Tuesday, November 24, 2009

All in for Kids Baby!

Last Wednesday we ran the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia charity event in NYC. This is the second year running and again, it was another huge success. Phil Helmuth was asked to emcee again, and he did. He never fails to disappoint. He is one of the most entertaining guys I have met and truly loves the game of poker and his part in it. Arrogance can be a form of entertainment if you have the stomach for it. He plays the part great!

Again we had Chris and Jeff (gorilla) running the video and interviews like last year. Only this year, no live feed was allowed. I guess some guests got a little too loose last year and the hospital wanted to air on the side of caution.

You can see the videos from the event here. Some really cool shit with Steve Begleiter playing, Roy Winston, and some other celebrities.

Vegas is looking thin for me as of right now. I'm doing my best to free the schedule up but a lot has popped up in recent weeks and I may have to travel elsewhere. I'll know and advise shortly.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week and enjoys the extra time with your friends and family.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

BAD BEAT ON CANCER TOURNEY TOMORROW

Bad Beat on Cancer Tournament Tomorrow on Full Tilt During FTOPS Event

Tournament Details:

Place: Full Tilt Poker

Date: November 15th, 2009

Time: 6:15PM EST

Cost: $10 ($5 entry plus $5 donation to BBoC)

Tourney ID#: 113220604 Tourney PW: TPTFORBBOC

Friday, November 13, 2009

UM... OK

So this guy sent this thing to me and was apparently sending it as a joke. I read it and was baffled.

The question was.... Why do men have nipples?

This was the first part of the article:

Why do men have nipples? By Dr. Mehran Sam PhD

Why do men have nipples?

Humans are mammals like cats and monkeys and similar to other
mammalian species only females generally nurse the young through their
nipples with the milk prodcued in their mammary glands. So do men need
nipples? or why men have nipples in the first place?

It's a less known fact that men's breasts and nipples are just as
functional as the female counterparts. If they take or for dietary
reasons produce some extra doses of female hormones, men can also
lactate just like females do. It has been suggested that male
breastfeeding can even lead to emotional bonding between a child and
the father as well.

So why do men have nipples? For the exact same reason they have two ears
and two eyes: because they have been designed and created as such by,
as we Raelians believe, our extraterrestrial scientific creators, the
Elohim.



Um... OK... Let's stop there. WTF is a Raelian?? I think I heard something about these folks on a Stern show many moons ago. I'm thought it was a joke.

Many believe that the similarities among species, like dogs, cats, and
humans, all having mammalian characteristics, are the indication that
all species come from the same ancestor through an evolutionary
process.

Yes indeed we also believe there has been an evolutionary process. But
it was in the minds of the scientists who came to the earth from
another planet. They first created simple life forms and then over
time developed and evolved their techniques to create cats, monkeys
and eventually human beings in their own likeness.

Of course only the creators themselves know the exact reason for their
choices and why they maintained the male form similar to a female's in
the chest area but it's not unreasonable for us to speculate. A team
of scientists who become experts in creating mammalian forms, males
and females, do not reinvent the wheel each time they want to create a
new species. The Elohim scientists perhaps only wanted to improve
their methods without a need for a great genetic modification moving
from one species to another as removing nipples in males would require
such a change.


That's it... I've had enough. This is for real people. There are folks out there that hardheartedly believe and live their lives as if we are a creation of Aliens. I guess it's not so hard to believe considering that there are a host of people who believe we descended from monkeys, or a rib from some dude (or woman... can't remember first grade theology).

never mind... just passing the time.

*and people think 2012 is a joke. **SIGH

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Tech issues

Dear Tech Support:
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system>activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected.

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!
Thanks,
A Troubled User.


Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.
Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed.
You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.... Read More
The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.
Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag, Nag 9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0! WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

Friday, November 6, 2009

Riggs Reflection

Well the '09 WS is over and like many Phillie fans, I am disappointed. I didn't see the much sadness from friends and fellow fans however as I did disappointment. See this series the Phil's just didn't have it.

Hoy writes up his recap and makes some points that I just don't agree with. You can read his here. From my perspective, it's just a little different. And more realistic I think. Outcomes are gained by all sorts of things, and when your team loses, frustration can set in and I think you tend to see things a little differently. Blame may take the front seat and make you see things in a way that just aren't true.

Two things that Hoy wrote that I entirely disagree with. 1) The series was a blow out. 2) The Yankees were just that much better of a team.

The first one will take some explaining. The second is as easily dismissed by admitting that the Yankees played much better this series. That is true. But they are not MUCH better than the Phils. I will prove that shortly.

First, let's talk about the Yanks and give them their props. I have never been a Yankee hater. I am in the purest sense a baseball fan. Baseball will always come first for me. That is before any team. Even my Phils (who my grandfather played for way back in the 30's).
Anyone who is a fan of baseball has to appreciate the tradition and history that the Yanks have provided over the years with greats such as DiMaggio, Ruth, and Mantle.

The Mets I hate. I really hate. Their fans might be the most retarded, hateful fans in the world. Comments such as "I knew '08 was a fluke" reeks so much of stupidty and jealousy that those types should be ashamed of themselves. I digress.

All the talk about the Yankees buying a team is moot to me as well. It doesn't matter. It just doesn't. For this is the arena in which you must play, and you must adapt to the rules within that arena. Good for NY for being able to field such talent. Good for their organization for going out and getting the players they want and can to build a team that can win. Winning on less money to field a team of greats doesn't make you a better organization. It just shows you did the best with what you have. The Yanks truly earned this championship and for that they deserve it.

I will also tell you that if the Phils hadn't won last year, this one would have been really hard to take. But the bottom line is, they just didn't show up.

There was one point in this series that changed the tide. It was a defining moment, and it proved to be the moment that would award the Championship to whatever team took advantage.

That moment was when Pedro Felize hit his game tying homer off of Joba Chamberlain in the 8th inning in game 4. With 2 outs then in the 9th and 2 strikes to Damon, Lidge blew up.

IF Lidge gets Damon out to end the inning, the Phils have a huge opportunity to win that game, and imo most likely do and tie the series back at 2-2. The series from there is a whole different series. We win game 5 and go back to NY with a one run game.

The scores of each game were 3-1, 3-1, 8-5, 7-4, 8-6, and 7-3.

Game 4 (7-4) was much closer with the Phils tying it in the 8th. Lidge i mplodes and gives up 3 in the 9th. Game 5 (8-6) was much more of a blow out with the Yanks getting 4 bs runs late in the game but still not coming as close at it seems. Game 6 was a travesty with the Yankee lineup just slamming Pedro who just couldn't get passed Hideki.

Hoy made a comment that the NY pitching was much more dominant than the Phils. Again, I have to disagree. They performed better over all. But dominant? Hardly. Pedro gave up 3 runs in 6 innings of pitching in game 2. The fact is that Philadelphia left 6 runners in scoring position on in that game. In this type of series, with any pitcher facing either of these lineups, it doesn't matter how good they are. You need run support.

Lee out classed the Yankees this whole series. Burnett pitched a gem in game 2, but was his usual self in game 5. CC pitched well but not dominant. He gave up two hits in game 1 (both homeruns) but lost the game against lee. His next start (game 4) wasn't all that great. He gave up 7 hits and 3 earned runs in 6 innings. Same as Pedro in game 2. But the Yanks took advantage of Lidge's explosion in the 9th and scored 3 to make it improbable for another comeback.

You can blame Charlie for not pulling pitchers when he should have. Did he leave Pedro in to long? did he leave Blanton in to long? In hind sight, probably yes. But the most glaring thing I can point to during this whole series was the lack of Philadelphia offense. An offense that we are so accustomed to seeing. It just wasn't there. It doesn't mean they don't have it. They just didn't bring it.

Next to that, the absence of pitcher Cole Hamels' magic has to be pointed at as well. But this should be no surprise as he didn't perform at all throughout the year. Some say his arm died after last years performance. Some say hitters adjusted to his change up. Whatever the reason, the dominance he provided last year just wasn't there this year. It was one of many things lacking that turned out to be to much to overcome.

Howard was brilliant during the divisional and league champ series. He was not to be found during the world series. It's a big spot to take out of the line up when you count so much on his bat in that spot to help produce huge amounts of runs. With his bat stifled, it was going to be an uphill battle.

So yes, the Yankees played better baseball. The Phils, not so much. In my opinion, the Yanks should be disappointed that they didn't get the Phillies best. Philadelphia lost this series more so than the Yankees won it. I'm not saying this as a bitter Philly fan either. I'm saying this as a baseball fan. To think that the Yanks destroyed their opponent is to ignore what the Phils have been most of the year. That is, an offensive Giant. They lost 17 saves throughout the year yet still managed to walk through the NL. They fielded a team that played an extra month and half of baseball last year and had several surgeries in the off season, and still managed to come back to the World Series.

There's a lot to be said about this team winning last year, and getting there again this year. Not to mention what lies ahead. With the addition of some arms this year, possibly bringing Drabek up, and adding a closer, or Lidge figuring out what the hell went wrong an fixing it, (hello slider!!!), The Phils will be a beast next year. It shouldn't be above anyone's expectation to see both of these teams battling again next October.

I want to congratulate the Yankees and their fans. They are a superb team, and yes, a slightly better team than the Phils were. They deserve their props.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Game 6

Phillies win... that is all.



Ok, I wish it was that easy. But Petite going on 3 days rest, instead of Burnett going on full days rest (because Girardi panic'd and fawked the eff up) is going to be a big obstacle for them to get over.

The Phils are not going to quit. Their bats will be a blaze tonight and if Pedro can keep it together for 7 -8 innings, the Yanks will have issues closing out in 6 games.

If this game is a hitting game, it will be tough for the Phils to overcome the Yanks home field advantage. If Pedro deals, then the Phils should win by a wide margin. If this game is 15-12 type game I gotta give it to the Yanks.

If the game is a 2-1 type game, I gotta give it to the Yanks.

If the game is an 8-2 tpye game, the Phils win and we head back for game 7.

I like the 8-2 type game. Much like game 5.

Now, is we win this game, the best scenario for the Phils is a rain out tomorrow. That way we can bring Lee back to start game 7. If not, it will be all hands on deck as I stated in the previous post.

I don't know what it is but I'm feelin' it. Look for a 7 game WS and the first time since 1985 that a team has had the opportunity to come back down 3-1 in a WS game. SHIP!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

LIFE SUPPORT!

I don't wish to convey an air of panic here, and I certainly don't want to take anything away from the Phillies, but all things considered, it will take a miracle to win this series.

Not since 1985 has a team come back from a 3-1 deficit in the WS. Only 10 times has it happened in MLB history (4 WS, and 6 AL/NLCS's). In '85 the Royals won both of games 6 and 7 at home. They also came from a 3-1 deficit in the ALCS that year to get to the World Series against the Jays.

Since 2002 the Yanks have been a colossal disappointment in big spots. So we have that going for us. But the fact remains, we need Pedro to pitch lights out tomorrow night AND have the bats working, and then we need "all hands on deck" going for game 7.

Whether it's Hamels or Happ who gets the start for a possible game 7 remains to be seen. My guess is Charlie will have a short leash on Hamels with Happ backing him up as early as the second inning.

After that I gather you will see every arm on the staff be used. But let's talk about game 6 first. Since game 7 depends on winning game 6.

Pedro is set up here perfectly. He loves NY. He's not sick like he was in game 2. He pitched well in game 2 with a little less velo than he is capable of. This could be his last shot as well at another WS title.

The Yanks pitching Burnett on 3 days rest was a huge mistake last night. It seemed desperate. Why, with a 3-1 lead would you think it necessary to pitch him? Gauder wouldn't have done worse, and you would have Burnett at home for a game 6 on full rest. I understand Burnett is 3-0 at three attempts to pitch on short rest, but I see no reason to waste an arm when you know you can use him in game 6, AT HOME, full rested.

For whatever reason Girardi chose that option, it failed, and now they head back to NY for game 6. I'm liking our chances in game 6. Someone mentioned that whoever's big man gets out of their slump first (Howard or Texiera) will win the series. That's a tough statement to make considering the Phils HAVE to win 2 games on the road. It seems an overly simplified statement.

The bottom line here is that pitching is going to win this series from here on out. Both teams can hit. Who pitches better will be the deciding factor. In short, and again, I think it's going to take a miracle.

All in all, I am still excited for baseball. This series has been all it's been cracked up to be. Awesome pitching, exciting endings, and very evenly matched.

I might be heading up to Foxwoods on Friday for some meetings. I'm hoping I can go up representing the back to back World Champions. Nothing would make me happier. Surprised, but happy!