Two examples of problem gambling....

A Baptist pastor who was strongly opposed to gambling felt he should get a personal understanding of why it attracted people, so one day he went to the races.


He was happy to have further reasons for his stance when he saw a priest at the gate to the mounting yard, blessing one of the horses that was preparing for the first race. But he dismay at seeing this horse win the race by a huge margin made him determined to keep his eye on the priest.


Before each race, he watched as the priest went to the mounting yard gate and bless one of the horses, which would then come home a clear winner. And this just kept happening.


"This isn't gambling," the pastor said to himself, "this is a sure thing!" So he went to an ATM, pulled out five hundred dollars and placed it on the horse that he watched the priest blessing just before the last race. At twelve to one odds, he was picturing a few of the little bonuses he could expect to enjoy and pass on to others.


Sure enough, the horse rocketed away from the start, and it was heading into the final turn by the time the rest of the field had surged onto the back straight. But suddenly it threw its legs in the air and dropped dead!


The pastor raced over to the priest and demanded an explanation. "You aren't a Catholic, are you?" asked the priest. "Certainly not!" he replied, "but what's that got to do with it?"


The priest replied: "Any Catholic would know the difference between a blessing and the last rites!"




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During the Great Depression of the 1930's, things were so tight that people were less inclined to head for the races, which made it hard for the jockeys. They were putting in just as much work for smaller returns, so they organised a go-slow one Saturday at Flemington.


It came to a head in the fourth race, where the favourite started at 5/3 and got to the winning post at quarter past four, with the field still so closely-bunched that the judges could only decide the winner by calling for an oil-painting of the finish.




If these insights drop your motivation to tackle your week, remember that you can't fall off the floor.