6700 mile road trip - Trackchampion Handicapping Contests For Horse Bettors

Breakage · 07-20-2008, 07:59 AM

observation number 1.

gambling is incredibly pervasive in the US,
beyond gas and roadside motels,

casinos and racetracks dominate the billboard industry.

some states like Oklahoma now have 86 casinos/racinos open.

there is widespread gambling in the poorest areas like Tunica and on the various indian reservations.

I had not driven across the country in 20+yrs,
the single biggest difference over that period of time is the pervasiveness of the gambling,
even moreso than the pervasiveness of the crass commercialization that finds the same stores/restaurants et al in every single city.

cre8flow · 07-20-2008, 08:04 AM

i saw a tremendous number of

burger kings mccdonalds-tremendous number of fast food restaurants

somebody is eating that food

jimmyb · 07-20-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breakage

observation number 1.

gambling is incredibly pervasive in the US,
beyond gas and roadside motels,

casinos and racetracks dominate the billboard industry.

some states like Oklahoma now have 86 casinos/racinos open.

there is widespread gambling in the poorest areas like Tunica and on the various indian reservations.

I had not driven across the country in 20+yrs,
the single biggest difference over that period of time is the pervasiveness of the gambling,
even moreso than the pervasiveness of the crass commercialization that finds the same stores/restaurants et al in every single city.

It's free enterprise at work as your fond of telling us. Has the trip changed your thinking?

whiteathame · 07-20-2008, 09:39 AM

Why have small or medium-sized towns filled with local, sole- and family-owned businesses and farms that provided a decent living and college for generations?

We can save a buck or two on our purchases by shopping Targets and Walmarts and eating at McDonalds or for real variety the Golden Corral . They pay at least minimum wages (some food service personnel excepted),.... offer guaranteed health care (most employees with families will qualify for Medicaid) and have contributory retirement plans (Social Security) etc.

cre8flow · 07-20-2008, 09:40 AM

called capitalism...

giving tax breaks to the big corporations

whiteathame · 07-20-2008, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cre8flow

called capitalism...

giving tax breaks to the big corporations

Darn it cre8flow, are you criticizing capitalism or are you saying you like government - taxpayer paid - programs such as medicaid, ADC and welfare supplements to take the place of normal wages and employee benefits? If the latter, there's a management spot for you at WalMart!

cre8flow · 07-20-2008, 10:44 AM

capitalism is the best system

but it cant be left alone without some government intervention

when i went to costa rico in 1988 i saw things slightly differently

i came home and proclaimed that

capitalism uses this country-it doesnt care about this country nor does it care about democracy...i got a lot of blank stares

most americans thought that capitalism and democracy and the united states were one and the same

irishnip · 07-20-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breakage

observation number 1.

gambling is incredibly pervasive in the US,
beyond gas and roadside motels,

casinos and racetracks dominate the billboard industry.

some states like Oklahoma now have 86 casinos/racinos open.

there is widespread gambling in the poorest areas like Tunica and on the various indian reservations.

I had not driven across the country in 20+yrs,
the single biggest difference over that period of time is the pervasiveness of the gambling,
even moreso than the pervasiveness of the crass commercialization that finds the same stores/restaurants et al in every single city.

you should have stayed off the interstates and only taken the secondary roads......you never would have seen signs of gambling....they don't have crap tables at mt. rushmore....

StormRiver · 07-20-2008, 10:54 AM

I guess I'm cynical, but I've come to view gambling casinos as a type of poor tax. I know that no one forces anyone to gamble, and to put a couple hundred bucks into the slot machines. But so many of the run of the mill folk at the casinos are poorer folk looking for a jackpot to get out of the hole. Look how they bus in the old people to these places. Although, I've never heard of any old person complaining -- or that they are forced get on that bus.

StormRiver · 07-20-2008, 10:57 AM

In your travels, Break, which state did you like best? Which state or states couldnt you wait to get through.

How are real estate prices west of the Mississippi?

whiteathame · 07-20-2008, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cre8flow

capitalism is the best system

but it cant be left alone without some government intervention

when i went to costa rico in 1988 i saw things slightly differently

i came home and proclaimed that

capitalism uses this country-it doesnt care about this country nor does it care about democracy...i got a lot of blank stares

most americans thought that capitalism and democracy and the united states were one and the same

Keyword in business was "integrity." Once-upon-a-time US business ethic lived it. Now most execs can't spell it. When integrity went away so did effective self-regulation, the actions that business and industry undertook to safeguard the interests of its owners, employees and customers/clients.

In the absence of effective self-regulation, the government will fill the void. What we've got today is government-run capitalism. When a business screams, "get the government off our backs," ask yourself if their directors and management have the integrity look after their owners, employees and customers...the public's interest.

cre8flow · 07-20-2008, 11:22 AM

sounds like its coming from the "those were the good old days" theory

which is hog wash

am sure positive in fact that companies and politicians were the same-if not worse 150 years ago-possibly worse as the liberal press wasnt around

trying to blame people-or government-they are one and the same for the negative side of capitalism

turfnsport · 07-20-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormRiver

In your travels, Break, which state did you like best? Which state or states couldnt you wait to get through.

How are real estate prices west of the Mississippi?

I'd just like to know if Break maxed out his gas card.

Belch One · 07-20-2008, 10:37 PM

It took you a (supposed) 6,700 mile road trip to figure out that gambling has exploded in the US?

jballscalls · 07-23-2008, 05:48 PM

In oregon video poker and lottery machines are in darn near every business. and in montana there were slots everywhere!! we have atleast 80 or more mini casinos in washington and quite a few tribals as well.

whiteathame · 07-23-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cre8flow

sounds like its coming from the "those were the good old days" theory

which is hog wash

am sure positive in fact that companies and politicians were the same-if not worse 150 years ago-possibly worse as the liberal press wasnt around

trying to blame people-or government-they are one and the same for the negative side of capitalism

Comes out of notes from a Harvard Business School course, Leadership and Corporate Accountability (Prof.Thomas Piper), that draws from law, psychology, economics and organizational behavior with the objective to "prepare students for the challenges of leadership in a changing global society."

Breakage must be a Yalie....!

whiteathame · 07-23-2008, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cre8flow

am sure positive in fact that companies and politicians were the same-if not worse 150 years ago-possibly worse as the liberal press wasnt around

trying to blame people-or government-they are one and the same for the negative side of capitalism

...the liberal press wasn't around??? Cre8flow, ever hear of "yellow press"/"yellow journalism?" .... 19th century America could and did express its anger... no requirement for political correctness. Prior to that, there were pamphlets and broadsides, as well. We didn't call folks demanding change or progress "liberals," sometimes "they" were called "radicals," "anarchists," "scum" or "heros," depending on what "they" were espousing and what side you were on. But, "they" have ALWAYS been with us.

People being one and the same as government....for the negative side of capitalism???? Are you suggesting, "corrupt businessmen ARE the defacto government?" I think that was a Marxist argument. Today, there seems to be a clear divergence between the will of the majority and our administration's agenda.

dgba50 · 07-23-2008, 09:38 PM

I find that when traveling in the West casinos provide the best restrooms. Years ago while traveling through the South, nature was calling so I stopped at the Atlanta Greyhound Station, got thrown out because I didn't have a ticket. Would have argued but my business was urgent. Lucky for me Trailways was right next door.

Breakage · 08-19-2008, 08:41 PM

We stopped overnight in the following places:

Quad Cities
Eagle, Colorado
Laughlin
Las Vegas,
Kingman,
Alburquerque,
Hot Springs,
Tunica

Cheapest gas was in the poorest areas.

Worst roads were in Oklahoma,

my favorite state to enter was Virginia,
where they threaten you three times before bothering to welcome you,

1)no radar detectors
2)children must be in child safety seats
3)seatbelts are mandatory

via sign and via the airwaves they threaten confiscation of vehicle.

Breakage · 08-20-2008, 06:27 AM

Spent approx $1100 on gas,

my favorite traveller,

the guy in the mini van with 5 kids who would rather go 85mph than safely move over and let me pass. I felt like grabbiung these people by the throat, reminding them that they have their family on board and they not exactly driving a vehicle congruent with high speed travel.

jimmyb · 08-20-2008, 12:19 PM

WB break.

alysheba88 · 08-20-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belch One

It took you a (supposed) 6,700 mile road trip to figure out that gambling has exploded in the US?

Break- now you know you are really back, lol

Belch- where is the love? Are you so suspcious to think someone would make up a roadtrip?

07-20-2008, 07:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
Breakage Status: Super Horse Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 5,097	6700 mile road trip observation number 1. gambling is incredibly pervasive in the US, beyond gas and roadside motels, casinos and racetracks dominate the billboard industry. some states like Oklahoma now have 86 casinos/racinos open. there is widespread gambling in the poorest areas like Tunica and on the various indian reservations. I had not driven across the country in 20+yrs, the single biggest difference over that period of time is the pervasiveness of the gambling, even moreso than the pervasiveness of the crass commercialization that finds the same stores/restaurants et al in every single city. __________________ "An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather." Washington Irving

07-20-2008, 09:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
whiteathame Status: Grade III Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: 15 minutes from Laurel Posts: 549	Why have small or medium-sized towns filled with local, sole- and family-owned businesses and farms that provided a decent living and college for generations? We can save a buck or two on our purchases by shopping Targets and Walmarts and eating at McDonalds or for real variety the Golden Corral . They pay at least minimum wages (some food service personnel excepted),.... offer guaranteed health care (most employees with families will qualify for Medicaid) and have contributory retirement plans (Social Security) etc. __________________ I love my country but the government scares the hell out of me.

07-20-2008, 10:54 AM	#9 (permalink)
StormRiver Status: Grade II Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,767	Poor Tax? I guess I'm cynical, but I've come to view gambling casinos as a type of poor tax. I know that no one forces anyone to gamble, and to put a couple hundred bucks into the slot machines. But so many of the run of the mill folk at the casinos are poorer folk looking for a jackpot to get out of the hole. Look how they bus in the old people to these places. Although, I've never heard of any old person complaining -- or that they are forced get on that bus. __________________ "We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the late, great, Democratic Sen. from New York

07-20-2008, 10:57 AM	#10 (permalink)
StormRiver Status: Grade II Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,767	In your travels, Break, which state did you like best? Which state or states couldnt you wait to get through. How are real estate prices west of the Mississippi? __________________ "We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the late, great, Democratic Sen. from New York

07-20-2008, 10:37 PM	#14 (permalink)
Belch One Status: Grade II Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: San Ramon, CA Posts: 1,309	It took you a (supposed) 6,700 mile road trip to figure out that gambling has exploded in the US? __________________ "I'm like a lazah, six string-a razah"- Kevin Dubrow(Quiet Riot)

07-20-2008, 08:04 AM	#2 (permalink)
cre8flow Status: Super Horse Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,467	i saw a tremendous number of burger kings mccdonalds-tremendous number of fast food restaurants somebody is eating that food

07-20-2008, 09:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
cre8flow Status: Super Horse Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,467	called capitalism... giving tax breaks to the big corporations

07-20-2008, 10:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
cre8flow Status: Super Horse Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,467	capitalism is the best system but it cant be left alone without some government intervention when i went to costa rico in 1988 i saw things slightly differently i came home and proclaimed that capitalism uses this country-it doesnt care about this country nor does it care about democracy...i got a lot of blank stares most americans thought that capitalism and democracy and the united states were one and the same

07-20-2008, 11:22 AM	#12 (permalink)
cre8flow Status: Super Horse Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,467	sounds like its coming from the "those were the good old days" theory which is hog wash am sure positive in fact that companies and politicians were the same-if not worse 150 years ago-possibly worse as the liberal press wasnt around trying to blame people-or government-they are one and the same for the negative side of capitalism

07-23-2008, 05:48 PM	#15 (permalink)
jballscalls Status: Grade II Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,057	In oregon video poker and lottery machines are in darn near every business. and in montana there were slots everywhere!! we have atleast 80 or more mini casinos in washington and quite a few tribals as well. __________________ Avatar: Which one is Miyadi??

07-23-2008, 09:38 PM	#18 (permalink)
dgba50 Status: Grade III Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Wa. Posts: 742	I find that when traveling in the West casinos provide the best restrooms. Years ago while traveling through the South, nature was calling so I stopped at the Atlanta Greyhound Station, got thrown out because I didn't have a ticket. Would have argued but my business was urgent. Lucky for me Trailways was right next door. __________________ Too many freaks / Not enough circuses.......anonymous

08-19-2008, 08:41 PM	#19 (permalink)
Breakage Status: Super Horse Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 5,097	We stopped overnight in the following places: Quad Cities Eagle, Colorado Laughlin Las Vegas, Kingman, Alburquerque, Hot Springs, Tunica Cheapest gas was in the poorest areas. Worst roads were in Oklahoma, my favorite state to enter was Virginia, where they threaten you three times before bothering to welcome you, 1)no radar detectors 2)children must be in child safety seats 3)seatbelts are mandatory via sign and via the airwaves they threaten confiscation of vehicle. __________________ "An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather." Washington Irving

08-20-2008, 06:27 AM	#20 (permalink)
Breakage Status: Super Horse Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 5,097	Spent approx $1100 on gas, my favorite traveller, the guy in the mini van with 5 kids who would rather go 85mph than safely move over and let me pass. I felt like grabbiung these people by the throat, reminding them that they have their family on board and they not exactly driving a vehicle congruent with high speed travel. __________________ "An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather." Washington Irving

08-20-2008, 12:19 PM	#21 (permalink)
jimmyb Status: Grade II Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Red Sox nation Posts: 1,992	WB break. __________________ Roosevelt proved that a man could be President for life; Gerald Ford proved that anybody could be President; and G.W. Bush proved you don't need to have a President.