tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56640297851506736272024-02-21T08:08:34.585-05:00Robot Must DestroyHere's where bigdarkcloud.com went.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.comBlogger810125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-11090689875546320302014-10-01T01:40:00.000-04:002014-10-01T01:40:45.254-04:00It's Been Awhile, Huh?In the immortal words of AC/DC...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I'm dirty, mean and mighty unclean<br />I'm a wanted man<br />Public enemy number one<br />Understand<br />So lock up your daughter<br />Lock up your wife<br />Lock up your back door<br />And run for your life<br />The man is back in town...</i></blockquote>
Which, basically means, I'm making a post here for the first time since 2011. So get excited.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<video autoplay="" id="velvet" loop="" src="http://a.pomf.se/xiqjng.webm"></video></div>
<br />
I don't know if this is a full-time return though. I've abandoned ship on my <a href="http://mikesboxofawesome.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, but haven't decided where I'm going to land. In the meantime, I may post here occasionally. I can also be found on <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_exe">Twitter</a> and very recently set up an <a href="http://ask.fm/mike_exe">ask.fm</a>.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-74429267783233291512014-08-23T16:06:00.000-04:002014-09-30T18:26:14.705-04:00Otaku No Video Coming To Blu-ray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my favorite anime OVAs, OTAKU NO VIDEO, is<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-08-22/gainax-otaku-no-video-ova-blu-ray-listed-in-japan/.77937"> finally getting a Blu-ray release in Japan</a>. It's coming out in December. It's highly unlikely that it will get a US release, so I'll have to settle for a downloaded copy. I won't feel too guilty about it either, since I've already bought it on VHS and then DVD. If somebody does put it out here (does AnimEigo still have the license?), I'll buy it.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=otaku+no+video%2C+long">Both parts of OnV are up on YouTube</a>, if you've never seen it.</div>
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-57924155567977779652011-06-01T15:40:00.000-04:002011-06-01T15:40:55.121-04:00Crisis On Infinite Something Or OthersAnother comic book nerd asked me what I think of the <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=32563">big reboot DC Comics has planned for September</a>.<br />
<br />
Honestly? It's been there done that.<br />
<br />
This "reboot" sounds like what the original plan for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_on_infinite_earths">CRISIS ON INFINTITE EARTHS</a> was back in 1985. Before CRISIS, DC had multiple universes, and books took place mainly in one universe called Earth One, but some took plance on Earth Two, and there were tons of other universes and they'd cross over, etc. Then CRISIS wiped the slate, destroying all but one universe, and reset everything to the beginning. A fresh start, with all new #1 issues for the entire line, rebooted back to the beginning. That was the concept at least. Except, after CRISIS some titles kept their original numbering, and a lot of people both fan and creator were unsure of what was still in continuity and what wasn't. Given this statement...<br />
<br />
"We have taken great care in maintaining continuity where most important, but fans will see a new approach to our storytelling.<br />
<br />
Some of the characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes. Our characters are always being updated; however, this is the first time all of our characters will be presented in a new way all at once."<br />
<br />
... it won't surprise me in the least to see the same thing that happened with CRISIS happen again here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtpAX22QxaNSOJmsTB3O29B72XMlZSYr-3J9jveGxsDNroh0X42V5QIch7kiWnGBlOmYdKucOVL2X-6Ln8HdlKmJv7KLcKg_KYs1A_ycnHUlargt_fmkS1MYUwucPJktBKijjxZF8Wss/s1600/1306888402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtpAX22QxaNSOJmsTB3O29B72XMlZSYr-3J9jveGxsDNroh0X42V5QIch7kiWnGBlOmYdKucOVL2X-6Ln8HdlKmJv7KLcKg_KYs1A_ycnHUlargt_fmkS1MYUwucPJktBKijjxZF8Wss/s1600/1306888402.jpg" /></a></div><br />
All the confusion over what was in or out of continuity led to books contridicting each other. In the mid-90's DC put out the ZERO HOUR mini-series to try to correct some things. This just made things worse. After that they pretty much left things alone until the last few years where we've seen attempts to undo CRISIS. There was INFINITE CRISIS, which was the biggest. That restored the multiverse concept, and acknowledged the original DC universe(s).<br />
<br />
Of course, Superman, who was cleanly rebooted in 1986 with MAN OF STEEL, has had multiple contridictory origin reboots since then. In the last few years, his origin was retooled with the BIRTHRIGHT miniseries in 2003, before that version was tossed aside for the SECRET ORIGIN version in 2009.<br />
<br />
This whole thing seems like DC going for their own version of Marvel's Ultimate line, which was an attempt at clean, fresh continuity with the characters restored to their basics. The difference is Marvel didn't supplant their original continuity with the Ultimate line. It was a side universe. One they've managed to mis-manage and run into the ground after a strong start, but that's a whole other issue.<br />
<br />
I can't muster much nerd rage over this whole thing. Mainly because I've seen it before. Eventually, some creator who grew up on the post-CRISIS version of the characters will come into power and restore things. Just like the guys running DC now, who grew up in the pre-CRISIS era, were hellbent on returning the DCU to it's pre-CRISIS status quo (Barry Allen as the Flash, the Multiverse, etc) before deciding to re-re-re-reboot the whole thing.<br />
<br />
Plus, aside from a few titles (some of the BATMAN line, SECRET SIX, TEEN TITANS), I don't read much of DC superhero books these days. Most of the stuff I read from them is from their Vertigo line. With those sorts of titles you mostly only have to worry about cancellation from low sales. A good chunk of the line is creator owned, and even on the DC-owned titles, you generally don't have to worry about another writer coming along and wiping out x amount of years worth of stories.<br />
<br />
One big mis-step though, is by announcing this, DC are essentially telling you that the next few months worth of comics coming out from them probably aren't worth buying. After all, anything that happens between now and September won't have any sort of impact when the slate gets wiped in September, they won't really matter.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, it's very simple. Don't like what they're doing? Just don't buy it. Or wait for the next reboot. No changes in super hero comics stick forever.<br />
<br />
I do have to give DC a nod for being smart enough to move to day and date for their digital offerings. It's nice to see a company moving forward in that sense. Not sure what the pricing is. If it's as much or more than the printed comics, I think it's a mistake. If they can offer digital titles for $1 or less that's brilliant. After all, no printing costs, shipping costs (maybe bandwidth), storage costs (aside from hard drive) or retailer markup should make for a less expensive product. If they're charging the same amount (or more as a "premium") then that's a bit of a rip-off, at least in my opinion.<br />
<br />
(Cross-posted with <a href="http://mikesboxofawesome.tumblr.com/post/6079176622/crisis-on-infinite-something-or-others">Mike's Box Of Awesome</a>)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-48611789827198587762011-05-26T01:42:00.000-04:002011-05-26T01:42:26.506-04:00Not A Conspiracy Theorist, But I Get ItI've never been one of those idiots to go around crying "rigged!", but this hand certainly is one that makes me scratch my head...<br />
<br />
Merge Network $200 Freeroll - NL Holdem - No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t75.00/t150.00 Blinds - 9 players<br />
<a href="http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_html">DeucesCracked Poker Videos</a> <a href="http://www.handconverter.com/">Hand History Converter</a><br />
<br />
UTG+2: t370.00 2.47 BBs<br />
MP1: t4536.00 30.24 BBs<br />
MP2: t55.00 0.37 BBs<br />
CO: t460.00 3.07 BBs<br />
BTN: t1249.00 8.33 BBs<br />
<b>SB: t2125.00 14.17 BBs</b><br />
BB: t2145.00 14.30 BBs<br />
Hero (UTG): t3195.00 21.30 BBs<br />
UTG+1: t675.00 4.50 BBs<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Flop:</b> (t225) Hero is UTG with K<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> K<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /><br />
<span style="color: red;">Hero raises to t300.00</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">5 folds</span>, BTN calls t300, <span style="color: red;">SB raises to t2200 all in</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">1 fold</span>, <span style="color: red;">Hero raises to t3195 all in</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">1 fold</span><br />
<br />
<b>Flop:</b> (t4850) A<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> 2<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> 5<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 2 are all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Turn:</b> (t4850) 3<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 2 are all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> (t4850) 8<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 2 are all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Final Pot:</b> t4850<br />
SB shows 3<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> 4<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> (Five High Straight)<br />
Hero shows K<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> K<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> (Pair of Kings)<br />
SB wins t4850.00<br />
<br />
Seriously? Who 3bet shoves 43s? Not to mention that he happens to hit the nuts on the flop? This guy was playing 5/5 over just 39 hands, and that's super nitty. I do find it incredibly suspect.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-47199460956375505712011-05-22T00:30:00.000-04:002011-05-22T00:30:26.734-04:00I Didn't Get Raptured, But...As you might've noticed, posting has decreased pretty dramatically around these parts. While I haven't completely abandoned this blog, and don't plan to abandon it, I obviously haven't been using it very much. For awhile now, I've tended tend to post little blurbs on my <a href="http://twitter.com/bigdarkcloud">Twitter</a> reasonably often.<br />
<br />
But I've also been posting regularly over on my Tumblr, which most of you probably aren't aware of. As of this writing, I've made seventeen posts over there this month compared to zero over here.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://mikesboxofawesome.tumblr.com/">http://mikesboxofawesome.tumblr.com</a></b></span></div><br />
I've had that Tumblr for a few years, but tended to favor posting here more than there. Now it's pretty much the opposite, where I update that fairly regularly and this place kind of gets under-utilized. Blogger/Blogspot seems more suited for longer posts, whereas lately I tend to post short blurbs, pics, videos, etc.<br />
<br />
The point being, you might want to add my Tumblr to your bookmarks or RSS readers. I wouldn't delete this site (unless you're sick of me) though, since I do still plan to use it, just not that frequently. (I might do something like link over there whenever I make a post over here.)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-26153636961286701552011-04-27T02:36:00.001-04:002011-04-27T02:38:43.560-04:00Quicker Than I ExpectedPokerStars was finally able to start processing US player cash outs. So I withdrew my entire roll from there. It's really depressing seeing that $0 on the cashier page, something I hoped would never ever happen to my account.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP-T_2staymjsjTzKrYAvAARnbrZJ89pHkKeC7IWnVjFp64oJfN2NCwc4bk8SshS2-3XNNbZ-SFDvegYuG_jiMrkAxWW1BGQFO3Xjx_j_ZTWRRIDPOQIhfD0xEk4WpP1RGAxY2XtwgBg/s1600/starszero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP-T_2staymjsjTzKrYAvAARnbrZJ89pHkKeC7IWnVjFp64oJfN2NCwc4bk8SshS2-3XNNbZ-SFDvegYuG_jiMrkAxWW1BGQFO3Xjx_j_ZTWRRIDPOQIhfD0xEk4WpP1RGAxY2XtwgBg/s640/starszero.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
But the good news is once my check arrives and clears my bank, I'll have my bankroll back. My plan after that is to deposit a small amount, like $100-150 into Carbon Poker. Then I'll grind a roll back up, starting at the lowest stakes again. Plus Carbon offers 35% rakeback, which will be nice since Stars only had their VIP program. At some point maybe I'll put some money in on Cake as well, but it looks like now that the big three have pulled out of the US market, Carbon is becoming the top dog.<br />
<br />
I'm already playing on Carbon, just playing freerolls. But that's getting me into some bad habits. Like not really paying attention while I'm playing: browsing, watching videos, etc instead of strictly paying attention and not doing anything else while playing. It's also pointless trying to figure out opponents' hand ranges at those things since everybody is playing them terribly. There's zero fold equity and people shove all-in with any two cards, etc. I'm a 6-max cash game player, so playing 10-seat tourneys is a big adjustment for me.<br />
<br />
Now I just want to know what's going to happen to the few FPPs I have left on Stars. I don't think there's enough there for a cash bonus, but I could probably get a T-shirt or whatever.<br />
<br />
Ahh PokerStars... so long and thanks for all the fish!<br />
<br />
Edited to add my final Stars graph (April 1-15, 2011)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE9SEySIl8ZqmZfbCIiTpiecIsMJvbdeocodtUz2K8_eibWJH1kyAaO7gQMeZhlkL6seKjwa-Q5TaGaLrAq3z3sthoPSIhVZtauQ_wbwEIKlNxi_lnCwrteNhqTcdBUtIIb0eKi71Geg/s1600/final-stars-graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE9SEySIl8ZqmZfbCIiTpiecIsMJvbdeocodtUz2K8_eibWJH1kyAaO7gQMeZhlkL6seKjwa-Q5TaGaLrAq3z3sthoPSIhVZtauQ_wbwEIKlNxi_lnCwrteNhqTcdBUtIIb0eKi71Geg/s640/final-stars-graph.png" width="640" /></a></div>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-51327937301112098462011-04-21T02:04:00.000-04:002011-04-21T02:04:43.450-04:00Probably NSFW HilarityI was browsing my RSS feeds and <a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2011/04/spuds-mackenzies-brother-shamelessly-masturbating">Filmdrunk</a> had this video. I nearly wet myself laughing.<br />
<br />
<center><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wTugan4ibjI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<br />
If I ever caught my dog doing this, I'd just very very quietly leave the room, the last thing I'd think of doing is grabbing a video camera.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-13200187880292895622011-04-21T01:27:00.000-04:002011-04-21T01:27:43.952-04:00A Break From Poker StuffI'm sure a good chunk of you don't care about poker, so here's a random image from my funny images folder. Wish I could remember the source.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlExwY6f8_v86Wv6qsK856KKGHDM1FUR_2heD9paKvOkFCZ-0871FxfBRy1C6PHLzrTWX9NjPWP4q0YLezXNsxgUMxr4KuWaru-_Ua3NxWKMAgr6fvl75umd0YloRTdTgolLtQhKlDYto/s1600/linus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlExwY6f8_v86Wv6qsK856KKGHDM1FUR_2heD9paKvOkFCZ-0871FxfBRy1C6PHLzrTWX9NjPWP4q0YLezXNsxgUMxr4KuWaru-_Ua3NxWKMAgr6fvl75umd0YloRTdTgolLtQhKlDYto/s320/linus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-48445217597652286902011-04-21T01:15:00.000-04:002011-04-21T01:15:04.080-04:00Gotta Love FreerollsMerge Network $200 Freeroll - NL Holdem - No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t10.00/t20.00 Blinds - 10 players<br />
<a href="http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_html">DeucesCracked Poker Videos</a> <a href="http://www.handconverter.com/">Hand History Converter</a><br />
<br />
<br />
MP3: t715.00 35.75 BBs<br />
CO: t970.00 48.50 BBs<br />
BTN: t1000.00 50 BBs<br />
SB: t970.00 48.50 BBs<br />
BB: t980.00 49 BBs<br />
UTG: t1020.00 51 BBs<br />
UTG+1: t970.00 48.50 BBs<br />
Hero (UTG+2): t970.00 48.50 BBs<br />
<b>MP1: t2405.00 120.25 BBs</b><br />
MP2: t970.00 48.50 BBs<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Flop:</b> (t30) Hero is UTG+2 with J<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> J<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /><br />
UTG calls t20, <span style="font-style: italic;">1 fold</span>, <span style="color: red;">Hero raises to t100.00</span>, MP1 calls t100, <span style="font-style: italic;">2 folds</span>, CO calls t100, <span style="font-style: italic;">3 folds</span>, UTG calls t80<br />
<br />
<b>Flop:</b> (t430) 8<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> 2<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> 9<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(4 players)</span><br />
UTG checks, <span style="color: red;">Hero bets t300.00</span>, MP1 calls t300, CO calls t300, UTG folds<br />
<br />
<b>Turn:</b> (t1330) 5<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(3 players)</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Hero bets t570 all in</span>, MP1 calls t570, CO calls t570 all in<br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> (t3040) 7<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(3 players - 2 are all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Final Pot:</b> t3040<br />
CO shows K<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> 9<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /><br />
Hero shows J<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> J<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /><br />
MP1 shows 2<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> 7<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> (Two Pair Sevens and Twos)<br />
MP1 wins t3040.00<br />
<br />
I can only pray that the cash game players on Carbon are that bad. Once I get my roll back from Stars I'm going to deposit. I was going to just dip into my non-poker money to do it, since I didn't know if or when I'd get my money from PokerStars. Now, I can just wait, and I'll play freerolls. (I've only been 1-2 tabling those, and they're all only full-ring. I miss 6-max cash games.)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-54499001515168416062011-04-18T00:52:00.000-04:002011-04-18T00:52:05.865-04:00Pokerpocalypse 2011: Me(First to understand the whole thing, if you're a non-player you should read my previous post.)<br />
<br />
Saturday, April 16, 2011 was the first day where I couldn't and didn't play poker since I started. I suppose I could've played a play-money game, but that plays nothing like real poker. Plus, after nearly two years of not missing a single day, I figured given the circumstances, I could take a day off.<br />
<br />
Obviously the blackout of the big three poker sites has a direct effect on me. A good chunk of my net worth is currently inaccessible to me. This is because it's on PokerStars and now thanks to the DOJ, inaccessible to me. I had/have more money in my Stars account than I do in my bank account. Naturally, I'm concerned that I'll never see that money again. I'm lucky that I didn't have the massive sums that some players did that are now stuck in limbo. I'm also fortunate that I wasn't depending on a cash out for anything really important. (One player I read about just signed papers buying a house before this happened, he's pretty screwed.)<br />
<br />
Like most online players here in the US, I have no plans to stop playing. I'm going to wait for a bit, and see which sites are swooping in to continue to serve US players. (Like Bodog, Cake, Merge, etc.) When Party Poker pulled out of the US back when the UIGEA came to pass, Stars and Full Tilt jumped in to take it's place. I'm sure somebody else will take those sites places. I'll probably just deposit a small amount, like $50, maybe less and grind a roll up.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I'm worried that since I won't be able to play that my skill will atrophy a bit. Things had been going good for me lately, and not being able to play is obviously a huge setback. I could play play-money, but honestly, that's not like playing real poker because people will stack off with complete junk because it's not for real money.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-5940624033796098092011-04-18T00:42:00.003-04:002011-04-18T00:43:01.514-04:00Pokerpocalypse 2011: GeneralIt's amazing to me that with everything wrong in the US, especially the economy, the government is so concerned with cracking down on real money online poker. Especially when you consider the banker and Wall Street criminals that caused the economic collapse have all gotten off not only totally free, but they're still living the high life.<br />
<br />
We have a government that's so concerned with the freedoms of people in other countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya), shipping off our troops or sending other aid. Yet, at the same time that same government is constantly eroding and taking away our American freedoms regularly.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, this indictment is typical grandstanding from the NY DA's office.<br />
<br />
Here's a simplified history, so that this whole thing makes sense to people that don't play poker. Much of the above happened before I started playing, and I am trying to keep it very simple.<br />
<br />
In 2006, a new law was passed called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UIGEA">UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act)</a>. It basically is a variation of an old law called the wire act, that made making wagers over phone lines a criminal offense. Like many laws that were unlikely to pass on their own, this law was attached to another "must pass" bill to get it through. That's how a lot of laws are passed in the US. For instance, say you wanted to get a law passed that said nobody could eat chicken on Sundays. Well, there's no chance that law would get passed on it's own. So instead you attach it to another law, like one that prohibits people from beating children with a baseball bat. Well, nobody would vote against a law preventing that from happening. So then we get two laws, one good, one stupid. That's how the UIGEA got passed, by getting attached to a homeland security bill.<br />
<br />
There are a few people against gambling. The religious zealots that are against gambling because it's a "sin". The Vegas casinos (and I'd imagine the Native American casinos) were in favor of the bill because of fears of competition. States want to protect the lottery (which has far worse odds of ever winning than any poker game ever could).<br />
<br />
The main aim of the bill was eliminating online sports betting. But it would also cover things like video poker (not actual poker), and other games of chance.<br />
<br />
The poker-only sites argument is that poker is a game of skill. That's why, for example you see THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER (and other poker shows) on ESPN and other channels. You don't see the World Series Of Slot Machines or Roulette. Yes, there is an element of luck involved in poker, but it's more skill than anything else.<br />
<br />
The main effect of the bill was that it would become increasingly difficult to deposit and withdraw money to and from poker sites. This will be important later, because it's where the "money laundering" charges come in.<br />
<br />
In 2006, Party Poker was the biggest site around. Due to pressure from the US government, they pulled out of the market. PokerStars and Full Tilt, among others, filled the void, serving US customers. Their position after speaking to lawyers was that they could continue to legally serve US poker players. That was the status quo for years. In the meantime there were delays as to when the UIGEA was to be enforced by banks. While many US banks started complying before they had to, the law didn't fully take effect until June 1, 2010.<br />
<br />
As more and more banks and credit card companies refused to transfer funds to poker sites or honor payments made from the sites, the sites had to switch payment processors. Now, apparently in some cases, some banks wanted bribes to continue to do poker transfers. Some of the third party processors also would use a different name or state a different purpose for the transaction, disguising it from being shown as a poker-related transaction. This is where, I'm assuming, the DOJ gets "money laundering".<br />
<br />
However, and I think this is a relevant side point, the online poker industry are hardly the only ones to do financial transactions under a different name. Porn sites do this all the time. If you pay out to them, you're not going to see Bangbus.com showing up on your credit card statement. This can't be much different than PokerStars issuing a check that doesn't say PokerStars right on it.<br />
<br />
Remember, the position of the sites was that playing real money poker online isn't illegal, due to poker being a game of skill. Stars and Full Tilt want poker to be regulated in the US, they want to be licensed here. The UIGEA is vague and unclear on whether or not poker is "illegal gambling". It appears that the DOJ is saying that it is. <br />
<br />
Now, what reportedly sparked this off is that Stars, FT, and Ultimate Bet shared a common processor and he was skimming off the top, ripping the sites off. The US was after this guy for doing payment processing for online gambling. FT and PS told the US government where this guy would be, the government picked him up and he turned right around and ratted out the sites. He goes free and the US government with their new powers of being able to seize any domain name they like, without any due process, seize the domains.<br />
<br />
Stars, who again, want to be licensed here if/when any legislation occurs to make poker 100% no grey area legal in the US, were the first to cut off US players. Full Tilt followed soon after.<br />
<br />
Now there are tons of players, some with 6+ figures sitting in their accounts, unable to play or access their money. I feel really bad for the pro players who filed their taxes and were counting on a cashout to pay their tax bills. What are they going to tell the IRS? "Sorry, you'll have to talk to the DOJ about that?" The IRS is like that bit in GOODFELLAS, "Business bad? Fuck you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? Fuck you, pay me."<br />
<br />
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. If anything, I think the sites, who make money hand over fist were stupid for not buying some politicians like every other big corporation does. This wouldn't even be an issue if they were Goldman Sachs.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-4844270376002033812011-04-15T15:31:00.003-04:002011-04-15T15:31:44.852-04:00Game Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDRljA2mEgLaL7APCdZULc_exfOhLW89PtG9wwzIrGmJT9XWdsn8jmLo2isNl52Awq7krA81-QXYwF3hyBDeeLZLk-SVb7Y3OMl9LmWAkpE0Y_G58WiYBtLhpUDtnP8Ayz4wWUYtpLHY/s1600/fthedoj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDRljA2mEgLaL7APCdZULc_exfOhLW89PtG9wwzIrGmJT9XWdsn8jmLo2isNl52Awq7krA81-QXYwF3hyBDeeLZLk-SVb7Y3OMl9LmWAkpE0Y_G58WiYBtLhpUDtnP8Ayz4wWUYtpLHY/s1600/fthedoj.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Fuck the US DOJ.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-61027556075136014232011-04-10T01:27:00.000-04:002011-04-10T01:27:07.117-04:00Blip On The Radar In AprilWow, already a third of the way through April, and I haven't made a post. That's pretty bad.<br />
<br />
Looks like Winter is finally done. Which is good because it makes taking the dog out less unpleasant. I used to love the cold weather, but I think that was mainly because I wasn't out in it too often. I do still believe it's easier to warm up than to cool down. But now that I'm more "outdoorsy" by necessity, I've learned to appreciate warm weather a bit more.<br />
<br />
<b>Poker</b><br />
This month for me in poker has been break-even at best. Really, it's been pretty swingy. I was hoping to carry that solid momentum from last month forward into this month, but it wasn't in the cards. No pun intended, although after writing that I can see how it is actually a bad pun.<br />
<br />
<b>Games</b><br />
Haven't been playing all that much. Still muddling through my replay of the first SAINTS ROW.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to LA NOIRE. I'm just trying to decide if I want to get it at launch or try to wait for a price drop. In addition to looking like it's an awesome game, I'm a sucker for film noir. (I've been watching a ton of Bogart, Robinson, and Cagney movies lately.)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-7090274181330199412011-03-31T12:54:00.001-04:002011-03-31T12:56:10.103-04:00Poker Results For March 2011I had my best month in a long time, but it didn't start off that way. The first three days of the month I got crushed, with the 3rd being the absolute worst. I resigned myself to having a losing month that day. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get above the zero line this month. I thought I was going to have to drop back down in stakes, but I managed to pull through, and was even able to take some shots at the next level up. As it turns out, if I had just quit earlier on the third, I probably would've been even more profitable this month.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN_cv8NmzuSzEahmEVqffCpjA-KfUD7v6TXqrxA1S4QbMI_C9PRFR151owXqAXJxNmGmD6FyJ9rGJ3Yi8EfvIusY1ZbGgVpbetzQAfjeugg6WjY8tfNxdcEh5-7SmYogL363eZ3vUHb4/s1600/mar2011-poker-results.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN_cv8NmzuSzEahmEVqffCpjA-KfUD7v6TXqrxA1S4QbMI_C9PRFR151owXqAXJxNmGmD6FyJ9rGJ3Yi8EfvIusY1ZbGgVpbetzQAfjeugg6WjY8tfNxdcEh5-7SmYogL363eZ3vUHb4/s640/mar2011-poker-results.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
One thing plaguing me in March was about a week where my internet kept dropping out. So I'd disconnect and lose money. Like I said on Twitter recently, it's hard to play your A-game or any game when your internet keeps dropping out.<br />
<br />
I still slacked off on studying quite a bit. Having said that, I probably did more studying in March than in February. Still, I should be doing it every day, which I haven't been. (I'm specifically talking about watching training videos. I do still browse 2+2 everyday, etc.)<br />
<br />
I've still got a long climb ahead of me though.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-25753616898331983482011-03-29T15:33:00.001-04:002011-03-29T15:33:37.162-04:00A Brief Break In Radio Silence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cgs0Z-qCUOlFjQwpo8iuQf0bkxX-7-yzPj0Xi2hq4-2i3HO13mCxsHmCnzwlb5Odej7rASXvOqWgup2zaOtaxonaIpLhZGRqkQbrVsnsWytEBSeYJLfnjtRkLKmz3BYGxAjPCflau2g/s1600/lionel-ritchie-hello-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cgs0Z-qCUOlFjQwpo8iuQf0bkxX-7-yzPj0Xi2hq4-2i3HO13mCxsHmCnzwlb5Odej7rASXvOqWgup2zaOtaxonaIpLhZGRqkQbrVsnsWytEBSeYJLfnjtRkLKmz3BYGxAjPCflau2g/s1600/lionel-ritchie-hello-poster.jpg" /></a></div>LOL. Although you probably won't get it if you're under a certain age.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-42383069680953580652011-03-23T13:00:00.000-04:002011-03-23T13:00:13.264-04:00Lightning Strikes AgainI should just go back to bed. My day has already peaked.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrc8R-3LDrOohQGF0FirmVL-XSOIxXnWpQPqFmPEKhohMOkH7OVlpPpGXYf9kucxnrElor4jsTAFHJYnzu_cbfg1_nMGYMMhiMvCJaHg_5T2KMgnqhqf0LX5FK-BYK1pvyYAqWWqP8_M/s1600/rf2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrc8R-3LDrOohQGF0FirmVL-XSOIxXnWpQPqFmPEKhohMOkH7OVlpPpGXYf9kucxnrElor4jsTAFHJYnzu_cbfg1_nMGYMMhiMvCJaHg_5T2KMgnqhqf0LX5FK-BYK1pvyYAqWWqP8_M/s1600/rf2a.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Today's probably not going to get better than that. I guess once you hit that first Royal, the second one comes quicker.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-86526317581011878982011-03-21T13:39:00.000-04:002011-03-21T13:39:47.894-04:00Sometimes I Can Be On The Good End Of A CoolerSome days you just can't win with pocket Aces. Unfortunately for somebody else, today, I was the one cracking Aces. These two hands happened over two different tables, back to back, versus the same player. He must've hated my guts... <br />
<br />
Poker Stars Limit Hold'em - 6 players<br />
<a href="http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_html">DeucesCracked Poker Videos</a> <a href="http://www.handconverter.com/">Hand History Converter</a><br />
<br />
<b>BTN: 103.40</b><br />
<b>Hero (SB): 257</b><br />
BB: 103.80<br />
UTG: 57<br />
MP: 82.4<br />
CO: 110.40<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Flop:</b> (1.40) Hero is SB with K<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> Q<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">3 folds</span>, <span style="color: red;">BTN raises to 4</span>, Hero calls 3.60, BB calls 3<br />
<br />
<b>Flop:</b> (12) Q<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> 2<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> 3<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(3 players)</span><br />
Hero checks, <span style="color: red;">BB bets 10.20</span>, <span style="color: red;">BTN raises to 28</span>, Hero calls 28, BB folds<br />
<br />
<b>Turn:</b> (78.20) K<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> <span style="color: red;">(2 players)</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Hero bets 71.40</span>, BTN calls 71.40 all in<br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> (221) 4<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Final Pot:</b> 221<br />
BTN shows A<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> A<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> (a pair of Aces)<br />
Hero shows K<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> Q<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> (two pair, Kings and Queens)<br />
Hero wins 210.20<br />
(Rake: 10.8)<br />
<br />
<br />
Then, again, vs the same player, just on another one of my tables, immediately after this hand came this hand...<br />
<br />
<br />
Poker Stars No Limit Hold'em - 5 players<br />
<a href="http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_html">DeucesCracked Poker Videos</a> <a href="http://www.handconverter.com/">Hand History Converter</a><br />
<br />
BB: 273.60<br />
<b>UTG: 100</b><br />
CO: 122.80<br />
<b>Hero (BTN): 251.6</b><br />
SB: 247.6<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Flop:</b> (1.40) Hero is BTN with Q<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> Q<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /><br />
<span style="color: red;">UTG raises to 4</span>, CO calls 4, <span style="color: red;">Hero raises to 16</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">2 folds</span>, <span style="color: red;">UTG raises to 47</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">1 fold</span>, Hero calls 31<br />
<br />
<b>Flop:</b> (99.40) 5<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> Q<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> 4<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players)</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">UTG bets 25</span>, <span style="color: red;">Hero raises to 53</span>, UTG calls 28 all in<br />
<br />
<b>Turn:</b> (205.40) 3<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> (205.40) 9<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Final Pot:</b> 205.40<br />
UTG shows A<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> A<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> (a pair of Aces)<br />
Hero shows Q<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> Q<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> (three of a kind, Queens)<br />
Hero wins 195.40<br />
(Rake: 10)<br />
<br />
Just to show it happens to me too, here's a hand from earlier in the session...<br />
<br />
<br />
Poker Stars No Limit Hold'em - 5 players<br />
<a href="http://www.deucescracked.com/?referrer=converter_html">DeucesCracked Poker Videos</a> <a href="http://www.handconverter.com/">Hand History Converter</a><br />
<br />
UTG: 278<br />
<b>CO: 38</b><br />
BTN: 104.60<br />
SB: 221.80<br />
<b>Hero (BB): 287.20</b><br />
<br />
<b>Pre Flop:</b> (1.40) Hero is BB with K<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> K<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">1 fold</span>, <span style="color: red;">CO raises to 3</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">2 folds</span>, <span style="color: red;">Hero raises to 12</span>, <span style="color: red;">CO raises to 38 all in</span>, Hero calls 26<br />
<br />
<b>Flop:</b> (76.40) 3<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> T<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> 5<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Turn:</b> (76.40) 6<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>River:</b> (76.40) 7<img alt=" of diamonds" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/diamond.png" /> <span style="color: blue;">(2 players - 1 is all in)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Final Pot:</b> 76.40<br />
CO shows T<img alt=" of clubs" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/club.png" /> T<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> (three of a kind, Tens)<br />
Hero shows K<img alt=" of spades" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/spade.png" /> K<img alt=" of hearts" src="http://images.deucescracked.com/suits/heart.png" /> (a pair of Kings)<br />
CO wins 72.60<br />
(Rake: 3.80)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-77805098686972029232011-03-20T16:54:00.000-04:002011-03-20T16:54:56.226-04:00Maybe It's A Karma ThingEverything internet-related seems to be going wrong for me this weekend...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Cbvrwx18cRd9J7g-kC8nIO_ya9r2XJI5EkVhj4Sc1peZ5AdEPFhyphenhyphen0ve8eU3k-cG7HpaR9FEveUlmWMf5PlYrhGvCWn8CfrdC2JNf-DCf4Xa7Ave07Wu3Lu41eOmlGzJwxe3uSEe07I/s1600/screenshot.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8Cbvrwx18cRd9J7g-kC8nIO_ya9r2XJI5EkVhj4Sc1peZ5AdEPFhyphenhyphen0ve8eU3k-cG7HpaR9FEveUlmWMf5PlYrhGvCWn8CfrdC2JNf-DCf4Xa7Ave07Wu3Lu41eOmlGzJwxe3uSEe07I/s1600/screenshot.6.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I was just adding a few people and organizing lists.<br />
<br />
My internet was running well enough earlier today. So I decided it was okay to play poker. Within twenty minutes it dropped me and worked terribly for about two hours. Then it's been fine ever since.<br />
<br />
Clearly, I've annoyed the universe somehow.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-85195120956948794752011-03-20T03:50:00.000-04:002011-03-20T03:50:16.022-04:00Mid-Month Check-In<b>Movies</b><br />
I finally got around to seeing both AVATAR and INCEPTION. I thought INCEPTION was alright, but I felt it tried a bit too hard to be complex. I thought AVATAR had some nice visuals in parts, but I don't see why it was such a big hit. I dozed off at one point, and I didn't bother to rewind.<br />
<br />
I also borrowed RED on DVD, and gave that a watch. Nothing like the original comic whatsoever. In fact, they could've easily gotten away with calling it something else and saved themselves the money they used on getting the film rights to the original story.<br />
<br />
Other than that I've mostly been watching old movies. (Even more now that we final got Turner Classic Movies when we upgraded our cable package recently.)<br />
<br />
<b>TV</b><br />
I'm happy that COMMUNITY got renewed for a third season. It’s the only bubble show I was really worried about this year. Hopefully we’ll get another great season. I figure we've got at least one more good season before the statistical likelyhood of a decline in quality (I’ve come to expect a quality decline for any show that runs longer that 2-3 years, with a few exceptions.)<br />
<br />
I suppose I'd like one more season of V, given that season finale. It's probably not very likely to happen though.<br />
<br />
<b>Internet</b><br />
It seems that every few weeks I have a few days where my connection does a combo of having lots of packet loss or constantly dropping off completely. Even when my signal levels look fine. This is one of those weeks. It started late at night on Wednesday, where it went out for about 45 minutes. Then it was fine until Friday afternoon. Since then it's been spotty. Like it was fine all day on Saturday then between 9pm and now it's been dropping in and out like crazy. So frustrating.<br />
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Cable TV works fine. It happens at different times of day, so it doesn't seem like they're doing maintance or something (which I could see them doing at like 2-3 am or whatever). The signal level on the modem is fine, and the same as it is when everything's working fine. There's no bad weather, or downed lines or anything. It also never seems to last long enough to justify a service call. 2-3 days often.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD_QrZDmqPLdBTcsCM9Hv91gyoHjWyRgvAbkTkxPSeIlfW3vhA6dJ2dWG2ucf_aKMurTEwF0uqnV73hB2sPNXQDpY_7z-DnVeiEBF3LPJ9IRYFBe7Yq_Ms_oNrP1TCxr2xwKpv-gLWjw/s1600/bad-bad+connect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD_QrZDmqPLdBTcsCM9Hv91gyoHjWyRgvAbkTkxPSeIlfW3vhA6dJ2dWG2ucf_aKMurTEwF0uqnV73hB2sPNXQDpY_7z-DnVeiEBF3LPJ9IRYFBe7Yq_Ms_oNrP1TCxr2xwKpv-gLWjw/s640/bad-bad+connect.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I'd think that it was because on Friday we ugraded our cable package, and got a new Docsis 3 modem. But the problem started before the package and equipment switch. (Plus our internet supposedly isn't getting the upgrade until our phone service starts, which is next week once Verizon releases our old phone number to Comcast.)<br />
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<b>Poker</b><br />
I was doing pretty well, then on Friday things went bad. Within my first few orbits, I dropped around three buy-ins. Then the disconnects started, which just tilted me even more. Playing with an unreliable connection is pretty much impossible, since it sucks putting a bunch of money into a pot with a good hand and then losing because you get disconnected and somebody raises and you get timed out and they take it down.<br />
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<b>Video Games</b><br />
Only thing I've played in the last few days is the first SAINTS ROW. It's a good game, but the second one is better.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-32128301805934930412011-03-10T02:24:00.000-05:002011-03-10T02:24:20.236-05:00Random Bits<b>Firefox 4</b><br />
Since Firefox 4's release candidate came out, I finally made the leap and installed it on my main machine. I've been running it on my spare machine for months now, so it didn't take me long to get it tricked out the way I like it. (With the aid of some custom Stylish scripts (like making my bookmarks toolbar appear as favicons only. As well as ones made by others including one to auto-hide the new add-on bar and another to put the tabs in the titlebar even when Firefox isn't maximized.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVue_MwZsUjfKXGwIGMjvC9i8S4I8ONP1FE5FcUq56Nu2Nykr88yREuWEfruqqwfDOA2s4J25jUi7lpMyOiZsJ7r98GsLji2wI-Jm4n7Eo1r6D96k4gmENjFuBjbvqN0h5PQyAbQKWOaY/s1600/desktop-3-9-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVue_MwZsUjfKXGwIGMjvC9i8S4I8ONP1FE5FcUq56Nu2Nykr88yREuWEfruqqwfDOA2s4J25jUi7lpMyOiZsJ7r98GsLji2wI-Jm4n7Eo1r6D96k4gmENjFuBjbvqN0h5PQyAbQKWOaY/s640/desktop-3-9-2011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Anyway, I think 4 is pretty cool. I like the streamlined interface, which does take some getting used to. I'm even starting to use the new tab groups feature a little bit.<br />
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<b>Poker</b><br />
Business as usual. I've really been slacking off on the studying. A lot of times I'll sit down to watch a video and decide to just play another session instead. I really do need to do both.<br />
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<b>Games</b><br />
I went back through MODERN WARFARE 2 again and beat it on Veteran. Now I just need to complete all the various challenge maps. (I particularly hate the timed snowmobile map.)<br />
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The announcement of SAINTS ROW 3 means that I'll probably replay SAINTS ROW 2 next. A few weeks back I was trying to replay one and it kind of lost my attention. While I liked the first one, I liked the second one a lot more. I don't know, maybe I'll replay both.<br />
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Music</b><br />
Sort of eerie that in my last post I mentioned how I had recently re-discovered* Alice In Chains and then their original bassist died this week.<br />
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* Not that I ever stopped listening to them. I'd throw one or two songs into a mix playlist. It's just been a long time since I had listened to a full album.<br />
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<b>TV And Movies</b><br />
A good chunk of the shows seem to be on a little break, so that's given me time to watch some stuff on OnDemand and on DVD instead. Mostly really old movies. (I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, or just because it seems to be an endless flood of remakes and just crappy movies, but lately I don't seem to have any interest in movies made after the 80's.)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-29391484459829593472011-03-02T15:42:00.000-05:002011-03-02T15:42:41.798-05:00Charlie Powers?Normally I just sort of shrug my shoulders at celebrity scandals. But I found myself watching the Charlie Sheen interview on ABC.<br />
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In many ways, Charlie Sheen has become Kenny Powers...<br />
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I think that you have to admire the way the guy has decided not to do the standard "aw shucks, I was so wrong blah blah blah" thing all celebrities do when there's some sort of outrage over their behavior. Charlie is doing the same stuff a lot of famous people do. The difference is he's just being upfront and not apologizing for it anymore.<br />
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Let's be realistic here. People want to get famous so they can live a life of excess. Nobody is getting famous hoping to save the manatees. These people want to have boatloads of money, party all the time, and can get laid like crazy. So I find it hard to be surprised or feel some sort of strong disapproval when somebody famous is found doing these things.<br />
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That's not to say I approve of the nastier things he's accused of, specifically, hitting women. That's not cool. I also can't imagine that his wilder behavior is too good for his kids.<br />
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I just think it's refreshing in a world where publicists shine up bad behavior so people will keep buying tickets or watching shows, for somebody famous to just be so upfront and honest, instead of pretending to be contrite.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-14879901962384284212011-03-02T02:18:00.000-05:002011-03-02T02:18:41.706-05:00Kicking Off MarchI'm so lazy with my posting these days. I used to update multiple times a day. Now it's a minor miracle if I post multiple times in a month.<br />
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I'd like to redo the look of the blog a bit, but I can't get all that motivated to do it.<br />
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<b>Games</b><br />
I’ve been re-playing MODERN WARFARE 2 quite a bit. (This time on the 360.) I breezed through single-player on regular. Now I’m doing the challenge maps. (That sniper level drives me up the wall.) At some point I’ll go through SP again in hard mode to unlock those achievements.<br />
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I’ve kinda had an itch to replay FINAL FANTASY XII lately. I suppose it’d give me an excuse to use my PS3, which I don't even have hooked up to the TV at the moment.<br />
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<b>Poker</b><br />
March is off to a rough start. Lost just under a buy-in in the first session of the month. I was up by a nice amount before I got it in vs a player who kept min 3betting me pre and then shoving the flop or turn. I decided to call him with TPGK (top pair being Kings in this case) and he showed AA. Figures. Just goes to show, they're not bluffing as often as you might think and sometimes it's better to just say, "if he's bluffing, good for him" and let them have it. But maybe that's just being too results oriented, I don't know.<br />
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I think I might have ADD, since sometimes I have a hell of time paying attention to coaching videos. I take notes, but I find my mind wandering during some of the power-point style videos. I prefer live play videos where the best method of learning is pausing and trying to predict what the coach will do and seeing if your thought process is close to theirs.<br />
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<b>Music</b><br />
I recently dug out and re-ripped all of my Alice In Chains CDs (remember CDs?) to MP3. I ripped the stuff I liked best a few years ago, but 160 bitrate MP3s sort of suck compared to nice VBR files. I skipped all the duplicate tracks in MUSIC BANK since I did all of the albums and EPs already. One of my favorite bands, but I sort of forgot about them (and didn’t warm to their newest album with the replacement singer). Rediscovered them when I stumbled across a downloaded bootleg of the Dirt demos.<br />
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<b>TV</b><br />
I was going to write about (or more accurately, complain about) some TV shows that I watch. Then I realized it's sort of dumb to watch shows that I don't quite enjoy and probably even dumber to then write about them. That's not to say that I won't stick to being dumb enough to watch shows with concepts I like that fall short that I keep hoping will get better (V, NO ORDINARY FAMILY) or that used to be among my favorites that have gone downhill (CHUCK, THE OFFICE). It just means I'm too lazy to write about them.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-65126842471979849522011-02-28T14:14:00.000-05:002011-02-28T14:14:41.355-05:00Poker Results For February 2011Since I don't plan on playing again today, I figured I'd just post my February graph now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtYndJL9uvnxb00Oi5yiqR5qUWZtI-nbI9W4P7tPX-sVIiV9Ch29O2XWjE4HxE4r-JyZCOkd1VdiT38MQhyphenhyphen3j141Yt-e9wqIPe2kJ3AfYfUXhI8trl1GGKtYXEjiOH3YVJnQkaA7P-t4/s1600/poker-feb2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtYndJL9uvnxb00Oi5yiqR5qUWZtI-nbI9W4P7tPX-sVIiV9Ch29O2XWjE4HxE4r-JyZCOkd1VdiT38MQhyphenhyphen3j141Yt-e9wqIPe2kJ3AfYfUXhI8trl1GGKtYXEjiOH3YVJnQkaA7P-t4/s640/poker-feb2011.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Again, I didn't have a losing month. That's a huge relief to me. I didn't do spectacularly well, but when you have a long losing stretch it's good to be above that zero line. Obviously things are still really swingy. That last big downward spiral was towards the end of the month.<br />
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I didn't get as much volume in as I would've liked to. I also played one less table than I had been playing. I plan to add it back in once I've got a bit more money behind me.<br />
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I also slacked off a bit on studying over the weekend. The last time I can remember watching a video was Thursday or Friday. I definitely plan to get back to that grind this month.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-55336879295670300612011-02-18T02:07:00.001-05:002011-02-18T02:15:49.425-05:00Made My WeekThis week's COMMUNITY had two lines that I just loved. The first...<br />
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<blockquote>"Me and Abed have an agreement. If one of us dies, we stage it to look like a suicide caused by the unjust cancellation of FIREFLY. We're gonna get that show back on the air buddy."</blockquote><br />
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<blockquote>"Can you imagine bouncing a check to Kunta Kinte?"</blockquote><br />
The second one only making sense in context, but it's still a funny line. It made Diet Coke come out of my nose.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664029785150673627.post-52819700953540883702011-02-15T19:23:00.000-05:002011-02-15T19:23:58.070-05:00Best Tweet I've Seen TodayNot what I expected to see when I popped open Twitter this evening...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PIfhCUcAjsQs1qmHuyjOlbB8HC6IXMR2QbgM2QALzsA-JAQJEMfiBdrE0QgwEBp2OmIPpB9z48fJbYWS8qCkYeBcSLyI0rR32J7CG3v6xiB2KbAqFJJEBPIJbVyLVfDf-7XYxU00v-8/s1600/briebuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PIfhCUcAjsQs1qmHuyjOlbB8HC6IXMR2QbgM2QALzsA-JAQJEMfiBdrE0QgwEBp2OmIPpB9z48fJbYWS8qCkYeBcSLyI0rR32J7CG3v6xiB2KbAqFJJEBPIJbVyLVfDf-7XYxU00v-8/s1600/briebuk.jpg" /></a></div>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201656964292982105noreply@blogger.com0