Man loses life savings on New Hampshire carnival game trying to win Xbox

rollergator said:

In the end, he's selling the banana and getting back his 2600 *plus* he gets an Xbox.

....and we wonder why people don't learn from their mistakes?

Yeah, now he can go back and try to win TWO bananas....

If this story were a cocktail, it would be made with equal parts of stupid and shady.

...and garnished with a slice of banana.

LostKause said: Taking advantage of stupid people through deception is a pretty nasty way to make a living.

Have you forgotten what country we live in?

LostKause said:

Taking advantage of stupid people through deception is a pretty nasty way to make a living.

I see it as a modern version of natural selection. We don't live in a world where the strong survive anymore. We live in one where the smart survive.

If you're dumb and I can use that to my advantage, I'm gonna. No reservations.

It's pretty much how things work anyway. Why aren't we all Bill Gates or Donald Trump or anyone with a gazillion dollars? Because those people were smarter than us. If it was anything else, we'd just do what they did and have all that money too. They get the money because they were smart.

Gates might be smarter, and rich because of it, but Trump's wealth has little to do with his intelligence. Motivation has a significant impact as well. That's why Gates is trying to better the world, and Trump is making bad reality TV.

Smart has many meanings.

Trump knew what moves to make, when and how to make them. He was smart. You don't make that kind of money by accident.

Gates was in the right place at the right time. He saw a niche/need that no one else did and jumped on it. He was smart. You don't make that kind of money by accident.

I don't think doing reality TV makes you any dumber than being altruistic. It might not seem the wisest choice to some, but it doesn't seem reflective of intelligence to me - and certainly not indictive of "being smart" in the sense that I meant it. In fact, I could argue that the Snookis (Snookies? What's the plural of Snooki?) of the world are just as smart. They know their skill set, the make the right moves and they make a lot of money by taking advantage of a situation. Again, if it were really that easy then we'd all just go do it and cash in.

Am I looking to Snooki to cure cancer? Of course not. But if we're measuring success with dollars (and I am for the purpose of this discussion) and correlating the making of money with 'being smart' in the sense of seeing a situation and taking advantage of it (which I also am for the purposes of this discussion), she's kicked all of our asses combined.

With all of that said, if you're dumb enough to hand over $2600 to me playing a carnival game - then I win...by virtue of being smarter than you.

I think you give Trump way too much credit. That, and relatively speaking, he isn't that rich.

But what is the plural of Snooki?

I'm not sure measuring success with dollars is the right way to go.

For example, the "magic number" for happiness in today's dollars: $75K. Beyond that, it's not better, it's just more.

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/09/07/the-perfect-salary-for-happi...00-a-year/

(I will admit that I suspect I am happier than I would be if I was making $75K. But, the plural of anecdote is not data.)

What's more, there are lots of other ways to be content with one's life other than making money. The Grant Study sheds quite a bit of light on that question.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/422093.article

Trump is worth about $3 billion. #423 on most recent Forbes list and #139 on the US list. Relative to Gates he isn't really rich. But he still seems pretty rich.

I agree that money doesn't equal happiness. Having enough so it isn't a worry probably is what matters most (though that is many times in the eyes of the beholder). Though it seems to me it would be easier to be happy with $75k in Cleveland, Ohio than it would be in San Francisco.

Lord Gonchar said:

In fact, I could argue that the Snookis (Snookies? What's the plural of Snooki?) of the world are just as smart.

Or incredibly lucky. (see also: lottery winners)

Or willing to compromise values that most wouldn't for the sake of dollars.

Or Maverick.

Gonch, the plural of Snooki is Snooki (pronounced snook-eye).

Or is it Snookii?

Oh my god, there couldn't possibly be more than one of those creatures in this world. Nature could not be that cruel.

I don't think there should even be a singular version of the word, much less a plural. One Snooki is too many.

Brian Noble said:

I'm not sure measuring success with dollars is the right way to go.

For example, the "magic number" for happiness in today's dollars: $75K. Beyond that, it's not better, it's just more.

What's more, there are lots of other ways to be content with one's life other than making money.

GoBucks89 said:

I agree that money doesn't equal happiness. Having enough so it isn't a worry probably is what matters most (though that is many times in the eyes of the beholder). Though it seems to me it would be easier to be happy with $75k in Cleveland, Ohio than it would be in San Francisco.

I just want to point out that I never equated money and happiness. I drew a weak link between earnings and 'smarts' - mostly as a play on Travis' comment.

At this point things have taken the standard CoasterBuzzian turn in conversation.

ApolloAndy said:

Or incredibly lucky.

I don't believe in luck.

Lord Gonchar said:
At this point things have taken the standard CoasterBuzzian turn in conversation.

:-) Just thought this was worth quoting. :-)

In hindsight, I wish I had just used "Buzzian" - seems cleaner and more intellectual.

Buzzian
adj.

1. Of or relating to CoasterBuzz or its people, language, or culture.

:) I know a lot of people who make more money than me who are complete idiots. What does that make me?

Lord Gonchar said:

ApolloAndy said:

Or incredibly lucky.

I don't believe in luck.

I'm not even sure what that means. Is winning the lottery a skill?