Returning the Favor and other Slices of Life

Returning the Favor
Returning the Favor
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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Still no content here

8. Are you a poker journal or not?
Well, maybe. I have so little to contribute in the actual poker world right now, especially with my scintillating run of mediocrity in every facet of my game this week. For poker content, there are so many better blogs. Most of them are on the right. Personally, I use Up for Poker almost as my Bloglines, since they show us when other folks update. Pretty damn cool, I say. Esp. for those of us too lazy to update our bloglines. This is a poker player's journal. I'm sure most of you don't come here to read about my theories of poker. That's what I read you guys for. You read this because we're friends. Imaginary internet friends ( c. Sheverb), but friends nonetheless. Soooo, screw staying on topic. I'll get back to poker when I'm running better or have at least had a new idea about why I'm running lukewarm.

If I can win my buy-in I'll play the DADI tourney tonight. Logged a whopping $4 profit in SNG last night, so another $7 and I'll play. Otherwise I'll drop in and sweat you guys. I'm so dead money at PLO8 I'm not willing to risk my money on the tourney, so I'll only play with OPM (other people's money).

So I found this blog by exploring the Blonde's links, and apparently he's a local boy. Or at least goes to boogie in Charlotte (Yonder Mountain String Band 2/17 at Visulite may be an unofficial blogger boogie binge, I need to see Tripjax, Otis and Uncle Ted motor their happy asses over here to the show, it's your kinda jam). He raises the question, which celebrities deaths will affect/have affected you the most? This is inspired by all those end of the year "these folks that you thought were dead for a long time actually died this year" news spots.

Here are mine, and why

1) Ric Flair. I did mention at some point or another on this blog that I'm a redneck, right? You can't live in the Charlotte area as long as I have without loving the Nature Boy, the Dirtiest Player in the Game, Space Mountain, Whooooo! Nuff friggin' said.

2) Johnny Cash. Rick Rubin is a fucking saint for resurrecting the career of the Man in Black. Cash's last 10 years were some of the most musically inspired and inspiring of any career, and his autobiographies really touched me as a man who went through all kinds of self-inflicted hell and came out the other side wiser and better for it.

3) Christopher Reeve. He's fucking Superman, what more do you want? He became a real inspiration to me with his fight against his handicap and his lobby for stem cell research, even though he knew any advances made from his efforts would likely come too late to help him personally. He knew he couldn't save his own life, or really improve the quality of his life, but he kept fighting for other people. That's what makes a hero in my book.

4) Doc Watson. Just listen to him play and you'll understand.

5) Jimmy Carter. Will probably be regarded as a mediocre (on a good day) President, but an absolutely incredible ex-President. I'm not one for a whole lot of religion, but Carter doesn't ever force his religious views on anyone, he just goes through the world trying to help people and lead a Christian life by example. If more religious folks behaved like that, I'd give religion another shot. Just not with the whole getting up on Sunday morning thing.

So those are celebrities that I have felt, or think I will likely feel, diminished by their passing. How very John Donne of me. What famous people make you feel less like an island?

4 comments:

bricotrout said...

hey Fall,
i agree with the j cash comment. he was the first concert i ever saw. i agree with j carter. i had the privelage of working beside him for a week outside tijuana on a habitat project in 1990. great guy! i will be out of town during yonder mountain. so many good shows around the corner! kimock, soulive, i may do neighborhood this friday (ralph and clinch mountain boys). im sure we'll run into eachother soon enough. keep in touch and thanks for stopping by!
oh, 2 years ago i was on the same flight as flair from chicago to charlotte. big guy.

Jordan said...

This might be an odd one, but I was really upset by the death of Owen Hart, pro wrestler and brother of Bret the Hitman Hart.

I'm hardly an Owen Hart fan, but he fell from the rafters of some arena during a stunt when he was supposed to come down by a wire. It just seemed so random and made me realize just how pointless and sudden a person's death could be.

Daddy said...

john,
terrible news, brother.
seems my travel plans have yet again been pushed back. i'll be in charlotte for close to a month, but it may not be until april now.
this severely blows considering i already bought YMSB tix for both the charlotte show and the next night's asheville show.
so, yeah, if i can figure out how to transfer a ticket via will call, i have an extrie.

of course i could always just say fuck it, take that friday off, and make the 8 hour trek.

Unknown said...

Hit up IRC tonight if you're still short, I'll buy half your action in the tourney if you need it ;)