standing on the edge of my mind

2008-08-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Cleaning

I'm back from the family reunion in Maine and, to be honest, it went much better than I ever expected. There were no homicides and only a few minor flesh wounds that required just a few stitches to close up. We didn't even need to call the local police.

To be fair, we did set some ground rules before setting off on this epic adventure. No talk of politics so as not to inflame the passions of my highly conservative brother-in-law who was surrounded by a group of bleeding heart, no-nothing, East Coast liberals. No talk of "family" business so as not to upset my mother, for whom this gathering was organized. And, well, no talk of anything that was more controversial than what we wanted for that night's dinner. It turned out to be a sound plan and one I fully endorse should you be as psychotic as us and attempt to organize your own family gathering.

Of course, not everything went to plan. We rented a huge house on Wilson Pond in Wayne, Maine (look it up if you dare), and the facilities were more than acceptable except for one thing: bedbugs. Turns out, the house was infested and the little blood-sucking critters had taken up residence in the Master Bedroom where my mother had decamped. Hilarity failed to ensue. What did take place was a pain-in-the-ass cleaning job that required stripping all the beds, washing all the linens and clothes, and vacating the house for a day while Orkin came in and tried their best to fumigate the vicious little critters into obscurity.

Upon my return to NY, my clothing once again went into the wash for another cleaning. Just to make sure.

Speaking of cleaning and being in NY (nice transition, huh?), I spent a better part of the morning helping my mother sort through the detritus of her kitchen. Turns out Mom decided to redo the galley in her home and, now that the majority of the work is done, she's going through the motions of putting everything back into the cabinets where the majority of pots, pans and other junk will go unused until the next time she decides to remodel. And what junk there is; pots and pans that haven't seen a stove top since the Nixon administration, cookbooks extolling the virtues of that new food sensation Fondue, and Cuisinarts so old they're hamster powered.

Why she has all this stuff doesn't surprise me; Mom's a pack rat. Why she won't throw it away, on the other hand, is baffling. That Food & Wine from 1979? There's a recipe Mom still hasn't gotten around to trying. The address book from 1990? Who knows when you'll need to call your long-lost third cousin twice removed? The cocoa powder in the rusting tin? It doesn't ever really go bad, right?

My job in all this is to help rummage through the mess and to impart some tough love on my mother. "Are you really going to use this Jell-O mold in the shape of a sea otter? No? Then chuck it."

It's funny really. I haven't seen the majority of my family for the better part of two years and yet, when we get back together in the same place, we fall into all the old familiar patterns that have shaped and defined our lives. We tell the same bad jokes. We argue over the same old issues, and we reminisce over past stories and incidents that hold importance in our very different lives. For my mother, the things packed into all of those boxes cluttering up her kitchen carry the same kind of importance. There's the old ceramic ashtray my sister made in grade school or the 30-year old waffle iron that she never uses, but reminds her of my father and Sunday morning family breakfasts. Sure, these things may never see the light of day, but that doesn't matter because just knowing they're around is important. Just like family.

2008-08-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

A Quickie

No, I haven't given up on this blog yet again. Really. I've just been taking the past few days to decompress and readjust to life here in the 'ol US of A. It's pretty damn nice, if I do say so myself.

In general, I've been lying low. I've caught up with a few friends, had a few good meals and generally enjoyed my time. Earlier in the week, I took a ride out to Long Island where I hooked up with my aunt, uncle and my cousin Liz and her family, who are in from London before moving to Dubai. And I thought Vegas was exotic.

Now, I'm getting my shit together again for a week long family reunion up in the northern reaches of Maine. It's a place we visited often when I was a kid, and one I have been back to in more than 30 years. Damn, I'm frickin' old. Like any family reunion, I'm going into this one with mixed feelings. Of course, I'm looking forward to seeing my sisters and their families and, honestly, I can't think of the last time all of us were together. Still, my family is as dysfunctional as most and I'm just gearing up for the inevitable arguments/squabbles/drama bombs that are sure to erupt.

At least there will be alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

Still, for whatever headaches the next week may bring, I'm hoping for a good time. I'll sit on (or in) the lake. Go fishing. Play golf. Watch the Olympics. Generally, just fuck around. Oh, and there's no Internet, which means this little corner of the world is going dark again. Not like anyone is really reading, but still, I thought I'd let you know that this downtime is, in fact, scheduled.

I'll see y'all when I get back.

2008-08-01T23:06:00.001-07:00

It's Good to be Home

I can't say I've done a lot during my first few days back in the states. I've slept. I've eaten food I haven't had in a long, long time. I've bought a new iPhone.

Oh, and I went to the Top of the Rock with some friends. Here's a real city at night.

It's good to be home.

2008-07-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

I Don't Usually Say This...

But good for the Republicans:

Dear Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke,

We are writing to request that you bring clarity to the Federal Reserve Board's (Board) and U.S. Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) proposed regulations to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

As proposed, these regulations do not provide clear guidance to the public, in particular those that engage in online skill games, or regulated industries regarding what constitutes "unlawful internet gambling." We believe that implementing such vague law and regulations, while holding the public and regulated industries liable for noncompliance, is an abdication of the federal government's responsibility to both the public and unregulated industries. In addition, vague UIGEA law and regulations could be unnecessarily burdensome and costly to the public and particularly small businesses.

Therefore, we urge the Board and Treasury to, before finalizing UIGEA regulations, clarify the specific activity that constitutes "unlawful internet gambling," providing guidance to both the public and the regulated industries that are tasked with blocking financial transactions related to "unlawful internet gambling." It is our understanding that the UIGEA intended to uphold state and federal laws regarding "unlawful internet gambling" that existed prior to UIGEA's date of enactment. Nevertheless, we encourage the Board and Treasury to confirm our understanding in its UIGEA regulations. To accomplish this, we request that you take the following actions.

First, transition the current rulemaking process to a formal rulemaking process involving an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or a similar official who can provide legal advice. This official should examine the various federal and state laws and determine precisely what constitutes "unlawful internet gambling" as well as which financial institutions a regulated industry is required to block under UIGEA law and regulations.

Second, we request that undertake Regulatory Flexibility Analysis to clearly evaluate the regulatory burden that would be imposed on businesses of all sizes but especially small businesses.

Simply put, we believe that it is possible that if UIGEA law and regulations are implemented with the vague language we described above, a judge may be eventually required to answer the question of "what is unlawful internet gambling." It makes fiscal sense to resolve this question before saddling the public, regulated industries, small businesses, and courts with uncertain UIGEA law and regulation.

We voted for UIGEA and support it now. As such, we have resisted legislative efforts which may have the effect of delaying interminably the implementation of UIGEA and its regulations. However, we are concerned about the legal and operational viability of a rule that leaves so much to interpretation and, accordingly, urge the Board and Treasury to take a more deliberative path to a workable rule as we have outlined in this letter.

Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Judy Biggert
Jim Gerlach
Christopher Shays
Kevin McCarthy

Oh... and I'm still voting for Obama.

2008-07-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

A Sort of Homecoming

What a difference a few thousand miles can make.

I was up at 6:30AM in Dublin. It was already light and it had rained overnight. The temperature was around 70 - comfortable - as I hit the shower and did my very last minute packing. An hour later, I was in a cab traveling through the overcast city on the way to the airport. My final ride in Dublin. At least for the foreseeable future.

Ten hours later, I arrived at JFK where the temperature was a balmy 91 and the humidity was at least 80 percent. Hazy, hot and humid - a standard NYC summer day. My body is going to take some time to adapt, but one thing is for certain - stepping into that muggy parking lot outside the terminal felt like home. As did the ride from Kennedy to my mother's house in suburban Westchester County.

Idiots traveling at 60 MPH in the left hand lane. Pimped out Toyotas, Volkswagens and Escalades weaving through traffic. The countless black Lincoln Towncars making their myriad runs to and from the airports. People flipping the bird, shaking fists out the windows, tailgating. Chaos. Home.

Of course, as I sit here in the bedroom where I grew up, I realize this place isn't really home anymore. At least, not for me. It's most definitely my mother's house - she's lived here nearly 45 years, the last 20 of them on her own. Sure, it still looks pretty much the same from the outside, but when I walked in this afternoon, there were two electricians in finishing up the wiring in her brand new kitchen. It's modern and sleek. She's even put in a wine fridge. I don't recognize the place at all. Of course, the paint and wallpaper all look the same - at least for now. She's redoing all the walls next month.

By then, however, I'll be gone again. Off to Las Vegas, my new home, a glittering city in the middle of the desert a few thousand miles away.

2008-07-28T01:47:00.001-07:00

Resurrection

Yes, I know. I've said it before. I'm back. This time, I'm really going to give this the time and attention it deserves. I'm going to take a real shot at making this a worthwhile blog.

It's all been bullshit. I know that. You know that. Let's just call it water under the bridge and move on from there.

The fact is, I really have wanted to make this a worthwhile blog each and every time I've started (or restarted) posting here, but when you write for a living, the last thing you want to do is come home and write some more. At least, that's the last thing I wanted to do.

Now, however, I am at least temporarily unemployed. My contract is over. I've left my job of the last 40+ months and I'm sitting in a near empty Dublin apartment counting the hours until I fly back home to the states. It's been a good run, this last job, and I've done some work I'm proud of. I've worked with some great people and for a company that I truly like... it will be sad to leave the people and the job behind. Ireland, not so much, however.

It's not like Dublin is a bad city or that the Irish are bad people. Most folks here have been unfailingly nice, and the city is OK if you've never lived anywhere bigger than say, Podunk, Iowa. For someone who's spent any kind of time in places like New York, LA, San Francisco or even Des Moines, Dublin is just too small and dull to be a "livable" city. Sure, there's a pub on every corner and some pretty good music scattered around, but really, how much can you drink once you pass the age of 30 and your name's not Al?

Thankfully, there's a pretty good local poker scene in town, and I spent more than a few hours at the tables. I won some. I lost some and I made a few really good friends. For those times when I just had to get away, braving the foibles of Dublin airport put most of Europe just a few hours away. It's sad though when one of the best things you can say about a city is that it's easy to leave.

And leaving is what I'm doing now. For good this time. Sure, maybe I'll come back to visit, but tomorrow morning's cab ride to the airport is sure to be my last for quite some time, and that doesn't bother me a bit. It's been two years since I left my friends and family in the states, and that's long enough for me. I'm ready to go back and see where the road takes me. I don't have much in the way of plans laid out right now. I'm taking August off to wander up and down the eastern seaboard; Maine, Boston, NY, Philadelphia, Maryland and beyond. After that, it's a move back to the western US. Not California this time, but rather, Las Vegas.

I don't have any full time jobs lined up right now. Freelancing will be the name of the game to start. Oh, and I'll play some cards too. Not big stakes, and certainly not as my primary source of income. Hopefully I can grind some extra spending money that will give me the freedom to figure out what I want to do next and to maybe do some writing for myself. Here and in other formats long forgotten.

It's not much of a plan, but it's enough for me right now.

So, if anyone is still tuning into this little corner of the web, welcome back. I'll try to do better than I did before.

2008-03-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Random Pictures from Dublin

So... I've just been going through some of the photos on my camera and thought I'd throw something different up here.

These are just some cool lights.
I'm not sure what I did to get this shot, but I like it.

I get rainbows like this outside my office almost every day.
That's what happens when it rains almost every day.

Another view from my office.
The view doesn't suck.

The Liffey.
I really like the lighting in this shot.

2008-03-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ain't Wasting No More Time

OK... that's a big fat lie, and I'd like to apologize to the Allman Brothers. In fact, all I'm doing right now is wasting time.

It's a Friday afternoon on the start of a long holiday (St. Paddy's Day) weekend here in Dublin and things are quiet. My team is working on the stuff they need to be working on, and I've cleaned most of the day's minutia off my desk. Sure, there are things I should probably be focusing on at the moment, but I'm putting them aside for a few minutes of "me" time. (Wow... that sounded much more new-agey than I expected. At least no one reads this drivel, so it doesn't matter.)

Anyway... the weather is typical Ireland. Gray, overcast with a chance of yet more crappiness to come. If I was a cynic (ahem) I'd say I know why the Irish like to drink. Still, I can still see the ocean from my office and I guess that's not all bad.

It's been awhile, and there are things I should probably talk about in this blog but... it's been awhile and none of those things probably means all that much anymore. I should probably make another promise to be more diligent in my posting, but we all know that's not going to happen either so... maybe I'll just log on once in awhile to ramble for my own amusement. Or not. It doesn't really matter.

That said... and if anyone is actually reading this, there are few people on the web who are worth reading like the degenerates at Poker From the Rail. I could probably post more links to more folks... and I will... but I have to give you people a reason to possibly come back here sometime.

Now back to that work thing.

2008-02-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

It's Been Awhile

Yes, there's stuff I should post about. No, I'm not going to do it now. That's just how I'm rolling.

Still, this is coming soon:

2008-02-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Like Poker?

Then check this out.

2008-02-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

Dream?

OK... so I just recently woke up after a long night (early morning) of watching the Super Bowl. I'm not sure if the following actually happened or if it's a trick of the alcohol I consumed throughout the festivities, so please correct me if I'm wrong...

The Giants take a 10-7 lead with about 11 minutes remaining in the game
The Patriots march right back down the field and post their own score, taking the lead back with just a little bit more than 2 minutes on the clock
Eli Manning marches the G-Men back down the other way and David Tyree makes a circus-catch to help keep the game alive
Eli connects with Plaxico Burress and takes the lead back with just 29 seconds left
Remarkably, the Giants don't screw up the ensuing kickoff
The Giants win the Super Bowl and end New England's perfect season

Please, please don't let this be just a dream.

2008-01-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

D-Day + 5

I'm not big on anniversaries. Hell, I'm lucky if I remember my immediate family members' birthdays, let alone any other important days throughout the year. It's just not a strong suit.

That said, there are a few dates that manage to capture my attention throughout the year. The first is October 17th. Nearly 20 years ago on that date, my father passed away after a prolonged illness. While there are parts of that day and week that are lost to the haze of time (and alcohol), there are other aspects that stand out oh-so clearly, like receiving the phone call from my sister Paula telling me to come home.

The phone rang in my Boston apartment at about 3 in the afternoon, shortly after I returned home from my last class of the day. I was supposed to head out for an afternoon at the paper when Paula's call came in. It was short and sweet - Dad wasn't doing well and it would be good for me to head for the hospital as soon as possible. Within 20 minutes I'd thrown some clothes in a bag, gotten my roommate to watch my dog and told the paper I'd see them whenever I got back.

Three hours later my Subaru rolled into the parking lot of the Westchester County Medical Center for last time, as my father died about three hours after my arrival.

The other day that always stands out for me is today - January 8th because it was five years ago on this date that I heard those dreadful words: You've got testicular cancer.

To be honest, the diagnosis didn't really shock me as I knew for awhile that something wasn't right. Let's face it, when you left nut begins to feel like a rock, something is probably wrong. But, even though I knew all wasn't right, my complete hatred of all things medical (due partly to living with my father's illness and due partly to the fact that my mother is a pediatrician and well, you know how doctor's kids are) I tried to ignore the signs for as long as possible. In fact, it wasn't until my girlfriend at the time reached for me in bed one night and said "What's that?" while grabbing my package that I decided to get a professional opinion.

If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting a urologist, well let me tell you, it's a barrel of laughs. There's nothing like having someone you don't know from Adam literally performing a clinical examination of your twigs and berries while your pants pool around your legs in a cold, sterile medical office. Even more fun is when you're told you need an ultrasound to confirm his suspicions, so you're trundled to another office where a technician lathers some very cold gel on your privates and waves the wand around your wand.

Twenty minutes later, those fateful words were uttered for the first time. "You've got testicular cancer. We need to operate as soon as possible." Yikes. For me, that meant I'd be back at Cedar's Sinai six days later for the removal of my left nut.

Having read a little bit about TC before going to the doctor - and being familiar with Lance Armstrong's inspirational story - I knew that as cancer goes, this is one of the "best" types you can have. The disease is highly treatable if caught early enough and, unlike many other cancers, patients who remain cancer free for just two years are considered cured, as opposed to the standard five years that doctors wait for most other forms of the disease.

Still, armed with all of that knowledge, there's nothing that really prepares you for hearing the news. Even worse, there's nothing that prepares you for how you tell other people that you're sick. In my case, I took the direct approach and began calling family and friends as soon as I got home and finished my first drink of the day.

To their credit, most everyone took the news pretty well, though I think my sister Paula was in a state of shock for at least a day. (To be fair, I got her at work just as she was heading into an important meeting, and I certainly threw her off her game for awhile.) As for my friends, well, let's just say I couldn't ask for better. To a man (and woman) they offered to jump on planes and meet me in Los Angeles. After I told them that no, there was nothing they could do, they focused in on the really important stuff like would the operation affect my golf game as I'd now have trouble shifting my weight on my follow through. Bad jokes aside, they offered all the support I could ever want, and I owe them all to this day.

So today its five years later. I'm healthy, employed, and sitting in a shitty apartment in Dublin a world away from my friends and family. I may not love it here, but it certainly beats the alternative, and I'll take that any day.

2008-01-06T05:28:00.001-08:00

Update

So, I'm a week into my new plan to track my bankroll, and the results are about what I've expected so far. That is:

I'm down through the first three online sessions I've played in '08
I've more than doubled my starting bankroll in one session of live play

Overall, I'm up on the year, but really have to figure out where the leaks are in my online game.

2008-01-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

A New Year - A New Plan

2008 is about 18 hours old here in Ireland and, to tell the truth, it's not much different than 2007. Of course, I really wasn't expecting any major changes so this doesn't really come as a surprise, but hey, I need something to write here.

If you know me, you know I'm not much on the whole resolution thing. Sure, there are things I know I should try to improve over the course of the new year - eating better, working out more, writing more, etc. And yes, I'll try to accomplish at least some of these things, but will I actually resolve to do any of this? Not on your life.

Another non-resolution I'm working on this year is keeping better track of my bankrolls. I've always had a pretty good sense of where I'm at both online and live, but can't tell you exactly how much I'm up or down over the past year. For the record, I'm certainly down online, and certainly up live. I'm about break-even on the year and maybe, even a little in the black, but my record keeping has been shoddy, to say the least.

So, starting today, I've created a new bankroll management document that I'll try to keep updated. To make things easier, I've also started the year with fresh bankrolls that are both on the small side. Ideally, trying to build these up over the next year will encourage me to keep better track. For those curious folk out there, I've got $500 online at FTP and may deposit another $500 on a couple of other sites for special events, etc. I'm starting 2008 with 1,000 euro, which again, I'll try to build up over the course of the year.

I may even endeavor to post regular updates about my progress here on this little blog, so come back every once in awhile if you're curious.

2007-12-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

A Wild 30 Minutes

I've been playing a lot of live poker lately, and have seen my fair share of odd happenings at the table. I've even been involved in a couple of interesting hands that I probably should have written about. Still, I've never seen - or experienced - anything like the swing I went through last night. And it all happened in just 30 minutes.

I was playing in my usual 1-2-5 NL game with many of the usual suspects, and a few newbies who were helping keep the game interesting. That said, I really couldn't capitalize on very much because I was as card dead as I've been for the first four hours of the night. I played maybe three pots and felted the table's big fish once. Somehow though, I had turned my starting stack of 650 (my 500 buy-in plus 150 I won on blackjack earlier in the evening) into about 1,150 when the hand happened.

I picked up A-J suited, which was probably the third or fourth best hand I'd seen all night, and called the standard 15 euro raise. The flop came A-10-8 rainbow and I found myself in a three-way pot with fish-boy and the gambler to my right. Fish bet the flop and the gambler and I both called.

The turn brought a 7 and gambler led out for 200. I really thought he was stealing here and raised him another 300. He thought for a while and then reluctantly called. I wasn't happy. When the river brought a 6 and he checked, I immediately shoved for about 550 more hoping my tight image would drive him off the hand.

It almost worked.

I spent a very nervous 5 minutes watching the Giants find new ways to lose to the dreaded Patriots while he pondered his decision. I never looked his direction, even when he said to himself "You fool, why'd you call the raise if you weren't going to call the river." I kept my eyes glued to the TV while I silently wished him to drop his hand and let me take down the pot.

He didn't and I may have almost weeped when he shoved his chips into the middle. I turned back to the felt and tabled my A-J. He looked at the cards for a second before sheepishly turning up A-Q for the notch and the win. "I figured, what the hell, let's have a gamble," he said as he raked in my chips. "Good call," I said, somehow resisting the urge to strangle him.

My once lovely tower of chips was reduced to a measly 64 euros worth. I somehow consoled myself with the fact that most of what I lost in the hand was profit and figured I'd play out my stack before deciding to reload or not. As it turns out, it was a decision I never had to make, as I then began one of the most remarkable comebacks I've ever seen. And it all started with the mighty Hammer.

Yes, 7-2 off-suit sparked my resurrection. A couple of hands after my big loss, I picked up the Hammer and decided I may as well go out of the game in a true blaze of glory. So, when three players in front of me entered the pot for 15 euro each, I shoved all-in for my last 65. Fish boy called and everybody else dropped out.

The flop couldn't have been prettier. 9-8-6 rainbow. When the turn brought a 4 I almost laughed, and happily flipped my cards up after the brick on the river. I got ready to scoop the pot when fish boy revealed his hand - 7-3 off-suit - for the chop. "What the..." Oh well, I still made a little money on the deal. My stack was now up to about 110.

On the next hand, I picked up A-Q of spades, and again shoved all-in when the action came my way. Four callers later I smiled to myself on the Q-high flop. I smiled even more when the third Queen landed on the river, and I tabled my trips.

I won another small pot a couple of hands later and, in less than 20 minutes, I'd gone from being nearly felted to being almost 100 euro in the black. It was a pretty amazing turn-around, if I do say so myself, but the best was yet to come.

A couple of more uneventful hands passed by before I picked up pocket Jacks, which let's be honest, aren't really my favorite hand. When the UTG player raised to 25 and got called by the player to his left, I decided to channel my inner donkey, raising the action to 125. The rest of table folded, an both UTG and UTG + 1 called. Uh-oh.

I put UTG on a pair - possibly better than my Jacks - and UTG + 1 on A-K. When both players checked the 8-high flop, I figured I'd try and take the pot down right there, so I shoved. 445 euro into a pot of about 450. Bring it on.

And they did. Both of them.

UTG took about a minute before he threw his chips into the middle, and UTG + 1 took even less time. Now I was really worried. Someone had to be ahead of me. The turn brought a brick and the river made me smile when Jack number 3 hit the felt.

I turned up my hand and both of my opponents just shook their heads. UTG turned up pocket 10s and UTG + 1 threw his A-Q into the muck as 1,785 euro made their way from the center of the table into my hands.

I was back and better than ever - all in about 30 minutes of truly donkeyish play. Hee haw!

Happy New Year everyone, and may you too channel the power of the donkey in 2008.

2007-11-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

A Touching Family Moment

The scene: A BestBuy in Salem, New Hampshire the day before Thanksgiving. A father and son walk to the cashier holding a Guitar Hero set-up.

Father: "I never wanted kids. You were an accident and now you're nothing more than a financial burden."

Son: "Uh... thanks Dad."

2007-11-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Stateside

It's about 11:30 AM here in Newburyport, MA and I'm enjoying my last few hours of "home" for awhile. It's been good to be back. It's been refreshing.

And I don't want to leave.

Soon enough, I'll be heading down to Boston and the fun of an international flight out of lovely Logan. Back to Europe. Back to the rain, the cold, and the boredom of Ireland.

No, I really don't want to leave.

In some ways, it's kind of strange, really. I never knew how much I enjoyed living in the states until I didn't live here anymore. I guess that's always the case, but still, it's always interesting to have that hammered home.

I spent a good portion of the week with family and friends I haven't seen in months. It was great to catch up and to feel like I was part of their lives again. To see how their kids have grown. The changes they've made to their homes. Their physiques. Everything.

Of course, each conversation turned back to me at some point. More specifically, the conversations turned back to my future. "How long are you staying in Dublin?" "What are you going to do?" "What do you want to do?" "Where do you want to live?" Good questions all. Now, if I just had the answers.

In truth, about the only question I can answer with any sort of certainty is the first one. At this point, I'm figuring my expat days are winding down. Not soon, but probably within the year. My current contract still has some life left in it and we'll see what kind of offer I get - if I get any at all - to extend. My guess is that I'll be offered an opportunity to stay on, but honestly, I don't know that I'd accept. It's not that I don't like my job or the people I work with. I do. It's just that I really don't like Dublin.

When all is said and done, my guess is that my desire to return home will trump my desire to keep doing what I'm doing. It's sad, in some respects, but that's the hard truth of the matter.

I'm not necessarily one to do a lot of soul searching or planning about my future. I know what I like to do. I generally know what I want to do, and I sort of let things lead me where they will. After grad school, I ended up with an amazing gig at CBS News in New York at the ripe old age of 24. Nearly six years later, the call of the West led me to walk away from the news room for the last time with nothing more than some savings and a plan to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

That didn't work out, but somewhere along the way, I made my way to Silicon Valley and fell into the high-tech world. After some time in the consulting world and at a few failed start-ups, I landed in the comforting arms of Intuit where I put my varied background to work on Quicken.com until the Internet bubble burst and my job vanished into the ether. So it goes.

After making my way back to LA and losing a year to illness, I found myself selling Mini Coopers to make ends meet. Sure, it's not the gig I planned on or hoped for, but I love cars and it was paying the bills until something better came along. Which it did. Out of the blue.

A phone call and a few interviews later, I found myself writing again. About poker, which is something I love. With a group of really bright and dedicated people who want nothing more than to create the best online poker site anywhere.

Now, I'm planning on returning to Ireland, which is somewhere I never expected to live. Sure, I'm not thrilled about the trip, but the fact that I'm heading back to the Emerald Isle is sort of amusing to me since I never had any thoughts of living there in the first place. Like I said, I don't really plan. I just let life take me where it will.

Where will it take me next? Aside from back to the United States, I have no idea. Check this space over the next few months and maybe we'll figure that out together.

2007-11-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

Ms. Duke Goes to Washington

In case you weren't geeky enough to tune into CSPAN yesterday, here's a cool NPR story on Annie Duke's Capitol Hill appearance in support of online poker.

2007-11-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

It's Always Nice to Catch Up with Old Friends

Turns out, my friend Steve has been doing some blogging. Check out Reality Bites Back if you're looking for some interesting media-related content.

2007-11-14T03:19:00.001-08:00

When Writer's Get Bored

It's not pretty.

2007-11-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Writer's Write

See that banner on the right? Somebody wrote that. And they got paid to do it. Sure, chances are they didn't earn as much as the writers who are currently walking picket lines in LA and in New York, but that's not the point. Or at least, that's not the whole point.

As I'm sitting here typing this - and as I sit in my office here in Dublin writing and editing all of the various material that passes across my desk - I think of my friends who are currently walking around in circles on the sidewalks and chanting to random passersby. As a WGA member (on hiatus because I'm not working in a guild-related job), I even feel a little guilty because I'm not there with them. (I am, however, in Dublin which I believe gives me the short end of the stick.)

Sure, their marching may not amount to much and most people will probably do their best to ignore them, but the fact is, people will notice what's going on as soon new episodes of their favorite TV shows fail to appear on the flickering screen in their living rooms. And as soon as those big December blockbuster movies fail to hit a theater near you. Or, in the case of most of my friends, when the evening news is brought to you by a 17-year old intern reading off the front page of the New York Times because all the writers, producers, and on-air personalities have joined the picket lines in search of better pay.

So, this is all about money, you may ask. Well... no, it's not. I'm not saying that money isn't a factor in this strike, and that the writer's don't want more of it. It is and they do. And, in my opinion, they deserve it.

My friends working in news rooms at places like CBS have all been doing so without a contract for the past three years. Sure, they've been getting paid, but they haven't seen a cost of living increase in more than 36 months, and until they hit the sidewalks, didn't expect to see one for the foreseeable future.

While the money is nice and will surely be put to good use, it's only a symptom of what these people are really striking for, which is respect. You hear it all the time at award shows and in production meetings on both coasts - actors, producers, directors, and executives talking about how everything they do begins with the written word. The script. And yet, when their TV shows, movies, and other productions begin to make money through reruns, DVDs, and online forms of distribution, they don't want to share the wealth with the people whom they consider indispensible in helping them create these hits and blockbusters.

Am I ranting? A little. But as I said at the top of this piece, writer's write. So, support the WGA in this strike so they can get back to work and do what they do best.

2007-11-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

You Decide

More frustrating?

The New York Giants losing to the dreaded Dallas Cowboys?
Getting a bill that says I owe the State of California $7.43 in additional taxes?

It's a toss up, I tell ya.

2007-11-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

Frankfurtly Speaking

Just got home from a weekend away from Dublin. I can't tell you how good it feels to type that.

I blew out of town on Friday with some friends from work. Destination: Frankfurt, Germany.

Now, I spent a weekend in Germany not too long ago, but really didn't get to see much beyond the insides of a couple of very nice hotels and conference centers, along with a cool double-decker bus and some fun bars. It was a working weekend, but from the little I got to see of the country, I wanted to go back. Hence, Frankfurt.

I can't say this city was our first-choice destination, but the flights were cheap - as was the hotel - and getting in and out of the Rhineland couldn't really have been easier. We spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon walking around in the cold and taking in the sights. Honestly, it's not the most attractive city I've been in, but it's got an interesting mix of old and new architecture, and certainly more vibrancy than Dublin has. I'll put up a couple of pictures soon.

At night, we sampled the requisite nightlife and I believe I can safely say, a good time was had by all. That's all that really needs to be said about that - at least in a public forum.

On Sunday, we all slept in after a late night/early morning out and woke up to some pretty serious rain. After getting our shit together, we headed out for lunch and the continuation of our weekend-long Chinese poker game. We had started playing at the airport on Friday, and picked the game up again at lunch on Saturday before diving into a day-long festival of cards on Sunday.

We played at lunch. We played at the bar after lunch. We played at the airport. We played on the plane on the way home. We played at E's apartment after we got back into town. We played for the better part of 11 hours in total on Sunday. Again, a good time was had by all, even if I did end up losing a total of 80 Euro when all was said and done.

Speaking of winning and losing, I decided to play some real poker last Thursday night since I knew I wasn't heading into the office on Friday. I headed to my local casino for what I thought was the weekly 50 Euro game, only to find out it was the monthly 100 Euro tournament. Oh well, I came to play and didn't have to worry about waking up too early, so I bought in. Nearly 8 hours later, I left the table with an additional 850 in my pocket after busting out third. I probably could have won the event, but made a bad call for most of my chips and ended up on the short stack when my K-J ran into A-J. After that, I was forced to play push and pray poker, and got knocked off the table when my 10-J ran into Q-J. Oh well.

Combined with my cash game winnings from the previous weekend, I was up the better part of two grand for the week, so I'm not complaining.

Of course, it's nearly 2AM here as I type this, and I need to be up around 8 so, if I don't pack it in now, complaining is about the only thing I'll be doing tomorrow (or, more accurately, later today).

Just eight days left before I head back to the States, by the way, but who's counting?

2007-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

A Little Love for Y'All

If you all haven't seen this, be sure to check it out. There's lot's of cool stuff up for grabs, including one of our amazing Aussie Millions prize packages.

2007-10-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Aah...

It's a lazy Sunday here in Dublin town in the middle of a three-day weekend. It's a much needed and much appreciated break. It's also the weekend where the clocks go back, which means it got dark at about 5Pm. Not so fun. But still, I have another day off from work, and that's not all bad at the moment.

Making today even better is that I actually got to watch good 'ol American football at a reasonable hour. And it was my team, Big Blue - the New York Giants - who did their best to give the lowly Dolphins a chance to win their first game of the season by giving up a touchdown in the last two minutes. Alas, the Dolphins suck even more than my G-Men, and couldn't figure out a way to come over the top and take their victory. Go Giants!

As for other things... there's not much to say. I was actually social this weekend and went to a friend's house party for a few hours. Of course, a house party here is just an excuse to hang out with all of the people I spend my time with at work during the week, but at least there's free-flowing booze and opportunity for mayhem. In all, it was a worthwhile excursion to the 'burbs.

On the poker front, I'm continuing my up and down ways. I had a good live night on Friday, and have have a some nice sessions at the $5-$10 tables on FTP over the past couple of days. My luck on Paddy has gone south, however, and I'm currently in the hole over there. I'm not too worried though, as the games are soft and I should be able to recoup.

With that in mind, I'm just counting down the weeks until Thanksgiving and a return trip to the States. It's hard to believe it's been more than six months since my last trip back. I'm missing the "normalcy" of home, and can certainly use a dose of the U.S. to keep me going. I'm also looking at some other trips, including possible excursions back to Germany and London in the coming weeks. Anything to get away from here for awhile.

So, that's the ramble for the day. Maybe I'll do it again soon.

2007-10-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

Chop, Chop

After one of the most frustrating week's of poker I've had in a long, long time, I managed to turn things around last night in a live 50 + 5 buy-in (that's in Euro) tournament at my local card room.

After showing up a little buzzed at the start of the 9PM event, I managed to limp my way through the first three levels to hit the break with about 20 BB. Not great shape, but not horrible either. I pretty much maintained this level through the next two hours and then, finally, got things going when I cracked Aces after flopping a set of 3s. Sweet.

That double up gave me enough cushion to cruise to the final table where, suddenly, I started getting hit by the deck. Aces, twice (and cracked once). Kings, twice. A-K vs. A-Q, and it holds, etc. By 3AM, we were three handed and I was solidly in second place. We talked about ending the tourney there, but couldn't reach a deal, so we played on until the short stack busted after trying to steal the blinds with Q-6 off-suit.

Once we reached heads-up play, we didn't even bother dealing. We worked a deal and called it a night. All in all, I can't complain. I played tight (for me) and managed to survive through a long stretch of dead cards without losing too many chips. More importantly, I somehow managed to get paid on most of my big hands throughout the night.

I won't say the night redeemed my awful week, but it certainly helped to lessen the pain of all those bad beats I've been taking.

2007-10-13T05:23:00.001-07:00

Give a Beat, Get Two in Return

Last week, I told you about this sick hand. Now, I've got two more for you and neither of them are as pretty.

Hand #1 takes place in a $1-$2 game with a live $5. UTG raises to $20 and gets four callers. I pick up Aces on the button and pop it $100 more. Early position calls. So far, so good.

On a flop of A-K-J rainbow, EP - who has me covered - pushes all in. I insta-call and show top set. He tables A-Q and says "I've got outs."

Son of a bitch if the damn bastard didn't, hitting his 10 on the turn for Broadway. When the board failed to pair, I called it a night and went home where even more fun ensued.

Later in the evening I'm playing $20-$40 Limit online when I pick up Q-10c on the button. I raise and get one caller. The flop brings a Q and the turn brings another one, giving me trips. The betting caps on the turn, and the river brings an A. My opponent bets, I raise, he flat calls and tables pocket rockets for the house.

Call it unlucky or call it Karma, but right now I'm just calling it painful. And expensive.

2007-10-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Now I Understand

If you liked my previous post, you'll love this...

The Licensed Vintner's Association

2007-10-09T02:24:00.000-07:00

Sign of the Times

Spotted the following ad on the back of a city bus on the way into work today: Alcoholcheck - Your Personal Breathalyzer.

Only in Dublin folks. Only in Dublin.

2007-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

A Little Poker

OK - I'm in a productive mood, so I'm making this a double-header posting session. Who knew I had it in me?

Anyway, for everyone who complains that online poker is rigged and that you never see the kinds of hands in live games that you do online, I want to share a hand from a live session I played last night.

The scene: $1-$2 NLH w/a live $5 straddle.

Your hero: The straddler, holding K-10 off-suit.

Two players call the straddle from middle position, and short-stacked rock in SB raises to $30. Solid BB calls, as do I. Everyone else folds.

The flop: A-Q-J rainbow, giving me Broadway.

SB pushes all-in for $140 and BB raises to $400. I shove all-in for a total of $600 and BB goes into the tank before calling (he had me covered by about $80).

Hands are turned up revealing that SB is holding Pocket Jacks and had flopped a set, while BB is holding A-Q off-suit, and had flopped two pair.

The turn brings a 10 and a solid sweat as any other Broadway card now costs me the pot or chops it with the BB.

The river is a blank, giving me the win and a nice $1,300 pot.

Online, this hand would sparked a ton of chatter between both the players and the railbirds who would again point out how unlikely that three players in the blinds would get into a hand like this. Honestly, how can the game not be rigged?

But this was a live hand I'm talking about, dealt in a real card room by a professional dealer after a thorough shuffling of the deck. It was as random a hand you could hope for and yet, one of the most unlikely combination of cards was dealt to three players sitting in succession at the table.

Does this mean live poker is rigged? Not at all. In fact, it took hours of play before this hand happened, but the fact remains that this hand - or one like it - would have happened sometime soon. It's just a matter of time, and that's what many online players forget.

One of the key differences to remember about live and online play is that that online, you're dealt many more hands per hour, which means your going to see many more "action flops" along the way. It's a simple correlation.

So, the next time you take a bad beat or think how the hell could those players have been holding those cards, remember this hand because, in the end, it doesn't matter where you play. Big hands are going to happen and you're going to win some of them and lose others. Enjoy them when they end up in your favor and try not to bitch about them too much when they don't.

Now, if I can just win a hand online...

JK

2007-10-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Road to Hell

If it's really paved in good intentions, then I'm cruising down four lanes of freshly paved blacktop in a '67 Coupe de Ville convertible with the top down, a pint of Jack Daniels, and Elvis cranking on the stereo.

But hey, at least I'm enjoying the ride.

If you're a frequent visitor to this page (and really, why would you be), you'll know that I haven't posted much of anything recently. My bad. It's just that, well... oh... it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, here's the quick rundown of what's going on:

I'm still in Dublin
Dublin is still, for the most part, cold, rainy, and dull
Work is still taking up a huge part of my time
I've done a good amount of travelling over the past few months, including visits to London (work), Rome (vacation), and Berlin/Hamburg (work)
I've got a bunch of photos from various trips and things that I'll get around to posting one day soon
I'm planning a trip back to the States for Thanksgiving
I actually did something fun last night and went to see the Police at Croke Park here in Dublin (they rocked, by the way)
Oh... and I'm 40

About that last one, all I can say is "Yikes". I mean, really, how the fuck did I get to be this old? I mean, I don't feel 40, and honestly, it's just not right. But that's neither here nor there, as there's really nothing I can do about the situation and, let's face it, being 40 is certainly better than the alternative. And, considering my past, I'll take that any day of the week.

So, yes this is a new post in a newly formatted blog. Whether it's the first of many remains to be seen. I don't make resolutions, so I'm not going to promise anything about the frequency of my posts. I'll try to do more, but there's a wide open highway in front of me and I've got a lot of driving left to do.

JK

2007-09-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Watch This Space!

2007-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

SEO What

This is a shameless plug, but I will be playing in the SEO Poker Tournament on Saturday March 24th at 9:00 PM GMT.

That is all.

2007-03-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Oz & the Lucky Horseshoe

Last night, there was a reunion of sorts in DunDrum.

At about 8PM, we gathered at Henry & Sofia's for the return of Murderer's Row. Now, this is actually a bigger deal than it may seem, as this once weekly game has truly disintegrated since the move across the pond. So, it was with no small amount of anticipation that we gathered for the usual evening of drinking and donking around the stolen FTP poker tables.

To be perfectly honest, the game wasn't quite the same as the old Murderer's Row games of old. Many of the regulars were there; me, Henry, Sofia, Wampler, and Ephro. Many, however, were not, including Shyam, Franklin, and Facty (all in Venice for the weekend), Hanel, Lance, Ryan, and Speaker (all back in the states), and Rini (off playing with the monkeys in Gib).

To make up for the missing murderers, we supplemented the field with a number of guest players, including Ernest, Jeremy, Jose, and Oz, who probably wished he hadn't shown up at all. That's because he fell victim to the horseshoe that is, according to Mr. Bill, firmly planted up my ass.

Per my usual form, I played reasonably well throughout the tourney section of the evening, but fell out of contention before reaching the money. Nothing terribly new there. And, per my usual form, I ran over the post-tourney cash game. More specifically, I ran over Oz in the cash game. Or, to be even more precise, I hammered him over the head with the horseshoe.

The first bit of bad luck Oz ran into occurred fairly early on when I pulled what may have been the most brutal suckout of the evening. I limped into the pot holding 4-5 of spades, and hit middle pair on a flop of K-5-3. I bet and Oz called. The turn brought a 6, giving me the up and down draw, and giving Oz top two pair. I bet, he raised, and I donkishly called. The river brought another 5, giving me trips and the pot. Horseshoe 1, Oz 0.

A few hands later, we clashed again. This time, I got into the hand with 4-8 in the big blind. I flopped a gutshot with a board of 5-7-A. Ernest and I both checked the flop, and Oz bet out. Ernest called, giving me reasonable enough odds to call for my 6, which I promptly hit on the turn. Again, the action went check, check, bet. Ernest folded, and I flat called.

The river was a blank. I checked, Oz jammed, and I called, taking down the hand. At this point, the tilt was setting in. Oz remained civil, as he is want to do, but you could tell that his "Nice hand sir" actually meant "You fucking donkey." Horseshoe 2, Oz 0.

A re-buy later and Oz was back in the game. Things were pretty quiet for the next few orbits until Oz and I hooked up one last time for the night. This time, all the money went in pre-flop as Oz raised and re-raised from the button with Aces. Thinking I was making a move, Oz came back over the top and I called his all-in. As the money is being pushed toward the center, Oz says "I just have a pair", and turns up pocket Kings. "I've got a pair too" I say, turning up the bullets.

Horseshoe 3, Oz 0.

I tried to explain to Oz that there was nothing he could have done differently throughout the night. I just run well at Henry's game. Still, I don't think he wants to know of past history - he just wants to get even against me. I'm sure he'll have his chances. He just better hope I forget the horseshoe.

2007-03-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Trending

I had a few minutes of downtime earlier and had the chance to look over my recent posts. Granted, it didn't take too long, since there's not much here, but that's another story.

Anyway, after a cursory glance I quickly noticed a seemingly disturbing trend, which is that I seem to be constantly dissing Dublin. Yes, it's true this is not the most thrilling place I've ever lived, but to be honest, it's not the worst either (ahem, Medina).

Also, and equally disturbing, is that fact that my recent posts all seem to circulate around the fact that I'm working a lot, drinking (on occasion), and playing cards. It seems, at least on the surface, that I'm falling into a rut.

So, with that in mind, I'm giving you, my faithful reader, this opportunity. Tell me what you'd like to know about Dublin*. Is there something about this fair city you've always been intrigued by? Is there a person whom you'd like to know more about? Throw your suggestions my way,and I'll make it a mission to go out and find out what I can on your behalf.

Who knows what fun we can have?

*Sorry Bill, but I'm going to have exclude you from participating... this is still a family friendly (sort of) blog.

2007-03-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

Coming Up for Air

I know, I know - I post as often as pandas mate. Many would say as successfully, as well, but that's another conversation for another day.

Still, I'm here now, so I'm going to ramble for just a few. First, the Dublin update. It still rains. A lot. It's also very windy. There's lots of drinking, book-ended by very long hours at work. Sometimes I play poker.

Basically, things are normal.

I did recently manage to break up the normal routine and get to London for a weekend for a family event. The occasion? The naming of my newest cousin, Alexandra.

Not only was it nice to see some family, but it was nice to go to a real city. I didn't really take part in any particularly Londonish activities while I was there, but the difference in energy levels between London and Dublin is palpable, even when you're just walking down the street. Londoners have purpose. They move as if they have an actual destination to reach - and as if they actually want to reach it. Dubliners don't do this. Don't get me wrong... the sidewalks here are flooded, especially on a rare sunny afternoon. It's just that Dubliners like to stand around, look at windows, and enjoy a good pint. Or 12.

Speaking of purpose (and yes, this is a horrible transition), I should mention that much of my time at work lately has been dedicated to some of our latest promotions for the World Series of Poker and, more importantly (at least in my opinion), driving sign-ups for the Poker Players Alliance. If you play the game and aren't a member, you should join. And not just because you can get a bonus if you do.

Now that that's out of my system, I'll leave you with this - a link to Full Tilt Poker's new commercials. They're pretty cool, and I hope you enjoy them.

That's it... I'm done for now.

2007-02-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

Super Size Me (or Not)

Wanna try something cool? Check out the new resizable tables beta software at FTP.

www.fulltiltpoker.com/beta

2007-02-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

2007 - It's Just Like 2006 - But Different

Yeah, I know. My posting is as frequent as George W. having an original thought. It's sad and pathetic, but then again, so is he.

Still, I'm back with another oh-so-infrequent update on life in the land of leprechauns and Guinness. Actually, if I came across a leprechaun drinking a Guinness, there would be something interesting to write about. But, seeing as how that's unlikely to happen, I'll just go with what I know about.

So... thanks for reading and.... OK, OK, I've actually got more to say than that. Really.

Since my last post, life has been the usual mix of work, work, work, work, sleep, work, work, work, drink, work, work, work, etc. And don't get me wrong - I still love my job and the company I work for. Dublin, maybe not so much, but the company is still fun. Unless of course you've been working in online poker for the past month.

If you don't know, the US Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act at the end of last session with the goal of starving the lifeblood of online gaming, including poker. In short, the bill makes it illegal for banks to process transactions to or from online gaming sites, like Full Tilt Poker. Of course, being a bill passed in Washington, it does have some exemptions built in for really skillful games like bingo and state lotteries. But, I digress.

If passing this law wasn't enough, the government launched a secondary attack on online gaming earlier this month when they arrested the two original founders of NETeller on money laundering charges. Now, even though these men no longer work for the company, NETeller did exactly what the government wanted them to: they got scared and pulled out of the US market.

Now, NETeller was the big dog in online payment processing. Sort of like Party Poker before they left the US. And, when the Big Dog leaves, a lot of smaller dogs follow it out the door. For sites like FTP, that means players in the US can no longer easily get money on and off the site, which is, in a word, bad.

For me, and the people I work with, that also means a lot of sleepless nights as our job all of a sudden becomes all about keeping the site up and running, and our players happy. In short, it's been a challenge. And to be honest, not a particularly fun one at that. Still, I think we've done an admirable job and, thanks to some incredibly dedicated individuals, we may have recently turned a corner.

So, that's been a big part of my life here in Dublin for the past month. And the fact is, in some ways, I'm kind of thankful for all of the work because in the off hours, there's just not a lot to this city. Sure, it's got some very pretty areas and very friendly people. It's got more bars and clubs than you can possibly imagine. It's got Guinness and Jameson. But, with all that, it still doesn't have a whole lot going on.

Don't get me wrong. It's a fabulous city to visit but, as a place to live, there's just not enough here here for my tastes. Thankfully, traveling is always an option and, as soon as things quiet down a little, I plan to do some more sightseeing around Europe. I'm also hoping to head back to the states for about 10 days in April... keep an eye on this space for details.

Speaking of traveling, I should be heading to London for a weekend sometime soon to visit my cousin Liz and meet the newest addition to the family, her daughter Alexandra. I'm looking forward to hitting a big city for a few days and catching up with some family. It will be a nice break.

Speaking of family, check out what my cousin Adam is up to. He's doing the aspiring actor/comedian thing back in NYC, and has a collection of pretty funny commercials up on his site. (Sorry they won't make the Superbowl, Adam.)

Ah... the Superbowl. American football. It's something I've truly missed here in Europe, but I'm going get a little fill of it tonight at our CEO's house down in Dalkey. I'm looking forward to the game, not because I'm a fan of either team, but because it's kicking off here at 10PM.

Work tomorrow will be oh so fun.

2006-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

Barcelona Rocks!

OK... that's a lame title. I know. But, it's kind of appropriate because this is a really cool city.

Paula and I spent our first full day here... much of it on what turned out to be a lame bus tour, and found that there's just so much of this city to see that you can't do it in a few days.

It seems like within in minutes you can go from the shores of the Mediterranean to the mountains or anywhere in between. The architecture is an amazing of really old buildings and really modern stuff that somehow works. The sidewalks are jammed with people and all sorts of cool shops, stands, and street performers.

Once off the bus, Paula and I spent a couple of hours wandering around the zoo, which is located almost in the heart of the city. It's really more of a big park with animals hanging out. In fact, at many of the displays - the monkeys especially - we couldn't figure out what was keeping them in their habitat aside from the collection of toys they had to play with and the free food. I mean, it looked like they could jump right over the rail and free run of the place. I'll try to post some pictures so you can get a sense of the place, since I'm sure I'm not doing it justice.

Another nice thing about this city - the food is good, which is especially nice after spending the past few months in Dublin where it's decidedly not. Dinner tonight was a really nice paella, followed by amazing gelato from a sidewalk stand, and then a night cap in the hotel bar. Not a bad way to end a day, if I do say so myself.

Speaking of which - I'm done for now. I'll be back later with stories, pictures and whatnot. Until then... Happy New Year.

2006-12-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

Closed for the Holidays

It's December 26th, which means... well, not a lot for those of you reading this from the States. Here in Dublin, however, today is St. Stephen's Day, which means... well, it's another day when everything in town is closed. And by everything, I mean everything.

As you may have surmised, I stayed in town over the holiday weekend and I have to say, I've never seen a place shut down so completely. Stores were closed, which is a given, but there wasn't anyone on the streets. It was like a ghost town. Even the homeless panhandlers packed up their stuff and left for greener pastures.

Walking around the city over the past two days was one of the strangest experiences I've ever had. In the states, you can always find someone out and about, and can always count on a 7-11 or Store 24 being open to provide you with those last minute essentials you need. But here, that's not the case.

What was even more amazing than the last two days, however, was Saturday night. My buddy Ernest and I went out to Temple Bar to grab a couple of pints since neither of us had any other plans for the evening. Now, Temple Bar is always jam packed. I've never been there when you didn't have to push through the drunken crowds in order to get into one of the hundreds of completely packed pubs. It's a fun time, if you're in the right mood.

But on Saturday, even Temple Bar was quiet. The Porterhouse, a local joint that features great beer and live music, was essentially empty. There were maybe 30 people in the whole five-story pub, and the only tunes were the best of '80's hits being pumped through the sound system. All in all, not the most exciting night I've spent on the town.

Speaking of nights out, I'm sure I'll have few better ones in the coming days, as I'm meeting my sister Paula in Barcelona for New Year's. Hopefully, I'll remember to post.

2006-12-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

When Not to Play

I’ve been playing a lot of live poker lately and for awhile, things were going extremely well. It’s not that every session was a winning one, but I was certainly winning much more than I was losing, and my bankroll was swelling nicely.

Of course, being on something of a rush I thought – as many of us do – that my game was dialed in. I knew the people I was playing against, my strategies were working, and I was in the zone. So, I did what any reasonable player would – I took a shot.

For me, this meant playing a $250 tourney with a $250 re-buy. As someone who’d never played anything greater than a $100 buy-in event, this was a huge leap up the ladder but I was feeling confident. Cocky, even.

And yeah, I didn’t even come close to seeing the money. I won’t go into details and I won’t make excuses but, after a few hours of play, I busted out just about dead center in the event. And that’s where my lesson started.

After busting, I didn’t really take any time to think about my play. I was hyped on adrenaline – and tilt – and all I could really think about was getting into a cash game to win my buy-in back. I mean, really, it couldn’t be that hard. I’d taken hundreds of dollars out of this game on a regular basis, I could do it again.

Except that, I couldn’t.

I bought in for about $150, and promptly donked that away in a few orbits. So, I decided to chase that money with yet another buy-in, which also vanished in fairly short order. Finally, when I was down to my last $20, I got up, walked away, and drowned my miserable day in a couple of pints.

Looking back now, I can see the events of that day much more clearly, and I better understand what caused me to blow away so much of my hard-earned bankroll. In short, I was playing scared.

I had built a bankroll that I was comfortable with… one that would allow me to buy into my regular tournaments and cash games without feeling strapped, and when I lost $500 of it on “a shot,” I suddenly felt crippled. I was relying on having that money behind me as an insurance policy. If I had a bad couple of orbits or didn’t cash in a couple of tournaments, I was OK, because I had plenty of cash to fall back on.

Except that, I didn’t anymore.

When I hit the cash game following my tournament exit, I wasn’t thinking clearly. In fact, I probably wasn’t even thinking at all. I was on auto-pilot and I had one goal; win it back. But, because I was so frazzled and shaken, I couldn’t fully concentrate on what was going on around me or who I was playing with, and I was simply another easy mark at the table.

What’s more, the consequences of losing additional cash following the tournament stayed with me for weeks. I hit a bad run all because I was feeling pressured to get back to where I had started.

So what happened next? I took a couple of weeks off. I stayed away from the cardroom, and didn’t look at poker table. I let my head settle, got more comfortable with current size of my bankroll, and started from scratch. And I played better.

Which brings me to this; there’s another time when it’s best to step away from the game, even if you may not realize it. When you think all you can do is lose.

For example, I was sitting back in a particularly juicy cash game the other night and had gone on quite a run – up nearly $1,000 in a $1-$2 game. I had a huge pile of chips in front of me, and was amazed at my good fortune. Things were great. I was on top of the world. I could run over the table as much as I wanted.

Except for one thing - I was scared.

I realized that after working so hard to accumulate all of those chips, I didn’t want to put them at risk. I was laying down very playable hands – against very playable competition – because I was afraid I’d take a bad beat or just overplay a hand that I shouldn’t. I tightened up, and the game no longer felt fun or easy. So, I did the smart thing – I waited for an opportune time, and walked away.

I had made plenty of money and had nothing left to prove at the table. Sure, I could have won even more had I stayed, but I wasn’t feeling comfortable anymore. Considering where my thought process was headed, I’m convinced it was the right move. I had nothing left to prove and felt like I had everything to lose.

I was up – a lot, and I was happy. What more could I ask for? In the end, I decided the answer was “nothing.”

Well, except for a couple of celebratory pints, of course.

2006-12-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Quick Impressions

Amsterdam is a strange city, and I'm not wholly sure I like it.

On the plus side, it's got a strong sense of history, culture,and a casual attitude toward drugs and sex that is completely unlike anything I've experienced before.

On the other hand, there's also a sense of - I don't know, menace, perhaps, lurking just below the surface. I mean, I've spent a lot of time in a lot of different cities, but it's been very rare that I've felt as on edge as I did wandering through the Red Light disrict Saturday night. And that was with a group of six or seven other people. I mean, it felt like you could get the shit beat out of you just for looking at someone a little funny.

Like I said - these are quick impressions, but they're all I've got so far.

2006-12-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

Amsterdamage '06

I'm sitting at Dublin Airport with Oz waiting for my flight to Amstersdam. Even better - I'm posting from my Blackberry.

I'm not sure what to expect from this weekend, but mayhem seems likely. I'll try to remember/document as much as possible (or reasonable), but can't promise too much. Still, there should be entertainment value.

Let the Amsterdamage begin...

2006-11-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Not Grasping the Concept

Yes indeed, it's another of my infrequent missives from the Emerald Isle. I'll try to keep this short, as I'm in a little bit of a rant mode right now.

As I've mentioned before, I generally like what I've seen of Dublin so far, aside from the fact that the weather and the food could both use some serious improvement. Oh.. and the whole customer service thing? Yeah, not so much.

In fact, that brings me to my current state. After weeks of searching, I've finally found a suitable apartment. It's not quite as modern as I would have liked, but the location is incredible and the rent is almost reasonable so, overall, I can't complain too much. Well, at least not about the apartment. At least not yet.

What I can complain about is the banking system. Don't get me wrong, the people who work in the banks seem pleasant enough, but the system is in a word, fucked. Take the concept of online banking. I'm a big fan and have been doing my banking online for a number of years now. It's fast, convenient, easy. What more could you ask?

Well, here in Ireland, the answer turns out to be a lot more. First of all, logging into your account is a mind-numbing process. Sure, everyone is concerned about identity theft and I appreciate the bank looking out for my money, as limited as it may be but really, do I have to put in a PIN, a personal identifier code, and then either a phone number or birth date each and every time I log on? It's a little bit of bureaucratic overkill. Of course, that's nothing compared to what happens when you actually try to use the system.

Take today, for example. I need to put a down payment on my new apartment and since checking accounts here don't actually come with checks, doing this online seems like the best option. So, I jump through all the hoops to access my account and go to the Make a Payment section only to find out that I can't just click a button to add a new payee to my account. No, that would be simple. Instead, I have to call the bank and give them the details, and then wait up to five days for the payee to actually be added. WTF? Seriously.

What's even sadder is that, after talking to our company comptroller (who knows a little something about the Irish banking system), it turns out the Bank of Ireland's online interface is considered to be state of the art, by Irish standards. I promise, I'll never say another disparaging word about CitiBank's interface ever again.

Of course, the fun and games with the banking system is just part of the customer service problem over here. After talking with my colleagues, I fully expect to fight the same battles with cable and utility companies over the coming days and weeks. Who knew that a country where it's already dark and cold at 4:30PM had such a strong grasp of the "Manana" concept so popular in warmer, more relaxed climates?

When it comes right down to it, maybe I'm just being an ugly, pushy American when it comes to these things. I think I'll grab a pint and think it over while I wait for the bank to do it's thing.

2006-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

...And There Was Much Rejoicing

Yes, believe it or not, people here in Dublin town did in fact follow yesterday's U.S. elections. And yes, there really was much rejoicing over the fact that Bush and his cronies had their collective asses handed to them by the general public.

To tell the truth, I was really surprised by how enthusiastic people over here were over the election results. As someone in a local card room said last night, "It's not that Americans are stupid, they're just fucking gullible. It's about time they got it right." For my part, I did point out that not all of us were deceived by the Republicans, but overall, I can't completely disagree with the assessment. I mean, we may not have really elected W to office either time, but we certainly didn't provide his opponents with strong enough margins that they could effectively argue that he stole the elections.

Anyway... all that aside, I happily raised a pint (OK, maybe two or three) to the American voters last night. And really, when was the last time any of us could say that?

2006-10-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Remember Me?

I know - it seems like every time I post something new I apologize for not posting in a ridiculously long time. So, I guess it only makes sense that I start by apolgizing for not posting anything new in a ridiculously long time.

Life here on the Emerald Isle has been busy, interesting, and just a little crazed. In short, it's been pretty much business as usual. So, without further ado (and what is ado, exactly?), here are some of the high and low lights of the recent weeks...

Life at FTP has been absolutely nuts. As many of you probably know, the Republicans passed the Internet Gaming Act at the end of the last term by attaching it as an amendment to the Port Security Bill. I guess they're trying to protect the U.S. from the dangers of the Party Poker Cruise.

Whether or not this new law is actually enforceable or even legal remains up in the air, but it is having a tremendous impact on the online poker industry. Some of the biggest names in the game - Party and 888 among them - pulled out of the states as soon as W put his name on the paper, while others, like FTP, decided to stay. In the short term, at least, that means we're growing faster than ever and are working our butts off to make sure the site stays up and that we can provide all of the games and tourneys that our new players want. It's crazy, but fun and I'm going to enjoy it for as long as possible.

In other FTP news, we have finally gotten our visas and work permits which means we're actually here legally. It's nice to have that behind us, but now I've got to deal with finding myself an apartment. Which brings me to...
Life outside the office. I've been living in temporary housing for the past 10 weeks which has been nice for the bank book, especially since all of the little day to day stuff around here is really expensive compared to the states. That said, I have been here long enough that I've gotten used to the fact that the ATMs spit out 50 Euro bills as a matter of course.

Of course, the other banking stuff still makes me nuts. I mean, you can't deposit money into an account using an ATM and the banks are never open at any hour when you can actually get to them. Which brings me to weekends in Dublin. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice relaxing weekend as much as anyone, but it is nice to be able to get some things done. And when you get to a bank or go look for an apartment because no one shows them on a Saturday, it gets a little frustrating. On the other hand, I'm still amazed at the amount of partying this place does on the average Friday and Saturday night. Walk around at 3AM (which is a pretty common occurence) and you'll find crowds of people all over City Center. It adds a nice flavor to life here.

Speaking of City Center, I've decided that this is the part of town in which I'm going to remain. The commute to the office isn't too bad on the LUAS and everything I want is within easy walking distance... shops, pubs, and the cardrooms. Which brings me to...
Gambooling (as my friend Franklin calls it). I've been playing a lot of cards (I know, you're all surprised) and I've been playing pretty well (OK, now I know you're truly surprised). In fact, over the past week I've reached the final table in two tournaments, and went on to chop for first place in one of them. I've also done pretty well in the cash games. Of course, I'm sure I'll hit a cold deck sometime soon, but I'm enjoying the run while it lasts.

Away from the cardrooms, I did a little gambling on the golf course today with Gitter and Wampler. It's actually been my second Irish golfing experience of the weekend (and of my time here) and it was a lot of fun. Aside from the weather, which on Saturday, consisted of lots of rain and wind. Still, it was good to go out and hit the ball, even if I was playing with borrowed clubs, since mine are still stuck somewhere on the docks along with the rest of my belongings (I can't get my stuff until I actually find an apartment).

There's plenty more to talk about, but I can't think of it all right now and I'm sure I've rambled on enough for one post anyway. Hopefully, I'll be heading back to the states in a couple of weeks, which will be a nice change of pace.

I promise to try and post more frequently, but don't hold me to it.

2006-10-02T11:17:00.001-07:00

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor...

OK, it's been awhile since I've posted. There are lots of things I should talk about and a few I shouldn't, but suffice it to say, life in Dublin hasn't been too bad. I'm still in temporary housing, although I'm now near City Center, which is very nice. The weather is ever changable, the food is usually mediocre, and potatoes come with everything. Really. I'm not kidding.

All that aside, I do want to share this open letter from Full Tilt Poker regarding the new Internet gaming bill that Congress shoved through over the weekend. If you play online poker, this is important. Join the PPA. Call your Congressman/woman. Vote.

OK.. no more ranting... here's the copy:

An Open Letter from Full Tilt Poker on the State of Online Poker

As many people are well aware, the United States Congress recently passed legislation that aims to make it illegal for U.S. banks to process transactions related to online gaming.

We, like all online poker players, are dismayed and saddened by these potential regulations, and are doing our best to determine what these changes will mean to our customers. We are continuing to study this legislation and, until our investigation is complete, believe it would be wrong to comment on how these new rules will impact the ability for players to transfer funds to and from Full Tilt Poker.

In the short term, we assure you that your online experience at Full Tilt Poker will not change. You will still be able to deposit and withdraw money from the site using the same methods and payment processors as usual, and your money will remain completely safe and secure. We cannot predict how the online experience may change in the future, but we do not expect any immediate impacts from the legislation as the banking industry has 270 days to implement new rules after the bill is signed.

It is also important to note that, once signed, the new legislation will not criminalize individuals for playing poker online. Instead, the bill will eventually attempt to prevent the transfer of funds to online gaming. As poker is a game of skill rather than pure chance, we hope that it will not be affected by this new bill. Speculation aside, however, we will continue to work closely with organizations like the Poker Player’s Alliance to lobby for an exemption for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer.

While this last-minute congressional move has undoubtedly caused concern among our players, we want to assure you that Full Tilt Poker is legally regulated and licensed to offer its services to anyone around the world and that your day-to-day experience at the site will remain unchanged in all respects.

Full Tilt Poker

2006-09-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Escape from Glenogeary

So, I get a phone call about midday on Saturday. FHWRDH and facty are inviting people over for an afternoon/evening of poker/pizza and general amusement at their newly rented home down Glenogeary.

Now when I say "down," I'm talking about six miles from city center. In Dublin, that's the boonies. Really beautiful boonies, but the boonies nonetheless. Since I didn't have much going on, and haven't gotten to explore much more than the city center area, I thought this sounded like a fine plan, and headed out.

I grabbed the the 46A bus and made my way to Dun Laoghaire (I'm still not sure of the proper spelling), where I then transferred to the DART rail line for two stops. A 10-minute walk up the hill and viola - Chez Henderson. Now, this short journey took about 75-minutes in total, which I guess isn't bad by Dublin standards. Considering that it would be about a 20-minute drive though, it's a little slow by my usual clock. I did, however, get to ride through Monkstown, which is just outside Dun Laoghaire, and which looks like the land time forgot. Incredibly tight streets, ancient looking brick apartment blocks crammed together shoulder to shoulder. I half expected to see James Joyce wandering down the middle of the street carrying a pint and a writing tablet.

Speaking of Joyce, whose writing I have never understood, the Henderson's backyard is one of the best features of their home. Looking out to the sea, the Joyce Tower figures prominently in the view, as does the top of Dalkey Castle, just a few miles south. It's pretty incredible.

Inside the house, the view was reminiscent of an old Murderer's Row game, with Henry, Sophia, Ephro, Wampler, Shyam, and Ernest all in attendance. We sat down and played a casual tourney that Ephro took down, and then spent the rest of evening hanging out, bullshitting, and inventing a new game... Chinese War, which is too complicated and too unfinished to even begin describing here.

Somewhere in the middle of the evening, facty decided that she needs a new project, and that my love life - or lack thereof - would be a fitting challenge. I'm more than happy to let her run with this, although I'm still a little confused as to why she's decided I need to be set up with a nice Polish girl. I don't argue with Kate though, so I guess I'll just go for the ride.

Around 12:30 am, we decided it was time to bring the festivities to an end, and that's when some of the real fun started. Things get mighty quiet in Glenogeary after 11 pm, even on a Saturday. We called a couple of cab companies and, when we told them where we were, they immediately hung up on us. Brilliant, as the locals say.

After a few minutes of debate, we decided walking toward civilization would be the best bet, so we set out enmasse. The only problem with this plan was, none of us quite knew where civilization lay. We hit the main drag and the group promptly split, with Henry, Rick, Sophia and others turning right toward where they thought Dun Laoghaire lay. Ernest and I, took the path untravelled, and went left, wandering off toward parts unknown and, hopefully, Leopardstown.

Now, one of the nice things about Dublin is that you feel pretty comfortable walking around at odd hours, even when you don't know where you are. Ernest and I made our way toward Sallynoggin (I love the names of some of these towns), where we finally found a cab. All in all, it was entertaining if a little frustrating, and the one overwhelming certainty that came out of the evening is that the next time we play cards at the Hendersons, we're inviting at least one person with a car.

2006-08-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Observations

After a little more than a week here in Dublin land, I've noticed a few things and confirmed a few things I alway knew. For example:

I hate public transportation. OK, as a concept, I guess it's OK, but practically, I despise it. Case in point - there's a bus that runs straight from my crappy temporary apartment to my office. In theory, this is perfect. In practice, however, the fucking bus shows up approximately once every 30 minutes, if you're lucky, and even less often if it's raining.

Of course, there's always the LUAS, which is much like Boston's T. It's clean, reasonably fast, and affordable. Again, not bad. But, it's a 10-minute walk to the nearest station, which is always fun in the rain, and the train stops a good 15 minutes from the office. Again, practical it's not.
Walking is a great way to learn the nuances of a new city. I've been doing lots of walking in the past week, and I've seen a fair amount of downtown Dublin already. Of course, Downtown Dublin is fairly small, so it's pretty easy to take a lot in on an impromtu walking tour.

Also, I've been able to see some neighborhoods I know I might want to live in, and a few I know certainly don't. For example, right next door to Ranellah (I'll figure out the proper spelling one of these days) is another neighborhood named Harcourt. I wandered that way today thinking it was worth checking out. It was, but only because it's the first hard-scrabble part of Dublin I've really come across. Tenements, grafitti, clapped out cars. Definitely not a neighborhood I'm going to consider.
California has softened me when it comes to dealing with weather. It's not that I don't enjoy weather and, in fact, it's sort of nice to experience something other than 85 and sunny every day (or, more recently before I left, 100+ and sunny). Still, I've forgotten how annoying having to walk moderate distances in the rain can be, especially when you're carrying a computer bag and your dinner.
Driving in Dublin is going to be an experience. Of course, I'm not ready to buy a car just yet, but I can see it happening sometime in my future. That said, I don't have a lot of experience driving on the opposite side of the road, and it's going to take some getting used to.

As for a motorcycle, which is the form of transporation that I think would actually work best here for many reasons, the aforementioned rain may well put a damper on that plan. As miserable as it is to walk in the rain, riding in it is even worse.
The combination washer/dryer is another great sounding idea that, in practice, sucks. Sure, the clothes get clean, but they don't get dry. Ever. Also, I can't figure out for the life of me why it takes three hours to do one load of laundry. At least I'm not using quarters.
Drinking here is a sport. More than a few years ago, I'm sure I could have been competitive. As it is now, spending a Friday night in the Temple Bar and Grafton Street areas of town is certainly fun, but inch-for-inch, I think this is the most densely packed bar scene I've ever experience. And I'm not just talking the number of bars crammed into this relatively small area - I'm talking about the number of people crowding into each of these establishments. It's an amazing scene.

There's more, of course, but I'll save it for later.

Until then...

2006-08-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

Line of the Week

The scene: A Thai restaurant in the Leopardstown section of Dublin.
The time: 10PM, after a long night at work.
The players: Me, my co-worker Ernest, and a waiter with a strong and unitelligible Thai/Irish accent.

Ernest and I walk in carrying backpacks. It's pretty obvious we've come straight from work. We get to the table and are about to take our seats.

Waiter: You bawk?

Ernest & Me: Huh?

Waiter: You bawk?

Ernest: Did we walk? No, we took a taxi.

Waiter: (Emphatically) Did you bawk?

Me: Yes, we just came from work.

Waiter: Do you speak English?

Ah... Dublin.

2006-08-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

I think it's safe to say that I've done more walking in the past four days than I have in the last two I lived in Los Angeles. Dublin is a walking city, even when you're heading for the public transportation. It's enjoyable enough, especially as a newcomer, but my shins feel like they did when I used to run track. Yeah, it's safe to say I'm a little out of shape. The good news is, that if I stay away from the beer (yeah, right), I'll probably drop a quick 10 pounds just by doing my daily commute.

Still, I've covered a good amount of ground in the past few days. I took the LUAS to the office on Friday, which is very much like riding the T in Boston. A 10 minute walk to the station, and 15 minutes on the train, and I was still a good 10 minutes from the office. My boss met me at the other end and gave me a ride to work, but until we get a shuttle running between the end of the line and the office, I'm thinking I'm looking for other transporation.

Which leads me to the bus. My co-worker Chharlie (yes, he does spell his name that way - don't ask me why) took a ride out to Blackrock on Saturday to attend a Bar-B-Que thrown by one of our Irish co-workers. He's living in a really nice, very new house and, aside from various people from the office like FHRDH and his wife Facty, the party was attended by a number of his family and friends. To say it was a gregarious crowd would be an understatement.

After a few hours of Guinness and grub, a few of us decided to head back toward city center and try our luck at one of the local casinos. A few hours of Pot-Limit Hold'em turned out to be a profitable way to spend the evening, and led to a 3:00AM walk back across the city to my dingy temporary apartment. It's kind of amazing to see how lively the city was at that hour, as tons of people were still gathered on the sidewalks hanging out around some of the city's afters-hours clubs. I'll have to check those out sometime in the future.

Today was spent doing more walking... another trip to LUAS led me to DunDrum and the biggest mall in Ireland where I quickly blew my winnings on some necessities I forgot to pack. Upon my return home, I quickly went out again and took a 10 minute walk (everything seems to be within reach of a 10 or 20 minute walk) to Baggot Street, which seems to lie between Ranelagh and Ballsbridge where I found a local Tesco supermarket so I could buy a little food and some laundry detergent. Exciting stuff, I know.

Anyway... I'm back trying to figure out the strange little combo washer/dryer that lives in my kitchen and typing this rambling note for all three of my faithful readers.

They'll be more to come... I think.

2006-08-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dublin

It's been about 36 hours since I've arrived in Ireland, and I'm slowly beginning to adjust. I certainly haven't been here long enough to form anything more than quick impressions, but I thought I'd share some of what I've discovered so far.

It's expensive. Of course, I was warned about the fact that Dublin is a "pricey" city, but still, it does surprise you when a quick pasta dinner at a local cafe costs about $20. It was tasty pasta, sure, but $20?
The people are truly friendly. And no, I don't mean in that service economy sort of "Please, we're trying to make this experience nice enough so that you don't realize you just paid $20 for a plate of pasta." No, I mean, these people are genuinely friendly. They're more than happy to engage you in conversation at any time about anything. It's going to take some getting used to.
Walking is a viable, if somewhat challenging, method of transportation. The city isn't that big. You seem to get to many places within 20 or 30 minutes and the scenery on the sidewalk is quite pretty. That said, you do have to be alert enough to dodge the occasional bike/motorcycle messenger who zoooms onto the sidewalk or zips through a red light, as well as the drivers who believe it is perfectly fine to park half of their car on the sidewalk.
It really is a lot like Boston. The weather is similar, as is much of the architecture. And the accent is spot on, as long as you remove the words "wicked" and "pissah" from your vocabulary.

Tomorrow, I'm off to spend my first day in the office. If I can find it.

2006-07-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

A Little of This... A Little of That...

I'm not really sure why I'm posting right now. I really have very little to say, but I'll say it anyway. So, what follows are a few random thoughts:

More than a week after leaving Vegas, I'm still occasionally surprised to find myself reflecting back on Speaker's remarkable Hammer crack of my Kings.
It's really fucking hot here. I mean, Africa hot.
More than a week after leaving Vegas, I'm not surprised that I'm still running bad, despite taking some money off a big-time tournament winner in a recent home game.
CarMax is a great thing.
With just a few weeks to go until I completely uproot my life, I'm alternating between this strange combination of excitement, dread, and general WTF-syndrome when I think about all the shit I have to do before I move.
Being called "less donkish" than you used to be is surprisingly complementary.
A cold beer would taste really good right now.

2006-07-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

Jacked, Hammered, and Generally Beat Down

Yes, I'm back from Vegas. And, as much as I love the town, I've got tell you, I haven't been this happy to get out of Dodge in quite awhile. It's not that I had a bad time in Vegas, or that I played badly. I didn't and I didn't. It's just that for the weekend, fate decided to make me the Honorary Hanel (a.k.a., Bad Beat Cover Boy).

Some would say it's karma. I say, Speaker pushed all in with best hand at 4AM - I mean, of course my poket Ks are going down to the Hammer when he turns the open-ended straight he made on the flop. He had me dominated before I put a chip in the pot.

Of course, getting Hammered - figuratively, literally and well, I can't think of any other way, is just part of the chaos that is Blogger Weekend.

Yes, I suffered many a bad beat in my hours of play. No, I won't recount them here. If you were at the tables with me, you saw them for yourself. If you weren't you don't want to know about them. Still, despite the misfortune of my weekend, I'll be back as soon as possible.

And, as long as Hanel shows up, I'll be fine.

2006-07-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Vegas Baby!

Yeah, yeah - it's the world's most overused headline. Still, it works. And that's where I'm heading in less than 24 hours.

Yes indeed. I'm escaping the oppressive summer heat of the San Fernando Valley for the oppressive summer heat of the Strip. At least I'm not paying for the air conditioning. For those of you who care (and I doubt there are many, if any at all), I'll be sitting down at the great blogger tournament on Saturday with a bunch of people who can, at best, be described as degenerates. And yes, that is a complement. Trust me.

Aside from that, I'll be stopping by the Rio to check out some of the WSOP action and to kill some time with the folks at the FTP suite. Watch this space for stories of random drunkeness and donkishness.

Until then...

2006-07-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

Yup - that's right, there's news out of Studio City. Actually, the news is that I'm getting out of Studio City fairly soon.

I'll be trading the sunny confines of Southern California for the dank overcast of Dublin. That's in Ireland, by the way... not Ohio. (I've been there, done that, and don't plan on doing it again.) Anyway, now thatI've made the decision to pick up and move, I actually have to pick up and get moving, which I really hate.

The move date looks like it's going to be August 13th, which is awfully close. I'll provide more information once I have it to give. Until then, I recommend developing a taste for Guinness if you plan on visiting.

2006-07-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

No More Rafe Last Jokes for Me

I was watching his progress throughout the day, and damn if he didn't come through. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out PokerWire to find Rafe Furst's smiling mug sitting behind a mountain of cash and, more importantly, his first-ever WSOP bracelet.

Congratulations Rafe - and thanks for ensuring that Perry is no longer the only Tiltboy with a bracelet.

2006-06-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Bellagi-Oh Yeah!

Yes, yes, I know, it's been quite some time since I've posted anything. Not that anyone cares, but still, I do notice.

Having just gotten back from a what was basically a Vegas day trip, I figured it's time to write something. And Vegas being Vegas, this seems like the topic. I actually didn't travel to the desert for fun, but rather, for a meeting with the good folks at CardPlayer in regard to the upcoming WSOP. (You do know about all of the ways you can still win seats at the WSOP at FTP, don't you?)

Brief plug aside, the fact that the meeting was at nine this morning meant that it was only reasonable that my boss and I travel to Vegas on Wednesday afternoon. Which we did. Now, like any sane (?) person, I love Vegas and everything it stands for. I mean really, it's a city of such extreme excess that even the most jaded among us (me included) can't help but give in to the lavish displays of opulence that dot every part of the city from the statues outside of Caesar's to the statuesque beauties lying by the pool at the Hard Rock. I mean, if you can't beat it, at least enjoy yourself while your losing, right?

Ah, but here's the rub... I walked away with extra money in my pocket on this little excursion... an occurence that, sadly, doesn't happen every time I'm in town. Thanks to the fine people in my office, my boss and I hit town on Wednesday afternoon and each checked into very tasteful rooms located a mere 17 floors above our favorite room in the place; the Poker room. Of course, because this was a work trip, we didn't head right for the tables. But we did get there.

Now, for those of you don't know, the Bellagio spreads all sorts of games at all sorts of levels, most of which far exceed my meager bankroll. Still, they did have a nice $2-$5 No-Limit game going that I was more than comfortable playing in. After a few short minutes on the list, I took my seat just 10 feet from the glassed in room where the Big Game is played, thankful that none of the top-tier pros was in the room to mock me as they walked past.

On my first hand, I picked up A-K and, of course, rasied. Being the new guy, I got absolutely no respect (shut up Bill), and picked up three callers. When the flop came 7-7-9 and three people bet, I dropped my hand. An auspicious start, to be sure. My $200 buy-in lasted for a few orbits until I picked up A-10 on the button. When I flopped top two pair, I bet, and got called by one of the table's two big stacks. The turn brought a blank, and I pushed in my remaining $100 into the pot. The big stack called and caught his two pair when the river brought a king. Damn!

Still, I wasn't ready to call it a night yet, so I did the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't; I reloaded. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the "extra" $200 I wasn't going to touch and bought right back into the action.

Now, being $200 isn't my favorite thing in the world, but I tried hard not to think about the money so much as the fact that I was just playing with chips. I played tight, raising with the couple of good hands I caught, and trying to limp with playable hands like 7-8 suited. If the pot got popped, I usually dropped my cards and looked for a better spot. After an hour or so, I managed to drag myself back to about even on the night and was feeling pretty good about my game. Yes, I was still down about $50, but that was acceptable for an evening's entertainment.

When my boss cashed out, I decided to stick around for awhile more which, as it turns out, was possibly my best decision of the night. I picked up K-Q twice in the blinds, and got into pots cheap. On one hand, I flopped broadway and picked up a nice $150 pot when one of the big stacks tried to buy the pot on a bluff. A couple of orbits later, I flopped two pair with K-Q and picked up another $200 when my opponent called my all in with his two pair of Q-10. Suddenly, I was in positive territory.

From there, I played awhile longer, picking up a few pots here and there, and steadily increasing my chip stack until I had doubled my buy-in for the night. As the clock was pushing 1:30 in the morning, I figured that was as good a time as any to cash out and book a win.

Now, if I can just do this the next time I play live...

2006-05-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

I Am What I Am

Years ago, when I first started studying journalism, my professors hammered home the importance of a very basic concept: Impartiality. For any journalist – make that, any good journalist – this is one of the key tenets of the business. Having opinions is fine, but they have nothing to do with the job at hand.

Have to cover a Republican fund raiser even though you can’t stand the candidate? Too bad. Have to spend the day talking with a member of Operation Rescue even though you’re pro choice? Have a nice time. Report on Midnight Mass even though you’re a Muslim? Allah will forgive you, as long as you get the story.

In short – journalists don’t get to choose the stories they cover, unless of course, they have a built up seniority within the organization, in which case, they get to pick and choose the plum assignments in the best places on Earth. Like Baghdad.

Listening to the news today, I’ve been hearing a lot about the U.S. camera crew that was caught in the suicide bomber attack. It’s a tragedy, to be sure, and my heart goes out to their families. What’s more, I’ve worked with Kimberly Dozier, and she is one of the best – and nicest – people I’ve met in the business. She was based in London while I worked in New York, but we spoke on the phone often while at CBS News/Radio, and she was always one of the great correspondents to deal with. Professional, reliable, friendly, and not above telling a good dirty joke or story when she had the time. I wish her a speedy recovery, and all the best.

Above all else though, Kimberly earned my respect because she is what she is: A top-notch reporter willing to ask the tough questions and go to the tough places in order to report on the story she’s assigned. She never flinched from taking an assignment, and in fact, had to volunteer for duty in Iraq. In what in many ways remains a male dominated field, Kimberly has bigger balls than many of her colleagues.

That’s why I’m even more amazed when I hear people talking about how “women shouldn’t be reporting in combat situations.” The fact that Kimberly is a woman (and a very attractive one, at that) has nothing to do with what happened to her on Monday. Had she been a man, she would have been just as injured or, in the case of her cameraman and sound engineer, just as dead. It doesn’t take strength or stamina to report from a war zone, it takes guts. And Kimberly has more than most. I know damn well she has more than me because I have to tell you, if I was still reporting, you couldn’t pay me enough to wander around Baghdad with a microphone.

The idiot who blew himself and that city block up today couldn’t have cared less that Kimberly was a woman. She was a target - a means to an end. Kimberly understands that, even if the general public doesn’t. I’m not saying that makes what happened today any less tragic or deplorable, but as somebody who’s had the concept of impartiality drilled into them, I’m saying that what happened to Kimberly is no better or worse than what happened to her colleagues, the soldiers she was traveling with, or any of the thousands of people who have been killed and injured in Iraq over the past three years.

Kimberly is what she is: A professional reporter covering a horrific war. And, as I said, earlier, I am what I am too. In an age and culture defined by labels and affiliations, I try hard not identify myself too closely with any one group or ideology, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions or know where I stand on the political spectrum. The truth is, even though I’m a registered Independent, I’m a whole lot more liberal than most of the people in this country.

Should prayer be allowed in school? I don’t think so. Should a woman be allowed to end an unwanted pregnancy? Of course. Do I believe in the death penalty? It depends. Do I think this administration’s plan of giving tax cuts to the richest 1% of the population is really the solution to our myriad of social ills? Not on your life. Those are just my opinions, whether you agree or not.

Have another take on the issues? I’ll be happy to sit down with you over a coffee or a beer and talk about whatever you want. Will I proselytize in order to sway your opinion? Probably not. Will I expect you to argue passionately for your point of view? Of course. Will either of us change our minds? Doubtful. But that’s what makes America great – we can all have our points of view and agree to disagree. (Unless of course, you’re talking about the current administration, in which case, doing anything other than towing the party line is grounds for investigation, indictment, or public humiliation. But that’s another topic for another day.)

I’m a product of the coasts. I grew up in New York, went to college in Boston, and have lived in California for almost nine years now. I grew up around liberals and I generally like them. Aside from a short time in Ohio, I’ve never lived in the middle of the country with the people that George W. and his cronies call “real Americans.” Maybe I’m missing something, maybe I’m not.

That said, I’m moving soon, and hope to gain a whole new perspective on America. Maybe I’ll learn something new or see the country in a whole new light. Maybe I’ll change. I’m not sure.

For now though, you can call me any of the following: American. Agnostic. Liberal. I am what I am, for better or for worse.

2006-05-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm Not Dead Yet

I've just been taking a really long nap. OK, that's not true either, but it sounds a whole lot better than saying that I've just been too busy/lazy to write anything new, which is much closer to the truth. Of course, intermittent Internet connection issues haven't helped the cause either, but that's just an excuse.

Still, I figure I should write something. So, without further ado, here's a quick update. It's thrilling, I know.

I went to Phil Gordon's Put a Bad Beat on Cancer party at the White Lotus in Hollywood last week. It was a good evening out to help a very worthy cause. Aside from hanging out with some of my co-workers, I got to watch some very good professionals like Annie Duke and Layne Flack lose the shirts off their backs to some very lucky amateurs.

What's more, being a Hollywood party, I got to meet some very cool celebrities, including two of my favorite actors, Hank Azaria and Josh Malina. My favorite moment of the night, however, came when I introduced myself to Annie and told her that I worked with her brother Howard. Her response - "Oh, you're part of the evil empire that's trying to ruin my life. My respone - "Why yes I am. It's nice to meet you." You've gotta love it.

I've begun the slow and relatively painful process of sorting through all of my stuff in preparation for my next big, life-changing move. If you know what I'm talking about already, all I can tell you is that I don't know when I'm packing up, but August is looking like a safe bet. For those of you who may not have heard, I can't go into details here. Drop me an email though, and I'll be happy to fill you in.
I actually went out and hit golf balls the other day. It's been way too long since I've picked up a club, and to tell the truth, I was pleasantly surprised. My game may not have deteriorated to total crap - although, it was never much more than that to start with. I'm looking forward to hitting the links a lot more in the near future and may even invest in some new clubs. Exciting, ain't it?
My friend Andrew Cohen started a great new blog covering all sorts of fascinating legal issues and the big cases of the day. I guess that's no real surprise, since he makes much of his living by working as the legal analyst for CBS News. He's definitely worth a read.

Alright - that's the short and sweet update. It's warm and sunny here in LA, as it's supposed to be, and I have the day off, so I'm getting away from the computer again.

2006-04-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Repping for the Home Game

I spent a few hours online today playing in the Hammer Out Cancer charity tournament on FTP. It was a pretty strong turn out, with about 60 bloggers - and me - playing and raising some money for cancer research.

I won't go into all the details, but I think I did a solid job of representing the Murderer's Row crew, finishing fourth overall. In Hanel-like fashion, I got knocked out when my pocket Queens got cracked by a set of 8s.

Aside from playing with a bunch of blogger loons, the most fun came when people figured out who I am. I guess people really do read Rini and Hanel's blogs.

2006-04-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

And Now for Something Completely Different

If there's one thing that most people can get behind it's the fact that food is pretty good stuff. OK, if you're a Hollywood actress, you may disagree, but other than that, most people I know like to eat.

In fact, one of my friends likes food so much that she's started her very own blog about all of the odd things she's eating nowadays. And, living in San Francisco's Inner Richmond, there are lots of odd things available just outside her door.

So, for online food fun with Fawn, check out Possibly Edible.

2006-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

The 21st Century Sedar

Just a little humor that got passed my way.

The Two-Minute Haggadah
A Passover service for the impatient.
By Michael Rubiner

Opening prayers:

Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)

Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)

Overview: Once we were slaves in

Egypt

. Now we're free. That's why we're doing this.

Four questions:

1. What's up with the matzoh?
2. What's the deal with horseradish?
3. What's with the dipping of the herbs?
4. What's this whole slouching at the table business?

Answers:

1. When we left

Egypt

, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread.
2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.
3. It's called symbolism.
4. Free people get to slouch.

A funny story: Once, these five rabbis talked all night, then it was morning. (Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children and how to deal with them:
Wise child—explain Passover.
Simple child—explain Passover slowly.
Silent child—explain Passover loudly.
Wicked child—browbeat in front of the relatives.

Speaking of children: We hid some matzoh. Whoever finds it gets five bucks.

The story of Passover: It's a long time ago. We're slaves in

Egypt

. Pharaoh is a nightmare. We cry out for help. God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. We escape, bake some matzoh. God parts the Red Sea. We make it through; the Egyptians aren't so lucky. We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in

Israel

, get a new temple, enjoy several years without being persecuted again. (Let brisket cool now.)

The 10 Plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice—you name it.

The singing of "Dayenu":

If God had gotten us out of

Egypt

and not punished our enemies, it would've been enough. If he'd punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, if would've been enough.

If he'd parted the Red Sea—(Remove gefilte fish from refrigerator now.)

Eat matzoh. Drink more wine. Slouch.

Thanks again, God, for everything.

SERVE MEAL.

Michael Rubiner writes for movies and television. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New Yorker, the New York Times, and Rolling Stone.

2006-04-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

A Small Sunday Post

I know, I haven't written anything in the past week, but truth be told, I don't really have much worth writing about right now. Actually, that's not completely true, but I can't comfortably write about the things that have been on my mind as of late, so I'll leave you with a few little pieces of information.

In case you've missed it, here's a link to CardPlayer's coverage of the new gambling bill that Hanel put up at his new home. If you've ever played online poker, it's worth reading. When you're done, make sure you visit the Poker Player's Alliance.

As for my game, it's been going reasonably well. I made good money in playing live last week, and despite a tough run on the world's fastest growing online site, I recouped a good deal of my losses playing on my old standby site, UB. I even placed seventh in a small tourney last night, which was a nice accomplishment. The little bit of money it added to my bankroll didn't hurt either.

2006-03-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

Three Years and Counting

March 31st, 2003. It's the beginning of a horrible, yet important four-month period of my life. It's the day I started chemo - a process I don't recommend. Unless, of course, it can help save your life.

Three months earlier, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the ripe old age of 35, which is very much on the high end of the scale for this disease. Sad to say, the diagnosis didn't come as a complete surprise, as the little bump I thought I felt in my left nut a few months earlier steadily grew into a painful, marble-sized tumor that I could no longer ignore. So, a trip to Dr. Sacks (and really, could your urologist have a better name?) at Cedars Sinai and, five days later, I was on the table having the growth - and my nut - removed.

Surgery wasn't such a big deal, other than the fact that I had to come to terms with the fact I was losing a part of my anatomy which, to tell the truth, I was rather fond of. Still, considering the options, I have no doubt I made the right call. The surgery did also lead to what is probably the most bizarre conversation I've ever had in my life. I mean, how many times are you going to find yourself talking to your surgeon about whether or not you want a prosthetic testicle?

Surgery started at about 7AM, and was over within 90 minutes. By 3PM, I was slowly and painfully climing the stairs to my apartment. I'll spare the grizzly details, and just say the recovery was shorter and easier than expected, and subsequent visits to Dr. Sacks showed the hormone levels that had been completely knocked out of whack by the cancer had dropped to normal levels. Things were looking good, and I expected that I'd have to go through a short, two-round course of chemo to knock out any potential bad cells that were still lurking in my system. I wasn't looking forward to the prospect any more than I relished the thought of surgery, but again, it seemed a small price to pay for some peace of mind.

And then, I got the x-ray.

I had an x-ray taken before my operation, and it showed some small spots on my lungs that my doctor chalked up as scarring from a past infection. They didn't appear to be anything to worry about, especially since my bloodwork looked so good. Still, before the chemo, they had me take another x-ray just to be sure and - son of a bitch - the spots had multiplied. The fucking cancer had managed to spread to my lungs and lymphnodes. No more short course of chemo for me. I was getting four rounds of the juice to thoroughly kill all the ugly little buggers floating around in my body.

Oh joy, oh bliss.

The first day of chemo was pretty scary, to say the least. I was ushered into a large room filled with sick people hooked up to all sorts of differnt colored IVs. Some were sleeping. Some were listening to music. Some chatted with the nurses and other patients. And all of them looked like they wanted to be anywhere but sitting in the collection of ratty La-Z-Boys that cluttered the floor.

My friend Fawn sat with me as my nurse, Summer, told me what I was in for. I'd be coming in for five straight days and would be there for at least six hours at a time, as the chemicals had to enter my system slowly to prevent them from burning my veins. Yikes, indeed. The following two weeks would be "considerably" easier, as I only had to come in once a week for a single - yet large - shot. Assuming that all went well, this routine would last for 12 consecutive weeks.

To say I was overjoyed by my situation would be an over-statement. But still, my options could be a whole lot worse.

The first couple of days went by without too much discomfort, but I was amazed at how quickly the drugs had an impact on my system. I'd come home from the treatment center and try to go for a walk, only to find I was short of breath by the end of the block. Damn, that shit was strong.

By the end of the first week, I didn't even have the energy to do anything more than fall into bed by the time I got home. And food? Forget about it. I had no appetite, which is not conducive when you've been told that you have to eat in order to keep your energy up. Energy? Hah!

Still, I made it through the first round without too much undue stress or discomfort.

And then came round two. One day in, and I knew I was in trouble. I mean, vomiting is one thing, but spending hours sitting on the floor just wishing you could puke is truly misery. Oh - and my hair started falling out. I'm not talking about a few hairs, either. I'm talking about clumps. On the pillow in the moring. Clogging the shower drain. Flying down the street in a stiff breeze. The damn stuff was leaving my head faster than George Bush runs away from a reporter.

Of course, I did the only reasonable thing and shaved my scalp and what was left of my beard. (I am a very ugly bald man, by the way.)

Still, I soldiered on, dragging my ass to the chemo center each day, and dragging it home each night. My system, as it turned out, was very receptive to all of this tortue in the fact that I was responding to the poison very well. The spots in my lungs and lymph nodes were shrinking faster than expected, and my prognosis was deemed "excellent." Yea for me.

Two more short weeks and I was ready for round three. Almost. I had become anemic, which meant that I got a week's respite from my treatments as my red and white blood cells needed some time to recover. To help the process, I got a shot of something called Neulasta, which spawns the growth of red blood cells in your bone marrow. It also hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, and left me immobile in bed for two days as my bones felt someone was pounding on them from the inside.

Still, after a couple of days and a shit-load of Advil, I felt almost human. I even managed a ride to Santa Monica one afternoon to meet my friend Steve and his fiance for lunch. I didn't really eat, but I went to lunch. A victory in my book.

Of course, my respite was short lived, as I was back in the La-Z-Boy just a few days later for next batch of poisoining. And let me tell you, as bad as round two had been - this was worse. Much worse. Not only did the drugs wipe me out faster than ever, but I developed a hacking cough that got so bad it would cause me to throw up.

Think about that for a second. Coughing so hard that your body decides to upchuck whatever food you had in your system. Or, if you have no food, the acid and other crap that's floating around in your stomach. At this rate, I didn't think I'd survive round four, let alone get there.

Thankfully, however, round four never came. By the end of round three, there was absolutely no sign of cancer left in my system. I was clean and, more importantly, I was done. Eleven weeks after I started, it was time to let the recovery begin.

Slowly, my stamina - and my hair - started to return and, by the end of the year, you'd be hard presed to tell I had been through chemo. Even better, my check ups continued to look good, which meant that within another 18 months, I would officially be considered cured.

Looking back now, nearly one year after passing that landmark, I can recall parts of my ordeal with astonishing clarity. Other days - and weeks - are nothing more than a fog. Still, I got a lot out of the experience, aside from life. When I first got diagnosed, I was amazed at the number of people who offered to drop everything and fly to LA to help me out. I didn't take anyone up on their offers (aside from my family members), but my friends' phone calls, letters, jokes, and general support throughout the course of my chemo made a huge difference in my recovery.

I've thanked them all before, but at this time of year, I feel it's only right to say it one more time.

Thank you.

2006-03-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

Consistency Isn't My Strong Suit

Yeah, I know, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Not that anyone is really reading this anyway, but still.... Things have been a little crazy over the past week, and I'm not sure I can post all the details right now. That said, it looks like there are some changes on the horizon.

After a week filled with craziness, I decided to unwind a little by playing at my co-worker Ernest's home game. I finished middle of the pack in the tourney, which isn't too bad considering I didn't catch a starting hand better than pocket 5s during my entire run. The cash game afterward... that was a different story altogether.

There were a few people I knew at the table when we started, fhwdh included, and a bunch of people who I didn't know. Most of the guys were really loose - betting big pre-flop with marginal hands, so I mostly tried to stay out of the way. Todd, who was sitting to my right, was getting hit with the deck too, catching As, Ks, AK suited, and the like practically every hand. He was racking up chips at a pretty good pace, and wasn't scared to put them in the middle.

Finally, I caught pocket Qs in the big blind, and raised. The board came out 5-8-9, and Todd bet. I called, figuring he couldn't be playing 6-7. The turn came 10, and Todd bet again. Figuing he was playing something like A-K or A-10, I put him to the test and pushed all in. He called my $50 raise and showed a A-7, and I took down a killer pot.

I stayed out of the action for the next orbit or so until I caught A-K spades in early position. I raised, and got called by Todd again, who had built up another nice stack by this point. The flop came 7s-10s-qs, giving me the nut flush and a royal draw. I checked, Todd bet and I just flat called. The turn brought another Q, and Todd pushed all in. I called and he didn't even bother showing his bluff when the river brought a blank.

All of a sudden, I had more than $400 in front of me after buying in for $50. I played a few more hands when my phone rang, and HDouble's wife Sofia invited me to join them and Ephro at a local strip club. I figured things couldn't get much better at the table, and why not blow off some steam looking at attractive women, so I joined them at Fantasy Island which, truth be told, is really a bikini bar.

A couple of beers later and Sofia walks up to me with an attractive brunette trailing behind her. Next thing I know, I'm heading off for a private dance courtesy of Sofia and Ephro.

We stayed until last call, and then headed around the corner to a true strip club. The atmosphere sucked, and truth be told, we were all pretty tired, so we left quickly after overpaying for a bottle of water each and debating whether one of the dancer's had implants or not. (I'm still not sure, but if she did, it was the best looking job I've ever seen.)

I wandered home around 3AM, and decided that I may as well take advantage of the hour to call my cousin Liz in London. After an entertaining hour on the phone, I finally crashed around 4, and am just now getting my body clock on something close to a normal schedule.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful, and my string of bad beats continued online. Still, I can't complain, considering Friday's results.

So there it is... my first post in awhile, and my first Hanel-esqe poker story. Now I can truly say my weekend is complete.

2006-03-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yeah... I've Got a Lot to Say so Far

And, if you believe that... well... thanks.

It's going to take me awhile to start feeling like posting here regularly is part of my routine. I'm sure it will take even longer before I feel like I've got some kind of voice, or that I'm writing anything worth reading. Ask some of my friends, and they'll tell you that will probably never happen.

Yeah... I love my friends.

Still, I feel like I'm typing just to type right now. It seems like I'm wasting time... mine by doing this and yours, if you're actually reading this drivel. I'd apologize, but you are here by your own choice so....

Thanks for stopping by. If you're brave - or dumb - enough to come back again, maybe I'll have something more interesting for you next time. But I wouldn't count on it.

2006-03-08T00:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome dear reader into... well, into I don't know what. The first of what I'm sure will be numerous - if sporadic - entries in this exciting new blog. A momentous occasion, to be sure, but let's not worry about the party favors just yet.

So, where to start? Tradition would say at the beginning, but a screenwriter (or a wannabe, like myself) would say start where you want.

That doesn't really help much, does it? Oh well.

I guess I'll start with the name of this blog, "Standing on the Edge of my Mind." First off, I can't claim this as an original title. It's actually a line I stole from one of my favorite bands, The Call. It's just got a ring about it that I've always liked, and for a blog, I think it's kind of fitting. So, to Mr. Been and the boys - thanks.

Actually, I almost called this little slice of cyberspace "The Reluctant Blogger" because I wasn't sure I wanted to jump into this world. In fact, I'm still not sure, but, seeing as how I work with a number of bloggers and how I'm supposed to be some kind of writer myself, I figured "What the hell."

Speaking of work, I am currently a consultant to world's fastest growing online poker site where I spend my days (and more than a few of my evenings) talking about - and playing poker with - some very bright people who I am lucky to enough to call my friends. In fact, thanks to this gig, I've managed to become a regular in what's become known as the hardest home game in Hollywood or Murderer's Row where I get to play (or suck out on, depending on who you ask) some of the most talented poker players and bloggers around, including Henry, Bill, Hanel, Ryan, and Kent. All in all, not a bad group to hang around with. While I'm sure this blog will talk about poker once in awhile, I'll be the first to tell you I'm no one you want to take advice from. Rini will be the second.

What this blog will talk about remains a mystery, even to me. I'm guessing it will simply be a place where I can rant, keep in touch with friends and family and, hopefully, entertain a few people along the way.

So, welcome again dear reader to the edge of my mind. Feel free to look inside, but remember, I make no promises about what you'll find.