Leisure in the Web's Pool

A home swimming pool is not just a luxury (or, for some, not just a necessity) -- it is also a cultural icon, which contributes to a certain cult of leisure. But after all, dipping in a calm pool of water is certainly very natural and understandably attractive -- to want a pool is only human.

Other Icons of Leisure

This whole category of culture -- leisure -- has been changing over time of course. People today have a different sense about time itself, and how it is used in ways that qualify as true "leisure." Perhaps our closest contemporary comparison might be the phrase "quality time" that is already a bit stale.

There are very relaxed forms of leisure, such as sunbathing by the pool (with the novel and cocktail at hand). There are, depending upon who you're talking to, more vigorous kind of leisure time. Some might think a rugged hike in a national park qualifies.

There are the flamboyant poolsides of Vegas or Hollywood, for example. Those grand, desert-defying pools are probably most associated with the space-age fifties, when owning a pool was a status symbol par excellence!

Pools and Casinos

One big way that leisure time has changed nowadays, of course, is with the arrival of the Internet. Certain forms of entertainment -- going with our image of a glamorous pool at a casino in Vegas -- have been recreated as online amusements like Web-powered card games and slots. But so far no one has tried recreating the pools from the real casinos on the Web!

That is because only certain things are compatible with a screen. Pools are, as we said above, a kind of primordial pleasure for humans. Although they may be under attack by Sierra Club types, for environmental reasons, those charges really vary by region. Las Vegas's pools, actually, would qualify as gratuitous -- although they provide much relief for visitors flustered by their slot sessions and the Nevada heat.

New Amenities Delivered Online

The Web is a whole new kind of pool, itself. Its fluidity, flexibility and multimedia capabilities may put certain real world experiences in jeopardy (like visiting casinos during vacation) when the online versions are more than satisfactory. For example, an online slot machine is just a bit scaled down from actual land-based machines.

As a sign of our virtual times, you can find cool online games at classycasinos.co.uk that can be played on a mobile phone or tablet. You may be at your own wicked pool, a public pool, but with these games you can feel like you are in Vegas -- and have your own fantasy of campy Americana leisure high-life!