I wasn't going to tell this personal story, but I came across an online video of Cindy Lauper's Good Enough. So, here's the story. Cousins Barry, Jackie, Stephanie and Carolyn are in town. I joined them for dinner and we wandered around Huntington Beach last night. We walked into to vintage music store with lots of band t-shirts and vinyl records and things of that sort. Somehow a conversation turned to "The Goonies". This is typical when my family is around. The lady at the store immediately points behind me and says "She LOVES the Goonies". I turn around, and in some magical, movie-like, slow motion moment in life, I think I see the woman of my dreams. She loves my favorite movie. And to top it off, she's wearing a t-shirt of my favorite band, Tool. So, very unlike me, I talk to her for a few minutes about Tool and The Goonies. I stump her with some difficult Goonies trivia. But, very like me, I fail to get a phone number. I had the perfect opportunity too. I could've been like "Hey, give me a call when you find the answers". But no. I suck.
Somebody please give me a shot of confidence and teach me how to ask women for their phone numbers. I will NEVER have another perfect moment like that again in my life. The good lord above gives me the perfect sign that this is the woman for me. And I blow it.
Here is Google's quote of the day. I dig. "Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything."
Thursday, March 30, 2006
3/29/06 Pollution
Guess which country has the most polluted city? Guess the city. Mexico City? Not anymore. C'mon. Guess. Here are the U.S. results:Ten Most Polluted U.S. Cities (ozone rated only)
1. Los Angeles (including Long Beach and Riverside, California)
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Fresno-Madera, California
4. Visalia-Porterville, California
5. Merced, California
6. Houston (Baytown and Huntsville, Texas)
7. Sacramento (Arden and Arcade, California, and Truckee, Nevada)
8. Dallas/Forth Worth
9. New York (Newark, New Jersey, and Bridgeport, Connecticut)
10. Philadelphia (Camden and Vineland, New Jersey)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
3/28/06 TD Celebrations
The NFL (No Fun League) is looking to crack down even harder on Touchdown celebrations. Here's my only question with this policy - Who is bothered by the celebrations? Seriously - do they bother anybody? They're entertaining, they're creative and they make the SportsCenter highlight reel. What's the problem?
Sticking with sports, ESPN has a Barry Bonds homerun calculator. You input the number of games he'll play by month, average plate appearances per game, average walks, and at bats per homerun. Then the page will spit out the results.
Poker Jason sends an article about a guy who correctly picked the final four. Turns out, he mixed up George Mason and George Washington.
Who says Radiohead can't groove?
Sticking with sports, ESPN has a Barry Bonds homerun calculator. You input the number of games he'll play by month, average plate appearances per game, average walks, and at bats per homerun. Then the page will spit out the results.
Poker Jason sends an article about a guy who correctly picked the final four. Turns out, he mixed up George Mason and George Washington.
Who says Radiohead can't groove?
3/27/06 Year of the Cubs
It's The Year of the Cubs, right? The 86 year drought ended in 2004. The 88 year drought in 2005. 2006 is the year to end the 98 year drought. Right? C'mon - who's with me?
ESPN.com received 3 million NCAA tournament entries. 4 people got the final four correct. That still seems like too many.
I'm not quite sure why I thought this was interesting - Atheist populations by nation.
A lot of people have been asking about my triathlon training. Here's the latest.
ESPN.com received 3 million NCAA tournament entries. 4 people got the final four correct. That still seems like too many.
I'm not quite sure why I thought this was interesting - Atheist populations by nation.
A lot of people have been asking about my triathlon training. Here's the latest.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
3/26/06 Adult Proof Packaging
Have you noticed how difficult some packaging has become lately? I notice it especially with electronics. About 6 months ago I bought a part for my computer. Without any scissors at home, I used my teeth and hands to open it. I cut up my hands pretty badly on the industrial strength plastic. Welcome to the world of Wrap Rage.
The best guitar solo ever is... Stairway to Heaven?
Since my fantasy baseball team name is "Thurman Merman", I decided to look up Bad Santa trivia.
The best guitar solo ever is... Stairway to Heaven?
Since my fantasy baseball team name is "Thurman Merman", I decided to look up Bad Santa trivia.
- The unrated version of the film furthers the record for the most profanities in a Christmas film, including 170 uses of "fuck", 74 uses of "shit", 31 uses of "ass", 10 uses of "bitch", and 1 use of "bastard", in variable forms.
3/25/06 Pimp Rims
Friday, March 24, 2006
3/23/06 Adwaitya the Tortoise
Adwaitya the Tortoise died in Calcutta at the ripe old age of 255. That's right. 255. I think that's older than Chewbacca.
Right on the tails of Adwaitya the Tortoise is William Shatner. Happy 75th, buddy.
Poker Jason sends the Tom Cruise / Scientology / Isaac Hayes article about South Park.
Speaking of Poker Jason, he twisted my arm to, guess what? Play some poker. Which leads me to some more poker talk. For the first time, I decided to play at a regular No Limit table at a casino. Blinds are $2 and $3 and you can initially buy-in for $100. Now people seem skeptical when I say that the players are loose and terrible. Right before I was about to leave, the guy under the gun raises all in for his remaining $45. So, it's going to take a really big hand to call $45 when blinds are $2 and $3. Guy 2 folds. I look down at 2 black queens. It's hard for me to believe he has AA or KK. He wouldn't have bet so much with those hands. So I call. I figure it'll just be him and me. Next 4 players fold, as expected. Then a caller for $45. I start thinking that he might have AK. And that, if the flop rolls off low, I'll bet out big. But wait, the next guy pushes all in for $175 or so. Now I have to figure out if anybody has AA or KK. I still don't think they do. Although my table image is squeaky clean. So, if anybody was paying attention for the previous 3 hours, they'd realize that I'd only call $45 with a huge hand. Then I think that the first guy has a lower pair than I do. And the other two guys both have one ace each. Which leaves them only 2 outs (plus any king they might have). I end up calling the huge bet and go all in for $160 total. The other guy calls too. 4 way all in.
Now, take a second and think about the possible hands that the people could have. AK? AJ? JJ? KK? AA? Remember, the game is for $2 and $3 blinds. What would you call with? This pot is HUGE. (Note: Nobody has to turn over their hands in this game until after the river.) A king rolls off on the flop and I'm feeling lousy. Somebody must have had AK. The next card is a 3rd club. I'm feeling a little better, hoping for the flush. The river brings another low card and no flush. The cards are flipped. The original all in guy has 3 3. Understandable. Sort of. The first guy who called after I did. 4 4. The guy who pushed all in after that? A 4. My QQ was good. And I won a monster pot. Ask yourself this. Would you have called with 44 or reraised all in with A4 in their positions? 100 times out of 100 I would have laid them down. It's unbelievable that these people play so poorly for such relatively high stakes.
Right on the tails of Adwaitya the Tortoise is William Shatner. Happy 75th, buddy.
Poker Jason sends the Tom Cruise / Scientology / Isaac Hayes article about South Park.
Speaking of Poker Jason, he twisted my arm to, guess what? Play some poker. Which leads me to some more poker talk. For the first time, I decided to play at a regular No Limit table at a casino. Blinds are $2 and $3 and you can initially buy-in for $100. Now people seem skeptical when I say that the players are loose and terrible. Right before I was about to leave, the guy under the gun raises all in for his remaining $45. So, it's going to take a really big hand to call $45 when blinds are $2 and $3. Guy 2 folds. I look down at 2 black queens. It's hard for me to believe he has AA or KK. He wouldn't have bet so much with those hands. So I call. I figure it'll just be him and me. Next 4 players fold, as expected. Then a caller for $45. I start thinking that he might have AK. And that, if the flop rolls off low, I'll bet out big. But wait, the next guy pushes all in for $175 or so. Now I have to figure out if anybody has AA or KK. I still don't think they do. Although my table image is squeaky clean. So, if anybody was paying attention for the previous 3 hours, they'd realize that I'd only call $45 with a huge hand. Then I think that the first guy has a lower pair than I do. And the other two guys both have one ace each. Which leaves them only 2 outs (plus any king they might have). I end up calling the huge bet and go all in for $160 total. The other guy calls too. 4 way all in.
Now, take a second and think about the possible hands that the people could have. AK? AJ? JJ? KK? AA? Remember, the game is for $2 and $3 blinds. What would you call with? This pot is HUGE. (Note: Nobody has to turn over their hands in this game until after the river.) A king rolls off on the flop and I'm feeling lousy. Somebody must have had AK. The next card is a 3rd club. I'm feeling a little better, hoping for the flush. The river brings another low card and no flush. The cards are flipped. The original all in guy has 3 3. Understandable. Sort of. The first guy who called after I did. 4 4. The guy who pushed all in after that? A 4. My QQ was good. And I won a monster pot. Ask yourself this. Would you have called with 44 or reraised all in with A4 in their positions? 100 times out of 100 I would have laid them down. It's unbelievable that these people play so poorly for such relatively high stakes.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
3/21/06 Chef
Rumors about South Park have been swirling as of late. Isaac Hayes will no longer be the voice of Chef. It appears that it has to do with his affiliation with Scientology. Well, you won't be surprised that the creators of South Park will get their revenge on Chef in their first episode this season. Poker Jason sends this article. Poker Jason also told me that Comedy Central was planning to re-air the Tom Cruise "Trapped in the Closet" episode about Scientology recently, but cancelled at the last minute. He says that there's some rumor that the same company that owns Comedy Central is also involved with Mission Impossible III. And that Tom Cruise wouldn't do any publicity for the movie if the episode aired. Does anyone have any articles about that?
When you're bored like I am, you sometimes start looking for new challenges. My newest personal challenge? Juggling 5 balls at once. This dude says it'll take 3 months.
When you're bored like I am, you sometimes start looking for new challenges. My newest personal challenge? Juggling 5 balls at once. This dude says it'll take 3 months.
Monday, March 20, 2006
3/20/06 Mr. Belding is on the Phone
I was seriously going to keep this a secret. And one of you was going to get a surprise birthday call. Instead, it's going public. Have a C-list Hollywood celebrity make a birthday phone call for $20.
While we're not keeping secrets... It's not too early to start shopping for Father's Day.
More unnecessary censorship.
If you're into juvenile humor like I am, you might enjoy these baseball headlines.
While we're not keeping secrets... It's not too early to start shopping for Father's Day.
More unnecessary censorship.
If you're into juvenile humor like I am, you might enjoy these baseball headlines.
- A-Rod to hit in 2-hole
- Pujols opens with two hits
- White Sox pound on the Unit
- Angels have interest in Big Unit
My anonymous hemp friend from yesterday and I agreed that cannabis.com wasn't a great source for the history of hemp. So, these sites have been offered instead:
"Cannabis generally has little THC. of the 1.54 billion cannabis plants destroyed by U.S. drug agents from 1993 to 1997, only 14 million plants were marijuana. The other 99.1% were low THC hemp that grows wild."
"From 1901 to 1937, the U.S. Department of Agriculture repeatedly predicted that hemp was on the verge of becoming America's number one farm crop. In fact, in 1938, Popular Mechanics ran an article entitled "The New Billion Dollar Crop," predicting a bright future for the hemp plant. In the same year, Mechanical Engineering Magazine called hemp "The most profitable and desirable crop that can be grown."
"Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. "
Sunday, March 19, 2006
3/19/06 Hemp
We've all seen those hippies who wear their hemp clothes and hemp necklaces. And, if you're like me, you might just assume that they're using some weak campaign to promote the hemp plant and support their pot smoking. Well, a friend, who shall remain nameless unless he/she decides to comment, said that I needed to use my free time to research the topic.
The theory is that hemp was banned by a strong coalition of cotton producers at some point in the shady history of our country. I'm looking for more information on the topic. Let me know if you have any. According to this article:
A commercial for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese just came on. It was a mom in the kitchen with her super excited son. I couldn't help but notice how the mom and son didn't look related. The mom was, at best, Lisa Bonet black. Maybe one of her grandparents was black. Very fair complexion for the politically correct out there. Her son, on the other hand, was Patrick Ewing black. I mean, this kid closes his eyes at night and disappears. Sure, maybe there's something wrong with me. You have to wonder what demographic is watching the same show you are, when the commercials are geared towards moms and kids. But still, you're telling me that I'm the only one who noticed how different to mom and kid looked? There's NO way they're remotely related. That's it. I'm never buying Kraft Mac & Cheese again.
The theory is that hemp was banned by a strong coalition of cotton producers at some point in the shady history of our country. I'm looking for more information on the topic. Let me know if you have any. According to this article:
- On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. Hemp fiber is stronger and softer than cotton, lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew. Many textile products (shirts, jackets, pants, backpacks, etc.) made from 100% hemp are now available.
- On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2 to 4 acres of trees. From tissue paper to cardboard, all types of paper products can be produced from hemp. Global demand for paper will double within 25 years. Unless tree-free sources of paper are developed, there is no way to meet future demand without causing massive deforestation and environmental damage. Hemp is the world's most promising source of tree-free paper.
- From 1776 to 1937, hemp was a major American crop and textiles made from hemp were common. Yet, The American Textile Museum, The Smithsonian Institute, and most American history books contain no mention of hemp. The government's War on Marijuana Smokers has created an atmosphere of self censorship--speaking of hemp in a positive manner is considered taboo.
A commercial for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese just came on. It was a mom in the kitchen with her super excited son. I couldn't help but notice how the mom and son didn't look related. The mom was, at best, Lisa Bonet black. Maybe one of her grandparents was black. Very fair complexion for the politically correct out there. Her son, on the other hand, was Patrick Ewing black. I mean, this kid closes his eyes at night and disappears. Sure, maybe there's something wrong with me. You have to wonder what demographic is watching the same show you are, when the commercials are geared towards moms and kids. But still, you're telling me that I'm the only one who noticed how different to mom and kid looked? There's NO way they're remotely related. That's it. I'm never buying Kraft Mac & Cheese again.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
3/18/06 Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani is offering his new songs online. For free. Why don't more artists do this? They make the vast majority of their money from concerts. So why not get their music to the people. Plus, you'd think there would be some musicians that care more about their music than the money. I, for one, would be thrilled to have my songs becoming popular, regardless of money.
Ok, I suppose I'm on some sort of crusade to promote "The Family Guy". It's probably the only show that causes me to laugh out loud, but only briefly. Because about half a second into the laugh, I usually feel pretty bad about whatever I'm laughing out. Plus, the pop culture references to the 80s are classic. Off the top of my head, they've done at least 2 Indiana Jones scenes, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Goonies, The Naked Gun (feel free to add your own). Here are some more clips. Also, here's the first episode I ever saw. You never see the punchline coming.
It's been a while since I've posted a game. So here's a math game.
Ok, I suppose I'm on some sort of crusade to promote "The Family Guy". It's probably the only show that causes me to laugh out loud, but only briefly. Because about half a second into the laugh, I usually feel pretty bad about whatever I'm laughing out. Plus, the pop culture references to the 80s are classic. Off the top of my head, they've done at least 2 Indiana Jones scenes, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Goonies, The Naked Gun (feel free to add your own). Here are some more clips. Also, here's the first episode I ever saw. You never see the punchline coming.
It's been a while since I've posted a game. So here's a math game.
Friday, March 17, 2006
3/17/06 TV Commercials
My realization for the day - TV commercials with jingles are really catchy. Even for products I could care less about, they become memorable. You know that new Applebee's commercial where the two guys are singing the Gilligan's Island song in the ocean? I can't get it out of my head. Same with the new Budweiser jingle. ("This is Budweiser. This is beer.") And Vonage.
My dad sends the top holidays for drinking. St. Patty's Day is number one. I bet you can't get numbers 2-5 without looking.
Poker talk for today - I played a 10 player sit & go. The table was loose and crazy. So I just sat back and waited for real big hands. During the first 20 minutes, I played 2 hands. And missed the flop on both and folded. You'd think the other players might pay attention to the tight play. In general, they don't. With 1700 in chips (you start with 2000) and the blinds at 50/100, I got dealt QQ. First guy limps for 100, I make it 400. I get 3 callers, including the first limper. So, I'm pretty sure that nobody has AA or KK because there was no reraise. With 1600 in the pot, I was going to push all in if no A or K hit. The flop came 9 high. The first guy checked, and I pushed. The next guy calls almost instantly and I'm convinced he has JJ or maybe 10 10. The other 2 guys fold and he flips over JJ. Like most of my poker stories, he hits his 2 outer on the river and I lose another 90%+ proposition. It's times like that where I almost wish I could show my cards and convince him not to call.
Poker talk part 2 - I don't like playing weak aces. Yesterday I had A 5 in the big blind. There were 2 players in for 2x the BB, so I just called to see a flop. I actually said to myself "Flop me a wheel. I haven't had that happen in a long time." (A wheel is the Ace through 5 straight). I flop the wheel. The only hand I'm afraid of is 6 5, and I really don't think either guy has it. First guy bets out weakly. I smooth call. The 3rd guy (the original raiser) bets 1.5 times the pot. With 2 diamonds on the board, I don't want to give him a free card. So I push all in, making it 3x the pot and all of his chips to call. He calls on a diamond draw and gets it on the turn. Looking back, I should have raised the initial weak bet. There was really no need to slowplay there.
Otherwise, my poker game of late has been pretty solid. My decision making is slowly getting better.
My dad sends the top holidays for drinking. St. Patty's Day is number one. I bet you can't get numbers 2-5 without looking.
Poker talk for today - I played a 10 player sit & go. The table was loose and crazy. So I just sat back and waited for real big hands. During the first 20 minutes, I played 2 hands. And missed the flop on both and folded. You'd think the other players might pay attention to the tight play. In general, they don't. With 1700 in chips (you start with 2000) and the blinds at 50/100, I got dealt QQ. First guy limps for 100, I make it 400. I get 3 callers, including the first limper. So, I'm pretty sure that nobody has AA or KK because there was no reraise. With 1600 in the pot, I was going to push all in if no A or K hit. The flop came 9 high. The first guy checked, and I pushed. The next guy calls almost instantly and I'm convinced he has JJ or maybe 10 10. The other 2 guys fold and he flips over JJ. Like most of my poker stories, he hits his 2 outer on the river and I lose another 90%+ proposition. It's times like that where I almost wish I could show my cards and convince him not to call.
Poker talk part 2 - I don't like playing weak aces. Yesterday I had A 5 in the big blind. There were 2 players in for 2x the BB, so I just called to see a flop. I actually said to myself "Flop me a wheel. I haven't had that happen in a long time." (A wheel is the Ace through 5 straight). I flop the wheel. The only hand I'm afraid of is 6 5, and I really don't think either guy has it. First guy bets out weakly. I smooth call. The 3rd guy (the original raiser) bets 1.5 times the pot. With 2 diamonds on the board, I don't want to give him a free card. So I push all in, making it 3x the pot and all of his chips to call. He calls on a diamond draw and gets it on the turn. Looking back, I should have raised the initial weak bet. There was really no need to slowplay there.
Otherwise, my poker game of late has been pretty solid. My decision making is slowly getting better.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
3/16/06 Education in 1895
Can you pass an 8th grade test from 1895?
Hot peppers kills prostate cancer. Pass the jalapenos.
Have you hopped on The Family Guy bandwagon yet?
Hot peppers kills prostate cancer. Pass the jalapenos.
Have you hopped on The Family Guy bandwagon yet?
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
3/15/06 Beware the Ides of March
I remember learning that March 15th was "The Ides of March". Julius Caesar maybe? I figured that "The Ides" had something to do with the 15th of a month. That's true in March, May, July and October. For all other months, it's the 13th. Huh?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
3/14/06 How's Your Bracket?
Ready for March Madness? Who's gonna win it all? UConn? Duke? Bucknell? Well, fellas, in the spirit of tournaments, here's one I think we can all agree on.
I think I found a show that's almost as bad as "Deal or No Deal". It's called "King of Vegas" on Spike TV. Today's show was 4 guys playing blackjack. Now, I'll give them a little credit. Knowing when to hit, stay, double down and split takes a good hour or two of memorization. But it's pretty straight forward. I mean, it's a little more skill than picking random suitcases. But really - A TV show? I'm supposed to get excited about people playing blackjack? It's hard to get excited about blackjack when I'm at the table, playing along, getting free drinks from half naked, washed up strippers in Vegas.
Maybe you've seen this - A video of the Microsoft iPod.
For all of you juggling enthusiasts out there (Yes, that means you, freshman year college roommate) - A guy juggling to one of the best songs ever.
I don't think this guy will have a problem paying for bail.
I think I found a show that's almost as bad as "Deal or No Deal". It's called "King of Vegas" on Spike TV. Today's show was 4 guys playing blackjack. Now, I'll give them a little credit. Knowing when to hit, stay, double down and split takes a good hour or two of memorization. But it's pretty straight forward. I mean, it's a little more skill than picking random suitcases. But really - A TV show? I'm supposed to get excited about people playing blackjack? It's hard to get excited about blackjack when I'm at the table, playing along, getting free drinks from half naked, washed up strippers in Vegas.
Maybe you've seen this - A video of the Microsoft iPod.
For all of you juggling enthusiasts out there (Yes, that means you, freshman year college roommate) - A guy juggling to one of the best songs ever.
I don't think this guy will have a problem paying for bail.
3/13/06 World Baseball Classic
I went to the World Baseball Classic tonight with Poker Jason. We saw the US vs. Korea. The US looked miserable. And the Korean pitching looked very impressive. The one thing everyone in the crowd seemed to agree on... "Yankees Suck!" A-Rod left 6 guys on base, living up to his reputation of choking in the big situations. Also of note - Korea remains undefeated.
Each guy on Korea's team had 3 names, last name first. And each name is one syllable. For example, ex-Cub Hee Seop Choi is Choi Hee Seop in Korean. The 3 syllable names make for really easy chants. To counter our "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chants, the Koreans in the crowd just countered with whoever was batting or pitching. Four of the nine Korean starters were named Lee. Two were Kim (they have 7 Kims on their roster). Their first baseman, Seung-Yeop Lee is just awesome. He'll be playing in the big leagues soon. You heard it here first.
Oh my God! They killed Chef! You Bastards!
Each guy on Korea's team had 3 names, last name first. And each name is one syllable. For example, ex-Cub Hee Seop Choi is Choi Hee Seop in Korean. The 3 syllable names make for really easy chants. To counter our "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chants, the Koreans in the crowd just countered with whoever was batting or pitching. Four of the nine Korean starters were named Lee. Two were Kim (they have 7 Kims on their roster). Their first baseman, Seung-Yeop Lee is just awesome. He'll be playing in the big leagues soon. You heard it here first.
Oh my God! They killed Chef! You Bastards!
Monday, March 13, 2006
3/12/06 Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Amphetamines
Thank you for your concern. I'm fine. I was just, uh, really lazy this past weekend. Hence, no posts for a few days.
I turned on my TV this morning - You know how you get sound for a few seconds before you get the picture? Well, I heard McCrosky's voice. I was all excited that Airplane! was on. Or maybe Airplane II. Then, as the picture appeared, there were spaceships and cheesy haircuts from the 70s. Out loud, to myself, I asked, "What the hell is this?". And where was McCrosky? So I waited. Oh, there's McCrosky! And, he's.... a fighter pilot? I couldn't stop laughing. Everything he says is funny in my mind. "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue". It's impossible to take him seriously. It's like watching old Leslie Nielsen movies. (Who, by the way, turned 80 last month).
I turned on my TV this morning - You know how you get sound for a few seconds before you get the picture? Well, I heard McCrosky's voice. I was all excited that Airplane! was on. Or maybe Airplane II. Then, as the picture appeared, there were spaceships and cheesy haircuts from the 70s. Out loud, to myself, I asked, "What the hell is this?". And where was McCrosky? So I waited. Oh, there's McCrosky! And, he's.... a fighter pilot? I couldn't stop laughing. Everything he says is funny in my mind. "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue". It's impossible to take him seriously. It's like watching old Leslie Nielsen movies. (Who, by the way, turned 80 last month).
Thursday, March 09, 2006
3/8/06 Feliz Dia de la Mujer
I got an IM this morning from my friend Lucia in Mexico. She writes "No me has felicitado!" with an angry face. Which basically means, "You haven't made me happy!" Women. Now I had to guess what in the world she's all upset about. (Note: I haven't seen Lucia in a year and a half. It's not like we ever dated, even though she made it out to be like we were married for 20 years and I forgot our anniversary. I couldn't even fathom what she was all upset about.) She tells me it's "Dia de la Mujer". Which translates to "Woman's Day". I had no idea. I told her that every day is woman's day. I meant it in a condescending way, since women always seem to get what they want. But she figured I was just being a gentleman, always trying to make women happy. I not a smart man, but I'm not an idiot. I just agreed with her. So, to all of the women reading this blog, I wish you a very happy woman's day.
Barry Bonds photo montage - Through the Years.
Scientists have created the highest temperature ever on earth. 3.6 BILLION degrees. Which is hotter than the core of the sun. Oh, and "They don't know how they did it."
Deal or No Deal - Play the game online. Try it. Maybe you'll agree with me.
If you haven't watched Drawn Together, they are having a marathon on Saturday on Comedy Central. Tivo or DVR it. It's worth checking out. If you're into honest, in your face, politically incorrect humor.
Are you bored at work? Or bored somewhere else (as the case may be)? The Sports Guy's mailbag is always great to read, on or off the toilet. One of my favorite emails:
"Q: So Bill, I just wanted to congratulate you on your book -- it's funny, touching, intelligent. But most importantly, for me anyway, your book is 189 poops long. Thanks for the memories!"
He also mentioned this SNL skit - Lazy Sunday.
I'm sure I'm in the minority and I'm sure it's due to my excess of free time... But I'm getting into the World Baseball Classic. I was playing poker online during the US vs. Canada game. And I found myself really pulling for the US comeback. I was pulling so much, that my poker play began to coincide with my feelings for the game. Allow me to explain. The US was down by 2 in the 8th inning with 2 outs and 2 men on. They needed a big hit. So, I started playing really aggressive poker, thinking that I needed to make something happen now. When, in reality, I didn't. Do you have any idea what it's like to know that your daytime poker play is being affected by a meaningless baseball game? It's just sad on SO many levels. I won't even begin to break it down.
While I'm on the topic of really sad things I did today, I might as well mention my big mistake. On Sunday I bought a Playstation 2. I haven't purchased any video game systems in nearly a decade. I was just THAT bored and I cracked. At the time I knew it was a huge mistake. But I did it anyways. It must be similar to the way Robert Downey Jr. feels every time he does coke.
Back to the sad story - I noticed that the Playstation 2 has a jack for internet. So I set it up. And, out of the 3 games I bought, only one had online play. Next thing I knew, I was playing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Against 10 year olds. And they were choking me and killing me.
Yup. That was my day.
Barry Bonds photo montage - Through the Years.
Scientists have created the highest temperature ever on earth. 3.6 BILLION degrees. Which is hotter than the core of the sun. Oh, and "They don't know how they did it."
Deal or No Deal - Play the game online. Try it. Maybe you'll agree with me.
If you haven't watched Drawn Together, they are having a marathon on Saturday on Comedy Central. Tivo or DVR it. It's worth checking out. If you're into honest, in your face, politically incorrect humor.
Are you bored at work? Or bored somewhere else (as the case may be)? The Sports Guy's mailbag is always great to read, on or off the toilet. One of my favorite emails:
"Q: So Bill, I just wanted to congratulate you on your book -- it's funny, touching, intelligent. But most importantly, for me anyway, your book is 189 poops long. Thanks for the memories!"
He also mentioned this SNL skit - Lazy Sunday.
I'm sure I'm in the minority and I'm sure it's due to my excess of free time... But I'm getting into the World Baseball Classic. I was playing poker online during the US vs. Canada game. And I found myself really pulling for the US comeback. I was pulling so much, that my poker play began to coincide with my feelings for the game. Allow me to explain. The US was down by 2 in the 8th inning with 2 outs and 2 men on. They needed a big hit. So, I started playing really aggressive poker, thinking that I needed to make something happen now. When, in reality, I didn't. Do you have any idea what it's like to know that your daytime poker play is being affected by a meaningless baseball game? It's just sad on SO many levels. I won't even begin to break it down.
While I'm on the topic of really sad things I did today, I might as well mention my big mistake. On Sunday I bought a Playstation 2. I haven't purchased any video game systems in nearly a decade. I was just THAT bored and I cracked. At the time I knew it was a huge mistake. But I did it anyways. It must be similar to the way Robert Downey Jr. feels every time he does coke.
Back to the sad story - I noticed that the Playstation 2 has a jack for internet. So I set it up. And, out of the 3 games I bought, only one had online play. Next thing I knew, I was playing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Against 10 year olds. And they were choking me and killing me.
Yup. That was my day.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
3/7/06 I've Gotta Have More Cowbell
The Soundboard. You can play "Don't Fear the Reaper" and play the cowbell too.
Sure, when *I* do it, *I've* got a problem. But when Jennifer Tilly does it, it's newsworthy.
I learned something frightening today. We all know that it doesn't get any better than when Michael Bolton sings "When a Man Loves a Woman". But before he sang his love ballads, he was the lead singer of a heavy metal band called Blackjack. (On a side note, this is also evidence that you can learn something worthwhile on TV at 2:00 pm.)
Prince goes Willy Wonka. I've got a purple ticket!
Think you're good at math and finding patterns? (This site was overwhelmed with traffic and is currently down. Try again in a day and see if it's back up. It's worth it.)
Sure, when *I* do it, *I've* got a problem. But when Jennifer Tilly does it, it's newsworthy.
I learned something frightening today. We all know that it doesn't get any better than when Michael Bolton sings "When a Man Loves a Woman". But before he sang his love ballads, he was the lead singer of a heavy metal band called Blackjack. (On a side note, this is also evidence that you can learn something worthwhile on TV at 2:00 pm.)
Prince goes Willy Wonka. I've got a purple ticket!
Think you're good at math and finding patterns? (This site was overwhelmed with traffic and is currently down. Try again in a day and see if it's back up. It's worth it.)
3/6/06 How Many Websites Do You Visit?
How many websites do you regularly visit? "A study in the UK found that 51% of surfers visit six or fewer websites on a regular basis." Which ones are on your list?
Barbara Streisand sez that prezidnt Bush is stoopid.
24 has to be the greatest show ever. I've never been hooked on a TV show before. I am now.
Poker talk for the week:
I entered a No Limit Tournament today. Almost 300 people played. But the rules and setup were a little different than you might be used to. It's $30 to enter. For $30 you get 300 in chips. When you sit down at the table, you can "re-buy" 600 more chips for $20. So, you're really in it for $50. Any time you are at or under 600 in chips, you can re-buy another 300 in chips for $10. Unlimited for the first hour. The play was loose and wild for the first hour. Blinds started at 10/15 and moved to 15/30 for the 2nd half hour. And I didn't pick up squat. Somehow I managed to get my stack from 900 to 1475 after the first hour without a re-buy.
To give you an idea of how loose the game was - there was one limper and a guy raised 4 times the big blind and got 3 callers. The flop came Q 3 3. After one small bet, the initial raiser pushes all in pretty big. The guy immediately to his right (who was the first person to call the big pre flop raise) calls. The first raiser shows KK. The next guy? 3 2. What's he doing calling a 4x raise with 3 2? I actually felt bad for the KK guy - busted out early simply because he couldn't get anybody to fold.
After the break, you could then "Add On" another 1000 chips for $20. Ok, so you're really in it for $70 total, despite the "$30 buy in" advertisement. Anyways, I felt like I played well, despite the marginal hands. I started level 3 with 2475 in chips (I bought 1900 of them). Blinds in level 3 were 25/50 and each level only lasted 15 minutes. For this and the following blind levels, I really didn't do anything of significance. I knew the table well though. I knew who was loose and who I was going to reraise all in once I picked up a monster. But no monster ever came.
The only semi-move I made was with pocket 8s. One limper to my left and I raise 4 times the big blind. The blinds (who know I'm tight, as are they. In fact, they talked to me about the loose players at the other end of the table during the break.) The guy to my right called, leaving himself with less chips than the pot. The flop comes A 2 2. He checks, I ask what he has left. He says 450. I represent the ace and bet out. He folds. I probably had him beat anyways.
Level 4 was 50/100. Nothing. The levels were going so quickly here. We got maybe a lap in for each level. Which forced you to make big decisions early. The problem is, I couldn't pick up anything to try and double up.
Level 5 - 50/100 with 25 ante. The antes are killer. Each lap would cost you 400 if you just folded. And each pot also had 400 before any betting happened. So you can no longer bet 3 times the big blind to scare anybody. If you raise to 300 pre flop, the big blind has to call 200 to try and win 700. So, it's a no brainer. Soon after level 5 began, our table was broken up. I never got to make my move. There were 4 guys I was eyeing. And the opportunity never came.
Not only did I lose my reads on my first table, but I lost my squeaky clean image. It would be much harder to make a huge bluff. So, my early raise with A 10 off didn't intimidate anybody. After a call and a reraise all in, I folded my A 10. And I was under 2000 in chips.
Level 6 - 100/200 with 50 ante. Now there's 800 in each pot before the betting begins. The chip leader was to my right and I was on the button. One limper and he raises to 800. There's 500 in antes, plus the limper for 200 and the blinds for 300. That's 1000 in chips. Plus the 800 bet (which appears just to be a bully steal). I look down at A 7. I had to make my move soon. So I made it here. I went all in for 1800. It really wasn't enough to push out the bully. He had to call 1000 more to win 3600. The fact that he hesitated so long made me feel like my hand was good. He had pocket twos. We raced and I won. Being up over 4000 made me feel like I could at least wait 1 lap before I made another move.
The entire tournament, I never picked up a pair bigger than 10s and didn't have an Ace bigger than AJ. As much as I believed I played really well, the game also requires cards.
So, onto my stand. I was down to 3200 after another lap. I was on the button and there were 2 limpers for 200. Including the blinds, that's 700 in bets plus 500 in antes. 1200 in the pot and I had 3200 left. I look down at A 10 on the button. One of the best pieces of poker advice I've ever received is "Don't get all your money in pre flop with A 10". Given the dire situation, I needed to take a stand. I could take down the pot right there or perhaps get a call with a smaller pair. Nobody was showing and strength and only the blinds were yet to act. So I pushed.
It folded around to the first limper. He pondered for maybe 5 seconds, then pushed his much bigger stack all in, hoping to get the 2nd limper to fold. Which is exactly what happened. I figured I was a either slight dog or a huge dog - Either he had a low/middle pair (slight dog) or I was dominated against a bigger ace. He turns over KQ. Which makes me a 3 to 2 favorite. A bunch of small cards come off - 7 2 6 3. Then the King on the river. The dude makes his big celebratory scream (which I'm very much opposed to, even when I'm on the winning end of a big hand). And I walk away pretty bummed out. I really thought I could make something happen with 7500+ in chips. Especially since I was finally learning the new table.
On a side note, I would have folded KQ offsuit when faced with a raise from 200 to 3200. He called with the worse hand. His stack was maybe 8000 at the time and it didn't seem worthwhile to me to risk more than 1/3 of all of his chips. And I really don't know how he wasn't worried that I had AK or AQ.
Also, the 3 times I played in that tournament, this is my worst placing. The first two times I played, I finished around 50th. This time I finished around 120 or so. And sadly, I was a far inferior poker player the first two times I played. Overall I feel good about my reads on my opponents and the decisions I made throughout the tournament. It just wasn't to be.
Barbara Streisand sez that prezidnt Bush is stoopid.
24 has to be the greatest show ever. I've never been hooked on a TV show before. I am now.
Poker talk for the week:
I entered a No Limit Tournament today. Almost 300 people played. But the rules and setup were a little different than you might be used to. It's $30 to enter. For $30 you get 300 in chips. When you sit down at the table, you can "re-buy" 600 more chips for $20. So, you're really in it for $50. Any time you are at or under 600 in chips, you can re-buy another 300 in chips for $10. Unlimited for the first hour. The play was loose and wild for the first hour. Blinds started at 10/15 and moved to 15/30 for the 2nd half hour. And I didn't pick up squat. Somehow I managed to get my stack from 900 to 1475 after the first hour without a re-buy.
To give you an idea of how loose the game was - there was one limper and a guy raised 4 times the big blind and got 3 callers. The flop came Q 3 3. After one small bet, the initial raiser pushes all in pretty big. The guy immediately to his right (who was the first person to call the big pre flop raise) calls. The first raiser shows KK. The next guy? 3 2. What's he doing calling a 4x raise with 3 2? I actually felt bad for the KK guy - busted out early simply because he couldn't get anybody to fold.
After the break, you could then "Add On" another 1000 chips for $20. Ok, so you're really in it for $70 total, despite the "$30 buy in" advertisement. Anyways, I felt like I played well, despite the marginal hands. I started level 3 with 2475 in chips (I bought 1900 of them). Blinds in level 3 were 25/50 and each level only lasted 15 minutes. For this and the following blind levels, I really didn't do anything of significance. I knew the table well though. I knew who was loose and who I was going to reraise all in once I picked up a monster. But no monster ever came.
The only semi-move I made was with pocket 8s. One limper to my left and I raise 4 times the big blind. The blinds (who know I'm tight, as are they. In fact, they talked to me about the loose players at the other end of the table during the break.) The guy to my right called, leaving himself with less chips than the pot. The flop comes A 2 2. He checks, I ask what he has left. He says 450. I represent the ace and bet out. He folds. I probably had him beat anyways.
Level 4 was 50/100. Nothing. The levels were going so quickly here. We got maybe a lap in for each level. Which forced you to make big decisions early. The problem is, I couldn't pick up anything to try and double up.
Level 5 - 50/100 with 25 ante. The antes are killer. Each lap would cost you 400 if you just folded. And each pot also had 400 before any betting happened. So you can no longer bet 3 times the big blind to scare anybody. If you raise to 300 pre flop, the big blind has to call 200 to try and win 700. So, it's a no brainer. Soon after level 5 began, our table was broken up. I never got to make my move. There were 4 guys I was eyeing. And the opportunity never came.
Not only did I lose my reads on my first table, but I lost my squeaky clean image. It would be much harder to make a huge bluff. So, my early raise with A 10 off didn't intimidate anybody. After a call and a reraise all in, I folded my A 10. And I was under 2000 in chips.
Level 6 - 100/200 with 50 ante. Now there's 800 in each pot before the betting begins. The chip leader was to my right and I was on the button. One limper and he raises to 800. There's 500 in antes, plus the limper for 200 and the blinds for 300. That's 1000 in chips. Plus the 800 bet (which appears just to be a bully steal). I look down at A 7. I had to make my move soon. So I made it here. I went all in for 1800. It really wasn't enough to push out the bully. He had to call 1000 more to win 3600. The fact that he hesitated so long made me feel like my hand was good. He had pocket twos. We raced and I won. Being up over 4000 made me feel like I could at least wait 1 lap before I made another move.
The entire tournament, I never picked up a pair bigger than 10s and didn't have an Ace bigger than AJ. As much as I believed I played really well, the game also requires cards.
So, onto my stand. I was down to 3200 after another lap. I was on the button and there were 2 limpers for 200. Including the blinds, that's 700 in bets plus 500 in antes. 1200 in the pot and I had 3200 left. I look down at A 10 on the button. One of the best pieces of poker advice I've ever received is "Don't get all your money in pre flop with A 10". Given the dire situation, I needed to take a stand. I could take down the pot right there or perhaps get a call with a smaller pair. Nobody was showing and strength and only the blinds were yet to act. So I pushed.
It folded around to the first limper. He pondered for maybe 5 seconds, then pushed his much bigger stack all in, hoping to get the 2nd limper to fold. Which is exactly what happened. I figured I was a either slight dog or a huge dog - Either he had a low/middle pair (slight dog) or I was dominated against a bigger ace. He turns over KQ. Which makes me a 3 to 2 favorite. A bunch of small cards come off - 7 2 6 3. Then the King on the river. The dude makes his big celebratory scream (which I'm very much opposed to, even when I'm on the winning end of a big hand). And I walk away pretty bummed out. I really thought I could make something happen with 7500+ in chips. Especially since I was finally learning the new table.
On a side note, I would have folded KQ offsuit when faced with a raise from 200 to 3200. He called with the worse hand. His stack was maybe 8000 at the time and it didn't seem worthwhile to me to risk more than 1/3 of all of his chips. And I really don't know how he wasn't worried that I had AK or AQ.
Also, the 3 times I played in that tournament, this is my worst placing. The first two times I played, I finished around 50th. This time I finished around 120 or so. And sadly, I was a far inferior poker player the first two times I played. Overall I feel good about my reads on my opponents and the decisions I made throughout the tournament. It just wasn't to be.
Monday, March 06, 2006
3/5/06 Jewish Girls Gone Wild
Jewish girls are waiting for you to call. NOW. File this under "WTF".
Yngwie! He does "Arpeggios from Hell".
Yngwie! He does "Arpeggios from Hell".
Saturday, March 04, 2006
3/4/06 Bulgaria
My friend, Magdalena, writes about the Bulgarian tradition of red and white yarn. Twice.
Duke still sucks.
Crazy lego creations.
ROCK!!!!
I'd buy a car from them.
Duke still sucks.
Crazy lego creations.
ROCK!!!!
I'd buy a car from them.
Friday, March 03, 2006
3/3/06 Crabs
Poker Jason send this video of, uh, just hit play and watch.
More Rock Paper Scissors in the news. Emailed by Cousin Jeff.
My dad got all upset that I posted the Toilet iPod thing and said he wanted it for the holidays. He doesn't. I was confused. He was just offering gifts ideas to the rest of our family, in case we wanted it. For the record, I don't want it either.
For the poker people, here's a great blog written by a very talented and experienced poker player. It's fun getting inside the head of a really good player. Like this blog, start at the bottom and work your way up.
Bonus points if you know why the title to today's blog is "Crabs".
More Rock Paper Scissors in the news. Emailed by Cousin Jeff.
My dad got all upset that I posted the Toilet iPod thing and said he wanted it for the holidays. He doesn't. I was confused. He was just offering gifts ideas to the rest of our family, in case we wanted it. For the record, I don't want it either.
For the poker people, here's a great blog written by a very talented and experienced poker player. It's fun getting inside the head of a really good player. Like this blog, start at the bottom and work your way up.
Bonus points if you know why the title to today's blog is "Crabs".
Thursday, March 02, 2006
3/2/06 Be Like Mike
This is one of the greatest commercials I've seen in a while. It sort of brought a tear to my eye (which probably gives you an idea of how sad the sentimental parts of my life are). Part of the reason it was so good, is that I didn't know what it was for the first time I saw it. So, if you can, close your eyes and click play on the video window and ignore what you see.
Bret Boone retires, citing he "lost the edge". What edge is that Bret? Why the sudden dropoff after the 2004 season, Bret?
The Nacho Expert IMed me yesterday, telling me about the new game show Deal or No Deal. He told me how hooked he and his wife are. So I DVRed it. With all due respect, dude... It's horrible. It's the worst show ever. It's like watching some random guy's grandma play keno. Next thing I knew, I watched the entire hour of the show. People are simply picking briefcases at random with varying dollar amounts. There is no skill involved. It's for people who get confused by "Let's Make a Deal". If "Let's Make a Deal" is the card game hearts, this is Go Fish. No, that's too complicated. It's like Casino War. I can't believe anybody thought that show was a good idea. Oh, I watched it again tonight. Because I'm a mindless monkey. And the models who hold the briefcases are hot.
Advertise your mental disorder.
Cousin Danny sends the newest dance craze.
I saw the movie Munich today. The dude had a Swiss Bank Account. I think it would be cool to have a Swiss Bank Account. There's nothing to this. It would just be cool.
Bret Boone retires, citing he "lost the edge". What edge is that Bret? Why the sudden dropoff after the 2004 season, Bret?
The Nacho Expert IMed me yesterday, telling me about the new game show Deal or No Deal. He told me how hooked he and his wife are. So I DVRed it. With all due respect, dude... It's horrible. It's the worst show ever. It's like watching some random guy's grandma play keno. Next thing I knew, I watched the entire hour of the show. People are simply picking briefcases at random with varying dollar amounts. There is no skill involved. It's for people who get confused by "Let's Make a Deal". If "Let's Make a Deal" is the card game hearts, this is Go Fish. No, that's too complicated. It's like Casino War. I can't believe anybody thought that show was a good idea. Oh, I watched it again tonight. Because I'm a mindless monkey. And the models who hold the briefcases are hot.
Advertise your mental disorder.
Cousin Danny sends the newest dance craze.
I saw the movie Munich today. The dude had a Swiss Bank Account. I think it would be cool to have a Swiss Bank Account. There's nothing to this. It would just be cool.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
3/1/06 The Sports Guy at the WSOP
The Sports Guy is playing in this year's World Series of Poker main event. And he writes all about it.
On a personal poker note, 3 times I have moved all in with Kings in the last 3 days. All 3 times I've run into Aces. There must be some astronomical odds against that. Twice, I got raised the minimum and put the guy on a huge hand. And both times, I still got all my money in the pot pre flop. God, I'm an idiot.
My dad is sending his holiday shopping list out early. This is what he wants.
American Airlines is known for their Customer Service.
Poker Jason sends Coach K Commercials. Hey Jason... Duke Sucks.
On a personal poker note, 3 times I have moved all in with Kings in the last 3 days. All 3 times I've run into Aces. There must be some astronomical odds against that. Twice, I got raised the minimum and put the guy on a huge hand. And both times, I still got all my money in the pot pre flop. God, I'm an idiot.
My dad is sending his holiday shopping list out early. This is what he wants.
American Airlines is known for their Customer Service.
Poker Jason sends Coach K Commercials. Hey Jason... Duke Sucks.
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