November 16, 2009
November 14, 2009
Google Wave Invite Arrived!
Finally got my Google Wave invite. Looks like a really fancy email client with an empty contacts list right now. I’ve sent one invite, leaving me seven more. Most of these will be sent to work colleagues. I’ll let you know if I have any invites left after Monday.
November 13, 2009
Poker in the news…
If you’re a poker fan, then you probably already know Joe Cada won the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event. In addition to the bracelet, Cada earned 8.5 million for his first place finish. Cada beat 6,493 other players to win the main event, including a final table with Phil Ivey. I listened to a good portion of the event live on the internet before watching portions of Tuesday’s broadcast on ESPN. It is very surprising to me that excitement surrounding the WSOP continues to grow. 2009 saw record fields, including an infamous day 1d in the main event that turned away hundreds of players.
I was rooting for Phil Ivey to win the main event. Ivey is widely regarded as the best poker player in the world. An Ivey win would have helped further the argument made by the Poker Players Alliance (and others) that poker is indeed a game of skill. Instead, poker enthusiasts were treated to their worst nightmare: suck out after suck out on a global stage. Phil Ivey was knocked out by Darvin Moon when his Ace-King couldn’t hold against Moon’s Ace-Queen. Kevin Schaffel was knocked out in eighth place with Aces when Eric Buchman’s Kings improved to a set of Kings on the flop and quads on the turn. Steven Begleiter was eliminated holding Queens by Moon’s Ace-Queen when an Ace hit on the river. If you were rooting for anyone other than Moon or Cada you probably felt like someone punched you in the gut at least once during the final table.
Hopefully the non-enthusiasts won’t let a few bad beats taint their views of poker. Support has been building:
- H.R. 2267 the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, & Enforcement Act of 2009 now has 62 cosponsors
- Congressional Joint Tax Committee recently reported that licensing and regulation of Internet gaming would produce up to $41 billion in revenue over 10 years
- S.1597 the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act was introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in August of this year
The dark cloud on the horizon is the December 1st deadline for regulatory compliance of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Online players have already begun reporting letters from their banks warning of the coming deadline. Too soon to tell how this will change the poker landscape, if at all.
November 8, 2009
Observe and Report
Observe and Report (2009)
1.5/5
There is a scene in this movie where a police officer hides in a closet while Detective Harrison (played by Ray Liotta) breaks the news to Ronnie Barnhardt (played by Seth Rogen) that he cannot be a police officer because he failed his psych exam. Detective Harrison hates Ronnie Barnhardt and wants the opportunity to share this information so he can enjoy his suffering. Half-way through breaking the news the police officer hiding in the closet walks out and says “I thought this was going to be funny, but it’s actually kind of sad.”
This scene matched my feeling for the movie. There were a few parts I found funny but overall the movie was just kind of sad. It felt mean-spirited and condescending. The movie felt like a bully. Instead of presenting humorous quirks about characters, characters were presented as inferior. Maybe I wasn’t really in the mood for a comedy. I found myself feeling bad for the butt of the jokes instead of laughing along. If your a Seth Rogen fan, rent one of his other movies (they are better.) Not a fan? This movie won’t help.
November 7, 2009
U.S. House – Health Care Bill Passes
Final Vote
218 Needed for Passage
Democratic – Yea (219) Nay (39)
Republican – Yea (1) Nay (176)
================================
Totals – Yea (220) Nay (215)
Anh “Joseph” Cao Congressman from Louisiana’s 2nd District was the only republican to vote in favor of the bill.
Nothing like watching a little C-SPAN on a Saturday night.
November 4, 2009
November 3, 2009
The Twilight Series
3.5/5
Many of you are probably already rolling your eyes, but I really enjoyed this series. Do not let the hype nor the movies push you to the point of skipping several good books. There are a total of four books in the Twilight series written by Stephenie Meyer: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
The books are a mix of fantasy and love story that introduce us to Bella (a normal high school girl,) and Edward (a vegetarian vampire.) Meyer provides a unique twist to the standard story of young love and enhances the already interesting topic of vampires. I generally like a good love story and have always been fascinated by vampires, so the combination worked well for me. If neither topic interests you in the least then you can safely pass on these books.
Throughout the series we are introduced to Edward’s family (the Cullens) and their unique bond (vegetarians.) We also learn about the Quileute tribe’s (a group of Native American Indians) strange legends and abilities. Other vampires (from all walks of life) provide contrast to the Cullen family. And these are all backdrops to the challenges Bella and Edward face as they begin an intense relationship. The series does have a few low points, including a completely unnecessary love triangle and brief change in perspective, but I was able to quickly move beyond them.
There is an unfinished fifth book titled Midnight Sun that tells the Twilight story from Edward’s perspective. Stephenie Meyer gave up on the book after a partial draft was posted on the internet. You can find the partial draft and her explanation of why she stopped working on it at her website. The first book (Twilight) was released as a movie last year to mixed reviews – 49% on the Tomatometer. New Moon comes out on November 20th, 2009. I thought the first movie was entertaining and I am looking forward to the second. The movie had several annoying deviations from the book and some interesting casting choices but was a better adaptation than The Golden Compass.
Sunset the day after our winter storm.
