LIFE IS JUST A FANTASY

In a land far away, long before I had the internet, I was playing fantasy sports through what was once known as the U.S. Mail. You'd find the ad to play in what was called a newspaper or magazine, usually sports related. You'd then pick players from a list they had provided, stuffed it an envelope, along with your fee, licked this square paper thingy called a stamp, dropped it in a mailbox, and you were in.

Throughout the season of the particular sport you were playing, you would continue to correspond, make roster changes, add/drop players, etc, via snail mail. Some games even gave you a toll free phone number to call to make such changes, so that you wouldn't have to wait the 3-5 days or so for your changes to take affect. Prizes were given at the end of the season based on how your team did throughout the season. I can even recall a fantasy baseball league I was once in, awarding weekly prizes to the top scorers for that week.

Fantasy sports was born in 1962 when a limited partner of the Oakland Raiders, Bill Winckenbach, invented Fantasy Football. It was an 8 team league called the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL). It wasn't very popular then and it took a very long time to catch on. In fact, it was fantasy baseball that really got the ball rolling with fantasy sports.

Ivan R. Dee, and others, established the Chicago Baseball League in 1978, using players real time stats to accrue points. A year later, Daniel Okrent invented the rotisserie scoring system and Rotisserie Baseball, or Roto, started storming the country. As it became more popular, the ads for Roto baseball started showing up in newspapers and magazines, getting even more people to play. By the 90's, these games started venturing into other sports as well. Again, all of it was done through the mail, or among a group of friends who played together. If the latter, someone (a commissioner) still had to keep track of the stats via the newspaper or magazines like Baseball Weekly.

In 1997, CBS offered a beta version of the 1st fantasy football website, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, fantasy football is so popular that the people who play it may be more into the fantasy aspect than they are the actual games being played. A degenerative few are more into it than real life itself, but that's another story. A serious fantasy player no longer just roots for their home town team to win, they're rooting for multiple players from multiple teams to do well, so that your fantasy teams scores more points. Sometimes you find yourself rooting for a player playing against your home town team.

Fantasy football is so popular that drafting a team that you have to manage for the entire season just wasn't enough. Enter DAILY fantasy sports. Daily fantasy games like FanDuel and DraftKings, allow the fantasy player to draft a different team every single day, or in the case of football, every week. You're not limited to the players you drafted before the season for the entire season. Daily allows you to start over from scratch every week. Unlike your typical fantasy league where if you draft player X, then he's not available for anybody else, daily allows you to draft the same player as anybody else, much like how the mail order games used to work.

These Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) games have exploded onto the scene here in the last 2 to 3 years or so. Actually FanDuel started in 2009. DraftKings, it's biggest competitor, started in 2012. Today, 2015, both companies are each valued at an estimated $1 BILLION, and control 95% of the DFS market. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft even has a stake in DraftKings.

Though fantasy football is as popular as ever, what has caused the explosion of these DFS sites is the money that is being paid out on a weekly, and daily, basis. In the opening week of the 2015 NFL season alone, FanDuel paid out $12 MILLION in prize money, including a contest that paid the top winner $1,000,000. That's right, a FanDuel member with the username jeremybronson became a millionaire on September 14, 2015, winning a FanDuel contest with a $25 entry fee. And this prize money goes out every single week, and in the case of baseball, basketball and other sports that have games every day, that prize money goes out daily.

Unfortunately, because of the times we live in, when there is the kind of money being flung around that these DFS provide, there's always someone somewhere that wants a piece of the action. That someone is usually government.

"Legally", there are only 4 states where you can bet on sports. Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and of course, Nevada. Now, I don't know much about what goes on in the 1st three states listed, but Nevada, of course, is the gambling capital of the world. Las Vegas, in particular, was built on fixed slot machines where very few can win, frowning upon skills, i.e. card counting, simply screwing people out of their money so that these hotel owners can rake in their gozillions. That is perfectly legal. And with the success and popularity of DFS games like FanDuel and DraftKings, Vegas sportsbooks can't be too happy about it. I mean, it has got to be cutting into their sports betting profits, especially when you're not limited to making a bet by actually having to go to Vegas to do it. DFS can be played in the comfort of your home in your Cheetos stained underwear.

The state of Nevada has already raised a big stink about DFS being played in their state and have successfully lobbied a cease and desist order where Nevada residents can NOT play the DFS games. The state of New York is the latest state trying to get these DFS games banned. Their reasoning is that DFS is illegal gambling, that these DFS games are addictive and rob people of their money with these games of chance. Never mind the fact that buying lottery tickets in the state of New York is perfectly fine for these addictive gamblers. The difference of course, is that the state makes money off the lottery. They don't get anything from DFS.

And though DFS is technically gambling, there is a skill involved, or at least a knowledge that allows you to make a much more informed wager. Much like doing your due diligence when picking companies to invest in in the stock market, which, by the way, is also gambling. In DFS, though you do have to pick numbers, in this case players, and hope those players put up the stats you need, it does take some knowledge to improve your chances. For example, the numbers/players have certain values. Player X, say Tom Brady, will carry a certain value over player Y, say Colin Kaepernick. The fantasy player has to weigh that knowledge and determine where his value can be best utilized in relation to the value at other positions. So there is indeed some "skill" involved and it is not a total game a chance like playing the lottery.

In the lottery, all the numbers are the same. Picking the number 7 has no advantage, has no more value over the number 43. Picking numbers for your lottery entry is no different than being blindfolded and throwing darts at a dart board. Yet the lottery, a total game of chance where knowledge and skill make no difference, and people can still blow their paychecks on, is perfectly OK in New York. Never mind the rigged slot machines in "legal" casinos all over the country, ROBBING people blind. That's perfectly legal.

Of course, that's not the REAL issue. The real issue is state's make money off their state lotteries, they don't make money off of FanDuel. FanDuel and DraftKings are going to court to plead their cases and get the cease and desist order removed. Their contention is that their games require a skill to play, or at least to win, and are not solely based on luck like picking lottery numbers is. And since the values of the numbers/players is different for each number/player, their game does not violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which is sketchy at best when it comes to defining games of skill and games of chance. I mean, before DraftKings and FanDuel hit the big time, no one was going after Yahoo's, or anyone elses, thousands of season long fantasy leagues that pay out prizes to league champions, runners-up and so forth. All of that has been OK since the day they went online, and even before that with the mail order games.

I honestly don't see FanDuel and DraftKings having success in court though, unless the state somehow worms their way in to getting a piece of the pie. It's a damn shame that government is just as much of a crook as the guy with a gun at a liquor store. Maybe more so, because they can "legally" get away with it.

In the meantime, fantasy players, some who make a decent living playing these DFS games, some who just hit the big one and are set for life or at least set for retirement or a nice nest egg or whatever the case may be, are facing having that opportunity taken away from them. And if the concern is that it is addictive and people are spending their paychecks on it and losing their cars or homes or whatever the case a degenerate gambler, or one with a legitimate gambling addiction, may have, it doesn't limit that person from spending that paycheck on the state lottery, or throwing that money away in a rigged slot machine in any of the states that now allow casino gambling.

The whole illegal gambling thing is a farce anyway. 46 states have some form of "legal" gambling, whether it be lotteries, casinos or horse racing. 46! New York is included with all of the above. Again, it's all OK as long as the state gets their cut, but that's not the case with DFS, and that's why New York is trying to shut it down.

Hypocrisy up to our necks here. You are allowed to blow all of your money on horses, but you will not be allowed to blow it all on football.

THE PRICE IS "NOT" RIGHT

Whole Foods Market is a supermarket chain that specializes in organic/natural foods. They opened for business in Austin, TX in 1980, and now have 420 locations throughout the U.S. Canada and the U.K.

Because they deal with organic, natural products almost exclusively, their prices are a little higher than your typical grocery store. They make sure the eggs they sell don't come from hens confined to battery cages. Their nutritional screening doesn't allow for foods containing trans fats or artificial coloring. Non-food organic products such as shampoo, soap, etc. are required to contain 95% or more certified organic ingredients. So you can see why the prices at a Whole Foods Market are going to be a little higher.

Questions dot their history about the claims they make of their food and products being of a natural/organic quality. Articles in the Wall Street Journal have claimed that Whole Foods has become more concerned with competing with other big box grocery chains and less about the quality of their products. It wasn't until 2011 that Whole Foods was required to meet the 95% standard of certified organic ingredients in their products they labeled as organic. And they are not without controversy involving business practices, product selection and failure to support farmers and suppliers.

The most recent uproar regarding Whole Foods is a price scam accusation by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. They claim that 8 Whole Foods stores in the NYC area consistently listed improper weights on their pre-packaged foods resulting in overcharged pricing by as little as 80 cents to as much as $15 an item.

After first denying any wrong doing, Whole Foods has just come out and admitted mistakes being made with the way the operation works. They claim, of course, that it was unintentional, that the mistakes sometimes overcharged the consumer and sometimes undercharged them, and attributing it all to human error. The same human error in 8 different stores. And, of course, no one ever stumbles upon this error until someone gets caught.

Now, I can understand human error, it happens. This is what I don't get. When I go to the butcher counter at any grocery store and ask for a pound of shrimp, the butcher fills up a bag with shrimp and sets it on the scale. Most of the time it's not exactly 1 pound, so the butcher will either add a couple of shrimp, take a couple out, or ask me if that's close enough to the pound I wanted. Whether it's a little over or a little under is then my choice. When I give him the OK, the scale prints out a label with the proper weight, that I saw with my own 2 eyes, and the price per pound and total price.

Question - does Whole Foods not have these types of scales?

Umm, this one feels about 1.2 lbs.

Now to be honest, who of us grabs a pre-package of porterhouse steaks and then puts them on the scale to see if the weight matches what's on the label? And I honestly don't know how Whole Foods operates, but I'm assuming they aren't just holding the product in their hands and guessing a weight. If so, I can see where the human error comes into play. But having a scale and missing on the weight, so much so that a product can be $15 over priced, that's not human error, that's highway robbery.

So there's that information for you to do with what you will. And believe me, people are doing just that. Social media gives us all the opportunity to hear what people have to say about anything almost instantly. Or at least as instantly as we click on that medium. And I just don't get "those people" who blindly support Whole Foods because they feel the products are better for them and can't get them anywhere else, or they aren't as easily accessible.

For the sake of this argument, let's just assume that the organic products they sell are what they claim they are, better quality, better for you. With that, I have no qualms about the prices being higher than the Kroger down the street. The higher prices for better quality is fine, but charging $12 a lb. for organic beef is one thing. Charging $12 a lb. and getting well less than a lb. is another. That's disception, dishonesty and flat out stealing.

Human error? The only human error I see is people rationalizing that they're OK with someone stealing from them as long as they still get some sort of benefit from it. Crazy freaking world.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

I haven't been around the blogosphere in a while but I just can't stay locked up in the basement any longer.

Let me preface this by saying that I am happy for ANYONE who has found them a partner that they can be with, love, trust, spend a life with, regardless of your sexual orientation, your religious beliefs or your race. Sincerest congratulations to you because that can be a difficult thing to accomplish....for anybody!

If someone pointed a gun to my head, I would say that I am a non-judgmental person. Stop laughing! Now, that doesn't mean I don't have my judging moments, whether joking around which I've been known to do or telling you that people who text while driving are idiots, for example. I mean, I do have issues with stupidity which is why this blog exists, but when it comes to the things that people do, like how they live their lives, who they like or don't, I really don't give a flying pink rat's ass how they live it, as long as they aren't hurting others. If it works for you, more power to you.

My question is....why is it that whatever lifestyle or religion or what have you, that someone, or a group of someones, chooses in life, they feel the need to conform everyone to their ways or need their acceptance? For example, vegans. If you are a vegan and that's the way you feel is best for YOUR life, why are you protesting at the meat market where I'm trying to buy steak? What is the deal with all the anti-meat propaganda, animal cruelty BS, rallies and protests trying to get EVERYONE to get off the meat wagon and go vegan?

That's my problem with these groups. It's not a problem, to me, that they live their lives like they want to, the problem is them not letting me live mine the way I want to. I'm not at the farmer's market leading a protest against people buying vegetables. If you enjoy eating only vegetables, why is it a concern of yours that people eat meat?

If you are homosexual, that's your business, is how I look at it. I don't care if you like country music, I don't care what you eat, I don't care what car you drive, and I damn sure don't care who you sleep with. And why would I? It's none of my damn business, whether it's Jack and Jill or Adam and Steve. Yet we get bombarded almost daily with gay rights, parades and all that jazz. Why? Why is it these groups feel the need to advertise their sexuality to the world, to try to gain someone elses acceptance? And on top of that, label everyone who disagrees with that lifestyle a homophobe? That isn't any different than those who oppose Obama being labeled racists.

This leads me to the recent Supreme Court decision declaring same-sex marriage legal nationwide. That is fantastic news if you are homosexual. It really is. The problem now is, where do you get married? The Justice of the Peace might be an option, getting an internet ordained minister to perform the ceremony at the beach, lake house or something, and all of that is fine. But what about those that are going to want to get married in a church? You know it's coming.

Now I'm just going to take a stab in the dark and assume no one is going to a mosque for a same-sex marriage, but you just know that people are going to want to get married in a church. And here is what's going to happen. First of all, homosexuality is something the Christian God frowns upon. Couldn't tell you how the Muslim, Hindu or Buddist gods feel about it, but I know the Christian God isn't down with it. So when that Christian minister refuses the same-sex couple, fire and brimstone are sure to follow as it hits the fan and Brainwash Inc (the media) starts doing what they do best - getting everyone into a hate-filled frenzy.

Then here comes the protests and riots and the "I thought Christianity was about love and acceptance and turning the other cheek, blah, blah, blah". Next thing you know, the church probably has to shut down, if it doesn't get burned down first, and the preacher has to move to another state.

Again, if you are homosexual and you want to marry the same-sex, which is now legal, then why do you feel the need to force that on those that don't have your beliefs? You know Christianity doesn't support that, and as I mentioned before, you damn sure aren't going to a mosque, so why even try it? I just don't get why you feel everyone should support what you do. You know the Christian church doesn't support homosexuality, yet if it's the last thing you do, your are going to take that church down if they don't marry you.

I support anyone's decision to live their lives they way they want. That doesn't mean I have to support what that decision is. Again, I'm not going to a vegan restaurant and demanding they serve me ribs. I know they won't so I'm not going there.

And while everyone is celebrating the Supreme Court's decision about same-sex marriage, what is QUIETLY being brushed under the rug is the total disregard for state's rights. Again, I don't care one way or the other about who any one marries, but I DO care about the Constitution of the United States. And here we have a classic example of state's rights being tossed aside.

I know that because of years of media brainwash and their need to keep racism alive, that this will come as a shock to some, but about 150 years ago there was this nasty little war that broke out over - state's rights. Now, I'm in no way, shape, or form saying that the Confederacy is about to make a comeback because of this. I AM saying, however, that there goes one more piece of our freedoms and liberties, that no one is batting an eye about, because they did this in a way to give a group of people what they wanted, get everybody celebrating, blow up the reactions to those opposed and of course, if you do oppose it, then you have phobia issues. Chipping away at our freedoms and liberties one little battle at a time, and by the time everyone is through celebrating those little individual battles, the war on freedom will be over, and we the people, will have lost.

Might be a good time to learn Chinese.

SMILE, YOU'RE ON RED LIGHT CAMERA

The red light cameras are back on here in the nation's 4th largest city. Yes, despite VOTERS shooting red light cameras down in last November's election, the city has turned them back on because a federal judge has ruled that VOTE to be invalid. Never mind what rights are being violated by having the damn things in the 1st place.

Now, there are some out there that don't mind government taking just a little more control of our lives and are actually for these things. They'll play the safety card and go on and on about how they save lives. They'll tell you accidents are down such and such percent in intersections where these cameras are. And there might just be some truth to that. Or, the stats they use could just be unrelated altogether. There hasn't been an accident on the street I live on in 3 years. Last week there were 2 wrecks. Nothing has changed on the street from the previous 3 years, yet accidents are up 200%.

Find just one intersection where these cameras are that shows accidents are down and it's over. The pro-red lighters will use that argument to make you believe that the cameras are working - that they are keeping people from running red lights, which of course, causes all the accidents to begin with. I've got 2 words for these people.

HORSE PUCKEY!!!!!!!!!

In the 4 years that these cameras have been rolling, the City of Houston has collected $44 MILLION in fines!! That comes out to around 800,000 cars NOT stopping on red. And that's just what they've collected. There's reportedly another $20 million in fines, or 270,000 more tickets, that are outstanding. Over 1 million tickets have been issued from these cameras for running a red light. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like these things are making much of a difference at all, other than providing the city an $11 million per year revenue stream. And there lies what it's all about. Money. It always is.

Red light runners suck! No doubt about that. RED MEANS STOP, IDIOT!!!!! But government finding another way to separate you from your money sucks just as bad, if not worse. And then lie to your face about it telling you it's about safety, not money.

I know, I know, if you never run a red light you don't have to worry about it. Fine, soon we'll live in a world that has speeding cameras issuing fines, turn signal cameras, illegal lane changing cameras, people putting on makeup in the car detection cameras. You can't smoke here, you can't use your cellphone there, you can't eat this, you can't buy that, letting them take one little piece of our liberties away at a time until we wake up one day and find we have none left.

Don't believe it? The people VOTED and said NO to the red light cameras. Now voting doesn't even seem to matter.