Ohio casinos seek new edge

We as people are great. Smoking kills people. Gambling is harmful. So, after a lengthy fight, Ohio has casinos. So, to accommodate those who are killing themselves smoking, an isolated area is set aside, and now they want slot machines in those areas. What about those poor souls who like to play 21 and smoke while doing so, what can they do? WHY NOT just, build a big casino, put a wall down the middle, one side smoking, the other no smoking? Problem .... NO SMOKING in state buildings, a casino is a BIG revenue source for the state ... almost a state building, now what? 

Many people apparently choose to die from Emphysema and broke, with a glove on their right hand. 

CINCINNATI — Ohio’s casinos are planning to ensure gamblers can still feed the slot machines during their smoke breaks.

Major casinos in Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo want to install slot machines in designated smoking areas while keeping their main gambling floors smoke-free. Ohio’s smoking ban has been seen as a competitive advantage to three riverboat casinos in southeast Indiana, where smoking is allowed.

Cincinnati’s downtown casino proposed plans to install about 150 slot machines and other gambling devices on a nearly 10,000-square-foot smoking deck now under construction, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Officials with the Columbus and Toledo casinos are also working on installing slot machines to their smoking decks. Ohio’s smoking ban has been seen as a competitive advantage to three riverboat casinos in southeast Indiana, where smoking is allowed.

Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for Penn National Gaming Inc., which operates the Columbus and Toledo casinos, said that adding smoking areas for gamblers “is a way to meet customer demand.”

Regulators with the Ohio Casino Control Commission said they are reviewing the Cincinnati casino’s proposal and will approve it as long as it meets requirements.

All five of Ohio’s racinos have at least a few slots in smoking areas, but the scope of the Cincinnati casino’s proposed gambling area for smokers is larger than anything currently in the state.

One-third of Ohio casino gambling revenue goes to the state in taxes. The Cincinnati casino could generate an additional $10 million in annual gambling revenue with the added slot machines if they generate the property’s average $175 daily unit revenue.

Butts and cells

There are still way too many smokers out there, with all the information available, how can anyone still smoke?

Yesterday, waiting for my wife to come out at her work, probably twenty or so people exited the building. Some walked to the parking lot to get their vehicle, some had to wait for rides, but they all had one thing in common, they all smoked.

One young girl, waiting for a ride, chain smoked, lit her next with her last, and I watched her for about fifteen minutes.

The hardest part of smoking, for them, was lighting up, with a cell phone in their hand. They all, with the exception of one older man, had cell phones in their hands. Out the door, make a call, after lighting a cigarette.

Essentials for young people now, cigarettes, blue jeans, thongs and cell phones.

I am still in awe of all those young people, applying for jobs, in jeans, t-shirts and thongs, then, getting hired, and going to work in their blue jeans, t-shirts and thongs.

I was taught to shower and clean up just to get a haircut. How things change.

Rauchen verboten!

I thought this was interesting, wonder why it took us so long. The Germans were cautioning their troops, we were giving our troops FREE smokes in their rations, took us a long time to figure it out.

After German doctors became the first to identify the link between smoking and lung cancer, Nazi Germany initiated a strong anti-tobacco movement and led the first public anti-smoking campaign in modern history.

 Anti-tobacco movements grew in many nations from the beginning of the 20th century, but these had little success, except in Germany, where the campaign was supported by the government after the Nazis came to power.

 It was the most powerful anti-smoking movement in the world during the 1930s and early 1940s. The National Socialist leadership condemned smoking and several of them openly criticized tobacco consumption.

Research on smoking and its effects on health thrived under Nazi rule and was the most important of its type at that time.

Adolf Hitler's personal distaste for tobacco and the Nazi reproductive policies were among the motivating factors behind their campaign against smoking, and this campaign was associated with both antisemitism and racism.

The Nazi anti-tobacco campaign included banning smoking in trams, buses and city trains, promoting health education, limiting cigarette rations in the Wehrmacht, organizing medical lectures for soldiers, and raising the tobacco tax.

The National Socialists also imposed restrictions on tobacco advertising and smoking in public spaces, and regulated restaurants and coffeehouses.

Jack Nicklaus played the U.S. Open 44 times, and those 44 appearances were consecutively - without missing a year. Nicklaus first played as a 17-year-old amateur in 1957, and last played at age 60 in 2000. Along the way, Nicklaus won the U.S. Open four times, posted 11 Top 5 finishes, 18 Top 10 finishes and 22 Top 25 finishes - all tournament records Nicklaus holds or shares. He also finished second four times. There has been a documentary on TV recently, which I saw. In it, he relates this story, which I think is really neat. I have always admired him, and often mentioned his name when bringing up "true - professional athletes." That encompasses all aspects, his personal life and his professional live. In my book, there are very few of them. Nicklaus, Palmer, Bobby Orr, John Havlichek, Cal Ripken, Jr., and a  few more. The following adds to his integrity. 

"There was that 4-foot putt on the 17th hole in regulation that he hit firm to eliminate the break, knowing that if he had missed the ball likely would have rolled off the green. On some of the toughest greens in golf, Nicklaus only had one three-putt all week. The olive pants -- his wife called them his ''Army pants'' -- that he liked so much he wore them again in the playoff. And the 18th hole in the playoff, when Palmer picked up Nicklaus' ball, only for USGA Executive Director Joe Dey to run onto the green and remind them it was stroke play and Nicklaus had to finish the hole.

Mostly, though, there was the cigarette.

Nicklaus used to smoke during golf tournaments, as many golfers did in that era, and a turning point in his behavior on the golf course came after that U.S. Open. It became such an important change that Nicklaus still remembers the day - Dec. 8, 1962 - when the USGA shipped him a film of his big win at Oakmont. He watched the key putts and booming drives, his straight left leg and upright posture. What unsettled him was a scene of him setting down a cigarette to tap in a putt during the playoff.

''It was the worst example for youth I can imagine,'' Nicklaus said. ''It was the last time I ever smoked a cigarette on the golf course.''

Greenburg wasn't about to leave that out of his documentary, but he uses it to share Nicklaus' story on what caused him to give up smoking on the golf course, and years later, to give up smoking for good.

''We have Jack telling the story,'' Greenburg said. ''It was a time period where people are just smoking and not thinking about the ramifications. It's interesting that at 22, Jack figured out at that point that it's not the way to act as a role model. When he saw that film, he was taken aback.''

Gone Bananas

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! 
This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. (Watch what the tennis players eat when they are on a break)

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. 

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives..
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey... The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
 Morning sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
    Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips.. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
 Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking and tobacco use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! Here's one more: Want a quick shine on your shoes? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin and rub directly on the shoe. Polish with a dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

I wonder .................

I smoked for many years, and was able to quite only during a period of recuperation when I could not smoke, and have managed to stay away from smoking. There are still times I crave a cigar ...... but I know ...... one puff and I could be hooked again.

Obama has signed the new "smoking" legislation, and that is probably a good thing. Those that voted against the legislation were Republicans who had received a lot of campaign money from the tobacco industry. Money talks.

The middle class and poor, it is said by the politicians, suffer the most from smoking.

In the mext breath, politicians, including Obama say that gamblling hurts the poor and middle class .... but during the campaign, while campaigning in Nevada ...

"Obama is courting union workers at casinos and has calibrated his criticisms to declare Nevada a "model" for properly regulated casino gambling."

So smoking is bad, gambling is bad, unless in Nevada, or was it a campaign gimmick?

I wonder if the Obama campaign received any money from the cigarette industry, or the casinos in Navada ..........