Read MoreLeonardo da Vinci was a spark. He was a luminous force in a dark world trembling in fear and ignorance for a millennia. Da Vinci is widely thought of just as an artist and painter. But Da Vinci was so much more than that. He may very well have been the most extraordinary man who’s ever lived.
Nevada State Highway 266 is the desolate 60-mile stretch of asphalt that straddles across the Nevada-California border at a crux where towns and people do not exist
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A visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC is an emotive experience.
One need not be a military veteran nor even an American citizen to recognize the immense power of this extraordinary artwork, which pays tribute to those a generation ago who went to a faraway land and never returned home alive. It was our most tragic — and I might add senseless — military conflict.
I lived in Washington, DC for 12 years. During that time, many friends and relatives visited what remains a mesmerizing city. I always used those special occasions to travel around our capital, playing amateur guide to our nation’s most impressive monuments. For me, each accompanying visit was a reminder. A reinforcement of what patriotism really means.
The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial and so many other attractions are powerful places to visit. They should be seen by everyone. In fact, I’ll go so far to say that every American has an obligation to make at least one trip to our nation’s capital to see and experience these sites firsthand. I’m not even sure one can really call himself or herself a true American without having stood next to these structures which represent the very essence of our nation.
However, one memorial above all the rest deserved to be seen. It moved me emotionally each and every time I visited — and always in a different way. I must have touched the granite wall perhaps two dozen times. Instead of becoming bored or indifferent to something I had laid eyes upon so many occasions before, each visit gave me a new perspective about our history, what personal sacrifice really means, and the value of life itself.
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It’s Veterans Day 2012.
Today at Harveys Lake Tahoe, “Captain” Tom Franklin sang the National Anthem. He’s a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War. Franklin has been a professional poker player for more than 20 years. He’s also a World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner.
One thing is for sure. It takes real guts to enlist and then serve in combat, as Franklin did. It also take courage to stand up in front of 500 people and sing the National Anthem without any musical accompaniment.
Here’s a video of my introduction of Franklin, followed by his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.
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If you’re a serious poker player or fan of the game, then you probably already know the name — Matt Matros.
He’s won three World Series of Poker gold bracelets. I was privileged enough to be at tableside with him during each one of them.
Matros’ specialty is Limit Hold’em. But he masters just about any game that’s based on numbers and percentages. He’s also extraordinarily gifted as a writer — having written at least one book (I believe he’s just finished another, which is a work of fiction).
I knew Matros before he was somewhat famous. When I resided in Washington, DC — Matros contacted me out of the blue because he was looking for a poker game to play in, and he figured I might know the local scene. Matros wrote about that experience and the game he ultimately found in his excellent book titled, The Education of a Poker Player.
I don’t do very well at making predictions. But I knew one thing the first time I met Matros — an initial instinct confirmed by more conversations and e-mail exxchanges with the Yale graduate, who now lives in New York City. And that was Matros was considerably smarter than me, and no doubt far more disciplined in just about everything he does. But he’s never one to behave as though that’s the case, with anyone. Matros initially thought he might learn something from me when contacting me about poker years ago, perhaps as someone a little older and more experienced in the business. But the more I have gotten to know Matros, I’m the one who has become the dedicated student.
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