Investing in one company is...gambling. I guess it's not strictly gambling, because you're spending your money on something that holds value instead of a chance at something of value. But, given how fickle investors are, and how fickle the market is, I would consider individual stock to be gambling.

Yes, a lot of companies pay dividends. Apple. Motorola. Stanley Black and Decker. Pfizer. And a whole lot more. But instead of buying one or a couple of them, I'd buy an index fund that invests in dividend funds. Vanguard has two: VDIGX and VDADX.

Then there's "Dividend Aristocrats" -- those are companies that have not only consistently paid dividends for at least 25 years, they've consistently raised their dividend. NOBL is an ETF that invests in Dividend Aristocrats. There are others.

I hold some VDIGX, but nowadays I'm putting money into more traditional index funds. VTSAX and VTIAX come to mind

You should be investing for retirement...but to invest into a tax advantaged retirement account, you have to have income from a job.