lightning strikes

The Decision

2012-02-03T00:44:00.000-06:00

Well, it is not quite in the same league with LeBron's The Decision, but this week I have had to do some hard thinking about work. I usually choose not to discuss work on my blog or in any social media sites since there have been so many stories of people saying really stupid stuff about their job and getting canned or in trouble. However, I'll just write in a few generalities here, where the biggest danger should be boring any readers to death.

It is time to make a change in the leadership in my department, and everyone is looking toward me. To be honest, I would clearly be the best person to be in charge at this point. However, there are a ton of negatives to being head of my department. I would spend a significant amount of time in meeting ... after meeting ... after meeting, have to deal with some tricky personnel issues, and have a ton of work to do over the next three years as we will prepare to move into a new building that will soon be built. The compensation for the increased responsibility is abysmal. I had been in charge once before many moons ago, and try as I might, I was unable to negotiate the bump in salary that really should go along with the added responsibilities. In reality, I was very unhappy much of the time I was the boss.

Nominations are due by noon on Friday. I am positive that I will be nominated, maybe with others who also do not want the job. I have decided to decline the nomination, and most likely there will be no candidates who will accept, meaning that some additional thought and changes will have to go into the process. There is always a chance that having no viable candidates could somehow lead to a situation that no one in the department would like -- getting someone from outside to be in charge. That would probably be a last resort, though.

I feel torn because I have always been a team player and feel the responsibility to step up when needed. However, I also believe in fundamental fairness in work, and the lack of adequate pay for the position has always bothered me.

When I was in an earlier stage of my career I could always look past the pay because of the increase in status, the practical experience, and the positioning for even further advancement. However, I am now on the back nine of my career. If I eventually end up in the position, it will clearly be more for the institution and my coworkers, not for me.

Of course, this is the CliffsNotes version of the situation. There are many details I cannot share in a public forum.

So tell me ... am I a chump for even considering this?

2012 WSOP Schedule Released

2012-02-01T14:08:00.000-06:00

Yes -- it is already time for all the real players and the dead money (who -- me?) to start thinking about the 2012 World Series of Poker. The events begin Sunday, May 27 and run through the middle of July -- not counting the main event final table which will be held later in the fall.

A schedule of events is available here. Cheers!

The lightning36 Diet

2012-01-30T10:57:00.002-06:00

Recently Waffles, in his usual caring and compassionate way, tweeted this request for information on the diet that has helped me to lose 25 pounds over the past several months -- "Hey Fatty your Russel Crow diet is pretty good. Give me some tips. I do not want to try and die like you." I was not following any particular diet per se, but was really changing the whole structure of what I ate. These are some of the same common sense tips you will find all over the internet and in diet and health books everywhere.

1) Decrease fat consumption   This was a major factor in the weight loss. I basically cut out red meat and processed meats from my diet. No more late night fast food runs to McDonalds or Taco Bell. No more hamburgers or ground beef. Surprisingly, I have not missed eating beef. I have had it a few times in the past 4+ months, but mostly I tend to eat chicken, turkey, and fish. I also decreased fat by cutting down on all the fat-based snacks I used to eat -- things like potato chips and high fat crackers.

2) Decrease sodium consumption   This was among the more difficult things I had to do. I used to salt virtually everything I ate. My new plan included adding no salt from the salt shaker, buying, whenever possible, low-sodium foods, looking at food labels and choosing alternatives with the lowest sodium content, and cutting out all many of the salty snacks I used to eat. I tried using salt substitutes, but the ones we bought substituted potassium for sodium and tasted terrible.

3) Increase raw vegetable, fruit, and whole grain consumption   This was fairly easy to do as I love veggies and fresh fruit. Breakfast would usually consist of Multi Grain Cheerios with fruit or oatmeal with fruit. Lunch would be a big salad or perhaps a wrap with healthy ingredients. Dinner would be something prepared with a low fat, low sodium goal. Lots of chicken, vegetables, and salads were consumed at dinner.

4) Increase exercise   While not technically part of the diet, this was the necessary addition that helped take the weight off and even allowed a little relaxation of the diet after a few months. Shortly after my mild heart attack, I took part in a cardiac rehab program that consisted mostly of 40 minutes cardio exercise three days a week with exercise on our own encouraged for remaining days of the week. After the rehab program ended, I joined a local fitness center and usually do about four days a week of cadio work in 40-60 minute sessions. The machines I use are the recumbent bike, elliptical machine, and the treadmill.

The first six weeks or so I was very strict with myself. Once I had lost a decent amount of weight and was confident that my blood pressure had come down to an acceptable level, I allowed myself a little leniency. The leniency is important so that you don't become frustrated and go back to old, destructive patterns.

Unfortunately, I seem to have plateaued with about a 25 pound weight loss. That is pretty good in itself, but I would ideally like to lose more. This might mean taking a month or two and getting strict with the diet again, or perhaps consulting with some professionals who might help me get to the next level. The important positives, however, are that I have improved my health and look and feel much better.

Have a great week!

Random Thursday Musings

2012-01-26T18:10:00.002-06:00

* A few years ago my children revealed that when they were younger they had an explanation for my frequest trips to Las Vegas: they thought I had a secret family there. Ha -- it is difficult enough having one!

* Thank goodness that Kohl's has a freaking sale virtually every day of the year. Today I am wearing a grey pair of pants that, at the time I bought them last year, were a tad snug. Now, with my weight loss, it is like I could fit an extra person in them. I need a new supply of casual pants. And where am I going to find shorts for my trip to Florida? I found out before my last trip to Las Vegas that none of my shorts fit any longer. They are all so baggy that even a schlub like me (ask Josie's a-hole metrosexual co-worker) wouldn't wear them.

* Tuesday night I sat in on a potential new poker home game. Played in their tourney and was one of the final three (13 players) who chopped the cashish. Played some cash games afterwards and came out about even. They play pretty regularly (once every week or two), so this could be a great find.

* I have been playing cash Omaha games on Black Chip Poker. The competition varies from decent to donkish. I am showing a profit on BCP, but we all know how quickly that can change.

* I watched part of the memorial service for Joe Paterno today on ESPN 3. It is such a shame that a man who did so many good things for so many people and for Penn State had to deal with the huge scandal right before he passed away. I am not excusing his behavior, but the overwhelming good he did in his life is extraordinary. I always had a soft spot for JoePa because he looked so much like my dad in his later years.

* I need to make some decisions about poker. Ever since Black Friday I have played in few tournaments. What middling tournament skills I did have (although felting Waffles and Josie was often fairly easy) seem to have eroded. Although I played pretty decently overall in the home game tourney I mentioned previously, I made a few mistakes late in it that might have stopped me from winning it outright. If I am going to bleed any money at WSOP or other decent tournaments in 2012 I'd better get on the ball!

* Speaking of the ball ... softball season is just around the corner! Today I committed to playing yet another season with my team. The past few seasons I had been playing mostly second base with some pitcher and catcher thrown in. However, the new, speedy version of lightning36 thinks that he might venture back to his roots in the outfield. My arm still sucks, though, so I might take some time to think about what will work best for me and the team. My hitting last season was excellent -- no pop but lots of time on the basepaths. My fielding -- geez, I was an embarrassment. Losing weight should change that.

Birthday Thoughts

2012-01-20T01:47:00.001-06:00

Happy birthday to me!

A birthday is not a bad time to reflect on the past. The past couple of years have been an interesting ride. Come along for a few minutes ...

Two years ago I was running on fumes. A long history of work, work, and more work had finally worn me down. However, the saving grace was that I had been granted a sabbatical for the spring 2010 semester, and I was stoked. The plan was set – get out of the daily routine, rest the old body, do plenty of professional updating and reading, attend some educational workshops, and then spend the last few months losing weight and getting in shape. Everything was going according to the plan when suddenly my life was turned completely upside-down in April when I found that my then 15-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

The next few months were a blur of fear, anxiety, hope, and thankfulness as my son’s surgery was successful and he seemed to be heading toward a full recovery. The sabbatical was helpful in doing what it was designed to do: regenerate me and give me a new resolve and enthusiasm for work. The issue that would come back to bite me in the butt, however, was that the family emergency occurred right when I was due to start on the healthy lifestyle and weight reduction plan.

One year ago I was dealing with an unbelievable sadness as my oldest child was moving 1,000 miles away from home. I don’t know if a parent is ever ready for this, but particularly after the crisis with my son, I was not ready to see any of my kids go. Over the past six years I have written some emotional posts dealing with issues like the loss of my father and the loss of my best friend from work, but the post dealing with my daughter’s leaving home was perhaps the most raw I have ever written. If you ever wondered if this guy had some deep-running emotions (I doubt that anyone who knows me to any extent is surprised by this), my post from a year ago should stop any wondering.

As it was, my daughter got incredibly homesick, had a rash of bad things happen to her, and moved back home after a couple of months. It looked like life might actually be stable for some time … until September. Although I thought that I was kind of pushing the envelope health-wise, I was not prepared to actually believe that I could have a heart attack. But I did. After feeling pretty stupid for letting my eating and (lack of) exercise habits get so far out of hand, I have dedicated the past four months to healthy eating and regular exercise. As a result, I have lost about 26 pounds … and counting. I feel much better and plan to be around for quite some time. Note the BEFORE and AFTER pictures:

Before

After

So ... I figure that with any luck at all I will be around to try to scoop pots at Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond and Bally's Las Vegas for many years to come. Poker, anyone?

And oh yeah ... here is the picture of Josie that I promised:

It is my birthday and I am the one giving presents. wtf ???

Tomorrow ...

2012-01-19T13:02:00.000-06:00

Yes, tomorrow is that day that many of us like to forget: the birthday. However, I do promise to have an introspective post worth reading tomorrow. If that isn't enough to entice anyone to look, I will also ask Josie for a boob shot to post.

Oh -- and a special message for my friend Gary, who still fails to believe ...

Time To Let Go, Red Sox

2012-01-17T23:50:00.000-06:00

Yeah -- I root for the Cubbies. The White Sox have always been my main team, but the Cubs were also a main part of my life while growing up in suburban Chicago. I hate to even begin to think of all the pain, from 1969 to Leon Durham to Steve Bartman ...

Anyway, let's face it: the Cubs are Sad Sacks. They haven't won a championship in over 100 years. Simply amazing. However, let's not forget that the Boston Red Sox had been Sad Sacks for almost as long until Theo Epstein changed the team, the culture, the long championship drought. Not one championship, mind you, but two. I have only seen one championship in my lifetime in rooting for the White Sox and Cubs, and I was already on the dark side of my 40's when it happened. Hah -- no sympathy and no love for the Red Sox for me!

Well, as inept as the Cubs are, they couldn't even get it right when hiring Theo Epstein. Instead of agreeing with the Red Sox on compensation BEFORE hiring Epstein, they blundered as usual and are now caught up in a pissing match with the Red Sox owners. How bad is it when the teams want Bud Selig to make the decision? Both teams look bad -- the Cubs for being unable to to close a simple business deal, and the Red Sox for looking like ninnies for not just moving on. Worse for the Red Sox, it continues to bring focus on the monumental collapse of 2011 -- not just the unbelievable choke of the season, but the implosion of the team. Buh bye Tito, buh bye Theo, buh bye Papelbon, hello fried chicken and beer. Burp.

Let's face it -- before Theo the Red Sox were like the Cubs -- the geeky guy that never got the homecoming queen. Well, the Red Sox had the hot chick but now the relationship is over. Time to move on, Red Sox -- she's gone. The Cubs are the main man now. Just let it go.

Coming Soon ... Lightning Road

2012-01-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

Upcoming Trip Plans

2012-01-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

Yes -- the nasty season for my job is almost over. Things will settle down soon and life will seem a tad more pleasant. February has always been a dead time of year, lending itself to travel. So far, I have two trips planned for next month.

LAS VEGAS
Is it a surprise that I am going here? My brother was offered a comped room at Caesars Palace and quickly made a reservation for Super Bowl Sunday. We are staying in the Augustus tower, which I hear is pretty nice.

I will, of course, likely be spending a significant amount of time playing cash games at Bally's. If time permits, I am thinking that I might play some cash games at Bellagio. I have not played there for some time and am interested to check out the action there. Last trip PokahDave and I played in a fun late-night donk-a-thon tourney at Harrah's at 1:00 am, so I might give it a try again this trip. Harrah's and MGM are also likely cash game destinations.

No definite food plans for this trip yet, but I am pretty sure we will be trying the Wicked Spoon Buffet in the Cosmopolitan this year. I had other meal plans the day Astin organized the trip to Wicked Spoon at the WBPT event in December, and the reviews from him and the others confirmed that this is the place to go.

I might actually spend more time than usual socializing this trip. My brother and sister-in-law might come up from Arizona to visit. I hope to connect with blogger buddy NumbBono. I am hoping to meet bloggers Tony Bigcharles and grrouchie and maybe play some cash games with them. And ... you never know what other acquaintances, pros, or famous people you might run into.

CLEARWATER BEACH, FL
A few days after getting back from Las Vegas, I will be heading south to Clearwater Beach, Florida for a professional conference. The place I'll be staying looks pretty nice, and more warm weather in February is always appreciated by this Illinois guy.

I hope to have some time to socialize and maybe even play some poker with blogger The Neophyte, whom I met in Las Vegas last February. Neo and his wife, the Poker Queen, were great to hang out with. They have the distinction of buying me my first In-N-Out hamburger!

So yeah -- next month should be fun. Maybe I'll even starting thinking about plans for a trip east. Hmmm ... anyone for Atlantic City?

Separated at Birth? Volume 1

2012-01-10T21:05:00.009-06:00

Snooki

Very Josie

Russell Crowe

lightning36

Bob Seger

Nah PokahDave, Bob Seger is not quite a match. For starters, his hair has already turned mostly white whereas mine only has the beginnings. Another handsome dude, though, so yeah -- I can see why you think so ...

My Baby

2012-01-07T15:16:00.000-06:00

Yes, it is true that many men have a particular fondness for their car. I am no different in that it is almost like my car is an extention of me. My cars have oftentimes reflected their owner's particular station in life.

The first cars, bought during the undergrad and grad school days, were inexpensive and functional. When I got my first professional job I bought a Chevy Nova from my sister. It had a piece of crap straight six engine that produced just over 100 horsepower. It was slow and lethargic. However, I was able to save some money and bought the coolest car I ever owned -- a 1979 Trans Am. It was a beauty -- pearl white, 6.6 litre (403) engine, faster than hell. It looked something like this:

It had T-tops that weighed a ton! The pearl white color was great. The car looked white, but when the sun was shining on it, it gave off a gold glow. I never found out exactly how fast it would go. One day I was on a country road and pushed it a little. There were too many hills on the road and I decided that I shouldn't exceed 115 mph. The accelerator wasn't even to the floor yet. Dang but that was a great car!

However, about the time I was getting married I decided that I should go a little more conservative and got a ... Honda Civic! Man -- talk about a change. My brother worked at Honda, so the Civic started my collection of Hondas, which later included a couple of Accords. After driving them for about fourteen years, I decided it was time for a change. My midlife crisis? Maybe. I wanted a Mustang convertible -- red, it had to be red! They seemed to be in short supply in the area, so I went online and found exactly what I was looking for ... in Louisville, KY, about 250 miles away. I arranged with the owner to meet in southern Indiana so I could look at and drive the car. A few days later we made a deal via e-mail and I drove with a friend to Louisville to pick up my new car. It was two years old and had only about 8,000 miles on it. Yowsa!

I have now had the car for almost ten years and have put another 70,000 miles on it. It was recently hit in my workplace parking lot, and I used the opportunity to have a little additional clean up body work done where I or my family had gone astray in our driving and had damaged the car. The body shop gussied it all up, and it looks great again. Considering that I have had it for almost ten years, I have put virtually no money into it. I had a minor mechanical problem fixed today. It is back home and ready to serve its master.

Some purchases haunt you for years while others might be listed under the catagory "wisest purchases you have ever made." Chalk the Mustang up under the latter.

Reminds Me of the Good Ol' Days

2012-01-03T22:08:00.000-06:00

Lost heads up nut flush vs smaller flush. Ahhh, but this reminded me of life before Black Friday. How things have changed. Thanks to Cardschat for continuing to provide some fun and friendly online competition.

Last-Minute Trip to The Shoe

2011-12-29T10:27:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday I was all set to make a 90-minute drive to visit with two old college friends. However, one of the group had a last-minute business matter to attend to and the meeting was postponed to Wednesday, a day I considered for making a poker room run. So ... I made a quick decision to swap days, jumped in the car, and headed up to my favorite poker room at Harrah's Horseshoe - Hammond.
The drive up to The Shoe (2+ hours) is always pretty boring. After listening to more than I could take of Chicago Bears news (sigh) on the radio, I decided to make a few calls to pass the time. First call: The Crafty Southpaw, to throw a Beatles trivia question or two at him. Gary include my little challenge in a blog post. Yes, I will admit that he knows his stuff. Next time I will make the questions a little harder. Second call: Very Josie, figuring that she might be on her lunch hour. Good guess! Nothing of note in that conversation -- at least that I want to reveal! Were any ears ringing?

Soon I was at The Shoe and seated at one of the many $1/2 NL tables. Two players were spewing money and I was happy to grab some of it. Surprisingly A-A and A-K (flopped TPTK) both held up for decent pots. However, the spewers both busted and the table seated some better players, so I thought it was time to take a break and grab my free lunch buffet.

After a somewhat healthy feast (buffets just aren't the same when you are watching what you eat pretty carefully), I headed back to the poker room. I was seated next to a woman who was talking all kinds of funny and crazy shit including dropping F-bombs every few minutes. At first she was irritating, but later became more entertaining when she toned it down a bit. She was having one of those days where every hand loses. She didn't help herself by slow playing her A-A, allowing me a free turn card which improved my lowly 4-4 to a set. However, the table lucksack crushed me for half a buy-in when I thought my two pair were good, only to find out that he flopped a boat -- with his freaking J-3 os!

However, if there is one thing I have learned about cash games, particularly at The Shoe, it is to be patient and wait for your chance to get your money back in big chunks. This I was able to do (QQ vs JJ and set vs ?), and the evening session also was successful. Knowing that I still had to make the long drive home, I cashed out shortly after 10:30 pm, another successful poker day at The Shoe under my belt.

Atlantis

2011-12-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

A post today in sevencard2003's (also known as tbc, Tony, or TonyBigCharles) blog reminded me of this great classic song by Donovan.The first video cotains the lengthy spoken lead in before the familiar chorus begins. The second video is where most people recognize the song -- the famous Billy Batts scene in Goodfellas.

In case you read Tony's lengthy IM transcript ... lol! Atlantis, anyone?

I have been to Atlantis Paradise Island before. I was surprised to find that, despite hosting some of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournaments, it does not have a poker room! Quite a surprise.

Now go home and get your fucking shinebox!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T09:57:00.001-06:00

Wishing all the best to my online poker friends and others whose paths I have crossed these past few years.

The Heart and Voice of an Angel

2011-12-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

He would have been 65 this week. Rarely has God gifted such a voice.

The Weight

2011-12-23T12:28:00.001-06:00

It is a bit amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. After my health scare in September, I knew that it was very important for me to radically change my eating and (lack of) exercise habits. I guess the fear of dying is quite a motivator!

What I did:
* Virtually eliminated red meat from my diet
* Switched to low sodium foods and tried to minimize salt in my diet
* Increased consumption of raw vegetables and fruit and cut out most high fat/high sodium junk food
* Ate low fat alternatives whenever possible
* Stopped patronizing most fast food joints. I'll still occasionally get stuff for my kids, but I have mostly stuck with Subway (and it's relatively healthy alternatives) when I need a fix
* Participated in a cardiac rehab program for seven weeks
* Continued to walk and utilize fitness centers after the rehab was completed

The results are, for me, just short of amazing. I feel great. I did not realize how sluggish I had been feeling prior to the mild heart attack. The weight loss has been outstanding. I had a lofty goal that I set for myself for Christmas and I will come pretty close to reaching it. I have now lost 27 pounds from the highest weight I had reached right before the attack. The other day I looked at myself naked in a mirror (calm down, Josie -- no pictures!) and started yelling out "My butt! My butt! Someone stole most of my butt!" None of my pants fit me anymore, but others who have lost a bunch of weight have told me what a great problem it is to have to buy new clothes. Heck, even some jeans I bought a month ago so that I would have something to wear at the WPBT weekend seem too big now.

I grew up a skinny kid in a family of thin people, but put on weight for the first time during the college years. I took it off at the end of my senior year in college and through graduate school. My early years as a professional were filled with athletic activities, so I was in great shape until about the time that we started having kids. Work, kids, and other stresses seemed to conspire to slowly add on weight over the years, and my lifestyle changed from active to more sedentary. Cable internet and online poker sure did not help.

So ... at least for now, I am back on the right track. I went at this the only way I knew how -- full force. I have slacked off a tad now -- more toward "reasonable" behavior -- in the hopes that I can continue many of these healthy lifestyle choices for years to come.

I wrote this post today not to solicit a bunch of "atta boy" comments, but to hopefully encourage anyone else who might be reading this post and heading down the same bad path that I traveled to think about making changes before they end up being like me -- a doofus who had a heart attack because he thought it wouldn't happen to him.

Today's task: head out to Kohl's to buy some new jeans! Although I hate shopping for clothes, this might be kind of fun today.

Will it play in Peoria? A Little Poker at Par-A-Dice Casino & Gadzooks64's Home Game

2011-12-20T13:53:00.001-06:00

This past Saturday my wife was hosting of one of the many types of sales parties designed to draw in people, have them eat a little food and swill a little wine, then order a bunch of crap. No sir, for me the party meant that it was time to get out of Dodge. Fortunately, I had gotten an e-mail from online poker buddy gadzooks64, saying that she was having a poker tournament in her home that night. Although zooks lives just over 100 miles away, it seemed like the time was right. Not wanting to make the 200+ mile round trip just to possibly donk out of her tournament early, I decided to leave a few hours early and play some $1/2 NL Hold Em at the Par-A-Dice riverboat casino in Peoria, IL, which was on the way to zook's house.

My history at Par-A-Dice was not pretty. In fact, I do not belive that I have ever finished ahead in the few times I have played there. But ... what the heck, it was time to write a new chapter in that tired old book.

Finding a parking space was at first difficult since the casino was having the final night of a huge promotion that included a car giveaway. The place was packed. However, I successfully waded through the crowd and got to the poker room right before a new $1/3 NL table was to open. I didn't even know they sometimes spread $1/3 there. Anyway, I recognized a few of the locals (it feels like sometimes I am the only "visitor" playing there), was ready for play, and got down to business. If only the cards cooperated. In 1 1/2 hours of play I got exactly one decent starting hand, A-K, and missed the flop, as did all of the speculative hands I played. I pissed away a little mobney via blinds and missed shots, but essentially got and did nothing. Blah.

I got to zooks' house just as the tournament was about to start: 14 runners (I think) with one rebuy available through the first four levels. I caught a nut flush on the river and was able to extract a decent amount of chips out of one player. Then the big hand hit. I had position and limped in with K-9, a hand I often play due to my previous affiliation with the now-defunct K9 Poker Tour. The flop was King high and I bet and got a caller. The turn was a 9, giving me top two. A flush draw was also on the board. The other guy in the hand made a huge raise. Knowing that I had the protection of a rebuy, I shoved and was called. Unfortunately, my opponent had flopped a set and took all my chips. Rebuy!

Using my supreme roach skills, I stuck around and stuck around until we got to the final table. Now, in the past my luck at zooks' home tournamanets had been terrible. I played in two or three, and in the last two I suffered horrible suckouts. This time things would be different, though. It was time for lightning36 to show he could suck out with the best! I pushed all in after a flop (with K-9 again!) with second pair only to find that I was behind top pair. However, a 9 on the turn and a King on the river gave me a boat. Yowsa! Later on, I went up against zooks, whose huge stack started dwindling, and hit a lucky four-flush on the river. I finished the tournament in third place, which certainly was not too bad considering I had been a short stack ninja for much of the tournament.

As I drove back home, I heard the siren's call from Par-A-Dice all the way out on I-74, turned off at the exit, and decided to give the poker room there one last try. There were several $1/2 NL games going, and my first table quickly broke up, moving me to a table with lots of loose action. I felted one guy who decided to call my $100 bet (top two) with a flush draw and gutshot straight draw. I pushed all in after the turn and he called. I thought I was dead when the river hit the low end of the straight draw, but I guess the guy's straight draw was a gutshot, so kudos (and mobney) to me. A bunch of other nondescript hands followed, and I finally left so that I could get home before the sun came up. Most importantly, I finally won at Par-A-Dice!

So ... my bad streak at one poker room came to an end and I was in the money in a tournament that I should not have cashed in except for luck. Not a bad night ... and certainly better than listening to the chatter generated from the sales party my wife was hosting. Yowsa!

Back Home ...

2011-12-12T21:53:00.000-06:00

Nothing like doing the ol' 900 mile round trip in 30 hours routine -- home to Mayo Clinic to home. At least I got to have a few beers with good buddy OhCaptain in the middle of the trip.

My son continues to be cancer-free and my mother-in-law is still hanging in there, so things are going okay for now. The prognosis on my mother-in-law is still uncertain, however. My wife is also back home. This has been a challenging past few days for everyone.

Thanks for the well wishes from some bloggers and some other friends. I hope to get things at home back on track tomorrow.

Run Bad Continues

2011-12-10T23:02:00.001-06:00

I was hoping to start on my WBPT report but the end of this week has proven to be quite challenging. People who know me know that I bitch about water problems all the time. Well ... it happened again! Something in the basement is not working properly and there was, thankfully, only a relatively minor water incident. Always water!

Feeling a bit run down after the WPBT weekend, I picked up a cold and have some nasty congestion. Passing up an excellent photo op here, btw! This would not make that much of a difference except that a family emergency had us running every which way today. My mother-in-law, who has had her share of serious medical problems over the years, has had a turn for the worst and might not make it this time. As a result, my wife left town in a hurry to be with her mom. That also, unfortunately, changed my weekend plans. Instead of spending a calm Sunday at home watching the Chicago Bears' football season go down the drain or logging in some poker time at Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond, I will be trekking up to OhCaptain country to take my son to his medical appointment at the Mayo Clinic. Nothing like a 900+ mile round trip up north in winter, I always say! I decided not to take my Mustang since I currently can't open the passenger side door (see previous post), so I sure hope the car my oldest daughter drives, a RAV4, will do the job.

I hope your life has been a little less challenging than mine the past few days!

Post-WPBT Hijinks: Do these things really happen in threes?

2011-12-07T15:45:00.001-06:00

Okay -- so my WPBT report begins AFTER I dropped my rental car off near the Las Vegas airport yesterday. My brother had been sick right before we left. I will spare you the gory details. He was using the restroom prior to boarding when the Southwest gate representative began to announce that the flight was over-booked and they were looking for two passengers to be bumped. Before he got very far I knew what was coming next and I made a mad dash to the counter. I was checking out the details of the compensation when my brother returned. Still feeling sick, he said no, he did not want to wait any further at the airport and be stuck with C group boarding for the substitute flight, so we passed up the bump. Dang.

Our flight was uneventful and things were going fine until we got to my car in the airport long term parking garage. Dead battery. However, a call box was only a short distance away and we had the car jump started within minutes and were on our way. Good recovery.

I was back at work this morning having a nice uneventful day when I spotted a police officer coming toward my office. I had parked my car in a different area after lunch and just knew that someone hit my parked car. Bingo! Sometimes I would rather be wrong. Fortunately, the damage was only minor but will cost the insurance company just over $1000. Since my bumper will already be off for the repair, I just might spend a little cashish out of my own pocket to have some other minor damage repaired. I guess there is almost always some good to come out of bad things.

I hope your past twenty four hours was a little less eventful than mine!

Counting Down to the WPBT Weekend

2011-11-27T11:57:00.001-06:00

I can feel the excitement beginning as the annual WPBT gathering in Las Vegas is less than a week away. I will be getting into town mid-afternoon on Thursday. My brother will be getting in two hours after me. I considered staying at Bally's, but with so many of the poker bloggers staying at the Imperial Palace and with the offer of a free room there ... well ... IP it is! Although I am not sure, I think I might rent a car for the length of the trip. I have not driven in Las Vegas since the days before I got married many, many moons ago. This trip might be a little different, though, in that I might spend less time playing poker than I usually do. With a return trip to Las Vegas already scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday and with the frequent trips I had been making to various Caesars Entertainment properties, I just might spend a little time outside the Bally's poker room. If so, I have a few side trips I might take:

Pinball Hall of Fame
South Point Casino
M Casino
Red Rock Casino
In-N-Out Burger
Palm Memorial Park (cemetery where Redd Foxx and Stu Unger are buried)

I have high hopes for my WPBT team (myself, PokahDave, and Yestbay1) this year as my last two teams (with Josie & Waffles and with OhCaptain & PokerPeaker) bailed out early. Two years ago I made it as far as about 19th place before busting. Last year was a disaster as I got crap cards and got felted when my short stack push with A-10 ran into A-J. A little more favor from the poker gods at the beginning of this this tournament would be appreciated.

My recent health issues will change things a bit. I might actually be utilizing a fitness center and modifying my usual bad Las Vegas late night eating habits (double Whoppers at Burger King and the breakfast special at the Victorian Room at Bill's Gamblin' Hall). Overall though, I feel great. I have lost over 20 pounds and have been enjoying exercising. Knowing that your life is on the line does help to motivate you! I am even contemplating shaving off my beard today for a look I have not experienced for many years.

So ... approximately four days from now I will be getting ready to board my flight. Tick ... tick ... tick ...

Black Friday Blues and Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:07:00.000-06:00

Having grown up being a bargain hunter, I strangely enough have a tremendous disdain for Black Friday. Struggle with crowds to get $20 off something? No thanks. Not anymore.

Many years ago I used to live for this day, long before it was called Black Friday. I remember that we used to call it "The Day After Thanksgiving -- The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year." So yes, I remember going out to stores like Circuit City, Best Buy, and Walmart when it was still dark outside. I remember going to a mall toy store when the kids were little since just about everything on their Christmas lists was onsale. It opened at 5:00 a.m., which was unheard of back then. We got in the store, grabbed all the gifts, and stood -- unable to move for 45 minutes as we were crowded in that store like sardines in a can -- waiting for each customer to get checked out in an agonizingly slow fashion.

Somehow, however, things changed over the years, or at least in my perception. The day seemed to be less and less about the joy of getting a good deal, and more and more about greed and materialism. Over the years I have really come to hate crowds and am loathe to put myself in a situation where I wait ... and wait ... and wait with throngs of other people. The long lines on Black Friday also seem to bring out the worst in some people. Civility often seems to go out the door, and heck, how many stories will we hear this year about someone getting trampled to death at a Walmart Black Friday opening?

I imagine that my perception has changed as I have gotten older and become more financially secure. I just can't see waiting in line for hours at Best Buy (a store I hate, by the way) to buy that great deal on a television. In general, I also think I have lost desire for a whole lot of posessions. My family hates to buy me Christmas presents because my usual answer to "What do you want for Christmas?" is "nothing."

That kind of leads me today -- Thanksgiving. Being a recent heart attack survivor has had an effect on how I think about many things. I am very fortunate that the attack was mild and that I sought help quickly -- at least as quickly as a guy will do that sort of thing. I am luckly to live in a community with outstanding medical care.

One of my co-workers always tells me that I am a lucky person. My take on that is that I always seem to skate even when bad things happen to me. However, I do feel very fortunate to have a great, if not goofy, family and extended family. I have a great job and work with some of the nicest and best people one can imagine. I have met many people, including poker bloggers, that I am proud to call my friends.

So, on this holiday of Thanksgiving, I will spend a leisurely day at home, have some turkey, watch some football, and just loaf around in general. Yes -- it is Thanksgiving, and I am thankful.

Josie's Football Picks

2011-11-16T16:57:00.002-06:00

Since it seems like I have become Joe C's new butt boy (sorry Gary, Waffles, and Wolfie -- you guys are old news), I am happy to post her picks for this week's NFL games:

Green Bay 14

New England 13

San Fran 12

Dallas 11

Detroit 10

Atlanta 9

Chicago 8

NY Giants 7

St Louis 6

Baltimore 5

Miami 4

Oakland 3

Jacksonville 2

NY Jets 1

btw -- Begin to line up to be Josie's next pawn. That means you -- Ken P, Neo, MOJO, PokahDave, and Lucki Duck. Hmmm ... did I forget anyone?

If There Was Any Question About the Atmosphere Surrounding Penn State Football and the School's Administration ...

2011-11-14T09:22:00.001-06:00

... look at this report from ESPN's Outside the Lines from a few years ago.

On Joe Paterno, Penn State, and Being a Man

2011-11-10T22:28:00.000-06:00

Not being one to rush to judgment, I wanted to carefully read the grand jury report on the Penn State Sandusky sex abuse scandal, peruse the news reports, and see how the situation panned out over the past few days before putting anything in writing. I think that things are very clear.

I simply cannot fathom how many men did the wrong thing. From the sexual predator Sandusky to the gutless witness McQuery to the complicit Penn State administrators -- wrong, wrong, wrong.

If you see a child being sexually assaulted should you not intercede? Should you not contact the police? Should you not look out first and foremost for the victim? How can you allow a sexual predator access to children and unsupervised areas? When you know this kind of abuse is going on do you just ignore it?

How so many educated adult males could be so cowardly in the face of such a compelling moral issue is astounding. Protection of the university, the athletic and football programs, and "the brand" were all deemed more important than the safety of defenseless children. How appropriate is the quote "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

In a sense I feel some degree of sorrow for Joe Paterno. A man who has done so much good for so many people for so many years will be defined by by an unbelievable moral shortcoming. How sad. Unfortunately, sadder still is that Paterno's failure to take the proper actions allowed sexual abuse to go on for years, fostering devastating damage to innocent victims that will scar them the rest of their lives.

The reaction of a number of Penn State students is almost beyond belief. Are they so obtuse or self centered that their major concern is not the destruction of young lives but their football coach and the program? Sadly, the reputation of Penn State has suffered incalculable damage.

I have so much more that I could say. Being a professional counselor, I find this entire situation so depressing since I have experience in knowing the degree of harm that was visited on the victims. Add in the families and friends of the victims who will share in the pain and you have an enormous ripple effect that far exceeds what most people would imagine.

Finally, I am struck by something that many of my male readers will certainly understand. Part of being a man is knowing that at one, a few, or maybe even many times in your life you will be faced with making a decision that will test your moral fiber. You can make a decision that will be wrong but make things much easier for yourself or you can make the right decision, knowing there will be a high price to pay. What we choose in these instances helps define us. It is sad to see that so many men, faced with this kind of decision in the Sandusky abuse situation, made the wrong choice.

The Cast Party

2011-11-04T23:56:00.000-05:00

My wife has been in a play in town and tonight was the night of the cast party. Faithful husband that I am, I told her that I would accompany her although, only knowing one person who would be there, I had a feeling it was not going to be the highlight of my week.
I asked my wife to pick me up after the play was over. Much to my surprise, I went downstairs only to find the daughter of She Hate Me in my house! Wonderful -- the klutzy daughter of the woman who hates my guts for no reason is now tagging along for a ride. Hmmm .. should I make small talk? "How is you biotch mother?" I thought. Baaaaaaaa.

Of course, a theatre cast party oftentimes means lot of talk about stuff I normally would not ponder. For example, would it be more difficult to put a dog in a bathtub full of water or for a guy to put his nuts up another guy's bunghole? Why did one of the play's divas drop her pants after a play? "I had underwear on," she said. Someone than mentioned "Yeah -- but it was see-through."

Unfortunately, the food at the party was all junk food, which I have been avoiding like the plague for the past seven weeks. Dang.

After being a good sport and enjoying the conversation for over an hour, I felt like it was time to go. My wife had assured me that we would be driving home ALONE. But of course, guess who tagged along for a ride home although she only lives a few blocks away? Fauck. If only I had a bomb or two in my car the night might have had a great ending. Dang.

Quick Update

2011-10-26T12:54:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am still alive and well. A few quick updates from past posts ...

Health

I am doing well, almost six weeks after my mild heart attack. Yes -- I have gotten health religion! I have cut out red meat from my diet, have drastically cut down the cholesterol and sodium in my diet, have cut out most of my unhealthy snacking, and have been exercising regularly. My blood pressure is down, and although I have not seen the most recent blood work results, I know my cholesterol should be way down. I have lost 18 pounds and feel great. It was unfortunate that my wake up call was what it was, but hopefully I will not have any of those issues in the future.

The Straw Garden

A few weeks ago I met with the president and a board member from my homeowners' association. I did get an apology for the way in which my situation was handled (letter from attorney without any prior notice from the association), although the president did think my wife's straw garden was nasty looking. As soon as the final harvesting is done we will break down the bales for compost, which was our original plan. As for my neighbors who didn't like it -- screw them!

Oh yeah -- our annual association meeting was last night. Only four of the board members attended (a few were out of town) and only four home owners showed. I nominated myself for the board prior to the meeting, but a quorem was not present and therefore no voting took place. Am I on? Not sure. Better to keep your enemies close.

Poker

I decided against playing in the stimulus event at the WSOP Circuit Event at Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond because I didn't want to deal with the hassles. I played once at the riverboat in Peoria (lost once again there) and finally had a home game on my table. I hope to return to The Shoe sometime in the next two weekends and have a home game scheduled for one week from today.

WPBT

I am ready to go to Las Vegas in December for the annual blogger gathering and tournament. I get the impression that the government's heavy hand with online poker will have a big effect on attendance this year. It seems to me that a lot of the old "A list" bloggers plan on going but not so many of the B and C listers.

I also have a return trip to Las Vegas already planned for February and may also be going to a professional conference in Clearwater Beach, FL that same month. Sounds interesting.

Cheers!

Weekend Update

2011-10-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

Joe C ?

University of Illinois Football

The Fighting Illini play against the bad guys from THE Ohio State Cheativersity on Saturday. The Illini are 6-0 and hope to extend their dream season with a big victory. No Jim Tressel, no lies, no memorabilia sales. Does THE Ohio State Cheativersity have anything else? I hope not. Go Illini!

My Health

Things have been going exceptionally well since I got my wake up call. I made some radical changes in my diet, have been doing lots of walking and cardio work, and as a result, feel great! I have lost 15 pounds and have already crossed that bridge where exercise feels good and I look forward to it every day. I am kind of surprised that I have not really missed all the food I cut out. I guess that fearing you will croak combined with watching your weight keep heading down will do that to you. I still have not eaten red meat in over a month, have not had pizza or Chinese food or some of the other things that were staples of my old diet. Life has been good, and I am thankful.

Poker

I went to a river boat to play some poker last weekend and did not do well. Among other things, my pocket Queens were cracked by someone who played a one-gapper and flopped a straight. Yuck.

I had my first home game since last December on Wednesday evening. Small group, but I was still able to turn a tidy profit. It was good to host again after a massive basement clean up effort.

I was tentatively planning to play in the WSOP Circuit -- No Limit Hold 'em Stimulus tournament on Wednesday, October 19 at Horseshoe Hammond, but I am not sure about all the logistics with the drive up there, registration for what might be a massive field, and work. I will update when I decide what I am doing.

Have a great weekend!

WSOP Circuit Tournament Summary & Harrah's Southern Indiana Cash Game Report

2011-10-08T15:23:00.002-05:00

I may have the moves like Jagger, but I would rather have the run-good that Josie has in tournaments.

The Tournament

I wish I could say that I had a nice, deep run in my WSOP Circuit tournament last Wednesday, but that would be far from the truth. My 7,000 starting chip stack only got me about six levels of tournament play. Ugh.

Playing in a 50 and over tournament is actually a fun experience. Nobody feels like they have anything to prove, the play is usually solid and polite, and the humor is of a different type. Where else could you hear comments like "At least we don't have to put up with any guys wearing a hoodie and sunglasses" and "One guy had an iPod too and couldn't even hear the dealer say anything." He he. At my table, a guy in seat eight had trouble seeing the cards so our first dealer read him each flop.

My table did not have an auto shuffler and the first dealer was excruciatingly slow, so play was very slow. I got crappy cards and did not even see a flop (I was forced to fold my blinds) until the second thirty-minute level when I got pocket Kings in middle position. I made a healthy raise and was surprised to see that I got four callers, seeing as how I had not even played one hand yet. The flop contained three uncoordinated low cards, so I thought I was in fine shape. I made a big raise and only got one caller -- the eight seat who had checked the flop. The turn was a blank, eight seat checked, and I bet. He called. Hmmm. The river was another blank and this time the villain went all in. I'd now already lost almost half my stack. My gut was telling me that he hit a set on the flop. I either had to fold or risk my tournament that my pair of Kings was good. I folded, bringing a few gasps from the table. After about a minute the villain said "If you folded pocket Kings or Aces you made one hell of a fold." Yes -- the gut was right, but now I was the table shorty.

I survived playing uber-tight and stealing a pot or two as the table got more aggressive, my crap cards continued, and eventually antes kicked in. I pushed with A-9 and was called by another shorty with 7-7. An Ace on the flop doubled me up and kept me in the game for a while. As my stack was getting very low I decided, after some thought, to call a shorty's push with A-9. He had A-10 and hit trips on the flop, so the drama and my tournament were both over. Talk about ugly -- only two good hands in about six levels of tournament play.

The Cash Games

Play at the this poker room was as I remembered from my last trip -- fun and beatable, although I was card dead my first session and lost a little bit. The second session I was at a table where I believe that I was the only non-local. Now I have to tell you, the locals at this casino all seemed to be very friendly with each other and buddy-buddy with several of the dealers, which made things a tad uncomfortable. I was able to build a decent chip stack but got really pissed when one of the locals, a guy named Jamal, shot an angle. I was dealt pocket Queens and raised, only to be re-raised by Jamal. I remembered him from my last trip and my take on him was that he was pretty tight and a solid player. I was putting him on Big Slick. I called. The flop was King-rag-rag. I thought I was in big trouble. I checked and Jamal made a smallish raise and I insta-called. I checked the turn and he checked behind. Hmmm. The river was a blank and I threw out three redbirds to see what he would do. He then threw in three GREEN chips and said "Oops -- I threw in the wrong ones." Like I am some freaking moron. I looked at him and said "I don't believe you for one second" and angrily chucked my cards in the muck. A-hole.

Some wild players came to the table and were virtually giving away chips. Unfortunately, my wins were nullified when my pocket Aces were cracked twice -- to quad Kings and flopped two pair. Ugh.

Later toward the morning (my session went from about 7pm until 8:30am) some aggressive inexperienced players came to the table, but I was never able to get into their stacks. I left with a decent profit and decided to get some sleep.

I hoped to get in one last session, and what a beauty it was. The deck smacked me for a bit and I was able to take full advantage of it. I made a huge score when I flopped a set of 4's with an Ace on the flop. I thought I was ahead all the way and did not know if an Ace on the river might have screwed me. I re-raised the villain's final raise, and he tanked before calling, telling me that I won the big hand. I was shocked to see that he had flopped a straight and was ahead of me the whole time. Thank goodness for the river or I would have lost a buy-in.

Conclusion and the Future

As usual, a tournament was disappointing but the cash games were great. This does not surprise me as my history shows that I am much better at cash games then large tournaments. Smallish tournaments seem to work for me, but geez -- could I catch a break or two when I play the big ones?

Next up -- the WSOP Circuit Event at my "home" poker room -- Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond. I plan on playing in the October 19 NL Hold 'em Stimulus tournament. It would be nice if thing went a little better at The Shoe.

Cheers!

Update from Harrah's Southern Indiana -- Tweets Soon to Follow

2011-10-05T12:36:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Harrah's (Horseshoe) Southern Indiana, which is across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY. I am spending a few days here to relax and play some poker. In 90 minutes (3:00pm Eastern) I will be playing in the WSOP Circuit Event -- 50 and over tournament. I will be updating my progress on twitter (@lightning36), going on the assumption that I don't donk out in the first hour or so.

I do not think the crowd for this tourney will be big. Not many had entered at the time I entered two hours ago.

The trip down here yesterday was nice. Of course, trips now have to fit in with my new realities -- like eating heart healthy. This didn't seem too bad on the way down as I stopped at Subway for a sandwich -- not with all the fatty and sodium-laced meats and extras, of courses. I even stopped at Meijer to get myself some fresh fruit and vegetables for snacking. They ended up becoming my late late dinner last night.

I played some $1/2 NL cash games last night. I was card dead for hours, which is always very frustrating. I was never up nor down very much and ended up dropping a little bit.

Lunch today was at the Paula Deen Buffet. Now THAT was a trip. Fried catfish, fried green tomatoes, fried shrimp, fried ... Needless to say that the picking were a tad slim for me. I definitely need to request that they include at least a few heart healthy things in the future. I am sure there must be at least a few others who are carefully watching what they eat.

I had a new experience today as I actually used the exercise room of a hotel for the first time. The trip was in place of my regularly scheduled cardiac rehab hour on Wednesdays. This exercising is actually starting to feel pretty good.

I feel rusty tournament-wise, so I hope to channel my inner Josie (sorry -- no link) and blast away. Yowsa!

lightning36's Weekend Report

2011-09-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

Ivy, the Cat That Was Near Death

You probably remember that I wrote a few posts about Ivy, the family cat that disappeared for three days and returned close to death. Although I sprung for some medical costs for having her go to the emergency vet clinic, I balked when our regular vet wanted to do additional testing that would run four figures (yes – four figures just for some additional tests – not including other tests, appointments, examinations, medications, etc). Instead, my wife did some force feeding, force hydration, and some subcutaneous fluid injections. The results – bingo! Ivy slowly recovered and seems to have gotten almost all the way back. All the family is very happy at the way things turned out.

My Recovery

I am now 15 days past my mild heart attack. I continue to toe the line in terms of eating, drinking, and exercising. The results so far are that I feel very good and have already lost eight pounds from the maximum weight I hit right before the attack. Looking back, I can see some things very clearly now, like how I was feeling pretty crappy the two weeks before the attack. I did not realize how bad I had gotten regarding simple things like getting winded from walking. I plan on continuing the current regimen so that I will hopefully lose several more pounds and get back to where I was several years ago. So yes, things are looking and feeling good right now.

Poker

I am traveling to Harrah’s Southern Indiana next week to spend a few days relaxing, playing some cash games, and playing in the Seniors No Limit Hold ‘em non-ring event at the WSOP Circuit event there on Wednesday, October 5. I am tempted to play one of the regular ring events, but I feel like my tournament play is rusty due to the lack of tournament play after Black Friday. Memphis MOJO set the bar pretty damn high for playing in seniors events this past summer at the WSOP in Las Vegas, so I know that a deep run is required to keep up. Wish me luck!

Goodbye, Ozzie

2011-09-26T22:17:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the World Series championship, but it is time for you to go. Best of luck.

One Week Later

2011-09-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

What are things like one week later? I plan on returning to work for a few hours tomorrow. This should not be a bad segue back to the real world. I have been off all this week -- which I am glad I did.

I have been surprised at my body's reaction to exercising. It has actually been better than I expected. The blockage I'd had effected me more than I realized.

My stomach has to wonder what bizarro world it has entered. I have kept a strict watch on what I have been eating -- low fat, low sodium, all wholesome food consisting of mostly vegetables and fruit. No red meat. No junk food. And it hasn't been bad ... yet!

Thanks to all my online poker buds who left kind messages on my blog and in chat forums, called, or otherwise offered their support. It has been much appreciated.

What Is Really Sad About Full Tilt Poker

2011-09-21T08:39:00.002-05:00

The latest Full Tilt Poker disaster story has now exploded across the world's media: radio, television, newspapers and soon magazines, and the internet . I am imagine that you and other poker players have been like me, handling inquiries from non-poker playing friends wondering what the heck is going on.
In yesterday's post I listed three links for some of the best sources for news. For the best reaction and blogger analysis, however, I recommend reading today's post at Hammer Player's Poker Blog.

Four months ago, I posted a personal update of my online poker inaction a month after Black Friday. I have read several blogger reports of the latest DOJ actions, and many poker bloggers have mentioned the really sad thing about this (aside from the fact that millions of dollars were purportedly ripped off by some of the biggest names in the poker business): playing at Full Tilt Poker was fun.

I originally played at probably over thirty poker sites in the good ol' days (pre-safe Port Act passage and the freezing of Neteller funds) before playing my first game at Full Tilt Poker. Yeah -- the cute little icons at Full Tilt made playing there a little more fun.

Over the years, poker blogger tournaments -- at least for the informal blogging network to which I belonged -- almost all gravitated toward Full Tilt. While people complained about the customer service (really the lack of it) at Tilt, withdrawing money never seemed to be a problem. Full Tilt seemed to be the bloggers' friend, occasionally adding in money and tournament entries to our games. Once blogger AlCantHang became employed by Full Tilt, the cashish got even better. WSOP buy-ins, food at the annual blogger gathering, swag -- yes, Full Tilt Poker was okay by me. Some more cynical derided Full Tilt's efforts, claiming that we were "owed" much more because of the cheap advertising Tilt received. Heck, I was just happy to get the freebies, which were all just bonuses in my book. Full Tilt paid for my first WSOP buy-in from a freeroll, so who was I to complain?

Now, however, seeing and hearing how the everyday player at Full Tilt has taken it up the butt from the head honchos there, I just feel sad. I guess it is sort of like finding out that this friend you thought was one of your good buds ended up being a dick and was never really your friend in the first place. You just got played. And that is regrettable.

Latest Full Tilt Poker News: Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Rafe Furst Added to DOJ Complaint; Full Tilt Called Giant Ponzi Scheme

2011-09-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

Holy crap -- the shit is really hitting the fan now for Howard Lederer, Jesus Ferguson, and Rafe Furst. Links to the most recent news:

http://www.forbes.com/

http://www.subjectpoker.com/2011/09/ftp-civil-amended/

http://wickedchopspoker.com/

Although I had always been optimistic that players would eventually see their money, I now doubt it.

The Aftermath

2011-09-19T13:37:00.000-05:00

I am now over three days past my heart procedure and it is time to plan for the future. That includes making some doctor appointments and signing up for a cardiac rehab program. Additionally, it is time for some change in dietary habits.

I grew up a skinny kid in a family that had all thin children. I was always quite active in the early years, and, going to a small high school, was able to participate in sports such as cross country, track, basketball, and baseball. I always ate like a horse but that was never a problem due to all my activities.

Things changed in college, however. I had the same appetite but my level of activity decreased. As a result, for the first time in my life I was no longer the thin guy, putting on excess pounds that I had never seen before. Things changed again in my senior year. I was halfway through my senior year and had just broken up with my long-time girlfriend. I looked at myself in a mirror and did not like what I saw: a bloated guy with longish hair and a mangy beard who was destined never to have a date again. I was determined to turn things around. So ... I immediately changed my eating habits, substituting in massive amounts of vegetables for all the other stuff I was eating. Although I lived in a fraternity house where drinking went on 24/7, I switched my drink of choice to diet grapefruit juice. I exercised in my room every day.

It seemed to take awhile, but one day the pounds just seemed to start melting away. I looked good and was able to keep the pounds off through the poor, grad student years.

At the start of my professional career I was heavily involved in sports -- basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, broomball, softball. For a part-time job I served as the intramural sports director at my school. Hell, I even taught P.E. classes.

The past twenty years or so (coinciding with the birth of children) saw me slide down a slippery slope. More responsibility at home and on the job. Less activity. More bad eating habits. About every five years I would see my "standard weight" jump up a little. What happened to me last weekend should not be such a surprise. I guess the surprise is that we always think that those type of things happen to other people, not us.

So ... what to do? Although my cardiologist is not an extremist but an advocate for living a healthy lifesytle with reasonable choices, I believe that what works best for me is more like what I did my senior year in college -- extreme turnaround. This will be a test of willpower as I give up the familiar things that are bad for me and get back to some healthier choices.

It is less than twelve weeks until the WPBT -- the big gathering for poker bloggers that is held each December in Las Vegas. My hope is that everyone will see a new, improved (yeah -- I guess it is possible) version of lightning36. That is my goal -- realistic and doable. I have already begun. Time to get serious.

The Wake-Up Call

2011-09-17T14:43:00.000-05:00

We have heard this term before -- The Wake-Up Call. I just got mine Thursday. I had a mild heart attack.

I feel very fortunate that The Man Upstairs saw fit to give me this warning and let me off the hook with minimal damage. Bad habits acquired over a long time period and lack of effort in decreasing my risks put me in that position. I guess that I, like others, had this faulty view that it could not happen to me. Well, it did.

As poker players, we know that the difference between winning and losing sometimes is due to chance -- the luck of the draw. This past Monday I took a 650-mile trip, taking me through mile after mile of beautiful rural southern Illinois. What if this problem surfaced then? Fortunately, I was in town on Thursday and sought help pretty quickly when it appeared that the problem might be more severe that I originally thought.

I went to the emergency room of a local hospital, where they ran a bunch of tests. The EKGs all came back as normal, but one test result on heart enzymes showed a little elevation and they thought it best to keep me overnight for observation. The succeeding enzyme tests during the night showed more elevated levels, and combined with my symptoms, led the cardiac specialist to tell me in the early morning that he was 100% convinced that I had a mild heart attack. He was ready to do a coronary angiogram, and off I went.

I will spare you the details, but will tell you that after a successful procedure yesterday morning I am home recovering today. I will have to invest some time in follow-up doctor appointments, take a bunch of pills, and change my eating and exercise habits, but these are things I can do and will do to put myself back to where I need to be health-wise.

If there was anything really positive to come out of all this, it was that my groin got looked at by more young, beautiful women than at any time since my 20s. Yeah -- the word incorrigible has been used more than once in describing me. I hope it will be used for many, many more healthy years to come.

lightning36's One-day Adventure

2011-09-13T10:26:00.002-05:00

The weather was nice and the circumstances were right, so I did decide to make a one-day road trip to southern Illinois and St. Louis to visit two Harrah's casinos just to spend a relaxing day on the road and to take part in Harrah's Great Race to Rewards.

Anyone who knows me well knows that mornings are not my key time of day, so despite efforts to leave early, I did not begin the trip until somewhere around 9:30 am. I had not been on the road very long before I got a call from jamyhawk. I had been hoping to meet up with him in St. Louis, but things were just not going to work out today. Bummer.

I lived for three years in Effingham, IL. Effingham bills itself as the "Crossroads of Opportunity," a play on its status of being the intersection of Interstates 57 and 70, along with other state highways and railroads. If you have ever been past Effingham on I-57, you know that you will drive past the huge cross which is billed as the largest free-standing cross in the world (disputed).

After driving through tons of construction areas, I finally got into the beautiful southern tip of Illinois, famous for the Shawnee National Forest. Soon I was at destination number one -- Metropolis, IL, home of Harrah's Metropolis riverboat.

Harrah's Metropolis is an older riverboat, opening in 1994. The original owner was Merv Griffin, who had a number of "interesting" casino interests and purchases around that time -- including one in which Donald Trump fleeced him.

The casino sits on the Ohio river, right across from Paducah, KY.

The casino itself is not really big. It does have four floors, although it appears that the top floor has no gambling. The poker room is small, and as expected, was empty on an early Monday afternoon. I am still not sure whether or not it only operates Thursday-Sunday, but I believe this to be the case. For the slot junkies: no luck on Goldfish, but excellent luck on Silk Kimonos. I was actually tempted to stay for a little longer on Silk Kimonos, but I thought it wise to leave while still ahead.

Of course, you may also know that Metropolis is the home of ... Superman! Well at least this small own is the self-proclaimed home of Superman and holds an official festival every year. And if you didn't believe that this is the real home of Superman ...

... the giant statue on Superman Square!

And ... it was back on the road again to now double back the previous 90 miles to then head west toward St. Louis.

One always gets a good feeling when seeing that familiar St Louis landmark, The Arch.

As I learned this trip, taking pictures out of windows while driving through construction areas is definitely a challenge I do not recommend.

I finally arrived at Harrah's St. Louis, which is really in Maryland Heights, just outside St Louis to the west.

The poker room had two $1/2 NL tables going, one Limit table, and a wild Omaha table that saw some massive pots being shipped all-in preflop. Nah -- I'll stick with Hold Em.

I was not particularly impressed with the casual manner in which the room was run. I had heard that there are a lot of locals who play here, and I felt a little out of place. I did get seated after waiting about 30-45 minutes. Management seemed hesitant to open another table with a tournament on tap for the evening.

Unfortunately, I received virtually no cards and only got a little action on the two times I got pocket Kings. Other than that -- zilch. This was too bad as the table was beatable, as evidence by three guys who made poor calls/bets for their stacks. The overall play was good, but I was surprised it was not busier. The next time I am in St. Louis I will check out some of the other poker rooms in town.

The trip home would seem long after a long day, but the roads were empty and the radio music was good, making the final leg better than expected. Unfortunately, I decided to not attempt a final photo while driving in the darkness. If so, I would have snapped a picture of one of my favorite signs which warns one of the exit for Pontoon Beach. Why this? Well, for years and years my wife and I have had a private joke that whenever we passed the sign, I would say "Hey -- Poontang Beach. Let's go there!" So, even though it was a tad late at night, I had to call home to inform my wife. I am sure she appreciated it! And yes -- I may get older, but I will never grow up.

I pulled into my driveway in the early morning hours. Nothing like a little 650 mile day trip to remind you that life exists outside the little routines and ruts we sometimes let ourselves get into.

Road Trip

2011-09-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

I was originally planning to spend several days at Harrah's Southern Indiana this week, but decided instead to test out my car's new brake job with a little more extended driving. Barring any last-minute changes, my first stop will be straight south to Harrah's Metropolis (IL), a tiny little riverboat that I have not been on for years. This casino has a small poker room, I hear, but the information online makes it sound like it is only open Thursday through Sunday. I have read that it spreads a $2/5 NL game that is loose and wild, but I doubt I will see any action at the time I get there.

Should the spirit still move me, I then plan on heading northwest to Harrah's St. Louis. I played poker there once before (flopping a boat on the first hand and having someone push all in is not bad!), but that was maybe two years ago?

Inspired by photbugs Memphis MOJO and OhCaptain, I am bringing a camera along with me just in case I see anything that fits into the strange but true category. Report to follow ...

Chicago Bears 30 Atlanta Falcons 12

2011-09-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

Chicago Bears football was back big time today as the home team Bears stuffed the Atlanta Falcons 30-12 in their opener. Key turnovers, big games by Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Brian Urlacher, and great play by the defense, offense, and special teams made for a relatively easy Bears win over a tough Falcons team.

This was the first step in determining whether the Bears will be contenders or pretenders in 2011. The next two games against the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers will give us some idea of what the Bears really are this season.

Mini Review: Happy Together Tour 2011 at the Effingham (IL) Performance Center

2011-09-09T01:03:00.002-05:00

Being a huge fan of 1960's pop music, I snatched a four pack of tickets to the Happy Together Tour 2011 concert at the Effingham (IL) Performance Center shortly after tickets went on sale. So ... with my wife and two friends from our Italian dinner club, I headed down Interstate 57 on August 25 to Effingham, a town where I had lived for three years many moons ago. It was time well spent.

I would post a blow by blow description of the concert, but a review of the current tour's stop in New Jersey sounded almost exactly like what I would have written. Instead, I will focus on a few of my personal insights.

As you might guess, the crowd was rather ... mature. I saw a few youngsters in the 20's, but this tour is really designed to attract people in their 50's, 60's, and beyond. Needless to say, I saw more concert attendees with oxygen tanks than I had ever seen at any concert before!

The first act to take the stage was The Buckinghams ... er, at least the 2011 version of The Buckinghams. Actually, they consisted of original members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna. Unfortunately, former lead singer Dennis Tufano is no longer with the band, and years ago Giammarese stepped in to sing the lead vocals. Unfortunately, as much as I love Chicago area 1960's bands like The Buckinghams, the sound is not the same without Tufano. I did not like the fact that Giammarese sings the songs cabaret fashion and seems to have an affinity for back phrasing.

Next up was The Grass Roots. I wrote a post six weeks ago about the passing of Rob Grill, the long-time lead singer of the band. Current bass player and lead singer Mark Dawson is actually pretty good in filling Grill's role, but without Grill the band is, well ... what it is. Long-time guitar player Dusty Hanvey played his heart out, but the glory days when Grill and a cadre of decent singers and musicians (Creed Bratton, Terry Furlong, Brian Naughton, and Dennis Provisor) were The Grass Roots are long gone.

The Association, featuring Larry Ramos, Jim Yester, and Russ Giguere, took the stage, looking like angels that came down from heaven, dressed in their all white outfits. Although their harmonies were a bit rough at times, it was a thrill to hear classics such as Cherish, Windy, Along Comes Mary, Never My Love, and Everything That Touches You. However, they also did a kick-ass version of California Dreamin'. Yes -- the show finally started picking up!

Mark Lindsay, former lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders, showed what an unbelievable amount of energy -- and flexibility -- is possible at the ripe old age of 69. He was thinner than I expected and was actually able to kick above his head. Lindsay tore through some Raiders songs and some of his solo material, covering hits like Hungry, Kicks, Arizona, and Indian Reservation. I need to find out what this guy did to take care of his body!

The final act was The Turtles -- Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan. Volman's long, wiry hair made him appear much younger than he is. But sheesh -- I would never have recognized Howard Kaylan. The Turtles bring a really light hearted approach to their performances (could anyone sing Elenor with a straight face?) and were the perfect group to bring the show close to the end. It is amazing how the song Happy Together is totally ageless.

The show ended with all the performers returning to sing a short snippet of one of their biggest hits with the others providing background and harmony. It was a fitting end to a show that brought back many good memories of a time when pop music was relatively innocent at the same time that our country was embroiled in an awful war.

A Straw Bale Garden

2011-09-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

Very Josie asked to see a picture of a straw bale garden. This is a picture my wife took last year. It has been great for producing lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, canteloupe, and watermelons. The care is pretty easy. Of course, it is not like I had anything to do with it!

Holiday Weekend Update

2011-09-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo -- we are almost at the Labor Day holiday weekend here in the USA. Hopefully many of you will be enjoying a day off Monday as I will.

My brother Jim, who I have sometimes mentioned in this blog (King of Komps), has a birthday tomorrow. I'm driving up to suburban Chicago to go out to lunch with my brother and my mom, then maybe out to Harrah's Joliet, where I am sure I would wander down near the poker room.

Cat news -- Ivy is at home and still alive. She is being fed food and water every day via syringe. She looks a little better, but at some point she needs to start eating and drinking by herself. I hope that day is soon.

Tonight I am going to see if I can catch one of my neighbors who is a board member of my homeowners association. It seems that we received a letter from the association's attorneys, requesting that we move the straw bales from our back yard because they would be a place that would harbor rodents. The bales, by the way, are my wife's straw garden, which has been up for about 16 months! How nice that our association, which talks about our "friendly neighborhood," wasted money and went to attorneys instead of, say, speaking to us or sending a a letter if they thought something was amiss? We like our house, but hate the neighborhood. It is the most unfriendly place in which I have ever lived.

If I play some poker at Harrah's Joliet I will be sure to post a report. The last time I played there I hit some big hands and walked away a happy man. It would be nice to have a repeat performance.

Happy Labor Day!

The Latest in the Never-Ending Saga of Full Tilt Poker

2011-08-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

Forbes has published an update on the Full Tilt Poker situation regarding paying back the ~~fools~~ players who played on Tilt before the Black Friday shutdown. As always, there is some good and some bad. Don't start counting that money yet, everyone.

TOOL

2011-08-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

'nuff said

Sometimes "One Time" Is Just Not Enough

2011-08-30T10:13:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I wrote two posts about the family cat that had gotten lost and then miraculously returned. In the first post, I lamented "So Mother Nature, how about 'one time' for the family? We didn't even get to say goodbye." Not too long after I wrote the post, Ivy magically appeared on our front porch and I reported "Mrs. Lightning made a trip to the emergency vet (cha-ching), who said that Ivy is severely dehydrated and running a fever. She's getting an IV and staying overnight at the clinic (cha-ching), but should be okay."

Happily, Mother Nature did grant me my "one time." Sadly, it looks like Ivy is not going to make it. She did not respond to the hydration and anti-biotics given to her at the emergency clinic. After a screw up with our old, old vet (who we will probably not be using any longer), we took our cat to the new, ritzy vet office in town. My experience has been that these goomers never saw an expensive test they did not like. Mind you, I had already spent an good deal of money for the emergency care. The new vets wanted to run a bunch of tests on Ivy. Already having had experience with this place, I asked my wife to ask how much these tests would cost. I was not surprised to find that the answer was in four figures. Yeah -- no decimal point. They had also talked about the possibility of a feeding tube -- right. We decided it was time to take our baby home.

Unfortunately, the home environment did not seem to help. She is exhibiting classic signs of a cat that senses it is dying. It looks like we will have to carefully check on her, keep her comfortable, and barring any amazing recovery, may have to put her to sleep. It is one of those life lessons that my kids are learning the hard way.

A co-worker who grew up on a farm simply cannot understand. In her life, cats were farm animals who were always living on the brink of disaster in the rural environment and usually did not live long. To this guy who grew up in the suburbs, however, pets were things to be loved and cherished. My family has always had a good number of pets and my kids have certainly developed an affinity with God's furry creatures.

I am thankful, however, that Ivy did return and that we will all be able to say goodbye, painful as that is. At least that is multiple times better than not knowing what happened to her.

Update: My wife wants to consider trying feeding with a syringe or even a feeding tube. Should I grab my ankles?

Sunday Post Mania #3: Mini Review: Survivor at the 36th Annual Urbana Sweetcorn Festival Aug 27, 2011

2011-08-28T22:14:00.003-05:00

Late summer in Illinois brings festivals and weekend celebrations galore across the state. No Hurricane Irene here, baby! A wonderful breezy evening was the perfect setting for 1980's rock legends, Survivor, to play to a crowd of a few thousand revelers.

To back up a little: this is not exactly the Survivor group that had major hits in the 80's, although original guitarist Frankie Sullivan is still the driving force in the band. Founding member Jim Peterik (from the band The Ides of March) is gone, as is original vocalist Dave Bickler, who actually went to high school in my home town, fronted the Jamestown Massacre, and later went on to be the singer in the Budweiser Real Men of Genius commercials. Jimi Jamison, the lead singer through most of the glory years in the 1980's, also is no longer with the band. Drummer Marc Droubay has been with the band for most of its existence.

With all the personnel changes, one might guess that Survivor would not be more than a poor cover band. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 2011 version of Survivor kicked ass in concert. It was like being back in a concert in 1985.

Current lead singer Robin McAuley sounds an awful lot like Jimi Jamison, and he had the front man antics down pat. The hard-driving guitar sound of the band is still there, and the band seemed to efforlessly go through the Survisor playlist including mega-hits like Eye of the Tiger, I Can't Hold Back, and High on You. They also smoked on Rockin' into the Night, a .38 Special hit that Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan co-wrote.

Just to make sure we thought we were in the 1980's, the band did feature a lengthy solo by keyboard player Mitchell Sigman and a guitar/drum duet by Sullivan and Droubay. All we needed was the smell of ganja in the air.

The band finished its crisp set 80 minutes, sending away a satisfied crowd hoping to secure maybe just one more brew before the festival ended.

Sunday Post Mania #2: A Sad Memory

2011-08-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

Sometimes memories come flooding back from the strangest things. We were eating lunch this afternoon when my son remarked that a certain salad dressing was his favorite. I mentioned that I knew a guy that used to scoop huge gobs of sour cream on his salad. Actually, the guy was the father of a friend of mine. Then the flood started ...

Jerry moved into the area when fifth grade started. He was a pretty bright guy and had some of the same interests as me. We quickly became friends, and soon were working on a geography project together. I always had wanted to work with Jerry because his dad was a civil engineer and always "helped" his son with school projects. Shit -- they all looked professionally done. Now I would find out how much Jerry actually did himself. Well, maybe because outside people (me) were involved, Jerry's father did not help with (or do) the project. It looked like crap. I guess we all then knew who really did the work on Jerry's projects.

Anyway, I became close friends with Jerry and went to his house quite often. On the many times when Jerry would disappoint his dad, the dad would haul off and hit Jerry in the back. Hard. Hard enough to make him cry. It sure seemed wrong, but in those days it seemed like there were lots of crazy parents who would discipline their kids in unique ways. Today we would call it child abuse.

I am sure that the family violence had an effect on Jerry. By the time he finished high school he was the biggest sociopath I knew.

I had not thought about this family for several years, but was able to readily find information on them online. Jerry is now an attorney, so if his sociopathic ways continued he is now in a profession where they would serve him well. His father, now deceased, had a national reputation due to his hobby/side business. It is interesting to read all the great things said about him due to his expertise in his field. Unfortunately for me, I can only remember him as this big guy who beat on his small, skinny, fragile son.

A Strange but Happy Return

2011-08-28T00:52:00.000-05:00

It is always darkest before the dawn. Really. Just when you think all is lost ... tada!

Mrs. Lightning and I had just returned from an outdoor festival and Mrs. Lightning was opening a window in the front of the house. She heard a familiar meow, opened the front door, and saw Ivy sitting on a chair on our porch!

Very interesting. Ivy's tags are gone off her collar, but the collar is still there. She had no marks to indicate that she had been in any kind of fight. She was very lethargic, though, and would not eat or drink anything. So ... Mrs. Lightning made a trip to the emergency vet (cha-ching), who said that Ivy is severely dehydrated and running a fever. She's getting an IV and staying overnight at the clinic (cha-ching), but should be okay.

So ... what happened? We had previously speculated that she might have been caught somewhere and couldn't get free. It looks like that might have been the case. Anyway, we are glad to have her back, but these vet bills are killing me!

The Missing Girl Returns Home

Family Depression: Come Back Home, Ivy

2011-08-27T14:11:00.001-05:00

Although my family made it through the excitement of a new school year starting (it affected four out of five of us), we are having to cope with something rather unpleasant -- the loss of a family pet.
The lightning household is a regular zoo sometimes when it comes to pets. Dogs, cats, fish, chinchillas, birds, tarantulas -- yes, we've got them. But a very special member of our family has been missing now for over three days -- and I am expecting the worst. I think that our oldest cat, Ivy, will not return.

Although I grew up with a family cat, I never seemed to have trouble with them until my young adult years. I developed a nasty allergy to them and would immediately get a runny nose and watery eyes when coming close to them. Therefore, a family cat was always out of the question.

That changed six years ago when one of my wife's friends stopped over to visit. Although it was months past my wife's birthday, this friend brought over a new kitty from her cat's new litter and said that it was a birthday present for my wife. I was thinkinging "wtf -- who gives live pets as gifts without checking first." She then disappeared out the door before I knew it. Of course, at the time I did not understand that the whole thing had been a setup to get my wife a kitten.

Strangely enough, we found out that my allergic reaction to cats disappeared over the years. Ivy became a new family member.

Although I was not happy about picking up an additional pet and did not like Ivy too much at first, she became fun to play with and left minimal scratches on my hands and arms. I could play rough with her and she could keep up.

She had this bad habit, howevever, of catching bunnies and birds and leaving the bloody entrails in our dining room. Well, we thought, at least she ate in the right room!

In the weeks prior to Black Friday, she would lay on the bed with me as I played online poker tournaments. She got accustomed to sleeping on my bed during the day and would act indignant when she had to move. I had to give her props for having a personality and showing little fear.

I live in a subdivision that is adjacent to some farm land. It would not be out of the question to think that a fox or coyote might have helped Mother Nature even the score with Ivy. That is what I think happened.

In the meantime, my kids have posted fliers around the neighborhood, we continue to search, and we have put some posts on craigslist.com. So Mother Nature, how about "one time" for the family? We didn't even get to say goodbye.

It Must Really Suck To Be A Woman Sometimes

2011-08-23T22:57:00.002-05:00

Two incidents that recently happened to some female friends of mind really gave me pause to think about how sometimes it must really suck to be a woman. No, I am not going to compose some scholarly treatise about gender in society -- as you might guess from this post's title. However, I am reminded that sometimes males just don't have to put up with shit just because we are guys ... and it sure is not right or fair.

Example 1: Very Josie recently wrote about her success in a deepstack tournament at Foxwoods. Now if you have ever played against Josie before, you know that she plays a very aggressive game. Very. She is also a very good tournament player, which I am sure pissed off some guys she outclassed at the Foxwoods tournament. However, her account of the angles that were shot, the verbal abuse she took, and the general douchebaggery that was directed toward her were waaaaay over the top. That kind of crap would not go on if her name was Joe C, not Josie. Guys might try a little of that against another male, but in general most guys know not to push things too far or face consequences. Unfortunately, size sometimes does matter. If you are a regular size guy or on the big side, your mere physical stature tells other males "beware: you might not want want to fuck with this guy too much." But take a woman like Josie who hovers at just over five feet tall -- bam, it is like open season to take a shot. And another. And unfortunately, it appeares that Foxwoods did a shitty job of keeping the game decent for all players.

Example 2: Angela, a good friend of mine at work, has a heart of gold. Yet, even though she can be loud and is not petite, the fact that she is a woman somehow gave a classless lady the idea that it was okay to take out her frustrations on Angela and physically abuse her. I work in a professional office in a community college, which is usually a very friendly and genteel place. However, this mad woman got upset that Angela was standing where the woman wanted to walk, and she shoved her baby carriage into Angela! So imagine -- a woman with a small baby in the carrier, thinks "screw my kid, I'll ram my carrier into this woman because I am pissed off and she is in my way." I guarantee that this would never happen to a guy.

I sometimes hear about nasty people giving a hard time to the administrative assistants and student workers who are stationed at my department's front desk. Yes, the people who work at the desk tend to be female, so I guess some people, both male and female, think it is okay to blow them shit when they don't get what they want. A couple of years ago, we had a student named Andre working the desk. Andre was very tall and just looked like a guy one would not want to mess with. And virtually no one ever did.

My oldest daughter is an avowed feminist who sees her moderately conservative father as traveling somewhat down the road of misogyny. Of course, like most 19-year olds, she knows all with having only a modicum of life experiences. Please don't show her this post. I have already upset her world by telling her that I switched political parties and am now a Democrat. She just might actually find that life is not always what it appears to be when seen through a different prism.

Casey Anthony Back In Florida: Lawyer

2011-08-22T12:33:00.000-05:00

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Casey Anthony has returned to Florida.

Speaking Sunday on Fox News' "Geraldo at Large," Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said she's in Florida and will report to a probation office in Orlando to start probation if an appeal fails.

"We are going to follow the law wherever the courts follow the law and I am certain she will do what's asked of her if necessary and hopefully it won't come to that," Baez said.

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland sentenced Anthony to a year of probation in January 2010 after she pleaded guilty to stealing checks from a friend. At the time, Strickland said Anthony should serve the probation upon her release, but those instructions never made it into a written order. Corrections officials interpreted the sentence to mean Anthony could serve the probation while she was in jail awaiting her murder trial, where she was acquitted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Hmmm ... Neo, any extra room at the inn for me? Muhahahahahaha ...

My Italian Weekend

2011-08-22T00:33:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a weekend that, strangely enough, seemed to have a theme running through it? I certainly did this weekend -- my Italian weekend.

First off, let me tell you a little of my ethnic background. I was born in the USA, my parents were born in the USA, but their parents came from the "old country," as just about anywhere in Europe was called. I have a mixed European background -- Irish, German, Austrian, Bohemian, French. You will notice, however, that I did not mention Italy. The only Italian family member of whom I am aware was my Uncle Benny (Bettino LaMantia -- how is that for an Italian name?), who married into the family. Someday I will have to write a post about Uncle Benny's words of wisdom, but for now, let's just say that there is very little Italian in the Lightning family tree.

Friday set the tone as Mrs. Lightning received a booklet from the local adult education office, listing some workshops for the fall. We talked about attending a cooking class led by our friend Carlo, who is about as Italian as you can get. We had come to know Carlo through a friend who attended one of his classes, and then became a part of a monthy Italian Dinner Club. Along the way Mrs. Lightning got invited, and for a few years now we have been regulars at the Italian Dinner Club gatherings.

Saturday's big news was that our favorite Italian blogger, Very Josie, went deep (natch!) in a Foxwoods deep stack toureny. Yea Joe C! And of course, that night -- Carlo's annual picnic at his home with our Italian Dinner Club friends. But the weekend wasn't over yet.

On Sunday, I made what had now become a regular trip up north to my "home" poker room at Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond. There are a couple of poker rooms closer, but The Shoe has the best poker action in the Chicago area. On the trip up (just over two hours -- some "home" room, huh?) I decided to give Josie a call to congratulate her and also wish her a happy birthday. When I got her voicemail, I left a message that started, "Get your lazy Italian ass up." I figured that she was still sleeping after her deep run at Foxwoods the night before. I did get to speak with her in the afternoon as I was donking away the profit I had made earlier in the day.

Before I headed for home, I stopped for dinner at the Harrah's buffet. There was a long line and seating was slow, so when ready to be seated I got a shout out from a woman who was also eating alone, asking me if I wanted to share a table so we could get seated sooner. It sounded good to me, as I was starving. There were few people at the Italian food station, so I grabbed some pizza and Italian sausage and brought it back to the table to chow down. My companion said "I noticed you went for the Italian." Knowing a statement like this could only give hope to a certain blogger, I told her that I did so because it was readily available. I am chuckling as I write this!

After stuffing myself with prime rib and chocolate mousse, I hopped in the car to make the evening two-hour return trip. I had the stereo blasting to help keep me awake, and just as I was about to get off the interstate a couple of miles from home, the oldies station played a great classic by The Outfield. As my long trip and what seemed to be a long weekend was about to end, I sang along with the familiar lyrics: "Josie's on a vacation far away ..."

Happy birthday Joe C!

NOTE: Disclaimer ... in the words of Senator Geary in The Godfather:

Senator Geary: Uh, Mr. Chairman, I would like to verify the witness's statement. For years now a growing number of my constituents have been of Italian decent, and I've come to know them well. They have honored me with their support and with their friendship. Indeed, I can proudly say that some of my very best friends are Italian-Americans. However, Mr. Chairman, at this time, very unfortunately, I have to leave these proceedings in order to preside over a very important committee, my own committee. But before I leave I do want to say this: that these hearings on the Mafia are in no way whatsoever a slur upon the great Italian people. Because I can state from my own knowledge and experience that Italian-Americans are among the most loyal, most law-abiding, patriotic, hard working American citizens in this land. And it would be a shame, Mr. Chairman, if we allowed a few rotten apples to give a bad name to the whole barrel. Because from the time of the great Christopher Columbus up through the time of Enrico Fermi right up until the present day, Italian-Americans have been pioneers in building and defending our great nation. They are the salt of the earth, and they're one of the backbones of this country.

The Lick

2011-08-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

Funny, the things we remember sometimes. This week marks the seventh anniversary of my father's death. One of my favorite memories of my dad was a night many, many moons ago when we were watching Saturday Night Live. The Rolling Stones would be performing some songs on SNL, so of course I was going to watch.

Dad was sitting in a rocking chair and I was standing as the Stones broke into a tune. And then ... the moment ...

PLAY BRIEF VIDEO

My goodness, you'd have thought that someone dropped a bomb on our house! The sight of Mick Jagger's tongue going near a guy had my dad ranting and raving. I tried to settle him down by saying "Dad, Jagger is just trying to be provocative and make some headlines." But it didn't matter -- the dirty deed had been done.

So yeah -- 33 years later the memory still remains -- a young guy and his father watching one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever.

Girah, Online Poker, and the WSOP Circuit

2011-08-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Although the world of online poker has been relatively quiet in the USA since Black Friday, the latest online poker scandal, involving Jose "Girah" Macedo, the "Portuguese poker prodigy," has been fascinating. If we thought the the Ultimate Bet superuser cheating was interesting, how about a low tech version of it?

Online poker players are quite interesting regarding their views on honesty and honor. Considering that we play a game where the goal is to take the other person's money, there is really a high degree of trust and respect in many circles. Money is throw about in a way that is foreign to most people in everyday life, yet the degree of trust seems to be higher, even in a world where it is so easy to hide behide computers and the internet. We honestly seem surprised on occasions when we are stung by fellow players -- particularly when the scamming involves people with big reputations with little (comparitively) to win and everything to lose.

Of course, with the regulation of online poker an international joke and with so many of the top online players being young and living in this fantasy world of ridiculous riches, what is to stop the temptations of scamming with virtually no consequences? In the "real world," this type of behavior gets you time in jail ... or dead.

With Black Friday now over four months in the rearview mirror, I find that I miss online poker very little. I had already begun to decrease my time playing online before the roof caved in, playing mostly private tournaments against friends. People with full time jobs, spouses, and kids ofttimes run into a wall when playing too much. There are only so many hours in a day.

All is not lost between poker and this player, however. The lack on online poker has forced me to take several road trips and hit the brick and mortar poker rooms. I am happy to report that the results have been positive and I have been having a blast.

With the 2011 WSOP now history -- except for the Main Event final table, of course -- I am looking forward to playing in a couple of WSOP Circuit events at the Horseshoe Hammond and/or Horseshoe Southern Indiana. Both these sites have exceptional poker rooms. I have played a few circuit events in the past and have found them, as expected, to be extremely well run. However, I have been playing mostly cash games over the past several months, and my questionable tournament skills are a tad rusty. Maybe I should seek out some coaching from Very Josie?

Rockin' The Diamonds at the Georgetown Fair

2011-08-12T21:06:00.001-05:00

In some previous posts I had mentioned one of my softball buddies and home game poker players who is a professional singer. His group, The Diamonds (the current version of the 1950's group), had a gig close by at the Georgetown Fair in central Illinois. Naturally, this was a great opportunity to have a fun night out and see one of my friends in action.

If you are a fan of 1950's music, The Diamonds are definitely group to see. They played for almost two hours, covering top hits by many artists from long ago. There was plenty of loose banter between songs, as the evening was meant to be a fun celebration of the past.

I had told my friend Bob that during the show I was going to yell out "We love you, Bobby," but Mrs. Lightning beat me to the punch. He he -- nothing like razzing your friends in public.

For me, the highlight of the evening came at the final song. A few days prior, our softball team played its final game of the season. After the game, several players and their families retreated to a local pizza joint for some food and drink. After having a few frosty ones, I became my usual obnoxious self and started telling Bob that I wanted to sing his beginning to The Diamonds' monster hit, Little Darlin'. Having no shame and singing with my best high voice, I belted out the beginning to Little Darlin ' : "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Ya-ya-ya yaaaaaaaaaaa Ya-ya-yaaaaaaaaaaa-aaaah ... Mrs. Lightning was not flustered, knowing that I actively seek out opportunities to display my terrible singing voice. Of course, for me it was a blast.

Anyway, just as Bob, the group's tenor, was getting ready to belt out the opening to Little' Darlin, he grabbed the microphone and said "This is just for you, John" and started with the Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ya-ya-ya yaaaaaaaaaaa ...

Yessssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a fun night!

The Concert for Bangladesh : August 1, 1971

2011-08-10T23:35:00.000-05:00

You’re watching 'Bangla Desh' (Live). See the Web's top videos on AOL Video

Forty years ago (August 1, 1971), two seminal rock concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to provide relief for the starving people of Bangladesh. The concerts, organized by then recent ex-Beatle George Harrison, brought together an all-star cast of musicians including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Ravi Shankar, Klaus Voormann, and Badfinger.

Although riddled with financial issues, the concert and subsequent album sales and movie receipts raised millions of dollars and provided a beginning for future musical benefits such as Live Aid and Farm Aid.

The concert only cemented George Harrison's status as an ultimate hero to young, impressionable rock fans like me. Now, almost ten years after his death, the effect is still felt.

A Midwest Kind of Weekend

2011-08-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

In this past loooong weekend which started Friday afternoon and ended late this afternoon, I was surprised at my hours spent in a car (roughly 24) and the unintended romp through several Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa ...and just a stone's throw from Michigan). It included visits to two casinos, a stop at a major health care center, Indian food, and a sampling of Mediterranean food. The weekend ended with a softball game and pizza and beer afterwards.

Work? Tomorrow? Do I have to?

Saturday Wrap Up

2011-08-07T00:07:00.000-05:00

Blue Chip Casino

I made my first trip to the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, IN today. I was looking forward to playing in its poker room, but ... there was no one playing! I was quite shocked to see only two Blue Chip employees in the room on an early Saturday afternoon. Quite disappointing.

I played some slots and hung around for awhile with my brother, but franky, there was nothing special in this casino to keep us there. It is not very big and was too smokey for my tastes. It is part of the Boyd Gaming properties, places I usually do not frequent.

Horseshoe Hammond

We decided to bypass the Majestic Star Casino in Gary, IN and went straight to my favorite non-Las Vegas poker room, Harrah's Horseshoe Hammond. I only had a short wait as a new table was ready to open shortly after I got on the waiting list.

The play was predictable -- less than stellar. I had to settle for only doubling my buy-in as a streak of poor cards kept me on the sidelines most of my last hour of play. Unfortunately, we could not stay very long since I still had several hours of driving that night and a long trip the next day. I was hoping to meet The Poker Meister at The Shoe, but we missed each other by 2 1/2 hours. I can't wait to hear how he did.

Water Water Everywhere & Saturday Indiana Casino and Poker Room Romp

2011-08-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

The Water ...

I wish I could say that yesterday was a lovingly boring day and today I am already far into weekend mode. That is not the case, however, as my dreaded enemy, water, once again chose to do battle with me.

If there was ever any final confirmation we needed that the outdoor drainage problems in our subdivision extended to us, we now have it. We had a water disaster that came in through a main floor toilet and then soaked areas of our basement, particularly our storage room. I had to take the afternoon off work to help with recovery efforts. While we were fortunate to have probably lost a minimum of items to the water damage, it did make for a somewhat nasty afternoon of cleaning. Our backyard looked like an oceanfront beach with towel after towel after towel stretched out on the lawn to dry. Today we are mostly depending on a dehumidifier and a fan to begin bringing our basement back to normal. Good news: no damage to my poker table.

The Poker Rooms ...

I am heading up to the Chicago suburbs tonight and plan to visit one, two, or three Indiana casinos with my brother on Saturday. Hey Ken P -- watch out for Illinois guys invading your turf! The casinos are the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, the Majestic Star in Gary, and Horseshoe Hammond. There is an outside chance that I will get to meet The Poker Meister while he is visiting relatives in the area, but it appears that our schedules might not match up. Can Horseshoe Hammond handle both me and the PM on the same day?

I hope your weekend is dry. Dry is good. Always.

Thank Goodness No One Was in the Car with Me Tonight

2011-08-03T23:21:00.000-05:00

No, I was not speeding down a crowded street, smashing up cars, mowing down pedestrians. It was much worse -- I had an oldies station on during a pizza run and I was singing full throttle. The damage:

Soon you will come to know When the bullet hits the bone...

Hey now, hey now Don't dream it's over ...

I found the simple life Ain't so simple ...

Well heck -- I liked it ...

The World is a Little Less Wonderful Without Rob Grill

2011-07-29T21:24:00.001-05:00

Sometimes things just slip past you, even in this computer age of instant information. In about a month I will be going to see the 2011 incarnation of the Happy Together Tour, a concert featuring several musical acts from the 1960's. One of the groups, The Grass Roots, will be missing its long time lead singer, bass player, and leader, Rob Grill, who passed away earlier this month. How this somehow got past me I do not know.

It took a long time for me to see Grill's band. I had tickets to a Grass Roots concert many moons ago when I was in college (late 1970's). The fieldhouse was packed as the opening act took the stage. After a few songs, however, an announcement was made: a Grass Roots touring vehicle had been involved in an accident on the way to the concert. It was a serious accident, in fact, and at least one person died. As a result, the band was unable to make it to the concert. We were given an option of getting our money back or staying for the rest of the opening bands performances, and of course everyone headed toward the box office to get their money back.

I finally did get to see The Grass Roots ten years ago when they played at the Peoria Civic Center Theater with The Buckinghams and Gary Puckett. Rob Grill was fantastic. The years did nothing to diminish his golden voice.

After the concert, the bands stayed in the lobby to meet their fans and sign autographs. I told Rob how it took me 20 years to finally see his band after the cancelled concert. I reminded him of the accident that had caused the cancellation, and he looked at me and said "Brother, let's be thankful that we are all here today."

Since one of my friends is a professional singer who tours with some nationally recognized groups and is in touch with inside info on the oldies rock scene, I had known that Rob had been suffering from some physical problems the last few years. He toured when he could and I was looking forward to seeing him again in August. Listening to the Grass Roots without him will certainly be bittersweet.

Just a few days ago I wrote about the death of former America band member Dan Peek. Being a big fan of rock and pop music all my life, I have always been thrilled at the times I have been able to meet some of these singers and musicians in person. However, as I have seen over the years, it just makes their passing a little bit sadder. Tonight I'll be thinking about these singers who provided me with much joy over the years.

Friday Musings from the Heartland -- Cars, Pets, and Me

2011-07-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

If you have ever read Jordan's blog, you have read about his poker trips and his methods of transportation. Unless I remember incorrectly, his trips are via public transportation because, living in a big city, he does not own a car. Public transportation does really work well for some people.

I grew up in suburban Chicago, where having a car was necessary. Now, living in then heartland, a car is even more essential, although the public transportation (bus) system in my town has won national awards. With two working adults and three teenagers in the family, the number of lightning family automobiles is now at four. What that means, unfortunately, is that there is always a car that needs an oil change, tire rotation, check engine light diagnosed, and on and on. It seems like half my monthly credit card bill is auto/gas related. If the economy continues to fail, don't blame me. It seems like I pay more than my share in consumer goods and services.

Of course, what would the credit card bill be without some charges related to our pets? Thank goodness the chinchillas, bird, and tarantula are low cost and low maintenance. My wife has sunk plenty of time and money into her fish pond. The cats and the dog ring up significant vet bills, especially since our dog is getting older and has Cushing's disease. I don't remember pets being this expensive when I was growing up.

I guess the cars, the pets, and maybe even the rest of my family members form one side of the equation, wheras on the other side, there is me. I am a pretty low maintenance guy. I have always said that with a little TLC, Chinese food, and chocolate, I could run on autopilot for months at a time. Being the money manager of the family, I have always been careful with my money and among friends and colleagues have a reputation for being the guy who can always find the best deal on something. People who see me observe that I obviously do not spend much money on clothes (oh yeah -- a special FOAD to Josie's metrosexual co-worker) and I even have a hobby that has turned a profit for me most years. Somehow this all seems to work, making me just a regular Midwestern guy and my family just an average Midwestern family. I can live with that.

Today is the second to last week of my four-day work weeks. I hear some poker rooms calling me ...

Enjoy your weekend!

Addendum: Our family dog continues her physical difficulties, so it is back to the vet's office this morning. Cha-ching.

Brief Impressions: Some Illinois and Indiana Poker Rooms

2011-07-28T01:28:00.000-05:00

With the loss of my favorite online poker sites and with a few weeks of vacation this summer, I decided to play some cash games at several of the legal poker rooms in Illinois and Indiana. Some brief impressions:

Illinois

Par-A-Dice Casino
East Peoria

This is actually the closest poker room to me, although it is about 90 minutes away. It is a small room that, outside of tournaments, had two to five tables going on my visits there -- mostly $1/2NL and an Omaha 8 table. The room is heavily populated by locals, including some solid players. There is a lot of limping in the $1/2 NL games, so you have to be careful about not getting snookered by a sharpie playing a junk hand and hitting the perfect flop. The dealers and staff are friendly and the atmosphere is cordial. It is a comfortable place to play, but you have to play sharp poker to turn a decent profit.

Hollywood Casino
Joliet

Hollywood Casino is the current incarnation of the old Empress Casino. I had always thought that the Empress, the first riverboat casino I ever visited, was small and trashy. As Hollywood, the casino looks and feels much better. The poker room is small with only a handful of tables -- maybe five? I played some NL there and was surprised by several things. For example, there was a main table, and players were filtered into it by from the feeder table. I entered at the feeder table and was doing quite well. After a time, I was moved to the main table, where I stayed about even until taking a cruel river beat.

Although the play was friendly and the dealers okay, this room just did not seem to be up to the kind of standard worthy of a long drive to play.

Harrah's
Joliet

Yowsa -- now this is a poker room! Harrah's made this one of their WSOP poker rooms, and it is big! Lots of tables, lots of action. I played $1/3 NL here several weeks ago and made a huge score due to some loose play and great cards. The dealers and management seemed to be okay, but I was shocked at the rude behavior exhibited by some players toward dealers and other players. The dealers just seemed to not be bothered by it. As I have found both in Las Vegas and in the midwest, Harrah's knows how to run a good poker room. This is one heck of a room for an action junkie. A return is in the near future for me.

Indiana

Horseshoe Southern Indiana
Elizabeth

This is another excellent poker room in the fine Harrah's tradition. A big plus for me is that it is on a non-smoking floor. There is a snack bar at the back of the room (not in operation during my visit) and even rest rooms there. How convenient. It is a big room with lots of tables, but most were not in use on my trip.

The action varied on my trip and I had a few losing and even sessions. However, I had a great run on my final night and won back everything I had lost the previous two days. I felt comfortable playing here although the room was freezing. Two comped night at the hotel and a comped buffet made for a happy camper. This room will absolutely be a destination for me if I want to get away for a couple of days.

Horseshoe Hammond
Hammond

I have played cash games at this Harrah's property two times and have played WSOP circuit events two or three times. It is a big, busy poker room that spreads many limit, NL, and Omaha games. The wait list can get quite long, so you have to be prepared to wait.

In my mind this is clearly the best poker room in my brief report. The wait list was well run, the dealers are good, and the play seems to be pretty fishy. I have turned nice profits on both my cash game visits here and have felt right at home. It would be tempting to play here often if it was not so far away.

I will be tempted to take another road trip this weekend. If I go to a Harrah's room I can be assured that I will be playing in a quality room.

R.I.P. Dan Peek

2011-07-26T16:56:00.001-05:00

I was sad to hear that Dan Peek, former member of America, passed away on July 24 at the age of 60. I went to a Dan Peek concert at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL many, many moons ago, a few years after he left America. Dan was gracious in meeting people, signing autographs, and sharing his new-found Christain faith. He left behind a life centered around drug use and authored and performed contemporary Christian music hits for many years.

The above video is of Dan singing lead on America's Don't Cross the River. We'll miss you, Dan.

All Hail Cornholio!

2011-07-22T00:44:00.002-05:00

Get More: Beavis and Butt-Head, MTV Shows

Back to Work This Week

2011-07-21T22:25:00.000-05:00

Going back to work after a nice vacation is always difficult. Visiting several poker rooms in Illinois and Indiana and actually having my home game play for the first time since before Christmas was nice. But ... it was back to work in this darn, oppressive heat. Seeing as how I have an inside job in a nice air conditioned office I guess it really shouldn't matter, but just being outside for any length of time just seems to suck the life out of you.
The highlight of the week was last night. I was nearing the end of the work day when my oldest daughter called to tell me that her car had a flat tire. Yes -- just what I would want to deal with in the scorching heat. The fun continued when my wife put our big garbage can in the wrong place in the garage. I was maneuvering my car around it when SNAP -- I looked to see that I had hit my outside mirror against the garage. The mirror flew off and shattered in the driveway. When it rains it pours!

I filled up the spare tire for my daughter's car and decided to change the tire later that night when the temperature would go down. Ha! I went out at 11:45 at night and it was still hot as hell. Nothing like getting heat stroke changing a tire in an Arby's parking lot at midnight!

I am working four-day weeks for the next three weeks, so my weekend has begun already. After taking care of some maintenance issues with my cars I just might find time for a few hours of b&m poker. If only I had the Harrah's profile to get rooms comped on the weekends ...

BUSTED -- Illinois Tollway Big Brother Violation Enforcement Camera System

2011-07-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

People who know me know that generally I am a law abiding citizen. But, like most people, sometimes I run a little astray -- not usually by any particular intent, you understand. Sometimes things just happen. Like on the Illinois Tollway.

Now (as I am sure that Ken Prevo is already starting to chuckle) in case you do not know, Illinois has a rich history regarding its tollways. I remember my dad telling me that the tolls were to pay for construction of the roads, and once the roads were all paid for they would become free roads. Ha! I live in Illinois, dammit -- I know better. I seem to remember that the roads were paid for years ago, but then our wonderful legislators decided that the tolls would continue and would be used for highway maintenance. Of course, then additional tollways were built.

Living outside the metropolitan Chicago area, my travel on tollways has been infrequent. However, the most recently built tollway now provides a better means to get to my mother's house, so I have used the tollways more frequently. The typical method to pay tolls for people who frequently use the tollways is to use an I-PASS, a transponder you place in your car which automatically deducts the cost of the tolls as you pass through the toll stations. For people like me who pay cash, we get the honor of having to stop and pay double the amount of the toll.

My point in this post: I have driven through the toll station with no I-PASS and without paying three times in the past 15 months, usually because of carelessness on my part or relative unfamiliarity with where I was driving. The toll stations are equipped with cameras that proportedly take a picture of your license plate when you go through without paying. I can verify today that the cameras work!

I received a letter from the Illinois Tollway a few days ago. All three violations had been caught on camera and I was fined for each instance. Yes, I will pay my fines, lowering my state's debt to somewhere in the $121,599,577,000 range. But somehow the idea of getting caught on camera and receiving notice months or even more than a years later just doesn't seem to sit right with me. Maybe we ought to focus those cameras on the legislators who have driven the state into that debt of $121,599,585,000 (the debt went up $8000 between sentences).

Time to finally get an I-PASS, I imagine.

Enjoy your weekend!

Rockin' the Grocery Store on Sunday Afternoon

2011-07-10T17:56:00.001-05:00

Since I do most of the family grocery shopping I thought I'd better make a run before I leave for Indiana tomorrow. The first stop, Meijer, brought nothing unusual. It was at the second stop, County Market, where I seemed to run into an unusual cast of characters shopping today:

1) Tall creepy guy. This was the name given to this gentleman by someone who works with him at the local newspaper. The guy looks like a tall version of John Larroquette. His usual job is to stand at a station at the local grocery stores and try to get people to suscribe to the local daily paper. He does kind of give me the creeps.

2) Big version of Danny DeVito. Much bigger. And he smelled really, really bad. He smelled so bad that you could smell him an aisle away. He had the DeVito hair and was wearing a wife beater. I would call the shirt by the name we called it while I was growing up, but I will be sensitive to the feelings of some of my Italian readers. Okay ... eff it -- it was a Dago tee.

3) Beautiful underage girl. Yeah -- you know her -- blondish-brown hair, thin, nice tan, long legs, short shorts. Hmmm ... maybe I should make that trip down to Florida instead of Indiana (see previous two posts).

4) Husband of She Hate Me. She Hate Me is this woman in town who used to be a friend of my wife. For some reason, she despised me. I honestly do not know why. I rarely talked to her, she knew little about me, and I could not understand the hate. But it was there. Clearly. Someone once speculated that perhaps I reminded her of some guy who crapped on her really badly. Anyway, it is kind of funny because no one seemed to like her husband ... except me. First time I had seen him in years and years. He is still around after winning a battle against cancer. I'd have liked to have said "hi" to him, but it was not like I really wanted to ask "So ... how is you biotch wife?"

5) Funny eyebrow lady. She shaved them off and drew in some really wicked ones. She shouldn't have used the McDonald's golden arches for a guide.

6) Old lady who smelled good. Thank goodness I walked next to her after running into #2 several times.

Bastin thinks that my dark side is coming out. Maybe he is right.

Road Trip This Week?

2011-07-10T09:28:00.001-05:00

I am heading into my final week of vacation this summer. The vacation has been okay, as I have been able to take a trip to Las Vegas, had my mother at my house for a few days, went to a Cubs game, took my son and a friend to a Flaming Lips concert, and visited a few casinos for some cash game action. My wife and I had originally talked about a family vacation -- maybe Washington D.C. -- then decided against it, thinking about maybe a family cruise later in the year instead, which sounded really good after talking in Las Vegas with yestbay and his experiences with family cruises. However, we found our that our kids all disliked like the idea. So instead ... it just looks like a lightning36 and Mrs. lightning36 cruise sometime in December, January, or February. Of course, it will need to fit in with the WPBT Winter Classic!

Mrs. lightning36 has been spending the weekend at her friend's lake house (there might still be a family vacation there before summer is over!) while I have been ruling the roost in her absence. However, hearing about the Las Vegas tournament success of Shabazz Jenkins and the big cashish night Very Josie recently had got me thinking that one final road trip is in order. I know that The Neophyte would be expecting me to visit his Florida turf (see my most recent post), but instead I am planning to try out the poker room at Harrah's Horseshoe Southern Indiana. I have never played there before and was considering playing in one of the Denny Crum Poker Open events this coming August. Thanks to Harrahs Total Rewards I have two nights comped there, so I hope to leave Monday morning.

Have an excellent day!

Casey Anthony ... will you marry me?

2011-07-08T08:57:00.001-05:00

Okay, okay, I know ... this seems a little surprising coming from a guy like me. However, I have always made rational decisions in my life and I see no reason to change things now.

Why am I proposing to Casey Anthony? I obviously have some well thought out reasons ...

1) She is a cutie! Let's face it -- we have all seen her "party girl" pictures. Even when they tried to downplay her looks in court, she still looked hot.

Yeah -- she has that Alanis Morisette vibe going on, but she is waaaay cuter. And her figure ... well ...

2) She has been in jail for about three years. Hmmm ... a party girl who has been doing without for three years. I imagine that she must have certain ... needs ... And yes -- this confirms what I have said for years: men are pigs!

3) Why would an old coot like me think that he even has a chance? Well, we already know that there might be some funky daddy story here. I'd guess that it is just another of her many lies, but hey -- it means she might consider it.

4) Speaking of lies -- since she lies about everything, there would be no pretense of her ever telling the truth.

Casey: "Honey, I do not know where your poker bankroll went. It was right on the table this morning."

L36: "Ahhh ... my girl!"

5) Discipline. Two of my teenage kids can get awfully mouthy with their parents. Imagine if they had to think about real consequences for their actions.

6) She is a problem solver. For example, a big problem I have in this whole plan is that I am married. However, Casey seems to have a way of making problems just disappear ... at least for awhile.

Well, I figure this is worth a shot. If I hear any good news I will update this post. Otherwise, if you see me on Anderson Cooper or Greta ... BOOM!

Las Vegas Conversation Snippets

2011-07-05T22:44:00.003-05:00

L36: My luggage didn’t come in on my flight.
SW: Where did you fly from?
L36: Chicago –Midway.
SW: We’ve been having trouble with Chicago lately,
L36: Any idea where my luggage might be?
SW: Either it’s still in Chicago or it’s in Burbank, CA.

As L36 walks through the Bally’s poker room upon arriving at the hotel/casino ...
Chauncey (Bally’s poker dealer) to brush: Don’t let the guy in the yellow shirt sign up for 1-2NL.
L36: Ahhh … my Las Vegas home …

L36 (grabbing player’s arm): Sir … sir … the action is on you, sir …
Player: Stares straight ahead, blinks rapidly.
L36: Dealer – Call for a doctor. This guy is having a seizure or a stroke.

Drunk guy @ Bill’s: I’m just having fun here tonight.
Drunk guy – pointing at L36: You’re a good guy.
L36: Thanks … asshole.
Table: Muhahahahahaha

L36: I can’t believe that you took all that money from the best looking mature woman I have ever seen and chased her away from the table.
Player: Hey – YOU are the one that busted her!
L36: Ahh well …

Oops -- I guess I should clarify. These were from conversations from my Las Vegas trip last month .

King of the Mountain: My Trip to Harrah's Joliet

2011-07-04T01:42:00.002-05:00

It was certainly not inaccurate to say that I had been in a poker slump. I had not played a tremendous amount of poker since Black Friday. When I did (trip to Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria, IL and a trip to Las Vegas last month), I was shocked at how bad I ran. People called with garbage and hit runner-runner flushes. I got rivered more times than I thought possible. I was coolered in a couple of big hands, and I never seemed to catch a break. If I chased, I never caught. Others could suck out, but why not me?

With this as a backdrop, I decided to check out the poker rooms at the Joiliet, IL casinos on the way home from my mom's house in suburban Chicago. It was a good decision.

I left my mom's house Friday morning, caught some lunch in the next town, then headed to my first stop, the Hollywood Casino in Joliet. The casino had formerly been the Empress Casino, one of the many old Illinois riverboat casinos that never sail anymore. I had always thought that the Empress looked kind of junky when it opened, but it had gotten better. As Hollywood Casino, it really looked quite nice.

The poker room was at one end of the casino, a nice but small five table area. I was put on the waiting list for 1-2NL. One table was already filled with players.

After fooling around on some video poker machines for about twenty minutes, I got the call to come to the poker room as a second table was about to open. We filled it and away we went.

I caught a few cards early and chipped up aganinst competition that I thought I could beat. Unfortunately, as more players came, I was moved to the original table. It appears that the second and succeeding tables are usued as fillers for the original table(s). There was much more money at the original table, so the switch was fine with me.

I treaded water while the aggro guy on my left kept winning pots. Once people started looking him up and winning while calling light, he started losing. In the meantime, I got zilch for cards. I chased with an open ended straight and a fludh draw, but nada. I finally got a hand in the small blind when my junk flopped bottom two pair. I raised and was called by one played. Raised on the turn and was called. Checked the river not knowing what the player had, and then re-raised his raise. He had been calling with top pair good kicker and caught a higher two pair on the river. I was pissed! I threw down my cards, waited two hands, then left. The shitty luck was still going strong.

I then drove to Harrah's Joliet, a short drive away. I had not been to this Harrah's since I started playing poker, but I knew it has opened a special WSOP poker room recently.

The setting in Harrah's was much more intense than Hollywood. Hollywood had been very friendly and laid back. The play at Harrah's immediately struck me as much more serious. I was surprised at the guff some of the players gave the dealers ... and the calmness of the dealers in handling it. It seemed that nothing would faze them.

My bad luck continued when my big raise with Q-Q in the big blind was called by a guy with a crap hand who, of course, hit the perfect cards he needed. I was getting frustrated, and when an orbit or two later I flopped bottom two pair in the small blind, I said "eff it" and re-raised a $20 raise all-in -- another $80+. Much to my surprise, a guy called. The board completed with two rags, and the guy mucked his cards. I never found out what he called with, but I did not care as I rebuilt my stack and did not have to rebuy.

The first big hand of the night started when I was dealt A-Q. I called an average raise to see a flop of K-10-rag. The original raiser made a small raise, so I called. Bingo -- a Jack! There was a flush draw on the board and I did not want to let anyone get there so I pushed all in. The original raiser called and said, "I hope I wasn't coolered." He showd K-K for the flopped top set. The river was a BLANK (what?) and I scooped a nice pot and finally had a decent stack.

This same guy was the person who started what was to become the biggest hand of the night. He had gotten short stacked and pushed all in in early position pre-flop. I looked down to see A-A! There were several people acting after me, and I was hoping to lure in an aggro guy who had a stack the same size as mine, so I smooth called. Much to my surprise, as I was counting out the 50-some dollars to call, the aggro guy raised me another $100. After a bit of hollywooding, I said "all in." He did not take long to say "I have to call." I was guessing anywhere from Q-Q up. He asked me if I had aces and I nodded. He had K-K. The flop came with both an Ace and a King, so I knew he was drawing to one out. It did not come, and I scooped a huge pot! It is not bad being the King of the Mountain of a big mound of chips! The funny thing is that Harrah's has a bad beat promotion going and if my opponent had spiked his one outer, I'd have won half the mini bad beat jackpot -- or $3500. The one time I wish I'd been rivered. But ... no complaints here after that hand.

I played pretty much even Steven for the rest of the night. I finally had to leave with a long drive in front of me. The ride home in the early morning hours was made with a big smile on my face ...

There's Nothing Like Fun at the Ol' Ball Park

2011-07-01T00:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday seemed to be an excellent day to visit the Friendly Confines -- commonly known as Wrigley Field. I got a good deal on tickets on Stub Hub and was all set to go with my brother. This was to be an interesting day.

My brother had been sick for the past few days and said he'd better not go. I was ready to call my friend Gerry (who lives a short distance from Wrigley) when my brother made a last minute decision to go. So ... off to the commuter train station we went. Nothing eventful on the trip from the western suburbs into the city.

We walked downtown and got on the Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority -- "L" train) only to find ... no air conditioning! Yes -- just what you want on a day when the temperature and humidity are both high. I would guess that the hot ride took its toll on my brother, who bagan to feel dizzy as the game began. He really looked bad and I was prepared to leave the game early. I did not think that he would make it past the third inning. However, he hung in there and the game looked like a Cubs loss until Aramis Ramirez homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game 1-1. Extra innings! I was ready to leave, but my brother said :One more inning." Well, the 10th inning came, then the 11th, then the 12th, then the 13th ...

A Giants home run in the top of the 13th inning seemed to be the blow that could not be overcome. The Cubs were down to their last strike when Jeff Baker doubled. Again, the Cubs were down to their last strike when Darwin Barney singled in Baker to tie the score. More innings, perhaps? Fortunately, Geovany Soto then hit a walk-off home run to win the game 5-2.

After celebrating, we hopped back on the L, then the commuter train back to my mom's house. Although the Cubs made one hell of an effort to win the game, I have to give the player of the game award to my brother -- an uber Cubs fan who sat through 13 innings in hot, humid weather despite nearly passing out several times. I am happy he was rewarded.

Full Tilt Poker's Last Stand?

2011-06-29T08:49:00.002-05:00

In case you had not heard or read the latest news from the Alderney Gaming Commission ...

29 June 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Release

Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has today issued Hearing Notices under Regulation 46 of its Regulations to Vantage Ltd, Oxalic Ltd, Filco Ltd and Orinic Ltd, collectively trading as FULL TILT POKER.

In addition, AGCC has issued Suspension Notices under Regulation 47 to the above named companies requiring them to suspend all operations with immediate effect.

The decision to suspend these licenses follows a special investigation prompted by the indictments unsealed by US Attorney General’s Office in the Southern District of New York on 15 April 2011, during which grounds were found to indicate that these licensees and their business associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation. The nature of the findings necessitated the taking of immediate action in the public interest.

Andre Wilsenach, the Executive Director of the Alderney Gambling Control Commission says: ‘The decision to suspend the eGambling licence was in the public interest and, because of the seriousness and urgency of the matter, it required that immediate action be taken ahead of the regulatory hearing.’

Any further announcements on this matter can be found on the website of AGCC at http://www.gamblingcontrol.org/

I believe the odds of us getting our money just went down. With Tilt being shut down until the a hearing on July 26, however, Full Tilt's hand might be forced -- and we might still get our money back. Maybe I am a dreamer, but I would rather look at the positives at this point since there is nothing we can do anyway but wait. Of course, Full Tilt has already kept us waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting ...

Bye Bye Blago

2011-06-28T11:26:00.001-05:00

A jury was finally able to give ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich all that he deserved. On behalf of the honest citizens of Illinois, I thank you.

Blago -- meet Bubba. See if you can talk your way out of THAT.

Doubleheader: Blasts from the Past

2011-06-26T17:50:00.000-05:00

A short trip to the local grocery store this afternoon resulted in more than a few cans of soup and a loaf of bread. Fortunately, memories are free.

Karen

I spotted Karen as she passed right in front of me. Maybe just better to head down another aisle, I thought.

I was a dirt-poor student in my second year of graduate school. Karen and I were in the same campus service club. She was very attractive and had a fun personality. However, she had been dating Dave -- a rich guy and Mr. Party Central. As far as I knew, they were not dating each other exclusively. Karen seemed to show some interest in me, and I kept hoping that perhaps an opportunity might arise. The opportunity came.

After an evening club meeting, Karen announced "I'm heading back to my place for a few beers -- anybody want to come?" I was one of a few people in the area, and thought that this was a primo invitation --- for me! I agreed and went back to Karen's place with her. A few beers later and it was time to make my move. Success!

After a relatively innocent passion session, I sat back and said "I had a feeling this was going to happen." Much to my surprise, Karen answered "Well, it was a surprise to me." Damn.

I took Karen out on a real date -- to a local popular Chinese restaurant -- and had a good time. However, he date cost me every spare cent I had. I knew that she would still probably continue dating Dave. So ... for the first -- and last -- time in my life, I let a relationship go for purely economic reasons.

We bumped into each other other a few minutes after I spotted her, and we had a very nice conversation. Her daughter soon joined us, and we talked about the excitement of the daughter's upcoming first year in college. I wished the girl well and then said goodbye to her mom. I wondered how much, if any, story telling happened after I left.

Amanda

I thought I spotted Amanda, but I wasn't sure it was her. She had changed somewhat over the years.

I had recently started a new job. Amanda came in with her mother, seeking my professional assistance. Amanda was quite attractive, bright, and personable, but had a bad experience at her first college. She was determined to get off to a better start the second time around.

She got herself back into good academic standing, then transferred to another school. We had developed a warm relationship, and I was happy to see her move on. Several years later, she was back and again needed my assistance. I was able to help her again, and then she was gone.

I run into Amanda every few years. She's changed a little as we all do. It always takes me a few seconds to make sure it is her, but her warm smile and friendly "hi" usually confirm it. She appears to be doing well, and I always like to think that I played at least some small part in her success. In my profession, it is not unusual to be unsure if you really helped someone. Sometimes, though, you get a pretty good idea.

I paid for my groceries and headed back home. Sometimes memories just make you feel ready to face the challenges of the day.

Congrats to Memphis MOJO -- 76th in WSOP Seniors Championship

2011-06-19T02:28:00.000-05:00

A big congratulations to Memphis MOJO, who finished 76th out of 3752 runners in WSOP Event #30 -- Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship. Way to go, Dave!

I will try to channel the MOJO mojo in Las Vegas!

Off to Las Vegas on Sunday

2011-06-18T15:28:00.000-05:00

Vacation from work began at 5:01 pm last Thursday -- and that means it is time to head to Las Vegas!

Home base this trip will be Bally's. Bally's is my favorite poker room, and staying at the hotel just makes everything much easier. Yes -- I have been known to not leave my seat at the table until well after the morning sun has first apppeared.

A few months ago Josie (who had been ... uhh ... drinking) gave me a hard time for taking all my trips to Las Vegas but rarely playing any tournaments. I love playing the cash games in Las Vegas and had grabbed my ankles more than once in tournaments there. And ... there is nothing like playing for hours, only to come up empty handed.

However, I have to admit that I have been wondering just how I would do in some of the Las Vegas tournaments at this stage of my poker life. So ... I have mapped out several of the better tournaments to play this time around. I am taking a pass on the WSOP unless I head to the Rio take a chance or two on satellites.

btw -- I did have at least some success a few years ago, including chopping two tournaments at Caesar's and one at Stardust. I hope to have some good news to report when I return.

An Open Letter to LeBron James

2011-06-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

Dear LeBron:

Another NBA season has come and gone, and again you are without a championship. If fact, things appear even worse since it now seems that half the world hates your guts. Did it really have to be that way? Is there hope for your future?

I do not know who advises you, but whatever they are getting paid is waaaay too much. I'll tell you what -- hire me at a decent wage and I promise to have the world loving you again in no time. Well -- let me change that statement a bit -- I will attempt to undo most of the damage you created for yourself this past year. I'll leave the miracles to the Man upstairs.

Now, first a confession: I am not the biggest NBA fan in the world. I just have not liked the product very much since Michael Jordan's second retirement -- the one that should have been final. I knew about you, but was not all-consumed the way many Cavs fans probably were. I know you have heard most of this before, but sometimes I wonder if mega-stars like yourself ever listen to a sane, logical voice. I don't hate you but I will never be mistaken for a "yes man." That being said, let's chat about the past year ...

1) Leaving Cleveland -- There was no way that this ever works out. You can't dump the girl who loves you no matter what. Sometimes you have to leave, but you can at least minimize the damage.

What you should have said; "I have made the difficult decision to leave the Cavaliers. I will be forever grateful to the fans of Cleveland for their support." This should have been said early and up front out of respect to the team, the fans, and the owner.

2) The Decision -- Probably the absolute worst decision by a professional athlete in recent memory. No matter who you ended up with, this debacle was designed to piss off everyone else. Anyone who had anything to do with it should be kept as far away from you as possible.

What you should have done: Have a press conference, announce your decision, take difficult questions.

3) Over-the-top celebration in Miami -- We all expect fanfare when a big-time athlete comes to our team, but this extravaganza was just too much to stomach. A little humility thrown into the process might have gone a long way.

4) Playoff performance -- When you are The Man, you have to be the man when it counts most (see Michael Jordan). Having stretches of greatness mixed in with stretches of mediocrity just doesn't cut it. Deferring shots and opportunities to teammates at crunch time shows a lack of confidence and a lack of the chutzpah the greatest have as part of their being. Even if you made a great effort and fell short (see Dwyane Wade), you would garner respect. Disappearing during the NBA Finals is not an option.

5) Bitterness -- Next time keep your mouth shut after you lose. The fans are the ones who have provided you this fantastic lifestyle. How about a little respect for them?

What you should have said: "I would like to congratulate the Dallas Mavericks on winning the NBA title. They are a class act and did what they needed to do at the right times. I am disappointed for myself, my teammates, and the Heat fans. I will learn from this defeat and come back even more determined and prepared than I was this season. It will be a long summer. I pledge my best efforts to bring a championship to Heat fans in 2012."

Oh yeah -- no more flopping in high profile games. That type of action is not befitting of the most talented player in the game today. And no more mocking of an athlete who stuck with it and brought a championship to his team and city (see Dirk Nowitski). Be on your best bevavior, act like a man, and show that you have the gumption to kick ass all next season and not stop until the championship trophy is in your hands. If you want to be judged with the all-time greats there are still many steps to be taken.

I am also available for consulting -- at a price that a wealthy guy like you can easily afford. Give me a chance. I mean really -- could I mess things up any worse than they are now?

Sincerely,

lightning36

NumbBono cashes in HORSE at the WSOP; Congrats to the Dallas Mavericks

2011-06-13T00:29:00.000-05:00

A big congratulations to NumbBono for placing 56th in the 2011 WSOP Event #17 HORSE tournament. Numb had been crushing some of the low buy-in HORSE events at Full Tilt Poker over the past year or so. It is certainly no surprise to me that he went so deep (963 entrants) in his first WSOP event. Great job, Numb!

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks, winners of their first NBA title. I am not a Mavs fan, but they seem to be a classy team -- unlike their opponent, the Heat. I'll write more about the Heat when things in my life slow down a bit, but suffice it to say that LeBron and Wade didn't live up to their own hype. Actually, Chris Bosh was pretty good throughout the playoffs, but he didn't get the help he needed from the other stars on the team.

Only four more days of work until I get some much needed vacation time. Las Vegas is now less than a week away. Ahhhh ...

Welcome to Our World: The People of the Great State of Illinois Share ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich with the World

2011-06-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Yes ... F*** us all!

The "F" bomb echoed through the courtroom Wednesday in Rod Blagojevich's corruption retrial, as recorded phone calls were played between the former Illinois governor and his then Deputy Governor Bob Greenlee.

Greenlee testified that Blagojevich told him he wanted to use the appointment of the Senate seat to help him remain relevant on the national stage. Blagojevich was hoping to be made Secretary of Health and Human Services in exchange for appointing Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarret to the senate seat, according to Greenlee. An ambassadorship was also of interest to Blagojevich, so Greenlee made a list of of which appointments could be most influential.

When Blagojevich learned the opportunities he was hoping for likely were not going to occur, a very frustrated Blagojevich was heard on a recorded phone call with Greenlee saying he thought his hopes for a national office position were dashed. "My upward trajectory is f***ing stalled if not f***ing ruined by Obama!" Blago is heard saying. "His election blocks me now from any upward movement...Now is the time to put my f***ing wife and children first...I f***ing busted my a**...I fought every f***ing special interest out there to prevent them from raising taxes and all I got is 13%! (approval rating in Illinois) F*** them!"

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com May 11, 2011

And if that wasn't enough ...

He has compared himself to Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He has drawn parallels between himself and Winston Churchill as well as Abraham Lincoln.

But during his fifth day on the witness stand, even Rod Blagojevich managed to startle observers with a new one:

If he had appointed himself to the U.S. Senate seat in 2008, he would have traveled to Afghanistan to try to hunt down one Osama bin Laden.

His lawyer, Aaron Goldstein, asked if Blagojevich talked about appointing himself to the Senate “in exchange for going to Afghanistan and hunting down Osama bin Laden.”

“Yes,” A straight-faced Blagojevich replied, bringing yet another prosecution objection, hushed snickers and head-scratching in the courtroom.

Courtesy of Natasha Korecki www.suntimes.com June 3, 2011

I hope you enjoyed our special brand of Illinois entertainment.

Have a great weekend!

End of May Report on Chicago Professional Sports: The Wasteland

2011-05-30T10:48:00.001-05:00

Happy Memorial Day! For those of us who are fans of Chicago professional sports teams, however, "happy" is not a word I would currently use to describe us. Let's review why.

Chicago Blackhawks

Although the Hawks can claim to be the reigning Stanley Cup Champions for another ten days or so, the 2010-2011 season was a disaster. Immediately after winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, the Hawks were forced, due to salary cap restrictions, to let go of several key members of their Cup team. The team struggled throughout the reagular season, barely making it into the playoffs through the back door on the last night of the regular season. They then played the rival Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs and went down 3-0. They tied up the series and even had a great chance to win game seven in overtime, but lost to the Canucks on a play we have seen too often -- giving up the puck in the defensive zone and getting burned. However, a little hunger to regain the Cup might go a long way next season.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls had an unexpectedly great regular season, finishing with the best record in their conference. However, the playoff semi-finals pitted them against the Miami Heat, a team the Bulls beat all three times in the regular season. The Bulls just don't have the horses -- yet -- to do it, and lost four in a row after blowing out the Heat in game one. If the Bulls can get a decent two guard in the off season, things might be different next season. For now, however, the loss to the Heat was painful.

Chicago Bears

Will there be an NFL season? How many games will be played? We will all hope to know the answers in the next month as the season is quickly approaching. Kudos to the Bears for coming within a game of the Super Bowl last season. The current state of football makes it difficult to handicap the fall season. The Vikings will be less of a threat without Brett Favre, but the Lions should be better this year. And of course, we can not forget the Packers ... I am a fan of Jay Cutler and look forward to seeing him lead the Bears to their first Super Bowl victory in over 25 years.

As you can see, the three cold-weather sports brought Chicago a championship and two teams that were there in the final four -- definitely the best overall showing that I can remember. As for the baseball teams ...

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs, in short, are a total mess. Their roster consists of a few good young players, a bunch of overpaid veterans who have not played up to potential, and a bunch of average to below-average players. They are currently in fifth place out of six teams in their division and sport a 23-28 record. More significantly, fans have stayed home this year and attendance is sure to drop. Of course, fans will still flock to the "friendly confines" on weekends this summer for the Wrgley Field experience, but check out the weekday attendance figures, especially when the Cubs are playing other poor teams. It is really time for the team owner to eat contracts, dump players, and rebuild. This team, as it is, is going nowhere fast

Chicago White Sox

The Sox are the biggest disappointment in 2011. They declared that in 2011 they are "all in" (where have I heard that before?), but have played uninspired baseball. They had a chance to start off the season smoking hot ... until then closer Matt Thornton blew five straight saves. Big hitters Adam Dunn and Alex Rios are in the midst of horrible slumps and the team has not played well. This is especially bad because their chief rivals, the Minnesota Twins, are having a rare poor start. The surprising Cleveland Indians are way out in first place. The Sox currently are in fourth place with a 24-31 record. There is hope, however, because of the good Sox pitching, that the team can make a run if the hitters get hot. It is possible that the Sox and the Detroit might be fighting it out at the end of the season. Am I just a dreamer?

Right now, it appears that the biggest game in Chicago this summer will be Manchester United vs. the Chicago Fire. That sums up the current state of Chicago baseball more than anything.

Keeping in Touch on Tuesday

2011-05-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

What a nightmare of a weekend. Not only did I not go bye-bye in the Rapture, but I played some live poker on Sunday. In tournament action, I exited short of the final table when A-8os > J-J. Ace on the flop and I was a goner. I then played some cash games and saw how rusty I have become. The lack of both online poker and live poker sure showed. I'd better get in a couple more sessions before I go to Las Vegas if I want to hit the ground running.

Oh yeah -- my softball hitting streak came to an end as I went 0-3 last night. I actually got on base my first at bat, but even though I hit the ball sharply, the second baseman should have fielded it cleanly. A really generous scorer might call it a hit, but I am playing this one totally straight. But still ... a .588 batting average? I'll take it!

Ken Prevo loves to heap abuse on the poor residents of Illinois. Yes -- I carefully chose my words there! In reality, however, it is not much fun waiting and wondering how much your state governmenet will attempt to make you grab your ankes to take care of their screw ups. Although I have faithfully paid into my pension system every month for 21 years, the state legislators, who passed budgets for several years that did not pay the required amount into the pension system, are ready to pass a law that will screw me and others who have spent the best professional working years of our lives educating students in the state. As soon as the legislature passes the law, which for years has been considered to be unconstitutional, the final decision will be left to the courts. Hmmm ... who do we trust in Illinois? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Finally -- Bulls vs. Heat game four tonight. The Heat looked awesome in game three and the Bulls need to re-group. Can the Bulls pull out game four and the series? I hope. I believe. Maybe I dream?

R.I.P. Macho Man

2011-05-20T13:01:00.001-05:00

Today is a sad day for professional wrestling fans around the world as "Macho Man" Randy Savage passed away from a heart attack while driving in Florida. The Macho Man was 58.

Savage, whose real name is Randy Poffo, grew up in Downers Grove, IL along with his brother "Leaping" Lanny Poffo. Father Angelo Poffo was himself a professional wrestler, famous for being part of the wrestling tag team "The Graduates."

Growing up in the town right next to Downers Grove, I always thought it was amazing that this regular guy going to high school in the neighboring town became the flamboyant Macho Man. Sadly, Macho Man's former wife, Miss Elizabeth, passed away many years ago due to a drug overdose.

Tonight I'll be saying a prayer for you, Randy. Oooooohhhhh Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Coping with Changes in the Online Poker World

2011-05-20T00:16:00.000-05:00

Life After Black Friday

We are now five weeks past Black Friday, the day that the world of online poker in the USA was turned completely on its head. Instead of focusing on the related issues such as the status of money at Full Tilt Poker, I instead wanted to focus on the day-to-day reality of the change.

How has it affected me? For starters, it has increased boredom in my life. After a hard day's work I used to look forward to spending some time on Full Tilt Poker, be it playing in one of several blogger private tournaments or messing around at the cash tables. Like many, I really liked playing at Full Tilt. Now it was gone. I have been able to still play at some of my less favorite sites, like UB, Bodog, and Cake, but it is just not the same.

I find that I have been watching more televised sports, especially since post-season play in the NHL and the NBA has been so spectacular. I have watched a few movies and have spent more time cruising around the internet.

What I have really felt, however, is a loss of some of the closeness with some of my blogger friends. Without a regular weekly tournament like the Mookie/Dank, I find that my communication with other bloggers has greatly decreased. Just after a great event like Survive Donkey Island invigorated the blogger community, it is now like we are in a period of extended vacation. Thankfully, some of the bloggers have continued to post on a somewhat regular basis. At least posting and commenting on posts keeps us connected. But, to tell the truth, I really miss the regular routine. A couple of the play money tournaments have been okay, but they are just not the same.

Softball Update

Is it really May? My last softball game was played in frigid, windy conditions. I only got two at bats but went 1-2 with a single (naturally), bringing my batting average down a bit to .714. Ha ha -- I love that -- bringing my average down to .714!

My trip to Las Vegas is getting a little closer and the desire to play some live games is again on the increase. A road trip this weekend might be in order.

Quick Wednesday Night Thoughts -- Scores and Scorches

2011-05-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

1) I sent in a check to pay what should be my last obligation on my daughter's lease from her ill-fated move to Texas. Thank goodness the property managers found someone to sublease the apartment. Otherwise, I was on the hook until October. SCORE

2) Turned in my signed contract for next work year. I was on the contract team when we negotiated this sweetheart five-year contract about four years ago -- right before the bottom fell out of the economy. Nothing like putting money directly into the pockets of your coworkers to make you feel the love. SCORE

3) A big down side of my daughter's Texas travails -- and we were afraid of this -- bed bugs! My daughter's apartment had bed bugs and we most likely brought some home with us. My arms look like Josie has been slapping me around. We seemed to find the source (hopefully), so with some cleaning and an exterminator's help we will get this unpleasant surprise taken care of. SCORCH

4) I really miss playing blogger tournaments and cash games at Full Tilt. I was really ready for a great BBT6 series. I have still been playing some cash games at UB, but it is not the same. SCORCH

5) Las Vegas is coming sooner than I think. Only 5 1/2 weeks to go! I'll be there June 19-24. I hope to meet up with Yestbay1 before he leaves town. I have already offered my services as his final table servant should he go that far in his WSOP event! Anyone else going to be in Sin City that week? Let me know. SCORE

Full Tilt Bonus Posted in Account Today

2011-05-10T10:51:00.002-05:00

I received an e-mail message that my bonus from Full Tilt Poker's Take 2 promotion has been credited to my account. So ... it looks like this may be the start of the Full Tilt cash out process?

A Funeral & A Softball Update

2011-05-10T00:09:00.001-05:00

The Funeral

I went to a funeral today for the husband of my wife's cousin. The guy was the first of our generation of the cousins to pass away. It gets you thinking ...

My wife came from this big Catholic family which used to be pretty tight, so she has cousins galore. I had not seen many of them or their spouses for several years -- maybe since the last death in the family some time ago?

It was nice to see that almost everyone seemed to be doing well -- nice families, no tragic stories. Yes, there is something to definitely say about raising kids the proper way ...

Softball

Although my softball team took it on the chin once again, the warm weather seemed to help the "veterans" look good. I was back at second base and had to deal with a nasty wind blowing straight in from left field. Yeah -- popups I can still handle. The flip from the shortstop I can still hamdle. The throws from the outfield I can still handle. Hard-hit ground balls? They are always an adventure!

Strangely enough, my hot hitting continued. A hard liner to center, a shot over the pitcher's head, and a ball that stayed just fair down the third base line meant this old guy went 3-3, raising my season average to a ridiculous .750! Now, I swear all my hits this season have been totally clean -- untouched by fielders until the ball has gotten to the outfield. They have all been singles, but damn -- this has been one hell of a start to the season!

An Uplifting Story of Spring

2011-05-07T20:44:00.001-05:00

So yeah -- my last post that focused on death was depressing. There is another side to spring, though -- that of renewal, growth, change, and hope.

One year ago my family was recovering from a severe shock to the system -- my son's cancer. However, pending a clean chest x-ray my son will have in just over a week, we will clearly see that his medical problems are really a thing of the past. He will always need to be vigilant, but we all can certainly live with that.

Rick has really come out of his shell the past few years. He has made great friends through his Scholastic Bowl team, and tonight he went to his junior prom with the friend of a friend. As he left for dinner after taking pictures with several of his friends and their dates, I noticed how beautiful a May day can be ...

Death Permeates Spring

2011-05-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

It is the first week of May. I used to remember this time of the year for the temperate weather, the flowers, the introduction of the wonder of summer. This year in particular, however, I feel sad, despondent, and lonely. At a time that I traditionally saw as a new beginning, I feel a depressing reminder of the end.

Death. It seems to be everywhere. The father of a fellow poker blogger. The father of an Italian Dinner Club friend. The first member of my generation of relatives and their spouses.

My long-time insurance agent, a guy who generated more positive vibes that almost anyone I can remember, is in hospice care. An almost deserted office tells his sad story.

But it is not just the present. One blogger is reflecting on the anniversary of his father's death. Later this month my wife and I will be remembering that sad time when my father-in-law was forced to throw in the towel in his fight against cancer. May is sure not what it used to be.

And oh yeah -- happy birthday, Dad. Let's hope that guy upstairs springs for a beer. I'd buy you one if I could.

"Official" Statement From Cereus Regarding Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet

2011-05-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Sucker:

It is finally time for all the chumps in the world (and that includes you, buddy) to get a life and realize that you were dumb shits to do business with us. Geez -- it was not enough that superuser accounts were created and some players lost ungodly amount of mobney playing at an unfair advantage? Even when the stories surfaced you still believed in us? Pathetic! At least you know that we always had secure connections -- uh ... right?

Did you ever try to follow the money to find out who really was running the show here? Holy JFK -- talk about a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma!

Even after the DOJ indictments came down and even after PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker suspended real money play to USA poker players, we still continuue to offer tournaments and "cash" games. If you have not yet figured it out, let us explain it to you: our "cash" games now = play money games. Have fun playing while our sites are still functional.

Oh yeah -- don't come looking for us. That deserted building you might find? We're on an extended vacation.

One more thing regarding cash outs ..................

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sincerely,

The Management

NOTE: A good read for the real sad story here ...

Bring on Ken P -- I Be Badenov

2011-05-04T02:47:00.001-05:00

Raskolnikov -- There is no way a squirrel would get the best of me.

Tuesday Thoughts: Softball, Texas Freedom, and the Chicago White Sox

2011-05-03T22:24:00.001-05:00

One thing about life that is certain is that it is always interesting. Sometimes , however, interesting may not be that great.

Softball

Softball seemed to reach a new low for me as a dagger to the heart of a recreational player was felt Tuesday night. My team was cruising early when the new guy on the team, our big slugger, knocked out a three-run home run. Before he even got to third base, the opposing team challenged his hit, saying he used an illegal bat.

wtf -- This is a stupid recreational league! Worse yet, the umpire, before the game, was checking out our bats. So if there was an illegal one in the rack, shouldn't he tell us we can't use it?

The umpire was a total, wimpy moron. He checked with someone, then declared the batter out. The captain of my team chose not to play the game under protest, and I felt like we were the wimps of the world. An inning later, the other team got a player on first and the guys on his team were telling him to make sure he breaks up the double play. Uh yeah -- I was the second baseman. So, as stupid as this sounds for a guy who should not be thinking this, I was prepared to knock the shit out of this guy if he came anywhere near me. As luck would have it, the next batter grounded to short, who flipped to me at second. I made the pivot and the throw to first but the runner was nowhere near me. Probably saved myself lots of hurt!

Oh yeah -- the end result was that we lost by one run. The bat turned out to indeed be illegal, but calling a team on that in a recreational league is a d-bag play. And ... once again I went two for three, keeping my .667 batting average. Not bad for a ... veteran.

Texas Freedom

I had recently been bleeding money left and right. It used to be that money was bled in $20's, then $100's, now $1,000's. I was delighted to find out that my daughter's apartment in Texas, for which I had guaranteed a lease through October, has been rented! Yes -- off the hook to the tune of several thousand dollars. Hmmm ... maybe I should be considering a WSOP donkament ...

The Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have hit bottom for the young season, sporting MLB's worst record and getting no-hit tonight by arch rival Minnesota. With the Sox starting rotation and band of good hitters, I was expecting much the opposite this season. They are already ten games out of first place and could be 10 1/2 before the night is over. Is it finally time to pull the plug on the Ozzie show and move in a different direction? Frankly, I have gotten tired of watching Ozzie vs Kenny Williams, Ozzie vs Bobby Jenks, Ozzie vs the Chicago Cubs, ... With a last place team and knowing that you can't fire the whole team, I think the manager's hot seat should be steamimg right now. Stay tuned ...

Osama bin Laden is Dead & A Re-posting of a Timely Fishing Story

2011-05-02T07:09:00.001-05:00

This is a re-post of something I wrote almost three years ago. A celebration now seems in order.

My Greatest Catch - A Fishing/Life Story

My family was not exactly the type that would buy Field & Stream or Outdoor Life magazines. No family members except a brother-in-law had ever gone hunting. Fishing was something you did at the local pond with a bamboo pole, a bobber, and a worm. So when the opportunity came up to take a week-long fishing trip in Canada with my father-in-law and several of my wife's relatives, I was both excited and scared. Doing a week at Lake of the Woods in Nestor Falls, Ontario with a bunch of guys sounded like a great time. However, I knew I would be the worst fisherman out there, and would have to be taught a number of different strategies and techniques. The trip ended up being great, and the annual fishing trip was something I looked forward to.

A year after my father-in-law passed away, I went on the trip with my wife's cousin, Tim, and my wife's Uncle Don. Tim and Don were hard core fishermen, as evidenced by one trip where we spent over 70 hours on the water in one week. Tim and Don taught me about 50% of what I knew about fishing.

One afternoon, I got one hell of a yank on my line. The fish was obviously a monster, and smart too, as he tried to get away under the boat. Tim and Don later said that they couldn't believe that my fishing pole didn't break as it was bent in a U-shape when the fish ran under the boat. After much struggling and fighting, I landed the sucker. I was hoping that I had caught my first muskie, but instead it was a huge northern pike. Yes -- I was so damn proud of myself.

I couldn't wait to get back to shore. The plan was to bring in the boat and I would fix dinner while Tim and Don went to the tavern up the road to call home and check in with their wives. Of course, as I was cooking, there was a spring in my step. I kept thinking that life just didn't get much better than it was that day.

Tim and Don would usually be back right away, but this time it was taking them forever to return. It was dark outside and the dinner was beginning to get cold, so I began to think that I might need to go down to the tavern and see what was holding them up. Before I could get out the door, they came back in with grim looks on their faces.

I wish I could go into detail about the length and weight of my greatest catch, but the details were lost in the events of that day.

September 11, 2001.

Blogger "Home Game" at PokerStars Tonight

2011-05-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to heffmike for setting this up. Of course, if you are looking to make things a little more interesting, check out Jordan's blog.

I will be there. Will you?

Watching Stanley Cup Playoffs ...

2011-05-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

... last night and today. Predators vs Canucks. Red Wings vs Sharks.

*sigh*

The Latest Information Regarding Full Tilt Poker Account Balances

2011-04-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I received an e-mail from Full Tilt Poker that referred me to their latest FAQs page for US online poker players.

I suspect that we will soon have our account money ala PokerStars. I am, however, still concerned about receiving compensation for FullTilt Points and other bonus/incentive programs in which I and others have participated. Stay tuned ...

PokerStars Cash-Out Comes Through

2011-04-29T09:12:00.001-05:00

I checked my poker checking account this morning and saw that my small PokerStars cash-out had already been deposited into my account. It looks like things are really final. Bye, JokerStars.