JOKERGame 22 Twenty-two

Movie Magic For Poker Players

One of my earliest memories of a poker game is from the 1965 movie, Cincinnati Kid. The movie follows a young poker player (played by Steve McQueen) as he pits himself against the top poker player of the time. The movie (heeded by many as one of the greatest poker movies ever) gave rise to my lifelong interest in the game. In more recent times I was pleased to watch the Matt Damon movie, Rounders.

Perhaps, what I love most about poker movies are the crisp, sarcastic dialogues, the rounds of bluffing, the quiet calculated manner of those that win, and the suspense of what the next card might be. In these movies, it is the man (or woman) with the greater intelligence that wins the game.

Poker movies provide entertainment. However, that is not my primary reason for watching them. Being unable to resist a good poker game at times, I like to stay on top of the various tips that my poker buddies keep using. And trust me, for those of us that play poker only occasionally, most of our tricks come from the movies.

One poker trick that we learn from the movies is that of reading the looks on the faces of the other players. Eyes that are downcast or have a happy glint in them are sure giveaways of the kinds of cards that a person has drawn. Of course, that unhappy looking fellow might be on to you, and might be bringing all his theatrical talents to the poker table. Be careful. Don’t give away your own cards by your facial expressions or your body language. And don’t be fooled by somebody else.

More importantly, don’t give in to an emotional outburst. In a good poker game, the pressure will build up. But you must concentrate on the game, on winning. Emotions will only give your opponents the upper hand. Don’t lose control of the game. Also, avoid drinking yourself silly during a poker game, unless you are in the mood to let other people win. A person who is drunk throughout a game is only preparing to drown in losses.

Also, the ego should be kept aside during a game. The over-confident upstart often digs his own grave all thanks to a desire for one-upmanship. It is advisable to hold on to your best hands sometimes. Let others have their season in the sun. You wait for the most opportune moment. Strike at the right time and you will be the one raking in all the moolah!

Train Movies

One of the most magical movies featuring at train is the Polar Express. It brings back the joy we felt as children waiting for Santa Claus. This makes it a remarkable movie that appeals to people of all ages. Even though it is a Christmas time movie, many people enjoy watching it anytime they want to feel carefree and happy. The movie is computer animated which gives it a very unique design.

The film Polar Express features one of the best actors around, Tom Hanks who plays five different characters. This film tells the story of only those who truly believe in Santa Clause can help save his ability to bring presents to children all over the world. The boy is asked to go to the North Pole with Santa Claus in an effort to show him what really exists there.

A great deal of the movie takes place on the Polar Express, the name of the locomotive that magically takes Santa Claus to and from the North Pole. The steam engine featured in the movie is based on a real one that is in a train museum known as the 1225.

Tom Cruise has been well known for various movies over the years, but none of them compare with the popularity of Mission Impossible. In fact, it has two very successful sequels under its belt. There is plenty of action in all of them, but the most memorable takes place in the first Mission Impossible movie. Cruise is seen in some tough stunts that he makes look realistic on the top of a speeding train.

Many of the early westerns feature amazing scenes with various types of trains in them. It isn’t uncommon for gunfights to be taking place on top of these moving trains. In fact, it is very possible that the scenes for that popular Mission Impossible movie were developed from this core idea that had been in the movies so many years ago.

Some movies don’t feature the train in them for very long, but the train still plays an important role in the movie. The Harry Potter series is very popular and you will find the children ride the train to and from Hogwarts at the beginning and the end of every movie. In many ways this train has become a trademark of the shows. It also signifies their movement from the normal world to the world of magic.

By the title, you may think the movie Derailed featuring Jennifer Aniston is going to be about a train disaster. Yet this is a very intriguing movie that details the delicate webs of lies and deceptions that can take place for money. Her character plays a manipulative woman who pretends to fall for married men on the commuter train. When they meet at a hotel room and intruder rapes her.

Later in the movie you find out the rapist is really her husband. Everything is a set up to make the men she meets on the trains feel sorry for her. They are also willing to give her money not to tell anyone about their affair, especially their wives. You will be on the edge of your seat watching the story unfold as it has many twists and turns.

Of course we can’t talk about train movies without including Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. This is a hilarious comedy with Steve Martin and John Candy. The story is about a businessman who is desperately trying to get home to spend Thanksgiving with his family.

There are plenty of movies out there featuring trains. Some people enjoy the entire movie and others place it on their favorites list simply for the action involving the trains itself. Trains are such an important part of our society and our global economy that it is only fitting they find their way onto the big screen to offer us quality entertainment.

Counter the Effects of Media Violence on Children

Despite the fact that their own ratings systems found the material appropriate only for adults, the motion picture, music, and video game industries practice “pervasive and aggressive marketing” of violent movies, music, and electronic games to children. – Federal Trade Commission finding regarding child entertainment
The values depicted on TV and movie screens are a far cry from the values you want your children exposed to in their formative years. For example, the average American child will have watched 100,000 acts of televised violence, including 8,000 depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes the sixth grade. In a typical American home, the TV set is on for over seven hours each day, and the average child spends more time watching that TV than they do in school, or doing any other activity besides sleeping. And, while your children are glued to the tube watching so-called child entertainment, they will see between 1,000 and 2,000 television ads promoting alcohol every year.
It’s difficult to control parental outrage in the midst of that kind of media influence. How do you teach your child the concepts and character traits that translate into better learning habits at school, better behavior at home, and better citizenship in the world? How do you define loyalty to a five-year-old? How to you teach a four-year-old about bravery and respect? And how do you explain love?
These aren’t simple words that can be taught to your child by rote. They’re complex concepts that your child needs to know, understand, and adopt at an early age if they’re to succeed in life.
The key to teaching children sophisticated character traits – such as courage, loyalty, justice, respect, hope, honesty and love – is character-based education. The heart of character-based education is guiding your children toward TV shows, kid movie, and books that reflect positive values. While you may not be able to give your child the words that explain diversity, you can exert and control parental influence by giving him or her any Winnie the Pooh book, which demonstrates that theme in ways a child can easily understand. Pooh Bear also interprets the concept of family and the value of friendship.
Thomas the Tank Engine teaches lessons about cooperation, sharing, and the value of hard work. Your child may not realize that they’re being taught a lesson while reading about or watching Thomas and his friends, but by the end of the book or TV show, they will have learned a complex concept – and been entertained in the process.
For older readers, The Wizard of Oz follows a similar theme. When the Scarecrow complains of his lack of a brain, the Cowardly Lion discusses his lack of bravery, or the Tin Man wishes he had a heart, your child learns what intelligence, bravery, and love are, and why they’re so important. Dorothy tirelessly tries to find her way home, and in doing so surrounds herself with new friends who work together to overcome their weaknesses and harness their strengths. Even though your child is engrossed in the story, the concepts of family, courage, cooperation, home, and love are made clear.
When you look at the values presented in the media, it becomes clear that positive character traits are poorly defined for children. What one child learns about bravery and loyalty from watching two bank robbers in a kid movie is much different than what another child learns about bravery and loyalty through reading about or watching Winnie the Pooh helping a friend out of a jam.
As parents, combating the negative influence of media by filtering the content to which our children are exposed – such as looking at a movie rental review – may not be enough. Even if our children are an exception to the national average – over six hours of daily exposure to the media – it’s safe to assume that their peers have internalized negative media messages and will influence our children. To counteract negative media and peer influences, we must take charge of our children’s character education. That’s not easy, given that our active lives and hectic schedules leave little time for reviewing and selecting appropriate reading and viewing material for our children.
Still, you should do what you can to guide your family toward materials that reinforce values that you hold dear. Evaluate the content of each children’s book, television show, and movie rental review for positive and negative examples of the following ten traits: self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendship, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, and faith. Also, look for negative behavioral influences, such as violence, profanity, nudity, sexual content, scary elements, and the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Then, make your selections according to the messages that each book, television show, or movie sends your children.