One of these was designed by me. One was designed by my daughter. Which one is which?
October 2008 Archives
No political discussions this week. I fear I may have damaged by already weak reputation with last week's remarks. Tact is never something I have had in abundance and I often find I defend myself from actions and opinions that only exist because I assume they do. This week then will be dedicated to less incendiary topics. At least that is the plan today.
During the dark drive in to work I let my mind drift. This drifting is often tempered by what I might be listening to on the radio. Of course when I say radio I mean my iPod and RF transmitter. It is not often you will catch me listening to terrestrial radio. That, however, is a topic for another day. Today I was listening to Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It is the continuation of the Ender series and is the direct follow-up to Speaker for the Dead. Given the title you might infere that the book concerns some form of alien life. Your inference would be correct. As this is not the time for a book review just know that my mind drifted to the possible existence of intelligent life not of the Earth. As I think I have said in the past, I am open to the possibility of alien intelligence and suspect it is extremely likely given the vastness of the universe. I think accepting the possibility makes it easy to ponder the next question.
I have wondered how I would react if alien life finally showed itself publicly to the citizens of Earth. More specifically, if given the choice of going to places unknown on an alien ship would I go? The proposal goes something like this:
"You have been invited to take a journey unlike that ever taken by human kind. You can board the starship and be shown things unimaginable and have your mind open to many secrects of the universe but this knowledge comes at a price. If you are ever to return to Earth it will be hundreds if not thousands of years in the future. Everyone you know will have long since died along with their children, their children's children, and so forth. You must leave your family and everything you have ever known and will not be able to have any further contact. This is the physical reality of interstellar travel. However, if you choose to go many of your questions will be answered and you will most certainly get to see the future of Earth. Make your choice."
I am starting to think this topic has come up before. If true then I apologize for rehashing topics. I guess it is something I have thought about on more than one occasion. It is also a nice mental exercise that might give insight into who I am and might also allow you, the reader, to expand how you think about yourself and the universe. Of course if you firmly believe that Earth is the only inhabited planet then the entire discussion is probably pointless. I do suggest, however, that you suspend your disbelief, if only for a moment, and allow your mind to wonder and perhaps dream and see where the thoughts lead you. Now back to our story.
Once this would be a very easy choice for me but since getting married and having a child it is much tougher. I would have to give up my life with my family. NOt only would I miss my daughter's growth to adulthood but I would basically be turning my back on them and forcing them to continue on alone. For me that is no small consequence. It is especially difficult when you realize that I put a lot of value on mortal life. I don't have any faith or expectation of a conscious after the physical death of my flesh. There is no meeting my loved ones in another place. The time that I have with them is all that I will ever have and it is not something to be thrown away or given up lightly.
The other side of the coin is also very tempting. I have been fascinated with space all pf my life and to be given the chance to travel the Solar System, the glaxay, and the universe would be an opportunity that is difficult to pass up. Again I think my belief system also comes into play here has I want answers. There is no way of knowning that another species could give those answers but the conquering of the speed of light barrier must also come with unique insight into the nature of the universe. To say "no" to such an opprotunity to live an ordinary, terrestrial life almost seems like a crime against humanity. How would you live your life every day knowning you could have seen the wonders of the universe? Would you be bitter or resent your life and your family because of your choice? Could you live a full life knowing what you gave up and living with that truth every day.
The decision would not be easy for me. In fact, it would probably tear me apart. (Yeah, I think have discussed this here before on the old blog. Something is tickling my memory as I type.) I don't know if I could look my child in the eye and say goodbye but I also know that the rest of my life would be filled with wondering "what-if". I guess just knowing that there really is something else out there would be a consolation and there would always be the hope the opportunity would come again later in life when the choice might be a little easier. Still, to go where no man has gone before would be amazing and wonderous. A tough, tough choice.
Would you go or stay?
During the dark drive in to work I let my mind drift. This drifting is often tempered by what I might be listening to on the radio. Of course when I say radio I mean my iPod and RF transmitter. It is not often you will catch me listening to terrestrial radio. That, however, is a topic for another day. Today I was listening to Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It is the continuation of the Ender series and is the direct follow-up to Speaker for the Dead. Given the title you might infere that the book concerns some form of alien life. Your inference would be correct. As this is not the time for a book review just know that my mind drifted to the possible existence of intelligent life not of the Earth. As I think I have said in the past, I am open to the possibility of alien intelligence and suspect it is extremely likely given the vastness of the universe. I think accepting the possibility makes it easy to ponder the next question.
I have wondered how I would react if alien life finally showed itself publicly to the citizens of Earth. More specifically, if given the choice of going to places unknown on an alien ship would I go? The proposal goes something like this:"You have been invited to take a journey unlike that ever taken by human kind. You can board the starship and be shown things unimaginable and have your mind open to many secrects of the universe but this knowledge comes at a price. If you are ever to return to Earth it will be hundreds if not thousands of years in the future. Everyone you know will have long since died along with their children, their children's children, and so forth. You must leave your family and everything you have ever known and will not be able to have any further contact. This is the physical reality of interstellar travel. However, if you choose to go many of your questions will be answered and you will most certainly get to see the future of Earth. Make your choice."
I am starting to think this topic has come up before. If true then I apologize for rehashing topics. I guess it is something I have thought about on more than one occasion. It is also a nice mental exercise that might give insight into who I am and might also allow you, the reader, to expand how you think about yourself and the universe. Of course if you firmly believe that Earth is the only inhabited planet then the entire discussion is probably pointless. I do suggest, however, that you suspend your disbelief, if only for a moment, and allow your mind to wonder and perhaps dream and see where the thoughts lead you. Now back to our story.
Once this would be a very easy choice for me but since getting married and having a child it is much tougher. I would have to give up my life with my family. NOt only would I miss my daughter's growth to adulthood but I would basically be turning my back on them and forcing them to continue on alone. For me that is no small consequence. It is especially difficult when you realize that I put a lot of value on mortal life. I don't have any faith or expectation of a conscious after the physical death of my flesh. There is no meeting my loved ones in another place. The time that I have with them is all that I will ever have and it is not something to be thrown away or given up lightly.
The other side of the coin is also very tempting. I have been fascinated with space all pf my life and to be given the chance to travel the Solar System, the glaxay, and the universe would be an opportunity that is difficult to pass up. Again I think my belief system also comes into play here has I want answers. There is no way of knowning that another species could give those answers but the conquering of the speed of light barrier must also come with unique insight into the nature of the universe. To say "no" to such an opprotunity to live an ordinary, terrestrial life almost seems like a crime against humanity. How would you live your life every day knowning you could have seen the wonders of the universe? Would you be bitter or resent your life and your family because of your choice? Could you live a full life knowing what you gave up and living with that truth every day.
The decision would not be easy for me. In fact, it would probably tear me apart. (Yeah, I think have discussed this here before on the old blog. Something is tickling my memory as I type.) I don't know if I could look my child in the eye and say goodbye but I also know that the rest of my life would be filled with wondering "what-if". I guess just knowing that there really is something else out there would be a consolation and there would always be the hope the opportunity would come again later in life when the choice might be a little easier. Still, to go where no man has gone before would be amazing and wonderous. A tough, tough choice.
Would you go or stay?
I finally finished Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingom last night. It took me forever but I was determined to get it done before going to bed and I accomplished that simplistic goal.
I wanted to like this book. It had plenty to pull me including a sci-fi future world, a setting of which I am very familiar, and a price tag approaching $0.00. Sadly, none of this helped me enjoy the book which was at best mildly interesting.
The novel takes place in the 22nd century in a world where death can be avoided by backing up ones conscious self and restoring the backup to new bodies on an as desired or as needed basis. Of course it wouldn't be the future if money hadn't been eliminated and this society has none. What it does have is the concept of Whuffie. Whuffie is a measure of how much respect (and conversely, disdain) people have for you. It substitutes for currency in that it is important to have a high Whuffie score if one wants access to what few, scarce items are available in the "Bitchun" society. The Bitchun society is what has become the dominate form of social interaction in the new world. Strict political systems have given way to "ad-hocs" that run everything including what used to be corporations. So what the society of the novel lives without material wants, without death, and really only minor conflict. Kinda makes it hard to develop dramatic tension doesn't it?
The plot of the novel follows Julius, and old-timer by our measurments, only 100 years old, but just another citizen of the Bitchun society. Julius has experienced much in his century of life but has found his way to Disney World in Orlando and a coveted position in the ad-hoc that runs The Haunted Mansion. All of the ad-hocs that run the different rides workd hard to make the best experience possible in order to grow their Whuffie. Julius is a master of queueing and has turned moving guests through the Mansion into a science. By the time of the novel, Julius has tweaked the Mansion about as far as it can go and is faced with a threat to the ride in the form of Debra, the leader of the group that is currently running the Hall of Presidents. Debra is a wonder in the ride renovation world using advanced VR systems that basically beam images of the ride into the guests mind. Julius, a purist at heart, rails against Debra's ideas in an attempt to keep the history of the Mansion intact. This sets up our conflict and the meat of the book.
What we really have is a fictional representation of a very old argument. Should Disney rides be updated or changed in an effort to keep them relevant or is there something special about the original designs. Stip away all the Sci-Fi trappings and this is ultimately what the book is addressing. On a much deeper level I guess there are some statements about technological advancement and its value to society, a very common if not over-used Sci-Fi theme.
Like I said, I wanted to love this book. I should have loved it. Although I am not a Disney geek, I enjoy the park well enough. I will be taking my second trip to the Orlando park this year in about a month which will make it my 8th or 9th lifetime visit. Not a heavy visitor by any measurement but I would guess I have been there more than most. I am, however, a very big fan of the Haunted Mansion. In my opinion it is the most fully realized experience in the park. It was thus with great excitement then that I picked up a Sci-Fi novel (a genre close to my heart) that centered around this great attraction. As much as I enjoyed the little call-outs to fans of the Mansion and other Disney attractions, overal the book left me flat. I guess that is why it took me so long to read what is a very short book.
Doctorow's characters are very one dimensional and very cookie cutter. There is the good guy, the bad guy, the good guy's friend, the girlfriend, and other secondary characters that move the story along but provide very little depth. The parts that are interesting, including the brief introduction to the birth of the Bitchun society are painfully short and end right when they are getting interesting. I wanted to find out more about the evolution of the new society but only got little tidbits here and their. Much of the motivations of the characters were very superficial and lacked depth and many things were left unexplained. For example, in a world where experiences can be downloaded, what is the attraction of decades old mechanical rides? More detrimental to the novel, however, is Doctorow's obvious geek love for the Mansion. He seems more concerned with the how and why of how the Mansion will be updated and not so much what this means to the story. Leaving the reader to interpret the message of the book is fine but you at least have to lead the reader to your idea. In geeking out over a future Disney World Doctorow misses many opportunities to really say something profound about the inevitable march of progress.
By the end of the novel one gets the idea that eventually we have to let go of the past. Also, with Julius's decision to not refresh himself, for a while at least, I get the idea that maybe Doctorow is saying that there is something important about experiences including the bad ones. That memories, all of them, are important in our growth as intelligent beings and that maybe the ability to wipe them out causes us to lose a bit of our humanity. Doctorow just doesn't give the reader enough to make these inferences. The novel, to me at least, seems to be the first act of a much larger story and that Julius's journey is far from over. I'd like to see the narrative developed further but Doctorow has gone on to other things and other works. As a first novel it is possible that Doctorow was sort of working out his ideas on the page and this work is a prototype for future, more exhaustive studies of technology and humanity. I am just not sure if I am intrigued enough to try the author again.
In the final review, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a servicable first novel but is very light in its treament of the major themes. Disney geeks will get a kick out of the setting but hard core Sci-Fi fans might want to pass. The novel is short on drama and long on Disney affection. It's not necessarily a bad book but not memorable. Doctorow is a heavy promoter of okpen copyright and makes the book free for download at his website. Free makes my problems with the novel much easier to accept. It is a relatively short book and is a quick read if you can stay interested. Try it out if you are looking for something unique and please let me know what you think if you try it out.
I wanted to like this book. It had plenty to pull me including a sci-fi future world, a setting of which I am very familiar, and a price tag approaching $0.00. Sadly, none of this helped me enjoy the book which was at best mildly interesting.
The novel takes place in the 22nd century in a world where death can be avoided by backing up ones conscious self and restoring the backup to new bodies on an as desired or as needed basis. Of course it wouldn't be the future if money hadn't been eliminated and this society has none. What it does have is the concept of Whuffie. Whuffie is a measure of how much respect (and conversely, disdain) people have for you. It substitutes for currency in that it is important to have a high Whuffie score if one wants access to what few, scarce items are available in the "Bitchun" society. The Bitchun society is what has become the dominate form of social interaction in the new world. Strict political systems have given way to "ad-hocs" that run everything including what used to be corporations. So what the society of the novel lives without material wants, without death, and really only minor conflict. Kinda makes it hard to develop dramatic tension doesn't it?
The plot of the novel follows Julius, and old-timer by our measurments, only 100 years old, but just another citizen of the Bitchun society. Julius has experienced much in his century of life but has found his way to Disney World in Orlando and a coveted position in the ad-hoc that runs The Haunted Mansion. All of the ad-hocs that run the different rides workd hard to make the best experience possible in order to grow their Whuffie. Julius is a master of queueing and has turned moving guests through the Mansion into a science. By the time of the novel, Julius has tweaked the Mansion about as far as it can go and is faced with a threat to the ride in the form of Debra, the leader of the group that is currently running the Hall of Presidents. Debra is a wonder in the ride renovation world using advanced VR systems that basically beam images of the ride into the guests mind. Julius, a purist at heart, rails against Debra's ideas in an attempt to keep the history of the Mansion intact. This sets up our conflict and the meat of the book.
What we really have is a fictional representation of a very old argument. Should Disney rides be updated or changed in an effort to keep them relevant or is there something special about the original designs. Stip away all the Sci-Fi trappings and this is ultimately what the book is addressing. On a much deeper level I guess there are some statements about technological advancement and its value to society, a very common if not over-used Sci-Fi theme.
Like I said, I wanted to love this book. I should have loved it. Although I am not a Disney geek, I enjoy the park well enough. I will be taking my second trip to the Orlando park this year in about a month which will make it my 8th or 9th lifetime visit. Not a heavy visitor by any measurement but I would guess I have been there more than most. I am, however, a very big fan of the Haunted Mansion. In my opinion it is the most fully realized experience in the park. It was thus with great excitement then that I picked up a Sci-Fi novel (a genre close to my heart) that centered around this great attraction. As much as I enjoyed the little call-outs to fans of the Mansion and other Disney attractions, overal the book left me flat. I guess that is why it took me so long to read what is a very short book.
Doctorow's characters are very one dimensional and very cookie cutter. There is the good guy, the bad guy, the good guy's friend, the girlfriend, and other secondary characters that move the story along but provide very little depth. The parts that are interesting, including the brief introduction to the birth of the Bitchun society are painfully short and end right when they are getting interesting. I wanted to find out more about the evolution of the new society but only got little tidbits here and their. Much of the motivations of the characters were very superficial and lacked depth and many things were left unexplained. For example, in a world where experiences can be downloaded, what is the attraction of decades old mechanical rides? More detrimental to the novel, however, is Doctorow's obvious geek love for the Mansion. He seems more concerned with the how and why of how the Mansion will be updated and not so much what this means to the story. Leaving the reader to interpret the message of the book is fine but you at least have to lead the reader to your idea. In geeking out over a future Disney World Doctorow misses many opportunities to really say something profound about the inevitable march of progress.
By the end of the novel one gets the idea that eventually we have to let go of the past. Also, with Julius's decision to not refresh himself, for a while at least, I get the idea that maybe Doctorow is saying that there is something important about experiences including the bad ones. That memories, all of them, are important in our growth as intelligent beings and that maybe the ability to wipe them out causes us to lose a bit of our humanity. Doctorow just doesn't give the reader enough to make these inferences. The novel, to me at least, seems to be the first act of a much larger story and that Julius's journey is far from over. I'd like to see the narrative developed further but Doctorow has gone on to other things and other works. As a first novel it is possible that Doctorow was sort of working out his ideas on the page and this work is a prototype for future, more exhaustive studies of technology and humanity. I am just not sure if I am intrigued enough to try the author again.
In the final review, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a servicable first novel but is very light in its treament of the major themes. Disney geeks will get a kick out of the setting but hard core Sci-Fi fans might want to pass. The novel is short on drama and long on Disney affection. It's not necessarily a bad book but not memorable. Doctorow is a heavy promoter of okpen copyright and makes the book free for download at his website. Free makes my problems with the novel much easier to accept. It is a relatively short book and is a quick read if you can stay interested. Try it out if you are looking for something unique and please let me know what you think if you try it out.
It's been a while since I have given some sound bites about who I am and those posts have all disappeared (maybe permanently). With the recent discussions here I think it might be time to clear the air and be open about some things. So, without any further delay, here we go!
I am a child of the 70s but most of my early memories start in the 80s.
I was born in a state that borders the Mason-Dixon line but have lived below the line for most of my life.
I an atheist.
I am not a Republican.
I am not a Democrat.
I am a husband.
I am a father.
I am a son.
I am a brother.
I have never been arrested.
I have never been drunk.
I don't smoke and have never used an illegal drug.
I am a geek and not so much a nerd.
I was once considered "gifted" but these days I think it might have been a mistake.
I was once pre-admitted to medical school but I decided it wasn't for me.
My wife and I met in a very unconventional way. That was almost 11 years ago.
I love basketball, played soccer, sort of enjoy football and am ambivalent towards baseball.
I play video games.
I read books both fiction and non-fiction and even comics.
I watch TV.
I am losing my hair and am pretty much ok with that.
I would chose to be a stay-at-home dad given the opportunity.
I am a film buff.
My guilty pleasure is horror movies.
I have never seen The Godfather, Citizen Kane, or Raging Bull.
I have seen Star Wars more times than I can count.
I am not a big music fan, but I like music well enough.
I like to gamble but I am smart enough not to do it often.
I am shy and generally avoid new people and large crowds.
I didn't ride my first real roller coaster until I was about 15.
Haunted houses scared me as a kid and I still get nervous when I go even to this day.
I enjoy camping and backpacking but haven't done much of either for well of a decade.
I like photography but I am really bad at it.
I also like playing poker but I suck at that too.
About the only thing I really excel at is gaining weight. I think I do that in my sleep.
I have an uncanny ability to make jokes that people tend to take the wrong way.
I guess my sarcasm is often not appreciated.
Maybe that is why I find it hard to get along with people.
I am an Eagle Scout...well, at least until they revoke that honor due to my atheism.
It's ok, I still earned it.
I like to fish but find hunting distasteful.
I eat meat so maybe I am a hypocrite.
I tend to argue even if I don't exactly believe in my position. This often makes home life tense.
I have a BA in History. I would not recommend that path to anyone though.
I have also have completed a Master's degree in Business about a year ago. The value of that degree is still undetermined.
I like school but I don't like the work that goes along with it.
I have received at least a dozen electric shocks over the past ten years.
They don't hurt as bad as you might think.
What's really cool is that the world is really bright for about 30 minutes after a shock.
I would like to go to space.
I would take a trip with aliens if so propositioned.
I believe in extra-terrestrial life must exist. Is that a form of faith?
I really don't have a desire to travel abroad.
I do wish I spoke another language.
I was a good Spanish student in both high school and college.
I regret I never stuck with it.
I have made more friends through the internet and this website than I have in the "real world".
I believe global warming is occurring.
I don't believe man caused it or can stop it.
I tried out for a question style game show once.
I made it past the first "audition" but then the show got canceled.
I have really bad luck that way.
If I believed in such things I would think I was cursed.
I need to get to work.
That is all for now.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
I am a child of the 70s but most of my early memories start in the 80s.
I was born in a state that borders the Mason-Dixon line but have lived below the line for most of my life.
I an atheist.
I am not a Republican.
I am not a Democrat.
I am a husband.
I am a father.
I am a son.
I am a brother.
I have never been arrested.
I have never been drunk.
I don't smoke and have never used an illegal drug.
I am a geek and not so much a nerd.
I was once considered "gifted" but these days I think it might have been a mistake.
I was once pre-admitted to medical school but I decided it wasn't for me.
My wife and I met in a very unconventional way. That was almost 11 years ago.
I love basketball, played soccer, sort of enjoy football and am ambivalent towards baseball.
I play video games.
I read books both fiction and non-fiction and even comics.
I watch TV.
I am losing my hair and am pretty much ok with that.
I would chose to be a stay-at-home dad given the opportunity.
I am a film buff.
My guilty pleasure is horror movies.
I have never seen The Godfather, Citizen Kane, or Raging Bull.
I have seen Star Wars more times than I can count.
I am not a big music fan, but I like music well enough.
I like to gamble but I am smart enough not to do it often.
I am shy and generally avoid new people and large crowds.
I didn't ride my first real roller coaster until I was about 15.
Haunted houses scared me as a kid and I still get nervous when I go even to this day.
I enjoy camping and backpacking but haven't done much of either for well of a decade.
I like photography but I am really bad at it.
I also like playing poker but I suck at that too.
About the only thing I really excel at is gaining weight. I think I do that in my sleep.
I have an uncanny ability to make jokes that people tend to take the wrong way.
I guess my sarcasm is often not appreciated.
Maybe that is why I find it hard to get along with people.
I am an Eagle Scout...well, at least until they revoke that honor due to my atheism.
It's ok, I still earned it.
I like to fish but find hunting distasteful.
I eat meat so maybe I am a hypocrite.
I tend to argue even if I don't exactly believe in my position. This often makes home life tense.
I have a BA in History. I would not recommend that path to anyone though.
I have also have completed a Master's degree in Business about a year ago. The value of that degree is still undetermined.
I like school but I don't like the work that goes along with it.
I have received at least a dozen electric shocks over the past ten years.
They don't hurt as bad as you might think.
What's really cool is that the world is really bright for about 30 minutes after a shock.
I would like to go to space.
I would take a trip with aliens if so propositioned.
I believe in extra-terrestrial life must exist. Is that a form of faith?
I really don't have a desire to travel abroad.
I do wish I spoke another language.
I was a good Spanish student in both high school and college.
I regret I never stuck with it.
I have made more friends through the internet and this website than I have in the "real world".
I believe global warming is occurring.
I don't believe man caused it or can stop it.
I tried out for a question style game show once.
I made it past the first "audition" but then the show got canceled.
I have really bad luck that way.
If I believed in such things I would think I was cursed.
I need to get to work.
That is all for now.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
A life is made up of a long succession of choices. One decides on whether or not to get out of bed in the morning, to do their homework, to work hard at their job, to love their family, etc. While there may not always be one correct choice, there are always better choices. A person can choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing possibly hundreds of times a day. The people who make the right choices on a consistent basis should be the ones that have the most success in life. Of course random events and poor choices by others can negatively affect the positive outcomes of correct decisions but overall good choices lead to success. Or, as I said previously, they SHOULD lead to positive outcomes.
In a free society these statements would seem self evident. In the US today, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. To say that the US is no longer free is as true as it is sad. Today even if you make the right decisions your success can be stripped away from you with the flick of a pen. In fact, the more successful you are, the more likely you will have the fruits of your labor stolen from you by the nanny state to be redistributed "fairly" amongst the rest of the populace. It does not matter if you sacrifice much of your early life to go to school, earn a degree, get a good job, stay late to impress your employer, miss hours and days with your family to build a business, pass on vacations, and earn a good living because there is always someone there to take it away from you to give to the "less fortunate".
Wait, let's be honest here and redefine the term "less fortunate". While there are some that have likely had bad luck and have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, the majority of the "less fortunate" are in that position because they made wrong decisions in their life. When presented choices they took the wrong path. Why is it that those people have a claim to anything that the people who made the right choices have sacrificed and worked to earn? If we don't reward the people who strive to be excellent then what is their motivation?
I want to be clear hear and get past all the obtuse language. The United States became the most powerful nation to ever exist because society rewarded excellence. This created the drive to do better, do be better, to work hard, to imagine the unimaginable, to innovate, to be the best. Whether it was profit, prestige, or some other motivation, the rewarding of success is critical to the strength of the United States and the capitalist system. The flip side of this is wrapped up in the consequences of not succeeding. Making bad choices, being lazy, having the wrong priorities and not looking out for one's own well being can result in nothing but a very hard life living on the charity of others. The carrot and the stick works and it works quite well.
My point in all of this is to say that the current discussions of "fairness" and "sharing the wealth" that seem to be swirling around the Presidential election are frightening. How is it "fair" for someone who sacrifices so much to be successful in life to have their success "redistributed" the moment all of their work pays off? Their is nothing fair about that. How is it "fair" that someone who decides to play video games instead of studying, spends their nights drinking at parties instead of resting for work, or takes drugs instead of investing their money in their education can take a portion of the earnings of people who did not do those things and made the right decisions? That's not fairness that is theft.
Barack Obama speaks of socialism when he talks about change. He and his supporters believe that success should be punished. They believe that everyone has a right to the wealth produced by the nation regardless of whether or not they had a hand in producing it. I wish I could make people understand how destructive these kinds of words are to a free society but I can't. I am not eloquent enough and I don't have a loud enough voice. It doesn't matter anyway because people won't listen. So many people in this country are so foolish that they can not understand they their own self interest is not served by the social programs of a welfare state. Socialism brings everyone down. It stifles innovation because their is no reason to make something new. Why do it? There will be no reward. In fact, why work hard at all? Ask the people of Russia about this and they will tell you exactly how these kinds of policies work out.
The hard reality is that to live in a free society some people will fail and some will succeed. Some people will be richer than others. BUT the important thing to remember is that EVERYONE has the opportunity to succeed. People can make good choices and work hard and have their labors rewarded. That is the beauty of the US system as it was conceived. YOU are responsible for your life. Barack Obama and his supporters including the majority of the Democrat Party believe that government is responsible for your life and your should only be as wealthy as they government allows you to be. If you can not understand how simple and how wrong this philosophy is then you really do deserve to live under the oppressive rule that a socialist government will bring.
For those of you that value freedom and understand the risk and reward proposition that a free society represents then I hope you keep fighting the good fight. I hope you continue to use your voice even in the face of overwhelming opposition. I encourage you to keep making the hard but right choices that keep you successful in your lives. And one thing above all else, do not be satisfied with the leadership you are supposed to support. Demand that the supporters of freedom back up their views with more than just words. The idea of the great Republic is dying just as the principles of personal responsibility have died and I assure you that if those of us that still value living in a world where our actions determine our future don't stand up and speak out against the voices want to own our lives we will soon find ourselves caught under the heavy hand of a socialist state.
I just can't stand back and let that happen. I just don't know what to do next.
In a free society these statements would seem self evident. In the US today, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. To say that the US is no longer free is as true as it is sad. Today even if you make the right decisions your success can be stripped away from you with the flick of a pen. In fact, the more successful you are, the more likely you will have the fruits of your labor stolen from you by the nanny state to be redistributed "fairly" amongst the rest of the populace. It does not matter if you sacrifice much of your early life to go to school, earn a degree, get a good job, stay late to impress your employer, miss hours and days with your family to build a business, pass on vacations, and earn a good living because there is always someone there to take it away from you to give to the "less fortunate".
Wait, let's be honest here and redefine the term "less fortunate". While there are some that have likely had bad luck and have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, the majority of the "less fortunate" are in that position because they made wrong decisions in their life. When presented choices they took the wrong path. Why is it that those people have a claim to anything that the people who made the right choices have sacrificed and worked to earn? If we don't reward the people who strive to be excellent then what is their motivation?
I want to be clear hear and get past all the obtuse language. The United States became the most powerful nation to ever exist because society rewarded excellence. This created the drive to do better, do be better, to work hard, to imagine the unimaginable, to innovate, to be the best. Whether it was profit, prestige, or some other motivation, the rewarding of success is critical to the strength of the United States and the capitalist system. The flip side of this is wrapped up in the consequences of not succeeding. Making bad choices, being lazy, having the wrong priorities and not looking out for one's own well being can result in nothing but a very hard life living on the charity of others. The carrot and the stick works and it works quite well.
My point in all of this is to say that the current discussions of "fairness" and "sharing the wealth" that seem to be swirling around the Presidential election are frightening. How is it "fair" for someone who sacrifices so much to be successful in life to have their success "redistributed" the moment all of their work pays off? Their is nothing fair about that. How is it "fair" that someone who decides to play video games instead of studying, spends their nights drinking at parties instead of resting for work, or takes drugs instead of investing their money in their education can take a portion of the earnings of people who did not do those things and made the right decisions? That's not fairness that is theft.
Barack Obama speaks of socialism when he talks about change. He and his supporters believe that success should be punished. They believe that everyone has a right to the wealth produced by the nation regardless of whether or not they had a hand in producing it. I wish I could make people understand how destructive these kinds of words are to a free society but I can't. I am not eloquent enough and I don't have a loud enough voice. It doesn't matter anyway because people won't listen. So many people in this country are so foolish that they can not understand they their own self interest is not served by the social programs of a welfare state. Socialism brings everyone down. It stifles innovation because their is no reason to make something new. Why do it? There will be no reward. In fact, why work hard at all? Ask the people of Russia about this and they will tell you exactly how these kinds of policies work out.
The hard reality is that to live in a free society some people will fail and some will succeed. Some people will be richer than others. BUT the important thing to remember is that EVERYONE has the opportunity to succeed. People can make good choices and work hard and have their labors rewarded. That is the beauty of the US system as it was conceived. YOU are responsible for your life. Barack Obama and his supporters including the majority of the Democrat Party believe that government is responsible for your life and your should only be as wealthy as they government allows you to be. If you can not understand how simple and how wrong this philosophy is then you really do deserve to live under the oppressive rule that a socialist government will bring.
For those of you that value freedom and understand the risk and reward proposition that a free society represents then I hope you keep fighting the good fight. I hope you continue to use your voice even in the face of overwhelming opposition. I encourage you to keep making the hard but right choices that keep you successful in your lives. And one thing above all else, do not be satisfied with the leadership you are supposed to support. Demand that the supporters of freedom back up their views with more than just words. The idea of the great Republic is dying just as the principles of personal responsibility have died and I assure you that if those of us that still value living in a world where our actions determine our future don't stand up and speak out against the voices want to own our lives we will soon find ourselves caught under the heavy hand of a socialist state.
I just can't stand back and let that happen. I just don't know what to do next.
This weekend was another trip to Boo-at-the-Zoo. We have been hesitant to go back because of the ridiculous crowds but decided to try this past Sunday in the hopes that it wouldn't be so bad going early and on a Sunday. That decision proved to be right and the crowd was manageable. The zoo has also learned how to lay out this event so that there are not huge bottlenecks of mouth breathing rednecks clamoring for candy. The first year we went it was insane how crazy people were for some Smarties. This year things were much better and the zoo crew is really coming along with the decorating skills. I will say, however, the extra $3.50 per person for the train/carousel is a bit of a rape. However, it is for the zoo so I didn't let it bother me so much.
One nice addition this year was the increased number of games for the kids. Emily had lots of fun bowling, playing cornhole (seriously folks, can't we get a better name for that game?), and fishing. At the conclusion of one of these games, she won a finger puzzle. The following picture was taken about 15 seconds later:
As you can see, things got serious really quick. Emily could not figure out how the puzzle worked and was on the verge of panic shortly after sticking her fingers into the puzzle. While trying not to laugh too much, we stopped and removed the puzzle from her fingers. Needless to say, Emily has banned the puzzle from her presence.
Overall it was a really fun night with great weather and mostly calm and respectful crowds. I will say that the little turd in the monkey mask that thought it would be funny to scare a 5 year old girl should get tricked instead of treated this Halloween. Personally I hope someone drops the deuce in his Halloween bag instead of a Snickers bar. Here's for wishful thinking eh?
One more thing...Who gives out individually packaged medicine droppers for Halloween? Seriously WTF?
One nice addition this year was the increased number of games for the kids. Emily had lots of fun bowling, playing cornhole (seriously folks, can't we get a better name for that game?), and fishing. At the conclusion of one of these games, she won a finger puzzle. The following picture was taken about 15 seconds later:
As you can see, things got serious really quick. Emily could not figure out how the puzzle worked and was on the verge of panic shortly after sticking her fingers into the puzzle. While trying not to laugh too much, we stopped and removed the puzzle from her fingers. Needless to say, Emily has banned the puzzle from her presence.
Overall it was a really fun night with great weather and mostly calm and respectful crowds. I will say that the little turd in the monkey mask that thought it would be funny to scare a 5 year old girl should get tricked instead of treated this Halloween. Personally I hope someone drops the deuce in his Halloween bag instead of a Snickers bar. Here's for wishful thinking eh?
One more thing...Who gives out individually packaged medicine droppers for Halloween? Seriously WTF?
The fine folks (I am guessing they are fine, I have really no idea) at www.firstshowing.net have posted a set of pictures from the new Star Trek film that have me interested. I am reposting them here because...well...because I can. It looks like the images were collected from a bunch of other sites so check out those sites for more info.
I have to say that when I first read about the casting for this film I was less than enthused. Karl Urban as McCoy? It didn't fit but now that I see a picture of him in character I am a little more inclined to believe it might work. What sticks out to me right now is Simon Pegg as Scotty. Looking at that picture I am not buying it. He will always be Shaun to me so I hope there are some Zombie Romulans in this movie for him to fight.
Also, how about Uhura in the traditional mini skirt and go-go boots? Now that's a uniform I can get behind...if ya know what I mean!
Is that a touch of Sylar I see in Spock's eyes?
Finally there is Harold from the classic (?) Harld and Kumar Go to White Castle. He looks ok as Sulu but again I am having trouble not seeing him in a car with Doogie Houser. I hope that he can equal George Takei's original portrayal especially from the later films. Sulu always seemed to be a guy of class and strength that never really had a chance to shine.
My overall impression is that this film may be good to great. It is going to take something special to breath new life in this franchise though but it seems like the casting is an attempt to get there. Did you notice Eric Bana as the villian? Don't make him angry. You won't like him when he is angry.
Also, how about Uhura in the traditional mini skirt and go-go boots? Now that's a uniform I can get behind...if ya know what I mean!
Is that a touch of Sylar I see in Spock's eyes?
Finally there is Harold from the classic (?) Harld and Kumar Go to White Castle. He looks ok as Sulu but again I am having trouble not seeing him in a car with Doogie Houser. I hope that he can equal George Takei's original portrayal especially from the later films. Sulu always seemed to be a guy of class and strength that never really had a chance to shine.
My overall impression is that this film may be good to great. It is going to take something special to breath new life in this franchise though but it seems like the casting is an attempt to get there. Did you notice Eric Bana as the villian? Don't make him angry. You won't like him when he is angry.
A weekend family outing took us to The Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch located in Clanton, Alabama. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for getting ready for Halloween.
I noticed one very interesting thing while at the farm, the Canon Digital Rebel Digital SLR camera has unbelievable market share. I saw about a dozen of those units (and I include all the upgraded models as well) at the pumpkin patch. I have the original version and still use it as a backup. Without a doubt SLR photography has made its way to the masses. I think this is a great thing as the more popular Digital SLRs become the more likely hardware prices, including lenses, will fall.
Noticing all the high mega-pixel cameras also got me thinking about how much data must be out there. How does everyone backup their photos? Do they even think about that? I am thinking about using Amazon's S3 backup service (thanks to a tip from a friend) as my photo storage at home is still vulnerable to things like fire or theft even though I back-up my data locally. It seems like online backup has gotten to a point where it should seriously be considered for home users. Does anyone out there use an online backup service they are happy with? I would love to hear both the good and the bad.
I hope I can get back to photography now that I am less busy. Seems like the camera has been neglected lately.
A trend is developing in the comics industry. It is a trend I was excited about a few years ago but now I am not so sure it is a good idea. The trend to which I am referring is the adaptation of novels to comics. Now, this is not a new thing but it seems like lately the pace is increasing. What is beginning to bother me is the fact that I am paying ~$2.50 to $4.00 per issue which means an adaptation ends up costing somewhere around $35.00 or more for the complete story depending on the issue count. Assuming you have already read/bought the original source material then your investment in a single story may be upwards of $50.00 if you purchased a hard back original. So, the question becomes, for me at least, "Is there enough value in the adaptation to justify the cost?" Is the art, additional story elements, or backup material enough to make the adaptation a good companion to the original novels or is it just more of the same designed to make additional revenue for the creators? I am still trying to decide.
For me this trend started with the release of Stephen King's The Dark Tower by Marvel Comics a few years ago. In fact, this release is what brought me back into a comic book store after an approximate ten year absence. I had previously gone through two other periods of comics fandom, once around 1985-1987 and the second time around 1992-1995. During that time I built a respectable collection that had pretty much gathered dust in the intervening years. The industry went through a down period (some would say it is still going through it) while I tried desperately to hide my geek past. Regardless of the attempt, I knew eventually I would come back and The Dark Tower was the catalyst.
So, this first salvo in the adaptation war was worth the investment. It looks great, reads great, and has excellent backup material. The second shot was another Stephen King story, The Stand. There is no doubt that I am a Stephin King fanatic. Not like Annie Wilkes type mind you but a big fan. The Stand has long stood at the top of my list of favorite novels often occupying the #1 spot. It is a close race between The Stand and Dune and their respective positions on the list vacillate (I wonder if I used that word right) between #1 and #2 depending on my mood. It was thus without hesitation that I picked up the first issue of this adaptation upon its release last month. I have not decided yet whether or not this adaptation is worth the investment as it is only to issue #2 (which came out this week) but I don't feel it is as good as The Dark Tower series. It certainly does not have the backup material like The Dark Tower. Since I am a die hard fan, however, I will complete the series. I hope that I get some great art with this as it seems there won't be any additional story elements backing up the main narrative.
I am also not sure how they are going to cover all of the material in the book in a limited series comic. The book is absolutely massive. Obviously much of the character development will be stripped away. I worry that much of what makes the book so good will be lost. King is an absolute master at character development and that seems to be the first thing that is lost whenever his work is adapted. Ultimately I am left with another book on my subscription list that contains a story I am already intimately familiar with and it was with this release that I started questioning the value of purchasing adapted novels in comic form.
This week also brought adaptation number 3 with Ender's Game. Ender's Game is an absolutely phenomenal book by Orson Scott Card. I must admit that I have never read the book but I have listened to an unabridged audio version a couple of times. It is a great read that is not as dense as other popular Sci-Fi novels like Dune or Ringworld. It is quite simply a great story and one that everyone should read. Is it any wonder that it is part of many school curriculums? Anyway...I found out last week that Marvel (again) was releasing an adaptation of the novel. I was only mildly interested at the time but my interest grew when I read that Card was really hoping the comic could help Hollywood visualize the look and feel of the story for the oft delayed film adaptation. If card felt that the comic was designed to inspire the film then I was on board. I read the first issue last night and nothing about the book really jumped out at me. It was standard future imagery and, in my opinon, did not add anything to the story or provide any new insight into the characters or the environment. Even the tech in the book seemed to be modeled after stuff I have already seen. In fact, much of the imagery seemed inspired by Spielberg's Minority Report. For someone not familiar with the story it would be a good introduction but for me it was just a rehash. The only thing that stuck out to me was the lack of use of the slang "buggers" to refer to the alien attackers. The book used the more scientific sounding word "Formics" I can only assume they decided not to use "buggers" because of its similarity to buggery. A small change, but one that stuck out. I also felt the art was weak and certainly not up to the standard set by the orginal Dark Tower series. I am not sure I will continue with this adaptation.
At this point I am looking at three adaptations of what appears to be decreasing quality. In these times of economic uncertainty it is much more difficult for me to justify a cash expenditure on marginal leisure products especially when I already know the story contained therein. I suppose when it comes to cutting back on expenses these would be the first to go. My bigger question, however, becomes "Are these adaptations really necessary?" The market should answer that question in short order. Obviously the publishers are counting on the built-in audience to make the comics a success. They chose works with a large, dedicated fan base in order to increase the likelihood of a profitable venture. Hollywood has been doing this for years with varying levels of success. Of course the success of film adaptations almost always relies on the quality of the product and only rarely can a strong fan base overcome poor product. Star Wars being the biggest exception to that rule because, and let's be honest here, the prequels were crap but still made a lot of rich people much richer. Ultimately the success or failure of an adaptation rests on how faithful the work is to the original source as well as how adeptly it is adapted to the new medium. With comics, however, a retread of the story just isn't enough. As more and more of these adaptations hit the market I am worried that quality will continue to slide. Maybe that is a good thing. I am much more interested in original concepts than I am in adaptations anyway. The day I see Oprah's Comic Book Club I am leaving the hobby for a third time and that, my friends, is a promise.
For me this trend started with the release of Stephen King's The Dark Tower by Marvel Comics a few years ago. In fact, this release is what brought me back into a comic book store after an approximate ten year absence. I had previously gone through two other periods of comics fandom, once around 1985-1987 and the second time around 1992-1995. During that time I built a respectable collection that had pretty much gathered dust in the intervening years. The industry went through a down period (some would say it is still going through it) while I tried desperately to hide my geek past. Regardless of the attempt, I knew eventually I would come back and The Dark Tower was the catalyst. The initial run of the series was a retread of book 4, Wizard and Glass, and I was more than eager to get my hands on the series. I was happy to find that not only did the series cover the events of Wizard and Glass, but its backup material was above expectations. In fact, I would say that the appendix like backstory was really the best part of the book. If you are a fan of The Dark Tower the first collected edition is available in most bookstores and I highly recommend you check it out. Since that first release, Marvel has released an all original follow-up story (which should come out in collected edition this fall) and is currently publishing a third series of all new material.
So, this first salvo in the adaptation war was worth the investment. It looks great, reads great, and has excellent backup material. The second shot was another Stephen King story, The Stand. There is no doubt that I am a Stephin King fanatic. Not like Annie Wilkes type mind you but a big fan. The Stand has long stood at the top of my list of favorite novels often occupying the #1 spot. It is a close race between The Stand and Dune and their respective positions on the list vacillate (I wonder if I used that word right) between #1 and #2 depending on my mood. It was thus without hesitation that I picked up the first issue of this adaptation upon its release last month. I have not decided yet whether or not this adaptation is worth the investment as it is only to issue #2 (which came out this week) but I don't feel it is as good as The Dark Tower series. It certainly does not have the backup material like The Dark Tower. Since I am a die hard fan, however, I will complete the series. I hope that I get some great art with this as it seems there won't be any additional story elements backing up the main narrative.
I am also not sure how they are going to cover all of the material in the book in a limited series comic. The book is absolutely massive. Obviously much of the character development will be stripped away. I worry that much of what makes the book so good will be lost. King is an absolute master at character development and that seems to be the first thing that is lost whenever his work is adapted. Ultimately I am left with another book on my subscription list that contains a story I am already intimately familiar with and it was with this release that I started questioning the value of purchasing adapted novels in comic form.This week also brought adaptation number 3 with Ender's Game. Ender's Game is an absolutely phenomenal book by Orson Scott Card. I must admit that I have never read the book but I have listened to an unabridged audio version a couple of times. It is a great read that is not as dense as other popular Sci-Fi novels like Dune or Ringworld. It is quite simply a great story and one that everyone should read. Is it any wonder that it is part of many school curriculums? Anyway...I found out last week that Marvel (again) was releasing an adaptation of the novel. I was only mildly interested at the time but my interest grew when I read that Card was really hoping the comic could help Hollywood visualize the look and feel of the story for the oft delayed film adaptation. If card felt that the comic was designed to inspire the film then I was on board. I read the first issue last night and nothing about the book really jumped out at me. It was standard future imagery and, in my opinon, did not add anything to the story or provide any new insight into the characters or the environment. Even the tech in the book seemed to be modeled after stuff I have already seen. In fact, much of the imagery seemed inspired by Spielberg's Minority Report. For someone not familiar with the story it would be a good introduction but for me it was just a rehash. The only thing that stuck out to me was the lack of use of the slang "buggers" to refer to the alien attackers. The book used the more scientific sounding word "Formics" I can only assume they decided not to use "buggers" because of its similarity to buggery. A small change, but one that stuck out. I also felt the art was weak and certainly not up to the standard set by the orginal Dark Tower series. I am not sure I will continue with this adaptation.
At this point I am looking at three adaptations of what appears to be decreasing quality. In these times of economic uncertainty it is much more difficult for me to justify a cash expenditure on marginal leisure products especially when I already know the story contained therein. I suppose when it comes to cutting back on expenses these would be the first to go. My bigger question, however, becomes "Are these adaptations really necessary?" The market should answer that question in short order. Obviously the publishers are counting on the built-in audience to make the comics a success. They chose works with a large, dedicated fan base in order to increase the likelihood of a profitable venture. Hollywood has been doing this for years with varying levels of success. Of course the success of film adaptations almost always relies on the quality of the product and only rarely can a strong fan base overcome poor product. Star Wars being the biggest exception to that rule because, and let's be honest here, the prequels were crap but still made a lot of rich people much richer. Ultimately the success or failure of an adaptation rests on how faithful the work is to the original source as well as how adeptly it is adapted to the new medium. With comics, however, a retread of the story just isn't enough. As more and more of these adaptations hit the market I am worried that quality will continue to slide. Maybe that is a good thing. I am much more interested in original concepts than I am in adaptations anyway. The day I see Oprah's Comic Book Club I am leaving the hobby for a third time and that, my friends, is a promise.
Yes, the title of this post is abhorrent, but I still think it fits. I don't really have much to say so I am just letting random junk flow out of my brain. Now do you get the title?
I have not been to the gym for about a month. September is traditionally hectic for me and this year was no exception. I think I started off the month with an injury. After my last successful, record breaking run I was not able to walk very well. It was almost as if I bruised my feet. It was literally hard to walk much less run. I tried to keep up with my strength training but the treadmill was out of the question. I got busy doing something, I can't even remember what, and stopped going entirely. I think I missed somewhere between 3-4 weeks.
The week of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival came and I got horribly sick. What started as a runny nose on a Saturday became bed rest by Tuesday. I realized by about 3:00 that day that things were not getting better and I hauled myself down to the clinic. I was told that they could not exactly identify what I had and I could get some shots of I wanted. I said yes, took the liquid fire in the ass shots they offered and headed home to sleep it off. By the next morning I was well enough to go to work to prepare for the hellish weekend that was ahead of me. That was September 23rd. I am still trying to get over whatever infection I had.
Without going into too much detail, Sidewalk went quite well and I was pleased with the work I accomplished. I was fighting being sick the whole time and I am still not fully rested but overall I think it was an excellent show. I had a really amazing group of volunteers working with me over the weekend and much of the credit for our success should go to them.
There's no rest for the weary and the next week brought more events. Wednesday and Friday night poker was fun although I made the worst mistake yet in my brief poker career on Friday. I shoved all of my chips into a three handed pot with what I thought was a king high straight. After the river I was preparing to rake the chips when someone, let's call him "The Ref" as he keeps the game going by the book, asked the question "Where's the straight?" Turns out I only had a 4-card straight and was missing the Jack. Oooopppsss. FAIL! My night was done just like that. What was so sad is that I was in a position to win. I absolutely failed to pay attention to what I was doing and it cost me. Instead of going home +$50 I left -$10.00. Pathetic.
Saturday brought a birthday party for Emily. It was a small affair and over quickly. I, over course, had stayed up too late the previous night and found myself falling asleep at lunch with friends. Inexcusable but also unavoidable. The rest of Saturday was a bust with me completely crashing out for most of the afternoon. Sunday was not much better.
To round out the last few weeks I signed Emily up for basketball yesterday. She seems excited and I would love to see her play the game I never really got to play as a kid. I think I played organized basketball once. Not sure why I never played again. I tried out for the team in HS but failed (short, fat, and slow generally does not a good baller make) and have been stuck with pickup games and HORSE ever since. Nothing like living your dreams through your kids right?
So, if you read this far I commend you although I have to question your motivation considering the banality of what I have written. Slow day for ya eh?
I have not been to the gym for about a month. September is traditionally hectic for me and this year was no exception. I think I started off the month with an injury. After my last successful, record breaking run I was not able to walk very well. It was almost as if I bruised my feet. It was literally hard to walk much less run. I tried to keep up with my strength training but the treadmill was out of the question. I got busy doing something, I can't even remember what, and stopped going entirely. I think I missed somewhere between 3-4 weeks.
The week of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival came and I got horribly sick. What started as a runny nose on a Saturday became bed rest by Tuesday. I realized by about 3:00 that day that things were not getting better and I hauled myself down to the clinic. I was told that they could not exactly identify what I had and I could get some shots of I wanted. I said yes, took the liquid fire in the ass shots they offered and headed home to sleep it off. By the next morning I was well enough to go to work to prepare for the hellish weekend that was ahead of me. That was September 23rd. I am still trying to get over whatever infection I had.
Without going into too much detail, Sidewalk went quite well and I was pleased with the work I accomplished. I was fighting being sick the whole time and I am still not fully rested but overall I think it was an excellent show. I had a really amazing group of volunteers working with me over the weekend and much of the credit for our success should go to them.
There's no rest for the weary and the next week brought more events. Wednesday and Friday night poker was fun although I made the worst mistake yet in my brief poker career on Friday. I shoved all of my chips into a three handed pot with what I thought was a king high straight. After the river I was preparing to rake the chips when someone, let's call him "The Ref" as he keeps the game going by the book, asked the question "Where's the straight?" Turns out I only had a 4-card straight and was missing the Jack. Oooopppsss. FAIL! My night was done just like that. What was so sad is that I was in a position to win. I absolutely failed to pay attention to what I was doing and it cost me. Instead of going home +$50 I left -$10.00. Pathetic.
Saturday brought a birthday party for Emily. It was a small affair and over quickly. I, over course, had stayed up too late the previous night and found myself falling asleep at lunch with friends. Inexcusable but also unavoidable. The rest of Saturday was a bust with me completely crashing out for most of the afternoon. Sunday was not much better.
To round out the last few weeks I signed Emily up for basketball yesterday. She seems excited and I would love to see her play the game I never really got to play as a kid. I think I played organized basketball once. Not sure why I never played again. I tried out for the team in HS but failed (short, fat, and slow generally does not a good baller make) and have been stuck with pickup games and HORSE ever since. Nothing like living your dreams through your kids right?
So, if you read this far I commend you although I have to question your motivation considering the banality of what I have written. Slow day for ya eh?
I don't know how it worked out that I have such a beautiful daughter but I am glad it did. Happy Birthday Emily.
I cannot begin to list the reasons why I am dissatisfied with the leadership in the United States today. I can, however, give one good reason why I cannot vote for the Republican party in this year's presidential election and that reason is Sarah Palin.
Quite simply Palin is about the worst kind of politician in existence. She refuses to give clear answers on anything and obviously has no strength when pressed on any issue. For example, take a look at the following video.
Regardless of the issue at hand, this video demonstrates how weak Palin is as a leader. She absolutely can not answer a question directly and with strength. She does not want to take a position and dodges every opportunity to make a strong statement of her convictions. She displays nothing but weakness and fear in the face of the simple questions by the less than hard hitting Couric. I have my own personal beliefs about abortion, but that is not the point here. Palin is just not the kind of person I want as President. She is clearly trying to get elected by toeing the party line and by not being to controversial. There is nothing about her that makes me feel confident in her abilities to deal with the major threats to our way of life.
Let's be honest folks, if McCain is elected she stands a very good chance of being President. McCain is already at the tail end of life expectancy for western men and has documented health concerns. Even the slightest possibility of President Palin has me afraid for the future in store for my child. I have said it in other places and I will say it here now, a Palin presidency would be about the worst possible thing that could happen to the US during a period of strengthening international powers, especially Russia and China. We need strong leaders with the courage to stand by their convictions. We need men and women who are not afraid to make tough choices in the face of opposition and have the strength of will and character to follow through with their decisions. Palin is not such a person.
I am completely disgusted with how the Republican nomination has played out. We are now faced with a no win choice between weak conservatism and fanatical socialism and I don't see how our country can come out better either way. Tough times are coming and I hope we are all ready.
Quite simply Palin is about the worst kind of politician in existence. She refuses to give clear answers on anything and obviously has no strength when pressed on any issue. For example, take a look at the following video.
Regardless of the issue at hand, this video demonstrates how weak Palin is as a leader. She absolutely can not answer a question directly and with strength. She does not want to take a position and dodges every opportunity to make a strong statement of her convictions. She displays nothing but weakness and fear in the face of the simple questions by the less than hard hitting Couric. I have my own personal beliefs about abortion, but that is not the point here. Palin is just not the kind of person I want as President. She is clearly trying to get elected by toeing the party line and by not being to controversial. There is nothing about her that makes me feel confident in her abilities to deal with the major threats to our way of life.
Let's be honest folks, if McCain is elected she stands a very good chance of being President. McCain is already at the tail end of life expectancy for western men and has documented health concerns. Even the slightest possibility of President Palin has me afraid for the future in store for my child. I have said it in other places and I will say it here now, a Palin presidency would be about the worst possible thing that could happen to the US during a period of strengthening international powers, especially Russia and China. We need strong leaders with the courage to stand by their convictions. We need men and women who are not afraid to make tough choices in the face of opposition and have the strength of will and character to follow through with their decisions. Palin is not such a person.
I am completely disgusted with how the Republican nomination has played out. We are now faced with a no win choice between weak conservatism and fanatical socialism and I don't see how our country can come out better either way. Tough times are coming and I hope we are all ready.
Of the last 6 live poker tournaments I have played in I have finished second in five and first in one. Five second place finishes!!! I just can't seem to get over the hump. I usually come into the heads up match short stacked and have to attempt a major come from behind victory. Needless to say I haven't been overly successful. My one win resulted from a couple of nice draws and not through great post flop play. Basically I got lucky.
Now, some of you might think coming in second so many times is actually a strong showing and in many cases you would be right. The downside is that only first place in these small home/restaurant games pays. I am hanging on just long enough for the more aggressive players to chip up and knock each other out while I sit back and limp to the finish. Although I am playing solid poker I am not playing enough hands and thus my overall chances of winning are slim. It is kind of like taking all the players on a soccer team and crowding them in the goal. Sure it is hard for the opponent to score, but it is also impossible for your team to win. I have to change the way I play come Friday night if I want to take home some cash.
Last night ended very quickly. I donked (donkey is poker slang for a poor player or for someone losing a lot of money on losing hands) off several thousand in chips on pocket queens and a complete bluff with 8-6 off and was left with about $10,000 against a stack close to $100,000. The other player at the table had around $35,000. On the next hand the mid-stacked player called all-in with pocket fives and was called by pocket aces. The aces won which left my sad little $10,000 up against the big stack of $135,000. Blinds went to 4000/8000 which was an even worse situation for me. First hand heads up I was dealt Ace-Jack off and I shoved all-in. I won the hand and doubled up. Next hand I was dealt pocket threes and again I tried to double up but lost to a pocket five that paired on the flop. Second place yet again. I outlasted about thirteen other players but still came home a loser. I think my new nickname is going to be "The Deuce" because that is how I always finish...#2.
So, why am I writing about this as it is likely not too many people care about my adventures in extremely small stakes gambling? Well, mostly it is to document my progress with the game. I feel that I can beat anyone at the Wednesday night game and I am getting more and more competitive at the once a month Friday night game. Over the last few months poker has become something I can't stop thinking about. I wonder if this is the kind of thing that people talk about having a passion for and which has been missing in my life. I know my interest in the game has pushed my interest in things like video games, photography, and reading to the curb. I play some kind of poker, internet or otherwise, every night. I carry cards with me at all times and I am reading a lot of books about the game. Strange how it has totally grabbed my attention.
To think that I never would have thought twice about this hobby/pursuit if it weren't for a curious blog reader who invited me to his home game out of the blue. I sometimes find it odd how so much of my life is directly tied to the Internet. From my wife, to my job, to many of my friends the Internet is the one commonality that binds it all together. In some ways that is very strange but in others it was almost pre-ordained. I wonder where the tubes will take me next.
Now, some of you might think coming in second so many times is actually a strong showing and in many cases you would be right. The downside is that only first place in these small home/restaurant games pays. I am hanging on just long enough for the more aggressive players to chip up and knock each other out while I sit back and limp to the finish. Although I am playing solid poker I am not playing enough hands and thus my overall chances of winning are slim. It is kind of like taking all the players on a soccer team and crowding them in the goal. Sure it is hard for the opponent to score, but it is also impossible for your team to win. I have to change the way I play come Friday night if I want to take home some cash.
Last night ended very quickly. I donked (donkey is poker slang for a poor player or for someone losing a lot of money on losing hands) off several thousand in chips on pocket queens and a complete bluff with 8-6 off and was left with about $10,000 against a stack close to $100,000. The other player at the table had around $35,000. On the next hand the mid-stacked player called all-in with pocket fives and was called by pocket aces. The aces won which left my sad little $10,000 up against the big stack of $135,000. Blinds went to 4000/8000 which was an even worse situation for me. First hand heads up I was dealt Ace-Jack off and I shoved all-in. I won the hand and doubled up. Next hand I was dealt pocket threes and again I tried to double up but lost to a pocket five that paired on the flop. Second place yet again. I outlasted about thirteen other players but still came home a loser. I think my new nickname is going to be "The Deuce" because that is how I always finish...#2.
So, why am I writing about this as it is likely not too many people care about my adventures in extremely small stakes gambling? Well, mostly it is to document my progress with the game. I feel that I can beat anyone at the Wednesday night game and I am getting more and more competitive at the once a month Friday night game. Over the last few months poker has become something I can't stop thinking about. I wonder if this is the kind of thing that people talk about having a passion for and which has been missing in my life. I know my interest in the game has pushed my interest in things like video games, photography, and reading to the curb. I play some kind of poker, internet or otherwise, every night. I carry cards with me at all times and I am reading a lot of books about the game. Strange how it has totally grabbed my attention.
To think that I never would have thought twice about this hobby/pursuit if it weren't for a curious blog reader who invited me to his home game out of the blue. I sometimes find it odd how so much of my life is directly tied to the Internet. From my wife, to my job, to many of my friends the Internet is the one commonality that binds it all together. In some ways that is very strange but in others it was almost pre-ordained. I wonder where the tubes will take me next.
