Back from Texas!  I had forgotten what wide open spaces are like.  I flew into Midland, Texas about an hour away from my home.  Midland is where George Bush made his fortune, mostly in oil.  I remember Midland had more millionaires per capita than any place in America.  As I drove toward Sweetwater, I couldn't believe my eyes.

If you have never seen a wind farm, you wouldn't believe it.  Giant windmills about 200 feet high were everywhere.  These windmills produce electricity, enough to furnish several large cities.  T. Boone Pickens, noted oil man and conservationist is behind these wind farms and Sweetwater is his model city.  I know we never lack having a wind in West Texas, so they should do well.

On a good note, the declining economy hasn't affected the towns in West Texas.  Because of the wind farms and oil wells, there are plenty of jobs and houses are still being built.  Unfortunately, the people that are retired and on fixed incomes are feeling the crunch.  My older sister and brother-in-law have lost almost a third of their assets because of the declining stock market.  Where is it going to end?  Vegas is hit harder than any other town in America.  I watched our Congresswoman Shelley Berkley tell about our troubles.  Things don't look good for Nevada right now.  I've got confidence in America and I think we will turn things around.

Congrats to Freddie Deeb for winning the WPT Celebrity Invitational.  I always pull for the pro players in those events and Freddie is an appropriate champion.

I never thought I would watch a TV show like the Celebrity Apprentice but because I knew Annie Duke was on it, I was interested to see it.  I missed the program but watched it on NBC.com.  That's even better because you can watch deleted scenes and video interviews with the contestants.  I've certainly had my battles with Annie but I'm pro-Annie because I think she contributes much more than she takes away from the poker world.  One thing is obviously clear; all the women on the show really dislike Annie because she takes charge and bosses the ladies around.  But hey, that's the Annie we all know.  It was entertaining and one other thing was obvious, she is the smartest woman on the show.  I hope to see the next show, it should be exciting.

-DB