
{The following article is a rewrite of an article called "A Vending
of Spleens" that appeared in _Rune's Rag_ early in 1993.}

Searching For Three Cherry Colas
by Dave Bealer

The spread of legalized, state-sponsored gambling in the U.S. has
been causing an uproar for many years.  Maryland's recent addition 
of Keno to the state's arsenal of tools for separating citizens from
their money has caused tremendous friction within the State
Legislature as well as the general public.  The cries of "What's 
next?" can be heard from those who tirelessly work to protect the 
well being of others (including others who do not want their well 
being protected).

Opponents of gambling insist that each new form of gaming that is
legalized brings us closer to having slot machines in every deli 
and convenience store.  Of course America already harbors tens of
thousands of gambling devices, all of them completely legal.  They're
called vending machines.

Yes, vending machines.  Those seemingly innocuous no-armed bandits
that eat the coins of rich and poor alike.  Occasionally, one will
even "pay off," giving the player that desperately desired soda or 
candy bar.  This doesn't happen too often...just enough to keep the
suckers, er, players coming back for more.

Even more pernicious are those glass front vending machines that
tease the player by almost dropping the coveted goody into the chute,
but not quite.  Even though the hoped for item seems to be just
hanging there, ready to fall, no amount of pounding on the glass or 
shaking the machine will set it free.  The player therefore has to
spend again, hoping to get two payoffs, or AT LEAST that tantalizing 
prize left hanging just out of reach. 

Why is you never hear about legal action being taken to regulate the 
vending machine industry?  At least states could set some minimum
payoff requirements like most states with legal casinos did.

One potential, and frightening, application of artificial
intelligence is in vending machines that will decide what you want
and dispense it to you, after taking the money out of your pocket.
This technology is obviously modelled after liberal Democrats in
government.                                                     {RAH}
--------------
Dave Bealer is a thirty-something mainframe systems programmer who
works with CICS, MVS and all manner of nasty acronyms at one of the
largest heavy metal shops on the East Coast.  He shares a waterfront
townhome in Pasadena, MD. with two cats who annoy him endlessly as he
writes and electronically publishes RAH.    FidoNet> 1:261/1129
Internet: dave.bealer@rah.clark.net

