My Favorite Things

Making Will Laugh

New England Patriots - Pact with the Devil

After today's game, where the New England Patriots demolished the hapless Miami Dolphins 49-28, it's obvious that the Patriots have made a pact with the devil - a Faustian Bargain, if you will.

Tom Brady threw for 6 TD's in the game and is on an unbelievable pace. He's got 25 TD's after 7 games and he only threw for 24 all of last year.

There is only one explanation - Bill Belichick, after getting caught cheating by videotaping the opposing defensive calls, has sold his soul to Satan.

I don't like cheaters and cheating is a sin, but it is something that I would have forgiven. But hanging out with Beelzebub is over the line.

I predict that they will not lose any games this year, but will stop beating the spread, because everyone knows that the bookies also have a deal with the devil and the pointspreads will start catching up.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO Bears! We're #3 and Fup Ducks

Cal beat the Oregon Ducks for the first time in Eugene in 20 years. We are now ranked #3 in the nation.

FUP Ducks!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BEARS!!!

When we had season tickets, right under the KGO box, there used to be a guy with a very deep and powerful voice and we called him the GOBEARS guy. This is my tribute to him.

This says it all...

I See a Crazy Man - A True Story

This is an absolutely true story. Even I couldn't make this up.

I went to Nations for breakfast, place my order and sat in my usual place. There were only 2 people in the place. One guy was by the door, drinking coffee. I didn't really pay much attention to him. I like facing the clock, so I sat down and opened up my paper...

Over my shoulder, I heard in a fairly loud voice:

"Well, a guy comes in and sits facing away from the door, how about that."

I'm thinking - oh, oh, this guy's talking about me and he's strange and he's very large. I decide to just ignore him, but it goes on the whole time while I'm having breakfast.

"I saw a crazy man over in McDonalds... I saw a crazy man over in Starbucks... Crazy people make me nervous, crazy people make me nervous... I don't eat eggs. I don't eat eggs. I'm not an egg person and I don't know why... WELL, congratulations to C&H Sugar!! - 100 years of putting people to sleep..."

I'm thinking there must be a lot of mirrors in McDonalds & Starbucks and then he starts snapping his fingers and singing...

"I've got waffles, yes I do, I've got waffles, one or two... I've got waffles, round or square, I've got waffles everywhere..."

I walked out while he kept singing, averting my eyes in case he might give me the stink eye and I'd start singing...

King and Queen - A Poem

I was walking down a one way street,
With geometry boots on both my feet,
A lady was going down the other side,
Walking her dogma with obvious pride.

She wore a cloak, a hat, no shoes.
Who was she? I had no clues.
Lightning struck, thunder roared,
Above the street, an eagle sword.

I waved at her with my musical hat.
She didn't notice my waterproof cat.
I took a look into her eyes,
They told no truth, only lies.

I crossed the street, she did the same,
As we met, she called my name.
She said to me, where have you been?
Now is the time; the time to win!

Passion ruled the ocean waves,
Intertwined were two brainwaves.
All truths were puzzled,
Any lies were muzzled.

I went left, she went right,
Who noticed in the moonlight.
I forgot all about the eyes,
Never thought to recognize.

Events were too swift,
Never got the drift.
Across the sea, the sun went down,
I turned around; she'd left town.

CNN-YouTube Debate Question for the Democracts - 2007

I submitted this video to the CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate taking place on July 23, 2007.

I would like to know why a major issue like Energy Independence has to stay partisan? Why can't Congress compromise on safely drilling in ANWAR and raising CAFE standards and supporting nuclear power and expanding wind, solar, tidal and other renewable non-polluting energy sources? Subsidize tar sands in Canada & the US and maximize our efforts in plug-in hybrid technology for cars? I read that if we maximized our wind power in Texas, Kansas & South Dakota, we could power the whole US. Why does it just have to be all of one side's views or nothing?

Vegas in July vs. the planet Mercury

My first photo op! We be stylin', yeah!

Fossilman, Ozzie Joe and The Poker Brat. I guess when I get better, I'll get a nickname.

Attending the WSOP Academy was fun, exciting and informative, so what else could you ask for? I learned a lot and I'm positive I've got more game.

I didn't win a satellite tournament this year, so I didn't get to play in the WSOP Main Event, but out of 180 attendees, I finished 20th in the academy tournament and I used a lot of my newly acquired knowledge.

I won all three times I played in the Caesars Palace poker room and then after I got home, I won a online sit-n-go tournament, so it hasn't completely paid for itself yet, I'm positive it will in the future.




Here's an easy riddle: What's the difference between Las Vegas in July and the planet Mercury? A: Las Vegas is hotter.


Since I had workshops & tournaments from morning to evening, I didn't leave Caesars Palace for 4 days and I had my car in valet parking. They had obviously parked it in the direct sun and July 5th set a record for the date at 116 degs, so the inside of the car was probably 150+. I had a plug in car fridge that I got from OSIsoft for my 15th anniversary and that melted and warped. I'm just glad the Red Bulls inside didn't explode. I had to toss it because I was afraid that the motor that cooled it off was damaged.

When I started to drive the car, it felt like that tires had melted into the pavement because it would only go really slow. Also the button that lets me lock & unlock the doors didn't work until I got back and went to the car wash, so I guess something was deformed and the cool water made it work again...

I had the water bottle you see below in the cup holder and the bottom softened and deformed, so now it's convex and won't stand up any more. The gum that I had changed it's chemical composition and turned into something really yucky. So the moral of the story is to self park and not on the roof.








The last two night I spent in Vegas, I stayed at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. It's an excellent hotel and less expensive than the hotels with a Casino. The beds are very comfy and the showerhead pressure is massive compared to most hotels and they had a nice plasma TV with free HBO.

The best meal I had in Las Vegas was at the hotel restaurant - Envy The Steakhouse. I met a very nice server, Alina Gold, and I had never met anybody named Alina. She told me it's a common name in Russia and also now in Cuba and the latin community because Fidel named one of his daughters Alina. Her mother defected from the USSR and Alina was born in Nepal and I'd never met anybody born in Nepal... We had a very enjoyable evening as it wasn't very busy and I told her about the poker and about reading people. The next night I went back for dessert and she treated me to some excellent raspberry sherbert.

I'm sure to go back next time I'm in Vegas.

This is the end of 2007 WSOP trip reporting - here's a link to all the photos I took.

WSOP 2007

Read Em and Reap - Learning about non-verbal communications

I think this was the most fun day of the Academy - having ex-FBI profiler, Joe Navarro, tell us how to use non-verbal communcation to read your poker opponents. I had gotten his book and read it over the weekend and it's amazing how many things people to subconciously that give away what they are thinking. We found out that the most honest part of the body is the feet and the least honest is the face.

I was able to use what I learned right away in the very nice Caesars Palace Poker Room. One guy would rub his nose when he was bluffing and a woman scrunched up her lips when she saw a card she didn't like. I used this to my advantage and won a few bucks. They also have an excellent Chicken Caesars Salad that they bring to the poker table - it makes sense, eh?

4th of July & Annette_15

Today, we had several hours of presentations about strategy, we played and analyzed hands with pros dealing. We had Scotty Fishman and Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad at our table.


Annette is an online poker phenom. She's from Norway and she started playing poker online when she was 15 (she's 18 now) and never deposited a single Krone because she started playing free roll tournaments. She's won about $3.5 Million in online poker tournaments so far. She can't play in the USA because you have to be 21.


ESPN filmed the simulated games for a future WSOP show. I didn't get on film this time.

I think that Greg Raymer was the most helpful of the poker pros. Joe Hachem was also fun to listen to. On the final day Phil Hellmuth Jr. told a bunch of stories and basically said that since he, Greg & Joe play completely different styles, you just have to find your own style and the more you play, the better you can get.

Be A Sponge

Day 1 of the WSOP Poker Academy at Caesars Palace. The main message was: "Be a sponge". The more information you can get about the players, their betting strategy and their tells, the better.

I learned quite a bit already and today is a full day with a tournament in the evening.

After the workshop, we went to the fancy nightclub, Pure, for a reception. I sat down to a guy that didn't have a badge and we talked for about 45 minutes before Phil Hellmuth Jr. came by and asked if there was any food in the joint and then I found out that I'd been talking to Phil Hellmuth Sr. For the non-poker players, Phil Hellmuth Jr. won the WSOP Main Event in 1989 and has won more (11) bracelets than anybody. Phil Sr. & I talked about everything from Scooter Libby to Paris Hilton to Oakley Sunglasses to Wisconsin (he said he's from Madison, so politically he's left of left) to poker to how it is to have a famous son and more. I thought I was going to go for about 30 minutes and bail, but I stayed for 2 hours.

Frappr Map/Guestbook - Add yourself

World Series of Poker Academy

I'm going to Las Vegas on July 2nd to attend a 3 day workshop on No Limit Texas Hold Em. I don't have a seat in the Main Event yet, but there are still a few more chances.

Here are the details of the workshop. Even if I don't get into the Main Event, this should be way fun.

The WSOP Academy will hosts its next event, the Main Event Primer, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, starting July 3 and ending July 5 - on the eve of the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event. Spaces are still available for the comprehensive, three-day poker school that is specifically designed to prepare participants for the WSOP Main Event, poker's richest and most prestigious competition. On hand as instructors will be an unprecedented team of world class instructors, including past Main Event Champions Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem, multiple WSOP-bracelet winners Mark Seif and Scott Fischman, Joe Navarro and many, many more.

At the end of the first day of the Main Event Primer, participants will receive VIP treatment at an exclusive Opening Night Party at PURE nightclub in Caesars Palace. The second day of the Academy will be capped with a private tournament where participants will battle it out for a $10,000 seat to the WSOP Main Event and other prizes. On the final day, another $10,000 seat to the Main Event will be given away in a shootout tournament. Finally, on the closing night, a special banquet will be held that will include the final table of the first tournament, taking place on stage under the lights and cameras for all to watch.

My pyrate name is Iron tom rackham

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.