| Programmed for Success |
[May. 20th, 2009|10:53 pm] |
So, Poker has taken an aside to a new hobby of mine, Programming. I've never believed in Magic as an adult, but nothing makes math seem like magic more than programming. I can take a series of numbers and mathematical statements and make an entire world out of them (potentially, I'm not that good yet). I don't know a ton yet, but I know enough that I was sitting there playing Dragon Warrior 2 thinking to myself how each little bit of data was tracked and displayed. How I would setup the code to track poisoned status or stepping on a swamp tile or character death. This lead to a series of thought patterns that ended up really disturbing me.
"This game is just another guy's challenge set up for me. Someone already knows the ins and outs to this. Yeah, it might be fun, but what are you really doing or learning? You've received a bizarre education thus far picking up bits of history or math or science either out of curiosity connected to a game or figuring out how to capitalize on a game, but you're just trying to solve someone else's problem. The only way to win is to write the problem, the only way to win is to not play the game at all."
See, I've always used gaming as an inspiration to other learning, but I think this might be the ultimate lesson. I'm worried and excited that I might have ruined gaming for myself? Or maybe I'm just going to approach gaming from a different angle from now on. |
|
|
| When Pigs Fly (across the border) |
[Apr. 27th, 2009|05:32 pm] |
I'm not a hardline person when it comes to illegal immigration. I can imagine the temptation of living somewhere crappy and knowing that all you had to do to double or maybe triple your income is sneak somewhere 10-20 miles away, work hard, and keep your head down. If where you lived was seriously crappy and next door held the promise of a better life for you and your family wouldn't you be tempted?
That being said, I think we're going to see a massive backlash from our migrant worker friends south of the border, and it's for a legitimate problem. If the swine flu gets more serious than it is right now people are going to want a scapegoat, and it's going to be our porous southern border. It's exposed a weakness in the US that the world is going to look at. If anyone did want to launch a biological attack on us, they now have a model that Homeland Security has had and is going to have a serious problem preventing. Swine Flu proves that if you want to infect the US, hit Mexico and let the Mexicans do the work of spreading it through the border. I don't know how hard it is to get into Mexico, but from what I understand the migration that the US experiences from Mexico includes people who travel from Central and even sometimes South America. So we can put up all the port and airport security we'd like, but unless we secure our southern border all someone who wants to get to us has to do is break into Mexico or some other underfunded, corrupt Central American nation. I think this legitimizes calls to block off the south and between the Swine Flu and the Drug Wars going on down there if things get worse it's going to be a bad time to be Hispanic with any sort of accent much like it was a bad time to be an Arab or Persian or Indian after 9/11. Let's face it, America can't tell the difference between a Mexican and Colombian and Venezuelan so they're all gonna get it. |
|
|
| When Desperate Static Beats the Silence Up |
[Mar. 23rd, 2009|08:44 pm] |
I haven't posted here in a long time.
I'm not dead!
I went to Chicago, it was fantastic.
I'm going to San Francisco, it should be fantastic.
I'm going to the UK for a fantastic wedding where I will be Man of Honor and summarily kick ass.
Life is simultaneously rough and wonderful.
I may soon be temporarily living in the coolest place on earth, Mom's Basement.
I may be the breadwinner of the house if I do.
I am up to $36 in poker and steadily climbing, but my skill is greater than the dollar level indicates so long as I haven't just woken up.
I haven't forgotten about all of you, but I have been mildly hermitish. I wouldn't mind hanging out with any of you, but I'm more inclined to do this if you contact me. I'm bad at taking initiative, and I typically have people tugging on me to be social with them. If you don't have my phone number it's available on Facebook.
No, I don't have a cell phone yet.
Rumors about me vary from wildly inaccurate to incredibly accurate.
Zangief will throw you. |
|
|
| Facebook |
[Feb. 19th, 2009|11:06 pm] |
|
FACEBOOK MAKES FOR UNCOMFORTABLE SOCIAL SITUATIONS. That is all. |
|
|
| Song get! |
[Feb. 17th, 2009|01:09 am] |
I got my letter from the wily ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bookgroper who gave me "W":
- Reply to this post saying you'd like to do the meme and I'll assign you a letter.
- List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.
- Post them to your journal with these instructions.
Watch worriedly while I wrangle wonderful works written with Ws!
W's Duty by Jonathan Coulton
Why Does the Sun Shine? by They Might Be Giants
Walking After You by Foo Fighters
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? as performed by Nirvana
We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions by Queen (they're supposed to be one song, from what I understand, and even if they aren't they BOTH start with W, suck it)
Win. |
|
|
| So close! |
[Feb. 11th, 2009|10:25 pm] |
|
So, I hit the tournament today. I came in 5th out of about 25 people. Still no money in that position at the Ameristar. I went out on AK suited against KK. First place in the tourney would've been $1000. Oi. If only I had the income to regularly play. :D Now it's all online for me again. More practice, practice, practice. |
|
|
| Chop chop! |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|09:41 pm] |
Oi, alright. Change of strategy. I'm done trying to play B&M limit hold'em. I had a decent runl ast night, but every major hand that I won I also split with someone else at the table. I was down another $100 last night over 4 hours, but I would've been up overall hadI not split the pot with so many people. Thing is, I'm rather proud of my play. I chased a couple people out of one pot on a semi-bluff. I didn't go chasing anything ridiculous. I played pretty solid, but it wasn't enough with the cards I was getting. My plan is to go to the NL tournaments offered by the casinos when I get free cash. It's a playstyle that I'm more used to and it limits my total losses. I'm a much better NL player than a limit player as well.
Wednesday should be my next play period. |
|
|
| OMGITSME |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|08:04 pm] |
As you may have noticed I've renamed my journal something appropriate to the shock and awe appropriate to myself.
In other news, bookgroper remains utterly fantastic and generous and awesome. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Feb. 8th, 2009|06:51 am] |
Ameristar St. Charles
Starting Bankroll: $335
Game played: $3/$6 Limit Hold-Em
Ending Bankroll: $220
Profit: $-115
Ending Total: $220
Yeah, bad night. I've figured out the problem with the Ameristar on a Saturday night. Everyone who plays poker there apparently plays all the time. It seems like a very tough game. I had shit hands most of the night, and the good hands I did pick up got cracked. There were some shining points, but I steamed a little in the middle and lost some hands that way. I also need to trust my reads on rocks, apparently I'm right about them playing nothing but the nuts. The bright spot to this is despite the numbers I think I held up well against some ridiculous competition, and the money lost was lost over the course of 5.5 hours. I'm going to bed now. :P |
|
|
| WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
[Feb. 7th, 2009|02:53 am] |
Ameristar St. Charles
Starting Bankroll: $300
Game played: $3/$6 Limit Hold-Em
Ending Bankroll: $335
Profit: $34
Ending Total: $369
The night started off pretty awesome. Before I had my chips stacked I was dealt AK, flopped AK, won my first hand. This was pretty fantastic. The killer for the night turned out to be the LAST hand. I had pocket AA, raised it as much as they let me. The flop showed me another Ace and two spades. I look to check and make sure I have the Ace of Spades in case two more come, and I do. Turn comes, and the fourth Ace shows up. I'm thankful that the only man who is left in the pot is across the table so he doesn't smell me wet myself. This is the same guy that lambastes me on the flop with, "You know if you've got Kings they're no good, right?"
Sure dude, you've got the Ace and I'm a fish. I totally believe you.
The river comes and he checks to me and I bet into him. He doesn't have the heart to call and wonders out loud what I have. I'm glad to show him the 4 of a Kind as I rack my chips and run like fuck for the cashier's counter.
Tonight was fantastic. |
|
|
| Cosmos |
[Feb. 2nd, 2009|04:08 am] |
Carl Sagan does what Richard Dawkins never will. He explains the rigors and exactness and malleability to the truth of science while dispelling mysticism and superstition, but all the while retaining respect and admiration for the beauty of reality and existence in all of it's magnificent splendor.
I didn't think a 70's(?) science show would be able to awe and move someone after 30 years. |
|
|
| Toiling away. |
[Jan. 27th, 2009|06:47 am] |
|
Another evening, another 3500 opponents taken down in a game I've played only once before. Have any of you even heard of Badugi? Firefox's spellcheck sure hasn't. |
|
|
| Notice to Bank of America Customers |
[Jan. 22nd, 2009|08:20 pm] |
Were you a Bank of America Customer between 2000 and 2007 who received an overdraft or similar charge and had debit card usage during the same period? You may qualify for a portion of a settlement over unfair business practices regarding how Bank of America deducted charges related to their debit cards.
You can find information about the settlement and submit an online claim form here.
Please read the information on the website carefully to make sure that you qualify to receive a portion of the settlement. I know there are a few folks on my friends list who almost definitely do. |
|
|
| Temporary Peace Accord signed in Anon v. CoS |
[Jan. 20th, 2009|04:58 pm] |
In Berlin, the heart of Germany, one of the few civilized nations to recognize Scientology for the money hungry corporation that it is there was a treaty of sorts signed by their designated representative Tom Cruise.
Is this show of goodwill a temporary measure of a lone "Maverick" or are we beginning to see signs of a moderation of rancor from the top? Only time will tell. |
|
|
| W's last note. |
[Jan. 20th, 2009|11:57 am] |
Before potentially hearing about it, do you want to know what I think W's last note will say?
 |
|
|
| Bush is right. |
[Jan. 16th, 2009|02:30 am] |
I've often spoken to you about Good and Evil and this has made some uncomfortable, but Good and Evil are present in this world and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong. Everytime. Everywhere.
No shit.
Edit - 9:16 in the video. He says the words but he has no idea what they mean. He doesn't seem to have a sense of irony at all.
|
|
|
| Corp Por |
[Jan. 10th, 2009|10:47 pm] |
One of the coolest parts about the Ultima games was always the quiz beforehand that determines your class, so when I saw this I had to take it.
Your result for The Ultima Test of Virtue...
The Mage (Honesty)71% Honesty, 57% Valor, 71% Compassion, 71% Honor, 14% Sacrifice, 57% Justice, 29% Spirituality and 29% Humility! 
Of the eight virtues, thou art most aligned with honesty. Thou shalt not steal or lie, but more than this, seek the truth in all things. Strive to be honest in all thy actions. Look deep into thyself for, only by knowing thyself can thou know truth. Honesty is the virtue of Mages and the town of Moonglow
Take The Ultima Test of Virtue at HelloQuizzy
|
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|