#6

To the battle bright and early
Maybe not so bright (him) but yeah early 

He hit the thoroughfare at ten over

His personal speed limit 

While listening intently

To the last four minutes 

Of Tools "Descending" 

Perhaps one of the finest instrumental passages 

In the history of rock 

His battle this day 

Will be a Texas Hold'em poker tournament 

In girding for conflict he stops 

To order a number six 

With a small orange juice... at McD's 

Then stops the Q5 road side

To consume breakfast and square his attitude 

His thoughts turn to common mistakes

He's made during battle 

And his tendency to forget them 

In the heat of the moment

Avoid big pots in the beginning

Ignore most pocket pairs of 2's, 3's, and 4's

Bluff big in position

Top pair post flop is often a loser

If you can't pick out the donkey at the table

The donkey is you

Slow play of big hands

Is often frowned upon by the pros

But you love it

So do it

There's more, there's always more

Nevertheless he will head into the fray

With confidence borne from

The recent support of Lady Luck

Who has blessed him with good runs

While he patiently waited (folded) 

For her to show up

This day, among 70 entrants

He will cash in second place

Catching 10 times his entry fee

The battle won

In two months, around 9 of 11 cashes

Yet, he knows the Lady, her fickle self

Will grace another soon

He's learned to enjoy the moment

"Know what I mean Vern?!" - Jim Varney aka Ernest P. Worell
 

Finding the American Middle - Dump the OWGs!

If you bisect the same line three times, the first then the two remainders you can create four equal parts. 

If you label those parts to symbolize political beliefs you can describe extremes, a few who gravitate toward the middle (moderates?) and very few who reside in the very middle. You can attempt to pull them all toward the middle but to succeed you need to first make a convincing argument. Most important, you need to be heard by the extremes. And that will never happen.

Among the fundamental problems here is that people tend to believe what they want believe, they neglect to verify what they read and hear and selectively read only what they perceive defends their side of an argument.

The result is meaningless unless someone can buy into the notion of a word that these days seems to arouse negative feelings.  The word is "bipartisan."  People seem so afraid of the "slippery slope" of action that they are unwilling to even slightly move from their position in issues that concern us all. The "slippery slope" of fear suggests a modest action by the group will trigger a slide to the extreme.  For example, Second Amendment advocates fear that allowing background checks prior to gun ownership will eventually result in more and more strict laws that eventually lead to government action taking away all guns from all citizens.  On the other hand, these same advocates conveniently ignore the "well regulated" words that accompany the armed "militia" in the very same sentence of the Amendment.

This fear is having a significant impact on critical issues in America today.  We are seeing this in just about all social topics including left and right political extremes, socialism, and economic factors.

Left and Right Extremes (Ayn Rand) seem to be the most divisive of the factors:

• Immigration - open borders vs. managed immigration vs. isolationism.
• Gun control - ignoring the "well regulated militia" part of the Constitution while focusing solely on the "right to bear arms."
• Climate change - treating oil and gas companies as gods at the expense of future generations and potentially the planet.
• Natural resources
• Government regulation vs. free market (Rand would have us believe a totally free market would function perfectly, a notion that totally ignores man's tendency toward greed.)
• Socialism vs. capitalism - many do not, can not, will not see that a blend of the two is the best guess for a balanced democracy.  The larger and more complex our society gets, the more structure we need to maintain balance. At the same time, we need certain environments with minimal structure to encourage innovation.

Socialism:

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Social Security
• Interstate highway system

Capitalism:

• Private ownership
• Free markets
• Competition
• Pursuit of Profit

F___ing up economic factors:

• Student loans - choking discretionary income of college grads 
• Taxes favoring wealthy and corporations
• Politicians catering to and later evolving to lobbyists
• Citizens United - corporations being considered people yet demanding welfare in the form of low tax rates
• Oil - especially fracking (See skyrocketing Oklahoma earthquake rates.)

Racism - If parents would just stop teaching it, it would go away.

Religion - It's okay on its own, we just need to keep it separate from politics or it could easily be the end of us. After all, man worships some 3,000 different forms of "God."

OWGs - The catalysts behind most all social injustice.  They practice it, they bully others with it, and they teach their children well.

To Paul

Paul Murrell!  Received news of your demise early this month.  Had been receiving updates from your wonderful wife, Nell and your equally wonderful daughter, Jennifer but then, it happened.  Deeply sorry but it seems to have gone quickly and hopefully without too much suffering. Julie and I were fortunate to make the trip to San Antonio for your services.  Our old pal Bob Bunker and his wife, Barbara had made arrangements to join us but had to cancel at the last minute as his sister, "Peggy" Bunker had been suddenly hospitalized in critical condition. (She passed shortly after so be nice to her when she shows up at the Gates okay?) 

Great to see your family again after so long.  I recall we last scheduled a Spring trip to visit you and others in late 2020, but Covid messed that up. We even ate the cost of that Southwest Air trip eventually. As it turned out, we planned several subsequent Spring trips but as you know, various health issues here caused postponements. 

I do want to let you know your family appears to have held up well. Nell, to us, appeared as a "profile in courage."  She was outgoing and gracious to all who attended your services and internment. Same went for all your other family members.  I recall a fine crowd of old friends and relatives showed as well, including a bunch of our old fellow Air Force Medical Service Corps pals.

Your services were damn good too, although I think the new priest talked too much.  At one point, my phone, which I was sure was silenced, rang and I apologize for that.  I quickly turned it off and after a bit,  leaned over to Julieann and whispered, "That was Paul calling."  There were some fine tributes spoken by your son Warren and two of your grandsons. Plus, one of your family Boudreaux's played some beautiful piano and sang for you.  One of his songs, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," was very familiar. In the 50's and early 60's a large chunk of my Campbell family, all auto factory workers, lived in and around Pontiac, Michigan.  There were so many of us, we would rent a hall for family gatherings. There would be a feast of course then the musicians and singers in the family would serenade us with traditional folk and religious music. That song was one of them every time.

After the service, Nell and the gang had arranged a lunch buffet in a hall behind the church.  It was Texas-style with seasoned tri-tip, sausage, creamed corn, barbecued beans and such.  The beef was tender and the 'fixin's all hit the spot. 

Then, we formed a police-escorted caravan, led by you of course, to the cemetery at Fort Sam Houston.  The ride went smooth Paul.  I was really impressed with the expert maneuvering of the motorcyclists as they kept us moving through the 15 miles or so of fairly heavy traffic and often narrow streets from the church to the fort. Part of the route took us right by Olmos Park where our old mutual pal, Ben Buecker lives. At the cemetery pavilion, you rested there for a moment while the honor guard fired your salute and the airmen folded and presented Nell with the American flag that had draped your coffin.  I clearly recall the weather was perfect, with a gentle breeze flowing through our spot and over you. I was able to give your coffin a final pat as I considered writing you this note.

To catch you up on our visits after, that evening we went to our gangs old standby Mexican restaurant, the Alamo Cafe for a visit and dinner with Don and Andrea Palen. Good food and great company let us catch up on events with their family. 

On Tuesday, we visited Randolph Air Force, photographing our old home and surroundings on base.  We took a picture of the main boulevard through housing toward the theater too.  In the middle, a long sidewalk where I taught son Tyler to ride a bike.  Also the Officer's Club a couple of blocks away where Tyler, age 7 or 8, got busted by the Security Police for climbing around on its roof.  The area, at one time was green and clean.  I have to tell you Paul, it is run down now, dried out and dirty.  Pretty sure this is all due to contracting out the old landscape services instead of leaving responsibility with Civil Engineering.  It took real-time direct control away from Commanders and the news has been around for some time about how housing in general has deteriorated.

That night, Don and Andrea and their son Sean hosted us for some great dinner and fellowship where we swapped a ton of lies about old memories from over 37 years ago. Their son Sean, my one-time inner city math teacher hero, was with us too.  

The next day, we took our pal of almost 60 years to lunch and dinner near his home in old Olmos Park. Ben Buecker is, as you recall, our favorite attorney of all time.  He's getting on in years though as we all are.  Ben still has a whacky sense of humor and yet is still, when prompted, able to accurately recall past events and our adventures.  We left pretty worried about his welfare even though he's being closely watched and cared for by his sister-in-law Frances. Unfortunately, Frances is experiencing health issues as well so we are thinking the situation is pretty unstable.  Getting Ben into some sort of daycare, with few remaining relatives and none in the area, seems impossible since his home in ways serves as a shrine to his departed wife, Cindy.

Paul, something you may not know about Ben, is he'll be joining you at Fort Sam one of these days. Cindy is already buried there.  That privilege is the result of Ben's serving as honorary counsel for Germany in the state of Texas for a number of years. I believe this, in turn, was an honor given largely as a result of his providing Texas law internships to over 300 aspiring young German lawyers. I think it may have also been the result of Ben introducing them to the finer aspects of Mexican food and Shiner Bock beer.  The site on Fort Sam contains the remains of German POWs who were in a prison camp there in WWII and Ben will join Cindy next to them.

The next day, Wednesday, Julie and I took a little break and took a boat ride through the San Antonio Riverwalk.  The pick up and drop off point was only a few steps from our hotel.  We were dazzled by how well it is maintained and the blend of historical and modern architecture. It was a huge improvement over the last time we toured sometime in 1985. Then, we spent a few hours at Ben's.

That evening, Nell and Jennifer joined us for dinner at San Antonio's self-proclaimed "best restaurant, Blu." It was a touching time of reminiscing and laughter for all four of us and Paul, you got the best of it. We parted with tears and the hope we would all meet again. If that does happen, I promise to make up some new lies about you.

Rest In Peace My Dear Friend, Confidante and Colleague,

See you when I see you.

  

  

Heaven's Gate & Beyond

Paul Murrell and Bill Grinstaff, both prior Air Force Medical Service Colonels, are positioned just inside the pearly gates of HPC (Heavens Personnel Center).  They are there to assist all 3,000 deity's (Earth's declared forms of God, Buddha, Allah and so on) with the placement of new arrivals. As part of their duties, they also periodically support placements on Mother Earth because there are simply too many humans wandering around without any form of guidance... aimlessly so to speak.

One day, they receive orders for two health care administrators in Izmir, Turkey, a hotspot of human wandering.  Paul says to Bill, "They need two medical turkeys in Turkey. I have checked with our earthly representative, Tom Campbell and he says he knows two birds of a feather who clearly fit the bill.  Bob Bunker and Don Palen have been 'winging it all their lives so they'll be perfect."

Bill responds, "By (3,000) God(s) you're right Paul. I clearly recall when Bob tried to leverage New Jersey into one entire, huge Air Force Base medical complex. Plus, I remember when Don stepped into a heavy rainstorm and looked to the sky with his mouth open.  Poor guy almost drowned and joined us here. Gotta' love those two pesky turkeys."

Paul says, "Okay, we'll get'er done.  We'll drop the card and those two should receive their orders forthwith.  Folks in Izmir will never know what hit them.  Bob will teach half of them how to wrestle and Don will teach the other half how to hoard vinyl albums. The Turks will end up grappling on the mats while listening to a scratchy version of Lawrence Welk's Greatest Hits. The resulting quantum improvements in health care there will so impress the world that 'WrestleVinyl" will become the rage at concerts all over the world. Why, it'll be bigger than freakin' Woodstock."

And that folks, is the way it is today, February 5th, 2024. RIP Paul and Bill. 

The Doyle Brunson Hand

Second only to poker's Aces & Eights in notoriety, the Doyle Brunson (RIP) hand is widely known in Texas Hold'em circles.  Wild Bill Hickock's hand became famous as he was shot and killed while holding Aces & 8s in a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876.  Doyle's is, hands down the second most legendary name in poker circles. 

The Doyle Brunson hand would become famous right at 100 years later in 1976 and 1977 respectively. The hand was a pocket ten and deuce and Doyle won the World Series of Poker with that very hand two years running.  In 1976, he won when the same hand filled to a full house after the remaining 5 cards were dealt.  In 1977, Doyle won when, from the pocket ten and deuce, he hit two pair to top his opponent's two pair.

Yesterday, on New Year's Eve, at Sacramento's finely hosted and appointed Stones Casino, I encountered those famous Doyle Brunson cards in two consecutive hands. (Note: this story isn't about playing poker well, it's about playing, that's all.)

The first time, I was in the big blind so I had a mandatory couple of thousand chips in the pot before any of the cards were dealt.  After the two-card "pockets" were dealt, the betting went around the table with a few callers but no raises.  As the last in the action, I looked down at Doyle's hand, a ten and two off suit.  I just called and the "flop", three cards were dealt face up on the table.  Among them, I was happy to see another ten and two, giving me two pair.  I checked mine, hoping someone would have caught something to make a bluff or bet, giving me a chance to trap. It checked around, no bets.  When the next card was dealt I saw no threat and checked again. One player then threw in 8 thousand in chips.  Everyone else folded.  I raised to around 20 thousand and, after pausing a while, my opponent folded. I showed my winning cards, which I rarely do, and happily announced the "Doyle Brunson" hand.

The very next hand, I was in the small blind, so I had a thousand chips in there before the cards were dealt.  I looked down and again, there was a ten and a deuce. It was another Brunson, back-to-back. A genuine rarity. AI considers the chances of this happening in the millions to one.  Betting commenced and there were a couple of calls then a large raise to around 12,000.  When the betting came to me, then 8th of 9 players at the table, I quickly announced "all in" with about 55,000 in chips. 

Just to be clear, my hand was a really bad hand to be playing at all.  Players quickly folded to the big raiser and, after a long couple of minutes of thinking, he folded. Up to that point in the tournament, I had not been playing loose at all and I'm sure he took that under consideration.  I again showed my hand with announced remembrance of Doyle Brunson.  It was a find moment in poker for me folks.  A fine moment.  Thanks for the inspiration Doyle and thanks for the entertainment Lady Luck.