I was at a conference the other day that focused on problem gambling in kids and old folks. I was struck when the instructor laid out the definition of gambling for us:
 Gambling: The Idea of Being Able to Determine the Outcome of Random Events.
As he went on to talk about some thoroughly uninteresting material, that sentence became lodged in my noggin. And kind of brought home how really all of this is a Gamble. It seems that human kind is on this endless strive to be able to harness unpredictability. Many of our kind are so scared to death of not being able to know what is going to happen next. We place such high esteem in those we think have the ability to peer into the winds of the unknown and pull out the future occurrences. Weathermen, economists, and others of their ilk.Â
 What would happen if mankind could stop looking for what’s next? Do you think we would finally be able to come to some sort of peace? Or would the nagging notion of not knowing come back to haunt?Â
I guess maybe we’re just stuck in this never-ending crap shoot.Â
on this subject, i really can recommend everybody to read “Fooled by Randomness” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. a very interesting guy, a funny prankster and discordian in his behaviour.
(his newer book “The Black Swan” is also a good read, but it treats nearly the same subjects and personally i found Fooled by Randomness more to the point and better to swallow).