When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
- from an email my mom sent me
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Harry Potter predictions
So I know most people reading this blog couldn't care less about Harry Potter, but I want to get my predictions down for who will live, who will die, before the seventh and last book comes out Saturday.
Who's going to die:
1. Voldemort
2. Snape
3. Neville Longbottom
4. Someone from the Order of the Phoenix... I don't know who, but I hope it's not Lupin
Who's getting together:
1. Bill and Fleur are supposed to have a wedding at the beginning of the book, so I'm going to assume that goes through
2. Ron and Hermione. Rowling has been building this up for six books. I'm more confident of this than anything else I'm predicting. (Although I personally think they are a terrible match for each other.)
3. Harry and Ginny. A lot of people think Harry will die... so if that happens then obviously this one won't work out so well. But I think Harry will end up saving the day, getting the girl, and becoming Hogwarts' Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. And winning the Quidditch Cup just for being Harry. Actually playing Quidditch will no longer be necessary.
4. Tonks and Lupin have a relationship now, but I have a horrible gut feeling that one or both of them won't see the last pages of Deathly Hallows. That makes me sad because they are both kickass and two of my favorite characters.
In about a week I'll find out if I'm right or wrong and then everyone can mock me or revere me as appropriate.
Who's going to die:
1. Voldemort
2. Snape
3. Neville Longbottom
4. Someone from the Order of the Phoenix... I don't know who, but I hope it's not Lupin
Who's getting together:
1. Bill and Fleur are supposed to have a wedding at the beginning of the book, so I'm going to assume that goes through
2. Ron and Hermione. Rowling has been building this up for six books. I'm more confident of this than anything else I'm predicting. (Although I personally think they are a terrible match for each other.)
3. Harry and Ginny. A lot of people think Harry will die... so if that happens then obviously this one won't work out so well. But I think Harry will end up saving the day, getting the girl, and becoming Hogwarts' Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. And winning the Quidditch Cup just for being Harry. Actually playing Quidditch will no longer be necessary.
4. Tonks and Lupin have a relationship now, but I have a horrible gut feeling that one or both of them won't see the last pages of Deathly Hallows. That makes me sad because they are both kickass and two of my favorite characters.
In about a week I'll find out if I'm right or wrong and then everyone can mock me or revere me as appropriate.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Book Update
I've been inspired, but I have no idea who or what my muse might be.
Lately I've been on a writing rampage. Two months ago I'd finished less than half of the chapters in my book, although I'd started several. Now I only have 2 left to finish and I predict that I am over 90% finished with the first draft. After that I get to edit. And I do mean "get to." Words cannot describe how excited I am to rip my own piece of work to shreds. I think what I've got now is good, but I want to fix it so that it is great.
I read a quote one time that said something along the lines of "people don't become authors because they want to be, they become authors because they have to be." I completely understand that now. Even if this book doesn't get published, even if only my friends and family ever end up reading it, I still had to write it. The story was inside me and I had to let it out.
The timeline for now is to finish the first draft by August sometime and to finish the edits by December 31st, 2007. So far I'm right on schedule.
Lately I've been on a writing rampage. Two months ago I'd finished less than half of the chapters in my book, although I'd started several. Now I only have 2 left to finish and I predict that I am over 90% finished with the first draft. After that I get to edit. And I do mean "get to." Words cannot describe how excited I am to rip my own piece of work to shreds. I think what I've got now is good, but I want to fix it so that it is great.
I read a quote one time that said something along the lines of "people don't become authors because they want to be, they become authors because they have to be." I completely understand that now. Even if this book doesn't get published, even if only my friends and family ever end up reading it, I still had to write it. The story was inside me and I had to let it out.
The timeline for now is to finish the first draft by August sometime and to finish the edits by December 31st, 2007. So far I'm right on schedule.
Monday, July 09, 2007
All the WSOP stuff on TV and real life got me excited about poker again. I started playing in some tournies, not doing so great, buying straight in to the Sunday Million on PokerStars after spending $160 trying to qualify for it, doing bad there too, and then going on tilt for buying into a tourney that was way out of my bankroll range. I whined for a while and then the Wolf told me to play the 180 player max tournies that PS has going all the time. He may have said it to get me to shut up, but never once actually told me I was being a big baby. For that I am grateful.
I took his advice and later that day came in 2nd in one of the $10 buy-ins. The next day I did the exact same thing. I'm no longer a big baby, now I'm happy I started with the poker again. I've decided to stick primarily to the 180 maxes from now on. They go fast (for a tourney) and the structure is actually surprisingly good. Much better than the Sunday Million which is unexpected. When it got heads up in the first tourney there was $270,000 in chips out there and blinds only at 1k, 2k. The next day was slower and the blinds were up to 4k, 8k when we got heads up, but still, not too shabby.
p.s. the title function isn't working right now which is why this post is officially "untitled"
I took his advice and later that day came in 2nd in one of the $10 buy-ins. The next day I did the exact same thing. I'm no longer a big baby, now I'm happy I started with the poker again. I've decided to stick primarily to the 180 maxes from now on. They go fast (for a tourney) and the structure is actually surprisingly good. Much better than the Sunday Million which is unexpected. When it got heads up in the first tourney there was $270,000 in chips out there and blinds only at 1k, 2k. The next day was slower and the blinds were up to 4k, 8k when we got heads up, but still, not too shabby.
p.s. the title function isn't working right now which is why this post is officially "untitled"
Monday, June 11, 2007
Red pandas are in the garbage again... go get the broom!
I was reading up on red pandas a few days ago. (This may sound strange, but about once a month I get the urge to look up an animal species and learn more about them. I'm weird like that.) One of the things that the Wikipedia site mentions is that red pandas are most closely related to bears and raccoons. Now, having worked closely with raccoons I know how intelligent and fun-loving they can be. (Although they can also be a pain in the ass when you're trying to sweep their cage out and they're trying to steal your broom... but that's another story.) Unlike me, though, most people consider them pests and annoyances. But these same people would do a flip if they ever saw a red panda in the wild. I know that red pandas are more rare and live in Asia as opposed to their back yard, but if you look at them they basically look like fluffy red raccoons. So you have to wonder, if red pandas were native to North America and raccoons were native to Asia, would these people go bonkers if they saw a raccoon? I think they would... and just like that one of our most reviled species would become one of the most beloved.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Vive la France!
I just got back from my first trip ever to France and I have to say that I was in no way disappointed. I've had several friends go before me, and they've all said that they didn't like it so much, so I was afraid that I would have a similar experience. Plus, French people in general tend to have a bad reputation (spread mostly, I imagine, by the jealous Brits) for being unfriendly, erudite, and rude. I found none of this to be the case.
In case anyone is considering going sometime in the near future, here's a list of my favorite and least favorite things that I did. I could go on for a long time about all the great stuff to see, but I tried to limit myself. Must see's that don't make this list include Mont St. Michel, the Eiffel Tower (at night), and more.
Les Bons:
1. The food - French food is amazing. They really know their stuff. We had great dinners every night, but my most pleasant surprise were the lunches. Get a sandwich French style and at first you'll be disappointed. It's a baguette with butter and meat (usually ham) and not much of that. But the bread is fresh and delicious, the butter is BUTTER not margarine, and the meat is top quality. They know what tastes good and they don't fancy it up with lettuce and other stupid ruffage.
2. The gardens and the Seine (Paris) - walking through Paris was a fabulous experience. You get to see everything on foot, from the flower market to the Notre Dame. Walking by the Seine was even better. In most cities (like NYC) you don't get a lot of sunlight or see the sky that often. But Paris' streets are wide and there are tons of gardens and the Seine which give the city an open feel, and makes you forget that you're in a city with over 2 million residents and what felt like half a million tourists.
3. Napoleon's Tomb (Paris) - Maybe part of the reason I didn't like this so much is that I don't really know much about Napoleon. I know he was a self-proclaimed emperor, he was short, he fought a lot of wars, he was exiled twice, and he wore a funny hat. But all that doesn't really add up to much as far as knowing who he was and what he accomplished. And I didn't learn anything new from this site except that Napoleon was a man of great excesses. His body is actually contained in 4 or 5 different caskets, all one within the other like a babushka doll. (Although reaching the middle of this doll would be a far less pleasant experience, I imagine.)
In case anyone is considering going sometime in the near future, here's a list of my favorite and least favorite things that I did. I could go on for a long time about all the great stuff to see, but I tried to limit myself. Must see's that don't make this list include Mont St. Michel, the Eiffel Tower (at night), and more.
Les Bons:
1. The food - French food is amazing. They really know their stuff. We had great dinners every night, but my most pleasant surprise were the lunches. Get a sandwich French style and at first you'll be disappointed. It's a baguette with butter and meat (usually ham) and not much of that. But the bread is fresh and delicious, the butter is BUTTER not margarine, and the meat is top quality. They know what tastes good and they don't fancy it up with lettuce and other stupid ruffage.
2. The gardens and the Seine (Paris) - walking through Paris was a fabulous experience. You get to see everything on foot, from the flower market to the Notre Dame. Walking by the Seine was even better. In most cities (like NYC) you don't get a lot of sunlight or see the sky that often. But Paris' streets are wide and there are tons of gardens and the Seine which give the city an open feel, and makes you forget that you're in a city with over 2 million residents and what felt like half a million tourists.
4. Le Pointe du Hoc (Normandy) - We spent half the time in Paris and the other half in Normandy. I really liked Normandy because it wasn't such a cluster fuck of people and the weather out there really suits me. We did a tour of the WWII beaches, and by far my favorite stop was le Pointe du Hoc. This point was heavily bombed by the Allies before D Day and it really left an impression. The tour takes you on a path through the craters, some of which are 20
feet deep, that were left by the bombs and the twisted remains of the batteries that German troops occupied on the cliff face. No other site gave me such a vivid image of what fighting in WWII must have really been like. I can see the German troops, huddled in their batteries while the bombs dropped around them like rain, praying that their luck will hold out long enough that they can make it through one more day. I can smell the fear and the sweat and the piss of the barracks where they were trapped with no escape. It gave me goosebumps.
feet deep, that were left by the bombs and the twisted remains of the batteries that German troops occupied on the cliff face. No other site gave me such a vivid image of what fighting in WWII must have really been like. I can see the German troops, huddled in their batteries while the bombs dropped around them like rain, praying that their luck will hold out long enough that they can make it through one more day. I can smell the fear and the sweat and the piss of the barracks where they were trapped with no escape. It gave me goosebumps. 5. The Louvre (Paris) - I thought that it would be overrated. After going there, if anything, I think it's underrated. Not enough can be said about the immensity of the art collection and of the building itself. It's a former palace, but I don't know how any king could have borne parting with this absolutely stunning building, which to me is a work of art unto itself.
Les Mauvais:
1. The metro (Paris) - I was told that the metro smelled like urine. I didn't get that sense from it so much as vermin feces. Being in there made me feel like a rat too, always scurrying around underground, trying to find the right train, the right exit, a breath of fresh air. Walk around Paris, no matter how far away your destination might be. It's worth the sore feet.
1. The metro (Paris) - I was told that the metro smelled like urine. I didn't get that sense from it so much as vermin feces. Being in there made me feel like a rat too, always scurrying around underground, trying to find the right train, the right exit, a breath of fresh air. Walk around Paris, no matter how far away your destination might be. It's worth the sore feet.
2. Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris) - Anyone who's talked to me lately knows the horrors that occurred on my flights to and from France. While the CDG airport wasn't the cause of all these problems, I certainly don't have fond memories of the hours spent there. Plus their security line and baggage claim are really unorganized.
3. Napoleon's Tomb (Paris) - Maybe part of the reason I didn't like this so much is that I don't really know much about Napoleon. I know he was a self-proclaimed emperor, he was short, he fought a lot of wars, he was exiled twice, and he wore a funny hat. But all that doesn't really add up to much as far as knowing who he was and what he accomplished. And I didn't learn anything new from this site except that Napoleon was a man of great excesses. His body is actually contained in 4 or 5 different caskets, all one within the other like a babushka doll. (Although reaching the middle of this doll would be a far less pleasant experience, I imagine.) 4. The Orangerie (Paris) - This impressionist museum is located in the Tuleries gardens and has eight great works by Monet. But besides that, the museum doesn't offer much. If you have a love of Monet then you'll appreciate it, but the rest of the museum is several long halls with paintings that don't have explanations (at least not in English) that I didn't like too much. One thing I did enjoy though, were Soutine's work. He paints twisted versions of the realities around him that I really enjoyed. Maybe someday when I'm a billionaire I'll buy one :)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Survivor, a season in review
This season of Survivor was one of the most pleasantly surprising that I've watched. I don't think it was as good as last season's ethnic division theme, with dominating performances by Yul and Ozzie, possibly two of the best players Survivor has ever seen. But I went into this season not expecting much. After watching the finale last night, I have to say that it's now among my favorites.
To me there are three reasons why this season is great: 1) the twists the producers put in, 2) Yau-Man, and 3) Dreamz. The twists were all amazing, particularly the adding of two immunity idols, and the fact that if you wanted to play it you had to do so after the votes but before them being read. This change in rules was the catalyst for the greatest single episode of Survivor that's been aired (if you don't know what I'm talking about, that's too bad, it would take way too long to explain).
However, none of these twists would have stood for much if it weren't for Yau-Man, the wise and clever elder, and Dreamz, the young buck with a very skewed sense of reality. Yau's scheming, alliances, and surprising challenge victories made it look like he was a shoe-in to win this season. But Dreamz-- who rattled on and on about integrity and being a good role model for his son-- betrayed him (as Yau thought he might, which is why he made the truck deal in the first place) at the very end, snatching his victory away.
Without the Disneyland-ish tribal council and all the challenges, this season could be the basis for a fantastic, classic book. Earl would be the main character, the young grasshopper with talent who is taken in my his wise mentor Yau. But the villified Dreamz comes in and kills his master so Earl has to go on by himself and get vengeance and the booty. You get the idea.
The big question for me though is, is Dreamz really a bad guy? Yau seems to think he's a smart young man who needs to get some discipline and priorities. The show depicts him as across the boards unpredictable, unreliable, and untrustworthy. Jeff Probst seems to like him. In the made-up book, Dreamz would be a sympathetic bad guy. He has a rough history and personality that endear people but everything is does is wrong. My guess is that Dreamz could be a good guy, but he doesn't have a good sense of ethics. He also doesn't seem to have a grasp of the consequences of his actions. Which, in the end, make him a bad guy. He may be charming, but he's not the kind of person that I'd want to be friends with. I'd never trust him. Maybe some day he'll figure all this out, but for now, I do think he's the villain.
To me there are three reasons why this season is great: 1) the twists the producers put in, 2) Yau-Man, and 3) Dreamz. The twists were all amazing, particularly the adding of two immunity idols, and the fact that if you wanted to play it you had to do so after the votes but before them being read. This change in rules was the catalyst for the greatest single episode of Survivor that's been aired (if you don't know what I'm talking about, that's too bad, it would take way too long to explain).
However, none of these twists would have stood for much if it weren't for Yau-Man, the wise and clever elder, and Dreamz, the young buck with a very skewed sense of reality. Yau's scheming, alliances, and surprising challenge victories made it look like he was a shoe-in to win this season. But Dreamz-- who rattled on and on about integrity and being a good role model for his son-- betrayed him (as Yau thought he might, which is why he made the truck deal in the first place) at the very end, snatching his victory away.
Without the Disneyland-ish tribal council and all the challenges, this season could be the basis for a fantastic, classic book. Earl would be the main character, the young grasshopper with talent who is taken in my his wise mentor Yau. But the villified Dreamz comes in and kills his master so Earl has to go on by himself and get vengeance and the booty. You get the idea.
The big question for me though is, is Dreamz really a bad guy? Yau seems to think he's a smart young man who needs to get some discipline and priorities. The show depicts him as across the boards unpredictable, unreliable, and untrustworthy. Jeff Probst seems to like him. In the made-up book, Dreamz would be a sympathetic bad guy. He has a rough history and personality that endear people but everything is does is wrong. My guess is that Dreamz could be a good guy, but he doesn't have a good sense of ethics. He also doesn't seem to have a grasp of the consequences of his actions. Which, in the end, make him a bad guy. He may be charming, but he's not the kind of person that I'd want to be friends with. I'd never trust him. Maybe some day he'll figure all this out, but for now, I do think he's the villain.
Monday, May 14, 2007
France baby!
I'm going to France next week and I'm incredibly excited! I've never been before, but I have taken French classes for 9 years of my life, so I feel like this is sort of the reward for all my hard work, academically speaking. I'm going with my parents to Normandy and Paris, where hopefully one of my friends from college will meet up with us! She lives in Switzerland, so I don't get to see her very often.
Things I plan on doing while there:
1. drinking wine in Paris and hard cider in Normandy (that's apparently what they're known for.)
2. eating delicious French foods, particularly baguettes and other bread products
3. visiting the Louvre and other touristy Paris sights
4. seeing all the WWII stuff in Normandy and seeing Mont St. Michel, the castle that's surrounded by the water at high tide.
5. buying French souvenirs/clothes (I'm packing an extra bag just in case I overdo it. I do plan on going a little nuts in this department.)
6. Maybe getting a little of my French back? I haven't spoken in 5 years and I'm trying to practice, but I can barely come up with numbers. Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq... got those, but once I get to double digits, things get tricky. Hopefully I'll come back feeling a little bit better about this.
Any other suggestions?
Things I plan on doing while there:
1. drinking wine in Paris and hard cider in Normandy (that's apparently what they're known for.)
2. eating delicious French foods, particularly baguettes and other bread products
3. visiting the Louvre and other touristy Paris sights
4. seeing all the WWII stuff in Normandy and seeing Mont St. Michel, the castle that's surrounded by the water at high tide.
5. buying French souvenirs/clothes (I'm packing an extra bag just in case I overdo it. I do plan on going a little nuts in this department.)
6. Maybe getting a little of my French back? I haven't spoken in 5 years and I'm trying to practice, but I can barely come up with numbers. Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq... got those, but once I get to double digits, things get tricky. Hopefully I'll come back feeling a little bit better about this.
Any other suggestions?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel... okay
I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about what a bizarre world we're living in. This is mostly because I'm writing a book about future America and I need to think about what will become of us. But on some days I get home from work and realize that I just spent an entire day doing nothing. Not because I wasn't working. I work at a study abroad office where over 1,000 students study abroad each year, and I push a lot of paper! But what does that really mean? It doesn't really teach me any skills, particularly any real survivor skills. If I didn't do the job then the kids wouldn't get to go abroad (probably not true, but if enough of us weren't working there, then yeah, they probably wouldn't go), but it's not like I'm saving lives by coming into work every day. Would not studying abroad seriously affect their lives? I doubt it.
When you look at the bare bones of the situation, I go to work to get paid. But the weird thing is, I never see the money. It gets electronically transferred to my bank account. I usually spend money on my credit card and pay that bill electronically too. So the numbers go up and down in my account but I never really touch the money. It doesn't really feel like I'm accomplishing anything.
I think that civilization as a whole has come to the point where we are in a delicate balance that puts us all entirely dependent on the rest of society. If the heat stopped working in the apartment this winter, I certainly wouldn't have any idea how to fix it. If farmers stop growing crops and raising cattle--oh that delicious cow, my primary diet-- I wouldn't have a clue how to feed myself! My life is dependent on technology and other people who are so specialized in what they do that I probably wouldn't last 2 weeks without them. Put me in the wilderness, and I'd probably eat a poisoned plant within the week and die. Put me in a post-apocalyptic world like the one I'm writing about in my book with no technology or other people's expertise and I'd last longer. I could probably survive on Ramen and Twinkies for a couple years, but I certainly wouldn't make it to a ripe old age.
What does that tell us about us? Who could survive with nothing but their own guts and skills? My bet is SEALS, marines, and Ozzie from Survivor have the best chance. What would America look like after a big disaster and how would the survivors cope? I'm trying to picture it, but it's not easy to imagine when I have such a low opinion of our society as it is today.
When you look at the bare bones of the situation, I go to work to get paid. But the weird thing is, I never see the money. It gets electronically transferred to my bank account. I usually spend money on my credit card and pay that bill electronically too. So the numbers go up and down in my account but I never really touch the money. It doesn't really feel like I'm accomplishing anything.
I think that civilization as a whole has come to the point where we are in a delicate balance that puts us all entirely dependent on the rest of society. If the heat stopped working in the apartment this winter, I certainly wouldn't have any idea how to fix it. If farmers stop growing crops and raising cattle--oh that delicious cow, my primary diet-- I wouldn't have a clue how to feed myself! My life is dependent on technology and other people who are so specialized in what they do that I probably wouldn't last 2 weeks without them. Put me in the wilderness, and I'd probably eat a poisoned plant within the week and die. Put me in a post-apocalyptic world like the one I'm writing about in my book with no technology or other people's expertise and I'd last longer. I could probably survive on Ramen and Twinkies for a couple years, but I certainly wouldn't make it to a ripe old age.
What does that tell us about us? Who could survive with nothing but their own guts and skills? My bet is SEALS, marines, and Ozzie from Survivor have the best chance. What would America look like after a big disaster and how would the survivors cope? I'm trying to picture it, but it's not easy to imagine when I have such a low opinion of our society as it is today.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Welcome back quality TV
I don't want to look like all I do is watch TV and movies all the time, but April looks like it's going to be a great month and I wanted to share its glory with everyone who reads my blog (this means you, Wolf). If you can't get excited about other things going on in your life, get excited about this:
1. The return of Entourage- the show is fantastic and the second half of season 3 has been long overdue. I can't wait to see what the upcoming episodes have to offer. Ari just got fired, the boys are out on their own, I have no predictions about what will happen, and that excites me. The only downside is that it's only a 30 minute show and it always leaves you wanting more.
2. The Office- after taking a very long break and showing many reruns, the Office is back. And after last night's insanely good episode, it looks like they needed the vacation! It was the best episode of the season (although Phyllis' wedding was also solid) and I hope they keep it up!
3. Survivor- Yeah, Survivor's on all the time. But this season has a lot of really cool twists, like two immunity idols that are both shared by two groups of people. It will be interesting to see how this new dynamic will turn out. Plus, the people on it have unique personalities, especially my new favorite, Yau-Man. Everything he does looks wrong, but he's in one of the most secure positions with a great alliance and an immunity idol in his pocket. Go Yau!
4. Bullrun- It's this great new show on Spike TV. 12 teams are racing across the country in their own cars. Then they do challenges at the end that usually involve racing at high speeds towards something that will blow up or kick the shit out of your car. Team Lamborgini already has about $80k in damage to their car, mostly because they ran over a raccoon. Serves you right for hitting it in the first place!
5. UFC 5- I thought last season was one of the worst they've had, so I hope this one gets better. It's going to have the lightweight division though, which should be fun. I like the quick small guys. They make the fight more exciting.
6. America's Next Top Model- It's my new guilty pleasure. I don't know what I like more, watching people being mean to skinny, big-egoed models or feeling perfectly free to join in from the comfort of my living room. The art director of their photo shoots is hilarious and brutally honest, and I love the photos that they take and the challenges they give them. I think I love photography without having a bit of skill at it myself. Plus, it's a reality show, and clearly that's my bread and butter.
1. The return of Entourage- the show is fantastic and the second half of season 3 has been long overdue. I can't wait to see what the upcoming episodes have to offer. Ari just got fired, the boys are out on their own, I have no predictions about what will happen, and that excites me. The only downside is that it's only a 30 minute show and it always leaves you wanting more.
2. The Office- after taking a very long break and showing many reruns, the Office is back. And after last night's insanely good episode, it looks like they needed the vacation! It was the best episode of the season (although Phyllis' wedding was also solid) and I hope they keep it up!
3. Survivor- Yeah, Survivor's on all the time. But this season has a lot of really cool twists, like two immunity idols that are both shared by two groups of people. It will be interesting to see how this new dynamic will turn out. Plus, the people on it have unique personalities, especially my new favorite, Yau-Man. Everything he does looks wrong, but he's in one of the most secure positions with a great alliance and an immunity idol in his pocket. Go Yau!
4. Bullrun- It's this great new show on Spike TV. 12 teams are racing across the country in their own cars. Then they do challenges at the end that usually involve racing at high speeds towards something that will blow up or kick the shit out of your car. Team Lamborgini already has about $80k in damage to their car, mostly because they ran over a raccoon. Serves you right for hitting it in the first place!
5. UFC 5- I thought last season was one of the worst they've had, so I hope this one gets better. It's going to have the lightweight division though, which should be fun. I like the quick small guys. They make the fight more exciting.
6. America's Next Top Model- It's my new guilty pleasure. I don't know what I like more, watching people being mean to skinny, big-egoed models or feeling perfectly free to join in from the comfort of my living room. The art director of their photo shoots is hilarious and brutally honest, and I love the photos that they take and the challenges they give them. I think I love photography without having a bit of skill at it myself. Plus, it's a reality show, and clearly that's my bread and butter.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Top 15
Moon likes to post the top 15 songs that he likes at the moment. Bag has picked up on that too. I don't know music well at all, but I do know my movies. So I'm going to post the top 5 movies that I like right now or am excited to see, and the bottom 5 that I think either look terrible, or I've seen and know are terrible. And the 5 movies/TV shows that I bought at Target yesterday, which I'm listing mostly so my countdown adds up to 15.
The 5 Buys:
5. Ghostbusters I&II - it was really cheap and the first one is a classic. The second one is eh, but the two came as a set. It was basically like getting the second one for free, so whatever.
4. Snatch - I used to own this movie but lost it in college, which is inevitable and fairly commonplace (if you've seen my Armageddon, let me know). Once again a solid movie, and on sale.
3. Firefly - This is the television series that preceded the movie Serenity. I love the movie and really like the series too. The show and movie are written and directed by Joss Whedon who did the same for the Buffy the Vampire series and movie. I love those too. So I guess I love Joss Whedon's work. It's not a series that I'll probably watch a lot, but it makes me feel are warm and happy inside knowing that I can.
2. The Office, Season 1 - Woo hoo! I never feel really good about owning a series if I don't have the complete set (or two complete sets if we're talking about the Harry Potter books). I don't like this season as much as the second, but it's still solid. I plan on watching that this weekend.
1. Casino Royale - this is the reason that I went to Target in the first place. The others were unplanned, spur of the moment purchases. This is the only Bond movie I own and may be the only one I ever own. Unless the next one is equally as amazing.
The Bottom 5:
5. The Grindhouse - I know it's Tarantino and Rodriguez and it'll probably be a movie I'll end up seeing. But this movie looks so ridiculous. I think the names are what's keeping me intrigued- not just the directors, but Bruce Willis and Kurt Russell. It's so appropriate that the kings of cheap action movies are starring in this one. It came really close to making it into the top 5, not the bottom. Hey, at least I feel strongly about it... one way or the other!
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - There's no way it can live up to the humans in turtle costumes from the early 90's flicks. Those were great movies, especially for their day. The 90's were a time of teen angst (My So Called Life, the Karate Kid... you get the picture) and who has more TEEN angst than the teenage turtle Raphael?
3. The Lookout - they keep bombarding us with previews for this movie, and every time I see them it makes me want to watch the movie less.
2. Dead Silence - this is the movie that's about a ventriloquist who hunts and kills people with her dummies. One of the tag lines is along the lines of "If you want to live, then don't scream." I think I'd scream through the whole movie, desperately hoping someone would come and kill me before I had to watch more of that sorry excuse for a horror movie.
1. Easy Rider - no matter what horrible movie I've seen lately, or what kind of mood I'm in, Easy Rider will always be my least favorite movie ever. I don't know what it is that rubs me so much the wrong way with this movie, but I hate it. Hate it.
The Top 5:
5. Die Hard IV, Live Free or Die Hard - the title says it all. This is the ultimate sequel movie, and I'm really excited about it. It looks like fluff: lost of action, cliched characters, and violence. At least it's not going to pretend to be something else. I can't wait!
4. Children of Men - Not too many people saw this movie, but I really love it. I haven't seen it in a while, which is why it isn't higher on the list. But it's got Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Caine in it. I love them all. And I love the plot! It's set in post-apocalyptic England with a Big Brother-type government. It's really intense, and I highly recommend it.
3. Casino Royale - I bought it as soon as it came out. It's awesome. Enough said.
2. 300 - this movie keeps coming back to me. I really enjoyed this movie. As I said to Bag as we exited the film, "if Spartans were going to make a movie about themselves, this is what they'd make."
1. The Birds - I've never seen it before, but it really stuck with me. Yeah the effects are completely outdated, and seagulls attacking people is kind of stupid from my perspective (you want scary birds? EGRETS! Those things go for your eyes!), but no one is a greater master of suspense than Hitchcock. It's something that's lacking in the horror genre today.
The 5 Buys:
5. Ghostbusters I&II - it was really cheap and the first one is a classic. The second one is eh, but the two came as a set. It was basically like getting the second one for free, so whatever.
4. Snatch - I used to own this movie but lost it in college, which is inevitable and fairly commonplace (if you've seen my Armageddon, let me know). Once again a solid movie, and on sale.
3. Firefly - This is the television series that preceded the movie Serenity. I love the movie and really like the series too. The show and movie are written and directed by Joss Whedon who did the same for the Buffy the Vampire series and movie. I love those too. So I guess I love Joss Whedon's work. It's not a series that I'll probably watch a lot, but it makes me feel are warm and happy inside knowing that I can.
2. The Office, Season 1 - Woo hoo! I never feel really good about owning a series if I don't have the complete set (or two complete sets if we're talking about the Harry Potter books). I don't like this season as much as the second, but it's still solid. I plan on watching that this weekend.
1. Casino Royale - this is the reason that I went to Target in the first place. The others were unplanned, spur of the moment purchases. This is the only Bond movie I own and may be the only one I ever own. Unless the next one is equally as amazing.
The Bottom 5:
5. The Grindhouse - I know it's Tarantino and Rodriguez and it'll probably be a movie I'll end up seeing. But this movie looks so ridiculous. I think the names are what's keeping me intrigued- not just the directors, but Bruce Willis and Kurt Russell. It's so appropriate that the kings of cheap action movies are starring in this one. It came really close to making it into the top 5, not the bottom. Hey, at least I feel strongly about it... one way or the other!
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - There's no way it can live up to the humans in turtle costumes from the early 90's flicks. Those were great movies, especially for their day. The 90's were a time of teen angst (My So Called Life, the Karate Kid... you get the picture) and who has more TEEN angst than the teenage turtle Raphael?
3. The Lookout - they keep bombarding us with previews for this movie, and every time I see them it makes me want to watch the movie less.
2. Dead Silence - this is the movie that's about a ventriloquist who hunts and kills people with her dummies. One of the tag lines is along the lines of "If you want to live, then don't scream." I think I'd scream through the whole movie, desperately hoping someone would come and kill me before I had to watch more of that sorry excuse for a horror movie.
1. Easy Rider - no matter what horrible movie I've seen lately, or what kind of mood I'm in, Easy Rider will always be my least favorite movie ever. I don't know what it is that rubs me so much the wrong way with this movie, but I hate it. Hate it.
The Top 5:
5. Die Hard IV, Live Free or Die Hard - the title says it all. This is the ultimate sequel movie, and I'm really excited about it. It looks like fluff: lost of action, cliched characters, and violence. At least it's not going to pretend to be something else. I can't wait!
4. Children of Men - Not too many people saw this movie, but I really love it. I haven't seen it in a while, which is why it isn't higher on the list. But it's got Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Caine in it. I love them all. And I love the plot! It's set in post-apocalyptic England with a Big Brother-type government. It's really intense, and I highly recommend it.
3. Casino Royale - I bought it as soon as it came out. It's awesome. Enough said.
2. 300 - this movie keeps coming back to me. I really enjoyed this movie. As I said to Bag as we exited the film, "if Spartans were going to make a movie about themselves, this is what they'd make."
1. The Birds - I've never seen it before, but it really stuck with me. Yeah the effects are completely outdated, and seagulls attacking people is kind of stupid from my perspective (you want scary birds? EGRETS! Those things go for your eyes!), but no one is a greater master of suspense than Hitchcock. It's something that's lacking in the horror genre today.
Monday, March 05, 2007
The most wonderful time of the year
March is possibly the best month in the year and I'll tell you why. College basketball. My childhood has been largely based around the Duke basketball team-- one of the reasons my family moved to Durham in '95 was so we could watch more of their games. One of my earliest memories is of Christian Laettner's last second jumper to beat Kentucky in the NCAA tourney of '92. I remember screaming at him on the TV "you don't have that much time! Stop dribbling the ball!" and then going completely nuts when he made the shot. I must have made my parents very proud that day.
After we moved to NC I had the wonderous opportunity to go to the ACC tournament whenever it was in Greensboro. I remember this as a time of unbelievable excitedment. We'd often stay in the same hotel as the Duke team and I'd sit at breakfast looking around, desperate to see my favorite players. I also remember it as one of the few times my sister and I didn't fight. After all, why would we? It was a basketball fan's paradise. The atmosphere in the stadium was awesome-- everyone was there to cheer on their team, and once their team lost they'd all join in cheering for the underdogs that were left (except UNC fans, I hate them).
And the fun doesn't stop there. After that is the NCAA tournament, where the best teams play each other and I join at least 2 tournament pools. I almost always pick Duke to win, being the devoted fan I am, so I don't usually win, but it's so much fun. There will be a lot of TV watching in the upcoming month. I've also made a bet with Moon that if Duke wins the tourney he has to burn his UNC hat. If UNC wins, the only hat I can wear is a UNC hat until the start of the college bball season next year. Most likely it will be a push, but I'm still going to keep a matchbook handy, just in case.
After we moved to NC I had the wonderous opportunity to go to the ACC tournament whenever it was in Greensboro. I remember this as a time of unbelievable excitedment. We'd often stay in the same hotel as the Duke team and I'd sit at breakfast looking around, desperate to see my favorite players. I also remember it as one of the few times my sister and I didn't fight. After all, why would we? It was a basketball fan's paradise. The atmosphere in the stadium was awesome-- everyone was there to cheer on their team, and once their team lost they'd all join in cheering for the underdogs that were left (except UNC fans, I hate them).
And the fun doesn't stop there. After that is the NCAA tournament, where the best teams play each other and I join at least 2 tournament pools. I almost always pick Duke to win, being the devoted fan I am, so I don't usually win, but it's so much fun. There will be a lot of TV watching in the upcoming month. I've also made a bet with Moon that if Duke wins the tourney he has to burn his UNC hat. If UNC wins, the only hat I can wear is a UNC hat until the start of the college bball season next year. Most likely it will be a push, but I'm still going to keep a matchbook handy, just in case.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Free Time
Quitting my job was one of the best things I've ever done. I am having so much fun being a bum. It's depressing to know that some day I'll have to get a job and start doing the 9-5 thing again.
I am using all my free time exactly how I wanted to. I'm hanging out with my friends, playing poker, and working on my book. Yes, I'm writing a novel. It's certainly not good yet-- it's not even half finished-- but it's coming along. I've written 20 pages in the past two or three days and I've done a good amount of revisions on the written stuff too. Being able to write for writing's sake has made me feel really good about myself. Sometimes it can be REALLY slow going, but even just adding one or two pages to the total page count lets me know that I'm making headway. And I'm doing it for me, not for a job that I don't care too much about.
Obviously the ultimate dream would be for it to be finished, be fabulous, and have it published. Maybe even do well in sales. But even if it doesn't get that far, knowing that I wrote a novel will be a huge accomplishment. It's always been a dream of mine. I hope it gets realized!!
I am using all my free time exactly how I wanted to. I'm hanging out with my friends, playing poker, and working on my book. Yes, I'm writing a novel. It's certainly not good yet-- it's not even half finished-- but it's coming along. I've written 20 pages in the past two or three days and I've done a good amount of revisions on the written stuff too. Being able to write for writing's sake has made me feel really good about myself. Sometimes it can be REALLY slow going, but even just adding one or two pages to the total page count lets me know that I'm making headway. And I'm doing it for me, not for a job that I don't care too much about.
Obviously the ultimate dream would be for it to be finished, be fabulous, and have it published. Maybe even do well in sales. But even if it doesn't get that far, knowing that I wrote a novel will be a huge accomplishment. It's always been a dream of mine. I hope it gets realized!!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Quitting Time
After working at Greenwood for almost 2 years I finally made the decision to move on. My last day is December 7th at which point I plan to celebrate my freedom for over a month. I'm going home to NC for Christmas and the New Year and then many of us are taking a big trip to the Bahamas!!! I'm so excited for this, and I plan on thoroughly enjoying it. We're going to Paradise Island, where part of the latest James Bond film took place.
In the meantime I'm finishing up with work. I'm not too excited about that because everyone is sad I'm leaving and I'll have to deal with talking to all the volunteers before I go. I like them all a lot, but it's hard to say I goodbye. I am really looking forward to Friday December 8th.
In the meantime I'm finishing up with work. I'm not too excited about that because everyone is sad I'm leaving and I'll have to deal with talking to all the volunteers before I go. I like them all a lot, but it's hard to say I goodbye. I am really looking forward to Friday December 8th.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Car Woes and Tourney Cash
My car died a couple of weeks ago. After pouring money into it to fix everything that kept going wrong I finally gave up when the head gasket in the engine blew. The estimated cost to fix that would be somewhere between $1100 and $1700 depending on who I talked to, and so I sold it to a junk yard instead for $400.
My parents have offered to lend me the money I need to get a new car which is awesome, but the feeling of having a large debt was weighing heavy on me. I'd been playing really poorly on PP lately so it was mostly feeling like I was hemorrhaging money even though I have a regular job as well. I decided to take a few days off from poker to try and get some perspective about why I now sucked. I talked with the Wolf and he deduced that I was feeling too much pressure to make money and was worrying more about my stack than playing well. That was clearly true, so when I made my return two days ago, I vowed to play well and not for the money and whether I won or lost, playing well was all that mattered.
It turned out to be an awesome day. Wolf and I both played in the $40k guaranteed, a $22 buy-in with a first place prize usually of $10k. There were about 2700 people who entered the tourney and with about 100 left, both of us were doing really well. I was probably in the top 5 big stacks and Wolf was comfortably about the average stack. I had a good feeling that we'd be seeing each other at the final table and I was having visions of us finishing 1st and 2nd. Me first of course. Unfortunately he ran into some bad luck and pick up JJ in the BB against the QQ of the small blind in a battle of the blinds. It was all in pre-flop, but even if it hadn't been, the flop was low and it was inevitable that he lose all of his chips without a suck out. No such suck out occurred and Wolf was done, making a small profit for such a long tourney.
I kept going, bludgeoning as much as possible, and taking down a lot of pots with reraises. I think I scared the Wolf several times when he'd see me go all in, ask what I had, and I'd say Q7 or T3. My philosophy is that at the small tourney level other players are stupid and think that elementary plays will work. Raising in the cut off or on the button is unacceptable if I'm in the BB and it took some players a long time to learn that.
I only had one suck out the whole tourney, and it came at a very good time. The button raised my BB during the first round of the final table, and I went all in with K9. He thought for a LONG time and eventually called with KQ putting my tournament life at stake. I hit a 9 on the flop though and cheered my ass off.
With 6 people left, everyone agreed to discuss a deal. I was second in chips and had a lot of respect for the chip leader, so when the $ distribution ended up with me making essentially the 2nd place prize, I agreed to take the deal. I ended up making almost $5,500 for that finish-- the biggest take I've ever made. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm feeling really good about my low buy-in tournament play, and hopefully someday soon I can adapt that into higher buy-in success.
My parents have offered to lend me the money I need to get a new car which is awesome, but the feeling of having a large debt was weighing heavy on me. I'd been playing really poorly on PP lately so it was mostly feeling like I was hemorrhaging money even though I have a regular job as well. I decided to take a few days off from poker to try and get some perspective about why I now sucked. I talked with the Wolf and he deduced that I was feeling too much pressure to make money and was worrying more about my stack than playing well. That was clearly true, so when I made my return two days ago, I vowed to play well and not for the money and whether I won or lost, playing well was all that mattered.
It turned out to be an awesome day. Wolf and I both played in the $40k guaranteed, a $22 buy-in with a first place prize usually of $10k. There were about 2700 people who entered the tourney and with about 100 left, both of us were doing really well. I was probably in the top 5 big stacks and Wolf was comfortably about the average stack. I had a good feeling that we'd be seeing each other at the final table and I was having visions of us finishing 1st and 2nd. Me first of course. Unfortunately he ran into some bad luck and pick up JJ in the BB against the QQ of the small blind in a battle of the blinds. It was all in pre-flop, but even if it hadn't been, the flop was low and it was inevitable that he lose all of his chips without a suck out. No such suck out occurred and Wolf was done, making a small profit for such a long tourney.
I kept going, bludgeoning as much as possible, and taking down a lot of pots with reraises. I think I scared the Wolf several times when he'd see me go all in, ask what I had, and I'd say Q7 or T3. My philosophy is that at the small tourney level other players are stupid and think that elementary plays will work. Raising in the cut off or on the button is unacceptable if I'm in the BB and it took some players a long time to learn that.
I only had one suck out the whole tourney, and it came at a very good time. The button raised my BB during the first round of the final table, and I went all in with K9. He thought for a LONG time and eventually called with KQ putting my tournament life at stake. I hit a 9 on the flop though and cheered my ass off.
With 6 people left, everyone agreed to discuss a deal. I was second in chips and had a lot of respect for the chip leader, so when the $ distribution ended up with me making essentially the 2nd place prize, I agreed to take the deal. I ended up making almost $5,500 for that finish-- the biggest take I've ever made. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm feeling really good about my low buy-in tournament play, and hopefully someday soon I can adapt that into higher buy-in success.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
TV's Top Picks
Shows are premiering again and considering how much I love TV I think it's time for my top 10 picks:
10. Jericho-- I don't know a whole lot about this new series except that it's set in a post-apocalyptic America. It has a semi-big name or two (Skeet Ulrich) and who doesn't like disaster shows? It's premiering tonight (9/20) so I'll have to get back to you on how it really turns out.
9. Grey's Anatomy-- although the season ender pretty much sucked, I'm still looking forward to the new season. I think the characters are really compelling and none of them are 100% loveable. There are skeletons in the closet, there are slutty people with hearts, and while the plots may be melodramatic, at least the people seem real.
8. NFL-- I'm turning into a guy, it's sad. But sitting around watching football all day has turned into a Sunday tradition. It's nice because you watch, but can do other stuff at the same time. It's low concentration tv.
7. Battlestar Gallactica-- we're still catching up on seasons 2 and 3 but they were awesome, and I hope we finish them in time to be able to watch season 4 on tv. This is definitely a suck-you-in show and I hope that it keeps up.
6. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip-- I actually missed the first episode but this is the new series that I'm the most excited about. I love the stars Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, and Aaron Sorkin wrote the West Wing and the American President which are just fantastic. I have really high expectations and think it would actually be higher in my list if I actually knew anything beyond what I just wrote.
5. Amazing Race-- never seen it before this season, but I already like it. I especially like my ponies Duke and Lauren, the lesbian and disapproving father. My money's on them to at least finish in the top 3 if not win the whole thing.
4. Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Duel-- or as my mother likes to call it, "worse than trash." I read a little trivia on it and I'm pretty excited. It's set in Brazil, it's got some of the Fresh Meat kids back like Kenny, Eric (the fat guy), and Casey as well as Tyler and John from Key West, and the usuals like Tina, Wes, CT, and Beth. I think it will live up to RW/RR name by being trashy, bitchy, and violent. And if you're watching it for anything else you'll be very disappointed.
3. The Office-- I can't help it. I want to know if Jim and Pam will get together! But seriously, what a good show.
2. Survivor 13: Cook Islands-- one episode so far and I already think it's better than many of the most recent seasons. I think dividing the tribes up by race is not only a great publicity stunt but also a great way to disprove so many stereotypes that are out there today. I don't think CBS would dare spin the show towards the stereotypes without fear of being sued, so I think they will show a deeper side to it instead.
1. Friends-- so what if the series is over? It's still going to be the show that I watch the most. I might do a full cycle again before the end of 2006.
10. Jericho-- I don't know a whole lot about this new series except that it's set in a post-apocalyptic America. It has a semi-big name or two (Skeet Ulrich) and who doesn't like disaster shows? It's premiering tonight (9/20) so I'll have to get back to you on how it really turns out.
9. Grey's Anatomy-- although the season ender pretty much sucked, I'm still looking forward to the new season. I think the characters are really compelling and none of them are 100% loveable. There are skeletons in the closet, there are slutty people with hearts, and while the plots may be melodramatic, at least the people seem real.
8. NFL-- I'm turning into a guy, it's sad. But sitting around watching football all day has turned into a Sunday tradition. It's nice because you watch, but can do other stuff at the same time. It's low concentration tv.
7. Battlestar Gallactica-- we're still catching up on seasons 2 and 3 but they were awesome, and I hope we finish them in time to be able to watch season 4 on tv. This is definitely a suck-you-in show and I hope that it keeps up.
6. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip-- I actually missed the first episode but this is the new series that I'm the most excited about. I love the stars Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, and Aaron Sorkin wrote the West Wing and the American President which are just fantastic. I have really high expectations and think it would actually be higher in my list if I actually knew anything beyond what I just wrote.
5. Amazing Race-- never seen it before this season, but I already like it. I especially like my ponies Duke and Lauren, the lesbian and disapproving father. My money's on them to at least finish in the top 3 if not win the whole thing.
4. Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Duel-- or as my mother likes to call it, "worse than trash." I read a little trivia on it and I'm pretty excited. It's set in Brazil, it's got some of the Fresh Meat kids back like Kenny, Eric (the fat guy), and Casey as well as Tyler and John from Key West, and the usuals like Tina, Wes, CT, and Beth. I think it will live up to RW/RR name by being trashy, bitchy, and violent. And if you're watching it for anything else you'll be very disappointed.
3. The Office-- I can't help it. I want to know if Jim and Pam will get together! But seriously, what a good show.
2. Survivor 13: Cook Islands-- one episode so far and I already think it's better than many of the most recent seasons. I think dividing the tribes up by race is not only a great publicity stunt but also a great way to disprove so many stereotypes that are out there today. I don't think CBS would dare spin the show towards the stereotypes without fear of being sued, so I think they will show a deeper side to it instead.
1. Friends-- so what if the series is over? It's still going to be the show that I watch the most. I might do a full cycle again before the end of 2006.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Weird Hand
Since Bag mentioned it I might as well give the details. I was in the $33 250 max tourney with 3 people left and there was this really terrible player at the table. Most of the hands we'd seen him play he won from sucking out, and basically got pretty lucky to even make the final table. The stacks were pretty even and I'd position raised a couple of times and he'd min-reraised and since I didn't know what that meant I folded. This happened a few times until I had QJo on the button. I raise, he typically min-reraises and I call. The flop is 9 high and he bets the minimum into me. My thought are immediately "no pair, no ace" and I shove. He thinks for about 5 seconds and calls. He has KJ. High card K and he called for almost all of his chips. I get no help and he knocks me out. Neither the Wolf, Bag, nor I have any real idea of what was going on in his head when this happened, but it was pretty sad because coming in 3rd made me $550, but coming in 1st would've been $1700.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Victory!
Bag already talked about this in his blog, but I'm going to too. We had a big tournament "party" last night where the Wolf, the Bag and I all played about 25 tournaments total. We agreed to split profits on any tournament that all three of us were in. At first things didn't look so good. Wolf and I quickly dropped out of several tournies, and out of the 4 I played, I only made it past the first hour in one of them. I was getting terrible cards, and worse, would play mediocre hands like AJo huge because they were the best I was seeing. Bag was doing well which was great to see, and I figured that we'd be entirely reliant on him to make any money.
The only one I was still in was a $33 with 150 players. With about 50 people left, I had 3k chips while the average stack was about 11k. I was sure I was out but I stole a couple of blinds and then took out a guy who had 1k with KJ against J9. That brought me up to 6k, and I actually felt like there was hope! After that I was able to bluff and bludgeon my way up to an average stack, and was starting to feel more confident. Bag was still a very short stack but was clinging in there, and with 30 left-- 10 til the money-- both of us were still in. At about this time I was placed at a table with a player named BlutzforMe who was a ridiculously loose aggressive player. He raised about 50% of the pots, and worked a slightly above average stack into a dominant force. I was so relieved to still be alive that I let him do it most of the time. He was to my right though, so I had fun every once and a while going all in behind him and forcing him to fold. I did it with pretty much anything, from 46o to AQs and I could tell it drove him crazy. No one else would mess with him, though, so while both of our stacks were growing, theirs were constantly getting smaller.
This is the way the tourney went for pretty much the rest of the time. Bag crawled into the money, and then started getting some chips back. The first hand he raised he doubled his stack just by stealing the blinds. We were at separate tables, and still able to cheer for each other which was nice. As he continued to steal, I began the bludgeon, and started reraising, stealing and being thoroughly annoying to everyone in general. I knocked a few players out, although Bluntz did a lot of the work as well, and then we made it to the final table. Bag came into the final table as ashort stack with 30k and I was the second big stack with 63k, and Blutz had 112k. I lost some of my stack when I folded raises to reraises. I lost more when I doubled Bag up with KT against 44. That brought me down to 30k, and I was a little worried about my chances. When I got 99 UTG I made a desperate move and went all in. I was sure it was over when I was called by two players one of which was also all in and they flipped to show AQ and QQ. The flop was JT3 all hearts, but the miracle came when a 9 came on the turn. The river was a blank and I tripled up.
Play continued, and when it was down to 4 I was doing very well-- Bluntz and I were even in chips and Bag was low but hanging in there. The other guy was a rock appropriately named Rokkafella, but I took him out 88 against AT all in pre. Sadly Bag was my next victim when I eliminated him with A9 against his J8. Going into the final 2 I had a 3 to 1 chip lead and it was only a matter of time before I crushed him with my stack and bludgeoning. The final hand had me again with A9 and he had K6. No help on the board and Pickett is the victor!
The only one I was still in was a $33 with 150 players. With about 50 people left, I had 3k chips while the average stack was about 11k. I was sure I was out but I stole a couple of blinds and then took out a guy who had 1k with KJ against J9. That brought me up to 6k, and I actually felt like there was hope! After that I was able to bluff and bludgeon my way up to an average stack, and was starting to feel more confident. Bag was still a very short stack but was clinging in there, and with 30 left-- 10 til the money-- both of us were still in. At about this time I was placed at a table with a player named BlutzforMe who was a ridiculously loose aggressive player. He raised about 50% of the pots, and worked a slightly above average stack into a dominant force. I was so relieved to still be alive that I let him do it most of the time. He was to my right though, so I had fun every once and a while going all in behind him and forcing him to fold. I did it with pretty much anything, from 46o to AQs and I could tell it drove him crazy. No one else would mess with him, though, so while both of our stacks were growing, theirs were constantly getting smaller.
This is the way the tourney went for pretty much the rest of the time. Bag crawled into the money, and then started getting some chips back. The first hand he raised he doubled his stack just by stealing the blinds. We were at separate tables, and still able to cheer for each other which was nice. As he continued to steal, I began the bludgeon, and started reraising, stealing and being thoroughly annoying to everyone in general. I knocked a few players out, although Bluntz did a lot of the work as well, and then we made it to the final table. Bag came into the final table as ashort stack with 30k and I was the second big stack with 63k, and Blutz had 112k. I lost some of my stack when I folded raises to reraises. I lost more when I doubled Bag up with KT against 44. That brought me down to 30k, and I was a little worried about my chances. When I got 99 UTG I made a desperate move and went all in. I was sure it was over when I was called by two players one of which was also all in and they flipped to show AQ and QQ. The flop was JT3 all hearts, but the miracle came when a 9 came on the turn. The river was a blank and I tripled up.
Play continued, and when it was down to 4 I was doing very well-- Bluntz and I were even in chips and Bag was low but hanging in there. The other guy was a rock appropriately named Rokkafella, but I took him out 88 against AT all in pre. Sadly Bag was my next victim when I eliminated him with A9 against his J8. Going into the final 2 I had a 3 to 1 chip lead and it was only a matter of time before I crushed him with my stack and bludgeoning. The final hand had me again with A9 and he had K6. No help on the board and Pickett is the victor!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Challenge Extended:
Ever since Bag pussed out of our regular volleyball games I've been itching to play more. Sadly, there aren't enough of us anymore, but it got me to thinking about a 2 on 2 match. And in my opinion, I think that the Wolf and I could take the Moon and Fish. I think in the long run they'd win, but right now I think the Wolf and I have more experience as a team, have played a lot more lately, and would beat them. Plus, it'd be fun to bludgeon the Moon in a different game too.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Poker Season begins!
I'd taken a long break from poker, but with my frustration at work I've recently returned to it. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started playing again! My comeback combined with the WSOP main event showing on ESPN makes it feel like we've started a "poker season" much like hunting season or a sports season. Suddenly it's on TV, everyone is playing (although most of my friends play all the time, but still...). Next year I'm expecting jerseys and pre-season matches.
I'm playing small stakes, and obviously the level of play is not the best, but I was simultaneously stunned, enraged, and completely bewildered after playing this hand:
$25 NL Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, August 23, 02:23:03 ET 2006
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: Nirrem198 ( $19.93 )
Seat 3: PunkyPickett ( $55.57 )
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to PunkyPickett [ Qc Qh ]
Nirrem198 calls [$0.25].
PunkyPickett raises [$1.25].
Nirrem198 calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qs, 8s, 9s ]
Nirrem198 bets [$3].
PunkyPickett raises [$11].
(very long pause, Nirrem uses up almost all of his time.)
Nirrem198 calls [$8].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 5c ]
Nirrem198 is all-In [$7.68]
PunkyPickett calls [$7.68].
** Dealing River ** [ Jh ]
Nirrem198 shows [ Kc, Td ] a straight, nine to king.
PunkyPickett shows [ Qc, Qh ] three of a kind, queens.
Nirrem198 wins $38.21 from the main pot with a straight, nine to king.
I don't understand what was going on in Nirrem's head, but I've come to the conclusion that he was probably drunk, high, or both. Or recently was lobotomized. He called a monster raise with a gutty and no spade. Perhaps he thought king high was good. Mostly though, I'm really pleased with the way I played it. I don't think I could've played it better, but with an opponent like that it's hard to say. I'm definitely rusty coming back into the game, but I'm happy with my "learning curve." I'm starting to get my moves back-- and it's not all bludgeoning, Moon (although a lot of it is... it just works)!!
I'm having a lot of success at the tourneys-- monied in 3 out of 5 today-- and have spread my horizons to the cash games as well. I definitely need more practice, but it's coming along. I got into a big hole last night but managed to grind myself out of it, and today was up a lot considering the stakes! I'm very hopeful, and it's a great way to wind down after a frustrating day at work. As the Wolf says "get home from work, play poker for an hour, make 50 bucks." That's the plan, hopefully it'll continue to work!
I'm playing small stakes, and obviously the level of play is not the best, but I was simultaneously stunned, enraged, and completely bewildered after playing this hand:
$25 NL Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, August 23, 02:23:03 ET 2006
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: Nirrem198 ( $19.93 )
Seat 3: PunkyPickett ( $55.57 )
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to PunkyPickett [ Qc Qh ]
Nirrem198 calls [$0.25].
PunkyPickett raises [$1.25].
Nirrem198 calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qs, 8s, 9s ]
Nirrem198 bets [$3].
PunkyPickett raises [$11].
(very long pause, Nirrem uses up almost all of his time.)
Nirrem198 calls [$8].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 5c ]
Nirrem198 is all-In [$7.68]
PunkyPickett calls [$7.68].
** Dealing River ** [ Jh ]
Nirrem198 shows [ Kc, Td ] a straight, nine to king.
PunkyPickett shows [ Qc, Qh ] three of a kind, queens.
Nirrem198 wins $38.21 from the main pot with a straight, nine to king.
I don't understand what was going on in Nirrem's head, but I've come to the conclusion that he was probably drunk, high, or both. Or recently was lobotomized. He called a monster raise with a gutty and no spade. Perhaps he thought king high was good. Mostly though, I'm really pleased with the way I played it. I don't think I could've played it better, but with an opponent like that it's hard to say. I'm definitely rusty coming back into the game, but I'm happy with my "learning curve." I'm starting to get my moves back-- and it's not all bludgeoning, Moon (although a lot of it is... it just works)!!
I'm having a lot of success at the tourneys-- monied in 3 out of 5 today-- and have spread my horizons to the cash games as well. I definitely need more practice, but it's coming along. I got into a big hole last night but managed to grind myself out of it, and today was up a lot considering the stakes! I'm very hopeful, and it's a great way to wind down after a frustrating day at work. As the Wolf says "get home from work, play poker for an hour, make 50 bucks." That's the plan, hopefully it'll continue to work!
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