Breeding a nation of chronic gamblers.

The "Integrated Resorts" are coming and with them, the temptations of casinos. Many, in the media, seem to look upon this prospect with great anticipation - but shall the opening of grand casinos in Singapore lead to more problems than they are worth?

Yesterday, I saw some evidence that Singapore might be in for troubles it is really unprepared for. I was shopping with my middle son, Fintan, five, in Toys R Us, to get an idea of what he might like for Christmas. While we browsed through the brightly coloured offerings, I noted something unexpected: a toy casino.

I looked on this box with some shock. It contained a roulette wheel and some card based games (the box proclaimed that there were four casino games contained within). What on Earth was a home casino doing in a toy shop?

It seems that either no-one has considered the effect of offering casino toys in a children's shop - or that someone has considered it and thought it a great idea for breeding life's addicted gamblers.

I noted that on the box was a little white sticker which had been affixed, perhaps in Singapore itself (it wasn't part of the box normally) with the symbols: "18+" on it. Now, that seems like nothing more than a cop-out - because how many over 18s (apart from parents) actually shop in Toys R Us? It is primarily a shop for little kids - and the majority of people who would see the casinos on offer would be little kids.

What would happen to any family that bought such a game? Well, two things: the kids would learn how to play casino games - and they would also learn the excitement of gambling. There is also something that they would not learn: that gambling can be very harmful to one's life and well-being, bringing with it, the certainty, in the long-run, of financial ruin. No gambler, apart from those of peculiar gift at card games, perhaps, can ever expect to win, long-term: everyone loses - and the longer you play, the more you will lose.

So, these casino games will breed future gamblers. The kids who have so much fun playing with their "casino" as a child, are very likely to grow up to be adults who think that they are equipped to play in the real casino with their hard-earned salaries. Indeed, if they have a lot of fun at home, playing the casino games, they may even make it a bit of an obsession and become life-long, hardcore gamblers. You see, once the excitement of gambling is felt, by some people, there is no turning back - they are addicted to the thrill of these games. Not everyone is like that. However, if enough young children get to play these casino games, it is certain that many of these natural gambling addicts will encounter the games, and become ensnared on the thrills of gambling. Such children will grow up to be adults with poor life outcomes.

I understand that Singapore's government is anxious to find sources of revenue - but sometimes some sources are just not worth the hassle they will bring.

The advent of the IRs may bring much more than additional tax revenue to the State - it may also lead to many thousands of Singaporeans ruining their lives through the consequences of gambling addiction.

I think casino games should be banned from the shop shelves. No child should be entrained into a world of gambling. There are many more fruitful lessons they could learn, than the excitements of the roulette wheel or the blackjack table. Indeed, it gave me a little shudder to see that casino game on sale in a famous children's toy shop. There seems such cynicism in marketing such a "game" in such a location - for it is sure, given the demographic of people who go to such a store, that the primary people on behalf of whom it is purchased, will be kids a lot younger than 18.

Save the kids: ban the casino games.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it.

Best wishes.

Russia reads of Ainan.

Today, I have learnt that a leading Russian newspaper, Trud, has published an article that refers to Ainan. It used to be the newspaper with the biggest circulation in the world (over 21.5 million according to the Guiness Book of World Records). Now, however its circulation, as of 2007 was 1,580,000.

I have copied the online version of the article below, for I do not know how long the article will be on the website. I understand that it is an abbreviated version of the original article.

My thanks to Dasha Zhurakovskaya, the writer, for taking an interest in Ainan.

ЕСЛИ РЕБЕНОК - ГЕНИЙ
ЧТО ТАКОЕ ГЕНИЙ? МИНИМУМ УСИЛИЙ И МАКСИМУМ РЕЗУЛЬТАТА? МОЖНО ЛИ ВОСПИТАТЬ ГЕНИЯ? "ТРУД-7" РАССКАЗЫВАЕТ ОБ УНИКАЛЬНЫХ СУДЬБАХ ГЕНИАЛЬНЫХ ДЕТЕЙ.
ВОСЬМИЛЕТНИЙ СТУДЕНТ УНИВЕРСИТЕТА

"Сульфаты и щелочи в повседневной жизни" - так звучала тема лекции, которую прочитал в своей школе Айнан Селесте Колей. Тогда ему было 6 лет. Дети с замиранием сердца следили, как таинственным образом меняется цвет в колбе.

Сейчас Айнан Селесте Колей - самый юный студент планеты. Ему 8 лет, а он уже на четвертом курсе Политехнического университета Сингапура.

К трем годам он уже рисовал сложные объекты (до сотни граней). В 6 лет Айнан начал сочинять музыку для фортепьяно. Но именно химия стала для мальчика настоящей страстью.

Больше всего родителей поражает его способность научного предвидения.

- Как-то Айнан поделился своими предположениями, - рассказал отец мальчика Валентин Колей "Труду-7". - Вместо машин следует использовать транспорт, приходящий в движение от световых частиц. Позже я прочитал статью, где рассказывалось о возможности использования микроволновой радиации для запуска ракет.

Но как чувствует себя Айнан, проводя большую часть времени среди людей гораздо старше его? Разве ему не хочется побегать на улице, подраться со сверстниками и попросту похулиганить? Отец уверен, что нет.

- Айнан счастлив среди студентов. Они его понимают. А вот среди сверстников он чужой.

НОВЫЙ ЭЙНШТЕЙН

Сейчас Махмуду Уаилю 9, и он в уме за пару секунд умножает многозначные цифры. В семье Махмуда называют "мистер калькулятор", а местная пресса - не иначе как "египетский Эйнштейн". Египетские ученые измерили степень гениальности мальчишки и были шокированы: его коэффициент интеллекта - 151 пункт. Это выше порога гениальности для взрослых (142 пункта).

- Когда вырасту, буду нобелевским лауреатом по математике, - говорит Махмуд.
Недавно один из частных канадских университетов предложил Махмуду грант на бесплатное обучение. Его родители отказались от заманчивого предложения.

- Способности Махмуда - это дар Аллаха, - объяснил такое решение его отец. - Мы не хотим лишать сына нормального детства. Он ведь в первую очередь ребенок.
ПЕРВЫЙ ПОСЛЕ ДИСНЕЙЛЕНДА

Вы знаете, сколько лет самому молодому сотруднику Microsoft? Арфе Карим Рандхава - 12, при этом в компании она работает уже 3 года.

Арфе было 5, когда она впервые увидела компьютер, а еще через пару лет девочка уже училась в пакистанском Институте прикладных технологий. Через год Арфе предложили сдать экзамены на профессиональную квалификацию компании Microsoft. Девочка получила шанс увидеть Америку.

Арфа познакомилась с Биллом Гейтсом. Первое, что она спросила, - почему в компании не берут на работу детей. А второе - почему среди сотрудников так мало женщин. На что Билл ответил: женщины редко интересуются технологиями, а дети обычно учатся в школе. Арфа не обиделась, а, напротив, решила сделать миллиардеру комплимент:

- Представляете, вы значились в моем списке желаний!
- В списке желаний? - переспросил Гейтс.

- Да. На первом месте - Диснейленд, на втором - вы, - ответила пакистанка. После такого заявления вопрос о ее трудоустройстве был окончательно решен.
КАК ВОСПИТАТЬ ГЕНИЯ?

"Труд-7" поинтересовался у Валентина Колея, что он посоветовал бы в первую очередь родителям необычных детей.

- Мой совет неподготовленным родителям (а к появлению в семье гения нельзя быть готовым) - позволить вашему ребенку вами руководить. Дети сами показывают, что им интересно. Вам же остается только слушать и помогать. Мне повезло: я сам был вундеркиндом и мне легче понять, какой подход нужен. Быть отцом гения - это постоянная интеллектуальная схватка с равным тебе. Мой сын развивается, делает открытия и постоянно задает вопросы. Когда ему было 4, он заставил меня вновь заинтересоваться наукой. Айнан очень восприимчив, он соображает лучше, чем взрослый. Жаль, что министры образования этого не понимают. Чтобы обеспечить моего сына необходимым для исследований оборудованием, нам пришлось полтора года уговаривать чиновников.кем, я отказывалась от выступления.
Жураковская Дарья

A misplaced sense of entitlement.

Courtesy is a two-way thing - but, oddly, many people seem to think of it as one way only: from others, to them.

Last week, I sat on the bus. When I got on, there were still more seats than people, so I sat on the outside of a double seat, with the inner seat left empty (since I don't like to be trapped inside, when I need to leave).

A few stops later, there were more people than seats, so I rose from my seat, and asked all those standing nearby if they would like to sit down. No-one did. Some shook their heads, others just didn't answer me. So I sat down again.

A few stops later, another group of people got on. A Caucasian woman, whose hair was dyed blonde and whose years were a handful more than mine, spoke in an Australian accent: "Can I sit in there?"

"Yes, of course." I answered, and rose to let her in.

She sat in silence. She didn't thank me.

Unperturbed I confided: "I did ask everyone nearby if they wanted to sit, but no-one did."

She looked out of the window, as if I did not exist.

I shut up.

I went into a reverie, to pass the time and find interest in my thoughts.

After a while, a voice penetrated my thoughts: "Would anyone like to give me a seat?"

The voice was strident, insistent and, again, that of an Australian woman.

She spoke awfully near me, so I looked up. There was a dark-haired Australian woman in her thirties looking down on me. At first, I wondered why she did so, but then I saw her bump: she was pregnant.

I was being asked to give up my seat. I looked briefly at the Australian woman next to me, to whom I had already given a seat. She looked away and out of the window, as if I didn't exist.

"Yes, of course." I said - and rose to let her in.

This new, pregnant Australian woman sat in silence. She didn't thank me, either.

Thus, I stood, without a seat, in the aisle, which was quite an accomplishment since ten minutes before I had had two seats all to myself.

Neither woman looked at me. They behaved as if I didn't exist.

I appraised these Australian women, as if for clues as to their surprising rudeness. Both of them expected courtesy from others - indeed, DEMANDED it - but neither of them was prepared to be courteous to others, in response. Both had secured a seat from me - yet neither had thanked me for doing so. I thought this more than a little rude. It seemed ignorant, too.

I still had the tone of voice of the pregnant woman echoing in my mind: it was such a demanding voice, a voice that said: "It is my RIGHT to have a seat! Now MOVE!" The odd thing is, she had never considered that other people have feelings and they, too, are worthy of respect.

Looking back on it, I think that neither Australian woman deserved a seat. The proper response to them, had I had full knowledge of their characters would have been to have said: "No!". I should then have done as they had done: look out of the window as if they did not exist.

Yet, I had not known. I gave both of them the common level of courtesy and helpfulness I give to all people. That is my way. Yet, sometimes, it seems the wrong thing to do - because sometimes that courtesy is punished by those who receive it. I rather wish I had full knowledge of people so I would know to whom to show respect and courtesy and whom to snub.

I learnt something from the encounter, though. I had experienced discourtesy from Singaporeans on many occasions - but this was my first encounter with Australian rudeness. Perhaps discourtesy is not just a local problem, then, but is fast becoming a global one. Either that, or these two ladies have adopted ways that fit in around here, a little too well.

If I had been that pregnant woman, I would have begun my request with a polite: "Excuse me..." and adopted a gentle, enquiring tone, rather than the demanding one that had been hers.

I know that, in general, pregnant women should be given a seat because the extra burden of the baby places a strain on their backs...however, I have just had a funny thought: does a sixty kilo pregnant woman (as I adjudged her to be), find greater difficulty standing for long periods than a 106 kg man (me)? I have nearly double the weight she needs to support, so there could be an argument there that the greater strain would be my own...

I raise the matter above in jest - but it does have a serious point: there may be other people with just as much, or perhaps, more need for a seat than even a pregnant woman. In this light, any pregnant woman should at least say "Thank you." when someone provides them with a seat. After all, someone has elected to give up their own comfort to make them more comfortable.

As for the Australian women: they have succeeded in lowering my expectations of what Australia might be like to visit (I have yet to go). I wonder if they are all as rude, there, as these two were to me?

Share your experiences please.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

Tiarnan's sensitivity to motion.

It is funny, sometimes, what abilities children reveal. Tiarnan, two, has one particular one that makes me laugh.

When my wife and I go out and about, with Tiarnan, we quite often bring a pram, because we would rather not have to carry Tiarnan, when he gets tired. So, we place him in the pram. He always demands that his mummy push him - which she always begins to do. Thus, he settles down, in the pram, face to the front as we push him along.

After a while, though, his mother tends to get tired of pushing and urges me to take over, with a silent hand gesture towards the pram. I duly do so.

However, this is where it gets funny. After a very short while of being pushed by me, Tiarnan will always turn around with the words: "Mummy push!" on his lips. Without being able to see that it is not his mother pushing, he is able to tell, by the style of motion, that it is not her, but me, that does so.

We have tried, on many occasions, to swap who pushes the pram - but it never works. He is always able to spot that it is me, and not his mother, who pushes him.

I didn't know it, but Tiarnan's ability to distinguish us, as pram pushers, shows that we have discernible styles of how we use the pram. What a funny boy.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)