So its been a while since I've spewed some nonsense onto this computer. Things have been hectic, and I generally haven't had the time or motivation to write anything. But today my lack of motivation to do real work is overtaking my lack of motivation to do other things, and typing makes me look busy, so I'll spend (waste) some time doing this for a while.
First off, watched the Oscars (edited because I'm an idiot). That was fun. I was mostly happy with the winners in each category. I must say there were some good movies battling it out this year. And its a shame that some really good films (The Assassination of Jesse James..., Sweeney Todd..., Atonement, etc.) got overshadowed by some great films (There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men). But all in all I was glad that the blockbuster films were left in the dust by and large by the more artsy films.
In a few days we head down to Los Angeles to help out at a turnaround for about 10 days. I'm not really sure what to expect but I imagine it will go smoothly. Catherine is coming with me, which is nice, but she has to stay mostly in a hotel room the whole time. From this distance is sounds rigid and horrible, but I suspect that once we get down there it will be less so and we might actually have some fun somehow. Who knows though.
In other news, the wpt Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament starts in two weeks. I will not be able to play in it, which sucks. I didn't try to get in but I never really had a clear opportunity. I guess there's always next year or perhaps the World Series if situations permit.
So I did a nerdy thing and reserved a video game I had been wanting before it came out. I did it mostly because it was a present that I was given a few weeks ago and I couldn't think of anything else I wanted, so I did this. It was a weird experience because I purchased the game and then walked out with nothing. To assuage my desire to play this game I started playing the demos you can get for free on XBOX Live and found some games that I thought might be good. So I got the first one used and decided I didn't like it. Then I returned that one and got another one I thought I'd like, and this one I didn't like (for reasons I'm too ashamed to admit...ok, its because the game was scary and I'm too much of a wuss to play it. It stressed me out. Are you happy now?), so I figured that when I picked up my game that I had preordered it would be just in time to return this other game I didn't like and I could use that money to get something else for me or for Catherine.
As we are picking up the game and doing our exchange the clerk, who was dressed up, so he was probably a manager, informs us that he notices that I've already returned a game recently and that his store "isn't Blockbuster", obviously implying that we're trying to cheat the system, buying games, playing them until we've had our fill and then returning them to get another. This clearly isn't the case and the charge is so absurd that I just start laughing. Now, if that was all he said I would be fine with it, but then he says after a minute of silence (filled intermittently with my laughter) that its even more suspicious since we waited until the maximum amount of time before returning it. Ok, now I'm annoyed. This guy is clearly accusing us of unethical behavior based upon what? His hunch. This skinny little gamer named Logan (how perfect is that?) sits in his world and, in his defense, probably does see a lot of people cheat the system and it peeves him. So what does he do? He accuses customers who are innocent. The whole situation was laughable, but irritating. It was one of those ones though that only gets more irritating as time passes. As a result I didn't say any of this at the time, although I wish I had. Needless to say I most likely won't be shopping at that store any longer. Fuck them.
Currently Listening To - Silversun Pickups
Favorite form of Entertainment - watching Curb Your Enthusiasm
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Shipping and Handling
Just got back from another trip to Las Vegas. This one was for our board of directors meeting at SCM. It was a good trip overall. Catherine got a chance to relax, we played a good amount of poker, and the meeting was rather productive. Poker was actually a bit of a roller coaster ride. We fought and struggled most of the time and ended up about 100 bucks. Nothing really interesting with the hands. A couple christmas present hands, one big hand I lost where I had a really big draw, and I thought I'd have some fold equity, but didn't and I missed. That was about a 400 buck pot there. Oh well though.
Mid way through the trip we found out that we might have to go to LA right away to take care of a client's emergency. That was a bit of a nightmare, but they canceled last minute, so we didn't have to go. So now I'm at hope with my dog and wife sleeping next to me in my bed and its oh so comfortable. Its good to be back, even though I love Vegas. We will be back relatively soon though so its good. Now though I have much work to do. I have to help build a foundation for this business so that my family can have a secure future for a long time coming. Plus I have to start school again. Oi. Still though, its time to prove to myself and to others that I deserve the position I'm in. Like the scene in Saving Private Ryan - earn this.
Oh yes, and its Valentines Day. That's another good thing about not going to the city of angels today. I can be with my valentine and, hopefully, show her how amazing I still think she is.
My choice for President - John McCain
My prediction for who will be the next President - Barack Obama
Mid way through the trip we found out that we might have to go to LA right away to take care of a client's emergency. That was a bit of a nightmare, but they canceled last minute, so we didn't have to go. So now I'm at hope with my dog and wife sleeping next to me in my bed and its oh so comfortable. Its good to be back, even though I love Vegas. We will be back relatively soon though so its good. Now though I have much work to do. I have to help build a foundation for this business so that my family can have a secure future for a long time coming. Plus I have to start school again. Oi. Still though, its time to prove to myself and to others that I deserve the position I'm in. Like the scene in Saving Private Ryan - earn this.
Oh yes, and its Valentines Day. That's another good thing about not going to the city of angels today. I can be with my valentine and, hopefully, show her how amazing I still think she is.
My choice for President - John McCain
My prediction for who will be the next President - Barack Obama
Friday, February 8, 2008
2007 Best Picture Thoughts
So, as of earlier this week, I've now seen all 5 of the nominees for best picture this year. I must say, first off, that the five that were chosen were all good movies. I thoroughly enjoyed them all. However, I do have favorites, so here is my order and thoughts about each of the films:
5. Juno. Honestly, I don't think I was an in to this movie as everyone else was, at least until the end. In the beginning of the movie, I hated it. It was trying too hard to be witty and cool. Too many one liners. However, by the end I was sold and found the movie to be a success. I don't think it deserved to be nominated for best picture, especially with Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the running, which was by far a much better picture, but that is my choice to make I suppose.
4. Michael Clayton. This was a very entertaining movie with some interesting twists and turns. The cinematography was also very good at times. Good performances from George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson. The ending was a little bit of a let down overall. But the movie as a whole was very good.
3. Atonement. This movie was probably the biggest surprise of
the list and was the one I saw last. I, first of all, do not like Kiera Knightley, which was probably one of the main reasons it took me so long to see this film. However, I thought the storyline was perfect. The cinematography, especially in the beginning, was great. And the ending was exactly what it needed to be, completely changing the way you viewed the rest of the film.
2. No Country for Old Men. This movie was fantastic from beginning to end. The Cohen brothers proved that you don't need expensive special effects to make a movie intense. Javier Bardem was probably one of the most frightening villains in recent memory. But the movie left you with a feeling that there was more than what you just saw to it. I love it when a movie leaves you completely satisfied, while at the same time wanting more. Some have said that since this wasn't a typical Cohen Brother's film it was a let down. I think that the fact that this was such a departure from their previous work it shows a depth of film making that many indie film makers lack. This was a great film.
1. There Will Be Blood. The choice between this movie and No Country was a very tough one.
As far as pure entertainment value, I believe that No Country wins that contest. However, even in the slower moments of There Will Be Blood one word continued to float in my mind: fascinating. Everything about that movie was just utterly fascinating. The turn of the century short story feel of the film was completely engaging if you were paying attention and Daniel Day Lewis' performance was nothing short of brilliant. This was another movie that you have to see at least twice, if not more, to completely understand the nuances and the story within the story. This was a great film.
5. Juno. Honestly, I don't think I was an in to this movie as everyone else was, at least until the end. In the beginning of the movie, I hated it. It was trying too hard to be witty and cool. Too many one liners. However, by the end I was sold and found the movie to be a success. I don't think it deserved to be nominated for best picture, especially with Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the running, which was by far a much better picture, but that is my choice to make I suppose.
4. Michael Clayton. This was a very entertaining movie with some interesting twists and turns. The cinematography was also very good at times. Good performances from George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson. The ending was a little bit of a let down overall. But the movie as a whole was very good.
3. Atonement. This movie was probably the biggest surprise of
the list and was the one I saw last. I, first of all, do not like Kiera Knightley, which was probably one of the main reasons it took me so long to see this film. However, I thought the storyline was perfect. The cinematography, especially in the beginning, was great. And the ending was exactly what it needed to be, completely changing the way you viewed the rest of the film.
2. No Country for Old Men. This movie was fantastic from beginning to end. The Cohen brothers proved that you don't need expensive special effects to make a movie intense. Javier Bardem was probably one of the most frightening villains in recent memory. But the movie left you with a feeling that there was more than what you just saw to it. I love it when a movie leaves you completely satisfied, while at the same time wanting more. Some have said that since this wasn't a typical Cohen Brother's film it was a let down. I think that the fact that this was such a departure from their previous work it shows a depth of film making that many indie film makers lack. This was a great film.1. There Will Be Blood. The choice between this movie and No Country was a very tough one.
As far as pure entertainment value, I believe that No Country wins that contest. However, even in the slower moments of There Will Be Blood one word continued to float in my mind: fascinating. Everything about that movie was just utterly fascinating. The turn of the century short story feel of the film was completely engaging if you were paying attention and Daniel Day Lewis' performance was nothing short of brilliant. This was another movie that you have to see at least twice, if not more, to completely understand the nuances and the story within the story. This was a great film.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I Voted
Its true. Today I exercised my right to choose an representative for me in our republican (the political philosophy, not the political party) government. I also voted for for some ballot initiatives, which means that I also acted as a democrat (the political philosophy, not the political party). Voting always makes me feel good. I suppose that in some respects I take seriously the right we have that not everyone has. Our system is certainly not perfect, but it works and it sets the example for many other young republics/democracies. I know that a lot of my peers take this for granted. They don't see the importance, probably because they don't see the results of their one vote. In their little world, they are largely correct. But I believe that if they study history they should be able to see the significance, both historically and practically.
Anyways, my votes: I arrived at the the fire station, turned bastion of democratic (the political philosophy, not the political party) ideals, and discovered that I told the state of California that I was an Independent, which makes me a "non-partisan". It feels largely good to be a "non-partisan" in this polarized, partisan world. But the philosophical arrogance I felt upon this realization was stifled once I realized the practical importance: since I wasn't a registered Republican (the political party, not the political philosophy), I couldn't vote for my candidate of choice, John McCain. This was a little frustrating, because in a "blue state", the only time my vote matters when I vote in national elections as a Republican is during the primary. Even more so in this contentious Super Tuesday. Oh well. So today, for actually the second straight national primary I voted as a Democrat (the political party, not the political philosophy).
I quickly went to the initiatives and propositions, voting no, no, no, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, no. Basically only yes to the indian gaming initiatives, which would make my Uncle Gene happy I suppose. Then I went back to the vote for the presidential candidate of my choice and I thought for a while. My wife and I talked about this for a bit this morning, discussing who we'd choose between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. She would choose Clinton, I was unsure, and was still so when face with the decision. I finally decided that if I were voting for a Democratic (the political party, not the political philosophy) candidate then I would be voting for change. And I believe the Obama would be a more efficient agent of change than Clinton. Plus his message of hope and unity is appealing and I'd be willing to give him a shot if I had to. So I cast my vote today for Barak Obama to be the Democratic (the political party, not the political philosophy) candidate for President of the United States.
To my left: My wife and dog taking a nap together on the couch.
To my right: A pillow and the remote control to the tv
Anyways, my votes: I arrived at the the fire station, turned bastion of democratic (the political philosophy, not the political party) ideals, and discovered that I told the state of California that I was an Independent, which makes me a "non-partisan". It feels largely good to be a "non-partisan" in this polarized, partisan world. But the philosophical arrogance I felt upon this realization was stifled once I realized the practical importance: since I wasn't a registered Republican (the political party, not the political philosophy), I couldn't vote for my candidate of choice, John McCain. This was a little frustrating, because in a "blue state", the only time my vote matters when I vote in national elections as a Republican is during the primary. Even more so in this contentious Super Tuesday. Oh well. So today, for actually the second straight national primary I voted as a Democrat (the political party, not the political philosophy).
I quickly went to the initiatives and propositions, voting no, no, no, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, no. Basically only yes to the indian gaming initiatives, which would make my Uncle Gene happy I suppose. Then I went back to the vote for the presidential candidate of my choice and I thought for a while. My wife and I talked about this for a bit this morning, discussing who we'd choose between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. She would choose Clinton, I was unsure, and was still so when face with the decision. I finally decided that if I were voting for a Democratic (the political party, not the political philosophy) candidate then I would be voting for change. And I believe the Obama would be a more efficient agent of change than Clinton. Plus his message of hope and unity is appealing and I'd be willing to give him a shot if I had to. So I cast my vote today for Barak Obama to be the Democratic (the political party, not the political philosophy) candidate for President of the United States.
To my left: My wife and dog taking a nap together on the couch.
To my right: A pillow and the remote control to the tv
Monday, February 4, 2008
indeed, absolutely
Its been another long stretch of no writing, but that's mostly been because of a busy week. Here's the recap:
It was a short work week, which was a bit of a blessing. Only a couple of short classes to teach and some emails to do. Tuesday I went with Catherine to her appointment and sat in to discuss the latest findings and see what we need to do. It was a surreal, but in the end a positive step forward.
Wednesday we headed off to Las Vegas for a quick stay for Catherine's birthday. The rest was definitely needed and appreciated. We had some good meals, saw Circe de Soliel's O, which was nice, and did a lot of talking and reconnecting. We also were able to get a bonus from work to fund out poker bankroll, so we were able to play a good deal. The first day I received some christmas present type hands, where I happened to have a big hand while someone else had a worse big hand and I got their chips. The first was against a tight asian girl who seemed competent. A few people limped and I checked the BB with 66. The flop came 4s5s6c. I led at the pot, the girl raised. Folds back to me and I reraised because I knew she had a big hand, probably a set at the minimum. But seeing as how I had top set, I didn't have a choice, so I raised, she pushed, I called and she had 55 for middle set. The board bricked out, so I won that big pot. It was an interesting hand because if I had middle or bottom set I'd have to start to think about dropping the hand at some point.
Another Christmas hand was when a few people limped, a late position player raised, I called in the bb with 88, a couple others called. Flop comes down 88K rainbow. Obviously a good flop, but not a great one, because it is usually hard to get people to commit a lot of money unless they have KK and maybe AK...usually. So I check, someone in middle position bets, the raiser raises and I'm left with a decision. I think it would have been better if I led, given my position relative to the raiser and the rest of the field, because now, in my mind, if I cold call the bet and raise on this board I HAVE to have a big hand. While I'm thinking about it though I noticed that flop bettor is preparing to shove two stacks of red chips (200) into the pot which, I thought, would be an all in for him. He didn't even notice me. So I called the raise and, sure enough, he shoved those stacks in. Then the raiser calls all in for less than 200. I'm shocked! I double check my hand to confirm, yes, I have the other two 8s. What the hell could these guys have? So I call and immediately turn over my hand, which actually probably cost me 45 bucks because the bettor wasn't all in yet. Oh well. In my mind, honestly, even if I didn't turn my hand over he can't call because I have to have at least an 8 with all of this action, which, unless he has KK, means he's drawing very, very slim. Anyways, he folded, the other guy had AK and I scooped another large pot.
After that, I ran a big bluff into the one guy at the table who can't lay down a hand (good one). But that paid off somewhat because I was able to make some really sick value bets and get paid. The 2nd day was very much the same for me, good cards mixed with good play. However, Catherine had a rough trip all three days in poker and the third day my luck dried out, so we ended up down a bit for the trip. Oh well, we have some money in our bankroll now and, overall, I'm confident in my play and Catherine's play, so I'm sure our luck will change.
We came back on Friday after a hellish day of travel, but we were happy to be home again. Saturday I took Catherine to the mall to get her some more birthday presents, which was fun. She got some cute shoes and some good smelling body splash. Saturday night was the first meeting of our Tri-Valley Whiskey Society, which was a lot of fun. We tried out some good bourbons in a blind tasting, and it was a interesting to see the differences between the four that we tried.
Sunday I surprised Catherine with a birthday party at my parents house with our close friends. That was really fun to plan, although keeping a secret from her is the pits. But the party went off great. Thanks to everyone for their help. Then we watched the Giants just smash the dreams of the Patriots and basically turn Tom Brady into their bitch. I ended up losing some money on the game due to super bowl pools and bad bets. Oh well. It was a fun time.
One last thing I want to comment on in this entry: Its amazing to me the shrillness of the conservatives over John McCain. I understand that they don't like him and don't want him to be nominated. But to hear some of them talk you'd think it was Vladamir Lenin himself we were nominating. This sounds extreme but more than one conservative has strongly stated that they would vote for Hillary Clinton if John McCain becomes the nominee. To me this is utterly preposterous and it makes them sound like whiney little brats. I'm sick of it. That's all I'll say about this right now.
Game I finished last night: Bioshock
Game I'm looking forward to getting: Endwar
It was a short work week, which was a bit of a blessing. Only a couple of short classes to teach and some emails to do. Tuesday I went with Catherine to her appointment and sat in to discuss the latest findings and see what we need to do. It was a surreal, but in the end a positive step forward.
Wednesday we headed off to Las Vegas for a quick stay for Catherine's birthday. The rest was definitely needed and appreciated. We had some good meals, saw Circe de Soliel's O, which was nice, and did a lot of talking and reconnecting. We also were able to get a bonus from work to fund out poker bankroll, so we were able to play a good deal. The first day I received some christmas present type hands, where I happened to have a big hand while someone else had a worse big hand and I got their chips. The first was against a tight asian girl who seemed competent. A few people limped and I checked the BB with 66. The flop came 4s5s6c. I led at the pot, the girl raised. Folds back to me and I reraised because I knew she had a big hand, probably a set at the minimum. But seeing as how I had top set, I didn't have a choice, so I raised, she pushed, I called and she had 55 for middle set. The board bricked out, so I won that big pot. It was an interesting hand because if I had middle or bottom set I'd have to start to think about dropping the hand at some point.
Another Christmas hand was when a few people limped, a late position player raised, I called in the bb with 88, a couple others called. Flop comes down 88K rainbow. Obviously a good flop, but not a great one, because it is usually hard to get people to commit a lot of money unless they have KK and maybe AK...usually. So I check, someone in middle position bets, the raiser raises and I'm left with a decision. I think it would have been better if I led, given my position relative to the raiser and the rest of the field, because now, in my mind, if I cold call the bet and raise on this board I HAVE to have a big hand. While I'm thinking about it though I noticed that flop bettor is preparing to shove two stacks of red chips (200) into the pot which, I thought, would be an all in for him. He didn't even notice me. So I called the raise and, sure enough, he shoved those stacks in. Then the raiser calls all in for less than 200. I'm shocked! I double check my hand to confirm, yes, I have the other two 8s. What the hell could these guys have? So I call and immediately turn over my hand, which actually probably cost me 45 bucks because the bettor wasn't all in yet. Oh well. In my mind, honestly, even if I didn't turn my hand over he can't call because I have to have at least an 8 with all of this action, which, unless he has KK, means he's drawing very, very slim. Anyways, he folded, the other guy had AK and I scooped another large pot.
After that, I ran a big bluff into the one guy at the table who can't lay down a hand (good one). But that paid off somewhat because I was able to make some really sick value bets and get paid. The 2nd day was very much the same for me, good cards mixed with good play. However, Catherine had a rough trip all three days in poker and the third day my luck dried out, so we ended up down a bit for the trip. Oh well, we have some money in our bankroll now and, overall, I'm confident in my play and Catherine's play, so I'm sure our luck will change.
We came back on Friday after a hellish day of travel, but we were happy to be home again. Saturday I took Catherine to the mall to get her some more birthday presents, which was fun. She got some cute shoes and some good smelling body splash. Saturday night was the first meeting of our Tri-Valley Whiskey Society, which was a lot of fun. We tried out some good bourbons in a blind tasting, and it was a interesting to see the differences between the four that we tried.
Sunday I surprised Catherine with a birthday party at my parents house with our close friends. That was really fun to plan, although keeping a secret from her is the pits. But the party went off great. Thanks to everyone for their help. Then we watched the Giants just smash the dreams of the Patriots and basically turn Tom Brady into their bitch. I ended up losing some money on the game due to super bowl pools and bad bets. Oh well. It was a fun time.
One last thing I want to comment on in this entry: Its amazing to me the shrillness of the conservatives over John McCain. I understand that they don't like him and don't want him to be nominated. But to hear some of them talk you'd think it was Vladamir Lenin himself we were nominating. This sounds extreme but more than one conservative has strongly stated that they would vote for Hillary Clinton if John McCain becomes the nominee. To me this is utterly preposterous and it makes them sound like whiney little brats. I'm sick of it. That's all I'll say about this right now.
Game I finished last night: Bioshock
Game I'm looking forward to getting: Endwar
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