My good friend DJ Coffman reminded me of something today… something the Deacon might have said about “not talking politics, religion or your wife, because it will ALWAYS start some kinda argument.”

I have to agree. I tend to neglect that rule sometimes at my own peril. I am sure the last thing people care to read when they visit a poker comic is a political rant and I should have left it alone. It really wasn’t my intention to offend anyone or start a debate. So this will be my last blog on the subject. We have a community forum and anything outside of poker will remain there.

The old timers only had to worry about this rule in bars or at the poker table. Today the Internet gives EVERYONE a voice and we all have opinions on just about everything. Even stoonads like myself. But it also allows for babbling buffoons to write up half way coherent hate emails to yours truly.

Let me first make it very clear….. these views are my own. I do not speak for Brandon or DJ.

Up until last election I have been a staunch Republican. The only person outside of the party I ever voted for was John Kerry. I ALWAYS voted along party lines and I donated to individual candidates. At one point I had even considered working for the Colorado Republican Party… Anyone who knows me personally would have referred to me as your typical big mouth Republican who only thought his way was the RIGHT way.. I supported George Bush and voted for him…. I still have my election year buttons, bumper stickers, & plushies… And I very much supported the reasons we were given for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was gung-ho! Bomb em all!

Then something happened. The truth started to filter out and it became more and more clear… For me it really only boils down to two scenarios, Either A… Our President and his staff were given the wrong information about everything.. like they claim… or B… they lied to us. Now if we go with A… then shouldn’t the next question be how is it possible that our government could be so wrong about so many things? Wouldn’t you assume that the current administration has no idea what they are doing?

Now I lean towards B. Because I don’t think our government is filled with idiots.. Just one…

If our intelligence agencies are really that incompetent to the point in causing the deaths of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands Iraqi civilians…. Then maybe we should be sending our agents back to spy school and those in charge of them back to their ranches.

ugh! Where is little Penny from Inspector Gadget when you need her!

The war on “terror” is a joke… a lie… just like the war on drugs .. and the war on Christmas. It’s all fear induced propaganda to fund the pockets of the people who are supposed to be protecting us.

You know… we are back to pre 9-11 prosecution rates of “terror” suspects now. Progress… gotta love it!

So 5 years after 9-11…. how does the world look to ya?

Back to the babbling buffoon. This is a portion of an email I received yesterday from one angry individual;

I agree this Country is divided. I admittedly am not
befriending any misinformed, ignorant Americans who
vote Democrat. If I hate you for your political
beliefs, and you find that divides us as a Country,
tough shit. “F” political correctness, and “F” we are
all one happy family regardless of our differences.
If you are not part of the solution, THEN YOU ARE PART
OF THE PROBLEM. I do not associate with Americans who
in my view are part of the problem. I’ll assist and
befriend anyone who thinks like I do, and curse anyone
who doesn’t. Does that divide us as a Nation? Yes.
Do I think that is wrong? NO. If you are a liberal,
socialist, Democrat voting bastard them I shall
isolate you, and make life hard for you if I can.

People like you want to kiss the ass of foriegn
countries who hate us. You want to “be more like
them”, you don’t want to offend them. Screw that !
You want America to become more like France, or
Canada, or any of the other many places on Earth, THEN
MOVE THERE and leave America to Americans. You like
the Canadian health care system? You like socialism,
then please go there!

America has it’s flaws, but it is still the best place
on Earth (for now) and it will not continue to be so
if we change to be more like other places. America is
great because of capitalism. Socialist Democrats harm
this with each social program they create and defend.

Screw you, you liberal socialist bastard.

My favorite part is the end. I appreciate that. I have been called a right-wing idiot a few times… and bastard more than I can count… but never a liberal socialist bastard! That is cool. Must mean I am making progress. I also love the part how he plans on making life hard for those who don’t adhere to his philosophies. pffff-HAH! Now that’s the American way!

He also goes on to say how he thinks that “Clinton lying to Congress under oath is a tie with 5000 service men/women dead.” He complained about having to explain to his “young children” why the president “lied under oath to congress like that”…

Sir… the only thing I question is a parent who has his small children watching television reports about a grown man and his private sexual encounters. Did you explain to them the length of the cigar too? How about instead of sitting your “young children” in front of the nightly news… You read them a safe little story about bears and porridge. I have 2 small children… You know how many blow job questions they have asked? NONE… ya moron…. What sane parent subjects their children to the unnecessary events of the day??

I find it pretty funny you find the need to tell me to love it or leave it.. I love this country more than I can say… and my family has deep roots. My mother’s side has been here since the late 1600s and my father’s side were Italian immigrants. All of my uncles served during Vietnam and my grandfather fought in the Battle for Leyte in WWII. So don’t question my patriotism.. People like you who suggest LOVE IT OR LEAVE it.. need to crawl back into your double wides and re-think what it is to truly be an American.. You are a fool to suggest that anyone go anywhere. What made this country great is the ability to confront injustice with question and debate. If it makes me un-American to show my displeasure with our failing policies.. then un-American I am.. I think when you blindly follow like scared sheep in the night without asking questions… that… that is un-American..

I thank you for your email though. I can now mark “get hate mail” off my life to-do list.

That’s it for blog posts and politics… we now return to our normally scheduled program..

- Frank Frisina

poker, comic, george bush, terror, lies

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Life’s A Bluff consultant Matthew Waldron has written a new article for our Deal With It section. It is an argument for leaving the WSOP format alone to evolve. It is very well written and a good read.

Here is a snippet;

Recently, there has been a plethora of articles and editorials from poker magazines, blogs, web sites and newsletters stating arguments for refining or changing the WSOP. Mainly, these are arguments for making sure its more likely for a pro to win the WSOP main event again, changing the event or buy in for the main event, or raising the limits all over to limit the field. Most claim that everyone sees the need for this change and it is obvious that things like this need to be done to make the tournament “fair” or keep its level of prestige. I, for one, disagree.

Go check out the rest of it here.

Feedback is very much appreciated.

- Frank

Possibly Related Posts:

• Happy Holidays
• Random Questions with Chad Brown
• LaB Annual Toy Drive - tik tik
• Random Questions with Dan Harrington
• 60 Minutes Online Poker Report