Happy Anniversary!

Well, this is a milestone.

I started this humble little blog one year ago today.

This is also my 400th post, ranging on topics from sports to travel to politics to poker to timewasters to a whole bunch of other things.

Thanks to the various 4300+ visitors who have dropped by (which probably translates to, I don't know, 24 unique people).

To celebrate the momentous occasion, I finally did the conversion of this blog with Google - mostly because Blogger wouldn't let me continue without doing so.

It hasn't crashed yet, but then again it's only been an hour or so. I'm choosing to remain cautoiusly optimistic - for now.

FTOPS 3

Starting Feb. 9, Full Tilt Poker is having its third Online Poker Series.

This time around, there will be 10 tournaments, with a total guaranteed prize pool of $3.4 Million. The final event, due to take place on Feb. 18, has a guaranteed prize pool of $1,500,000 based on a buy-in of $500 + $35.

All of the buy-ins range from $100+$9 to $500+$35.

Might be quite interesting,as there seem to be over 30,000 players on FTP whenever I log in.

Of course, to open a new Full Tilt account and get bonuses through Poker Source Online, click below. PSO is a pretty good site for matching site bonuses - essentially, free money for playing.

Poker Source Online

Free Poker Gifts

Free Money

Rakeback Program

Zell in, Jimmuh out?

A proposal has been launched in the State Senate to build a statue on the Capitol grounds honoring former Democratic Governor and Senator Zell Miller...by Republicans...while he's still alive.

The best line of the article:

"State Rep. Steve Davis, R-McDonough, who sits on the committee, said he would like to see the Miller statue replace the statue of former President Jimmy Carter. "

No objections here.

Running around like a headless chicken

Some mornings are just so crazy it's tough to put them into words. This is one of them.

We needed to go to the airport this morning to drop off the wife for a flight for a work conference. The flight was due to leave around 8:20 AM.

We had been planning to get up around 5, leave around 6:30, so there would be enough time. Naturally, it doesn't happne that way.

5:50: Wake up.

7:02: Pull out of the driveway as everyone and everything is FINALLY loaded into the car.

7:13: Arrive at I-75.

7:18: Get in the HOV, and pass 85 MPH.

7:38: Arrive at the airport 33 miles away from the house after fighting rush hour traffic, but only 42 minutes before the flight is due to leave.

7:43: Leave airport. Get back on the highway to go to Sandy Springs (the other side of town.

7:52: Realize I'm screwed on the highway as the average speed is single digits through downtown.

7:59: Fight through ten lanes on the connector to get back in the HOV to go north.

8:15: Arrive at school. (20 miles from airport)

8:35: Leave school. Drive down one of the 94 Peachtree-named streets.

8:58: Park downtown. (9 miles from school) Amazingly, the car does not try to run me over after finally stopping for the morning.

9:05: I finally arrive, amazingly only off a couple minutes.

I think I need another vacation, or at least a trip to the Richard Petty Experience.

Sadistic time-waster

Do you enjoy procrastinating?

Do you hate kittens?

Do you like bombs and trampolines?

Kitten Cannon

Then this time-waster of a game called Kitten Cannon is for you.

I got to 1548 feet - post your top score in the comments.

Super size me

Another one?

Pretty soon we'll have to start using the Empire's theme music. Even if we're not allied with the Dark Side.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Bank of America, the No. 2 U.S. bank, and Countrywide Financial, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, are in talks that could lead to a merger, the Financial Times said on its Web site Friday.
In afternoon trading, Countrywide (Charts) shares rose 4.2 percent, while Bank of America (Charts) shares were down 0.3 percent.

The companies have held talks about an alliance to create the biggest U.S. mortgage lending group, the newspaper said, citing people close to the matter.

Those talks might lead to Bank of America's purchase of Countrywide, or a joint venture under which Bank of America would use its branch network to help sell home mortgages originated by Countrywide, the newspaper said. Talks are at an early stage and could fall apart, it said.

Calls to both companies were not immediately returned.

Before Friday, Countrywide's market capitalization was about $25 billion. Analysts estimated that it might fetch $30 billion in a takeover, the Financial Times said.

A combination might help Bank of America, which has more deposits than any other U.S. bank and is the No. 1 U.S. credit card issuer, achieve dominance in mortgage lending.

It would come on the heels of Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis's decision to pay $48 billion in 2004 for FleetBoston and $34.2 billion last year for card issuer MBNA Corp.

A combination might also be a crowning achievement for Countrywide Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo, who founded his company in 1969 and recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Countrywide's helm through 2009, when he will be 71.

Bank of America has 5,747 U.S. branches, roughly two-thirds more than any other company. Countrywide last year originated $462.5 billion of mortgage loans.

So this would make us #1 in deposits, #1 in market cap, #1 in branches, #1 in credit cards, and probably #1 in mortgages.

We could always get a mascot of an 800-pound gorilla. That's the problem with winning - someone has to lose. Not us, though.

A special post for the Regis readers

Some of these, I have no idea what they mean. Comes with being a bit removed. Others, I'm sure, can be related to be several here.

---------

You might be a Regian if...

1...you make stupid lists enumerating ways to be a Regian.
2...you like to make weird as hell c++ programs for fun. (David Plaza)
3...you spend your Saturday nights at home drowning in homework. (John Magrogan)
4...you don't mind not being with girls at school. (John Magrogan)
5...you carry more books than you need. (dp)
6...you have more than one book bag and use both every day. (only one person fits this one...)
7...your name is Matthew Guido. (dp)
8...you have a personal web site. (dp)
9...you dumbfound your friends trying to explain our 20-period day. (Will Pryor)
10...you brag to people how there are rich girls schools just blocks away... yet you haven't seen a female since the summer. (Will Pryor)
11...you have your very own poster of Hearn seniors on a wall at home. (Will Pryor)
12...you think the Quad is a popular place to hang out.
13...you have ever "sunbathed" in the Quad.
14...you don't mind the cafeteria. Haze, mice, OR food.
15...you have "unstructured time".
16...you know what "unstructured time" is.
17...you spend all your "unstructured time" in the library or any room called "_RC" (fill in the blank).
18...you know Jimmy.
19...you have ever gotten JUG.
20...you know what JUG is.
21...mass transit is a way of life and you spend at least two hours a day using it.
22...you have a metro card.
23...you rejoice when "suspicious packages" are left in Penn Station.
24...you actually know what a TI-83+ is, and know how to use it. (not necessarily well)
25...you know what an H drive is.
26...you know and hate techie.
27...fear is synonymous in your mind with "Hearn". (anonymous)
28...you know what synonymous means or what the Hearn is.
29...you actually believe there are deep philosophical messages embedded in episodes of "The Simpsons".
30..."epic enchantment with massive disenchantment" actually means something to you.
31...Oktoberfest means a hotdog and lots of free Snapple.
32...you know what a half-qual is.
33...you've suffered through the slideshow more than twice. (yes, THAT slideshow...)
34...Jasper is not a team, but a resume stuffer. (anonymous)
35...you consider Westchester "Upstate".
36...you have a minimum of five "worst cab/train/bus ride ever" stories.
37...you know alllllll about BUGS. (and put your hands up when you say that)
38...you've seen Mr. Loose try to be 'ghetto'.
39...you can prove that .9 repeating is actually 1.0
40...you think its daring and dangerous to wear a sweater without a collar.
41...you know how to break into the conference room, and 410.
42...you come in normal time on late advisement C days.
43...you know what a prefrosh is. Or a frosh, for that matter.
44...you've had to read The Odyssey...UNABRIDGED. (same for Grapes of Wrath)
45...laptop keys (missing) are a pertinent issue in your life.
46...you know the notorious BIG (think a little, here...).
47...you've seen the helicopter landing pad on the roof.
48...you think PM advisement is an absolute waste of time (which it is).
49...you dream about squashing all those annoying little kiddies on 84th.
50...you go to Mr. Lyness' office for candy. Maybe to say hi too, if you feel like it.
51...you walk single-file past the advancement office... you know why...
52...you are intimately acquainted with the tunnel, and all its quirks.
53...an average day's exercise consists of: mad dash to train or bus, from stop to school,
approx 9 flights of stairs(up, 9 down), 0.45 miles of hallway running, 20 minutes of standing in place at lunch line, and then sleeping on the ride home.
54...your sleep schedule is something like this: wake up at 530 or 6 am, catch bus/train,
sleep for 50 minutes, sleep about 30 minutes during unstruc time, sleep from 15-75 minutes
during classes, go to after school stuff, sleep thru some of those(20 min), go home, go to sleep
at about 130 or 2 am. For those living in Manhattan, shift this schedule
forward 2.5 hours (i.e. wakeup at 8 or 830, bed at 4ish).
55...you read for fun (God help you!).
56...you are too lazy to go to bed, and end up sitting at the computer instead.
57...you are reading this list, and laughing. Laughing at anything. I mean that is just realllly sad if you are.
58...you've been caught topless in the Quad by Fr. Biagi (James Matamoros referring to mike D).
59...JFR means 'cut'. Think about it. You'll get it. I did. (the day, you morons)
60...you don't know what Regents are.
61...you consider that stupid red planner thing as a weapon.
62...your teachers think they are funny and answer your cell when it rings.
63...you are genuinely surprised when your friends whine to you about oppressive worksheets. Then you laugh.
64...you have a remarkable WPM speed (that's for typing), but can only achieve it the day a paper is due, at 8:29am in the back of the library with Mr. Coleman on the prowl.
65...you know html, java, c++ and perl, but can't get your locker open. (Yes, these people do exist...)
66...you never EVER use the word 'mod' when referring to your schedule, and are confused when someone does, despite it being the building block of said schedule.
67...you sit on skylights.
68...you have taken home at least two trophies from the Hearn room that aren't yours.
69...you saw Cicero when he was wearing a doorag. (2001 open house) (or 2002, I can't remember)
70...you are baffled by those flag-banner things that they put in the Quad, and wonder why they are there. Or where they go when they disappear.
71...you've made a "SHOT ON GOAL". Ah yes, intramurals.
72...krispy kreme is an important part of your day, as is the local Nuts4Nuts guy.
73...you've painted your face red, then gone home with war paint still on.
74...you can cram for a language test, a science test, a math quiz and a history quest (quizz/test), and do all this while writing that paper that you've had 3 months to do but is due tomorrow, but when asked to remember to do something, or any other simple task, you stare blankly, and find the job too difficult.
75...you cram routinely.
76...the term system-beater is fully applicable to you, and you are proud of it.
77...you find going to the Met is actually enjoyable (mind you , only as a replacement to class).
78...you go to the Humanities library once a year...to get "sources" for that stupid paper that is due soon.
79...you wonder why they call it "Humanities"...I mean really, its just weird.
80...you think reading The Owl is a worthwhile waste of time (note the oxymoron...).
81...you have no idea about those holes in the locker room, or what they pour into them.
82...you can tell what's for breakfast, while you're on the 5th floor...(smell, if ya didn't catch that one)
83...you take math tests in pen.
84...you've ever filled a blue book on one question. (God help you if you have!)
85...you come into a final, and ask someone for a pen, because it didn't occur to you that you would be needing one.
86...you've been locked out of the 85th St door and stood there for at least 5 minutes hoping to be let in.
87...you've gotten your hands on an elevator key, only to realize that you can get on from the locker room with a paper clip.
88...you think taking pushpins from bulletin boards constitutes "vandalism".
89...you associate "prototype" with "crap" (e.g. 408's super-duper computer beam stuff).
90...you have scoliosis and very heavy backpacks, but your bag didn't break from book-weight, it broke because
you tossed it down two flights of stairs.
91...you are a firm believer in the existence of the dean's crystal ball and magic flying silent shoes.
92...you have ever taken pictures in class, or used a tape recorder or camcorder to record a teacher's stupidity.
93...you've been caught for mp3s. I don't know what there is to be 'caught' about, but oh well...
94...you've braved rain, snow, bitter cold, and any other form of weather to eat in the Quad, just because you can, but deny that the reason you do so is because you cannot handle the cafeteria.
95...you rely heavily on sugar. (Contact me for the ULTIMATE recipe)
96...you have seen the layout of the secret annex of the Hearn room. Or the Coachmobile.
97...you will miss Bum Bill and his rants and "songs".
98...you went to livestock '02. And got the retarded T-shirt. Yeah, the one with the cow...
99...you have ever guarded the Tunnel...or any flight of stairs.
100...figuring out how to order something on the lunch line presents a difficulty to you. (you know who you are, JP)
101...you are as helpless as a chicken with its head cut off when told to use your emergency contingency plan. Because YOU DON'T HAVE ONE. NO ONE DOES. What a stupid "plan".
102...you don't listen to the daily announcements, and after you find out you missed something, you wonder why the hell no one told you about it.
103...you've seen the frightening things that can happen to a teacher who has been here too long.
104...you have had the sudden urge to adopt a manatee and keep it in the Quad. (NO! Don't touch the window!)
105...your idea of chinese food is The Chirping Chicken.
106...you refuse to patronize Mimi's because the guy with the menu down his pants is a jerk.
107...you have ever used an "architect's ruler"...she's crazy, I tell ya! Or, you know the definition of "um".
108...you think deodorant (aerosol) is used to make graffiti (on lockers).
109...you have slept in the same bed as another guy. (Not at the same time, you pervert) (anon)
110...the vending machines provide you with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
111...you've been at Regis later than the city lights go out and earlier than the city lights go on.
112...you know the New York City subway system like the back of your hand.
113...you have traveled all of Manhattan in search of something, never sure of what.
114...you have timed your entire travel commute and know who you will meet and where. All the time.
115...you hate being wrong.
116...you attack people at the moment you sense a degree of wrongness.
117...you debate the undebatable, and argue at the most ridiculous things, all the time arguing solely for the sake of arguing.
118...you know there is a deeper meaning in "EXCESS" (think of the band...) (whoa!)
119...this makes sense: Parents' Club = food.
120...you know the name of the guy at Mimi's (the one with the menu down his pants). (ITS JAVIER).
121...everything you do is completed 30 seconds before the due date.
122...grades don't matter.
123...you boast about failing something. (frighteningly very true)
124...you know what a blivot is.
125...you are constantly discouraged from orgees. (yes, I know how to spell, that is that way for a REASON..)
126...you can "in depth comment" on every diner on the upper East Side and show some kind of animosity between you and aforementioned diner. (anon)
127...you are a an upperclassman in high school yet go to see the premier of Harry Potter, wave like a maniac when you see Bugs Bunny, and act like a 3 year old at any public gathering. (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE...)
128...you like to exemplify your vast knowledge of languages, by speaking Spanglish, Gerglish, Chinglish, Frenglish, and Latglish at public gatherings. God forbid someone start speaking solely in another language, you'd be lost. Completely.
129...when friends tell you about spelling class, you think they are telling you a joke.
130...you inexplicably start summer vacation 2 weeks before the rest of the world. (Bobby Johnsen)
131...you can tell the difference between Sukarno and Suharto. (Evan Smoak)


Credits are given next to items; if there are no credits, I made them, or the person who did doesn't want to be named. (Anonymous) or (anon) is for submissions that were made, you guessed it, anonymously, but that I definitely do not want mistaken as mine, or
do not wish to steal credit for the genius of.


Special note for the slow: To be a Regian, you do not have to fulfill ALL of the above mentioned criteria. Or even most of it. Also, if you do fulfill any of the above criteria, that does not necessarily make you a Regian. Just in case you were wondering.

Thanks to Mike Wolff '05 for writing this beautiful peice of work.

-----------

The end. Lifted mercilessly from the group on Facebook. Are you really surprised there's a pointless Facebook group for Regis?

Vegas, baby!

Niiiiiiiiice.

You Are Las Vegas

Wild and uninhibited, you enjoy all of life's vices. You're a total hedonist, especially with sex, gambling, and drinking. You shine brightly every night, but you do the ultimate walk of shame each morning. Famous Las Vegas residents: Wayne Newton, Howard Hughes, Penn & Teller, Siegfried & Roy

What American City Are You?

Kim's came back as Austin - which makes sense considering all the orange around the house.

Gold has lost his luster

Announced today - Jamie Gold has been dropped by BoDog.

Wonder if it was the lawsuit, or Bodog pulling out of the U.S., but I'd almost think clips like this had something to do with it:



Don't mess around with Texas Dolly.

Back to Campus

Emory Founders Ball, February 10, 2007, 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM.

Black tie optional.

Emory Conference Center Hotel.

Bring your checkbook, in all certainty.

I don't remember there even being a founders' week when I was there, but then again most of the things I do remember are now gone anyway.

It might be interesting to take Alex to one of the Disney movies during the week, though.

I can certainly do without a lot of the self-loving speeches offered during the rest of the week.

I'm also wondering when and why they built a planetarium. I guess that's why tuition's gone up by five digits over ten years.

Hey, Schuerholz woke up!

I'm piled on him plenty when he hasn't done anything, so I think it's only fair to give him credit when he does things right.

The Braves have made some moves to improve the team significantly this year and contend for the division once again after last year's dismal showing (79-83, 3rd place, no division title and a sub-.500 record for the first time since 1990.)

This offseason, the Braves let Danys Baez, Marcus Giles, and John Thomson, among other, leave. They also traded away Horacio Ramirez and Adam Laroche. Every one of these players had something wrong, be it recurring injury, underachieving, or just being screwed up in the head (yes, I'm looking at you, LaRoche.) Letting these players go saved approximately $15 million, based on what they will receive for 2007.

The Braves had one of the worst bullpens in the NL last year. With trades for Rafael Soriano (for Ramirez) and Mike Gonzalez (for LaRoche), along with the signing of Tanyon Sturtze, the Braves have definitely addressed their biggest need and gotten quality arms for next year. Total cost: $2 million.

What about filling the offensive gaps created at 1B and 2B? Well, the Braves have a couple people to try out - journeyman Chris Woodward and rookie Martin Prado - at 2B. Last week, they signed Craig Wilson to a $2 million deal. He can play anywhere, so he can fit in either at 1B or in the outfield. Between Wilson, Scott Thorman, and Ryan Langerhans, the two positions should be covered fairly well. Total cost for Wilson, Woodward, and Prado: $3 million.

Thankfully, they didn't try to spend 8.5 million getting someone like Moises Alou. They don't need to shop for an expensive bat.

Who can fill in Ramirez' spot in the rotation? Well, that's the big question. With the moves above, the Braves have saved $10 million. Unfortunately, they won't spend any of it on a free agent starter - they didn't even make an effort with Zito. Right now, if everything stays the same, the rotation is as follows:

1) John Smoltz
2) Tim Hudson
3) Chuck James
4) Kyle Davies
5) Mike Hampton

1 through 3 are OK but not spectacular as Hudson has underachieved since arriving in Atlanta. Numbers 4 and 5 are very scary. At this point, it may be a small offer to one of the remaining pitchers on the market - Jeff Weaver, Rick Helling, Jason Johnson, Mark Redman, Steve Trachsel, even a Chan Ho Park, because that is all that's left and there's no one to bring up from Richmond.

Heck, I think giving Mark Redman $2-3 million isn't too bad, considering he's done well on lousy teams and he'll have more support offensively here.

I'll be very happy when Hampton's $15 million comes off the books.

Wiggles the Bear

That's what they are calling Mei Lan, the new giant panda cub at Zoo Atlanta.

Wiggles.

Pretty cute, I suppose.

I can't embed the ridiculously cute video, so you'll just have to click here.

Already?

The last week has seen several announcements to form exploratory committees with the intention of seeking the Presidency.

Considering we just had the mid-term election less than 90 days ago, this seems a bit soon. Of course, once you consider that a politician's only concern is getting elected or re-elected, then it's not too shocking.

In the interest of appealing to everyone and spiking my traffic, here's links to all the confirmed candidates' working websites in both parties.

Republican:

Mitt Romney (Very substantive site and very user-friendly)

Rudy Giuliani (Not bad, but not as good as Romney's site)

John McCain (Not a very good website - the black/white is a bit disconcerting)

Sam Brownback (Has been updated with announcement video, and recently re-done)

Tommy Thompson

Tom Tancredo

Duncan Hunter

Jim Gilmore

Chuck Hagel and Ron Paul don't have websites. Newt Gingrich doesn't say if he is running, so he's not here.

Democrat:

Barack Obama

Hillary Clinton

Bill Richardson

Chris Dodd

Joseph Biden

John Edwards

Tom Vilsack

If search results are any indication, then we'll see Mitt Romney and Barack Obama as the nominees. Of course, there's a looooooooooong way to go, and I'm sure we'll all be very tired of it come next fall.

Back up the truck

Two work-related stories:

1) Bank of America Corporation today reported that 2006 net income rose 28 percent to $21.13 billion from $16.47 billion a year earlier, reflecting both the addition of MBNA at the start of the year and organic growth in most major customer segments.

2) Bank of America on Wednesday said its board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to 200 million additional common shares, and will allow management to spend $14 billion over the next 12 to 18 months to buy back stock.

The stock price has hit a 52-week high near $54 and is still trading in the vicinity of that price based on continuing growth and profit expansion. Right now, it's at $52.70/share.

14 billion / 200 million = $70/share.

Nice math.

Meanwhile, Citigroup thinks that changing their logo will jumpstart earnings and a sluggish stock price.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

Just wait until we buy Barclays.

Oops, I did It Again

We had a problem at the house over the weekend with the water piping. It seemed as though a pipe was leaking within the house, and we had someone come over to take a look at the plumbing to see what needed to be fixed.

Well, we figured out the nature of the problem and it's something easily fixable.

But that's not the point of this story.

The plumber went into the attic to see what the cause may be, and I went into the attic as well.

As I was trying to maneuver to a corner of the attic. I put my foot down on a beam.

Except I missed the beam, and stepped on sheet rock, which does not share the same characteristics as actual rock. Because it does not, it broke, and my foor went through the floor, viewable to the floor below.

Strangely enough, this is not the first time this has happened. Different spot, same result. Same month, even - this happened in January of last year as well, in one of my first posts.

Unfortunately, this time, instead of renting the house, we own the house, so now I really need to sharpen my drywall and sheet-rock skills.

I never really liked going into attics, but now I'm quite content to just stay out of them entirely. Bad things seem to happen in the attic.

When It's Over

I'm not writing this post from home.

I am sitting at my desk at work.

Effective this morning, I returned to work. Everyone was glad to see me, thankfully. Whether it's because of good tidings or because my work won't be on their desks remains to be seen, though.

Right away, though, I am getting welcomed back to the most fun of activities - the performance review. Since I've been gone, mine has been delayed until now, but now that I'm back, the year-end review gets to be done....today.

Good thing I did my writeup before I left and was able to put down exceeds for almost all of my goals, with a month left in the year!

The other interesting tidbit I found out is that while I was gone, our group's performance results dropped. A lot. From November to December, it dropped by 7%, which isn't within any sort of normal variation.

Ego boosts the first day back are a good thing, I suppose :)

Now I get to begin making calls to 40-50 clients to notify them that I have returned, and then I can prepare for the onslaught of work.

Yay!

Good games

The one thing that can't be disputed is that both playoff games will be very good this weekend.

1) Patriots (+3) at Colts. I don't care that they've already played so many times, I like seeing them play. Probably for the same reasons that folks like seeing the Red Sox and Yankees play as many as 26 times in a year.

I know Indy beat the Patriots in the regular season both this year and last year. But like the Red Sox, I can't pick the Colts until they pull it off. Until then, I pick the rings. Pats cover, and I think win outright.

2) Saints (-2) at Bears. This line dropped a LOT, considering it's a dome team going to Chicago in January. Just remember, the Saints were 6-2 this year on the road, and is quite used to playing away from the SuperDome the last two years.

I think the Saints have a slight edge in the running game over the Bears, as Deuce has played like he did three-four years ago. I think Brees is monstrously better than Rex Grossman. The Saints' defense is good enough to stop the run and force Grossman to throw it down the field to beat them, just as the Bears' defense can force Brees to do the same. I think Brees has a better chance of beating the Bears' D than Grossman has against the Saints.

Saints win outright.

The latest version of the apocalypse

I don't like American Idol. I hate the same stuff week after week as it inexcoriably winds to a conclusion and a winner.

However, I have one exception.

I do enjoy watching the shows at the very beginning, for the unintentional comedy factor.

We watched the first batch of auditions last night in the season premiere, and we'll probably be watching the second batch tonight because I won't have the remote. From what I hear, though, there will be plenty of untalented performances, and thus, it will be marginally funny.

For a recap of the really bad singing and other weired stuff from last night, click here. Fox won't let me embed the video, so just click on the link instead.

Weird crap starts about 30 seconds into the 3-minute clip. The cowardly lion sound halfway through is an interesting touch.

All-Star Game heading north

It's been preliminarily announced that Yankee Stadium will host the MLB All-Star Game in 2008, to coincide with its closing that season.

It's probably a better choice than the bowels of Shea, and airplanes flying overhead.

By the look of the designs though, it may be a close call to see which new stadium will be nicer, the Yankees' or the Mets'.

It also means that we'll need to get started on a baseball tour with the kids so we can go back to them before they close. Well, it would be a return for me, but a first trip for everyone else. The only one Alex has been to is Turner Field - nowhere else yet.

Screwed-up picks

Well, I went 1-3 this weekend. I only got the Saints right, straight up. Against the spread, 0-4.

Three reasons which I didn't expect:

1) Rex Grossman played very well. He played a lot better than I anticipated. Seriously, 60% completion and 280 yds? Not expected. Not just a few weeks after a 0.0 rating.

2) Peyton Manning did well in a playoff game against a very good defense. Not too well, as he didn't throw a touchdown, but the Colts moved the ball enough to get Vinatieri in position to kick 5 field goals. Perhaps I underestimated Vinatieri's clutch presence as a counter-measure against Peyton's choke history.

3) I did not expect the latest reincarnation of Martyball against the Patriots. I would rant here, but Kid Dynamite sums it up a lot better than I could have, so instead of writing it all over, I'll just link to his post here.

As for this weekend - I don't know what to think. There's good arguments for all four teams to advance, and I can't make up my mind yet.

HORSE update

I wrote a couple weeks ago that I was going to Tunica for the WSOP Circuit event, and to try to play in the H.O.R.S.E. event on Jan. 13.

Here's the results. Out of 112 entries, 16 paid, with first paying out about slightly more than $35K.

You won't see my name there.

However, it's not because I busted out.

I cancelled the trip on Thursday. Since I could never extend the hotel stay, it wasn't going to work very well to stay just one night. Also, health-wise, it was not going to work out to have that sort of travel or to have everyone else stay here. So, I decided to cancel the trip - thankfully, it was still before the cutoff for cancellations.

Thankfully, there are still other circuit events over the next few months. At a minimum, New Orleans is still set. Who knows, perhaps a trip to Atlantic City may be in order now for their event in March - and I'd imagine a few readers here would probably want to make the trip as well.

Besides, it was much more fun to stay home this weekend and get spit up on by a 7-week old every time I tried to hold her for 4 days straight - complete with a grin which seemed to say that she was having a lot of fun doing so.

Cultural leanings for make benefit gloriuos nation of award shows

I was stuck watching part of the Golden Globes tonight, as equal trade for watching 14 hours of football this weekend.

One of the awards shocked me when it was presented.

Best Actor in a Movie (Comedy or Musical) was presented to Sacha Baron Cohen.

Yes, BORAT.

He did remember to thank everyone in the U.S. who hasn't sued him yet.

And he appeared out of character for once, actually appearing as himself.

Take from the award show what you will.

Picks before I forget

I might forget to write this before the games (like last weekend) so here we go:

Colts (+4) at Ravens - Peyton Manning, on the road, against a really good defense, in the playoffs, against another QB who's actually been to the Super Bowl. The Ravens should cover the line.

Eagles (+6) at Saints - The Eagles beat a self-imploding Giants team at home. Now they go to the Superdome to take on a well-rested Saints team with enough weapons to withstand Philly's defensive fronts. Saints win but do not cover.

Seahawks (+8.5) at Bears - I think that even with all the injuries, the Seahawks will be able to get just enough on offense to win because the Bears' offense won't score 10 points. Seahawks pull off the road upset.

Patriots (+4.5) at Chargers - I refused to pick against the Pats last year, because someone needed to beat them. They looked good last week in the fourth quarter, but letting the Jets hang around that long is not something that can be repeated against the Chargers' offense. The only question is if Marty finds a way to screw up the Chargers' game plan. I don't think he will - the conservative plan is probably the way to go when you have Tomlinson in the backfield. I think the Chargers cover.

Championship week: Chargers over Ravens, Saints over Seahawks.

Super Bowl: I picked the Chargers in September, I'm sticking with them. You didn't really think I'd pick the SAINTS to WIN the Super Bowl, would you? That is the third sign of the end of days!

Just pretend I said New Orleans instead of Carolina four months ago, OK?

San Diego 27, New Orleans 16.

UPDATE: I know, the Colts won. Dammit.

It's On

The schedule for the 2007 WSOP is now available and finalized.

Book early. Trust me. I just called the Rio for info. Call around mid-February to find out about block & discount rates because that's when they'll start coming out. I've got my reminder set already.

Also, once registered for an event, your room rate will drop considerably (probably by half, at least).

Date Day Time Event # 2007 Buy-In

June 1, 2007 Friday 12 noon 1 World Championship Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) (3 Day event) $ 5,000.00
June 1, 2007 Friday 5 PM 2 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $ 500.00
June 2, 2007 Saturday 12 noon 3 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 3, 2007 Sunday 12 noon 4 Pot Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 3, 2007 Sunday 5 PM 5 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 2,500.00
June 4, 2007 Monday 12 noon 6 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 4, 2007 Monday 5 PM 7 Pot Limit Omaha W/Rebuys (2 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 5, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon 8 No-Limit Hold’em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) $ 1,000.00
June 5, 2007 Tuesday 5 PM 9 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 6, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon 10 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 6, 2007 Wednesday 5 PM 11 World Championship Seven Card Stud (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 7, 2007 Thursday 12 noon 12 No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 8, 2007 Friday 12 noon 13 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 8, 2007 Friday 5 PM 14 Seven Card Stud (2day event) $ 1,500.00
June 9, 2007 Saturday 12 noon 15 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 9, 2007 Saturday 5 PM 16 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event) $ 2,500.00
June 10, 2007 Sunday 12 noon 17 World Championship Ladies Event No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,000.00
June 10, 2007 Sunday 5 PM 18 World Championship Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 11, 2007 Monday 12 noon 19 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 2,500.00
June 11, 2007 Monday 5 PM 20 Seven Card Stud Hi-low-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 12, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon 21 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 13, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon 22 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 14, 2007 Thursday 12 noon 23 Pot Limit Omaha (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 14, 2007 Thursday 5 PM 24 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 3,000.00
June 15, 2007 Friday 12 noon 25 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 15, 2007 Friday 5 PM 26 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 16, 2007 Saturday 12 noon 27 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 17, 2007 Sunday 12 noon 28 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 3,000.00
June 17, 2007 Sunday 5 PM 29 Seven Card Razz (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 18, 2007 Monday 12 noon 30 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) $ 2,500.00
June 19, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon 31 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 19, 2007 Tuesday 5 PM 32 Seven Card Stud (2 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 20, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon 33 Pot Limit Omaha W/Re-Buys (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 20, 2007 Wednesday 5 PM 34 Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 3,000.00
June 21, 2007 Thursday 12 noon 35 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 21, 2007 Thursday 5 PM 36 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 22, 2007 Friday 12 noon 37 Pot Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 23, 2007 Saturday 12 noon 38 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 24, 2007 Sunday 12 noon 39 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (5 day event) $50,000.00
June 24, 2007 Sunday 5 PM 40 Mixed Hold'em (limit/no-limit) (3 Day event) $ 1,500.00
June 25, 2007 Monday 12 noon 41 World Championship Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,000.00
June 25, 2007 Monday 5 PM 42 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
June 26, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon 43 Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 27, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon 44 Omaha Hi-Low Split (2 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 28, 2007 Thursday 12 noon 45 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) $ 5,000.00
June 28, 2007 Thursday 5 PM 46 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event) $ 1,000.00
June 29, 2007 Friday 12 noon 47 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 2,000.00
June 29, 2007 Friday 5 PM 48 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) W/Rebuys (2 day event) $ 1,000.00
June 30, 2007 Saturday 12 noon 49 No-Limit Hold’em (3 day event) $ 1,500.00
July 1, 2007 Sunday 12 noon 50 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha (2 day event) $10,000.00
July 1, 2007 Sunday 5 PM 51 S.H.O.E (2 day event) $ 1,000.00
July 2, 2007 Monday 12 noon 52 No-Limit Hold’em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) $ 1,000.00
July 3, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon 53 Limit Hold’em Shootout (2 day event) $ 1,500.00
July 4, 2007 Wednesday Satellite Day
July 4, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon 54 World Championship No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Re-Buys (2 day event) $ 5,000.00
July 5, 2007 Thursday Satellite Day/Media Event

July 6, 2007 Friday 12 noon 55 World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em Day 1A 3000 $10,000.00
July 7, 2007 Saturday 12 noon Day 1B 3000
July 8, 2007 Sunday 12 noon Day 1C 3000
July 9, 2007 Monday OFF
July 10, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon Day 2
July 11, 2007 Wednesday 12 noon Day 3
July 12, 2007 Thursday 12 noon Day 4
July 13, 2007 Friday 12 noon Day 5
July 14, 2007 Saturday 12 noon Day 6
July 15, 2007 Sunday 12 noon Day 7
July 16, 2007 Monday OFF
July 17, 2007 Tuesday 12 noon Final Table


For Event No. 55, the No-Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship Event, you may request your first day of play.
Based on availability, you will be placed by your preferences during the Registration or Pre-Registration process.

General Information:

For vendor information please call 702-777-2310

Single Table Satellites, Mega Satellites and Live Action begin on June 1, 2007

Mega Satellite Schedule:
$550 Mega Satellites will take place Monday - Thursday at 9 PM.
$1060 Mega Satellites will take place Friday - Sun at 9 PM.

Mega Satellite Days on July 4 and July 5:
$550 Buy-In Mega Satellites will take place at 10 AM and 4 PM.
$1060 Buy-In Mega Satellites will take place at 1 PM and 9 PM.

Second-Chance Tournaments From June - July 3:
$1,060 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments will take place daily at 7 PM.

Second-Chance Tournaments From July 9 - 16:
$550 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments at 7 PM.

For Tournament Info:
Visit our web site at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com or call us at 1-877-FOR-WSOP (1-877-367-9767)

For Room Reservation Info: 1-877-746-8342

Fearful Florida Facts

I just realized something.

With tonight's win, Florida's amassed a championship in every major sport in the last 4 years.

MLB: 2003 Florida Marlins
NBA: 2006 Miami Heat
NFL: 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NHL: 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
NCAA BB: 2006 Florida Gators
NCAA FB: 2006 Florida Gators

I hate Sportscenter sometimes.

Here's a good thought for you today....





Only 41 days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training.

Called Shot

Well, the Division I football season is over, and if you don't already know, Florida trounced Ohio State 41-14.

Boy, it's too bad no one predicted Florida would win the title this year.

Except for one person. Yes, I know they were supposed to beat West Virginia, but it still had them winning the title.

Aside from that? A mixed bag. At least I got the big one right, even if I got several others wrong.

Congratulations to the Gators, and don't think that it doesn't pain me to type that sentence.

Just remember, Florida only beat Georgia by 7 going against an injured team with a freshman quarterback, which got healthy and finished by beating Auburn, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech.

So watch your backs next year.

Which Superhero are You?

Your results:
You are Iron Man

Iron Man 90% Green Lantern 80% Hulk 70% Catwoman 65% Superman 60% Spider-Man 60% Batman 60% Wonder Woman 58% Supergirl 53% The Flash 50% Robin 47%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Cowboys suck

Now that Tony Romo has completely choked, can we stop hearing about how great he is and how great the Cowboys are?

Really.

There's a reason they didn't win their division.

How long until T.O. kills him in puiblic? I mean, he's been doing it already on the field with all the dropped passes.

Looking forward to the games tomorrow. I think both NY teams will lose - which means New Yorkers will be happy when they both win.

Anatomy of a hand

Perhaps this is a good sign for Tunica.

.10/.25 PL table. I'm playing small levels right now to limit my flux before hitting the road. The hand before this, I laid down a flush after sensing I got beat, saving a lot of $$. This time? The mighty hammer........7-2 offsuit.

The worst hand in poker.

Since I was the small blind and only one other caller, I just called the big blind for another 0.15. The players have been easily readable to this point so I might be able to bluff them off too.

Then, this:

HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to francase13 [7d 2s]
C8W8K8: folds
shoganai: folds
hereselmo1: folds
slappycat: calls $0.25
francase13: calls $0.15
WONKAVISION7: checks
*** FLOP *** [Jd 5s 7c] (I hit middle pair, on a crap flop, so I'll bet small to see where I stand)
francase13: bets $0.50
WONKAVISION7: folds
slappycat: calls $0.50*** (probably has the jack. I'm thinking jack. He would have folded if he just had overcards)
TURN *** [Jd 5s 7c] [7h] (now have trip 7's, so I'll try to see what I can extract)
francase13: bets $1
slappycat: calls $1 (That works)
*** RIVER *** [Jd 5s 7c 7h] [2h] (I just made a full house with the absolute worst hand in poker. Jacks up might be hard to lay down so a value bet might work well here. Putting me on this hand is not possible.)
francase13: bets $3 (not quite pot value)
slappycat: calls $3 (Woo hoo!)
*** SHOW DOWN ***francase13: shows [7d 2s] (a full house, Sevens full of Deuces)
slappycat: mucks hand
francase13 collected $9.30 from pot

Hand history courtesy of PokerStars.

As always, click the banner on the side to sign up for any site and for a referral bonus for yours truly.

Fish

Courtesy of CasinoOwnage:

Your Poker Game is sooo weak ...

• Moneymaker lols at you
• Paul Varkonyi can read you like a book
• You can't get staked for a freeroll
• Your card protector hides under your cards
• The only black chips you have are the ones from your dirty hands
• The dealer deals you 4 cards in a texas holdem game
• You're automatically entered into everybody's friends list
• The only button on your screen is "call"
• Party Poker asks you to be their sponsor
• Everybody seems to want to pay for your Red Bull
• You think AT is an automatic 3:2 favourite
• Phil Hellmuth invites you to a cash game
• Helen Keller can pick up your tells
• You look for players eating Oreos

Stop the acclaim

Indy beat Kansas City today, 23-8. They held the Chiefs to very little yardage on the ground.

Of course, after the game we hear the hyperbole of "best offense ever?" "can they be stopped?" has the defense turned the corner?" and other mularkey.

Folks, calm down.

The Colts won a home playoff game.

They beat a team with a lousy clock-management coach, even if he does PLAY to WIN the GAME!

They held Larry Johnson in check after he had finished setting a single season record for most carries (but did not lead the league in rushing). So, he's very tired and worn out.

Trent Green is approximately 206 years old.

The Chiefs were a 9-7 team.

Frankly, two touchdowns was the minimum they should have won by. As they are coached by TOny Dungy, that's exactly what they won by.

Next week, the Colts go to Baltimore and play a real defense. Don't think the Ravens aren't playing with humongous chips on their shoulder - everyone's talking about Indy, New England, or San Diego, and leaving Baltimore out of the conversation. The game is in Baltimore, and this team will be amped up.

Besides, it's much more fun talking about the Colts' shortcomings considering how much of a prick Peyton Manning is.

Old Black Water, Keep On Rollin

Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shining on me.........

Bonus points for naming the song.

Well, I'm now booked. Heading to Tunica for the WSOP Circuit event. I am tentatively heading down on Friday the 12th and looking to satellite into the $1K H.O.R.S.E. tournament being held on Saturday the 13th at noon. I'd rather not put up $1K+60 since I don't really keep that lying around and I play at much lower stakes online. I'd prefer to build it up in the ring games, or play a satellite to get the buy-in.

Unfortunately, the Grand Casino Tunica is pretty full right now, so I could only book for one night as there isn't anything available on Saturday night yet. I'll just have to keep calling and hoping for sudden availability. At least I got a good rate - only $49 for the night I booked. If I win the HORSE event, then I won't have to worry about paying a rack room rate Saturday night!

What's HORSE?

Hold Em
Omaha Hi-Lo (Eight or better)
Razz
Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo (Eight or Better)

At least Tunica is close by. At only 400 miles, I can knock out the drive in 6-7 hours, depending on number of people in the truck.

Anyway, considering my success lately at the stud games, I'd feel optimistic about entering such a tournament.

There's also the option of a $500+50 NLHE at 3 PM on Saturday, if I don't move up enough for HORSE. I'm less comfortable doing that right now, though, as I've had a cold streak lately on Hold Em.

So, come on down.

Looking Forward

Well, now that the calendar has flipped forward, I guess it's as good a time as any to take stock and set goals. Better now than on my birthday, when I'll probably be too bummed out about changing decades.

At least in looking back at 2006, I think I pretty much did everything I resolved to do. Buy a house, start school, save more, advance at work - all pretty good or some measure of success.

So, what's good for 2007 to try to do?

• GET IN SHAPE. Yeah, I know. Everyone makes this one. Well, I haven't made it in about 6 years, when I vowed to get down to 200. I got there, and stayed there for a while, but for the last 3 years I haven't really given a damn about my weight or look. I stepped on a scale on New Year's Eve and came in at 236. I think it's time to trot out this resolution again and try to get back to 200 if possible. Since I'm starting to get lectures from doctors about getting in shape, being more active, and blah blah blah blah, it might be a good time to try it. Of course, 2 kids is a pretty good workout in itself - I have lost 10 pounds in the last 6 weeks just chasing them around or running errands everywhere.
• KEEP WORKING. Hopefully, when I go back in 3 weeks, I'll be able to step right back into things. From what I've been told, the office isn't functioning nearly as well without me there, so returning to clean it up should provide an immense return. Combined with exceeding all of my goals for 2006 with over a month left in 2006 and before I went on leave, I guess I'll be returning on a high note.
• GO TO SLEEP. No, really. I guess this goes along with getting in shape, but staying up until 2-3 AM each night probably isn't the healtheist thing for my body or my career. Even midnight would be a stark improvement, once I go back to work.
• KNOCK OUT THOSE DAMN CLASSES. Thanks to a curriculum change at Georgia State, I've now got 6 credits instead of 4.5 towards the 57 I need. By the end of the year, I'd like to get to at least 24 credits done. Ideally, it would be 30, but since I might have to sit out the Spring term due to the car failure and not getting a replacement too quickly, 24 is probably a more realistic goal. That would leave me with 33 credits for 2008-2009, which I could knock out in 4 more terms.
• TRIPLE 2006 POKER CASHES. Whether that means the number of live games or the dollar amount combined. Either way will work juuuuuust fine. Between live games, casino poker rooms, and online, 2006 was a very nice year. I've got New Orleans on the slate already for 2007 (May), and may add Tunica (January or April) and/or Atlantic City (March) to the list. If the first few months of the year go well enough, then I may just show up in Las Vegas in June to have a crack at a bracelet, but that's a really big if and means I've increased by a factor of 10, not 3. The scariest part of that is that I've already got time off from work reserved for going to New Orleans and Atlantic City for WSOP Circuit events with their fullknowledge and consent (which means that this is a job I should definitely stay in for a while, if they are willing to negotiate poker and fraternity travel just to keep me!) of course, if I surpassing trebling 2006, I'll take it, of course.
• ENJOY MY VACATION TIME. Some of it was put to good use - trips to New Orleans and Key West were quite refreshing. A lot of it was spent on sick time, errands, etc. I'd like to try to do more with my vacation this year. DC in February is already on the list (hope the drive isn't too bad) but I'd like to go somewhere else I haven't been before either, or at least somewhere the kids haven't gone. And no, Tunica does not count. Perhaps another trip to Austin and San Antonio? I don't know if the kids would like the long car ride, though. It's a bear - at least it was rough when I was 25. I don't know how well I'd handle it at 30. I do know whether it's here or on the road, we always seem to have a good time - eternal optimism of an almost-three-year old is one of the best things around.
• DON'T BORROW ANY MORE. When we bought the house, I took advantage of the one-time allowace to borrow against retirement because it was to facilitate a home purchase. Even with that, ROI was still at 17% in 2006. Hopefully, there will be no reason to take out any such loan for 2007 - because if I do, it means someone's in the hospital or the roof fell in or some other really, really bad scenario. (Too bad I couldn't get the 17% on what was taken out!) Anyway, no more loans, no cards, nothing. No new debt, and kill as much old debt as I can.
• WIN A GODDAMN FANTASY LEAGUE. Because I managed to place second...again.....for the third time in my fantasy football league in 7 tries. I don't like alway being the bridesmaid and I would rather not turn into a fantasy-league version of the Buffalo Bills.

Well, that's about it. I think it's a pretty good list myself. For now. It's a start.

Happy New Year!

Back home and happy that we made it through another year.

Also wondering how I ended up being so wrong on my predictio that the Jets may not win a game, They finished 10-6 and are in the playoffs, so I guess I was a little off.

Anyway, drive safe, and hope this year is better than last year for you.