A break from poker and politics.
Remember Edward Copeland's Worst Best Picture Survey?
He's back! This time with a Worst Best Actress survey.
Head on over to Eddie On Film and vote for your top (bottom?) five. Only eight days left to vote!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Georgia Political Podcast Ep. 9
Want to hear what griftdrift sounds like?
Check out the latest Georgia Political Podcast!
It was a blast and I hope to do it again.
Check out the latest Georgia Political Podcast!
It was a blast and I hope to do it again.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
The Poker Trip: They Call Me Short Stack
Event 2:
Buy-In - $500
Starting Chips - 2500
Field - 25
Payout - 2 main event seats; 3rd = $1600
Finish - 4
Everybody was surprised by the small turnout. I heard Monday's event at this level was in the hundreds. Speculation was that the World Poker Tour at the Goldstrike pulled away most of the players.
So I finished 4th. One out of the money. To be honest, after playing nearly five hours it's all a blur. I've played in longer tournaments but never at this skill level. So no hand summaries. Suffice it to say it was a typical tournament. I got lucky, I got unlucky, I played with skill and I played boneheaded. You play long enough and you get a little of everything.
In one of the games back home my nickname is "short stack". I proved it at the end. When we got down to 8 players, I was down to about 7000. The blinds were 200 / 400 plus a 50 ante. They would shortly go to 300 / 600 with a 75 ante. They started chewing my butt up. I nursed and coddled my short stack all the way to four left. I worked my way back up to about 9,000 but with over 60,000 chips in play, I had to play desperate poker.
The final hand was me pushing with K-8 off suit and getting called by a pair of 10s. He hit the third 10 on the flop, I did not hit the running kings and it was all over.
So what now?
I may play some single table events in the morning, but I doubt it. I'm pretty pokered out. The one thing I thought I was prepared for but was not is the stamina requirement. These were small tournaments and I am wore out. To focus intently for 4+ hours is incredibly difficult. I felt my mind wandering and a few times had to be reminded by the dealer to put in my ante. The big tournaments run for 10+ hours a day for several days. My hat is off to the pros. I don't think you really understand the mental discipline until you try it.
This does not mean I won't try again. The circuit hits Atlantic City in March and I haven't seen a good friend in D.C. in nearly a year.
For now, I feel the need something a little less taxing.
Like Georgia politics.
Buy-In - $500
Starting Chips - 2500
Field - 25
Payout - 2 main event seats; 3rd = $1600
Finish - 4
Everybody was surprised by the small turnout. I heard Monday's event at this level was in the hundreds. Speculation was that the World Poker Tour at the Goldstrike pulled away most of the players.
So I finished 4th. One out of the money. To be honest, after playing nearly five hours it's all a blur. I've played in longer tournaments but never at this skill level. So no hand summaries. Suffice it to say it was a typical tournament. I got lucky, I got unlucky, I played with skill and I played boneheaded. You play long enough and you get a little of everything.
In one of the games back home my nickname is "short stack". I proved it at the end. When we got down to 8 players, I was down to about 7000. The blinds were 200 / 400 plus a 50 ante. They would shortly go to 300 / 600 with a 75 ante. They started chewing my butt up. I nursed and coddled my short stack all the way to four left. I worked my way back up to about 9,000 but with over 60,000 chips in play, I had to play desperate poker.
The final hand was me pushing with K-8 off suit and getting called by a pair of 10s. He hit the third 10 on the flop, I did not hit the running kings and it was all over.
So what now?
I may play some single table events in the morning, but I doubt it. I'm pretty pokered out. The one thing I thought I was prepared for but was not is the stamina requirement. These were small tournaments and I am wore out. To focus intently for 4+ hours is incredibly difficult. I felt my mind wandering and a few times had to be reminded by the dealer to put in my ante. The big tournaments run for 10+ hours a day for several days. My hat is off to the pros. I don't think you really understand the mental discipline until you try it.
This does not mean I won't try again. The circuit hits Atlantic City in March and I haven't seen a good friend in D.C. in nearly a year.
For now, I feel the need something a little less taxing.
Like Georgia politics.
The Poker Trip: Average Isn't So Bad
Event 1:
Buy-in - $300
Starting Chips - 1500
Field - 40
Payout - 2 spots in the main event
Finish - 20
I expected more players but this was the middle of the day and the buy-in was relatively low (high?). But 40 is a field size where I am very comfortable and I felt confident.
My confidence took a small hit when I sat at my table. Remember how I was whining about the young guns? I was probably the second youngest person at the table. And no one was talking. The mood was very serious and it appeared so were the players. Also my table included one guy who I swear I have seen on TV. There would be no fooling around here.
As you can see from above I finished dead center of the field. This experiment is about seeing if I have the game to play at these events and I believe the answer is a tentative yes. I played well even going heads up with the "tv guy" and winning. About 40 minutes in I had almost doubled my chips up to 3000.
Here are the two critical hands.
Hand 1: This was when I was at the top of my chip count. Blinds are 25-50 and I am in the big blind. A player raises to 100 and a couple follow. I have 10-8 off suit but I am priced in so I call. Flop is 10-6-4, two hearts. I check. The initial raiser bets 175 and everyone before me folds. Earlier I had check raised this guy and he had folded. So I raised to 350. He pushes all in for another 900. This is tough situation and here is the hands he could have: A higher pair, a lower pair, a flush draw, two over cards. I don't think he has a higher pair or a flush draw. I put him on two over cards but pray for a 9-9. I call. He turns over A-K, both hearts. Uh-oh. Even with the better hand I am a slight dog. He gets the king on the turn and I lose almost half my stack. I had the right read on the overs but did not count on the flush draw.
Hand 2: The final hand. Blinds are now 50-100. After grinding for almost an hour but also being whittled away, I am sitting on 1000. One caller and then a guy who just moved to our table raises to 500. I've been waiting for a position where I could get all my chips in and either double up or take a few limpers. I look down at a A-Q, both spades. I push my 1000. The caller begins asking if he calls mine can the guy who opened still re-raise. Uh-oh. After being told yes, he can be re-raised, caller folds. The raiser calls my raise and we flip over. He has K-K. I don't improve and I'm out of the tournament.
Thinking back on it, I might have played hand 1 differently. I could have called and when the king came, I would have probably sussed out he had a king. But I don't think my decision was bad. If my tens had held up, I would have been over 4000 and could have cruised to the final 8. But you know what they say? That's...yeah yeah yeah.
Next: $500 buy-in at 6:00pm CST.
Buy-in - $300
Starting Chips - 1500
Field - 40
Payout - 2 spots in the main event
Finish - 20
I expected more players but this was the middle of the day and the buy-in was relatively low (high?). But 40 is a field size where I am very comfortable and I felt confident.
My confidence took a small hit when I sat at my table. Remember how I was whining about the young guns? I was probably the second youngest person at the table. And no one was talking. The mood was very serious and it appeared so were the players. Also my table included one guy who I swear I have seen on TV. There would be no fooling around here.
As you can see from above I finished dead center of the field. This experiment is about seeing if I have the game to play at these events and I believe the answer is a tentative yes. I played well even going heads up with the "tv guy" and winning. About 40 minutes in I had almost doubled my chips up to 3000.
Here are the two critical hands.
Hand 1: This was when I was at the top of my chip count. Blinds are 25-50 and I am in the big blind. A player raises to 100 and a couple follow. I have 10-8 off suit but I am priced in so I call. Flop is 10-6-4, two hearts. I check. The initial raiser bets 175 and everyone before me folds. Earlier I had check raised this guy and he had folded. So I raised to 350. He pushes all in for another 900. This is tough situation and here is the hands he could have: A higher pair, a lower pair, a flush draw, two over cards. I don't think he has a higher pair or a flush draw. I put him on two over cards but pray for a 9-9. I call. He turns over A-K, both hearts. Uh-oh. Even with the better hand I am a slight dog. He gets the king on the turn and I lose almost half my stack. I had the right read on the overs but did not count on the flush draw.
Hand 2: The final hand. Blinds are now 50-100. After grinding for almost an hour but also being whittled away, I am sitting on 1000. One caller and then a guy who just moved to our table raises to 500. I've been waiting for a position where I could get all my chips in and either double up or take a few limpers. I look down at a A-Q, both spades. I push my 1000. The caller begins asking if he calls mine can the guy who opened still re-raise. Uh-oh. After being told yes, he can be re-raised, caller folds. The raiser calls my raise and we flip over. He has K-K. I don't improve and I'm out of the tournament.
Thinking back on it, I might have played hand 1 differently. I could have called and when the king came, I would have probably sussed out he had a king. But I don't think my decision was bad. If my tens had held up, I would have been over 4000 and could have cruised to the final 8. But you know what they say? That's...yeah yeah yeah.
Next: $500 buy-in at 6:00pm CST.
Have We Lost Our Minds?
You really have to wonder just what in the name of holy hell they are putting in the water in D.C. these days.
We have apparently raided the Iranian Consulate in Irbil, Iraq:
For those playing at home, consulates are considered sovereign soil. Not only have we rabid-monkey-like thrown poo straight in the face of our biggest (and craziest) rival in the region but we have endangered our own diplomats the world over.
We have gone from foolish to dangerous to deranged.
We have apparently raided the Iranian Consulate in Irbil, Iraq:
US forces have stormed an Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil and seized six members of staff.
For those playing at home, consulates are considered sovereign soil. Not only have we rabid-monkey-like thrown poo straight in the face of our biggest (and craziest) rival in the region but we have endangered our own diplomats the world over.
We have gone from foolish to dangerous to deranged.
The Poker Trip: To Be 22 Again
Last night, I checked out the Grand Tunica. It is as you would expect. A sprawling complex covered with glitter. As if a wandering giant passing by had vomited neon. As I sat in the bar eating a burger and watching Georgia Tech whip up on Duke, two young men sat next to me. Wearing their skull caps, they seemed out of place among the silver fox slot jockeys and the desperate cowboys. They are the new breed of poker.
I remember being 22. Completely fearless. Bouncing along through nascent adult experiences never worrying about what may be around the next corner. But I am now 38. I have experienced death, love, heartache and desperation. To age is to know fear.
Fear is the poison of poker. It will cripple you before you begin. The lingering shadows of doubt must be conquered before you can conquer any opponent. It is on days like these when I wish I was 22 again. Fearless and stupid.
But knowing fear does not mean acceptance. When the fear hits, I know how to face it, pull it inward, smother it with the blanket of experience. One day, maybe today, fear will hit the 22 year old and he will not know what to do. That's when the old dog will show he has a few tricks left.
Escalation Roundup
If it's Iraq I usually have something to say. But between the Georgia Legislature and poker, I am going to do something unusual and rely on the words of others. And when I lack time to cover a big national story, as always I turn to my favorite crutch, The Moderate Voice. Joe and the gang have a great round up of the story and links to commentary of various stripes.
There is one thing I have not been able to get out of my mind lately. 1965. That is the year President Johnson committed the first full combat battalions to Vietnam. His own version of escalation. U.S. KIA in the previous five years were 1,864. U.S. KIA in the year following were 5,008. Do we never listen to the ghosts of the past?
There is one thing I have not been able to get out of my mind lately. 1965. That is the year President Johnson committed the first full combat battalions to Vietnam. His own version of escalation. U.S. KIA in the previous five years were 1,864. U.S. KIA in the year following were 5,008. Do we never listen to the ghosts of the past?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Poker Trip: Arrival Tunica
I'm here and JESUS GAWD IS IT FLAT!
Some random thoughts:
I wondered why there was no interstate between Memphis and Birmingham. Apparently there will be in the near future. I-22. The good thing is most of the new highway is complete so you can drive pretty fast. The bad part it's completely desolate. The most desolate interstate I have ever seen. And yes Georgians, it is even worse than I-16. If you ever travel this way, before leaving Birmingham you need to gas up, go to the restroom and grab a cold drink. At one point I drove 70 miles without seeing a gas station. Hell! I didn't see anything at all!
Mississippi is not what I pictured until I got within about 30 miles of the river. It's mostly rolling hills and driving on a two lane backroad into the setting sun is an adventure. Then suddenly the hills ended and I was driving on a levee with fields on both sides. From there on it was flat, flat flat and probably what you picture in the movies.
After resting up for a while, I am going out to explore. Thanks for the many words of encouragement I had received today. We'll see where this goes but at least I'm here!
Some random thoughts:
I wondered why there was no interstate between Memphis and Birmingham. Apparently there will be in the near future. I-22. The good thing is most of the new highway is complete so you can drive pretty fast. The bad part it's completely desolate. The most desolate interstate I have ever seen. And yes Georgians, it is even worse than I-16. If you ever travel this way, before leaving Birmingham you need to gas up, go to the restroom and grab a cold drink. At one point I drove 70 miles without seeing a gas station. Hell! I didn't see anything at all!
Mississippi is not what I pictured until I got within about 30 miles of the river. It's mostly rolling hills and driving on a two lane backroad into the setting sun is an adventure. Then suddenly the hills ended and I was driving on a levee with fields on both sides. From there on it was flat, flat flat and probably what you picture in the movies.
After resting up for a while, I am going out to explore. Thanks for the many words of encouragement I had received today. We'll see where this goes but at least I'm here!
A New Adventure Begins
Here's the deal. I'm a pretty decent poker player. I win my share of home games and the occasional free bar tournament. Given the recent poker boom these performances sometimes lead to praise. It's good for the ego but every decent poker player understands ego cannot alter reality. Being a good poker player at your home game is a little like being a good singer at the local karaoke bar. It does not mean you are anything but a fish if you choose to swim in the deep ocean. But evolution is a wonderful thing. Sometimes a fish has to venture into the deep waters. Almost all die a swift, horrible death but one in a million adapts and becomes something new and wonderful.
I am walking out the door, climbing in my car and heading west. To Tunica, MS and the satellite qualifying for the World Series of Poker Circuit Event. Lately, I have been on a bad run of cards and poor play. All odds are that I will return on Friday or Saturday with my tail between my legs. But sometimes you have to take that chance. Sometimes you get an opportunity to make a run and you have to take it. That's poker.
See you in about 7 hours.
Georgia Legislature: Day 3
Day one brought us the election of Speaker Glenn Richardson and the inauguration hootenanny.
Day two brought us the snake handlin', tent meetin' House Bill 1 Hearing.
What the the hell will day three bring? The ghost of Gene Talmadge whooshing through the halls looking for Rastus McGill?
Day two brought us the snake handlin', tent meetin' House Bill 1 Hearing.
What the the hell will day three bring? The ghost of Gene Talmadge whooshing through the halls looking for Rastus McGill?
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Pro-Life Crazies At The Capitol
Bernita at Blog For Democracy is live blogging the "hearing" on Georgia House Bill 1 (a complete ban on all abortions, no exceptions).
I'm very jealous I didn't join her for the fun.
UPDATE: Grayson's got pictures! GO HERE to hear her version of the snake handling er I mean legislatin!
I'm very jealous I didn't join her for the fun.
UPDATE: Grayson's got pictures! GO HERE to hear her version of the snake handling er I mean legislatin!
The Porn Wars: The End?
Once again all is quiet in Johns Creek.
DVD players are probably humming. Lube is probably sliding. Cakes may be are baking in Penis Cake Pans.
The story of the Johns Creek Love shack seems to have quietly sank beneath the wake of the Sugarloaf prostitution ring.
For now the store is open and the elders of the new city have taken no new action. Last reports are Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker is meeting with attorneys to formulate a new strategy. My personal feeling is starting a new city is complicated and the powers that be have bigger fish to fry. Fish like police, fire protection and garbage collection. Items that unlike a rather innocuous porn store affect the every day lives of citizens.
So possibly the story ends. At least it does for me. Unless the winds of indigination restart the brush fire, I am leaving the story behind. I appreciate all the feedback provided and look for more stories of this nature in the future.
A denouement. Some have inquired why I have not told the Johns Creek side of the story. The simple answer is I tried. I emailed Mike Bodker several days ago offering him or his spokesman a chance to comment on previous entries or participate in an interview with the same ground rules provided to Mr. Cornetta. So far, silence. If the government of Johns Creek changes its mind, I'll be here. Waiting to tell their perspective.
In the meantime, the Georgia Legislature is in session. The Florida Legislature is about to enter session. And we are bombing the hell out of Somalia. In the griftdrift world, porn goes back into the drawer. Waiting for the day we once again need a little stimulation.
Dr. Laura Has A Blog
Chapter 657 of "What Hath The Internet Wrought": Dr. Laura has a blog. She still exists? Who knew?
My favorite passage so far.
My second favorite passage.
Hmmmmmm. I don't know who's going to stomp over here first. The feminists or the film critics?
My favorite passage so far.
Research following 200,000 women from nine European countries for an average of over 6 years and 3,423 cases of breast cancer determined that women who exercise by doing the housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 30% among the pre-menopausal women and 20% among the post-menopausal women.
My second favorite passage.
Rocky Balboa is probably one of the best films I’ve seen… ever.
Hmmmmmm. I don't know who's going to stomp over here first. The feminists or the film critics?
Monday, January 08, 2007
Watching The Georgia Inauguration
Good lord is that a tricky word to spell!
Look here first for any gaffes!
UPDATE I: Zell got a huge ovation. The only other person to come close on the applause level? State School Superintendent. Kathy Cox. Interesting. (Except for Cagle and Perdue of course)
UPDATE II: Political Insider has the advance of Sonny's speech. Darn those big media perks!
UPDATE III: When asked by the justice if he is ready to take the oath, he not only makes a point of showing he is swearing on a bible, but an open bible and then quotes the verse. Ahhhhh the Keith Ellison effect.
UPDATE IV: The Great Seal of the State Of Georgia has been passed on from the Secretary of State. I only note this because it's a good time to bring up the "Three Governor Episode" in which the seal played a critical role.
UPDATE V: Cagle's speech on now. There's only been 10 Lieutenant Governor's? I need to research that. Ahhh! Speaking of the three governors affair, apparently the Lite Guv office was created just in time for that fiasco!
UPDATE VI: Cagle brings up education but emphasizes "local control" and the "tools to help them". I smell vouchers!
UPDATE VII: Cagle was raised by a single mom. Wonder what Jim Wooten thinks of that?
UPDATE: VIII: Wow. Cagle got a little verklempt talking about his wife and kids. This is a pretty good speech. I think we just heard the first shot fired in the 2010 Governor's race.
UPDATE IX: And now the seal goes back to current SOS Karen Handel. It's one of those weird rituals that I admit gets me a little hot and bothered.
UPDATE X: Someone please confirm. Thurbert Baker wears a "rug" right?
UPDATE XI: Once again Kathy Cox gets big whoops and hollers. Either she has a lot supporters there or her family in attendence shares a striking vocal resemblence to my own family at a wedding.
UPDATE XII: Thurmond has some whooping supporters too. And an amen from Governor Perdue! Someone please tell me how the hell a guy with this much charisma has not been run for a higher office?
UPDATE XIII: Perdue is talking about turtles on fence posts. Once again I am reminded of a friends comment, "I could never vote for Sonny but I can't not like him cause he reminds me of my granddaddy".
UPDATE XIV: As Tom and Jim already pointed out, the speech is pretty basic stuff. No dramatic promises. No hot specifics. A lot of pride in the state and its people. Oh god, he punned the year 2020 by saying he has a 2020 vision.
UPDATE XV: Perdue, "My mandate is simple, to be a good steward and a good servant to the people of Georgia."
UPDATE XVI: It's over! Yeehaw! Let's go shoot the cannons again!
UPDATE THE LAST: Wait a second! There's a freakin benediction?! I would pay every damn dime I own right now if they would hold an altar call with Brother Perdue calling all Democrats forward to confess their sins. Lines and lines of democrats, tears streaming down their faces, pledging to follow the straight and narrow.
Look here first for any gaffes!
UPDATE I: Zell got a huge ovation. The only other person to come close on the applause level? State School Superintendent. Kathy Cox. Interesting. (Except for Cagle and Perdue of course)
UPDATE II: Political Insider has the advance of Sonny's speech. Darn those big media perks!
UPDATE III: When asked by the justice if he is ready to take the oath, he not only makes a point of showing he is swearing on a bible, but an open bible and then quotes the verse. Ahhhhh the Keith Ellison effect.
UPDATE IV: The Great Seal of the State Of Georgia has been passed on from the Secretary of State. I only note this because it's a good time to bring up the "Three Governor Episode" in which the seal played a critical role.
UPDATE V: Cagle's speech on now. There's only been 10 Lieutenant Governor's? I need to research that. Ahhh! Speaking of the three governors affair, apparently the Lite Guv office was created just in time for that fiasco!
UPDATE VI: Cagle brings up education but emphasizes "local control" and the "tools to help them". I smell vouchers!
UPDATE VII: Cagle was raised by a single mom. Wonder what Jim Wooten thinks of that?
UPDATE: VIII: Wow. Cagle got a little verklempt talking about his wife and kids. This is a pretty good speech. I think we just heard the first shot fired in the 2010 Governor's race.
UPDATE IX: And now the seal goes back to current SOS Karen Handel. It's one of those weird rituals that I admit gets me a little hot and bothered.
UPDATE X: Someone please confirm. Thurbert Baker wears a "rug" right?
UPDATE XI: Once again Kathy Cox gets big whoops and hollers. Either she has a lot supporters there or her family in attendence shares a striking vocal resemblence to my own family at a wedding.
UPDATE XII: Thurmond has some whooping supporters too. And an amen from Governor Perdue! Someone please tell me how the hell a guy with this much charisma has not been run for a higher office?
UPDATE XIII: Perdue is talking about turtles on fence posts. Once again I am reminded of a friends comment, "I could never vote for Sonny but I can't not like him cause he reminds me of my granddaddy".
UPDATE XIV: As Tom and Jim already pointed out, the speech is pretty basic stuff. No dramatic promises. No hot specifics. A lot of pride in the state and its people. Oh god, he punned the year 2020 by saying he has a 2020 vision.
UPDATE XV: Perdue, "My mandate is simple, to be a good steward and a good servant to the people of Georgia."
UPDATE XVI: It's over! Yeehaw! Let's go shoot the cannons again!
UPDATE THE LAST: Wait a second! There's a freakin benediction?! I would pay every damn dime I own right now if they would hold an altar call with Brother Perdue calling all Democrats forward to confess their sins. Lines and lines of democrats, tears streaming down their faces, pledging to follow the straight and narrow.
Something Foul This Way Comes
I just watched Glenn Richardson's acceptance speech as Speaker of the Georgia House. I admit I snickered a bit when he laid out his "four prong test" for new bills. One "prong" is does the bill "strengthen Georgia families".
Given recent rumors surrounding Richardson, prong is probably not a choice of words I would have made.
It all started when Bill Shipp sniffed up a story filled with all sorts of human horribleness including pills and adultery. The blogmentum gathered as Peach Pundit discussed the suspicious timing of the story. Now Peach Pulpit may have sussed out the feminine half of the alledged tryst.
All which leads to a certain smart-ass resurrecting the memories of the 1986 New York Mets.
Everyone is puzzled by the local fishwrapper's silence on the matter leading the boys at Political Insider to 'splain why papers don't rush to judgment (for the most part).
Well, the fact remains the story's validity is still in question, but it's out there now. And as we all know, once bloggers get ahold of a bone, they gnaw it to the marrow. Where this will ultimately lead is unknown, however one local blogger in a forthcoming podcast believes it all leads to an inglorious tumble from power for Richardson. And that children is what is known in the bidness as a tease. Stay tuned!
Something Weird This Way Comes
CNN reports an odd odor is covering Manhattan. Since it seems to originate from New Jersey or Staten Island, my first thought is, "this is news?"
Then I hear a story about downtown Austin, Tx. being shut down due to birds mysteriously dying and I start to wonder.
Of course there is no need to panic. But isn't it odd how these two probably unrelated stories are viewed differently in this new media / post 9-11 world?
Then I hear a story about downtown Austin, Tx. being shut down due to birds mysteriously dying and I start to wonder.
Of course there is no need to panic. But isn't it odd how these two probably unrelated stories are viewed differently in this new media / post 9-11 world?
Hide The Kids, Mabel!
The legislature is back in town! For the next 40 or so days, the guys and gals of the gummint will be up on the hill passing, porking and oinking.
For all your coverage, the Georgia media, both old and new, will be rooting around.
The Scorecards
The Progrecrats
The Republicaterians
Old Media Hipsters
Mostly Non-Partisan Snark Masters
If I left you out and you want a link, email me or drop a comment.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
RA-MEN
Momofuku Ando, inventor of ramen noodles and possibly secret prophet of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has passed on.
In his honor, I think I will have a cup of liquid sodium for breakfast.
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