- The Soft Landing of a Loud Mind
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Space Travel Sure Is Fun
A Cosmic Journey Through 2009
"Greetings from the user-friendly universe"
Home Base
The Peoples Republic of Santa Monica
Greetings from the user-friendly universe---The Peoples Republic of Santa Monica; Home of The Mac Store, and Apple, the forbidden fruit.
Mission Control established in California, where technology meets the ocean and dreams launch into reality. This is where all cosmic journeys begin and end.
Mars
The Majik Kingdom - Red Planet
First in January, I was in the Majik Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a bit like Mars.
Landing on the red desert planet, where the landscape is alien and the customs otherworldly. A harsh but fascinating world that challenges everything you thought you knew about civilization.
First planetary expedition: survived the Martian desert kingdom!
Moon
The Land of Smiles - Luna Base
Then in February, I went to The Land of Smiles, Thailand, and walked on the moon.
Moon landing successful! In Thailand's ethereal landscapes, gravity seems different and every step feels like floating. The smiles here are as bright as lunar reflections.
One small step for man, one giant leap for wanderlust.
Gas Giant
The Helium Report - Head in the Clouds
Finally, in March and April, I had my head in the clouds with The Helium Report, winning and losing the American dream in Macau every night, playing high-stakes no limit poker, on The Hong Kong Express.
Floating through the gas giant atmosphere of high-stakes gambling, where dreams and reality mix like helium and oxygen. The Hong Kong Express rockets between planets of possibility.
Earth Return
Leaving Las Vegas - United States of Unconsciousness
In May and June, I got my Baht out of Asia and went back to the United States of Unconsciousness, playing tournament poker in the black holes of Midwest bars and Las Vegas Casinos.
Re-entry into Earth's atmosphere proved turbulent. The black holes of Vegas casinos bend space-time, where hours disappear and fortunes vanish into the event horizon.
Spent the best part of my losing streak... in an Army Jeep, from what I can recall.
Asteroid Belt
World Tour-Cruise - Creating Own Luck
There's that line from Sheryl Crow - Standing in the middle of the desert waiting for my ship to come in...
In July, I decided to take a World Tour-Cruise (creating my own luck) to get away from the game. Navigating through the asteroid belt of European ports, each one a small world with its own gravitational pull.
Mission accomplished---I love poker but I am not in love with it anymore. Poker and I have decided to see other PPL.
Monaco
The Epiphany - Monte Carlo Space Station
Last month was the Epiphany. On a visit to Monaco, I was scheduled to level up, turning my bogus Poker PH.D. from ESPN, to the real deal in Monte Carlo. I didn't have any gamble in me and didn't even walk through the doors.
At the Monaco space station, the final frontier of gambling beckoned, but sometimes the greatest victory is knowing when not to engage. After all, you can only quit once.
The moment when the cosmos aligned to show the right path forward.
Southern Cross
Being Vincent Vega - Space Sheriff
The last three months, I have been in Russia and The Baltics, The British Isles, Scandinavia, The Greco-Italian-French Mediterranean. Now I am here in California to re-charge before the next leg--Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific...and The Southern Cross.
"I Never Went To Burger King"---Pulp-free fiction writer and Space Sheriff Ricochet Rabbit
Next mission: Southern Cross constellation - where new worlds await discovery.