Vegas Has it Right

Las Vegas has one goal and that is to take as much of our money as possible, right? Yes! And, they are damn good at it, right? Yes! If they weren't, they would not be adding another 40,000 hotel rooms to the damn city. Good for them, that's awesome that they can accomplish their goals like that EVERY DAY!! So, why do I care? Well, I was just there for a few days for a convention. At the same time, the national rodeo championships were in town. Cowboys and cowgirls (man, cowgirls are hot) were all over the place.
However, non-cowboys and girls were all over the place too. AARP members were all over the place, people from my conference were all over the place, old school gamblers were all over the place (especially at the Sahara).
So, why does Vegas have it right? Because they play the odds, duh!! Everywhere you went, cowboys and girls were being catered to. I'm not a cowboy, although at times I wish I were. The craps dealers at the Hilton wearing tight Wranglers and plaid shirts were not for me. The country music being piped into the bathroom at the Sahara was not for me. The coupons I was handed inside of the sports book at the Hilton for rodeo wagers were not for me. Yet, Vegas got it right and always does.
Life is a game of odds, which I've always known, growing up a baseball player and coach. Odds are your friend if you pay attention to them and your enemy if you don't. So, as I sat in the Sahara crapper listening to the country music I thought to myself "I've never heard country played in this casino before" and then it clicked. Even the odds of the subtleties are important to Vegas.
They've got it down pat. But what's amazing is that nobody gives them crap for it. I didn't care that country music, tight wranglers, and rodeo coupons were being imposed upon me. I don't live "cowboy" (although I do enjoy country music) but since I was there, I was being stereotyped as one who does. It's called marketing and marketing (good marketing, at least) is stereotyping the hell out of situations. That's how you get the most bang for your buck.
So, why is it then, that we have to have "holiday" trees and not Christmas trees? Why is it that I'm getting Christmas cards from my friends who I know are Christian that don't say the word "Christmas" on it ANYWHERE? I celebrate Christmas and if you do too, then why aren't you saying "Merry Christmas?" I have Jewish students and they celebrate Hanukkah. When they wish me a "Happy Hanukkah" I appreciate it. It doesn't offend me, it's nice of them to try, they were wrong but they tried.
This carries over into playing the odds in life even when it's not around "The Holidays". If I'm in my car at a stop light in a sketchy area of town and I realize my door is not locked... I'm gonna lock it!! If I've got a player rounding third and the ball is in the left fielder's hand who I know doesn't have a great arm... I'm sending him. If my son asks me why I didn't give the homeless person "any change for some food"... I'm telling him because he'll probably spend it on booze or crack and not food. Will I be right every time? No. Will I be right most of the time? Yes. And as long as Vegas is right most of the time, they get to stay "Vegas"!!!

Thank You Britney

I never thought I'd ever thank BritneySpears. I'm still amazed I'm actually putting it in writing. I was with my family deer hunting this past weekend and we got to talking (about everything) like we do every year. We talked about everything from the Packers, about 5 different times per hour, to blogging.

Anyways, in the midst of all of this, the conversation came to men v. women, the differences, the similarities, the caring each does for each other, etc... We began talking about why "mom" seems to be the default on custody in divorce situations. We discussed why it might be that, in order for a dad to get custody of the child(ren), mom pretty much needs to concede or light up a joint in court.

I don't think anyone will argue the generalization that mom tends to be more caring and nurturing. Yes, the baby also physically spent nine more months with mom than with anyone else, ever. Yes, mom went through pains I could never understand, but pretended to while it was happening because I didn't want to get caught looking at the TV. However, why does it take so much to prove a situation does NOT follow the normal assumptions?

This is NOT Las Vegas, unless you are in Las Vegas in which case you may want to move out for the court procedings. This is also NOT an advertising firm using actuary to work the numbers to their benefit. This is a child (or more) and how they will grow up. Dad is capable of caring, providing and raising successful kids just as well as mom. It may be done differently, but different is not bad. It's just different, at least that's what my kindergarten teacher used to always say to me... hmmm!!

So anyways, I say "Thank You, Britney!!" You have brought "Father's Rights" to a new level that I'm not sure any father could have. You and your fantastic "motherly instincts" have helped the movement for single dad's across the country. As you are going out without your underwear on tonight, more and more dads are able to change their kids' underwear before they put them to bed. Every time you pass out drunk, you allow more dads to pass out from exaustion at the end of a long day of taking care of their children.

Kevin, don't screw this up!!

Blogging Pressure

I really don't understand what's so attractive about blogging. I don't even know how people do it. Do they not have jobs? I can't even find time to bring the three newspapers from my driveway into the house that have accumulated over the past days. It's gotta be jobless people that blog. Is this a substitute for sitting on the curb drinking a tall boy out of a paper bag? If so, then I still don't get it. Why would anyone choose this over that? Whatever, I'm doing this because I'm tired of hearing about it and not knowing what it's like. I have a job and I'm gonna do this anyways.
I think that blogging is like one of those guys on your college campus who stands on the milk crate condemning everyone who is planning on going out drinking that night. Just yelling opinions out there for thousands of people to hear not caring that nobody is listening. And, every once in a while, someone stops (because they accidentally left their house three minutes too early and have time to kill) and actually listens.
Well, this is me yelling on my milk crate with nobody listening. Feel free to yell back, I'm sure you'll want to.