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Bingo Feel the rhythm. It builds slowly as the caller announces the numbers and letters: B15, G59, O65... Slowly your card begins to fill in. One square, then another, then another. I21, N32, B13... Will you win this time? You start to sweat. You can feel your blood pressure rising and your heart pounding. I17, O65, G47... You only have two more squares to fill. Now one more square. I30, O64, B2... and somebody else wins. Never mind. The next game is about to start. Web:
Caffeine I can't stand still. All this great information about caffeine, and I have to read, read, read. Right away. Now. Lotsa links and I have to look at them all. Click, click, click. Go faster. I'll go get another Jolt while I'm waiting.... Okay, I'm back. Click on another one. Right away. Cool. All this caffeine stuff. I can't stand still. Web:
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Casino Gambling The gambling (sorry, "gaming") industry spends a lot of effort to make sure your casino experience is as pleasant as possible, considering the fact that you are going to give them a significant amount of money and receive nothing in return. To help in this effort, they provide well-maintained gambling (sorry, "gaming") rooms, an attentive staff, a variety of games, economical hotel accommodations, and special rewards for big spenders. The gambling (sorry, "gaming") industry has a carefully maintained image, but behind the scenes there is a lot more going on than you realize. If you are new to casinos, start by using the Net to learn the basic rules of the games and get some experience. Then check up on what the serious recreational gamblers are discussing and see what comps the various casinos are offering. (A comp is something free given to gamblers, such as a free room or a free meal). I read a message from someone who said, "$2,800 play got me $17 cash back, a $20 comp to their deli, and a free baseball cap." Wow! Who knows? Maybe you'll do even better. Web:
Chocolate While chocolate is not one of the Seven Deadly Sins, it tastes good enough to be. If you are hooked on chocolate, check out these Web sites, if for no other reason than to enjoy the recipes for chocolate desserts. The Usenet discussion groups will give you access to chocolate chat even after all the supermarkets are closed. Web:
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Cigar Smoking Cigar smoking really doesn't have a lot to do with smoking. Cigar smoking is all about image, social bonding and oral gratification. With that in mind, let me help you find what you need on the Net. These Web sites contain information about choosing and smoking cigars, along with explanations of the appropriate cultural accoutrements -- in other words, everything you need to ensure that, as a cigar smoker, you are projecting the proper image and enjoying the right amount of social bonding. For oral gratification, you're on your own. Web:
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Cigarette Smoking You run a lot of serious risks when you smoke regularly. The idea behind these Web sites is that, if you are going to smoke, you should do it well. Moreover, smokers as a whole have need of certain resources that these sites provide: information about particular political issues, places to buy tobacco products, comparisons of various brands of cigarettes, and so on. (Personal note. Having gone to medical school and worked in hospitals, I can tell you categorically: anyone who could see what the end-stage of cigarette smoking looks like would never smoke, even moderately. If you like to smoke, imagine yourself in a hospital room, with a body ravaged by years of tobacco. Just trying to sustain enough breath to walk to the bathroom is a major achievement. Think about what it looks like when a surgeon cuts into your lower jaw and pulls it open in a vain effort to remove the cancer at the back of your throat. I have seen all of this and a lot more. Take my word for it, there are a great many adjectives you can use to describe what happens to a person who smokes for years, but "cool" is not one of them.) Web:
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Drinking Drinking alcohol is the most popular of all the acceptable vices, and the best part is that people have developed so many customs and so much mythology that a person who drinks can say to himself, "I'm doing much more than simply ingesting a drug that will have a particular biochemical effect on my brain cells; I am actually partaking in a highly developed social and gustatory ritual." So let me enhance the experience by showing you where to find information about alcoholic drinks. You'll find more recipes than you can shake several swizzle sticks at in a month of Saturday nights. Web:
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Gambling and Oddsmaking When you are not sitting in a smoke-filled room taking chances with your money, fill your urges with some great gambling and oddsmaking resources on the Net. The Web sites will show you hints and tips about gambling, and in the Usenet groups you can talk about various gambling games. Web:
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Hangovers It's a shame when something that can be fun causes so much misery later. But it's the same with any fun thing -- sex, alcohol, excess food or roller coasters. There is always a risk of ensuing nausea or headache afterward. Don't be alone in your misery. Share stories and sure cures for hangovers. Learn from the people who never let the prospect of pain slow them down. Web:
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Horse Racing And they're off! You feel the adrenaline rush through your veins and into your fast-beating heart. Your pulse quickens and you break out in little beads of perspiration. You clutch the ticket in your fist and hope like heck that your horse comes in first, since you just bet your lunch money. In the whole history of horse racing, there probably was someone, somewhere, who went to the races just to watch the animals run around the track, but for everyone else there is only one important reason to follow this sport: gambling. If you are a horse-racing fan, you can meet up with other fans and discuss strategies and handicapping. When you need hard data, the Web sites contain enough information to choke a horse (not that you ever would, of course). Web:
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Lotteries Why work all your life and feel the satisfaction of successfully making your way in the world when you can buy a lottery ticket and have the chance to win your fortune all at once? Lottery fans, get together and discuss the lotteries on Usenet, or see all the lottery resources that are on the Web, such as number generators, lottery news and helpful software. Web:
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Pipe Smoking You know you are addicted when the sweet, rich scent of pipe tobacco makes you all goose-pimply and gives you urges to dress in velvet smoking jackets. Even if you don't like to smoke a pipe, it's fun to go in those tobacco shops with the rich wood paneling and case after case of sweet-smelling leaves. Web:
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Poker Poker is the most popular card game for gambling in a social setting. Poker is also one of the three most important pastimes that define the essence of masculinity (the other two being watching the Three Stooges and killing spiders). Poker is based on the idea that various combinations of cards are ranked from low to high. At the start of the game, each player is dealt a number of cards. Based on the value of their cards, the players make bets that are put together to form a pot. At the end of the game, the player with the highest hand wins the pot. Although poker has a number of variations, there are two basic forms: draw poker, in which your cards are seen only by you and are hidden from your opponents, and stud poker, in which some of the cards are dealt face up and, hence, are visible to everyone. In the long run, success in poker depends greatly on the odds of getting particular combinations and your ability to understand the related statistics. However, psychology is also significant, as bluffing (betting when you know you have a low hand) and outguessing your opponents are important parts of the game. Web:
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Strip Clubs It's nice when you go to a bar or club and you get the opportunity to see some nice scenery. And it doesn't really have to be anything special like glorious vistas that make you believe there is a God. Just something interesting will do, like a man or woman wearing nothing but strategically placed tassels as they gyrate in the vicinity of your seating area. Fans of strip clubs and exotic dancers discuss the hot clubs, dancers, and places to go when you are looking for a good time. At the Web sites you can browse for strip club reviews or write your own. Web:
Virtual Slot Machines When you can't take the time to hit the slots in Vegas, at least stop on the Web to see if you can hit the jackpot. Start off with a few coins, pull the handle and see if you can win more coins. Web:
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