Archives for September 2019

“Harvey Penick, who was known and loved all over the world, never really left home. Except for a few tournaments and teaching seminars, Harvey stayed at home in Austin, at his beloved Austin Country Club.The world came to Harvey.”

                                     Harvey Penick–Kevin Robbins

You know there are a few people in one’s life when it is well worth one’s  time to do that very thing, “go to some folks rather than have them come to you.” In my lifetime there has been such people who it was well worth my time to go sit with them on their porch, in a gymnasium, golf cart, coffee shop, living room and in a few cases even a church pew. And sometimes not so much to talk but to watch and listen.

I hope you have known a few such folks, you are lucky if you have. . =============================================

October 1, 2019

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

                                          WILL ROGERS #1

======================================== September 29, 2019

Titanic Thompson–The Man Who Bet on Everything–Kevin Cook

Well I would say that would be quite an entry into one’s town.

Titanic Thompson was a gambler, a hustler of first class ranking. A man who won and lost millions of dollars playing cards, dice, pool, golf, horseshoes, and anything else he could make a bet on with someone. He spent nearly fifty years in life of hustle.

He married five different women, all teenagers when he married them. It was said Titanic liked his women young and pretty, his cars big and fast and his suckers rich and gullible. He once ran a hustle in Robinson, Illinois that defies the mind.

I once asked a professional golfer in my home town of Terre Haute, Indiana, had he heard of him. “Heard of him, he came here and we played for some money.” The pro told me that they played nine holes and then Thompson wanted to play/ bet another nine holes playing him left-handed. He also told me the trunk of Thompson’s car was very interesting. Often hustlers such as Titanic carried a large sum of money in a suit case in the trunk of their car. Along with a gun. My pro friend said after they played Thompson asked:

                                   “Where’s the best card game in town?”

But in the end: “The gambler who had packed all the cash now picked coins from a dish in the kitchen so he could take his wife out for ice cream. The hustler who had driven through the Holland Tunnel with a satchel stuffed with $960,000 in cash now counted on a monthly Social Security  check  for $109.20 to get him through the month.”

Titanic Thompson–The Man Who Bet on Everything–Kevin Cook

Thompson died May 19th, 1974 and was buried under a shade tree in Colleyville, Texas. He had lived out his last years in a nursing home in Euless, Texas. The cards finally ran out.

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September 25, 2019

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

Tip was Tip O’Neill, one time speaker of the House of Representatives from Boston. The Gipper was at the time President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

Here were six points it was said that both of them tried to live by and believed regarding their political careers. Keep in mind they were of different political parties.

1.Both had been brought up to show respect  for positions of

   authority.

2.Both preferred to play by the rules.   O’Neill realized Reagan had    won the presidency. He recognized he and his party had lost the      election.

3.Neither acted like spoiled kids who when losing yells, “It’s my         ball and  I’m takin it home.” Both believed in keeping the

   process going.

4.Each understood the important rule of: “Always be able to talk.”

5.Each had the confidence to take counsel.

6.Both were growing not just older, but old and they knew it.

   If each were going to leave their mark they would somehow have     to do  it  with the other.

“What both men deplored more than each other’s  political philosophy was stalemate, and a country that was so polarized by ideology and party politics that it could not move forward. There were tough words and important disagreements….yet a stronger commitment to getting things done. They respected elections, accepted  who had won, knew that duty came with the office.”

                          Quoted from the book–Tip and The Gipper

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September 24, 2019

Keep on,

Larry Adamson

(I did know better than to hang dice–knew that would not fly with my dad)