Rob Cheng’s Blog

I went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago and I won about $2000. It had been a long time since I had gambled but I got to thinking about it. After I left Gateway in 1999, I had a certain fascination for gambling and I went on an incredible run.

In fact, long before there was blogging, I made a list of all my winnings. Here they are:

So in the space of about six weeks, I made $15,000! I remember it well, because I was always walking around with a wallet full of one hundred dollar bills. When I think about this time, and all my times before, there is one simple rule that will allow you to consistently win money gambling. I mainly play blackjack but this simple rule most likely work for virtually any type of gambling.

Before I start, there is one prequisite. In the case of blackjack, you need to know what you are doing. There is a certain way to play the cards, and you have to always play the cards “according to the book”. If you play each hand according the book, your odds of winning each hand is right about 49% or maybe a little higher but less than 50%. You get the idea. More »

January 27th, 2012 | Category: General, Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment

I have a dear friend that is dying of cancer. He is still with us but I don’t believe that he has much time left on this earth. We have been talking on the phone frequently and one time he shared with me two things. ONE – He stopped having sex 6 months ago and TWO – He was still chain smoking. I found the topic fascinating and it really made me wonder, when do we stop doing the things we enjoy?

My grandmother died when she was 107 years old. Some time before she turned 100, she stopped playing bridge. She said that it made her think too hard for someone her age. She loved playing bridge and it puzzles me to this day.

I have another dear friend (still in the living) that was an avid golfer. Around the time that he turned 60, he stopped. That was 5 years ago, and he has not played since.

This got me thinking about my life and also “Why do we stop doing the things we love?”. Is stopping a sign that your life is running out of energy for certain pursuits? Or is it the opposite? Are you saving energy as you grow older by giving up these pursuits? I have no idea.

I love to run. It is a passion for me, almost an addiction. The reason is because it makes me feel good. About 15 minutes into the run, the endorphins kick in and the rest of the run is like a beautiful dream. I am relaxed. I am in harmony with my body and nature. I am mostly just lost in my thoughts. Those thoughts quite often will drive my direction for the day or more. I know that running is also a physically demanding pursuit and I wonder, will there be a time when I must stop. How will I know when I should stop? Either way, I know that my life will not be the same if I don’t run.

I also love to read. It is like tickling my brain or scratching an itch. It is a different feeling than running but it is relaxing and helps me sleep at night. I imagine that I will continue to read until the very end. It is not physically demanding, only mentally. But who knows? Not I.

I also play guitar. It is a peaceful pursuit and personally rewarding. I have been playing for over 30 years and honestly, I am only so-so. There are probably millions of guitar players better than me. It is rewarding when you feel like you have improved a little iota. It is rewarding to figure out a song that you never could touch before. Just to get a little better each time you play. I guess one day I will stop when I feel that I can no longer improve any more. There is so much room for improvement but I have reached a point where my lack of talent will not allow me to improve any more. I hope it doesn’t happen any time soon. Sometimes, it just makes me happy.

So I am just wondering out loud. What makes us stop? I used to drink beer every day and at one time in my left I was addicted to nicotine and cigarettes. These are two things that I have stopped because I knew they were unsustainable activities. They were doing more harm than good. But then, why do we stop doing the things that are good for us? The things that keep us challenged or motivated? What do we stop? I really don’t know. Leave a comment below.

October 25th, 2011 | Category: Religion, Stoned Thoughts | Comments (3)

• Am I getting my rated speed from my ISP?
• We could get out of the current economic crisis, if all the people that had excess funds, like me, spent it rather than hoarding it. But that isn’t going to happen.
• Would Las Vegas be a good place to live?

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July 24th, 2010 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Comments (1)

• Develop a system to identify people in movies and photos.
• What is the best way to ignore people without shutting off communication?
• Determine the standard deviation of daily television viewership by channel.
• Market a restaurant as having the best desserts in town.

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January 23rd, 2010 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Comments (1)

• Do memorable things with your family.
• I can remember my grade point average every semester in college.
• Create a college scholarship based on perfection. As soon as they get a B, they lose the scholarship.

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January 4th, 2010 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment

• keep the change
• make tech sup into a profit center

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March 21st, 2003 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment

• Design the best portable for presentations
• What is the maximum length video you can put on a CD with MPEG1? How does it look?

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December 21st, 2001 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment

Session A

• Invest in a medical company for the web.
• Work it out with a drug company to make public the research around particular ailments. Idea for MedicineNet

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June 26th, 2001 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Comments (1)

• Figure out how DVD jukeboxes work
• Is tobacco the only way to get lung cancer? If so, make an ad saying so.

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August 26th, 2000 | Category: Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment