And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
– Bob Dylan

I’m troubled by the poker blogisphere this week. While I arrived a little late to the poker blog party, many had staked their internet claim long before the economic benefits of such had been realized. Yet as the pendulum of poker blogging’s economic bounty swings the other way, it seems many are toying with Thomas Wolfe’s assertion that “You can’t go back home…to the old forms and systems of things which seem everlasting but are changing all the time.”

While I never gave the trickle-down theory of economics much sway, there is compelling evidence that the shit is trickling down quickly in our little economic world. Or maybe it has nothing to do with economics. Maybe it is just the realization that some have been writing for a long time and this may just be a good time to end the chapter. Or maybe, as is often the case, I am just overreacting – projecting my own spin and interpretation on things I know little about. But there are some signs out there in the poker blogisphere that I find disturbing in my blog-centric world.

The UIGEA introduced a lot of grief into our lives and into our blogs, but not everyone reacted quite the same way. We seem to be cycling through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief. Some of us are moving quickly through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, while some of us dally. My own stages have waffled between anger and depression, so I searched for those that had found their way to less maudlin ground.

Initially I was drawn to Wicked Chops Poker. I felt that their irreverence and humor would transcend and I wasn’t disappointed. The boyz had made a ”bargaining” home for themselves; if they couldn’t have online poker, they could claim one of the carve-outs. For a whole week they defined themselves as Wicked Chops State Lotteries.

But then I came across this post, and I put them on my blog suicide watch list.

If there was anyone that could stay above the fray (unless it involved a bad floor call), it was Felicia Lee. While many have sainted her and many have scorned her, in the paraphrased words of Bridget Jones’ Mark Darcy, “I like her very much. Just the way she is.” I was craving the sanctity of one of her classic insightful poker-centric posts, but instead I found this. With Felicia it was never about “the scene” or the economics; it was always about the poker and the writing. Her journal is a testament to thoughtful introspection, candor, and some damn fine poker content – and IMHO, one of the best internet resources relative to mixed game play. She’s never half-assed or phoned in a post and she could never “overstay” my welcome. Whatever place she finds to channel her energies will be all the richer for it. She says she may continue to post from time to time – and I will be checking back – hoping.

It was bittersweet to read Whiskeytown’s post; looking forward to the WPBT Winter Classic, but speculating that it might be “our last time.” Then the death knell – he doesn’t think he can swing it. (pic is of me and Whiskeytown from last year’s EPBT) I also noticed that Michael Craig had resorted to shilling blog blackmail.

And just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, I came across this. In the words of Gracie, “Oh, the huge manatee!”
My silver lining this week is Iggy. (Btw – I have some great pictures of Iggy, but I take his death threats seriously) I thought we might lose the Iggster when he up and went corporate on us last month. I also figured that Party’s evacuation might signal the end of Iggy’s party. But for Iggy, the band plays on. He’s still keeping his fingers on the pulse of the internet and shooting off his classic uberly delicious posts. Way to buck up little buckaroo.