II. Scattershooting, while wondering whatever happened to….

Scattershooting, while wondering whatever happened to….child-actor Haley Joel Osment.

• Stuff is falling off my plate right now, which is nothing unusual for someone who likes to eat.  But it’s all things poker-related at the moment, including my ongoing work for Poker Night in America and the 45th annual World Series of Poker which is fast approaching.  Nevertheless, there’s still time to stop for reflection.

• My favorite Twitter post this week comes from Gareth Edwards (follow at:  @GazTheWolf) who mused:  “If you watch Godzilla backward it’s about a benevolent lizard that rebuilds a city and moonwalks back into the sea.”

• The WSOP National Championship is currently taking place in Atlantic City (Bally’s).  This concludes the ninth season of national circuit events.  Wow.  It seemed like yesterday when Ken Lambert came to me in late 2004 with this new idea to hold four circuit events around the country a year.  Now, it’s more than 20 and still expanding.  This was the first season I didn’t work any of the events, following nearly a decade on the road with my colleagues, players — and so many friends one and the same.  I miss the great staff — including supervisors and dealers.  I even miss Joanne Douglas, the WSOP Circuit administrator.  Well, sometimes.

• Even though I stepped away from the WSOP Circuit this past season, I continued to follow the action.  In fact, the National Championship final table will be played today.  My compliments to the fine writers Kaelaine Minton, Lukas Willems, and others who did the most traveling and covered more events than ever before.  Congratulations and thanks for a job well done which really serves the poker community.

• Hollywood is releasing two new movies this week.  One stars Adam Sandler.  The other stars Jessica Alba.  If that’s not immediate grounds for a box office bomb and a clear indication both films belong on a flaming shit pile, I don’t know what is.

• Last night, I played Pot-Limit Omaha with Dan Goldman at the Aria.  Great game (of course it was because Dan and I were spewing chips), which was still rocking when I left it at 5 am.  It’s one of the few PLO games in town, which is puzzling to me.  PLO is such a better action game than No-Limit Hold’em.  More fun to play.  Bigger pots.  I have no idea why there aren’t PLO games all over town.

• The Aria ass-jammed me for $5.41 for a small café latte.  A small!  Aren’t they like $3.40 at Starbucks?  And even that’s high!  $5.41?  Seriously?

• I didn’t think it was possible to have any lower opinion of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.  But the bumbling former flop of a presidential candidate who couldn’t remember the name of the federal agency he wants to abolish, the prince of confusion who once called Turkey’s elected government “Islamic terrorists,” has sunk to mind-boggling new lows  This week, one of Sheldon Adelson’s paid minions likely forwarded the governor a scripted op-ed piece, which was then subsequently published under Perry’s byline in National Review.  Magazine founder William F. Buckley would roll his eyes were he to witness the nonsense now being published in what used to be a true bastion of conservative intellectual thought, which has now deteriorated into a right-wing rag of groundless mudslinging.  Read Perry’s ludicrous editorial, where he somehow confuses the argument that legalizing online gambling/poker means an “expansion of government (which will) raise more questions about the government presence in our daily lives.”  For those who are confused — Perry wants the feds to BAN online poker.  Yet he argues against government intervention in our lives.  Run that by me again, Gov?  LINK HERE

• One more comment on this Adelson mess.  I’ve already written that Harry Reid (D-NV) is the worst Senate Majority Leader in history.  It’s not even close anymore.  He’s running up the score at this point.  Here’s a challenge:  You find me a worse former Senate Majority Leader (go ahead, try).  By that, I mean someone who has stood on principles and/or be effective in passing legislation.  Reid is a disgrace, and this comes not from the Right, but from a progressive voice on the Left.  Earlier this week, Reid flaked out yet again by rushing to the defense of Sheldon Adelson who’s been attacked in the media a lot lately, with good reason.  See more on Reid’s political handjob here, courtesy of Jon Stewart.

• I previously mentioned four new (soon-to-be-released) poker-related books on my desk — three of which I’ve now read.  Another arrived this week, this one by British author, the ultra-prolific Des Wilson.  It’s called “Growing Old:  The Last Campaign.”  Marieta grabbed it immediately and raced through it in just two days.  That’s a good sign.  She considers it a great book, full of unique insights.  My review will be forthcoming after I have a chance to complete it.

• I received an unexpected phone call a few days ago.  Poker activist-writer, player, attorney-at-law, and world traveler Allyn Jaffrey Shulman called me to inquire if I’d be attending the Women in Poker Hall of Fame ceremony, coming in late June.  I told her I wouldn’t miss the event for anything.  I added that I was proud to see her induction this year.  Next, Allyn surprised me by asking if I would be the official speaker for her induction.  What a huge honor.  I’m really looking forward to speaking on behalf of Allyn and telling the world about all she’s done for the game.

• The zig-zagging American Gaming Association has now distanced itself from the online poker battle, citing “divisions” within the lobbying organization.  Translation:  It’s Sheldon Adelson versus just about everyone else.  On Wednesday, the AGA stated they were no longer endorsing federal legislation to legalize online gambling/poker.  Here’s a question for everyone:  Has any lobbying group in Washington been less effective in terms of influence than the AGA over the past 15 years?  Maybe losing the support of this sponging trade association is actually a good thing.

• Earlier this week, we went and saw the 1960 film Spartacus, which was playing in a retro night showing at one of the local theaters.  These old movies are truly meant to be seen on the big screen.  Watching videos just doesn’t do them justice.  I encourage you to check out these throwback movies, which appear a few times weekly here in town.  As for Spartacus, I had no idea how extraordinary an actor Lawrence Olivier was until I watched him utterly dominate the big screen in the role of the villain Crassus.  Yeah, I’d seen the much older Olivier many times and watched him in several roles on video.  But he blows everyone in this film away, no small task given the cast includes Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis, and Peter Ustinov (who surprisingly was the only one to win an Oscar).

• Later tonight, Marieta and I will be joining poker writer Chad Holloway (Poker News) who will attend a special scotch tasting and seminar at the Whisky Attic.  The 90-minute class and tasting are overseen by UNLV professor Adam Carmer.  A little background — Chad, Marieta, and I toured the Rum Factory in New Orleans a few years ago.  We vowed that we’d do the same whenever the occasion came up in other cities.  Who knew there was a scotch haven here in Las Vegas?

Cheers!