Half-mast for Boston

I just can't bring myself to write much about poker today. The Hollywood Poker Open results and discussions (John Roberts Jr. won the Main Event as it seemed he would, while the amazing William Corvaia fought his way to second place to go with two prelim wins and a third earlier in the series' St. Louis visit) will have to wait for another day.

All the talk and attention has been attracted to Boston, the murders by bombs near the finish area of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon.

So very very very sad. My heart does go out to those truly suffering and directly affected.

I admit I'm something of a hard, cold case. People get hurt and die every day in many many ways and places. People suffer. Sadly, that is and always will be an unchangeable, unstoppable part of life. I try to empathize with and help all. One lost life is just like another -- sad, but done. And the rest of life goes on. And nothing will change that universal rhythm.

What's really sad and aggravating is the finger-pointing and false stories and fake heroes that events like the Boston Marathon Bombings always sprout. I saw it over and over in 25 years of newspaper work. I saw much good, like after the Luby's Cafeteria attack in Killeen, TX. I also saw much and many that were bad. I'm admit I'm jaded and turned off by it, by the noise-makers and flag-wavers and woe-warners and others trying to make a place for themselves and their egos in something that would be much better off without them around. My applause and appreciation is all for the quiet individual who helps the other individual in pain and need, and never seeks anything for it, not even recognition. Doing good and the right thing is its own reward, really. That's real heroism! That's being a good human.

This Boston thing will drag on and on and on; tragedy always makes for oppportunistic follow-ups to which the greedy and bored both flock. I'll say one more thing: This does not seem like terrorism of an international basis. Usually those kind of attacks feature suicide bombers, human bombs to cause the mayhem, faceless villains quick to claim the credit. This smells highly of domestic terrorism, of Oklahoma City and the assassination attempts on politicians and judges, of deluded cowards and crazies who'd attack theatres, schools or churches. But that's for the investigators to discover, that is their job. And they will. And the real instigators will be punished.

Meanwhile, let's just help ease sufferers' pains anywhere we can, one person at a time, one simple step at a time, anyway we best can. Please.