Tata for now

View of the Flamingo from our room at the IP. Witnessed some of the worst poker ever today in my life while playing 2/4 holdem here. Will have more to say later.

Quakers are responsible for 9/11

Yep. You heard it here first. And I am not the only one who thinks that Quakers are a threat to the United States. Apparently, the US government agrees with me.

The government also considers gay groups a potential threat to national secutiry (via dkos) and have been routinely spying on their activities. I think we are all familiar with those violent gay fringe groups. Like the 'Pink Panthers' and their dual security teams dubbed the 'burnt sienna' and 'mauve' shirts. Or the equally deadly Fanny Pack brigade. Purely lethal. More dangerous than Amanita bisporigera, the poisonous mushroom known as the 'Death Angel.' Beautiful, but deadly.


If only we had the powers of the Patriot Act earlier (right Dick?). We could have stopped gay terrorism dead in its tracks. But it's not too late. Call or email your congressmen NOW! Tell them to put a stop gay and gaywad related terrorist activities.

Manic Monday

Had some time to think about the tourney yesterday. I was card dead for a good bit during the second hour when I was hoping to accumulate more chips. For the 150+ hands I was dealt, I only saw a flop in about 10% of those. That's seems a little low. Like I mentioned, part of that was being card dead, and some of it was probably due to being too timid. For the most part I made good decisions, so I am happy about that. The hand I went bust on, I am still not sure about. I raised with AQ in third pos, and the BB popped it up 1K. I pushed at that point figuring I am in real trouble if he had AK, KK, QQ, or AA, but would be flipping a coin against other pocket pairs and would have a reasonable chance to double up. Normally, I wouldn't reraise with AQ, but I thought I might have some fold equity. And if I would have folded to his raise I would've been left with about 3K and with the blinds at 300/600, would've needed to make a move soon anyhow. Oh well. I look forward to giving that tourney another shot sometime.

Random link; possilby the best thing I've seen on SNL for quite some time.

Cards in the air

3:30 pm- First hand: AKs raise 3xBB; missed. called someones river bluff with A high. not a bad start.
3:40pm- I have had 67off like 4 times already. T2620. 3 to my left are sitting out including 1 dude who has won the tourney before. Guy to my right is raising alot.
3:50pm- I think I've used up most of my checkraises. Better have a BIG hand next time I do it. T2955. Former winner is now playing.
4:07pm- Over 10% of the field is gone. Took one decent pot with A9 vs A6. T3260.
4:20pm- Blinds now 50/100. Action will probably step up a bit now. 1st knockout. Table change. shit, was getting used to that group. T2960.
4:30- First break. not much in the way of cards lately. 1000+ people out. T2800. Average ~T3600.
4:44pm- Fired up the ipod with some death cab for cutie. ready to focus and fold very carefully now. zero playable hands in the last 3 orbits. need to mix in some raises.
4:58pm- LCD soundsystem now. BIG HAND ALERT. ALL IN WITH AA VS AK. king on the flop he picks up flush draw outs on the turn. misses, whew. T5335.
5:02pm- hands still shaking from that hand. back down to T4100. 77 raised. 1 caller, hand to fold on turn with possible str8 and flush draw out there+3 overs.
5:08pm- another table change. 83 off in BB. flopped 3 of a kind. back to T5100.
5:20pm- 2000+ gone. T3860.
5:23pm- done. raised with AQ in EP. BB pops it. I push with 2500 more. Calls with 1010. missed. 1347/3600.

T minus 10 minutes......

Will be staring down 3000+ other poker players in my first go at the pokerstars 200+15 sunday tourney. I will be making a lame attempt at live blogging this thing.

54 degrees

I have to wear a damn sweatshirt to bed because it's so cold in our apartment. My girlfriend and I don't especially enjoy sending large chunks of cash to WE Energies, so we "suffer" during the winter months.

Threw up a few more links of sites that I read pretty much everyday or find useful in some way.

I qualilfied for the big Sunday tourney on Pokerstars. As of right now, I just took the 215T$, but I might re-register and give it a whirl. See if I can get my ass handed to me by people who actually know what they are doing. If I do play in the tourney, I might live blog it. Not because I think anyone cares or will read it, but just to take up some space here :)

Inalienable right

First of all, kudos to this site for mentioning the results of the investigation into voter fraud in MKE. I had mistakenly pegged them as ignoring the news like so many other local republicans did.

Nonetheless, the republicans in here in Wisconsin are still pushing this Voter ID bill thing. Why? Is the system not working here in our own state? Let's take a look at some of the problems that occurred on election day and whether or not they would be fixed by the ID law.

* Reports estimate about 200 felons being allowed to vote in the 2004 election.
A: Not likely, given that these people used their actual names and were registered.

* One county showed 100 votes mistakenly given to Bush.
A: No.

* Tires slashed in GOP GOTV vans
A: No.

















A: Wouldn't fix this either.


* Record keeping problems.
A: No


Why do we need the law then? What is it fixing/what does it prevent?

What is the most reasonable solution? There are several ideas that would fix the small problems, yet not put up another hurdle in the voting process.

Voting should be as democratic as possible. What does this entail?
A system that is inclusive, rather than exclusive.
A system that is private.
A system that is transparent and varifiable (I'm looking at you Mr. no paper trail voting box).

Widespread Milwaukee vote fraud in 2004......not.

Interesting item from yesterday's Journal Sentinel. This coming after some of the wis-pol right wing bloggers professed the 2004 election was stolen in Wisconsin. I haven't seen any mention of the recently reported FACTS on any of these sites that, 6 months ago, were so quick to say there was organized voter fraud in Milwaukee. They used this as fuel to argue for the passing of a law requiring every person to present a photo ID in order to vote. Without mentioning the fact that this law would have done nothing to prevent the few isolated cases of voter fraud that were found in Milwaukee, what it would do is require hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin citizens who don't carry a state issued photo ID to get one to allow them to vote. Who are these people who don't have IDs? Mostly the poor and senior citizens, exactly the type of people republicans don't want voting. Ahh.......democracy.

Punched in the balls - BAHH

I love losing hands when I am 95% to win when the money goes in.

Full Tilt Poker Game #321160318: Table Commodore Cove - $0.25/$0.50 - Pot Limit Omaha - 23:05:34 ET - 2005/12/04

Seat 2: Sylvain ($25.15)

Seat 4: train406 ($10.90)

Seat 5: TPrince22 ($17.75)

Seat 6: bbann230 ($19.50)

Seat 7: Angelina Summer ($41.90)

Seat 8: rgpars ($188.25)

Seat 9: than51 ($46.40)

Sylvain posts the small blind of $0.25

train406 posts the big blind of $0.50

The button is in seat #9

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to rgpars [6c Tc Td 8s]

TPrince22 folds

bbann230 folds

Angelina Summer folds

ThisJesus sits down

rgpars calls $0.50

than51 calls $0.50

ThisJesus adds $10

Sylvain calls $0.25

train406 checks

*** FLOP *** [4c 3s Ts]

Sylvain checks

train406 checks

rgpars bets $2

than51 raises to $8

Sylvain folds

train406 folds

rgpars raises to $26

than51 raises to $45.90, and is all in

rgpars calls $19.90

than51 shows [3c 3d 8d Ks]

rgpars shows [6c Tc Td 8s]

*** TURN *** [4c 3s Ts] [Kd]

*** RIVER *** [4c 3s Ts Kd] [Kc]

than51 shows a full house, Kings full of Threes

rgpars shows a full house, Tens full of Kings

than51 wins the pot ($90.80) with a full house, Kings full of Threes

rgpars: ha

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot $93.80 | Rake $3

Board: [4c 3s Ts Kd Kc]

Seat 2: Sylvain (small blind) folded on the Flop

Seat 4: train406 (big blind) folded on the Flop

Seat 5: TPrince22 didn't bet (folded)

Seat 6: bbann230 didn't bet (folded)

Seat 7: Angelina Summer didn't bet (folded)

Seat 8: rgpars showed [6c Tc Td 8s] and lost with a full house, Tens full of Kings

Seat 9: than51 (button) showed [3c 3d 8d Ks] and won ($90.80) with a full house, Kings full of Threes

This is where I make a post out of linking to other shit 'cause I got nothing original to say

My hometown has decided to sell soccer fields so Menards can build a store full doorknobs, screws, nails, and lumber. Nice job! All grassy areas should be replaced with giant hardware stores. This coming after only months after the city bulldozed Ralph's Corner bar, the city's oldest bar and favorite hangout of mine. Now, I don't think getting rid of a few soccer fields is as bad as levelling a bar that had been around prior to prohibition, but it's this same spirit of "urban renewal" that makes me want to break into the mayor's office and drop a big one (sans the flush) in his personal toilet.


In better news, I suppose, the Twins picked up gold-glove second baseman Luis Castillo from Florida. This should help patch up a giant hole in the middle infield (NO MORE RIVAS, TYVM) and give them someone who can hit for average and has a good OPS. Now, if they can sign a big bat, I think they will be contenders.

mit und ganzfeld

You ever see this design in a blog? It has to be the worst website design ever, especially if you have to spend more than few seconds reading it. It f*cks with your eyes seriously.

There was a series of experiments in the sensation/perception literature in which subjects were sensory deprived and they reached some sort of state that alledgedly allowed them to telecommunicate or have some sort of ESP. That state was termed a "ganzfeld." Reading long posts in blogs with white type on black background puts me in a serious ganzfeld.

I have had some real premonitions in the last several years. For example, I had this weird feeling that Ted Koppel would soon be leaving Nightline. I also knew that Iraq had no WMDs, apparently before our own government did. And, I also had a feeling that I would get caught stealing mass quantites of toilet paper. Now I understand it all. Reading these damn blogs that make my eyes go craZY nystagmus.

Cat in a laundry chute

Not much to say right now so here's a picture of a cat in a laundry chute. I can feel a real post brewing deep inside my bowels, if I don't sh*t it out first, it will be ready tonight.

Back in the Saddle

Finally put together a decent finish in a multi yesterday. Placed seventh of 700+ in a
$10 tourney on stars good for about 250 bones. Went out when my Q10 went down to J10 on a turned straight. Can't complain though. Got lucky once when my pocket 10s took down aces and was able to win most of my races to get me to the final table. It was a turbo tourney and I went card dead at the end, the combination of which melted my stack down to where I had to gamble with so-so hands. I was hoping for my first 4 figure score, but I guess that will have to wait.

Don't play poker drunk

The following is from one 3 hour session on pokerstars and fulltilt after 6 beers and 4 glasses of wine:

$2/4 Stud -245.00
$.25/.50 Pot limit omaha -120.00

Ouch. I' m really not sure how I did it. The only hand I remember specifically was losing with rolled 6s. Should have taken that as an omen. That being said, the stud games on stars are generally pretty soft. I've played up to from $1/2 to $5/10 and the only difference that I've noted is that at $1/2 some people will call you when they can't beat your board, while at the higher limits this won't happen. All you need to win at this game is to heed Mike McD's advice in Rounders (or Reese's section in SSI) and have a rudimentary understanding of pot odds.

No Boss

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the republican party? Taking their problems out on The Boss. What a bunch of babies. They are getting kicked around a little bit lately and now they act like 3 year olds. I am half expecting them to take the ball and go home. Err wait, our very own Rep. Sensenbrenner already has.

Bahhhhhhhhhhhh

Steve Albini is a decent 7 card stud player.

I was playing a little 7 card stud on pokerroom.com and noticed someone with the name Steve Albini sit down. A couple of people asked if he was the Steve Albini and he said he was. He was pretty decent from what I could tell. Tight aggressive. At one point I lost a hand where I made a flush on 5th and lost to a runner runner boat. I commented that I got "shellac-ed" on that hand. The engineer, producer, musician extraordinaire left not long after.

Although it seems weird that someone would use his name as their poker handle, I was a little skeptical that this was actually Steve Albini playing $1/2 stud. Google some shit and found out that poker is apparently a hobby for Mr. Albini. Well, hot shit!

Required Reading

The names of 50,000+ soldiers killed in Vietnam are on this wall.

In On the Kill Taker

The Washington monument reminds me of Fugazi and the Season 3 episode of the Simpsons where they go to DC for Lisa's Reader's Digest essay competition.

Things seen in DC so far: A group of 3 15 year old nerdish republican boys talking about "typical liberals." Bums sleeping on the benches near the 'Ellipse.' Middle fingers extended in the direction of the white house.

Pillow Talk

I don't really care about pillows anymore. I had this pillow as a kid that was awesome. The kind of pillow that fit your head like a glove. And it was always cold, like it had some built-in cooling device. No putting that bugger next to the AC to cool it down, nope. Well, I ended up leaving that damn pillow in a hotel room. My mom even called when we got home to see if they could send it back to me, but I never saw that damn thing again. The hotel staff must have thought we were retards. What 12 year old kid travels with a special pillow? A 12 year old boy with chronic neck problems? Someone who drools all over the place or has an unhealthy attachment to comfort object.
Now I don't care about pillows, I could rest my head on a burlap sack full of bricks.

this ugly a** thing is coming to your neighborhood