Michael Goldfarb grew a pair. Oh wait, never mind, he didn't. He's just another eunuch with a speech impediment -- that impediment being a complete inability to speak the truth or even say what's on his mind:
This is so awesome. McCain's demanding release of some video that allegedly shows Obama attending an event that was...gasp...also attended by Rashid Khalidi. Now, Rashid Khalidi is certainly a rather controversial figure, in that he's an outspoken supporter for Palestinian rights, and an outspoken critic of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. He's also been accused of being a PLO spokesman, but he denies it, and no evidence has been put forth to support that contention. He's also a long time academic who has taught at Georgetown, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Lebanese University, and the American University of Beirut. To be clear, no one has ever accused him of being a terrorist, but he has been accused of being anti-Israel and holding radical views. But let's accept the fact that at a minimum, he's a flashpoint character.
Does McCain's hypocrisy know no bounds? Or is he just too senile to remember how, when he was chairman of the International Republican Institute he gave over a half million dollars to Rashid Khalidi (see pages 14 and 17 here)? Or, as is more likely, is John McCain simply so desperate, and yet so bereft of any reasons to argue why any one should for him, that he would do nothing else but try to stain Barack Obama for assocations when McCain's own associations with the same people run much deeper?
The best part is that little sleazebag Goldfarb, who's been point person #2 or 3 (right behind McCain and that lil' douchebag Tucker Bounds) in playing the association blame game. He wants to scream out Reverend Wright at the top of his lungs so bad, but knows he can't. Yet he's too chickenshit to say what he believes, and equally too chickenshit to do the right thing.
C'mon, Herr Goldfarb, I dare you to sack up and be the man your parents wished you were, before you left your nutsack at the RNC front door. ONE TIME, dealer!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
And On the Eighth Day...
Liddy Dole got PWNED.
Here is that nice dear lady, Elizabeth Dole, just yesterday, speaking about her U.S. Senate opponent Kay Hagan:
The ad wasn't out five nanoseconds before it was thoroughly debunked. Kay Hagan is a long time Presbyterian and former Sunday school teacher, and just about everyone in North Carolina already knows that.
So how does Kay Hagan respond? Listen to the last few seconds...
I thought about blogging about this yesterday, but was hoping for a response. In a year of seriously negative advertising, Liddy Dole's patently false attack (no shades of gray here) reflects a candidate so desperate that they would even violate their own religious beliefs, simply for the sake of a 100% untruthful attack. Frankly, I find Dole's ad to be one of the most shameless pieces of utter shit ever broadcast in the name of politics, even beyond any of the Swift boat crap.
There's a special place in hell for Elizabeth Dole, already reserved. And it ain't another term in the U.S. Senate.
Liddy, you got the stones to apologize? Or are you more full of shit today than you were yesterday?
I'm Mondogarage, and I approve this message, because self-righteous, self-serving, incompetent, hypocritical, lying fucks like Elizabeth Dole have no place on Earth, much less in Congress.
Here is that nice dear lady, Elizabeth Dole, just yesterday, speaking about her U.S. Senate opponent Kay Hagan:
The ad wasn't out five nanoseconds before it was thoroughly debunked. Kay Hagan is a long time Presbyterian and former Sunday school teacher, and just about everyone in North Carolina already knows that.
So how does Kay Hagan respond? Listen to the last few seconds...
I thought about blogging about this yesterday, but was hoping for a response. In a year of seriously negative advertising, Liddy Dole's patently false attack (no shades of gray here) reflects a candidate so desperate that they would even violate their own religious beliefs, simply for the sake of a 100% untruthful attack. Frankly, I find Dole's ad to be one of the most shameless pieces of utter shit ever broadcast in the name of politics, even beyond any of the Swift boat crap.
There's a special place in hell for Elizabeth Dole, already reserved. And it ain't another term in the U.S. Senate.
Liddy, you got the stones to apologize? Or are you more full of shit today than you were yesterday?
I'm Mondogarage, and I approve this message, because self-righteous, self-serving, incompetent, hypocritical, lying fucks like Elizabeth Dole have no place on Earth, much less in Congress.
Waffles Is A Pollster?
Dude, I thought you were in IT, or some shit. I had no idea you were working for Zugzugby:
Good for a few snickers.
Bodonkey weekly Part Deux tonight, but I won't be around.
Good for a few snickers.
Bodonkey weekly Part Deux tonight, but I won't be around.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
In Lieu of Telling Friends
JUST GO VOTE!
Vote your conscience. Vote your mind. Vote your affiliation. Vote your ideals.
Just vote.
If you don't vote, you fail to exercise the only real power you have in shaping the nation's future.
And please, vote your entire ballot, national, state, local, county, amendments, initiatives, bond issues, what have you. A lot of blood has been spilled ensuring your right -- so use it, please.
Vote your conscience. Vote your mind. Vote your affiliation. Vote your ideals.
Just vote.
If you don't vote, you fail to exercise the only real power you have in shaping the nation's future.
And please, vote your entire ballot, national, state, local, county, amendments, initiatives, bond issues, what have you. A lot of blood has been spilled ensuring your right -- so use it, please.
Grumble Grumble
Man, last night's online poker was a kick in the balls. And hard.
And yet, it started out with such promise, when I went 2 for 2 in attempts to score Tier 1 tokens on Full Tilt. But from that point on, it was downhill all night. Outside of a relative min cash in a $27.50 MTT on JokerStars (something like $49.95), I flunked everything. Everyfuckingthing.
18th in the Bodonkey (after recovering from an early misplay), no dice in the $3r, zero cashes in FIVE separate $12/180s, going out between 30th-50th in each and every one, and basically tubed everywhere I went.
After being in Bodog's $10+1r for a good $40, getting kicked in the junk one table from the bubble, by a mid stack calling off 85% of their chips with KQo or KJo (I held AT and shoved from early position). That one really fucking hurt, as just breaking the bubble would have made the night almost a wash.
Shit, I even tried my first Matrix event, a measly $6.50, and after being near the lead at each table, I went out 6th overall, with a sole 2nd place finish to show for my efforts.
Whatever good run I was on at the beginning of this month is clearly long past over. My roll's a good 20% or so off it's high again, I can't get a cash over 15-20 consecutive events, and I'm not even getting the courtesy of a reacharound.
Bad times, indeed. Maybe it's time to go back to Blackhawk, or play the Tuesday cash game in Boulder, because I sure as shit can't see my way through the online tunnel these days.
I'm rethinking playing the Bodonkey series, since I can't play any of the Thursday events. That means I'd have to try to get my "top 8 scores" over the course of what is now seven or eight remaining Tuesdays. If I'm only available to even play half the events, I'm not seeing the point in trying to match the same score level that others can get who can play all 16-18 events. We'll see. I may give it one more shot, and if I don't finish in the points next Tuesday, I'll likely hang it up. There's not much point chasing a seat in a TOC with one hand tied behind my back.
Good luck at the tables.
And yet, it started out with such promise, when I went 2 for 2 in attempts to score Tier 1 tokens on Full Tilt. But from that point on, it was downhill all night. Outside of a relative min cash in a $27.50 MTT on JokerStars (something like $49.95), I flunked everything. Everyfuckingthing.
18th in the Bodonkey (after recovering from an early misplay), no dice in the $3r, zero cashes in FIVE separate $12/180s, going out between 30th-50th in each and every one, and basically tubed everywhere I went.
After being in Bodog's $10+1r for a good $40, getting kicked in the junk one table from the bubble, by a mid stack calling off 85% of their chips with KQo or KJo (I held AT and shoved from early position). That one really fucking hurt, as just breaking the bubble would have made the night almost a wash.
Shit, I even tried my first Matrix event, a measly $6.50, and after being near the lead at each table, I went out 6th overall, with a sole 2nd place finish to show for my efforts.
Whatever good run I was on at the beginning of this month is clearly long past over. My roll's a good 20% or so off it's high again, I can't get a cash over 15-20 consecutive events, and I'm not even getting the courtesy of a reacharound.
Bad times, indeed. Maybe it's time to go back to Blackhawk, or play the Tuesday cash game in Boulder, because I sure as shit can't see my way through the online tunnel these days.
I'm rethinking playing the Bodonkey series, since I can't play any of the Thursday events. That means I'd have to try to get my "top 8 scores" over the course of what is now seven or eight remaining Tuesdays. If I'm only available to even play half the events, I'm not seeing the point in trying to match the same score level that others can get who can play all 16-18 events. We'll see. I may give it one more shot, and if I don't finish in the points next Tuesday, I'll likely hang it up. There's not much point chasing a seat in a TOC with one hand tied behind my back.
Good luck at the tables.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Back to the Future
Boy Howdy, Mondo's got a new phone!
This actually *is* big news, at least to me. You see, I've been using the same cell phone for at least four years, some cheeseball old school flip phone, with no features, a cracked outer clear cover, old school 9-key pad making texting wayyyyy too much a pain in the ass to make it worthwhile, etc. The phone was not only a piece of utter shite, it wasn't bottom of the line free at the time I got it. How un-baller.
For the most part, I didn't care. I don't spend much time on the phone, and the only real texting I ever did of any significance was with CK during my run at the Caesar's Mega Stack last summer. But that event made me wish (for the first time) that I *could* join the texting generation. And I wished I could take photos of bands that I see, and actually be able to send them to myself to put them on this here blog. And I wished I could get stable reception in my own home. Yeah, I'm demanding like that -- I must want a lot.
Well, last night, we finally did it. The Good Doctor Mondo and I got our new fancy fones. Her needs are much greater than mine, so of course, she went with a Palm Treo. Good stuff. I, on the other hand, wanted something fun. The iPhone is out, given AT&T coverage maps in our area. I'd have to stab myself with plastic forks if I went with Verizon again. So Sprint was the answer, and the answer from Sprint was this:
Okay, okay, I did *not* get the purple, though the Good Doctor Mondo would have loved it if I had, as it's her favorite color. Hell, I might have, if Best Buy carried it. But that picture is the actual size of the form factor. Full QWERTY, 2 megapixel camera, and a large internal screen. In some ways, it's a lot like the Samsung Instinct, but with a real keyboard, and not a digital one. And the best part? I don't drop calls in my own living room.
Is it the most ballin' phone around? Not by a long shot. But it did only hit the street like two days ago, so yeah, for a week, I'll feel cool. At least, I'll actually be able to text without feeling like a putz. And yeah, look for photos of Widowers' Halloween show, and d.biddle's Day of the Dead show here next week...
This actually *is* big news, at least to me. You see, I've been using the same cell phone for at least four years, some cheeseball old school flip phone, with no features, a cracked outer clear cover, old school 9-key pad making texting wayyyyy too much a pain in the ass to make it worthwhile, etc. The phone was not only a piece of utter shite, it wasn't bottom of the line free at the time I got it. How un-baller.
For the most part, I didn't care. I don't spend much time on the phone, and the only real texting I ever did of any significance was with CK during my run at the Caesar's Mega Stack last summer. But that event made me wish (for the first time) that I *could* join the texting generation. And I wished I could take photos of bands that I see, and actually be able to send them to myself to put them on this here blog. And I wished I could get stable reception in my own home. Yeah, I'm demanding like that -- I must want a lot.
Well, last night, we finally did it. The Good Doctor Mondo and I got our new fancy fones. Her needs are much greater than mine, so of course, she went with a Palm Treo. Good stuff. I, on the other hand, wanted something fun. The iPhone is out, given AT&T coverage maps in our area. I'd have to stab myself with plastic forks if I went with Verizon again. So Sprint was the answer, and the answer from Sprint was this:
Okay, okay, I did *not* get the purple, though the Good Doctor Mondo would have loved it if I had, as it's her favorite color. Hell, I might have, if Best Buy carried it. But that picture is the actual size of the form factor. Full QWERTY, 2 megapixel camera, and a large internal screen. In some ways, it's a lot like the Samsung Instinct, but with a real keyboard, and not a digital one. And the best part? I don't drop calls in my own living room.
Is it the most ballin' phone around? Not by a long shot. But it did only hit the street like two days ago, so yeah, for a week, I'll feel cool. At least, I'll actually be able to text without feeling like a putz. And yeah, look for photos of Widowers' Halloween show, and d.biddle's Day of the Dead show here next week...
Olive Branches, Of Sorts
Okay, I wrote most of this originally as a response to a comment from lightning36, a poker blogger whom I respect and like on both counts, his pokerin' and his bloggerin'. He's one tough mother at the tables, and a rather thoughtful and well-reasoned dude. I like the cut of his jib.
Anyway, comments to days' old posts tend to go unread, so I thought I'd share a somewhat less partisan view of what the election next week may mean, and what may result.
And sure, it's probably vain as hell to copy and paste from a comment to a comment to a post, into a brand new post, but fuck it, it's my blog, in'nit?
I'll be the first to admit that there's no way any of us can actually know what the next four years will bring, under a presidency of either candidate. At this point, I'm nearly certain Barack Obama is going to win. I think the Dems will come away with 57 seats in the Senate (and can make Lieberman the senatorial eunuch he deserves to be), and the Dems will significantly expand their majority in the House. Legislation will require some measure of bipartisan ship, because there will not be a filibuster-proof majority, and besides, the Democrats aren't exactly a lock-step party that votes on legislation as a single block.
I truly hope that as president, Barack Obama is all that I think he can be. Yes, he is inexperienced on the national stage, when compared to people like Biden and McCain. However, he is extremely bright and intelligent, and I do think he will surround himself with people much brighter than I am, and people who actually have the country's best interests in mind, rather than a small cabal of oil industry friends. I do believe the national agenda will not be set by a few oil captains to whom the administration has been indebted to for their livelihood.
But that's just it, isn't it? No one can truly predict the future, and voting for any candidate involves a certain amount of faith that you're making the right choice.
I've said many times there are certainly valid and legitmate reasons for a voter to support one candidate over the other. I can't ever conceive becoming a single-issue voter (particularly when it comes to some sort of cultural wedge issue that is not determinative of whether the United States continues to exist as a viable nation). But I can grasp that there are people out there for whom a single issue is all they care about, or that to them, a candidate's stance on a single issue tells them all they need to know on how they might view every other issue of significance.
I also think that in this particular case, there are some invalid reasons related to factors such as race-based fear and paranoia, but I don't personally know anyone in my own life to whom I would ascribe that line of thinking. I am pleased to not personally know anyone who is not voting for Obama because he is black, or on the other hand, is voting for Obama because he is black.
In my case, a lot of of my decision on this vote had to do with knowing that we simply can't afford another four years of "my way or the highway" cowboy diplomacy, because like it or not, we do not live in a one superduperpower world. Not when our economy is inextricably intertwined with so many others', not when our military is too far stretched to be able to be solely responsible for imposing world order, not when much of the civilized world feels like they've been lied to by America once too often. I believe Barack Obama will be a big part of restoring the world's faith in America, and not simply our own, which is equally important. I believe that after a Barack Obama presidency, much of our former place of standing in the world will be restored, such that when America calls out to the world that a certain course of action is crucial and vitally important for everyone's well-being, that the world will listen without taking the default position that we're full of crap.
But do I know beyond any doubt that this will successfully take place? No, no one truly can.
I truly hope in four years, America can look back and say they made the right one.
And you know what? If the choice is ultimately not correct, we're just going to go back and go through the whole process again, anyway, just as we have after every presidency in America's past.
Hope to also see you in the Bodonkey!
Okay, I typed "hope" four times in that post, that's a lot of Hope For Change...
Anyway, comments to days' old posts tend to go unread, so I thought I'd share a somewhat less partisan view of what the election next week may mean, and what may result.
And sure, it's probably vain as hell to copy and paste from a comment to a comment to a post, into a brand new post, but fuck it, it's my blog, in'nit?
I'll be the first to admit that there's no way any of us can actually know what the next four years will bring, under a presidency of either candidate. At this point, I'm nearly certain Barack Obama is going to win. I think the Dems will come away with 57 seats in the Senate (and can make Lieberman the senatorial eunuch he deserves to be), and the Dems will significantly expand their majority in the House. Legislation will require some measure of bipartisan ship, because there will not be a filibuster-proof majority, and besides, the Democrats aren't exactly a lock-step party that votes on legislation as a single block.
I truly hope that as president, Barack Obama is all that I think he can be. Yes, he is inexperienced on the national stage, when compared to people like Biden and McCain. However, he is extremely bright and intelligent, and I do think he will surround himself with people much brighter than I am, and people who actually have the country's best interests in mind, rather than a small cabal of oil industry friends. I do believe the national agenda will not be set by a few oil captains to whom the administration has been indebted to for their livelihood.
But that's just it, isn't it? No one can truly predict the future, and voting for any candidate involves a certain amount of faith that you're making the right choice.
I've said many times there are certainly valid and legitmate reasons for a voter to support one candidate over the other. I can't ever conceive becoming a single-issue voter (particularly when it comes to some sort of cultural wedge issue that is not determinative of whether the United States continues to exist as a viable nation). But I can grasp that there are people out there for whom a single issue is all they care about, or that to them, a candidate's stance on a single issue tells them all they need to know on how they might view every other issue of significance.
I also think that in this particular case, there are some invalid reasons related to factors such as race-based fear and paranoia, but I don't personally know anyone in my own life to whom I would ascribe that line of thinking. I am pleased to not personally know anyone who is not voting for Obama because he is black, or on the other hand, is voting for Obama because he is black.
In my case, a lot of of my decision on this vote had to do with knowing that we simply can't afford another four years of "my way or the highway" cowboy diplomacy, because like it or not, we do not live in a one superduperpower world. Not when our economy is inextricably intertwined with so many others', not when our military is too far stretched to be able to be solely responsible for imposing world order, not when much of the civilized world feels like they've been lied to by America once too often. I believe Barack Obama will be a big part of restoring the world's faith in America, and not simply our own, which is equally important. I believe that after a Barack Obama presidency, much of our former place of standing in the world will be restored, such that when America calls out to the world that a certain course of action is crucial and vitally important for everyone's well-being, that the world will listen without taking the default position that we're full of crap.
But do I know beyond any doubt that this will successfully take place? No, no one truly can.
I truly hope in four years, America can look back and say they made the right one.
And you know what? If the choice is ultimately not correct, we're just going to go back and go through the whole process again, anyway, just as we have after every presidency in America's past.
Hope to also see you in the Bodonkey!
Okay, I typed "hope" four times in that post, that's a lot of Hope For Change...
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Bodonkey is Back!
YES!!!! Scoreboard!!!
You are invited to play in, post or forward this information.
Don't Miss Tuesday's Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament!
Start Time 9:05 pm ET.
Think you have what it takes to bust out a poker pro?
On Tuesday October 28th, 2008 professional poker player and author, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, will compete in the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series.
There will be a $75 bounty on Eric's head and the poker blogger who takes Eric's last chips in this tournament will receive a $75 credit to their Bodog member player account. This blogger will also receive a signed copy of Eric's book, Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time. If Eric wins this tournament, he will give the $75 credit to the poker blogger that places 1st runner up. That player will then receive the credit of $75 to his or her account.
This blogger tournament series is open to poker bloggers world wide and runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 9:05 pm ET.
More details available at the official blogger series site at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
So what are you waiting for?
Register today and may the best poker blogger take the bulls eye on Eric "Rizen" Lynch!
And also, don't forget to tune in to Buddy Dank Radio for live tournament recaps and updates while you play at http://www.buddydankradio.com
It's been several months since Bodog has graced us with the Bodonkey, and I will absolutely by there. And you should, too. The tourney structures are great, and there's still overlay $T for the top few spots. A great online poker value to be had, for sure.
You are invited to play in, post or forward this information.
Don't Miss Tuesday's Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament!
Start Time 9:05 pm ET.
Think you have what it takes to bust out a poker pro?
On Tuesday October 28th, 2008 professional poker player and author, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, will compete in the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series.
There will be a $75 bounty on Eric's head and the poker blogger who takes Eric's last chips in this tournament will receive a $75 credit to their Bodog member player account. This blogger will also receive a signed copy of Eric's book, Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time. If Eric wins this tournament, he will give the $75 credit to the poker blogger that places 1st runner up. That player will then receive the credit of $75 to his or her account.
This blogger tournament series is open to poker bloggers world wide and runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 9:05 pm ET.
More details available at the official blogger series site at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
So what are you waiting for?
Register today and may the best poker blogger take the bulls eye on Eric "Rizen" Lynch!
And also, don't forget to tune in to Buddy Dank Radio for live tournament recaps and updates while you play at http://www.buddydankradio.com
It's been several months since Bodog has graced us with the Bodonkey, and I will absolutely by there. And you should, too. The tourney structures are great, and there's still overlay $T for the top few spots. A great online poker value to be had, for sure.
Anecdote Appropos Of....?
Okay, so a couple days ago, the Good Doctor Mondo and I are driving through our housing development...
The development is broken up into four quadrants. One is comprised of condos (both single story, and four-plexes). Two are composed of single family homes and garden homes, from the low $200s to around $400k or so. And the last, which abuts a private country club, is entirely custom homes that went from $600k - $1.5m.
The development is recent, with the first construction taking place in 2000, and in fact, our quandrant (the last to begin) isn't even complete.
We noticed something interesting on this drive. Going through three of the quadrants, we noticed lawn signs for Obama and McCain (as well as lower tier races), and it appeared no more than around 60% or so of the signs were pro-Obama.
But when we got to the high end custom quadrant, there were zero Obama signs at all (though I saw lots of golf carts in the open garages pointing directly to the country club). Not to say every yard had a sign, which they clearly did not. But of the 30% or so yards that had signs, every single one of them was a McCain/Palin sign. And I'm pretty certain Joe the Plumber doesn't live in the Starwood development.
So when you think about just who is in line to benefit from a McFailin' victory, just take a look at the yard signs. It's not for no reason that it appears McCain has a much greater amount of his support from those who already have the most, and who benefited from the single greatest transfer of wealth in American history. Just like it's not for no reason that McCain couldn't bring himself to utter the phrase "middle class" even one time in three debates. McFailin' wouldn't know the real working class if he stepped onto the lawn of one of his eight homes long enough to hand his yardman a glass of lemonade.
If McFailin' is truly for the middle class, then tell me this, why is his support nearly universal in the wealthiest neighborhoods, and less than half in the working and middle class developments?
The development is broken up into four quadrants. One is comprised of condos (both single story, and four-plexes). Two are composed of single family homes and garden homes, from the low $200s to around $400k or so. And the last, which abuts a private country club, is entirely custom homes that went from $600k - $1.5m.
The development is recent, with the first construction taking place in 2000, and in fact, our quandrant (the last to begin) isn't even complete.
We noticed something interesting on this drive. Going through three of the quadrants, we noticed lawn signs for Obama and McCain (as well as lower tier races), and it appeared no more than around 60% or so of the signs were pro-Obama.
But when we got to the high end custom quadrant, there were zero Obama signs at all (though I saw lots of golf carts in the open garages pointing directly to the country club). Not to say every yard had a sign, which they clearly did not. But of the 30% or so yards that had signs, every single one of them was a McCain/Palin sign. And I'm pretty certain Joe the Plumber doesn't live in the Starwood development.
So when you think about just who is in line to benefit from a McFailin' victory, just take a look at the yard signs. It's not for no reason that it appears McCain has a much greater amount of his support from those who already have the most, and who benefited from the single greatest transfer of wealth in American history. Just like it's not for no reason that McCain couldn't bring himself to utter the phrase "middle class" even one time in three debates. McFailin' wouldn't know the real working class if he stepped onto the lawn of one of his eight homes long enough to hand his yardman a glass of lemonade.
If McFailin' is truly for the middle class, then tell me this, why is his support nearly universal in the wealthiest neighborhoods, and less than half in the working and middle class developments?
Weekend Highlight
Barack Obama and 45,000 of his most ardent supporters, on the Oval, at Colorado State University. Such a communal spirit, such fun -- I even got to shake his hand, which, while totally insignificant to anything important, is to me one of the coolest things ever.
Yesterday really was awesome. The Good Doctor Mondo and I woke up early, and headed up to Fort Collins to begin a five plus hour stretch of standing in line, on a crisp and clear day. We got there early, but there were two lines -- one for a group of about 2,000 VIPs, who were those who'd actually volunteered on the campaign, and one for everyone else.
While we were walking to the "everyone else" line, The Good Doctor Mondo gets a call from one of her co-professors (and the only one in their department more politically active than my lovely wife), who joyously lets us know she's got two extra VIP tickets. SCORE!!! So we jump out of one line, and head for the VIP line, which at this point only has about 50-75 people in front of us.
Well, as the day grew longer and warmer, the lines just got longer, and longer, and longer. At one point, the line for the port-o-johns was as long as the VIP line had been when we showed up. Even just minutes before his speech, the line to get in was still two and a half MILES long. But everyone was treating the occasion as a party of sorts, chatting with neighbors, jumping out of line to bring back coffee and sandwiches, trading stories with campaign volunteers from other states, etc. When you're a swing state, you get the troops in from all over, and most of the western US was well represented in line.
Eventually, we made it in, and lo and behold, the Good Doctor and I were right up against the railing, woohoo!!!!
I must say, it really was like a rock concert. But unlike some, I don't find the "celebrity" aspect of this campaign disturbing. I think it's fanfuckingtastic that for once, people are idolizing politicians more than some random rich drunk party girl who may or may not have a modicum of talent for something, or some gangsta rap wannabe, or some jock who might run fast, but goes home and beats his wife and shoots up 'roids, or what not. Whether or not you agree with Barack Obama's policy ideas is one thing, but seriously, it's amazing that someone running for office can be looked up to, and is clearly a positive influence on the youth of today.
The speech itself was standard Obama stump speech material, with a bit of extra discussion of creation of more clean energy jobs, which is important to Colorado, and more so for CSU, where a lot of research and work is being put into wind turbines, and such. There were tons of Secret Service around, including one dude who was a spitting image of Agent Smith from The Matrix. I snapped a few pix on my camera phone, but they suck -- what you see is courtesy of the Good Doctor Mondo, who had a pretty damn good vantage point.
For me, the most exciting aspects of the day were several. First, looking out there and seeing a simply massive field of faces and heads. We're talking about 45,000 people in a city less than an hour away from where Obama had just spoken in front of over 100,000. I'm pretty certain if there were no Fort Collins speech yesterday, nearly all of us would have been in Denver. To think that even after the Denver speech, there were THAT many people still to see him, is mind-boggling:
Secondly, due entirely to the good graces of my wife's colleague, and our early arrival, and getting to stand by the railing, I got to shake Barack's hand on his way out. I thought that was really cool. Everyone was trying to get a piece of him. A couple of the Secret Service agents had collected 5-6 copies of Obama's books to sign, because no one was allowed to hold out pens, and such, for security reasons. Third, Obama has to have about the most ballin' tour bus I've ever seen.
Last, and certainly least, my sweetie even found me in one of the Yahoo News photos of the event. Okay, that last bit is completely unnecessary, but she had fun playing the Mondogarage version of "Where's Waldo", thanks to this Associated Press shot:
I leave you with one thought. Obviously, there are aspects of this election that remain very close. There are states that will go red no matter what, and Obama may be hard pressed to get more than 51-52% of the overall vote. However, it has to be extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where anyone who has energized the electorate enough to draw 150,000 people to see him speak on a Sunday (during football season, no less), will not win this election, absent major shenanigans by the other side. I just don't see it. As charged up as the Republican base allegedly is by the McPalin ticket, it takes them 15 rallies to reach the kinds of people the Democrats brought out just in a single day.
I have no idea what an Obama presidency is going to ultimately bring this country. I am comfortably certain, however, that we have found the real uniter, and not the dividers that the Republicans have been putting forth for the last decades.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the last little cool bit. On the way home, the Good Doctor Mondo and I stopped off at a Starbucks for a couple of chais, and were talking to the barista about how cool the event was. Well, she must have been an Obama supporter, because she said we were getting the "Obama discount", and only charged us the cost of a single plain coffee. Sweet!
Yesterday really was awesome. The Good Doctor Mondo and I woke up early, and headed up to Fort Collins to begin a five plus hour stretch of standing in line, on a crisp and clear day. We got there early, but there were two lines -- one for a group of about 2,000 VIPs, who were those who'd actually volunteered on the campaign, and one for everyone else.
While we were walking to the "everyone else" line, The Good Doctor Mondo gets a call from one of her co-professors (and the only one in their department more politically active than my lovely wife), who joyously lets us know she's got two extra VIP tickets. SCORE!!! So we jump out of one line, and head for the VIP line, which at this point only has about 50-75 people in front of us.
Well, as the day grew longer and warmer, the lines just got longer, and longer, and longer. At one point, the line for the port-o-johns was as long as the VIP line had been when we showed up. Even just minutes before his speech, the line to get in was still two and a half MILES long. But everyone was treating the occasion as a party of sorts, chatting with neighbors, jumping out of line to bring back coffee and sandwiches, trading stories with campaign volunteers from other states, etc. When you're a swing state, you get the troops in from all over, and most of the western US was well represented in line.
Eventually, we made it in, and lo and behold, the Good Doctor and I were right up against the railing, woohoo!!!!
I must say, it really was like a rock concert. But unlike some, I don't find the "celebrity" aspect of this campaign disturbing. I think it's fanfuckingtastic that for once, people are idolizing politicians more than some random rich drunk party girl who may or may not have a modicum of talent for something, or some gangsta rap wannabe, or some jock who might run fast, but goes home and beats his wife and shoots up 'roids, or what not. Whether or not you agree with Barack Obama's policy ideas is one thing, but seriously, it's amazing that someone running for office can be looked up to, and is clearly a positive influence on the youth of today.
The speech itself was standard Obama stump speech material, with a bit of extra discussion of creation of more clean energy jobs, which is important to Colorado, and more so for CSU, where a lot of research and work is being put into wind turbines, and such. There were tons of Secret Service around, including one dude who was a spitting image of Agent Smith from The Matrix. I snapped a few pix on my camera phone, but they suck -- what you see is courtesy of the Good Doctor Mondo, who had a pretty damn good vantage point.
For me, the most exciting aspects of the day were several. First, looking out there and seeing a simply massive field of faces and heads. We're talking about 45,000 people in a city less than an hour away from where Obama had just spoken in front of over 100,000. I'm pretty certain if there were no Fort Collins speech yesterday, nearly all of us would have been in Denver. To think that even after the Denver speech, there were THAT many people still to see him, is mind-boggling:
Secondly, due entirely to the good graces of my wife's colleague, and our early arrival, and getting to stand by the railing, I got to shake Barack's hand on his way out. I thought that was really cool. Everyone was trying to get a piece of him. A couple of the Secret Service agents had collected 5-6 copies of Obama's books to sign, because no one was allowed to hold out pens, and such, for security reasons. Third, Obama has to have about the most ballin' tour bus I've ever seen.
Last, and certainly least, my sweetie even found me in one of the Yahoo News photos of the event. Okay, that last bit is completely unnecessary, but she had fun playing the Mondogarage version of "Where's Waldo", thanks to this Associated Press shot:
I leave you with one thought. Obviously, there are aspects of this election that remain very close. There are states that will go red no matter what, and Obama may be hard pressed to get more than 51-52% of the overall vote. However, it has to be extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where anyone who has energized the electorate enough to draw 150,000 people to see him speak on a Sunday (during football season, no less), will not win this election, absent major shenanigans by the other side. I just don't see it. As charged up as the Republican base allegedly is by the McPalin ticket, it takes them 15 rallies to reach the kinds of people the Democrats brought out just in a single day.
I have no idea what an Obama presidency is going to ultimately bring this country. I am comfortably certain, however, that we have found the real uniter, and not the dividers that the Republicans have been putting forth for the last decades.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the last little cool bit. On the way home, the Good Doctor Mondo and I stopped off at a Starbucks for a couple of chais, and were talking to the barista about how cool the event was. Well, she must have been an Obama supporter, because she said we were getting the "Obama discount", and only charged us the cost of a single plain coffee. Sweet!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wassup!
2008 Edition
No Budweisers were harmed in the making of this film. And for the sake of quality beer, none were quaffed, either.
No Budweisers were harmed in the making of this film. And for the sake of quality beer, none were quaffed, either.
McCain Doesn't Like Negotiating With Dictators?
So John McCain is concerned that Obama "pals around with terrorists" (Palin). Well, the man McCain once spent a few days at a luxurious retreat, is the same man ultimately responsible for these:
Yup, a terrorist-sponsoring dictator who sponsored murderous bombing in our very nation's capital, was someone who McCain was not only willing to meet, but willing to fly thousands of miles to South America for the privilege of doing so.
"How Traitorous"
And Sarah Palin has doubts whether bombings of abortion clinics are terrorist acts? She may wish to talk to Emily Lyons and reconsider:
- Emily Lyons shortly after falling victim to Eric Rudolph's bombing of Atlanta clinic
Yup, a terrorist-sponsoring dictator who sponsored murderous bombing in our very nation's capital, was someone who McCain was not only willing to meet, but willing to fly thousands of miles to South America for the privilege of doing so.
"How Traitorous"
And Sarah Palin has doubts whether bombings of abortion clinics are terrorist acts? She may wish to talk to Emily Lyons and reconsider:
- Emily Lyons shortly after falling victim to Eric Rudolph's bombing of Atlanta clinic
Knowing What's Most Important
Courtesy of Jim Kuhnhenn of the AP:
In fact, Palin's stylist turns out to have been the entire McFailin' campaign's highest paid staffer so far this month.
By that measure, hair and makeup would seem to be worth approximately 85% more to the Republican Party than a cogent foreign policy on talking down Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. No wonder McCain can't negotiate with America's detractors -- he can't afford to, what with the cost of lipgloss.
Obviously, it's more expensive to cover up a pig in lipstick than anyone previously thought. Amy Strozzi may or may not be bemoaning the end of her soon-to-be-very-short-lived sideline, but no sweat. I understand Fox is already developing "So You Think You Can Run For Veep" for the 2012 fall viewing season.
But before anyone thinks McCain's too poor to take care of business, please consider that he has actually done some kind of job with the world's dictators in the past. At least I hope some work was involved when he and little-miss-put-upon Cindy were hanging out at Chilean fascist dictator Augustus Pinochet's seaside retreat.
Now that's investigative journalism -- thanks John Dinges.
I'll try to scare up a couple photos of the Letelier bombing -- they're pretty brutal. I actually used to drive past the site twice a day, while I was living in DC. (I know, that's appropos of nothing, but it always seemed odd to drive through bucolic Embassy Row and realize terrorists were blowing up people on that very site.)
So it turns out that McCain was for meeting with brutal terrorism-sponsoring dictators before he was against meeting wtih brutal terrorism-sponsoring dictators. If John McCain is truly against torture, why would he spend a couple days hanging out with someone who was later charged with 36 counts of torturing of his own citizens? THIRTY-SIX!
Of course, to McCain, the distinction is that Pinochet was vocally anti-Communist. Much like Sarah Palin's sorta-semi-tacit support of abortion clinic bombings (to the extent she does not believe they constitute terrorist acts), it would seem if your violent and deadly bombings are done in advancement of a cause the Republican party ticket supports, by god, you're a patriot, not a terrorist.
If only that douchebag Matt Drudge would take a lesson or two in real digging before he started getting on the bandwagon of the most easily-disproven alleged hate attack since...well...since that other douchebag Al Sharpton rode the Tawana Bradley train to his own political oblivion.
In fact, there's no evidence she was even using the ATM at all, according to the ATM's own security camera.
"If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain's quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting." - John Moody, executive vice president at Fox News
Obama, you may start measuring drapes now.
WASHINGTON – An acclaimed celebrity makeup artist for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin collected more money from John McCain's campaign than his foreign policy adviser.
Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast, McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500, the report showed.
In fact, Palin's stylist turns out to have been the entire McFailin' campaign's highest paid staffer so far this month.
By that measure, hair and makeup would seem to be worth approximately 85% more to the Republican Party than a cogent foreign policy on talking down Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. No wonder McCain can't negotiate with America's detractors -- he can't afford to, what with the cost of lipgloss.
Obviously, it's more expensive to cover up a pig in lipstick than anyone previously thought. Amy Strozzi may or may not be bemoaning the end of her soon-to-be-very-short-lived sideline, but no sweat. I understand Fox is already developing "So You Think You Can Run For Veep" for the 2012 fall viewing season.
But before anyone thinks McCain's too poor to take care of business, please consider that he has actually done some kind of job with the world's dictators in the past. At least I hope some work was involved when he and little-miss-put-upon Cindy were hanging out at Chilean fascist dictator Augustus Pinochet's seaside retreat.
Now that's investigative journalism -- thanks John Dinges.
At the time of the meeting, in the late afternoon of December 30, the U.S. Justice Department was seeking the extradition of two close Pinochet associates for an act of terrorism in Washington DC, the 1976 assassination of former ambassador to the U.S. and former Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier. The car bombing on Sheridan Circle in the U.S. capital was widely described at the time as the most egregious act of international terrorism perpetrated on U.S. soil by a foreign power.
I'll try to scare up a couple photos of the Letelier bombing -- they're pretty brutal. I actually used to drive past the site twice a day, while I was living in DC. (I know, that's appropos of nothing, but it always seemed odd to drive through bucolic Embassy Row and realize terrorists were blowing up people on that very site.)
So it turns out that McCain was for meeting with brutal terrorism-sponsoring dictators before he was against meeting wtih brutal terrorism-sponsoring dictators. If John McCain is truly against torture, why would he spend a couple days hanging out with someone who was later charged with 36 counts of torturing of his own citizens? THIRTY-SIX!
Of course, to McCain, the distinction is that Pinochet was vocally anti-Communist. Much like Sarah Palin's sorta-semi-tacit support of abortion clinic bombings (to the extent she does not believe they constitute terrorist acts), it would seem if your violent and deadly bombings are done in advancement of a cause the Republican party ticket supports, by god, you're a patriot, not a terrorist.
If only that douchebag Matt Drudge would take a lesson or two in real digging before he started getting on the bandwagon of the most easily-disproven alleged hate attack since...well...since that other douchebag Al Sharpton rode the Tawana Bradley train to his own political oblivion.
A Pittsburgh police commander says a volunteer for the McCain campaign who reported being robbed and attacked near a bank ATM in Bloomfield has confessed to making up the story. Police say charges will be filed. More details to follow.- Huffington Post
In fact, there's no evidence she was even using the ATM at all, according to the ATM's own security camera.
"If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain's quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting." - John Moody, executive vice president at Fox News
Obama, you may start measuring drapes now.
Depends On What the Meaning Of "Is" Is?
This hits just keep on coming. So Sarah Palin continues to harp on the all-Ayers all the time tip. It should certainly be reasonable to assume, then, that Sarah Palin is strongly against domestic terrorism in all its forms and any form of domestic bombing right?
Well, maybe not so much.
When asked by Brian Williams of NBC news whether or not she views abortion clinic bombers, even those whose bombings actually killed people (none of Ayers' bombings resulted in any fatalities), Sarah Palin couldn't decide whether an abortion clinic bombing constituted domestic terrorism or not:
Wow.
"I don't know if you could use the word 'terrorist' there..."
I guess the appropriate response is, Sarah Palin was against domestic terrorism before she was for domestic terrorism? The more correct answer is the far right is against all forms of domestic terrorism, unless it's in support of one of our long-cherished planks. In that case, it's not reeeeealy terrorism.
It gets worse, when she ends saying she would lump "in the category of Ayers" anyone who would "seek to destroy innocent Americans". The implication, of course, is her belief that abortion clinic workers are not innocent, and thus, bombing them to death isn't terrorism.
At this point, the only remaining question is, is Sarah Palin simply pretty vacuous and stupid, or just flat out evil? The woman becomes more and more vile every day.
There is no question that Ayers' bombings of Washington buildings in the late 1960s constitute terrorism. Yet can there be any question at all that, say, Eric Rudolph's bombing of an abortion clinic, killing a security guard and critically injuring a nurse, was a terrorist act?
All I've got to say is, please to be running the Palin/Bachmann ticket in 2012.
EDIT: The first video I posted continued the questions, wherein Palin appears to repeat her inability to commit to clinic bombers as terrorits, but is "no longer available."
Well, maybe not so much.
When asked by Brian Williams of NBC news whether or not she views abortion clinic bombers, even those whose bombings actually killed people (none of Ayers' bombings resulted in any fatalities), Sarah Palin couldn't decide whether an abortion clinic bombing constituted domestic terrorism or not:
Wow.
"I don't know if you could use the word 'terrorist' there..."
I guess the appropriate response is, Sarah Palin was against domestic terrorism before she was for domestic terrorism? The more correct answer is the far right is against all forms of domestic terrorism, unless it's in support of one of our long-cherished planks. In that case, it's not reeeeealy terrorism.
It gets worse, when she ends saying she would lump "in the category of Ayers" anyone who would "seek to destroy innocent Americans". The implication, of course, is her belief that abortion clinic workers are not innocent, and thus, bombing them to death isn't terrorism.
At this point, the only remaining question is, is Sarah Palin simply pretty vacuous and stupid, or just flat out evil? The woman becomes more and more vile every day.
There is no question that Ayers' bombings of Washington buildings in the late 1960s constitute terrorism. Yet can there be any question at all that, say, Eric Rudolph's bombing of an abortion clinic, killing a security guard and critically injuring a nurse, was a terrorist act?
All I've got to say is, please to be running the Palin/Bachmann ticket in 2012.
EDIT: The first video I posted continued the questions, wherein Palin appears to repeat her inability to commit to clinic bombers as terrorits, but is "no longer available."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday Donkarama
Okay, so I alluded to last night being a fun night of online poker, and it was.
At times, it was frustrating (I bubbled two consecutive Tier 1 token SNGs, and had to sit out the big donkament).
But playing the Skillz game after a several week absence was a blast. A good crew. Unfortunately, I bubbled when I went from quartering Hoy to getting quartered by Hoy on a single river card. However, I did manage to collect at least two bounties, so the tourney didn't cost me too much, in the end. I even got to crush PirateLawyer, which is always fun, because he's a good player, to be sure.
Also, I ran really badly in several of the $12/180 SNGs over at JokerStars, but I know how high variance those are. And beyond that, getting close to the bubble in either the Stars $3r or the Bodog $5k (I forget which), I suckered some poor schmoe into committing all his chips on the flop holding AQ on a K high board, to my AK -- only to see turn queen, river queen, and kaput. So sick that it HAD to be the JokerStars $3r.
But it was cool. Kept my head, no tilt. And still managed to make three final tables last night (in the Bodog $5r, a Bodog $8.80, and coolest of all the PokerStars $10 6-max MTT). Unfortunately, no victories, and no top threes -- only an 8th, 4th, and in the 6-max -- you guessed it, 6th. I'm not complaining, because I seriously caught a couple breaks just to get that far in the tournament, but the final hand was a class suck/resuck situation:
This was, literally, about four hands into the final table. NGUYEN_05 and I were the two microstacks at the table, and he snap-called my preflop shove. As lucky as I got on the flop, I was equally unlucky on the turn. One more spot would have been worth a hundo, but oh well. A fun night overall, and a bit more than marginally profitable, but not much so. I gotta stay away from those turbo 12/180s for a while...
At times, it was frustrating (I bubbled two consecutive Tier 1 token SNGs, and had to sit out the big donkament).
But playing the Skillz game after a several week absence was a blast. A good crew. Unfortunately, I bubbled when I went from quartering Hoy to getting quartered by Hoy on a single river card. However, I did manage to collect at least two bounties, so the tourney didn't cost me too much, in the end. I even got to crush PirateLawyer, which is always fun, because he's a good player, to be sure.
Also, I ran really badly in several of the $12/180 SNGs over at JokerStars, but I know how high variance those are. And beyond that, getting close to the bubble in either the Stars $3r or the Bodog $5k (I forget which), I suckered some poor schmoe into committing all his chips on the flop holding AQ on a K high board, to my AK -- only to see turn queen, river queen, and kaput. So sick that it HAD to be the JokerStars $3r.
But it was cool. Kept my head, no tilt. And still managed to make three final tables last night (in the Bodog $5r, a Bodog $8.80, and coolest of all the PokerStars $10 6-max MTT). Unfortunately, no victories, and no top threes -- only an 8th, 4th, and in the 6-max -- you guessed it, 6th. I'm not complaining, because I seriously caught a couple breaks just to get that far in the tournament, but the final hand was a class suck/resuck situation:
This was, literally, about four hands into the final table. NGUYEN_05 and I were the two microstacks at the table, and he snap-called my preflop shove. As lucky as I got on the flop, I was equally unlucky on the turn. One more spot would have been worth a hundo, but oh well. A fun night overall, and a bit more than marginally profitable, but not much so. I gotta stay away from those turbo 12/180s for a while...
Being For It Before You're Against It
It's time for John McCain to start running on his record. Let's start with taxation:
What? John McCain's a Socialist?
John McCain - For reducing working class income taxes, and having the highest earners pay more income taxes, before he was against reducing working class income taxes, and having the highest earners pay more income taxes
Seriously, every time McCain stumps against Obama's tax plan in 2008, he's arguing against McCain's own tax plan in 2000. So to borrow a phrase, "who is the real John McCain"?
"How Flippity Floppity"
Of course, this is just yet one more example of McCain selling out all of his long held principles in order to satisfy his naked ambition for the presidency, no matter how much he has to not only go 180 degrees against his own positions, but to argue that those positions are wrong.
How can you tell McCain sold his soul to the Rovians who are running the campaign? Because it's become painfully obvious that they don't even know the first thing about what McCain stood up for....before he decided to stand up against.
(As an aside, the young woman in the video is an absolute idiot who deserves to spend some time learning first hand what real poverty is -- likening her physician father's level of taxation as being a move closer to slavery....)
What? John McCain's a Socialist?
John McCain - For reducing working class income taxes, and having the highest earners pay more income taxes, before he was against reducing working class income taxes, and having the highest earners pay more income taxes
Seriously, every time McCain stumps against Obama's tax plan in 2008, he's arguing against McCain's own tax plan in 2000. So to borrow a phrase, "who is the real John McCain"?
"How Flippity Floppity"
Of course, this is just yet one more example of McCain selling out all of his long held principles in order to satisfy his naked ambition for the presidency, no matter how much he has to not only go 180 degrees against his own positions, but to argue that those positions are wrong.
How can you tell McCain sold his soul to the Rovians who are running the campaign? Because it's become painfully obvious that they don't even know the first thing about what McCain stood up for....before he decided to stand up against.
(As an aside, the young woman in the video is an absolute idiot who deserves to spend some time learning first hand what real poverty is -- likening her physician father's level of taxation as being a move closer to slavery....)
Credit Due and Paid
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post putting up a document purported to be Sarah Palin's SAT scores.
I mentioned the document had been unconfirmed, but the scores were nevertheless pretty atrocious.
Well, Snopes has now, in their view, determined that the document is in fact a fake. So it's only fair for me to point out that Palin did not, apparentely, only score 825 or whatever combined on her SAT. That actually gives me some measure of comfort.
As it turns out, even the Good Doctor Mondo did not score particularly well on her SAT or GRE, but as she pointed out, that did not stop her from earning two Master's Degrees and a Ph.D., so it shouldn't have mattered anyway. (That said, I still find Palin's perceived lack of intellectual curiousity alarming, but that's a different story entirely.)
I'll write later on pokerz. Last night was quite a bit of fun, actually....
I mentioned the document had been unconfirmed, but the scores were nevertheless pretty atrocious.
Well, Snopes has now, in their view, determined that the document is in fact a fake. So it's only fair for me to point out that Palin did not, apparentely, only score 825 or whatever combined on her SAT. That actually gives me some measure of comfort.
As it turns out, even the Good Doctor Mondo did not score particularly well on her SAT or GRE, but as she pointed out, that did not stop her from earning two Master's Degrees and a Ph.D., so it shouldn't have mattered anyway. (That said, I still find Palin's perceived lack of intellectual curiousity alarming, but that's a different story entirely.)
I'll write later on pokerz. Last night was quite a bit of fun, actually....
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
That's My Kind Of Supporter
From Jason Horowitz at the New York Observer:
Asked if her business made more than $250,000 a year, the cap under which Obama has proposed cutting taxes, she said it did. Told about Obama’s proposal, she answered, “I don’t give a shit. I will never vote for a black man.”
Okay, I don't hold McCain liable for that comment. Of course not. But the evidence is imcontrovertible that he needs the racist vote to win this election. I'm surprised he doesn't start sending surrogates to speak at KKK rallies. After all, the two groups are saying the same kinds of things.
From the same article:
Representative Robin Hayes (R - North Carolina) prefaced his comments by saying it was important to “make sure we don’t say something stupid, make sure we don’t say something we don’t mean.” Naturally, he goes on to say “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God.”
That's funny, the Democratic party platform doesn't seem to say anything about not believing in God, or not working hard. But Rep. Hayes clearly seems to think that anyone who is anywhere to the left of Joe McCarthy is an unreal American?
His spokesman strongly denied Rep. Hayes used such langauge. Too bad it's on tape. You can hear Robin Hayes saying all kinds of things his press secretary continues to deny he said right here. (scroll towards the bottom)
Rep. Hayes now admits he said what he said, but that he "didn't mean it", and was just trying to rile up a rally. Funny...that's the same type of tactic KKK members would use to rile up the community before going to find an objectionable black man to lynch. And in North Carolina, 'natch. Hey, Robin, don't forget your pointy sheet on your way out the door, m'kay?
My goodness, I don't even have to address the riot...um, I mean crowd member who said of the election, “It’s like black and white."
Robin Hayes is up for re-election and his opponent is Larry Kissell. I think it's time to donate. To Kissell for Congress, that is.
The really cool part of this is, it's not going to matter. Not when folks such all of my in-laws in North Carolina all early voted for Obama. Among that group are people I was really concerned would never be able to vote for him for reasons I would not really be proud of, and all of whom seemed to leaning strongly against him just a few months ago. Yet just yesterday, they all did -- vote for Obama. Anecdotal evidence, to be sure, but to me, a pretty strong sign that this campaign really just may be over.
Asked if her business made more than $250,000 a year, the cap under which Obama has proposed cutting taxes, she said it did. Told about Obama’s proposal, she answered, “I don’t give a shit. I will never vote for a black man.”
Okay, I don't hold McCain liable for that comment. Of course not. But the evidence is imcontrovertible that he needs the racist vote to win this election. I'm surprised he doesn't start sending surrogates to speak at KKK rallies. After all, the two groups are saying the same kinds of things.
From the same article:
Representative Robin Hayes (R - North Carolina) prefaced his comments by saying it was important to “make sure we don’t say something stupid, make sure we don’t say something we don’t mean.” Naturally, he goes on to say “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God.”
That's funny, the Democratic party platform doesn't seem to say anything about not believing in God, or not working hard. But Rep. Hayes clearly seems to think that anyone who is anywhere to the left of Joe McCarthy is an unreal American?
His spokesman strongly denied Rep. Hayes used such langauge. Too bad it's on tape. You can hear Robin Hayes saying all kinds of things his press secretary continues to deny he said right here. (scroll towards the bottom)
Rep. Hayes now admits he said what he said, but that he "didn't mean it", and was just trying to rile up a rally. Funny...that's the same type of tactic KKK members would use to rile up the community before going to find an objectionable black man to lynch. And in North Carolina, 'natch. Hey, Robin, don't forget your pointy sheet on your way out the door, m'kay?
My goodness, I don't even have to address the riot...um, I mean crowd member who said of the election, “It’s like black and white."
Robin Hayes is up for re-election and his opponent is Larry Kissell. I think it's time to donate. To Kissell for Congress, that is.
The really cool part of this is, it's not going to matter. Not when folks such all of my in-laws in North Carolina all early voted for Obama. Among that group are people I was really concerned would never be able to vote for him for reasons I would not really be proud of, and all of whom seemed to leaning strongly against him just a few months ago. Yet just yesterday, they all did -- vote for Obama. Anecdotal evidence, to be sure, but to me, a pretty strong sign that this campaign really just may be over.
Trying to Find My Skillz
Oh, there they are.
Tonight's my favorite flavor of blonkament, the Pot Limit Omahi Hi/Lo -- bring your own straitjacket, because the play in this thing is going to be insane (present company included, no doubt).
I have to wonder how the word "skill" can be fairly applied to a bunch of min-talent bloggers when it comes to the ultimate high-variance game. But it hurts, and we like it that way. Or something.
According to our host, cemfrommd, Full Tilt has slightly goofed on the buy in tonight, so it's only $10+1, instead of the normal $12+1. So it's cheaper, wee.
I plan on staying much more within my bankroll tonight, after last week's mostly unintentional bankroll-blowup. I haven't decided whether or not to play the Daily Doubles tonight -- that depends on whether I get home in time to take one crack at winning a token to the $28k donkament. Trying to make it up to Step 3 on Stars most likely, as well. So my online poker menu's pretty much up in the air, as long as I can hold myself to no more than 4-5 tables, it could even be a good night.
Hope to see some of you cats out at the tables tonight.
Oh yeah, almost forgot -- I got my Bodog check in the FedEx over the weekend. So payout took about seven weeks. Not the most convenient thing in the world, but I can deal. We're not talking rent money here. But the system works, and for that I am grateful.
Tonight's my favorite flavor of blonkament, the Pot Limit Omahi Hi/Lo -- bring your own straitjacket, because the play in this thing is going to be insane (present company included, no doubt).
I have to wonder how the word "skill" can be fairly applied to a bunch of min-talent bloggers when it comes to the ultimate high-variance game. But it hurts, and we like it that way. Or something.
According to our host, cemfrommd, Full Tilt has slightly goofed on the buy in tonight, so it's only $10+1, instead of the normal $12+1. So it's cheaper, wee.
I plan on staying much more within my bankroll tonight, after last week's mostly unintentional bankroll-blowup. I haven't decided whether or not to play the Daily Doubles tonight -- that depends on whether I get home in time to take one crack at winning a token to the $28k donkament. Trying to make it up to Step 3 on Stars most likely, as well. So my online poker menu's pretty much up in the air, as long as I can hold myself to no more than 4-5 tables, it could even be a good night.
Hope to see some of you cats out at the tables tonight.
Oh yeah, almost forgot -- I got my Bodog check in the FedEx over the weekend. So payout took about seven weeks. Not the most convenient thing in the world, but I can deal. We're not talking rent money here. But the system works, and for that I am grateful.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Bodonkey II - Revenge of the Bodoggies
Big big thanks to $mokkee for sacking up and ramming this baby home:
The Fall Bodog Blogger Series (Bodonkey II) runs twice a week every Tuesday and Thursday October 28th-December 16th with a TOC scheduled for Thursday, December 18th.
A few improvements have been made to the series. The series tournament structure has been improved to match that of Bodog’s weekly 100k guarantee (2500 starting chips / 15 min levels). Your top 8 scores in the series will be included and the rest thrown out to determine your place on the tournament leaderboard. The top 15% of the total leaderboard will make it to the TOC. So, there’s a possibility there could be more or less than 18 players in the final tournament dependant on the total number of participants. A “Last Chance” tournament will be held on Wednesday, December 17th for Bodog Blogger Series participants who’ve played at least three (3) weekly tournaments. The top 3 finishers in the “Last Chance” tournament will win their seat into the TOC.
Register for the Fall Bodog Blogger Series at BodogBloggerTournament.com
Register early!
And come get my dead money, since it looks like I'll only be playing on Tuesdays. I'll be happy if I can take one of these down and get some of that sweet $T overlay, however.
Thanks again to $mokkee and Bodog, two of the greatest contributors to the online poker blogger community since...well...since cowboys started playing $1-2NL at the MGM during blogger gatherings!
The Fall Bodog Blogger Series (Bodonkey II) runs twice a week every Tuesday and Thursday October 28th-December 16th with a TOC scheduled for Thursday, December 18th.
A few improvements have been made to the series. The series tournament structure has been improved to match that of Bodog’s weekly 100k guarantee (2500 starting chips / 15 min levels). Your top 8 scores in the series will be included and the rest thrown out to determine your place on the tournament leaderboard. The top 15% of the total leaderboard will make it to the TOC. So, there’s a possibility there could be more or less than 18 players in the final tournament dependant on the total number of participants. A “Last Chance” tournament will be held on Wednesday, December 17th for Bodog Blogger Series participants who’ve played at least three (3) weekly tournaments. The top 3 finishers in the “Last Chance” tournament will win their seat into the TOC.
Register for the Fall Bodog Blogger Series at BodogBloggerTournament.com
Register early!
And come get my dead money, since it looks like I'll only be playing on Tuesdays. I'll be happy if I can take one of these down and get some of that sweet $T overlay, however.
Thanks again to $mokkee and Bodog, two of the greatest contributors to the online poker blogger community since...well...since cowboys started playing $1-2NL at the MGM during blogger gatherings!
The Hits, They Keep A'Comin'
I wish that title were the preface for another big MTT score in the online poker world, but alas, that's not the case. (Though congrats to LJ for taking down the LeTune Challenge last night!)
No, no, no, no, no -- these hits are pure comedy gold on the campaign trail.
Check out this video from a McFailin' campaign stop in Ohio (there we go with Ohio again!), where Palin supporters threw out such nuggets as:
"I’m afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over. He’s not a Christian! This is a Christian nation!"
"When you got a Negra running for president, you need a first stringer. He’s definitely a second stringer."
"Obama and his wife, I’m concerned that they could be anti-white. That he might hide that"
"Just the whole, Muslim thing, and everything, and everybody’s still kinda - a lot of people have forgotten about 9/11, but… I dunno, it’s just kinda… a little unnerving."
"I dont like the way he looks down on us white people. He thinks us white people are trash, because we're not."
Why are so many right-wingers so racist yet angry and ignorant at the same time? What, did Palin promise every voter their own noose and burning cross? Or did she simply promise a full gas can to everyone to light their own cross? Looks like the politics of fear of the far right is finally coming home to roost.
I'm damn proud to be an American. I am ashamed, however, that the ignorant racist fucks in that video get to call themselves Americans. Hell, they'd probably still own slaves if the law would allow them to. Either that, or they'd try to deport Obama to Africa because he clearly can't be American, what with a name like Barack Obama. Seriously, I bet those people would have been much happier in Nazi Germany, where the government simply killed everyone that didn't look like them, believe like them, or have a last name like them. Because if your name is Obama, and you're black, by god you must be a terrorist Muslim who hates white people, amirite?
Thanks to David Neiwert over at Crooks and Liars for clueing us in, and thanks to Prose Before Hos for hosting the transcript.
It really saddens me that so much of this footage is coming from Ohio, because one of my favorite persons in the world is from Ohio. But then, I'm convinced this could be one of many states -- it's simply a matter of the McRacist campaign having to spend more time in Ohio and Pennsylvania, because they're pretty much getting their asses kicked in a lot of other states (in fact, the Republican National Campaign Committee is pulling their Colorado ads as of next week, good game).
I have yet to see one piece of evidence of anyone at an Obama rally calling out to "kill whitey", or that the right is a "bunch of honkeys", or anything of that nature. Where's your repudiation now, good sir?
Yes, yes, yes, there are nevertheless a lot of decent hardworking fair-minded people who support John McCain for president. But to them, I have to ask, do you really want to cast your lot with people ignorant enough to come right out and say Obama's a white-hating Muslim who is related to terrorists? Funny, that schmuck didn't say whether that relation was by blood or by marriage, but I digress...
Have a great weekend at the tables. I'mma gonna go maize mazin' this weekend.
No, no, no, no, no -- these hits are pure comedy gold on the campaign trail.
Check out this video from a McFailin' campaign stop in Ohio (there we go with Ohio again!), where Palin supporters threw out such nuggets as:
"I’m afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over. He’s not a Christian! This is a Christian nation!"
"When you got a Negra running for president, you need a first stringer. He’s definitely a second stringer."
"Obama and his wife, I’m concerned that they could be anti-white. That he might hide that"
"Just the whole, Muslim thing, and everything, and everybody’s still kinda - a lot of people have forgotten about 9/11, but… I dunno, it’s just kinda… a little unnerving."
"I dont like the way he looks down on us white people. He thinks us white people are trash, because we're not."
Why are so many right-wingers so racist yet angry and ignorant at the same time? What, did Palin promise every voter their own noose and burning cross? Or did she simply promise a full gas can to everyone to light their own cross? Looks like the politics of fear of the far right is finally coming home to roost.
I'm damn proud to be an American. I am ashamed, however, that the ignorant racist fucks in that video get to call themselves Americans. Hell, they'd probably still own slaves if the law would allow them to. Either that, or they'd try to deport Obama to Africa because he clearly can't be American, what with a name like Barack Obama. Seriously, I bet those people would have been much happier in Nazi Germany, where the government simply killed everyone that didn't look like them, believe like them, or have a last name like them. Because if your name is Obama, and you're black, by god you must be a terrorist Muslim who hates white people, amirite?
Thanks to David Neiwert over at Crooks and Liars for clueing us in, and thanks to Prose Before Hos for hosting the transcript.
It really saddens me that so much of this footage is coming from Ohio, because one of my favorite persons in the world is from Ohio. But then, I'm convinced this could be one of many states -- it's simply a matter of the McRacist campaign having to spend more time in Ohio and Pennsylvania, because they're pretty much getting their asses kicked in a lot of other states (in fact, the Republican National Campaign Committee is pulling their Colorado ads as of next week, good game).
I have yet to see one piece of evidence of anyone at an Obama rally calling out to "kill whitey", or that the right is a "bunch of honkeys", or anything of that nature. Where's your repudiation now, good sir?
Yes, yes, yes, there are nevertheless a lot of decent hardworking fair-minded people who support John McCain for president. But to them, I have to ask, do you really want to cast your lot with people ignorant enough to come right out and say Obama's a white-hating Muslim who is related to terrorists? Funny, that schmuck didn't say whether that relation was by blood or by marriage, but I digress...
Have a great weekend at the tables. I'mma gonna go maize mazin' this weekend.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Better Than A Thousand Words
One is cool, calm, and collected. The other is a zombie.
Brains....BRAINZ!!!!!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
It's Official
Yup, it's official, the Republican party supports torture of American citizens.
According to Marcos Breton and Ed Fletcher of the Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Republican Party has owned up to hosting all of the above on their website. That is, until people noticed.
Faux News Channel likes to accuse the Democrats of playing the race card, but they can't be bothered to hold the elephant party to the same standard for playing the race-baiting card every time they turn around.
The Republicans support torture - "how dishonorable". I guess that's McCain taking the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" to the extreme, no?
"The vandalism to the Obama display appeared to have been done overnight Monday. A racial epithet, profanity, 'KKK' and the words 'white power' were clearly visible from the roadway. Six of the nine fence panels were defaced."
Seriously, what's up with the Angry Right these days? Instead of faux "homemade" signs, are you handing out nooses at McFalin' rallies? Taking the "politics of personal destruction" one step further, and going straight to the "politics of assassination"?
I get it. If you can't beat him, kill him. Oooooookay. No matter, it will be like that Missouri race for the U.S. Senate a few years back, when your candidate John Ashcroft couldn't even beat a dead man in an election.
According to Marcos Breton and Ed Fletcher of the Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Republican Party has owned up to hosting all of the above on their website. That is, until people noticed.
Faux News Channel likes to accuse the Democrats of playing the race card, but they can't be bothered to hold the elephant party to the same standard for playing the race-baiting card every time they turn around.
The Republicans support torture - "how dishonorable". I guess that's McCain taking the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" to the extreme, no?
"The vandalism to the Obama display appeared to have been done overnight Monday. A racial epithet, profanity, 'KKK' and the words 'white power' were clearly visible from the roadway. Six of the nine fence panels were defaced."
Seriously, what's up with the Angry Right these days? Instead of faux "homemade" signs, are you handing out nooses at McFalin' rallies? Taking the "politics of personal destruction" one step further, and going straight to the "politics of assassination"?
I get it. If you can't beat him, kill him. Oooooookay. No matter, it will be like that Missouri race for the U.S. Senate a few years back, when your candidate John Ashcroft couldn't even beat a dead man in an election.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday Night Punishment
7:00pm - So here we go, trying to maintain the run-hot. First on the agenda, the 7pm Full Tilt Daily Doubles, a Stars $5.50, followed shortly by the Bodog $10+1 $5k guarantee, and a $10+1 $5k guarantee at Stars. Let's see if we can pick up a few pots...PUTTING BRAKES ON THIS POST
Okay, never mind all that.
Wow, that's about the single worst, and most expensive, night of online donkery I've ever been a part of. I'm not even going to tell any bad beat stories.
Suffice it to say that out of approximately 15 tournaments, I had only one min-cash, in the cheapest tournament I played, for barely the amount of the buy-in. Went out near the bubble in several other much more expensive tournaments. Biggest mistake of the night was essentially mis-clicking and entering a $50r on Bodog with 60 runners. Of course, I had to take the add-on, as I was above average at break, only to near immediately after run KK into AA...so yeah, I dropped $100 on a single tournament, which is insanely out of my Bodog roll. How fucking stupid.
Crashed out of everything, and I mean everything, except the Stars $5.50, with fuckall to show for it. It's official, my run hot run is O V E R.
The overall roll is still up tremendously this month, but boy, last night was a lesson in humility, and I'm definitely back to $10-12 buyins, max.
Okay, never mind all that.
Wow, that's about the single worst, and most expensive, night of online donkery I've ever been a part of. I'm not even going to tell any bad beat stories.
Suffice it to say that out of approximately 15 tournaments, I had only one min-cash, in the cheapest tournament I played, for barely the amount of the buy-in. Went out near the bubble in several other much more expensive tournaments. Biggest mistake of the night was essentially mis-clicking and entering a $50r on Bodog with 60 runners. Of course, I had to take the add-on, as I was above average at break, only to near immediately after run KK into AA...so yeah, I dropped $100 on a single tournament, which is insanely out of my Bodog roll. How fucking stupid.
Crashed out of everything, and I mean everything, except the Stars $5.50, with fuckall to show for it. It's official, my run hot run is O V E R.
The overall roll is still up tremendously this month, but boy, last night was a lesson in humility, and I'm definitely back to $10-12 buyins, max.
Oh, Plz to be Re-signing One Time
Just when you least expect it, a post on my beloved Colorado Rockies. Sadly, not a good one.
Brian Fuentes, one of the finest closers in MLB (certainly in the National League) is an arbitration-eligible free agent. Millions of trades have been discussed, as has been the prospect of letting him walk for two sandwich draft picks. I've been advocating re-signing him to a 3-4 year deal all season long. Why? Because Manny Corpas just isn't a major league closer, and Taylor Buchholz doesn't have the killer instinct for it, imho. (I do think both are good to very good relievers, just not closer-quality.)
Well, waiting in the wings has been one Casey Weathers, our first round pick in the 2007 draft (from Vanderbilt, and part of the same staff as overall #1 pick David Price). He's been good enough to rocket through the system, to where he was not only in the Texas League All Star Game this year, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team in the Beijing Olympics. He was a definite invite to spring training, with a fair shot to be on the roster by the 2nd half, and our likely closer by 2011, at lastest.
That may still happen someday, but no time soon. Torn ligament in the elbow, suffered in the Arizona Fall League. Hellooooooooooo Tommy John surgery. Poor Casey likely won't see his first day of major league action until 2011, at least.
Maybe I'll end up getting my wish, but the facts remain that we now truly must re-sign Brian Fuentes, and at least through 2011.
Fingers crossed. ONE TIME!!
Brian Fuentes, one of the finest closers in MLB (certainly in the National League) is an arbitration-eligible free agent. Millions of trades have been discussed, as has been the prospect of letting him walk for two sandwich draft picks. I've been advocating re-signing him to a 3-4 year deal all season long. Why? Because Manny Corpas just isn't a major league closer, and Taylor Buchholz doesn't have the killer instinct for it, imho. (I do think both are good to very good relievers, just not closer-quality.)
Well, waiting in the wings has been one Casey Weathers, our first round pick in the 2007 draft (from Vanderbilt, and part of the same staff as overall #1 pick David Price). He's been good enough to rocket through the system, to where he was not only in the Texas League All Star Game this year, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team in the Beijing Olympics. He was a definite invite to spring training, with a fair shot to be on the roster by the 2nd half, and our likely closer by 2011, at lastest.
That may still happen someday, but no time soon. Torn ligament in the elbow, suffered in the Arizona Fall League. Hellooooooooooo Tommy John surgery. Poor Casey likely won't see his first day of major league action until 2011, at least.
Maybe I'll end up getting my wish, but the facts remain that we now truly must re-sign Brian Fuentes, and at least through 2011.
Fingers crossed. ONE TIME!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
What is the Far Right's Dominant Trait?
At least insofar as the basest of all bases in this election, is it anger, or ignorance?
Thanks to some prescient folk (photographer Brett Marty through 538), I present to you Exhibit B:
How is it, exactly, that the angry white men of the far right, who continue to shout out Rev. Jeremiah Wright's name from the highest rooftops, are idiotic enough to claim Barack Obama is a Muslim? Please, help me to understand this. The Democratic candidate, who has been identified as being a member of Rev. Wright's congregation for 20 years, and is slung much mud at for having done so, is simultaneously a Muslim? Gee, that's a good one
Now it all comes clear, why McCain doesn't want his campaign to pound on the Rev. Wright non-issue. It's smart, actually, on a ninja level. If he doesn't bring up Wright, his mad rabid angry righters at the McPalin rallies can live comfortably in their...ahem..."knowledge" that Obama is a Muslim. Nh, sir.
It's awfully hard to have your cake and eat it too, if you haven't even figured out which knob turns on the oven. It's not the knob on the right. The knob on the right's the tool in the photo above.
Thanks to some prescient folk (photographer Brett Marty through 538), I present to you Exhibit B:
How is it, exactly, that the angry white men of the far right, who continue to shout out Rev. Jeremiah Wright's name from the highest rooftops, are idiotic enough to claim Barack Obama is a Muslim? Please, help me to understand this. The Democratic candidate, who has been identified as being a member of Rev. Wright's congregation for 20 years, and is slung much mud at for having done so, is simultaneously a Muslim? Gee, that's a good one
Now it all comes clear, why McCain doesn't want his campaign to pound on the Rev. Wright non-issue. It's smart, actually, on a ninja level. If he doesn't bring up Wright, his mad rabid angry righters at the McPalin rallies can live comfortably in their...ahem..."knowledge" that Obama is a Muslim. Nh, sir.
It's awfully hard to have your cake and eat it too, if you haven't even figured out which knob turns on the oven. It's not the knob on the right. The knob on the right's the tool in the photo above.
A Brief Thought On Late Stage Play
After responding to a post over at the Poker in Colorado forums, I thought I'd share it here. Take it for what it's worth, it's one donk's opinion related to latish stage play. In particular, when you find yourself with a mid pocket pair in early-to-mid position in an unopened pot.
The original poster offered up a scenario of fiding a medium to large pair (up to QQ) in such a position, and asked whether a player should open shove, or perhaps put in a standard raise (presumably, to be followed by calling any 3-bet preflop). The original poster's logic, which I agree with, is that "AK will almost always call here if you shove and often ace doesn't hit board on flop, so if you just raise, you may be able to bet AK off of hand, unless they are big-stacked."
Anyway, the poster asked which play has is more +EV.
I couldn't really say which has the better long term +EV potential. However, I've run into this situation a few times recently myself, and have come to the conclusion that it's a pretty good spot for a stop and go play. Or, I suppose a modified stop and go, since you'd be open raising, as opposed to the classic stop and go, which would consist of flat calling preflop, and shoving any flop.
You could put in an open raise between 2.5-3.5x the BB (if 3.0x would be 1/2 your chips, I'd go closer to 2.5.), and if a later player flat calls, you can shove any flop. Even if an ace hits the flop, shoving the flop could reasonably push out smaller aces, say, through A8 (such donk shouldn't be flat calling your open raise in the first place, but they often do). If villian has a large ace and is in late position, they're probably 3-betting enough to put you all in preflop anyway, in which case you can conceivable still lay down here if you have enough of a read on villian. However, I think that's a weakish play, and don't recommend this form of stop and go unless you're prepared to call any reraise behind you. Otherwise, you're best preflop play is simply shoving or folding.
Though in most cases, if you're open raising early with 77-TT, you're probably calling a 3-bet anyway. You're opening these hands knowing you're essentially committed to calling off the rest of your chips to a preflop reraise. But then, if your decision is whether to open-shove, or open-raise followed by a shove on any flop that doesn't include an ace, you're probably keen to call the reraise anyway.
If you try this move, you almost have to shove any flop that isn't AAx (because your preflop caller won't put you an ace in your pocket if you shove here and he's holding an ace, because you'd be slow playing flopped trips). Frankly, it all depends on villian's concept of fold equity and his stack size, to a certain extent. But here's the thing, if you open raise, versus an open shove, and you don't bet the flop, you'll be either check-folding the flop or much more likely, calling from way behind. So you have to take the lead.
This form of modified stop-and-go is probably a much easier play with TT-QQ than with 77-99, in that the latter requires a bit more intestinal fortitude. But remember, we're doing this trying to get someone with a weak A to call, and unless the ace hits the flop, there's a good enough possibility you're still ahead, and even if you're not (example, if ATo calls and flop is something like KT5r, or if A3-A6 calls, and flop is something like AQTr), the shove on any flop should still induce a fold a good enough measure of the time to make this a profitable play.
Still, I'd recommend having a decent table image and decent read at the time you try it. I imagine this is workable whether you're playing live poker or online poker.
Am I wack here, or is this even sound strategy?
I'm interested in others' ideas here, particularly folks like LJ, Hoy, Lucko, and others who tend to run deep in MTTs often enough to have been able to see this situation more than a few times.
EDIT: As LJ pointed out, there's no real mention of stack sizes, and only vague mention of position. Again, this is pretty much just a theoretical possible strategy, but assume average (or slightly below) stack size, and seating anywhere from UTG to MP2. If your stack is shorter than that, and you want to play the mid to QQ pocket pair, you're better off just open-shoving. If you're larger than average stack this deep in the tourney, your plays aren't really limited to the couple talked about here.
The original poster offered up a scenario of fiding a medium to large pair (up to QQ) in such a position, and asked whether a player should open shove, or perhaps put in a standard raise (presumably, to be followed by calling any 3-bet preflop). The original poster's logic, which I agree with, is that "AK will almost always call here if you shove and often ace doesn't hit board on flop, so if you just raise, you may be able to bet AK off of hand, unless they are big-stacked."
Anyway, the poster asked which play has is more +EV.
I couldn't really say which has the better long term +EV potential. However, I've run into this situation a few times recently myself, and have come to the conclusion that it's a pretty good spot for a stop and go play. Or, I suppose a modified stop and go, since you'd be open raising, as opposed to the classic stop and go, which would consist of flat calling preflop, and shoving any flop.
You could put in an open raise between 2.5-3.5x the BB (if 3.0x would be 1/2 your chips, I'd go closer to 2.5.), and if a later player flat calls, you can shove any flop. Even if an ace hits the flop, shoving the flop could reasonably push out smaller aces, say, through A8 (such donk shouldn't be flat calling your open raise in the first place, but they often do). If villian has a large ace and is in late position, they're probably 3-betting enough to put you all in preflop anyway, in which case you can conceivable still lay down here if you have enough of a read on villian. However, I think that's a weakish play, and don't recommend this form of stop and go unless you're prepared to call any reraise behind you. Otherwise, you're best preflop play is simply shoving or folding.
Though in most cases, if you're open raising early with 77-TT, you're probably calling a 3-bet anyway. You're opening these hands knowing you're essentially committed to calling off the rest of your chips to a preflop reraise. But then, if your decision is whether to open-shove, or open-raise followed by a shove on any flop that doesn't include an ace, you're probably keen to call the reraise anyway.
If you try this move, you almost have to shove any flop that isn't AAx (because your preflop caller won't put you an ace in your pocket if you shove here and he's holding an ace, because you'd be slow playing flopped trips). Frankly, it all depends on villian's concept of fold equity and his stack size, to a certain extent. But here's the thing, if you open raise, versus an open shove, and you don't bet the flop, you'll be either check-folding the flop or much more likely, calling from way behind. So you have to take the lead.
This form of modified stop-and-go is probably a much easier play with TT-QQ than with 77-99, in that the latter requires a bit more intestinal fortitude. But remember, we're doing this trying to get someone with a weak A to call, and unless the ace hits the flop, there's a good enough possibility you're still ahead, and even if you're not (example, if ATo calls and flop is something like KT5r, or if A3-A6 calls, and flop is something like AQTr), the shove on any flop should still induce a fold a good enough measure of the time to make this a profitable play.
Still, I'd recommend having a decent table image and decent read at the time you try it. I imagine this is workable whether you're playing live poker or online poker.
Am I wack here, or is this even sound strategy?
I'm interested in others' ideas here, particularly folks like LJ, Hoy, Lucko, and others who tend to run deep in MTTs often enough to have been able to see this situation more than a few times.
EDIT: As LJ pointed out, there's no real mention of stack sizes, and only vague mention of position. Again, this is pretty much just a theoretical possible strategy, but assume average (or slightly below) stack size, and seating anywhere from UTG to MP2. If your stack is shorter than that, and you want to play the mid to QQ pocket pair, you're better off just open-shoving. If you're larger than average stack this deep in the tourney, your plays aren't really limited to the couple talked about here.
It's Waffles' Fault
You are The Fool
The Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he need to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop daydreaming and fantasising and watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fun Final Table Hand
PokerStars Game #21139393612: Tournament #113745930, $11+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level XVII (2000/4000) - 2008/10/12 15:38:53 ET
Table '113745930 8' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Mondogarage (55832 in chips)
Seat 5: follow_and18 (100980 in chips)
Seat 6: pedevejle (85352 in chips)
Seat 8: POLO93100 (27836 in chips)
Mondogarage: posts the ante 400
follow_and18: posts the ante 400
pedevejle: posts the ante 400
POLO93100: posts the ante 400
Mondogarage: posts small blind 2000
follow_and18: posts big blind 4000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Mondogarage [3s Ah]
pedevejle: calls 4000
POLO93100: folds
Mondogarage: calls 2000 (call getting 5:1, can let go if need to)
follow_and18: checks
*** FLOP *** [5s 4c 2d] (GIN!)
Mondogarage: checks (check and wait for the c-bet)
follow_and18: checks
pedevejle: bets 8000 (right on schedule)
Mondogarage: calls 8000
follow_and18: folds
*** TURN *** [5s 4c 2d] [Js]
Mondogarage: bets 4000 (minimum bet to sell as attempt to steal)
pedevejle: raises 20000 to 24000 (just like clockwork)
Mondogarage: raises 19432 to 43432 and is all-in (come to papa)
pedevejle: calls 19432
*** RIVER *** [5s 4c 2d Js] [Jh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mondogarage: shows [3s Ah] (a straight, Ace to Five)
pedevejle: shows [Kd Ks] (two pair, Kings and Jacks) (slowplay your chips away)
Mondogarage collected 116464 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 116464 | Rake 0
Board [5s 4c 2d Js Jh]
Seat 1: Mondogarage (small blind) showed [3s Ah] and won (116464) with a straight, Ace to Five
Seat 5: follow_and18 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: pedevejle showed [Kd Ks] and lost with two pair, Kings and Jacks
Seat 8: POLO93100 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Villian had been pretty much bullying the final table. Called pf with draws, and took it the rest of the way.
Unfortunately, I lost a 2:1 HU chip lead, and went out 2nd. A win would have been nice, but so far, I have to agree these 12/180s are very soft indeed, and I'm getting a bit more confirmation that the RNG is finally coming my way on JokerStars.
Table '113745930 8' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Mondogarage (55832 in chips)
Seat 5: follow_and18 (100980 in chips)
Seat 6: pedevejle (85352 in chips)
Seat 8: POLO93100 (27836 in chips)
Mondogarage: posts the ante 400
follow_and18: posts the ante 400
pedevejle: posts the ante 400
POLO93100: posts the ante 400
Mondogarage: posts small blind 2000
follow_and18: posts big blind 4000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Mondogarage [3s Ah]
pedevejle: calls 4000
POLO93100: folds
Mondogarage: calls 2000 (call getting 5:1, can let go if need to)
follow_and18: checks
*** FLOP *** [5s 4c 2d] (GIN!)
Mondogarage: checks (check and wait for the c-bet)
follow_and18: checks
pedevejle: bets 8000 (right on schedule)
Mondogarage: calls 8000
follow_and18: folds
*** TURN *** [5s 4c 2d] [Js]
Mondogarage: bets 4000 (minimum bet to sell as attempt to steal)
pedevejle: raises 20000 to 24000 (just like clockwork)
Mondogarage: raises 19432 to 43432 and is all-in (come to papa)
pedevejle: calls 19432
*** RIVER *** [5s 4c 2d Js] [Jh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mondogarage: shows [3s Ah] (a straight, Ace to Five)
pedevejle: shows [Kd Ks] (two pair, Kings and Jacks) (slowplay your chips away)
Mondogarage collected 116464 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 116464 | Rake 0
Board [5s 4c 2d Js Jh]
Seat 1: Mondogarage (small blind) showed [3s Ah] and won (116464) with a straight, Ace to Five
Seat 5: follow_and18 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: pedevejle showed [Kd Ks] and lost with two pair, Kings and Jacks
Seat 8: POLO93100 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Villian had been pretty much bullying the final table. Called pf with draws, and took it the rest of the way.
Unfortunately, I lost a 2:1 HU chip lead, and went out 2nd. A win would have been nice, but so far, I have to agree these 12/180s are very soft indeed, and I'm getting a bit more confirmation that the RNG is finally coming my way on JokerStars.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Unconfirmed (for now), Yet Perfect
Let me get this straight.
Sarah Palin scored an overall 841 on her SATs in 1982, when the average SAT scores for women in 1980, was 498 verbal and 483 math (overall = 981), and in 1984, the average was 498 verbal and 478 math (overall = 976).
I have no idea whether or not this image is real or not. If it is, this is gold.
No, clearly not all conservatives are dumb (nor would I allege otherwise), but your 2008 vice presidential candidate would, in fact, appear to be have been dumber than the average college-bound (or five-colleges-bound-including-a-couple-community-colleges) high school female senior. Furthermore, as a solid "C" student in Math, Social Studies, and Physical Sciences, we can see where she got her great background in economics, climate change, and foreign policy.
Okay, okay, so yes, this was a long time ago. Nobody is claiming you need to score 1600 on your SATs to be intellectually qualified to be president of the United States. You certainly don't have to be Stephen Hawking to hold high office. But really, shouldn't you at least be as smart as the average college-bound person? I mean, shouldn't the American populace want a president who is at least as intelligent (or even studious) as the average person, and not someone who appears to have been significantly below the average intelligence of a college-bound senior, with no other documented evidence later showing advancement beyond that stage.
Seriously, if her scores were much lower, she wouldn't even cross the threshold to play Division I athletics, and you know how much the NCAA has lowered those standards so that your top recruit football mook can suit up.
Why Is John McCain So Dishonest?
Sarah Palin likes to say that Barack Obama has to tell the "total truth" about whatever connection he may have with William Ayres.
In America, we all live under the same set of standards, right? Fair for the goose, fair for the gander?
Okay, then. John, why have you been so dishonest?
What does John McCain have to hide, and why is he being so dishonest about it?
"A review of the personal financial disclosure forms McCain filed after his election to the U.S. House in 1982 show that he did not list the group in the section of his 1982, 1983 and 1984 reports in which he was required to disclose all positions he held outside of government.
The instructions on the form require filers to report 'the identity of all positions held on or before the date of the filing during the current calendar year as an officer, director, trustee, partner, proprietor, representative, employee, or consultant of any corporation, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, any nonprofit organization, any labor organization, or any educational or other institution.'" - Kenneth P. Vogel
Why is John McCain afraid to tell the "total truth" (thanks, Sarah!) about his involvement with the U.S. Council for World Freedom, sitting on their board while they funded death squads, and was connected to terror bombings in Italy?
Equally important is why John McCain filed false personal financial disclosure forms several times during the 1980s.
I think it's time for John McCain to tell the "total truth", because it appears he certainly wasn't do so, even in 1982.
To quote the McCain campaign, "how dishonorable".
In America, we all live under the same set of standards, right? Fair for the goose, fair for the gander?
Okay, then. John, why have you been so dishonest?
What does John McCain have to hide, and why is he being so dishonest about it?
"A review of the personal financial disclosure forms McCain filed after his election to the U.S. House in 1982 show that he did not list the group in the section of his 1982, 1983 and 1984 reports in which he was required to disclose all positions he held outside of government.
The instructions on the form require filers to report 'the identity of all positions held on or before the date of the filing during the current calendar year as an officer, director, trustee, partner, proprietor, representative, employee, or consultant of any corporation, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, any nonprofit organization, any labor organization, or any educational or other institution.'" - Kenneth P. Vogel
Why is John McCain afraid to tell the "total truth" (thanks, Sarah!) about his involvement with the U.S. Council for World Freedom, sitting on their board while they funded death squads, and was connected to terror bombings in Italy?
Equally important is why John McCain filed false personal financial disclosure forms several times during the 1980s.
I think it's time for John McCain to tell the "total truth", because it appears he certainly wasn't do so, even in 1982.
To quote the McCain campaign, "how dishonorable".
When Did Ohio Join the Deep South?
Wow, this is pretty embarassing:
And before the inevitable comment from someone about how I think "All conservatives are dumb and all liberals are smart", I'll just say right out in front that this isn't about intelligence -- the people in this video are simply racist, pure and simple. Okay, a couple of them are completely fucking stupid beyond belief claming that because his last name is "Obama", he is a likely Muslim terrorist.
All apologies for my favorite Ohioan (you know who you are). I'm hoping you didn't have to grow up with the mooks in this video.
Honestly, I never knew having a white mother from Kansas was a required bloodline to be a terrorist...
There are a lot of very valid reasons why someone may choose to support the McCain/Palin ticket. After all, reasonable minds can certainly differ on the direction in which our nation's policies should lead. Frankly, I think voting to continue the policies of the last eight years would be a terrible mistake, but we do not live in a Communist one party state.
But really, to claim the Democratic candidate is a terrorist because of his name, or the color of his skin? Really?
If for no other reason, I would love to see an absolute Obama/Biden landslide next month solely to watch racist pigs like some of those depicted in this video go apoplectic at the thought that a nation could vote a black man who doesn't have an Anglo-Saxon surname be fairly elected to lead them.
Of course, it's easy for people to claim I'm "unhinged". Instead, why won't they answer the question about McCain's actual involvement with the board of an anti-Semitic organization (for several years) that directly funded and armed right wing terrorist death squads in Central America, and whose involvement took place during the very time of that organization's disgusting behavior?
Oh yeah, it's becuase it would require not only a complete reversal of their Ayres argument, but an admission that it's okay to pal around with terrorist supporters, just as long as they're Republican terrorist supporters.
I guess if your last name is of Scottish ancestry, by definition you're unable to have shady personal connections. Oh, the benefits of being a rich white multi-millionaire, I guess.
And before the inevitable comment from someone about how I think "All conservatives are dumb and all liberals are smart", I'll just say right out in front that this isn't about intelligence -- the people in this video are simply racist, pure and simple. Okay, a couple of them are completely fucking stupid beyond belief claming that because his last name is "Obama", he is a likely Muslim terrorist.
All apologies for my favorite Ohioan (you know who you are). I'm hoping you didn't have to grow up with the mooks in this video.
Honestly, I never knew having a white mother from Kansas was a required bloodline to be a terrorist...
There are a lot of very valid reasons why someone may choose to support the McCain/Palin ticket. After all, reasonable minds can certainly differ on the direction in which our nation's policies should lead. Frankly, I think voting to continue the policies of the last eight years would be a terrible mistake, but we do not live in a Communist one party state.
But really, to claim the Democratic candidate is a terrorist because of his name, or the color of his skin? Really?
If for no other reason, I would love to see an absolute Obama/Biden landslide next month solely to watch racist pigs like some of those depicted in this video go apoplectic at the thought that a nation could vote a black man who doesn't have an Anglo-Saxon surname be fairly elected to lead them.
Of course, it's easy for people to claim I'm "unhinged". Instead, why won't they answer the question about McCain's actual involvement with the board of an anti-Semitic organization (for several years) that directly funded and armed right wing terrorist death squads in Central America, and whose involvement took place during the very time of that organization's disgusting behavior?
Oh yeah, it's becuase it would require not only a complete reversal of their Ayres argument, but an admission that it's okay to pal around with terrorist supporters, just as long as they're Republican terrorist supporters.
I guess if your last name is of Scottish ancestry, by definition you're unable to have shady personal connections. Oh, the benefits of being a rich white multi-millionaire, I guess.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Got Dammit, So Close
Two Bodog MTT final tables, 6th in each.
And 21st in the Full Tilt 50/50....gaaaaaa....check-shoved KQs into AK on a K high board. I was 9th in chips at the time, too. I should have folded to his pre-flop 3-bet, so it's really on me. His preflop raise screamed either AK or something like JJ-KK, which means on that flop, I'm really only ahead of 1/2 his range. I could have folded and still had 80k chips with blinds at something like 2k/4k with ante. In other words, plenty of play left. But nooooo, I had to let hubris get in the way.
I really need to fix this particular late stage leak of mine, where I come into a playable (but less than premium) hand, raise it up, and decide I'm going to go to the mat with this hand, inspite of action suggesting that to be a Very Bad Idea, especially when folding to the re-raise will not leave me cripped. Much like Putin over the Bering Strait, this leak reared it's ugly head both during the 50/50, and during the Stars $200k the day before.
Nice paydays all around today, but $260 is nowhere near $9k.
Most disappointing part is, I was 3rd in chips when the money bubble broke, and I think as high as 2nd with as few as 30 or so players left.
Also ran fairly deep in the Stars $3R, but went dead at a crucial time. Cashed in a couple others, as well. As far as consistency, and running well, I honestly think I'm in the best stretch of my online poker career, so to speak. I haven't won a ton of mobnies yet, but I'm making it fairly deep fairly often these days.
Maybe my problem is, I'm not really getting deep enough often enough? Well, one of my losses at Bodog final tables was to a 2 outer, so I can't complain there. I think the real problem in the 50/50 was, about 10 hands previous to my, I stole with the Hammer and showed. After nearly five hours of a tight image, I ruined it with blogger ego.
The best part of the 50/50 was how many times I was 3- or 4- bet all in preflop while I held AA. Four freakin' times, and they held every time. Once, the dude who 4-bet me all in was holding something like Q6o. I know to expect more moves in a $50 buy-in, but more stupid moves? LOL
I can't wait until I'm either regularly rolled for that tourney, or until life allows me to actually play those $14+1 sats more often. This time, I was only home in time for the satellite because I had to leave work early to take care of some cable tv business.
Oh well, someday. At least I finally have sorta-playable rolls on all three sites now, as long as I don't try to play too big (I'd satellited into the fiddy). Even while coming up a bit short just about every time, I've managed to multiply by overall roll by a factor of five in the last ten days or so.
Hoy was still in the top 10 when I crashed -- good luck, Hoy! (EDIT: Hoy went out 9th, nice final table, sorry we didn't get to reach our HU for chop.)
Oh, and Obama pwned tonight.
And 21st in the Full Tilt 50/50....gaaaaaa....check-shoved KQs into AK on a K high board. I was 9th in chips at the time, too. I should have folded to his pre-flop 3-bet, so it's really on me. His preflop raise screamed either AK or something like JJ-KK, which means on that flop, I'm really only ahead of 1/2 his range. I could have folded and still had 80k chips with blinds at something like 2k/4k with ante. In other words, plenty of play left. But nooooo, I had to let hubris get in the way.
I really need to fix this particular late stage leak of mine, where I come into a playable (but less than premium) hand, raise it up, and decide I'm going to go to the mat with this hand, inspite of action suggesting that to be a Very Bad Idea, especially when folding to the re-raise will not leave me cripped. Much like Putin over the Bering Strait, this leak reared it's ugly head both during the 50/50, and during the Stars $200k the day before.
Nice paydays all around today, but $260 is nowhere near $9k.
Most disappointing part is, I was 3rd in chips when the money bubble broke, and I think as high as 2nd with as few as 30 or so players left.
Also ran fairly deep in the Stars $3R, but went dead at a crucial time. Cashed in a couple others, as well. As far as consistency, and running well, I honestly think I'm in the best stretch of my online poker career, so to speak. I haven't won a ton of mobnies yet, but I'm making it fairly deep fairly often these days.
Maybe my problem is, I'm not really getting deep enough often enough? Well, one of my losses at Bodog final tables was to a 2 outer, so I can't complain there. I think the real problem in the 50/50 was, about 10 hands previous to my, I stole with the Hammer and showed. After nearly five hours of a tight image, I ruined it with blogger ego.
The best part of the 50/50 was how many times I was 3- or 4- bet all in preflop while I held AA. Four freakin' times, and they held every time. Once, the dude who 4-bet me all in was holding something like Q6o. I know to expect more moves in a $50 buy-in, but more stupid moves? LOL
I can't wait until I'm either regularly rolled for that tourney, or until life allows me to actually play those $14+1 sats more often. This time, I was only home in time for the satellite because I had to leave work early to take care of some cable tv business.
Oh well, someday. At least I finally have sorta-playable rolls on all three sites now, as long as I don't try to play too big (I'd satellited into the fiddy). Even while coming up a bit short just about every time, I've managed to multiply by overall roll by a factor of five in the last ten days or so.
Hoy was still in the top 10 when I crashed -- good luck, Hoy! (EDIT: Hoy went out 9th, nice final table, sorry we didn't get to reach our HU for chop.)
Oh, and Obama pwned tonight.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Begala Was Right, and Clarification
It was just two days ago when Paul Begala said (on "This Week") that he'd learned some rather disturbing information with regard to John McCain's former alliances that he intentionally left out of his book. Well, as Sarah Errorcuda said, it's time to put the heels on and take the gloves off.
Hot off the presses is this article detailing McCain's ties to, and involvement with, the U.S. Council For World Freedom, and its parent organization, the World Anti-Communist League.
The Republican party likes to paint Obama with the brush of "guilt by association". Well, maybe they should do a couple of self-portraits while they're at it.
Some highlights from Pete Yost's article:
In the 1980s, McCain served on the advisory board to the U.S. chapter of an international group linked to ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America.
The U.S. Council for World Freedom aided rebels trying to overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua. That landed the group in the middle of the Iran-Contra affair and in legal trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which revoked the charitable organization's tax exemption."
"The council created by retired Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub was the U.S. chapter of the World Anti-Communist League, an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. After setting up the U.S. council, Singlaub served as the international league's chairman."
McCain's tie to Singlaub's council is undergoing renewed scrutiny after his campaign criticized Obama for his link to Ayers, a former radical who engaged in violent acts 40 years ago. Over the weekend, Democratic operative Paul Begala said on ABC's "This Week" that this "guilt by association" tactic could backfire on the McCain campaign by renewing discussion of McCain's service on the board of the U.S. Council for World Freedom, "an ultraconservative right-wing group."
In two interviews with The Associated Press in August and September, Singlaub said McCain became associated with the organization in the early 1980s as McCain launched his political career. McCain was elected to the U.S. House in 1982.
The White House-directed network's covert arms shipments, financed in part by the Reagan administration's secret arms sales to Iran, exploded into the Iran-Contra affair in November 1986. The scandal proved to be the undoing of Singlaub's council.
The Latin American affiliate was kicked out of the league. At the time, Singlaub told the columnist the Latin American affiliate had "knowingly promoted pro-Nazi groups" and was "virulently anti-Semitic."
Wow, that's some pretty heavy stuff.
A clarification is in order, however. Based on what little was available a couple of days ago, I misattributed the McCain-Singlaub connection to the Iran half of Iran-Contra. So Singlaub wasn't selling arms to the Iranians. Instead, he was arming right wing death squads in Nicaragua. And John McCain sat on the board of the organization doing so. My bad.
Really, if smarmy elitist jerkoffs like Tucker Bounds want to play guilt by association, I'll cally our Ayres and raise you one Singlaub. I'm pretty certain that sitting on the board of an organziation neck deep in Iran-Contra during the 1980s is far more damning than sitting on a non-profit school improvement board with a guy whose criminal transgressions took place while you were in the 2nd or 3rd grade. Ayers never actually killed anyone -- how many Nicaraguan deaths did John McCain's U.S. Council for World Freedom directly fund?
Hot off the presses is this article detailing McCain's ties to, and involvement with, the U.S. Council For World Freedom, and its parent organization, the World Anti-Communist League.
The Republican party likes to paint Obama with the brush of "guilt by association". Well, maybe they should do a couple of self-portraits while they're at it.
Some highlights from Pete Yost's article:
In the 1980s, McCain served on the advisory board to the U.S. chapter of an international group linked to ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America.
The U.S. Council for World Freedom aided rebels trying to overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua. That landed the group in the middle of the Iran-Contra affair and in legal trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which revoked the charitable organization's tax exemption."
"The council created by retired Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub was the U.S. chapter of the World Anti-Communist League, an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. After setting up the U.S. council, Singlaub served as the international league's chairman."
McCain's tie to Singlaub's council is undergoing renewed scrutiny after his campaign criticized Obama for his link to Ayers, a former radical who engaged in violent acts 40 years ago. Over the weekend, Democratic operative Paul Begala said on ABC's "This Week" that this "guilt by association" tactic could backfire on the McCain campaign by renewing discussion of McCain's service on the board of the U.S. Council for World Freedom, "an ultraconservative right-wing group."
In two interviews with The Associated Press in August and September, Singlaub said McCain became associated with the organization in the early 1980s as McCain launched his political career. McCain was elected to the U.S. House in 1982.
The White House-directed network's covert arms shipments, financed in part by the Reagan administration's secret arms sales to Iran, exploded into the Iran-Contra affair in November 1986. The scandal proved to be the undoing of Singlaub's council.
The Latin American affiliate was kicked out of the league. At the time, Singlaub told the columnist the Latin American affiliate had "knowingly promoted pro-Nazi groups" and was "virulently anti-Semitic."
Wow, that's some pretty heavy stuff.
A clarification is in order, however. Based on what little was available a couple of days ago, I misattributed the McCain-Singlaub connection to the Iran half of Iran-Contra. So Singlaub wasn't selling arms to the Iranians. Instead, he was arming right wing death squads in Nicaragua. And John McCain sat on the board of the organization doing so. My bad.
Really, if smarmy elitist jerkoffs like Tucker Bounds want to play guilt by association, I'll cally our Ayres and raise you one Singlaub. I'm pretty certain that sitting on the board of an organziation neck deep in Iran-Contra during the 1980s is far more damning than sitting on a non-profit school improvement board with a guy whose criminal transgressions took place while you were in the 2nd or 3rd grade. Ayers never actually killed anyone -- how many Nicaraguan deaths did John McCain's U.S. Council for World Freedom directly fund?
Sometimes, You Just Gotta LOL, You Betcha
The new face of the GOP:
WTF is a "socialest" anyway? I suppose that can only mean they're more social than anyone else.
That is, unless you're black, or have beyond a 6th grade education.
I wonder if one of those mooks on that porch is the guy who shouted "sit down, boy!" at a black media cameraman at a Palin rally yesterday. Or maybe one of them is the jerk who shouted "Kill him!" in reference to a presidential candidate?
Really, all you can do is laugh. I mean, now I get it. Now I see why Obama supporters are called elitist. It's because an unhealthy percentage of McPalin supporters probably can't even spell their own names, much less the basest code word talking points of the campaign.
Okay, to be fair, they actually consider us "ehleetest".
WTF is a "socialest" anyway? I suppose that can only mean they're more social than anyone else.
That is, unless you're black, or have beyond a 6th grade education.
I wonder if one of those mooks on that porch is the guy who shouted "sit down, boy!" at a black media cameraman at a Palin rally yesterday. Or maybe one of them is the jerk who shouted "Kill him!" in reference to a presidential candidate?
Really, all you can do is laugh. I mean, now I get it. Now I see why Obama supporters are called elitist. It's because an unhealthy percentage of McPalin supporters probably can't even spell their own names, much less the basest code word talking points of the campaign.
Okay, to be fair, they actually consider us "ehleetest".
Quick Tuesday Pimpage
Like Al Bundy, just a quickie...
Tuesday night is not just Debate Night in America -- it's time for poker bloggers everywhere to put their Skillz on display. Once again, cemfrommd is hosting the Skillz game over at Full Tilt Poker, and the flavor of the day is doublestack Limit Hold'em with KO bounties. I'm thinking I might swing by for this one.
Otherwise you can find me playing online poker in a few of my usual events tonight, or at least trying to follow up last Tuesday's win in the JokerStars $3.30 Triple Shootout, and maybe a couple of MTTs over at Bodog.
With the debate, the temptation to either not play at all, or limit myself to two tabling, is fairly strong. Live blogging tonight will be sil
As for the debate itself, I'm not expecting much in terms of either fireworks or of anything that will fundamentally change the polling trends. As strong as McCain is said to be in town hall styles, he's got nothing left but mud-slinging, and this particular debate is not the forum where that is likely to be successful. If he's going to pull out victory next month, it's not going to be because of anything that happens tonight. Still, it will be worth watching just to see what types of questions made the cut for Brokaw.
Popcorn's on hand, just to be ready if needed, but I need beer.
Tomorrow night? Total Sonic Annihilation, more to come.
Tuesday night is not just Debate Night in America -- it's time for poker bloggers everywhere to put their Skillz on display. Once again, cemfrommd is hosting the Skillz game over at Full Tilt Poker, and the flavor of the day is doublestack Limit Hold'em with KO bounties. I'm thinking I might swing by for this one.
Otherwise you can find me playing online poker in a few of my usual events tonight, or at least trying to follow up last Tuesday's win in the JokerStars $3.30 Triple Shootout, and maybe a couple of MTTs over at Bodog.
With the debate, the temptation to either not play at all, or limit myself to two tabling, is fairly strong. Live blogging tonight will be sil
As for the debate itself, I'm not expecting much in terms of either fireworks or of anything that will fundamentally change the polling trends. As strong as McCain is said to be in town hall styles, he's got nothing left but mud-slinging, and this particular debate is not the forum where that is likely to be successful. If he's going to pull out victory next month, it's not going to be because of anything that happens tonight. Still, it will be worth watching just to see what types of questions made the cut for Brokaw.
Popcorn's on hand, just to be ready if needed, but I need beer.
Tomorrow night? Total Sonic Annihilation, more to come.
Monday, October 06, 2008
New Non-Poker Site, and Congratulations In Order
First off, please let's all go over to Sprstoner's page and extend him congratulations for taking down the Full Tilt $150R $80,000 guarantee last night, for a whopping $58,425!!! With rebuys, the prize pool was a massive $233k, and Sprstoner just pwned that thing.
Awesome job. That has got to be the biggest blogger score ever (that is, if you don't include that handful of true full time pro players who happen to have blogs, such as Negranu and Shaniac....)
Anyway, I just wanted to point you guys, especially the foodie types, to a new blog written by an absolutely wonderful executive chef who does some sitting in at our local farmer's market. Deb describes herself as "A food enthusiast, private chef, culinary instructor, and a self professed 'food pusher' who owns 1012 cookbooks and counting....."
Her blog is called The Tasty Bits, and I can assure you from sampling, the recipes are fantastic. The Good Doctor Mondo (as chef extraordinaire) and I (as barely useful sous chef) have been working up Deb's recipes for ourselves for a few weeks now, and I can tell you that every single one of them is well worth trying. Seriously, who comes up with combining goat cheese with spaghetti squash? S'awesome.
Awesome job. That has got to be the biggest blogger score ever (that is, if you don't include that handful of true full time pro players who happen to have blogs, such as Negranu and Shaniac....)
Anyway, I just wanted to point you guys, especially the foodie types, to a new blog written by an absolutely wonderful executive chef who does some sitting in at our local farmer's market. Deb describes herself as "A food enthusiast, private chef, culinary instructor, and a self professed 'food pusher' who owns 1012 cookbooks and counting....."
Her blog is called The Tasty Bits, and I can assure you from sampling, the recipes are fantastic. The Good Doctor Mondo (as chef extraordinaire) and I (as barely useful sous chef) have been working up Deb's recipes for ourselves for a few weeks now, and I can tell you that every single one of them is well worth trying. Seriously, who comes up with combining goat cheese with spaghetti squash? S'awesome.
Joe Lieberman, the Anti-Jew Jew
"Oh, there you go again, Joe"
Sarah Palin could just have well been talking about former Democrat Joe Lieberman, whose ability to contribute to the U.S. Senate will be called into question in a couple months, when he's kicked out of caucusing with the Dems, and has no committee seats at all.
First, he ties his power wagon to a presidential candidate who had ties to anti-Semitic organizations, going as far back as the early 1980s (Singlaub). Next, he campaigns with a woman who prefers not to leave sermons by preachers who espouse anti-Semitic sentiments.
Thanks to Joe Klein of Time Magazine for unearthing the truth:
"Leave aside the fact that The Embarracuda allowed herself to participate in a cermony that protected her from witchcraft, how about her presence--she didn't 'get up and leave'-- at a sermon by the founder of Jews for Jesus, who argued that the Palestinian terrorist acts against Israel were God's 'judgment' on the Jews because they hadn't accepted Jesus."
Man, I hope there's some YouTube of that awesomeness. (Oops, hey Sarah, you still want to talk about Reverend Wright? How's that mud feel now? Politics, south side Chicago style, yeah. Going up against Ted Stevens is Romper Room, you're in the big leagues, now.)
Goose, meet tha muthafuckin' gander. You may not have been a member of the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) personally (Toddy boy was), but you may wish you could secede yourself pretty soon.
And now, the champion of "fair and balanced" Sean Hannity, is relying on the most basest anti-Semites since the Nazis, to try to score cheap political points. As source material for an entirely illegitimate Fox "bio" on Obama, I'm not so sure you want to be supporting Andy Martin.
Who is Andy Martin? I think I'll let his own words describe his attitudes:
In a New York bankruptcy case, he referred to a judge as a "crooked, slimy Jew."
"I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did, when Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property."
When Martin was a political candidate, he claimed the purpose of his campaign was to "exterminate Jew power in America and impeach U.S. District Court of Appeals judges in New York City."
So, Joe, answer me this -- which would you rather denounce, 1) your abandonment of the Democratic party, 2) hitching your wagon to an erratic old man with poor judgment who consorts with anti-Semites, or 3) your Jewish faith. Or would you rather keep trying to piss on our heads and tell us its raining? You made your deal with the devil (um, I mean, McCain/Palin/Hannity), and he's coming to collect. Hope you enjoy your final four years in the Senate as a legislative eunuch.
Sarah Palin could just have well been talking about former Democrat Joe Lieberman, whose ability to contribute to the U.S. Senate will be called into question in a couple months, when he's kicked out of caucusing with the Dems, and has no committee seats at all.
First, he ties his power wagon to a presidential candidate who had ties to anti-Semitic organizations, going as far back as the early 1980s (Singlaub). Next, he campaigns with a woman who prefers not to leave sermons by preachers who espouse anti-Semitic sentiments.
Thanks to Joe Klein of Time Magazine for unearthing the truth:
"Leave aside the fact that The Embarracuda allowed herself to participate in a cermony that protected her from witchcraft, how about her presence--she didn't 'get up and leave'-- at a sermon by the founder of Jews for Jesus, who argued that the Palestinian terrorist acts against Israel were God's 'judgment' on the Jews because they hadn't accepted Jesus."
Man, I hope there's some YouTube of that awesomeness. (Oops, hey Sarah, you still want to talk about Reverend Wright? How's that mud feel now? Politics, south side Chicago style, yeah. Going up against Ted Stevens is Romper Room, you're in the big leagues, now.)
Goose, meet tha muthafuckin' gander. You may not have been a member of the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) personally (Toddy boy was), but you may wish you could secede yourself pretty soon.
And now, the champion of "fair and balanced" Sean Hannity, is relying on the most basest anti-Semites since the Nazis, to try to score cheap political points. As source material for an entirely illegitimate Fox "bio" on Obama, I'm not so sure you want to be supporting Andy Martin.
Who is Andy Martin? I think I'll let his own words describe his attitudes:
In a New York bankruptcy case, he referred to a judge as a "crooked, slimy Jew."
"I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did, when Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property."
When Martin was a political candidate, he claimed the purpose of his campaign was to "exterminate Jew power in America and impeach U.S. District Court of Appeals judges in New York City."
So, Joe, answer me this -- which would you rather denounce, 1) your abandonment of the Democratic party, 2) hitching your wagon to an erratic old man with poor judgment who consorts with anti-Semites, or 3) your Jewish faith. Or would you rather keep trying to piss on our heads and tell us its raining? You made your deal with the devil (um, I mean, McCain/Palin/Hannity), and he's coming to collect. Hope you enjoy your final four years in the Senate as a legislative eunuch.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
I'll Call Your Ayers And Raise You One Singlaub
"And I think Governor Palin here is making a strategic mistake. This guilt by association path is going to be trouble ultimately for the McCain campaign. You know, you can go back, I have written a book about McCain, I had a dozen researchers go through him, I didn’t even put this in the book. But John McCain sat on the board of a very right-wing organization, it was the U.S. Council for World Freedom, it was chaired by a guy named John Singlaub, who wound up involved in the Iran contra scandal. It was an ultra conservative, right-wing group. The Anti-Defamation League, in 1981 when McCain was on the board, said this about this organization. It was affiliated with the World Anti-Communist League – the parent organization – which ADL said “has increasingly become a gathering place, a forum, a point of contact for extremists, racists and anti-Semites.”
Now, that's not John McCain, I don't think he is that. But you know, the problem is that a lot of people know John McCain’s record better than Governor Palin. And he does not want to play guilt by association or this thing could blow up in his face."
-Paul Begala on "This Week"
So you think that former Democrat Lieberman, soon to be a senator without a caucus, would be a little pissed to find out McCain's been partnering up with the anti-Semites and working with folks who would sell weapons to Iran who...you know, as you say, wants to wipe Israel off the map? Somehow, I don't think old Joe is too pleased about this.
Maybe the saddest part of this whole charade is seeing someone previously held up on such a pedestal as being clean, ethical, and with a conscience, as McCain has been, be revealed as nothing more than the same type of political hack that would lie down in the shallow trenches with the likes of Keating, Abramoff, and Rove. Truth is, McCain's only constituency has ever been McCain, in a vain attempt to not just live up to his dad and grandpa, but somehow go just one step beyond -- no matter what he has to do, or what lies he has to tell, or what principles he has to compromise, to get there.
Of course, who needs to point out McCain's own would-be terrorist associations, when the best argument against McCain's negative campaigning comes from...well...from McCain himself. I got yer straight talk right here.
Meanwhile, while his campaign would desperately prefer to to "turn the page" on the economy, the stock markets beg to differ. Methinks the economy wins that battle for the minds of voters this year.
Now, that's not John McCain, I don't think he is that. But you know, the problem is that a lot of people know John McCain’s record better than Governor Palin. And he does not want to play guilt by association or this thing could blow up in his face."
-Paul Begala on "This Week"
So you think that former Democrat Lieberman, soon to be a senator without a caucus, would be a little pissed to find out McCain's been partnering up with the anti-Semites and working with folks who would sell weapons to Iran who...you know, as you say, wants to wipe Israel off the map? Somehow, I don't think old Joe is too pleased about this.
Maybe the saddest part of this whole charade is seeing someone previously held up on such a pedestal as being clean, ethical, and with a conscience, as McCain has been, be revealed as nothing more than the same type of political hack that would lie down in the shallow trenches with the likes of Keating, Abramoff, and Rove. Truth is, McCain's only constituency has ever been McCain, in a vain attempt to not just live up to his dad and grandpa, but somehow go just one step beyond -- no matter what he has to do, or what lies he has to tell, or what principles he has to compromise, to get there.
Of course, who needs to point out McCain's own would-be terrorist associations, when the best argument against McCain's negative campaigning comes from...well...from McCain himself. I got yer straight talk right here.
Meanwhile, while his campaign would desperately prefer to to "turn the page" on the economy, the stock markets beg to differ. Methinks the economy wins that battle for the minds of voters this year.
Defining Nerves
Calling off 33k chips from an 88k stack in the JokerStars 200k guarantee, seeing your 88 is ahead of A9o, and then losing your net connection.
Fortunately, it wasn't down long, and I'd won the hand, and am currently 26th with about 1400 remaining from original 22k runners. Still, way to make a heart jump a beat.
3rd break in the $200k, and I'm sitting 213 of 751. Lost a nice pot just before break that would have put me in top 70. Had KQ in the big blind, and late position shoved about 34k in chips (big blind was 5k, and I had about 135k). Anyway, he had 88 and I lost the race. So I still have a bit above average chips, but my work's definitely cut out for me.
4th break in the $200k, and I'm still kicking. Just 3-bet shoved A4s from the button, and a mid-to-large stack folded. At break, I'm 122nd of 228 remaining, but a fair bit below average chips, and am in the bottom 3 stacks at table, with an M of about 6-7...sounds like Go Time.
In a major case of deja vu, one orbit into break, I 3-bet shoved A4s from the button, and the same mid-to-large stack folded. Weird.
So while I'm playing the $200k, I'd decided to play the Full Tilt Early Daily Doubles, of the $5+1 variety. Anyway, I got sucked out on to go out of ED A, but just NOW went out two spots before final table in DD B. I'd called a pf raise with J9 diamonds, and hit a diamond in the 9 high flop. I checked to the aggro player who was raising everything, and checkraised all in. She had AQo. Caught a 4th club on the turn, but the oh so nasty A on the river sent me out 2 before final table. So, I've still never made a Daily Double final table, but my 11th place beats my previous best by 1.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, we're on the 5th break in the $200k, and I'm sitting 12th of 47. One key hand, UTG shoved a 60k stack (blinds were like 25k/50k, and I tripled the blind with AQs. Small blind overshoves, and I go to the time clock. I talk myself into him having a small pair, and eff it, I need chips, with an M of 4, so I call. The small blind had KK, but I hit the miraculous A on the river, for a rare suckout of my own. But yeah, I've got chips and a chair, so we'll see.
Wellllll, crap, went out 28th of 22141 runners, when I couldn't win a race. To set up the story, the hand before, I'm in mid position with about 1.9m chips, and look down to find 99. Guy two to my right, who is tourney chipleader with 6.1m, raises 3x the big blind to 450k. I was seriously considering shoving, because I thought I had enough fold equity, and had been playing tight (saw 12% of flops for the tourney). The Good Doctor Mondo, who is sitting next to me, says something like "you can't be thinking of going all in with 99". I let a ton of my timer count down, and fold, without sacking up.
Of course, she hasn't played poker in a year, and has never played really outside of bar poker. And I realize now she doesn't have a real concept of aggressive late stage play when real money is on the line.
So the next hand, I have AQo, and the same player raises to 450k. I again let the timer start, and say fuck it, I need the chips, I'm 16th of 28, and haven't played a hand since I doubled up a shorty when his AA held against my AK (my button versus his small blind, of course).
Well, he eventually calls, and his 88 holds, I don't improve, and I'm out 28th.
I followed him to the next table, and it was difficult, since he didn't seem English, but it appears that on the hand I folded 99, he folded either 88 (for 88 twice in a row), or AA. LOL. I think I should have played the 99.
Anyway, I can't complain about the payday, I'm starting to get a semi-real roll again, and the most I've ever had on JokerStars (at least enough to comfortably play $16 buyins for a while...), but dammit, I'm kicking myself...not for losing, but for not trusting my instincts, which got me past over 22100 runners. I don't know that I'll ever get so close to a HUGE payday again for a long while, and if I felt like I had fold equity and a read, I probably should have gone with it.
Nevertheless, I have to be pleased with this past week of online poker. One MTT win, one near final table in a 1200 runner event, and coming up a race short of a possible 4- or 5- figure cash. Going out for Dairy Queen afterwards, with the Good Doctor tasted so much better.
Fortunately, it wasn't down long, and I'd won the hand, and am currently 26th with about 1400 remaining from original 22k runners. Still, way to make a heart jump a beat.
3rd break in the $200k, and I'm sitting 213 of 751. Lost a nice pot just before break that would have put me in top 70. Had KQ in the big blind, and late position shoved about 34k in chips (big blind was 5k, and I had about 135k). Anyway, he had 88 and I lost the race. So I still have a bit above average chips, but my work's definitely cut out for me.
4th break in the $200k, and I'm still kicking. Just 3-bet shoved A4s from the button, and a mid-to-large stack folded. At break, I'm 122nd of 228 remaining, but a fair bit below average chips, and am in the bottom 3 stacks at table, with an M of about 6-7...sounds like Go Time.
In a major case of deja vu, one orbit into break, I 3-bet shoved A4s from the button, and the same mid-to-large stack folded. Weird.
So while I'm playing the $200k, I'd decided to play the Full Tilt Early Daily Doubles, of the $5+1 variety. Anyway, I got sucked out on to go out of ED A, but just NOW went out two spots before final table in DD B. I'd called a pf raise with J9 diamonds, and hit a diamond in the 9 high flop. I checked to the aggro player who was raising everything, and checkraised all in. She had AQo. Caught a 4th club on the turn, but the oh so nasty A on the river sent me out 2 before final table. So, I've still never made a Daily Double final table, but my 11th place beats my previous best by 1.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, we're on the 5th break in the $200k, and I'm sitting 12th of 47. One key hand, UTG shoved a 60k stack (blinds were like 25k/50k, and I tripled the blind with AQs. Small blind overshoves, and I go to the time clock. I talk myself into him having a small pair, and eff it, I need chips, with an M of 4, so I call. The small blind had KK, but I hit the miraculous A on the river, for a rare suckout of my own. But yeah, I've got chips and a chair, so we'll see.
Wellllll, crap, went out 28th of 22141 runners, when I couldn't win a race. To set up the story, the hand before, I'm in mid position with about 1.9m chips, and look down to find 99. Guy two to my right, who is tourney chipleader with 6.1m, raises 3x the big blind to 450k. I was seriously considering shoving, because I thought I had enough fold equity, and had been playing tight (saw 12% of flops for the tourney). The Good Doctor Mondo, who is sitting next to me, says something like "you can't be thinking of going all in with 99". I let a ton of my timer count down, and fold, without sacking up.
Of course, she hasn't played poker in a year, and has never played really outside of bar poker. And I realize now she doesn't have a real concept of aggressive late stage play when real money is on the line.
So the next hand, I have AQo, and the same player raises to 450k. I again let the timer start, and say fuck it, I need the chips, I'm 16th of 28, and haven't played a hand since I doubled up a shorty when his AA held against my AK (my button versus his small blind, of course).
Well, he eventually calls, and his 88 holds, I don't improve, and I'm out 28th.
I followed him to the next table, and it was difficult, since he didn't seem English, but it appears that on the hand I folded 99, he folded either 88 (for 88 twice in a row), or AA. LOL. I think I should have played the 99.
Anyway, I can't complain about the payday, I'm starting to get a semi-real roll again, and the most I've ever had on JokerStars (at least enough to comfortably play $16 buyins for a while...), but dammit, I'm kicking myself...not for losing, but for not trusting my instincts, which got me past over 22100 runners. I don't know that I'll ever get so close to a HUGE payday again for a long while, and if I felt like I had fold equity and a read, I probably should have gone with it.
Nevertheless, I have to be pleased with this past week of online poker. One MTT win, one near final table in a 1200 runner event, and coming up a race short of a possible 4- or 5- figure cash. Going out for Dairy Queen afterwards, with the Good Doctor tasted so much better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)