commentary by skaff

Casino Gambling

2005-10-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

Casino Gambling

       Casino gambling is a subject that receives mixed opinions. There are some individuals who love it and some who hate it. This dichotomy of feelings occurs in society for many issues. These same attitudes exist when discussing abortion, steroids in sports, movies, unions, and many other controversial topics. Casino gaming is viewed as entertainment. It is not forced upon anyone. Those against the existence of casinos and gaming are opposed citing the potential for an addiction to gambling, an attraction of crime, and other bad influences.

       I find it interesting that movies are produced with a variety of ratings from G to R to pornographic without a movement to eliminate movies. People go to movies for entertainment. Nobody forces them to attend and see the film. Once they see the movie, they love it, hate it, or are indifferent. There is no prohibition on movies because of the possibility that some people may hate it. Some movies may even advance ideas that can addict its audience to smoking, sex without marriage, drugs, and life styles that are not in the mainstream of society.

       The comment in the last paragraph about movies applies to casino gambling. No one forces you to go to a casino. You go for its entertainment value. Just as the movies may result in an addiction to something, the possibility of becoming addicted to gambling exists. However, most people can visit a casino, gamble, and accept the results of winning or losing without being addicted. For casinos with celebrity entertainment such as in Las Vegas, some people go to see the shows and never gamble at all. Winning or losing at casino gaming is like loving or hating a movie. When you enter a casino to gamble, you have no idea if you will leave a winner or loser. If you lose, it is your cost for entertainment. If you hate a movie, you don’t ask to have your money refunded. The casino provides the facility to gamble. They do not force you to gamble.

       Casinos do make a profit. They have a right to make a profit just like any business. If you decide to gamble, you should do your homework and evaluate which games provide less of an advantage for the casino. Read and educate yourself on how to play a casino  game intelligently. Learn about money management techniques. Once you are prepared to play a casino game, your knowledge of the game and money management skills will allow you to have fun, minimize your losses, and sometimes be a winner.

       I have found that casino craps is a game for which the casino advantage is small. I can play craps for a short period of time, enjoy the excitement of the game, and afford myself the possibility to win. My experiences and strategies can be found in my book, Craps 101, which can be found on my website, www.michaelskaffphd.com.

       Casinos provide many jobs and do pay a great amount of taxes to local and state government. They provide another entertainment possibility in addition to the conventional ones. I believe that if you dislike or view casinos as a negative influence in a community, you need not participate in their entertainment. Casinos do not force you or anyone to visit them. However, for people like me who enjoy a casino game, I am provided with the opportunity to play occasional. Since my home area has casinos, the cost to play is minimal, as I need not fly to Atlantic City or Las Vegas to play.

        It is naïve to think that gambling will go away if there were no casinos. I would think that a majority of the population has made a gambling wager of some kind.  There are state lotteries everywhere. When sporting events take place involving football, basketball, or hockey, there is waging taking place between individuals or groups of people. People like to gamble. Casinos just provide another avenue for people who like to gamble.

        Those of us who like to gamble occasionally love the existence of the casino. Casinos are not for everyone. Those who hate them or are opposed to them have a right to their opinion. However, so do those in favor of casinos and casino gambling. As in most controversial discussions, there are no winners or losers. Each side of an issue believes in their position. I see more positives than negatives in casino gambling.

Where Are the Mathematicans and Computer Scientists

2005-09-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

            Where Are the Mathematicians and Computer Scientists?   As another school year begins, I am disturbed by the number of students declaring their major as mathematics or computer science.  The number of these students is decreasing and has been for many years. This observation is not based solely on enrollment and students at my school. Many recent reports seem to indicate this downward trend is happening through out the United States.

            Why is this occurring? Some reports state that there are not enough jobs available for students with degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics. I can understand this lack of jobs for mathematics majors, but not for those in computer science. Well times have changed. Now those corporations who used to hire computer scientists are out sourcing the work. If the quality of the work is good, the corporations can save money since they do not have to pay fringe benefits. A career in computer science was once the premier job to attain. This is no longer the case.

           A degree in mathematics can lead to jobs in teaching, industry, and business. Usually the more applied the degree is the more likely there is a job. For example, having a double major in mathematics and economics or mathematics and biology is more valuable than just having a degree in mathematics. Unfortunately, attaining a bachelors degree may not be adequate for many jobs. A teaching job today may now require a Ph.D. even in high school. The problem becomes that most Ph.D. candidates today are foreign students. We need more American students pursuing advanced degrees.

          With fewer students having mathematical skills, this impacts other fields of study. A student will not go into computer science because it is a science and does require some mathematical competency. Those students wanting a degree related to computers will choose computer information services (CIS) rather than computer science since it requires less mathematical skill.

           I believe we need to encourage more of our students to consider mathematics and computer science as fields of study. If we continue to depend on technical support and knowledge by non Americans, this country will begin to lose whatever technology advantage it has.

2005-08-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

Dr. Skaff is pleased to announce the publication of his new book, Craps 101. If you have trouble understanding the game of craps or have always wanted to learn about this exciting casino game, this is the book for you. Dr. Skaff takes the complex rules, language and mathematics of the game and makes them simple to understand. Using many color photos and the actual table layout, he explains the games's personnel, chips, dice, how to bet and what are good bets. Whether you are a beginner or have played craps for years, you will find this book fun and educational.

The book may be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Borders.com, or by going to the websites www.firstpagepublications.com or michaelskaffphd.com

2005-08-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here is some advice for university freshman and their parents. The beginning of a new school year is about to begin. The transition from high school to college can be traumatic. As a university faculty member for almost 40 years, I believe this transition can be smooth and productive for both the student and parent if certain actions are followed. (1) Students must "grow up" and become responsible adults. (2) There will be time for fun, but the student needs to remember why he/she is in school. Study comes before fun. (3) College is not high school. Different rules apply. (4) Get to know your instructors; know their name, rank, and position. Address them by their appropriate title (such as Professor, Doctor, Mister) . By meeting with the instructor in his office, you show interest (at least it is perceived interest) and the instructor gets to associate a "face" with a "name". (5) Make a point to see your instructor at least once a week in his office. If a borderline decision on a grade must be made by the teacher, those students the teacher "knows" may get the advantage or benefit of the doubt. (6) Be good citizens! Get to class on time, pay attention in class, sit up front (if the choice is yours), wear appropriate clothing, and don't disrupt the class with idle chatter (its rude!!!). If you must talk, do it before or after class. Talking in class should be reserved for answering or posing a question. Good citizenship might be worth at least 10% of the grade for some classes.