensive coordinated national energy policy as of this date. It must be formulated. This policy should stimulate increases in domestic oil and natural gas production by increasing the size of offshore leases as well as the frequency of lease sale, and foster research on alternative energy sources (solar, nuclear, tidal, wind, biofuel, and geothermal energy). It should also coordinate all energy research to take advantage of breakthrough technologies with the end goal of energy independence. In any event, a number of measures must be taken to ensure that when energy problems exist, they will not worsen. To better appraise the magnitude of these measures, one must set short-term and long-term goals. Certainly, nuclear fusion, hydroelectric power, solar energy, and wind energy show promise as potential power sources in the future (with minimum environmental damage).
For me, there are also five critical issues that each voter should consider when attempting to reach a decision on who should lead our country the next four years: immigration, safety, the economy (including inflation), foreign policy (including reducing / eliminating the millions who are suffering / dying due to present wars) and intelligence. Superimposed on the above is the quest for accountability (e.g., FEMA, Secret Service, DOJ, etc.). So, the question becomes: which presidential candidate could best provide the leadership and management skills to serve our country in confronting all of the above concerns?
These are my five wishes and five critical issues dogging me as election day approaches. You, the readers, know who I’ll be voting for President. It will be an individual that will most likely take action on these wishes and issues. You should give some thought to this. But, no matter who wins, I hope some serious consideration will be given to some, if not all, of my election day wishes by our new president. Of course, the magic word at this point in time is hope.
Note: Lots of comments on my earlier “seminar” on dice that was based on my Winning at Casinos book. This one was written by our favorite neighbor laureate:
This 8th edition is a tough one. You are once again asked to provide the correct answer to the following 20 questions. Credit 5 points for each correct answer. A grade of 65 indicates you are brilliant.
What New York mayor in my earlier days died penniless in a poorhouse on the Bowery?
Who gets credit for: “I didn’t lose the gold, I won the silver.”?
What famous boxing arena in the 40’s and 50’s was located on 66th Street and Columbus Avenue in Manhattan?
Manhattan College is located in what borough?
Who was the first woman to swim the English Channel?
What beautiful national park is located in northern Montana?
What company owns the casino / hotel in Monticello in upstate New York?
Explain the difference between a micron and a micrometer.
Who was Don Larson’s opposing pitcher when he threw his now famous World Series no-hitter?
Who was our second President?
Approximately how many books has your favorite author written?
Who said: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but ten echoes are truly endless.”?
What borough was home to the legendary Killeen’s Tavern basketball team of the 1950s and 1960s?
Who do we credit for: “My only concern was to get home after a hard day’s work?”
What thoroughbred racetrack is located adjacent to the New Jersey shore?
Who uttered the phrase: “The hardest years in life are those between 10 and 70.”?
I know I used this before, but it really is a great trivia question. During my formative years, who played for the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Rangers?
Here’s another one that was used before. Who won a gold medal in the Olympics, wrote the second best-selling book of all time, and ran for President of the U.S.?
Who do we credit for: “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you lost a very important part of your life.”?
You want Greek food? What location in the Metropolitan area offers the “best bang for your buck?”
EXTRA CREDIT:
21. Explain A.I. in layman’s terms.
ANSWERS:
Fiorello LaGuardia.
Michelle Kuan at age 17 (figure skating).
St. Nicholas Arena.
It is currently located in the Bronx. It was originally located in Manhattan when it was founded over a century ago. And, was recently renamed Manhattan University.
Getrude Edelle. A neighbor from my earlier days in Hell’s Kitchen. I believe she swam it sometime during the 1930s.
Glacier National Park. Breathtaking. We visited there twice.
Resorts International. It’s a place I visit several times a year. It is the smallest casino I’ve ever been to.
There is no difference. It is one millionth of a meter.
My favorite pitcher of all time – Sal Maglie.
John Quincy Adams.
150. I think the exact number is 152.
Mother Teresa.
Queens. The exact location was Astoria – 24th Street and Ditmars Blvd.
Rosa Parks – who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person in 1955. Bravo Rosa.
Monmouth Park in Long Branch, NJ.
Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind from infancy.
Gladys Gooding. She “played” the organ.
Benjamin Spock, a baby doctor.
Brooke Shields, an actress.
Astoria, Queens. You simply can’t go wrong there.
Full credit. I have no idea but here’s what my 15-year-old grandson gave me. Artificial Intelligence or AI, is a loosely define term describing any computer system which exhibits intelligence. This could be in the form of image detection, chatbots like Open AI’s ChatGPT, or voice-based helpers like Apple’s Siri. AI’s can outperform humans in some tasks like chess, but in many others, like responding to text, are useful primarily because of their speed and low cost per use.” Ouch! Here’s my definition: “A term that has come to mean different things to different people but for me, it’s simply a gigantic computer program that can be employed to solve a near infinite variety of problems.”
Note: The seminar on my new book, Winning at Casinos; The Definitive Guide on Wednesday, September 25th, at the Village of East Williston Library went well and was attended by 25 people. Here is EW Mayor Bonnie Parente’s take on what came down: “The learn how to win at dice presentation tonight was incredibly enjoyable! It took the intimidation factor out of playing craps! This was taught by Lou Theodore and based on his book Winning at Casinos. So glad I went.” Thank you, Mayor.
After the presentation ended, a post-Casino party was hosted by Mary and me at Spuntino’s Restaurant in Williston Park.
Why vertigo?? Some time ago, I got hit with a bad case of vertigo. It was truly a frightening experience. I was rushed to the ER and subjected to a battery of tests before being sent home. I was diagnosed with vertigo and informed not to worry. They added that it might or might not come back and could last a few weeks. I wasn’t too happy with what I was told. Here’s what I cam up with on researching this “disease.”
Vertigo is defined as a sensation of personally spinning around or of seeing nearby objects revolve. It has often been described by such words as tilting, unbalanced, and pulling in one direction. It tends to be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating, hearing loss and/or ringing in the ears. As noted above, the disease generally lasts only short times during which the vertigo is usually brief and intermittent.
The causes of vertigo? Vertigo is often caused by an inner ear problem. Some of the most common causes include:
BPPV. These initials stand for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. BPPV occurs when tiny calcium particles (canaliths) are dislodged from another location and collect in the inner ear. BPPV can occur for no known reason and may be associated with age (Hello!).
Meniere’s disease. This is an inner ear disorder thought to be caused by a buildup of fluid and changing pressure in the ear. It can cause episodes of vertigo along with the aforementioned ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss.
Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis. This is an inner ear problem usually related to infection (usually viral). The infection causes inflammation in the inner ear around nerves that are important for helping the body sense balance. It may also be associated with:
a. Head or neck injury.
b. Brain problems such as stroke or tumor
c. Certain medications that cause ear damage
d. Migraine headaches
The treatment for vertigo? The treatment for vertigo depends on what’s causing it. In many cases, vertigo goes away without any treatment. This is because the brain is able to adapt, at least in part, to any inner ear changes, relying on other mechanisms to maintain balance. Here are some treatment options:
Vestibular rehabilitation. This is a type of physical therapy aimed at helping strengthen the vestibular system. The function of the vestibular system is to send signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity., Vestibular rehab may be recommended if there are recurrent bouts of vertigo; this can help train your other senses to compensate for vertigo.
Canalith repositioning maneuvers. Guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology recommend a series of specific head and body movements. The movements are performed to move any calcium deposits out of the canal into an inner ear chamber so they can be absorbed by the body. This treatment will likely be accompanied by vertigo symptoms during the procedure as the deposits are repositioned. A doctor or physical therapist can provide instructions on these movements. These movements are safe and often effective.
Medicine. In some cases, medication may be given to relieve symptoms such as nausea, or motion sickness associated with vertigo. If vertigo is caused by an infection or inflammation, antibiotics or steroids may reduce swelling and cure infection. Diuretics (water pills) may be prescribed to reduce pressure from fluid buildup.
Surgery. In a few cases, surgery may be needed for vertigo. If vertigo is caused by a more serious underlying problem, such as a tumor or injury to the brain or neck, treatment for those problems may help to alleviate the vertigo.
In discussing my experiences with vertigo with others, I was shocked to find out how many people had similar experiences. I believe it is a commonplace disease.
Note: I will be presenting a seminar tutorial on gambling (particularly dice) Wednesday, September 25 at the Village of East Williston Library, 2 Prospect Street, East Williston, at 7:00 PM. Entry is free and refreshments will be served.
Who was it that said: “The dumbest person I ever met was my father. But when I got older, and had married and had kids, my father suddenly got smarter.” But what about a guy like me? My wife claims I’m both a father (3) and grandfather (3). Maybe the time had come for me to offer some advice to the kids; after all, I’ve been around nearly a century. After some deliberation, I realized it was too late to offer anything to our kids, so I sat the three grandkids down one day and told them about my dozen no-no’s. These no-no’s were very simple grandfatherly suggestions. Their reaction appeared to be positive.
It has been 2 months since our chat and there’s been no feedback. So, I thought I might jot down my suggestions (as best as I can remember) for safe keeping. Here they are with the #1 No-No the most important to observe, and the #12 No-No the least important.
No-No 1: No sexual activity that can result in a pregnancy.
2: No drinking and driving.
3: No drugs. These should only be used for treatment or prevention of disease. Stay away from barbiturates, sedatives, hypnotics, stimulants, hallucinogens, opioids, etc. Shame on Willie Nelson’s attempts to publicize drug use.
4: No carrying of weapons. It was knives, razors, and chains in my day.
5: No drinking to excess. The Queen and I haven’t had a drink in about half century.
6: No smoking (or vaping).
7: No tattoos. Tattooing is a method of “decorating” the skin by inserting colored substances under the surface. This irreversible action is both stupid and insane. I wear no jewelry. If one of my kids came home with a tattoo, it would be a major disappointment.
8: No gambling to excess. This is a tough one for me since I’ve been gambling all my life. The key here is to gamble only with money you can afford to lose.
9: No hard political or religious positions. Sorry, but I can’t help myself here with the former.
10: No shortcutting your education. It is absolutely imperative that you be communicate orally and in writing.
11: No physical or mental abuse of others.
12: No physical altercation(s) with others.
I hope some of the above helps a couple of my readers.
Note: The opening “quote” has been attributed to Mark Twain. However, this has been disputed in recent years.
We’re off again – this time our 34th. Here are over two dozen of my random thoughts that really don’t amount to much.
Thank God I don’t stand alone; I have a host of people to fall back on.
I still maintain that the most corrupt organization known to mankind is the NCAA.
My latest book, Gambling at Casinos: The Definitive Guide, has gotten some decent reviews. I’m really shocked how few people know what’s going on with dice (or what the industry refers to as “craps”).
I have two books in the works – one on hydrogen energy and another on air pollution control equipment. Work on the former has been a nightmare; the latter is a second edition of a 1981 book.
Mary and the family threw a gala bash to celebrate my 90th several months ago. Over 80 attended the festivities.
I got 90 in. Now hoping for another 5 years, but I’m not nearly as optimistic as I was 5 years ago.
I was scheduled to present a paper in Calgary on the air pollution book in late June, but the air fare and hotel rates were prohibitive.
Air travel continues to worsen.
Sports authorities have yet to figure out that defense is the key to winning basketball games.
Sports authorities have yet to figure out the disastrous effects of walks on the results of baseball games.
The geniuses that run NYRA have successfully dismantled Belmont Park – the most beautiful racetrack in the world.
We vacationed at the beautiful Sandcastle Resort in Sarasota, Florida this past Spring. The bad news? Our 46th year stay at the hotel will end, replaced by a high-rise condominium.
Finished reading Willie Nelson’s autobiography. A great read.
The recent eclipse? I stayed up all night to see where the sun went and then it suddenly dawned on me.
The DOJ? For me, it’s become Droves of Jerks or is it Judges? Apologies to my dear FBI hero, Ernie Haridopolos, who is no longer with us.
Seems to me that most doctors attack the effect and not the cause of our problems.
Someone once said: “I want to live my life like a light bulb – burn brightly my entire life, and then suddenly burn out.”
I believe the key to human longevity is walking and drinking water.
My thoughts often return to the first responders during the COVID pandemic.
We face a lot of problems in the future. Hopefully, technology will provide the solution(s).
I still cannot understand the hatred some people have for Trump.
Recently had dinner at the new Greek restaurant Plori in Carle Place. A great experience. I guess it’s the Greek in me since lamb and pastitsio are still my favorites.
Survived the last winter but it gets more difficult with each passing year.
I still diet one day a week.
My two patents on potable water have gone nowhere.
It’s amazing how often the media attempts to rewrite history.
Had the house painted. Ugh. The money and the clutter.
I continue to ask my friends for money instead of taking me out to dinner.
Old age may be closing in around me but I still walk a mile a day, bet horses on a nearly daily basis, write books, write these articles, and dine out on a regular basis.
We love dining out and listening to the music of two bands: Hambones and Hell or High Water.
Traditional gambling generally refers to the wagering of money on a yet-to-be determined event or outcome that may be dependent on either chance or skill, or both. Casino roulette is a game of chance, while poker is primarily a game of skill. Gambling on athletic sporting events, such as football, basketball, baseball, etc., is generally viewed as involving both skill and chance. On to “boxes,” the title of this article, which are strictly a game of chance.
One of the major sports gambling options is to buy a “box” in a uniquely arranged square, usually referred to as the pool. An example of a pool is shown in Figure 1 for a Giant-Jet football game. As can be seen, there are 100 boxes. If each box costs $10, the total cash pool is $1,000. The individual who correctly selects the box with the last digit of the final score for each team takes home the bacon, i.e., wins the $1,000. If the final score is Jets 22/Giants 7, the owner of the shaded box is the winner. Scores, such as Jets 12/Giants 2, or Jets 22/Giants 37, would also serve as winners for that box.
However, employing the format in Figure 1 does not provide each person buying a box with an equal chance of winning. Knowledgeable football fans would immediately realize that the best numbers to select in a football pool are 0 and 7, whereas the worst are 2, 5, and 8; therefore, the arrangement of the boxes as in Figure 1 does not provide each bettor with an equal chance to win. This bias can be removed, and the bet reduced to one solely of chance by assigning the numbers to each team in a random manner after individuals have paid and selected a box. The bias-removing procedure most often used is to write numbers from 0 to 9 (each) on a piece of paper. The 10 pieces of paper are then randomly drawn from a container and sequentially placed along the side of the square – first horizontally and then vertically. The result might look like Figure 2. Had the same box been selected earlier (see Figure 1), the bettor’s last team winning digits would be Giants 2/Jets 0, i.e., 2,0. A final score of Giants 42/Jets 30 would be a winner as would Giants 12/Jets 20.
Figure 2: Sample Betting Box
N E W Y O R K J E T S
N E W
Y O R K
G I A N T S
2
3
0
9
8
1
7
5
6
4
8
0
3
4
6
1
5
2
7
9
Many gambling activities are available and legal in the U.S. However, the above form of gambling is not legal, although it is regularly practiced in private clubs, bars, parties, and homes with $ replaced by peanuts (or the equivalent) to legitimatize the activity. For example, the football boxes became an integral part of an annual party that I hosted at our home for the legendary Astoria Killeen’s Tavern basketball team of yesteryear (see also Basketball Coaching 101 by L. Theodore). One of the keys in this betting venture is to ensure that the individual running the box activity does it in a manner that is fair and that the odds are not heavily weighted in favor of the “concessionaire.” Generally, 5 to 10% of the total pool is considered reasonable compensation or takeout for running this “illegal” business / gambling activity. For whatever it’s worth, there was no takeout at our party, i.e., all of the money was returned to the winner.
The box activity has recently worked its way into other sports venues. And, believe this or not, the box activity is also part (recently) of gambling that takes place with the World Series. It’s just a matter of time before it works its way into all sports venues, and then onto casinos. Once again, it is the last digit of the final score of the game for each team that counts. Thus, the key box numbers for a winning final score of 20-3 is 0, 3.
What prompted the writing of this article? The Boy, the Queen and your favorite author recently shared one $10 box on the recent Superbowl at the Boy’s firehouse with the numbers 5 (KC) and 2 (SF). Remember my earlier comment that 2 and 5 are the worst numbers to draw in a football box investment. However, the final score was 25 (KC) and 22 (SF) and we wound up sharing $350.
In any event, football boxes are now commonplace. Now comes the main theme for this article – my thoughts on boxes for the future on other sports. I believe that boxes will soon be available on both basketball (both pros and college) and baseball (pros). Table 1 below provides my suggestions that includes (a) time interval, and (b) award split, based on a pool of $1,000. TBD refers to To Be Determined.
BASKETS:
BASEBALL:
(I)
(II)
(III)
(IV)
Pros
Colleges
Pros
(a) Quarter
(b) Award
(a) Quarter
(b) Award
(a) Min
(b) Award
(a) Inning
(b) Award
1/4
100
10
200
4th
200
1/2
200
1/2
400
20
2001
6th
200
3/4
200
30
200
8th
200
Final
400
Final
400
Final
400
9th
400
Overtime
TBD
OT
TBD
OT
TBD
Extra
TBD
Table 1: Futuristic Boxes
Note that the awards can be adjusted, e.g., the entire award could be based on the final score.
Note that there are four potential box options: Three (I-III) for basketball and one for baseball (IV). Here are some explanatory details: For (I), if the score after a quarter is 32-20, the winning numbers would be 2-0 with a $200 award. For II, if the halftime score is 48-45, the winning numbers would be 8-5 with a $400 award. For III, if the score after 30 minutes is 66-65, the winning numbers would be 6-5 with a $200 award. For IV, if the runs (R) hits (H) and errors (E) after 6 innings total 11 for one team and 7 for the other team, the winning numbers would be 1-7 with a $200 award. Note that both the quarters, minutes, and RHE can be changed, as well as the award / prize.
Folks, I’m fairly certain that it’s just a matter of time before “boxes” will become part of the betting venue at sportsbooks.
That’s it. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you!
Views from Others
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