Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Republicans in disarray!

You are here: Home / We’ll meet again on the avenue

We’ll meet again on the avenue

by | 198 Comments

This post is in: ,

New shit in my life has come to light, and while I can’t make you privy to it, I can tell you that I have to retire from political blogging. It’s nothing bad, but given the nature of the new shit, I probably can’t be talking about Robespierre and Baader-Meinhoff and life-ending meteors anymore, and without being able to do that, what’s the point?

It’s been a preasure and a plivilege writing about politics here. I’ll still do a music post once-a-week (or more) or so.

Update. Thanks to everyone for everything! Honestly, this blog is more about the commenters than anything else. And I’ll still comment about politics, under a different name….

Reader Interactions

198Comments

  2. 2.

    mattH

    Well shit. Take care of yourself. Come back when you can. Maybe Tim can fill in a bit more.

  4. 4.

    Curtis

    Say it ain’t so, DougJ, you’re one of my fav bloggers. Good luck with the new shit.

  6. 6.

    Dave

    That’s some fucking bullshit, right there. You are the number one reason this site is my first internet of the day. Everyone else is the second reason, so it will remain my gateway to the day’s impending horrors, but still, make up some nom de fuck-you and keep it rolling.

    Those sons-of-bitches will never sleep, and neither should you.

  10. 10.

    David in NY

    Darn. I’ll miss you almost as much as I missed Max Sawicky, an early and cranky anti-war and economics blogger who took a new job and had to quit. But I think he’s coming back a half-decade or more later, and so, I hope, will you.

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    Damn. I’m not even hesitant to admit you’re my fav front pager. I’ll miss your perspective. At least we still get music threads from you!

    Are you also gonna have to give up ur twitter acct too?

  15. 15.

    Nicole

    Aww, boo. You have to do what is best, of course, but I will miss the posts very much.

  16. 16.

    Morzer

    New shit in my life has come to light, and while I can’t make you privy to it, I can tell you that I have to retire from political blogging.

    DougJ done joined the FBI!

  17. 17.

    SiubhanDuinne

    This is great news.

    Said no-one EVER.

    Damn, DougJ, I hope this is just a temporary (and brief) situation. Stay well and safe, or whatever the appropriate wish is, and check back as soon as you can.

  18. 18.

    Anne Laurie

    I most sincerely hope the changes end up being a large positive! Your rants will be greatly missed here, but I’m still looking forward to your music posts… plus, eventually, perhaps, more details.

  23. 23.

    DougJ

    @Valdivia:

    Yes, for sure.

    I guess this is really a Michael Jordan style retirement since I plan to come back in three-to-six years.

  25. 25.

    max

    New shit in my life has come to light, and while I can’t make you privy to it, I can tell you that I have to retire from political blogging.

    Wait. You’re actually Scott Walker?!

    I’ll still do a music post once-a-week (or more) or so.

    Adios uh, buenas dias and see you on the music posts.

    max
    [‘Music for guillotines, I hope.’]

  27. 27.

    Jay in Oregon

    Best of luck to you on whatever is going on, Doug.

    I hope to see you return, and sooner rather than later.

  31. 31.

    spudgun

    Coming out of lurkdom to say that this news bums me out COMPLETELY, but I understand the decision. At least you’ll still put up music posts, but I prefer your political commentary.

    Godammit.

    ETA: Now I’m going to have to join Twitter, ya bastid – thanks a lot!!

  32. 32.

    Valdivia

    @DougJ:

    Yay. Light at end of long long tunnel. Also too–as long as you come back only to play basketball and not baseball a la Jordan! ;)

  34. 34.

    Corner Stone

    Your fastball had lost a bit, let’s be honest. And your curve was kinda hangy.

  35. 35.

    replicnt6

    @DougJ:

    I guess this is really a Michael Jordan style retirement since I plan to come back in three-to-six years.

    Three to six, eh? That’s a tough rap. I hear you want to beat the shit out of someone, anyone, the first day. Supposedly, people don’t fuck with you so much after that.

    Well, this just sucks.

  36. 36.

    James E. Powell

    It’s so hard to say au revoir, so let’s just say hors d’ouevres.

    And since I cannot find a video of that lovely song, I will leave you with this one.

  39. 39.

    Lee Rudolph

    @DougJ: So, you have inside information that the world will still be in one piece in three-to-six years? That’s good to know, anyway.

  42. 42.

    ? Martin

    @DougJ: 3-6 huh? Sounds like a Class-D felony. I’d have thought Doug got picked up for:

    Endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person in the first degree

    But David Brooks is only 52, though he is incompetent. Could also be:

    Aggravated cemetery desecration in the first degree

  43. 43.

    srv

    I knew there would be trouble once he started talking about a fiance.

    You people better hope John never gets married.

  44. 44.

    mdblanche

    I’ll miss your posts. Good luck in court/on the campaign trail/with the background check/whatever other scenario fits your mysterious explanation.

  47. 47.

    the Conster

    I hate this. You and TBogg have the clearest view of our fucked up political landscape. So does Charlie Pierce, but that’s his job. I like your improvisation. Get a sock puppet and stick around.

  49. 49.

    SFAW

    @? Martin:

    But David Brooks is only 52, though he is incompetent.

    Ain’t a court in the land would convict Doug for beating the shit out of Brooksie. “Your Honor, we find the Defendant not gillcup, because the alleged victim really, REALLY deserved it. Multiple times. With a baseball bat.”

  50. 50.

    ? Martin

    @schrodinger’s cat: Yeah, that’d be my guess. 3 years is standard tenure for dept chair (or comparable administrative role) at most universities.

    Also worth noting, a stint as department chair is indistinguishable from serving out a Class D felony.

  51. 51.

    Dee Loralei

    Awwww, dammit Doug.You will be missed. Thanks for all the great political posts. I’m glad you are still doing music, though.

  56. 56.

    agorabum

    Quitters never win…but I’m not too worried. You’ll be back. They always come back…someday.

  57. 57.

    xenos

    Ten years ago I started reading Balloon Juice. I have not come back here nearly every day, a good 3,000 times at least, to read John Cole, much as folks here like and appreciate him. I have done it for the Dougj.

    Godspeed, man.

    They can make you Dean or Dept Chair, but they can’t keep you there forever!

  58. 58.

    Eljai

    Hey, I know, maybe you can do subversive political blogging through your music posts. I will be interpreting lyrics very intently…

  62. 62.

    SatanicPanic

    What!?! LAME. Looks like we’re already speculating on the reasons. I got nothing. Except maybe Alexandra Petri is blackmailing him on something, and he’s going to be paying for her college education the next 3-6 years.

  63. 63.

    SatanicPanic

    What!?! LAME. Looks like we’re already speculating on the reasons. I got nothing. Except maybe Alexandra Petri is blackmailing him on something, and he’s going to be paying for her college education the next 3-6 years.

  65. 65.

    EvolutionaryDesign

    Well shit – another one bites the dust. Gonna miss you man. Your posts are the best on this site by a mile (seeing as how John only talks about Hockey and GOT anymore). Good luck in your future!

  67. 67.

    srv

    Hey, what about having your wife channel you? We would be really nice to her. She would learn so much about you, we could fill her in on your dark past.

  68. 68.

    Corner Stone

    I still remember the day we we’re playing 2 on 2 driveway basketball and my friend’s sister came down the block to get him.
    “Hey, your girlfriend is on the phone and wants to talk to you.”
    He dropped the ball, turned and life was never the same after that.
    Women. *huff*

  69. 69.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    Always been a fan of yours.

    All the best and hope you return some day soon.

  70. 70.

    SarahT

    Are you joining the French Foreign Legion or the cast of “Naked and Afraid” or Jehovah’s Witnesses or SEAL Team 6 ?

  74. 74.

    SFAW

    Doug –
    I guess I’m a little disappointed that you didn’t troll us one last time, something like “But I’ve been talking to John about this, and he agreed to bring back Freddie deBoer to fill the void.”

    That woulda been good fun.

  77. 77.

    JustRuss

    You can’t go, all the plants will die!

    Forgot to use that the day Harold Ramis died, and have been saving it ever since.

  78. 78.

    Corner Stone

    Don’t beat yourself up too much about it, DougJ. She totally *looked* 18. No one could possibly blame you.
    Except for that DA dude, I mean.

  82. 82.

    JPL

    OMG.. Are you working for Hillary? Anyway good luck and I will add to what others are posting.. This sucks for us.

  85. 85.

    slag

    That’s a bummer! So, BJ will be all pets, gardening, sports, and cooking all the time now? The FCC turning the Internet over to AT&T is now officially not the worst thing to have happened to us.

  86. 86.

    penpen

    I hope this is a prelude to the debut of Balloon Juice’s newest pseudonymous poster Jug Day

  87. 87.

    Corner Stone

    @penpen:

    I hope this is a prelude to the debut of Balloon Juice’s newest pseudonymous poster Jug Day

    Ha. He was the undisputed master back in the day. But he simply doesn’t have it anymore. I can’t imagine what level of effort it takes to troll so many, for so long. That’s gotta take it out of you.
    I just hope that one day, in the not too distant future, the DougJ Chronicles will be written and published. That’s going to be like a psychology clinic of zeitgeist infused mayhem, crossed with the musical stylings of an 80 year old black male.

  89. 89.

    spudgun

    @srv: Shoot, it’s already bad enough with Sean around! (I mean, I’m glad he is because it makes John happy to have him around, but you have to admit the postings have been light.)

  90. 90.

    Johannes

    You will be missed, DougJ, and I hope the change is for your good, even though it’s our loss.

    (Troll us under a new pseudonym every now and again? For old times’ sake?)

  91. 91.

    Warren Terra

    This is truly terrible news. I’ve wondered, because you’re pseudonymous but do hints that could reveal your identity and simultaneously make it clear you have colleagues who’d dislike your activities online.

    Stay strong, and do what you need to to protect yourself.

  92. 92.

    mdblanche

    @? Martin: The head of the department where I got my degree has now served for nine years. I’m pretty sure she burned down an orphanage in a previous life.

  93. 93.

    Ripley

    Adios then. You’re what kept me coming back to this den of ravaging jackals regularly, and you’ve been scarce lately, so it’s not overly surprising. Still, a bummer. Cheers. Best of luck in the burn-out factory.

  94. 94.

    dollared

    We’ll miss you. Don’t forget the music post.

    Is there enough wiggle room for you to take the job of finding song lyrics to use as the headlines for John’s posts?

    And congratulations, because I’m assuming it is a new development that is worth giving up this august position.

  97. 97.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    I probably can’t be talking about Robespierre and Baader-Meinhoff and life-ending meteors anymore

    No life-ending meteors talk!, I’m rethinking that DougJ tat.

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    This is like coming home to find out that the neighbor behind you has cut down all the trees that shaded your yard. You counted on the shade without really thinking about it, now all the shade is gone, it sucks, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.

    3-6 years? They had better be giving you a lot of money, or prestige, or something that really matters.

  100. 100.

    johnny aquitard

    This is the ultimate DougJ trolling effort!

    Right?

    Right?

    Aw, shit.

    Good luck with whatever you need to do. I enjoyed your posts.

  102. 102.

    Svensker

    Well I hope it’s good for you. It sucks for us. But if it IS good for you, congrats! And if it isn’t good for you, hope it gets better.

    Dang, dude, the joint won’t be the same.

    Crums.

  106. 106.

    Paul W.

    What the fuck!? I hope this is just you covering your bases to occasionally make a guest post, beyond even just music (of which, your taste is much appreciated). Whatever the “new shit that has come to light” is, I hope you will abide and do well in the wide world beyond!

  107. 107.

    Wag

    I saw you last night down on the Avenue
    Your face was in the shadows but I knew that it was you.

    Gonna miss our righteous political rants, and your cryptic lyric references.

    at least we’ll have your excellent taste in music

  108. 108.

    hildebrand

    Good luck in whatever venture it is that takes you away from this corner of the internet. I will miss your take on the parade of stupid. Come back and visit when you can sneak away.

  109. 109.

    feebog

    Hope you get by the new shit and come back as a front pager sooner rather than later DougJ. No one does a title like you…

  113. 113.

    PaulW

    What the hell happened, did you finally get all the paperwork straightened out for your 2016 Presidential campaign?!

  114. 114.

    joel hanes

    Ave atque vale

    Thanks for all you’ve done.

    Good luck and good karma in your future endeavor.

  116. 116.

    Mary G

    I am totally bummed. Will miss your titles, especially. Good luck in the new position.

  117. 117.

    jimmiraybob

    I usually read without comment at BJ…with some exceptions such as the Great Fountain Hills, AZ Trash Contract Wars of 2010 or to wistfully reminisce about the time JC almost naming Steve, Willie Magee. I’ll just say thanks and good luck and thanks again. Maybe we’ll see your full commentary here again when the time is right.

  118. 118.

    Cain

    Wait, so no more trolling on twitter either? Goddam it… Certainly, you could createa new pseudonym, and post comments, no? :)

  122. 122.

    Wag

    I saw you last night down on the Avenue
    Your face was in the shadows but I knew that it was you

    Thanks for the cryptic lyric references I’ll miss the epic political rants, but will look forward to the music threads

  123. 123.

    the Conster

    Well, Cole told us that you’re a quant so when you said you’ll be back in 3 to 6 years, I guess we can take it to the bank, if there are any banks.

    We should celebrate! You’re a force for good and you’re wicked smaht. CONGRATULATIONS DOUGJ! [[sad face]]

    @Glenn: LOL

    @slag: all of this. MOAR STEVE

  124. 124.

    MarkusOfarkus

    Unlurking just to say… this blows. Good luck with that new shit. Yes on more music posts. Otherwise, take care.

  127. 127.

    Felonius Monk

    Good luck with the new shit. Your political observations will be sorely missed.

  129. 129.

    David brooks

    It was only a matter of time until you realized the hopelessness of trying to influence in the way that only us special few can. Nonetheless I found your posts amusing on a superficial, vernacular level.

    I wish to show my abundant graciousness to my striving lesser by sending you off with a hearty godspeed (unless of course you are spending this time on an updated guillotine and revolutionary plan)

  130. 130.

    MomSense

    I hope the new shit that came to light is good shit and that you enjoy life away from the blog until we see you here again in 3-6 with time off for good behavior.

  131. 131.

    ilsalund41

    I am usually a reader and I don’t comment very often, but Doug is a huge reason why I love BJ. I wish you would stay. I wish I could continue to read your work. I’m selfish like that. I hope that what is going on with you is a good thing for your life, but I feel quite a loss at your departure. This sucks for the BJ community. Good luck, Doug. Don’t be a stranger.

  133. 133.

    eemom

    Adding to the This Sucks list. : (

    To paraphrase the end of Charlotte’s Web, it is not often that someone comes along who is a master troll of VSPs and an encyclopedia of song lyrics. DougJ was both.

    : (

  136. 136.

    hilts

    Doug,

    This sucks big time. It’s been an honor and a privilege to read your posts. You will be greatly missed.

  137. 137.

    Schlemizel

    and that, Dougie, is why I hide behind a nym.

    You will be missed guy. I wish you well in whatever your new life may be

  138. 138.

    Josie

    We’ll definitely miss you. It must be good to take you away from such upstanding citizens as ourselves. We will look forward to the music posts.

  140. 140.

    Flukebucket

    Sometimes you are sorry you checked in on your favorite blog. This is one of those times. Best to you. Music posts will be fun. Al Green was one hell of a great choice.

  142. 142.

    YellowJournalism

    You better be running for President or something important, because this sucks. We’ll miss you!

  144. 144.

    DougJ

    @dollared:

    Is there enough wiggle room for you to take the job of finding song lyrics to use as the headlines for John’s posts?

    Yeah, I’ve been thinking I want to do that if possible!

  146. 146.

    Riley's enabler

    Damn. Hoping it’s all good reasons, Doug. Thanks for the good reads. Will look forward to your return.

    Bummer.

  148. 148.

    LT

    Damn and dust, DougJ, sincerely bummed to hear this. Best of everything to you, of course, but hell

  149. 149.

    Hunter Gathers

    You have to come back for Election 2016: The Re-Dumbering. It’s going to be beyond stupid. Peak Wingnut may occur, taking the planet with it.

  151. 151.

    Comrade Nimrod Humperdink

    Dang Doug, this is a downer. Whatever comes next, kick its ass so that someday you can troll hard with renewed vigor, openly, and thumb your nose at anybody that doesn’t like it.

  152. 152.

    Kay

    Bye DougJ. I will miss your posts. You are genuinely funny.

    I hope something great happened for you and that’s why you can’t alienate the totebagger caucus anymore :)

  153. 153.

    mai naem

    Well, you take care of your shit and y’all come back you here??? Seriously, I am going to miss your snarky posts. Your posts make me laugh and I am going to miss that. I hope you’re back for the 2016 race.

  154. 154.

    SuperHrefna

    @Hawes: Yes, a tote bag full of the Moustache of Understanding’s greatest hits.

    So long Doug J, and try not to let the department politics drive you to the despair of longing for some nice, comparatively sane teahadis to troll.

  155. 155.

    klokanek

    Unlurking to say that you’ll be dearly missed. I hope you’ll be able to come back. Place won’t be the same without you.

  156. 156.

    Elizabelle

    But might you make parole earlier?

    Can you come to DC for a meetup, surreptitiously and anonymously? We would spot you a beer. And a chaser.

    Good luck with the mystery.

  158. 158.

    Citizen_X

    Now if he had just said “six years,” we would have known he was running for President of Mexico.

  162. 162.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Shitty news. I remember when I found out that the commenter in the WaPo live chats who was so visibly under Broder’s et al’s skin I was a front pager of some blog called Balloon Juice where some guy had just rescued a frightened little dog and people by and large found the purity/PUMA left as annoying as I did. It was good to find this place when my old regular blog haunt went fucking nuts.

    Happy trails, and the congratulations that I suspect are in order

  163. 163.

    Reflectionephemeral

    Well, this is terrible news for the Internet & for politics. I certainly hope that it’s all emerging from good news for you personally. Your writing will be missed.

  164. 164.

    Marc

    Well, that sucks. I hope your new shit is good new shit, and not nihilists throwing a marmot in your bathtub shit.

    I look forward to meeting the new nym with the impeccable music references.

  165. 165.

    Beeb

    @? Martin:Beg to disagree. Being a department chair is worse than a prison sentence. But yes, that would seem to be the new shit.

    DougJ, thanks for everything. Enjoy your new gig as much as humanly possible and come back often under whatever name you choose.

  167. 167.

    ruemara

    Aww, this is teh suxxors. Hope whatever you’re up to is worth it and worth big bucks.

  169. 169.

    MvR

    Well, good luck then. I’ve got to say that your posts have been personal favorites, especially the headlines, but also the content. I’ll be happy to have weekly musical posts at least. But still, I’m disappointed. Glad the reason seems to be a good one from your perspective. All the best to you!

  171. 171.

    Bill D.

    Well damn… will definitely miss your incisive posts. Best of luck in whatever you’re taking on.

  172. 172.

    Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)

    @DougJ: I certainly hope you are able to do so. The thought of Grateful Dead and Little Feat lyrics is to much to bear. Bon voyage.

  175. 175.

    cbear

    DougJ,

    WTF is up with this lame-ass shit? You’re abandoning the mother ship?
    Have we reached peak wingnut and nobody bothered to tell ‘ol cbear?
    Are you taking your talents to South Beach?
    Did they hand down the indictments?
    Did Mark Penn come calling?
    Is that fucking Cole holding out on the Soro’s checks again?

    A fine fucking turn of events this is.

    How could you do this after everything we’ve shared lo these many years?

    GBCW!

  177. 177.

    Trinity

    Your posts have been a light and laugh in dark places. Thank you.

    I look forward to the thrill of rediscovering you yet again.

    Keep it real out there DougJ. We’re counting on you.

  178. 178.

    JGabriel

    DougJ:

    … I have to retire from political blogging.

    NOOOOOOOoooooo!

    Seriously, you’re one of my favorite front-pagers.You’re gonna leave an awfully big hole to fill.

    Well, this sucks.

    Good luck Doug. We’ll miss you. And that’s not pro forma either, I mean it.

    Take care.

  180. 180.

    mainmata

    Always liked your well thought-out headers, whether they were song lyrics or other lines. Also your voice has also been very distinctive (like all the FP-ers) but in a distinctly well-composed critical way. Hope to see you back in a new avatar and sorry for the problems you evidently face. Hope they are resolved favorably.

  181. 181.

    Thymezone

    No. Absolutely not acceptable. BJ without DJ? That’s like ….Laurel without Hardy. Perry Mason without Paul Drake. Bob without Ray. Stiller without Meara. Seinfeld without Kramer. Rum without Coke. George without Gracie. Sausage without peppers. The butcher and baker without the candlestick maker.

    I forbid this resignation. You’ve been an essential part of the conversion of this thing from a righty cesspool to … a lefty, uh, game refuge, or something. Besides, why can’t you just use one of the 23,463 handles you invented back in the day and just post under a nom de plume? Oh wait, you are already posting under a nom de plume. Well, shit, so what’s the problem? We are not going to tell on you. The NSA will never know about it. Just …. shit. Fuck.

    No, I don’t like it. Nobody has an ear closer to the political ground than you do. This will not do. We are not pleased.

  184. 184.

    Thymezone

    Oh, I see that you say you will comment under a different name. Heh. Fine, but you damn well better give me a clue about it. My facebook page is Ty Emzone, so do the right thing.

  185. 185.

    Thymezone

    Don’t worry, I will never tell that you were a campaign consultant for Eric Cantor.

    Wait, are these posts public??? Oh fuck.

  186. 186.

    BGinCHI

    WTF?

    I go out of the country for a week and Doug goes legit?

    In the parlance of our times, I’d say this is a blow against Freedom.

  187. 187.

    sharl

    Oh noes! I guess you gotta do whatchoo gotta do, but as so many others have already said, this sucks.

    I’m glad you’ll still be stopping by on occasion, even if not for the political stuff. Best to you in whatever new endeavor(s) require this decision.

  188. 188.

    c u n d gulag

    OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO’s!!!!!!!!!

    YOU CAN’T GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;’-(

    Why, dammit?
    All I can say is, I wish you the best. :-)
    It’s been both a ‘preasure’ and a ‘plivilege’ reading your various takes on things.

  191. 191.

    Elizabelle

    @DougJ:

    We will make it happen. DC meetup with special mystery guest. You can choose the song title theme.

    People will be flocking from Temple Hills and Stafford County to see you.

  192. 192.

    Gregory

    Wow! Congratulations on the new whatever. I’ll miss your posting here. My commenting has dwindled to practically nothing but I’ve remained, and will remain, a regular reader.

  194. 194.

    Jebediah, RBG

    damn fuck shit piss fuck god damn

    ETA: All well wishes for you whatever this thing is – I hope whatever it is goes/is better than best. Thanks for all the posts…

  195. 195.

    xjmueller

    Vercotti: Everyone was terrified of Doug. I’ve seen grown men pull their own heads off rather than see Doug. Even Dinsdale was frightened of Doug.

    Interviewer: What did he do?

    Vercotti: He used… sarcasm. He knew all the tricks, dramatic irony, metaphor, pathos, puns, parody, litotes and… satire. He was vicious.

  198. 198.

    David Koch

    There was this kid I grew up with — he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me — you know. We did our first work together — worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it.

    During Prohibition — we ran molasses into Canada — made a fortune — you father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him — and trusted him. Later on he had an idea — to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI’s on the way to the West Coast. That kid’s name was Moe Green — and the city he invented was Las Vegas.

    This was a great man — a man of vision and guts. And there isn’t even a plaque — or a signpost — or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order — when I heard it, I wasn’t angry; I knew Moe — I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead — I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we’ve chosen.

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