“You ever gambled money, Dad?”
That was a question I asked my father as a 12-year-old boy when we were driving down the road. He replied by asking me if I had a dollar bill and if I could show it to him. I peeled one of the three dollar bills I had out of my billfold and held it up. Dad swiped the dollar from my hand, rolled down his car window, and let that dollar bill fly down the highway.
“That’s gambling,” he told me.
I have shared that story many times, including in this column, but it seems quite relevant today as we continue to read about the college gambling probe and the young men from our universities who will most likely lose their college sports eligibility because of their involvement in betting on NCAA sports.
It is truly unfortunate, but these young men knew the rules, and they knew the consequences, so much so that many of them allegedly created false records to avoid the gambling being tracked back to them. Needless to say, it didn’t work.
Some of them may hire skilled lawyers and be able to put this behind them legally, but most won’t. They will simply leave with their heads down and move on to their next venture, most likely without a college education.
There is a huge lesson here not only for those who participate in college athletics but for everyone. Gambling has consequences. When done recreationally, it can provide some fun entertainment. But, as we know, gambling can also be quite addictive for some, and some of those folks are willing to lose everything in their lives for one more bet. It’s sad.
What else is sad is that our society continues to find more and more ways to dangle that gambling carrot in front of a bunch of hungry rabbits who are more than willing to take the bait. Does that push the responsibility or provide an excuse for the action? No. But it should at least make us all do some soul searching on the subject.
That’s gambling.
Have a meaningful Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here. |
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| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines® readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!
Best local martini menu
1. The Stuffed Olive
2. The Lift
3. The Winchester Public House
SEE BEST OF DES MOINES® EVENT PHOTOS HERE... | | | Read More |
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Your Clear Mortgage forecast
A few showers remain possible on a cool and breezy day. Tuesday and Wednesday look great. We heat up for the upcoming weekend.
For help with preapprovals or refinancing, get in touch with Carrie at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$499,999
7409 N.E. 108th Place
Bondurant, IA 50035
Serene and peaceful 1.5 story located at Woodland Lake Estates with association owned lake. Bondurant schools, paved roads, fantastic location! This adorable 4 bedroom 3 bath home is uniquely designed to provide beautiful design and functionality.
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Chantel Boyd enjoys a stop at The Bacon Box at the Iowa State Fair. Photo by Andrew Boyd. |
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Manhattan's average rent passed the $5,500/month level last month. Brooklyn's passed $4,500 and NW Queens $4,300. Even Danny Meyer, probably America's most successful restaurateur, is closing two Manhattan restaurants in August.
With dazzling test results, two new obesity drugs seem likely to come to market soon. Wall Street is already reacting by warning that junk food companies will lose markets. Hostess Brands, Wing Stop, Domino's and Krispy Kreme were all mentioned in that regard by Barron's Roundtable.
Wednesday's I Cubs game will feature coupons for free wings at Jethro's.
Monday is fried chicken dinner night at Price Choppers and prime rib special night at Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave.)
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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FROM KCCI: Police identify man shot and killed by officer in Pleasant Hill
PLEASANT HILL, Iowa — The Pleasant Hill Police Department says officers shot and killed an armed man Saturday afternoon. According to a news release, officers received calls around 1 p.m. about a man firing a gun in the 400 block of Pleasant Circle. Police found the man there still shooting the gun.... READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: Historic Winterset high school transformation to affordable senior living facility making progress
WINTERSET, Iowa — Winterset’s original high school hasn’t hosted a graduation since 1969. The historic building has been used as a middle school and school administration building, but in 2019 everyone moved out and the community feared it would eventually be torn down. ... READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Who keeps the Iowa State Fair animal barns clean?
Lots of Iowans come to the state fair to check out the animals, but have you wondered who's in charge of scooping all the manure? Here's their story. ...READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
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| Personalities | | | Triumph Park celebrates one year
Half a million visitors enjoy park
By Jackie Wilson
After years of planning and construction, Triumph Park is fully open and celebrated one year of recreational activities, with more than 500,000 in park attendance the first year.
Triumph Park, located at 700 N.W. Douglas Parkway, is a 66-acre recreational park located near Waukee’s Northwest High School.
Matt Jermier, Waukee Parks and Recreation director, says the park and its activities have experienced a popular first year.
“We had 5,000 softball and baseball games the first year,” he says.
Triumph Park consists of three components. The first is an accessible fishing pier overlooking an 11-acre pond. The City worked with the DNR, which has stocked the pond twice with trout.
Read more in the July issue of Waukee Living magazine |
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| Birthdays and notables! | | | Happy Belated Birthday to those who celebrated over the weekend: Michael Wunn on Saturday and Geno Nelsen and Joseph Thatcher Sunday!
These celebrities were born on this date: Halle Berry, Steve Martin, Mila Kunis, Magic Johnson, Marcia Gay Harden, Susan Olsen, David Crosby, Tim Tebow, Catherine Bell, Antonio Fargas, Lamorne Morris, Jackée Harry, Gary Larson
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
What do you call a group of angry drivers in an Egyptian traffic jam? TOOTIN'-CAR-MEN
Today's riddle
How do you know when a chemist has fallen asleep?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in this daily newsletter, contact Jolene Goodman at jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com, or call 515-953-4822 ext. 319.
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