I can't help but wonder

This morning, on the CBC news, it was announced that 87 slot machines were voluntarily removed from some Ontario casinos due to subliminal messages. Ok ... is that an oxymoron? Apparantly, upon reviewing surveilance tapes, it was discovered that the jackpot symbols were being flashed to the slot-players. The timing was only something like 1/5 of a second, but some psychologists believe that the window was open long enough to entice some players to linger longer than they may initially have done.

read the story here

really?

As part of research for this story, CBC News went to several Ontario casinos to videotape about 20 different types of slot machines. There didn't appear to be any symbols flashing — until the video was slowed down. Then it became clear that the three games contained winning jackpot symbols.

Is it just me, or is this reminicent of the whole back-masking scare with Ozzy Osborne and Black Sabboth albums from the 80's? Yep, I tried with some of my friends to listen, and it didn't sound any better backward than it did forward. Oh the joys of a cool basement and a record player on a lazy, hazy day of summer. I also remember doing a search for subliminal messages in my grade 13 English Lit. class. Our teacher gave us each a magazine and asked us to check for any images in ice cubes etc, since alcohol advertisements were particularly suspect. This was the early 90's, and all of us left that class a little bit more "open" to suggestion.

This is not rocket science, people. My husband has had the unfortunate pleasure of working inside of casinos to a certain degree. He needed to make sure that the renovations the company he works for were being done properly ... no need to comment here, by the way, if you think he should not be working for a company that does casino work in the first place ... that decision was made quite a few years ago, thank you ... what he saw was anything but productive and pretty. All around him the faces of the people were drawn and lonely looking; they were in a trance almost, as if they weren't even sure themselves why they were there or what they were doing. Sad.

Charlotte Mason said children needed three things each day, something or someone to love, something to do, and something to think about. What a pity that somewhere along the line, these casino "children" were left to their own devices ... I cannot help but wonder what their day might look like if they had been taught to trust in Someone other than themselves, to give a helping hand, to work hard and for the joy of working, to use their mind to invent or create something outside of themselves, to be needed and counted on. But, I suppose the Province of Ontario is subliminally suggesting they play just one more game ... it helps generate revenue, you know.

so ...what would happen if I took multiplication flashcards and just held them up to the boys for 1/5 of a second ...