Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 27, 2017 in Blog, General Poker, Las Vegas |

The Las Vegas Club in downtown Las Vegas was a smelly armpit of a casino, coated in a mix of disgusting bodily fluids and cheap booze, the dingy carpets dusted in cigarette ash and I adored every sick square sentimental inch of all that rotten residue and loved blowing every dumb dollar I wasted there. Here’s my recollection of the joy of tackiness.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 26, 2017 in Blog, Personal, Restaurant Reviews, Travel |

This is the third and final article in a trilogy on my reminiscence of Dallas.
Read PART 1 here.
Read PART 2 here.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 24, 2017 in Blog, Politics |

I’ve attended hundreds of sporting events at the college and pro level. This means I’ve witnessed the customary pre-game rendition of the national anthem more times than I can count in dozens of cities and stadiums all over the country.
I find it puzzling to see those who vehemently criticize pro football players for taking a knee being labeled as “disrespectful.” The protestors are “disrespecting the flag” is a popular accusation that’s been raised all over social media. The president has even jumped into the melee, and typically as has been his doing, he’s made the issue far more incendiary for the country he presumably governs.
However, based on my experiences observing the national anthem played at games, of all major sports, there does seem to be quite a bit of hypocrisy going on.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 24, 2017 in Blog |

Colin Kaepernick wasn’t the first NFL player to commit the sacrilege of refusing to stand at attention during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The national anthem’s first mutineer was none other than Duane Thomas, the enigmatic former star running back who played briefly for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins during the early 1970s.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 22, 2017 in Blog, Politics |

Just now, I went and looked up the word “maverick.”
The definition is as follows: “an unorthodox or independent-minded person.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been labeled a “maverick” off and on during much of his four decades in public life.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 18, 2017 in Blog, Politics, Travel |

We can’t help but be shaped by the experiences of our youth and the events of our past.
Last week in the heart of one of America’s poshest zip codes, a consecrated bronze memorial to Robert E. Lee was chiseled from its sturdy granite foundation. Unencumbered, then it was chained to a giant crane and hoisted upwards into the bright blue Texas September sky. Next, the bulky wrath of ire was loaded onto a reinforced flatbed truck. Ultimately, the disruptive shrine and controversial symbol which instilled pride in some and to many others epitomized overt racism, discrimination, and hate was carted away to its final resting place somewhere outside the city, presumably never to return again.
Here’s the story of a neighborhood, a park, and a statue. It’s never too late to do the right thing.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 15, 2017 in Blog, Restaurant Reviews |

My unplanned detour off Northwest Highway onto the oil-stained parking slick fronting Keller’s Drive-In prompted a most peculiar of culinary quandaries.
Namely — should I risk my life for a hamburger?
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Sep 5, 2017 in Blog, Politics |

Students of world history everywhere foresaw these crossroads of conflict intersecting quite a long time ago and there was little, if anything, anyone could do to stop the inevitable pile-up of geopolitical interests.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Aug 29, 2017 in Blog, Personal |

Deep down, I do think most people are good people. I believe most people want to help others when they can. Despite our differences, I’m convinced that most people want to help their neighbors and fellow citizens in times of crisis — even those they do not know.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Aug 28, 2017 in Blog, General Poker, Sports Betting |

When you see advertisements with scumbags driving luxury cars, fanning wads of cash, and surrounded by sexy girls — run in the opposite direction. They’re crooks. All of them.
The truth is — successful sports handicappers don’t call attention to themselves. They don’t toss around $100 bills like confetti for the cameras. They don’t hang out in Las Vegas nightclubs. Real sports handicappers work their asses off — because that’s what it takes to win.
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