Comments on: R.I.P. – Brandi Hawbaker

By: Brandi's Uncle

Brandi's Uncle — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:13:52 +0000

I appreciate your kind comments.

By: California Jen

California Jen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:24:25 +0000

85Nutz, I’m so very sorry for your loss. You understand exactly what some of Brandi’s friends and family are experiencing, and I hope they find someone like you to comfort them, because right now they are lost.

I’ve been watching people’s reactions to this news, and most of them have never known anyone with a mental illness and cannot fathom someone wanting to take their own life. People are truly stunned that it came to this, and that stuns me.

By: DanM

DanM — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:19:00 +0000

>>Russian proverb: Trust but verify.<<

In J-School they taught us: If your mother says she loves you, check it out.

Pajich’s obit is really well done, imho. Handled sensitively without sappiness, and a commitment to facts that doesn’t always work in the instant-gratification blogosphere (or poker media’s tourney coverage). He also happened to turn some really nice phrases in summarizing the greatness of a real person’s life without sugar-coating the harsh realities. Thanks for the link, Oliver.

I can’t help but wonder how Andy Glazer would have written about Brandi’s life and death.

By: olivert

olivert — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:58:04 +0000

> BTW, are you taking a jab at me for not investigating sufficiently? Just curious.

Russian proverb: Trust but verify.

Bob Pajich was perhaps the only print media writer who actually bothered to make the phone call to the coroner’s office.

By: California Jen

California Jen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:00:36 +0000

Oliver, thanks for the link to the article.

BTW, are you taking a jab at me for not investigating sufficiently? Just curious.

By: olivert

olivert — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:42:46 +0000

Bob Pajich of CardPlayer Magazine is one of the few writers working for a print poker publication who actually does some basic journalism: he called the Los Angeles Coroner’s office to confirm the story:

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/11758/cult-poker-personality-brandi-hawbaker-found-dead

By: 85nutz

85nutz — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:29:09 +0000

Jen, I would also like to thank you for your comments. You seem to understand the situation better than most. I couple years ago I lost my older sister when she took her own life in the form of a drug overdose after years of mental illness. It seems like in todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s world all the doctors want to do is medicate patienceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s with all the fancy new drugs out there and it simply doesn’t work. I know that my sisterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s life was a daily struggle and that she is in a better place now. I hope that the friends and family of Miss Hawbaker feel the same way about her.

By: California Jen

California Jen — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:57:24 +0000

Trey, I know the NWP guys, and though they don’t always use the best judgment, they’re not joking – nor would they – about something as serious as suicide. This is sad but true.

Alicia, thank you. So many people know so little about mental illness… This is the worst way it can end, and it’s heartbreaking.

By: Alicia

Alicia — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:27:50 +0000

What a compassionate and insightful comment on mental illness and the devastating effects when left untreated.

Very well put, Jen.

By: Trey

Trey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:10:02 +0000

Neverwin is not the best source for this considering their history, yes?