HAT TIPS

Hello,

Shirley says to, “Tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving!” So there, that is from both of us. I hope you had a great day, or several days with family and friends. The diet after Thanksgiving begins now.

Many of my friends from years ago remember the years I served in the State Senate. I did a ten-year sentence during the eighties and early nineties.

During my time, I never saw a gaming bill that I didn’t like. Maybe it was because agriculture is such a gamble anyway, that to risk a few dollars on the turn of a card or a roll of the dice is much less of a gamble than seeding wheat or turning a bull out with a bunch of cows.

I liked lottery bills, blackjack bills, and poker bills.

A couple years ago, a friend from those years called and needed assistance. He wanted me to call a couple of current legislators and urge them to support electronic pull-tab machines. For those not familiar with these, they are a close relative of slot machines. Even down to the “Ding-ding-ding”!

I did my friend a favor and we now have e-pull-tab machines in a lot of places.

Fast forward to last week. I sometimes stop at a local establishment in mid or late afternoon to visit with friends. One of these friends we refer to as “Wyoming Bob.” Wyoming Bob is a rancher from Wyoming, who is also a mechanic that followed the “boom” to Dickinson. He is a rancher, a mechanic, and a barbecue master. He is world famous at a couple of bars in Dickinson.

Anyway, every time I stop at this one local stop, maybe once a week, Wyoming Bob is sitting in the same chair, in front of the same machine, putting bills in as fast as he can.

Lately I have made it my mission to save this one individual from the ravages of video gambling, which I helped instigate.

Last week, I laid it on pretty heavy. “Bob. Bob. You are ruining your life. You have to get away from that machine. You don’t visit anymore. You have developed an addiction that is overwhelming your life! I will help. I have the number to call.”

In the middle of my speech, he hit a five hundred dollar winner! Wyoming Bob let out a western yell and hollered at the cocktail waitress, “Get everyone in the house a drink on me! Except for Dean.”

I’m through saving people. Two to one, he’s playing the jars or machines when I stop later today.

Later, Dean