PLAY THE GAME: Confucius (2008) is a sort of combination of Monopoly, Clue, and Axis and Allies. The focus seems to be on developing relationships to build power and influence in the government. Play it more for the period design than to learn much about Confucian philosophy. It gets a 6.9 out of 10 from Board Game Geek but is out of stock on Amazon so you’ll probably have to go garage sale hunting for this one.
BE A LOSER: Buy a lottery ticket. There is no better way to participate directly in an activity where the small number of winners are hyped endlessly so you remember them and ignore the astronomical odds. Call me if you win and there is anything left to invest after taxes and that fleet of sport cars you’ve always wanted.
GET BACK IN THE WATER: Don’t worry, it is safe despite the simple ostinato of two bass notes, F to F Sharp echoing in your ears. Watch the movie Jaws (1975). One of the most chilling moments in Spielberg’s film comes when Quint, captain of the Orca, relates to his new shipmates the horrors he experienced during the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during WWII. “Over 1,000 men went into the water, 316 survivors came out, and the sharks got the rest”. Terrifying? Yes. Historically accurate? Not so much. Indianapolis was indeed sunk by the Japanese in the summer of 1945 (Quint incorrectly says it was June 29th, it was July 29th). But, it is believed that a few hundred of the casualties died in the initial torpedo attack and that many more perished due to dehydration after five days floating at sea without fresh water. This didn’t stop the incident from being dubbed “the biggest shark attack in history.” Hollywood rule #1: never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Investing rule #1: always let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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