Like sand through the hourglass

So are the days of our lives, passing us by like rush-hour traffic. I hit my favorites tab, clicked on that site called "Poker Nation" and was shocked to see I hadn't posted in nearly a month.

It's been a busy month. I've been working on several samples for the soon-to-begin weekly poker columns that will appear not only in The Tuscaloosa News, but any of the newspapers among the New York Times regional newspaper group who care to run it. Beyond that, who knows? My lazy bones have yet to compile a database of newspapers in the various states so I can solicit my writing efforts, which may be futile anyway. Let me explain. The other day while the editors and I were discussing the column, I was handed a package containing an introduction and sample columns for "Hellmuth's Hold'em," a weekly poker startegy column by everyone's (favorite/least favorite) poker-playing Phil. Let's see, he's got the books, the DVDs, the cell-phone game, the seminars, the magazine column and now this?!? Milk them titties for all they're worth "Madison Kid."

I've got plenty of ideas, but it can be hard to take someone seriously when they have to stand against someone with nine WSOP bracelets (for the poker column) or against someone who writes for a national media outlet like ESPN.com (the poker travelogue.) Being successful at writing about poker may be tougher than winning at the game itself.

I'm also still writing the weekly video game review here with hopes of syndicating it, but have yet to really try (see lazy bones comment above.) On another video game note: this week, Tuscaloosa has been at the firestorm of national controversy after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Take-Two, the manufacturer of the "Grand Theft Auto" video game series and others following the shooting of three public safety officers in Fayette (about 45 minuts from here) two years ago by a teen who played the games incessantly. I'm sure most of you reading this have heard the reports.

I covered that one too. I don't think this tops my byline being in The New York Times last spring, but it is pretty cool to see a story you wrote appear in newspapers across the country, even across the globe. Would you believe The South African Star? Yes, I'm international. At least when I finally finish the book proposal, I can say my work has appeared in newspapers the world over.