DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Two people can look at exactly the same thing and see something different.”

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. I remember it well when as an 8-year-old farmboy, my parents called me in to listen to the news on our old radio. War is such a terrible thing, we sometimes forget how costly it is in money and lives. I remember reading how we lost more American lives in Gettysburg than we lost in the entire Vietnam War. The Civil War was really dumb.

I’m not sure if I have the swine flu or not, but I certainly have some kind of bug. I’ve been taking flu shots for 20 years and have never had the flu since I started taking them. So this must be some kind of a different strain but I don’t have fever which goes along with the swine stuff. I’ll kick it in a few days, my immune system has always been strong.

I had a fundraiser for Congressman Pete King from New York at my home this past week. The Congressman is the strongest Republican supporter of the Barney Frank bill asking that online poker be legalized. All the interested poker players should Google Pete King and make a contribution to his campaign fund. We need all the help we can get in Washington.

It’s great to be home sleeping in my own bed. I’ve traveled so much this past year I’ve forgotten what a great family (and dogs) I’ve got. I’m going to do my best to curtail my traveling next year (even though I just made my airline reservations to London in January).

The tournament at the Bellagio is getting lots of players. Deservedly so, because I love the structure of the different tourneys. The slow structure makes for better players to be at the final tables which makes the TV shows better watching. And make no mistake about it, television is the main reason poker has done so well the past few years.

I keep getting Holiday cards from friends everywhere. That’s great, I appreciate them, but at the Brunson house it’s “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year”. Remember, Christmas celebrates Jesus Christ’s birthday!

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.”

Just to be clear about my Doylisms, not all of them are original.  People come up to me and say, “I read that somewhere before.”  I read a lot when I have time and jot down sayings that make an impression on me.  There is a wide variety, all the way from Will Rogers to Winston Churchill.  Other Doylisms come from things I’ve heard in conversation and some are original ones that I create.  Anyways, they are lots of fun.

I’m in the middle of a minor domestic dispute with my wife.  Louise is an absolute jewel and needs to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for putting up with me for 47 years.  But sometimes, I’m reminded of an old Texas saying, “There are only two times in a man’s life when he doesn’t understand women.  Before marriage and after marriage.”

There is no high-limit poker right now.  Everybody has gone to the Bahamas for a tournament.  As I have repeatedly said, internet poker and tournaments have ruined live cash games.  I may go to Ireland for the Irish Open, but I’m not going to do much traveling.  Las Vegas and California have enough tournaments for me.  I really like the slowdown structure most of the big tournaments are going to.

If you read my last blog, Margaret Hussman, a 15 year old girl from El Paso who is diagnosed with untreatable cancer, is trying to do fun things for the duration of her life.  She went to New York, took a helicopter tour of the city, went to a musical on Broadway and bought tons of souvenirs.  Send Margaret some words of encouragement to anne@ddgoose.com Maybe, just maybe, the doctors will be wrong and Margaret will make it.

The University I went to in Texas has sent me a letter informing me that I’m to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame there.  This came after years and years of my friends and teammates trying to get me inducted.  My name was brought up to the selection committee 10-15 times and was rejected.  Why?  Because I’m a Pro Poker Player and the University is a Baptist college who doesn’t approve of gambling.  I don’t mean to toot my own horn but my credentials as an athlete during my college years certainly qualify me.  I’m in a dilemma if I should accept.