Online gambling: Could you lose everything?

Many people are able to gamble on the odd occasion and leave it at that. Many others get hooked soon after they start - perhaps follows a big win or a series of wins.

If your attempts at gambling have always resulted in losing on experiencing only the occasional small win, then you are unlikely to continue. It is possible to win large amounts of money gambling and this is primarily where gambling becomes dangerous.

Bob (not his real name) walked into a casino for the first time in his life with $200. He played blackjack. He could do nothing wrong and within a few hours had accumulated $20,000.

He was back the next day to win more. Soon the winnings were gone, and he began betting more and more to recoup his losses. He lived at the casino for the next week. Having lost all of his own money, he turned to his father for help. This also ended up at the casino. Bob came from a gambling family. His uncle had lost his entire fortune, his home, his wife and his family. Bob's father recognised the signs and took action.

When on-line gambling becomes compulsive all the same dangers are present. Gambling becomes the primary focus of life. Everything else takes second place.

In the early stages, a gambler is able to win and cash in the money. It doesn't take long before the gambler continues until he has no more access to money. Having lost his entire salary in one sitting, the gambler becomes desperate. He seeks out loans from near and far. These loans are intended to cover the shortfall in living expenses. Instead they are used for gambling.

Home loan and car finance repayments are left unpaid. The gambler desperately tries to avoid creditors. Many have lost everything to gambling. Cars, homes, inheritances are all prey to gambling. Loans from loan sharps lead to worse problems. Some end up homeless.

Many gamblers do lose everything. Most do not recognise that they have a problem until the damage done is irreversible. If you suspect that you are a compulsive gambler, then seek help now.

Surviving the workplace

Do you hate your job? Are you finding it more and more difficult to survive in the work environment? No matter what you feel about how you earn a living, remeber that surviving the workplace the workplace means going along with a few simple rules.

Close your eyes for a moment and picture your favourite performer throwing a tantrum on-stage. A dancer performing with a long face.

"Sorry, I don't really feel that great today - can't do this. Try me again tomorrow". Entertainers always appear to be on top of things. The crisis at home, the near bankruptcy or the looming divorce don't come into the picture.

We may not all be entertainers, but every job has a public and professional side to it. From the time that you arrive at work until the time you leave, present yourself in a professional way both to your colleagues and to your customers. Whatever it is that you do, make sure that you do a professional job of it. The workplace is not a place for unprofessional behaviour or shoddy work.

Think about the professionals that you see from time to time. If your doctor cannot perform an examination because of her fight with the spouse last night, you will soon be making your way to another practice. We expect consistency from the people that we deal with, so this is something that we have to achieve for ourselves.

Of course what you do will influence what you have to do to ensure survival. A few simple rules can be applied to almost any work situation. Remember that your work is your stage. You can do as you please in your free time, but while at work you have to present a professional image. Find out the rules of engagement. Bend them if you must, but keep within the fold.

Dress appropriately for the job. Groom yourself. Appearance creates a first impression and a last impression. Arriving at work looking scruffy and disheveled can help you to score negative points very quickly. Rather dress ahead of the minimum dress code than below.

Learn how to separate your private and professional lives. This may seem artificial to some, but is crucial to surviving in the workplace jungle. Your personal problems belong at home. You cannot deal with them properly while at work. If you have a real crisis, a death in the family or anything that is likely to affect your ability to do your work then take time off. Cancel the concert if your voice is lost. Remember, some things are more important than work and staying away is the best way to deal with them.

Project yourself in a warm and friendly manner. This helps to get people on your side. A friendly smile makes people feel comfortable and at ease. Of course if you work at a cemetery, different rules may apply.

Be ready early. Arrive a few minutes before the starting time. Make sure that you are fresh and ready for the day. Punctuality and being prepared not only create a good impression, but help you to stay in control. Walking into a meeting ten minutes late puts you at a real disadvantage.

There are times when problems will arise. When dealing with conflict or difficult situations try to give yourself enough time to make a considered statement. Try to delay your response rather than act in the heat of the moment. Think before you talk! Sometimes we are confronted with short-tempered irrational people. If one of these is your boss, try to remove yourself for as long as possible before responding. Time cools people down and make the situation more manageable. There are also times when the best route to follow is the formal grievance procedure.

Finding time to relax and enjoy yourself in your free time is very important. Looking after your personal life will help you to look after your life at work.

Always remember that your work is your stage, and that every performance must be professional.

Songs with great opening lines

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe

Lennon, McCartney - Across the Universe. The Beatles provide a prime example of how the opening words of a song can help to capture our attention. Across the Universe illustrates something about us that many are unable to change. Whatever is happening elsewhere "nothing's gonna change my world".

It is often the opening lines of a song that grab our attention and define the music.

Rock and roll had not been famous for great lyrics. It was the rhythm, the beat that was all important. But all this was about to change.

As the "underground" flower power movement gathered strength, so the music and songs of the era grew in stature. The hippie culture was not just about drugs, but about expanding consciousness and awareness, seeking solutions to world issues from war to love to pollution. While there was always room for silly love songs, songwriters explored a range of issues, some political, many relating to the human condition. The words were no longer secondary to the beat but often reached the highest literary standards. Bob Dylan exemplified this in his use of words. The Times They are a Changing is an early example of Dylan's exploration of language:

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a changing

The opening lines of Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone again illustrate the skilled use of words to express a personal view:

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, beware doll, you're bound to fall
You thought they were all kiddin' you

Consider the opening lines of Just Life a Woman:

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Everybody knows
That baby's got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have fallen from her curls.

Bob Dylan's early works were often concerned with real political issues. The opening lines of Only a Pawn in their Game are an excellent example of powerful words to describe a social issue:

A bullet from the back of a bush took Medgar Evers' blood
A finger fired the trigger to his name
A handle hid out in the dark
A hand set the spark
Two eyes took the aim

Behind a man's brain
But he can't be blamed
He's only a pawn in their game.

Dylan's lyrics became more abstract - perhaps even obscure - as the sixties took their toll, but he returned to similar themes when confronted with injustice during the seventies. Hurricane is a prime example:

Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter patty valentine from the upper hall.
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood,
Cries out, my god, they killed them all!

As Dylan became more and more influential in the music of the day, song lyrics gained in importance. The stars of the day were inspired to stretch themselves to explore the human experience, thoughts and emotions. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones became primary examples of this.

The Rolling Stones' Jumping Jack Flash (Jagger, Richards)

opens with the words

I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain,
But it's all right now, in fact, its a gas!
But it's all right. I'm jumpin' jack flash,
It's a gas! gas! gas!

Dramatic and visual, the words catch the listener's immediate attention. Jagger and Richards used a similar approach in Sympathy with the Devil:

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith

A song tells a story. Describing the hippie dream, Ruby Tuesday opens with:

She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows
She comes and goes

The Beatles' landmark album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ended with a powerful song A Day in the Life. Over the years, the song's words have be interpreted and re-interpreted.

I read the news today oh, boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

The sixties was a time when music became a means of expression. Singer-songwriters became true poets. None less so than Leonard Cohen:

Like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.

Like Dylan, Cohen's work focuses on the human condition. Using a narrative format, The Partisan describes the life of a partisan during the Second World War. The song brings the experience close to us.

When they poured across the border
I was cautioned to surrender,
this I could not do;
I took my gun and vanished.
I have changed my name so often,
I've lost my wife and children
but I have many friends,
and some of them are with me.

Pop music is not generally known for great lyrics, but these examples provide evidence that the medium can lend itself to some very profound and meaningful thoughts, ideas and true literary genius.

Top 10 albums of all time and what makes them the best

The choice of the top ten albums of all-time is something that is very personal to each of us. A survey of a nation or listeners of a radio station would probably return a result as they do for the best all time song. The best song of all time varies from one year to the next, even though it is often a very old song from years gone by. My choice of the top ten albums has to be personal and as such is very much influenced by my age and the era in which I grew up.

The first album that I ever purchased as a teenager was The Beatles' Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. I first heard the album while living in Israel. The radio station did something that must have been a first - they played the entire album from beginning to end without a single interruption. Only at the end did I hear that this was the Beatles, but the music kept me listening throughout. The variety of songs, the depth and the magic captured my imagination for me and for an entire generation. The Beatles adventure in psychedelia was unpretentious - producing a range of quality and thought provoking songs including classics and masterpieces such as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, A Day in the Life and A little Help from my Friends.

The Rolling Stones followed with their own rather satirical version of psychedelic music - Their Satanic Majesties Request - but apart from two or three good songs the album failed to impress. To all intents and purposes it was a flop. But we were in for a major surprise. Beggar's Banquet was released in 1969. The Stones had returned to their roots. There was no pretentiousness here - just a collection of outstanding songs that never fail to impress. The songs included the thought provoking Sympathy for the Devil, Prodigal Son, and Street Fighting Man. Mick Jagger's lyrics excelled and Keith Richards's music was as good as it gets. For me this was their best ever album both in terms of the quality of the music and the depth of the lyrics.

Bob Dylan's music is of supreme importance for the era. Here the choice is not so easy. Perhaps The Times They are A-changing, or Blonde on Blonde? In the Seventies Bob Dylan produced three outstanding albums - Blood on the Tracks, Desire and Street Legal. A difficult choice, but with songs like Hurricane, Sarah, One more cup of Coffee - my choice has to be Desire. Dylan's recent Modern Times was a disappointment to me - the songs are drab and lack the colour of his earlier work.

Pink Floyd produced a whole range of outstanding music over the years. Many of the younger generation still listen to much of their music. What characterises Pink Floyd is a high level of musical variety, complexity and sheer musical pleasure. Atom Heart Mother is perhaps not one of the general public's all time favourites, but for many years it was mine. Maybe because I was there when they played (and recorded it) live at a free concert in Hyde Park in 1968. The Wall is another masterpiece full of interesting pieces. But perhaps my all time favourite Pink Floyd album is Wish You were Here featuring such classics as Shine on You Crazy Diamond and of course the title track Wish You Were Here.

A little further off the beaten track is Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. This was a band headed up by the so-called Don van Vliet. Although he achieved high acclaim in certain circles, this avant-garde music never became main-stream and retained its minority alternative audience. Trout Mask Replica has been highly acclaimed as the band's best ever, but my favourite is still Safe as Milk - the debut album. Something about the album has strong appeal and it is somewhat more accessible than the later efforts.

Tom Waits' music is sometime interesting, sometimes irritating, but Nighthawks at the Diner achieves a standard bordering on brilliance. Believe it or not, Waits' music is said to be derivative of Captain Beefheart. If you listen to both you'll find out why.

Moving to the music to today Amy Winehouse is a rare talent. I know that there are many bands producing music, some to a high standard. The Kaiser Chiefs are an example of a band producing original music. Amy Winehouse is somewhat evocative of Janis Joplin - though more in terms of her lifestyle choices than in the way she sings. Amy Winehouse is able to deliver quality songs in the jazz, blues and rock tradition. She sings from the heart, and my nomination is Back to Black. Every song on the album is a winner, which reminds me of the days when I bought many an album for one great song only to be disappointed by the remainder.

In the real of Jazz there are thousands of albums that I rate very highly. Amongst the artists that come to mind are Chick Corea, Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Earl Klugh, Billie Holliday the list is endless. All have produced outstanding music. Perhaps my favourite is Miles Davis Kind of Blue released in 1959. To me the album is deeply relaxing and the Flamenco Sketches are nothing less than a perfect blending of jazz and Spanish music something that Chick Corea was to emulate much later. Many of the jazz greats began life in Miles Davis' bands his talent is not to be underestimated.

Of course the old masters should not - cannot - be ignored. Beethoven produced some of the deepest and most memorable music that the world has known. His final symphony was composed when Beethoven was already deaf. He could not hear the applause of the audience when the 9th symphony premiered to a standing ovation. The best recording that I have of this piece is Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. The music does not age.

As for number ten a very difficult choice indeed. Is it possible to compress all the world's most wonderful music onto one CD? There is so much choice that the task becomes almost impossible. Sarit Hadad is one of Israel's premier singers. She represented Israel in the Eurovision song contest some years ago. Perhaps it is necessary to understand the language to really enjoy the songs. Favourite albums would include Shalom Chaver and Kmo Cindarella. Sarit Hadad's repertoire includes mainstream Israeli rock and pop, Mizrachi (eastern) music, Greek and Arabic. The song Shalom Chaver echoes the words of Bill Clinton words at Yitzchak Rabin's funeral and the song remains deeply moving.

These are ten albums that I could live with on a desert island for a number of years. They reflect my age and culture, my personal preferences and taste. They tell you a little about where I've been and perhaps where I'm going. But the top ten all time greatest albums? It's just not possible.

What causes compulsive gambling?

Compulsive gambling is generally seen as an addiction. There are a whole range of explanations of the causes.

One possible explanation can be derived from Skinner's concept of operant conditioning. In his experiments Skinner discovered that intermittent positive reinforcement produced the most long term or permanent results. The principle works as follows. A pigeon (for instance) is given a choice of several buttons to peck. If it pecks the correct button, it gets some food. If the reward happens every time, then once the reward stops so does the corresponding behaviour. However, when the reward happens some of the time but not always, then long-term behavioural changes occur.

Similar results have been demonstrated with people, and gambling fits remarkably well into this model. Translate this to a slot machine.

Scene 1: John's first attempt results in a win. Each successive spin produces another win. Then the winning stops. No more slot machine.

Scene 2: Joanne walks into a casino for the first time. She puts $100 into a 50c slot machine. 200 spins later, she hasn't had a single win. She is unlikely to play again.

Scene 3: Jennifer puts $20 into a slot machine. The first three spins are losers, but the fourth spin results in a $100 win. She wins again on the fifth spin, but loses a string of spins after this. As the money is about to run out, Jennifer wins $2500. She cashes in the winnings and goes home. But she will be back!

There are other ways to explain the causes of compulsive gambling. A popular theory is that of the addictive personality.

The concept of the addictive personality' is well established in the common psyche. How often do we hear the term 'addictive personality' bandied about? Many use the term to describe either themselves or others. But is there any scientific basis to this understanding of addiction?

According to the addictive personality theory, it is the individual that is prone to addiction rather than exposure to addictive substances or activities. A person becomes an addict because of certain in-born personality traits. In other words, the addictive personality is part of the person's genetic makeup. The object of the addiction is not important - the addictive personality will attach the addictive behaviour to heroin, alcohol, gambling, food, sex or computer games. By the same token, all smokers share an addictive personality.

This approach has received varied levels of support since its origin in the 1930s. A variety of psychological studies have been taken place over the years in attempts to identify personality traits responsible for addictive behaviour. In general, there has been very little in the way of empirical support for the theory. But it must be pointed out that many of those involved in the addiction rehabilitation business have identified a strong personality component in addiction through their own experience and observation.

Following his research in 1983 Alan R. Lang identified several ''significant personality factors'' that can contribute to addiction:

• Impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, an antisocial personality and a disposition toward sensation seeking.
• A high value on nonconformity combined with a weak commitment to the goals for achievement valued by the society.
• A sense of social alienation and a general tolerance for deviance.
• A sense of heightened stress.

However, Lang concluded that ''there is no single, unique personality entity that is a necessary and sufficient condition for substance use."

An interesting study by Hermano Tavares of the Impulse Control Disorder Unit at the University of So Paulo in Brazil focussed on compulsive gamblers and alcoholics. Tavares found that while "both alcohol and gambling craving were directly related to clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, and inversely related to length of abstinence. Our study suggests that people turn to either alcohol or gambling for different reasons."

Peele rejects the model of addiction dominated by personality citing "the radical transformations out of addiction for individuals who leave their 'burdensome' realities behind, as when they depart Vietnam" as evidence. While a person may become an addict under certain specific circumstances, this can change dramatically following a change in the environment. His view is that addiction is a social-psychological phenomenon in which personality plays a part.

Most experts on addiction do agree that there is a personality component to addiction, but the evidence for an addictive personality' or addictive genes is not there.

Understanding the difference between marketing and sales

Marketing and sales are close relatives. Marketing sets the scene. Sales finish the job. When all else is said and done, marketing is part of the sales process. Sales is the end result of marketing.

In a game of soccer, the defenders fend of the opposition and pass the ball through to mid-field. The mid-field set the scene for the forwards to take the game forward and score goals. Without goals the mid-field efforts come to nothing. Without the mid-field the chance of scoring goals is close to nil.

A business must conduct research and development to stay ahead of the competition. Marketing must introduce the product to the market. Highlight the good points. Create a sales strategy. When the sales team take over, the scene is set to make the sales. It is now up to them to score the goals.

McCarthy defined the well known four-legged "marketing-mix". The Four Ps Product, Pricing, Promotion and Positioning.

Product everything from the design and development of the product range to testing ideas and evaluating the potential profitability of the product. The process includes market research and using any feedback received from the sales force to improve the product or product range.

Pricing a pricing strategy must be set to achieve sales objectives, to achieve profitability and to define the place in the market. Do you aim to be a price leader or an exclusive supplier? High turnover of high margins?

Promotion the strategy relating to the advertising of the goods and services. Promotion includes the establishment of a brand and spreading information about the product or company. Advertising may include media campaigns and in-store promotions. Others may focus on spreading the message through networks or word of mouth. A really great restaurant never needs to advertise, but what would happen to Coke without it?

Positioning includes the distribution and sales channels, the market segment to be targeted. A Private Bank may target only "high net-worth" individuals, while a commercial bank aims at volume. A shampoo manufacturer may allow the products to be sold only through hairdressers while another product is available at every supermarket.

The mid-field have done their job and the scene is set for the forwards to score goals. It is now up to the sales-force to clinch the deals. The job of sales is generally face-to-face. Marketing at the individual level. The company and products are already known thanks to the marketing effort. Sales must identify customers and close deals. Customer responses should be recorded and fed back to marketing.

Although closely related, the activities of marketing and sales are different. Marketing focuses on the sales environment. Sales actually move the product.

How to spot an online dating site scam

The online dating industry has become big business. A huge range of sites are available providing online dating services. These sites have become an acceptable and means for people to seek out their ideal match. But the industry is prone to abuse, and although the online dating companies do what they can to detect scammers in our midst, inevitably some fall through the net.

Online dating scammers are on the sites for one reason only. They are there to try to get your money. You will never meet them and once your money is gone there is very little hope of recovering it. Online dating scammers can operate from any country. Amongst the more common ones are those operating from Russia and Ghana.

They join the services and post a picture of a beautiful girl. The picture itself is almost too good to be true. The photographs look professional and the subject could well be a professional model. The word Love appears as part of the username.

The scammer claims to be looking for long term relationships and marriage. The ideal match requirements are typically left wide open - any age, any nationality and so on. She doesn't really care. She adds dozens of men on the site as favourites and waits for one of them to buy her a gift subscription. With a free subscription in her hand she then proceeds to send emotive messages to every man.

Many unsuspecting men respond - not only is she very beautiful, but she seems to be genuinely interested in meeting and furthering the relationship. She is prepared to travel from Russia or Ghana to meet - but has no money. She needs $10,000 to relocate and meet the victim.

There have been a number of cases where sums of money have been paid over to scammers. At this point all communication ends. The profile disappears from the site and all further attempts to make contact are in vain.

The best way to avoid a situation such as this is awareness. A profile with a stunning picture but very little in the way of information is cause for suspicion. Is a real woman likely to be happy with anyone from age 25 to 80? She has fallen in love with you after seeing your profile and would like to travel across the world to marry you. Take a reality check. She knows nothing about you or you about her. Can such a stunning woman really be so desperate? Be very suspicious is she asks for money. Genuine people don't do this except in very rare situations.

Remember that the wonderful woman that has attracted you and seems to be determined to join you as a life partner doesn't really exist. She is the creation of an organisation that makes its money from scamming. Once you have parted with your money she will disappear only to be replaced by another photographs and a brand new userid.

Be aware of the risks and avoid these scams.