Funny Motivational Posters

I love the new Battlestar Galactica - not necessarily because of the CGI (which is the best ever produced for TV) but because of the intricate storyline(s) and the depth of character development not to mention the stellar acting. When you get sucked into this show you will forget that you are watching TV and actually identify with the characters and issues. A very difficult task to accomplish in any medium especially Sci-fi for TV.

You may have seen some funny motivational posters floating around on the Internet. A friend of mine recently sent me a great collection from www.demotivateus.com, and I had to share a few. Thank you to whoever created these, you made me laugh.

Books to read: Ender's Game

I just finished Orson Scott Card's masterpiece "Ender's Game", and let me tell you I do not use the word masterpiece lightly. The story has depth and meaning often lacking in popular fiction, it is amazingly easy to read, and although it is the story of responsibility thrust upon a child the writing is assessable but not childish in any way.

"Ender's Game" is the story of a boy-hero, Ender Wiggin, burdened as the saviour of mankind. Ender's trials to become the ultimate commander, achieving balance between the harsh realities of war and the compassion to preserve life, comprise one of the most realistic and poignant coming of age tales ever written.

I don't want to be a spoiler - just read the book and/or graphic novel coming out via Marvel Comics this fall (2008)

Grand Canyon Pics

Looking for things to do in Las Vegas besides gamble? You can book excursions to the Grand Canyon if you are looking for something more adventurous than doubling down on 11.

There are a number of different packages from a few local tour companies. Check out http://www.alllasvegastours.com/ for a good comparison. I did the helicopter, lunch package, it is a 45 minute ride out to the Grand Canyon vs. a 2 hour+ bus trip, flying over Lake Mead, The Hoover Dam, and Lake Las Vegas on your way there.

The views are amazing during the entire trip but once you reach the canyon everything else is minuscule in comparison. You fly into the canyon and have lunch on a plateau just above a bend in the Colorado river. A fantastic trip and would definitely recommend doing this trip in the morning to minimize the effects of the desert heat.

Here are a few of the 440 pics I took:

The Colorado River and Grand Canyon

The Colorado River and Grand Canyon (with some Photoshop enhancement - replaced and augmented colors, removed reflection from windshield and made the Colorado River blue)
Lake Mead

Lake Mead - Colorado river mouth with some Photoshop enhancements

This is the same picture as above with more Photoshop enhancements. Adjusted the curves to give the shadows more detail. Adjusted the saturation to give the color of the mountains more complexity/hyper realism)

Aerial shot of the Las Vegas Strip

Buying and selling the right to pollute

Did you know that there is an exchange for pollution rights where the right to pollute is traded like a commodity?

The Chicago Climate Exchange offers member organizations the right to buy and sell pollution credits. Do you think this is right? Should the depth of one's pockets determine how much they should be allowed to pollute?

Pretty much every major chemical, oil, auto and manufacturing company is a member. Click here for a complete list.

My first WSOP - part 2 -Single table satellites to WSOP events

So I am knocked out of the Cesar's mega stack when my TT runs into AA. NEH - Vegas sucks. I decide to head over to the RIO, scope out the room and perhaps play a satellite to try and pay for some of my entry to Event 31. The satellite room is across from the main tourney room in the Rio convention center. I visited the Rio during the $50k HORSE event last year so was prepared for the rush and excitement that permeates the main room. Last year I was taking pictures with the stars, this year I was there to beat them.

I got my seat card for the next 10 person sng satellite, $275 buy in, winner take all (they pay approx. $2500 in tournament lammers which can be used to buy in to a WSOP event). I did a lot of research prior to this trip and decided to play in one or two of these expecting at least a chop was +EV if I could get down to heads up in at least one. The satellite got going within 15 minutes and I surveyed the table to see what I could gather about my opponents.

I was seated in the #9 spot. A nerdy, mustachioed man sat directly to my right and was talking my head off about how he had played in four of these single table satellites already today and chopped two of them. The guy to my immediate left was a senior who looked like a rock but ended up playing like a donk. The requisite crazy older Asian man was sitting in seat #1 and an Asian kid from Cali in seat #5 made the point of introducing himself to the table to which I said, "I'm not really expecting this to develop into a long term relationship so excuse me if I don't remember your name in 5 minutes." Damn, I am and ass sometimes. I think his name was Mike or Ike.

The last person to take his seat was this sunburned redheaded man who I will assume to be from either the Great Britain or Kentucky. He didn't say a word the whole time so there is no way of knowing since the dress and mannerisms of the residents of Great Britain are very similar to those found in the peoples of Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee (no offense to anyone from anywhere).

The mystery man with the sunburned face was bouncing around the room like a pinball prior to the start of our tourney. Once the tourney started he transferred all that built up kinetic energy into the worst 15 minuted of play I have ever seen. He was so excited that he got two cards every hand he played almost every one. He was all in before the second blind level preflop with 76 against AK and didnt improve. A Frenchman and a quiet man in Oakleys were the next to go. Both were victims of the crazy Asian man hitting an open-ender. Then the old man who had played like a rock the entire time, decides to reraise all-in after the flop (but for only 1/3 of the total pot) with K-high against the crazy older Asian guy, who calls with A high and a flush draw and takes out our rock/donk in fifth place.

The blinds were at 100/200 and I had been stealing the occasional pot from time to time and did not have to show down a hand when I picked up Qc9d on the button and decided to limp in, with about 1800 behind me. I had the Crazy Asian in the big blind and the younger Asian dude had limped in early position.

The flop was 992 with two clubs. Pretty close to the dream flop for Q9. Both players check and I check to disguise the strength of my hand. The 6c spikes on the turn. Now I may no longer have the best hand. Both players check and I fire a bet of 400 into the 600 pot. Part feeler, part value bet as I am pretty sure I have the best hand but the flush is out there and if another club hits I may be in trouble. I do have the Qc which may be good, but probably not if the other person calls this bet.

The crazy old Asian man instantly raises my bet of 400 to 1200, the younger Asian man folds faster than the Lakers without Kobe, and I have a tough decision to make. I consider my opponent and what his possible range is (ATC) and decide I have to go with this hand. I repush all in and he flips over J9 no clubs. Pretty much the hand I wanted to see. Domination. 1 card left, 3 outs. I guess you know what the river was.

The man apologized to which I said "Nonsense. I pushed, it happens. I wanted to get the money in there more than you did."

Random events are just that - random, unpredictable.

I left the Rio satellite room slightly disappointed, deciding it was pointless to play more of these satellites -but hopeful that I could still perform well enough in the WSOP event in two days to make this all seem like the bad joke that it was.