SilentService

Broken Shoulder

noreply@blogger.com (G-Man) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:45:00 +0000

I broke my shoulder Labor Day weekend water skiing. It was much worse than they could see on MRI. I tore almost all the cartilage off the ball, tore the front and back of my labrum away from the bone, and frayed my bicep tendon too. They took out the chunks from my joint, reattached labrum (socket) and punctured my upper arm bone to help stimulate new cartilage growth.

It may be a long recovery -- I probably won't be back in to the office until Tuesday, December 1st.‬‪ Good thing I have health insurance and a job.

Health Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (G-Man) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:41:00 +0000

Today, as I was not busy, I decided to see whether I should shop for private health insurance, or stick with the crappy insurance offered to me by my firm. I pay about a grand a month in premiums. So I found an article linked by the title of this article. Therein is a website mentioned in the article, which is like a priceline for health insurance. The really interesting thing is changing your zipcode to other states, and seeing how expensive New York is.‬

I think I'm sticking with my firm's crappy group policy.

Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (G-Man) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:02:00 +0000

"And if you feel that you can't go on. And you feel sick and low. Just believe that you can't go wrong. In the light, you will find the road."

Prednisone

noreply@blogger.com (G-Man) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:51:00 +0000

It's fall, and Max's asthma is really bad. So is Jawbitch's. Max is taking Prednisone. It's making him a little wacky.

Max, with tapemeasure in hand: The foreigners cleaning my room are touching my stuff.
Jawbitch: You need to put your magic tricks away.
Max, measuring the bathroom walls: I need to put up some sheetrock and build a miniature room to put my stuff in so that they can't touch it.
Jawbitch: Why don't you go through all your toys, and get rid of the baby toys? Then you will have more room to put your stuff away.
Max: Good idea, Mom!
Jawbitch: Just make three piles: one for your little cousin Alex, one to give away, and one for stuff you throw away.
Max: ok . . .

Several hours later, Jawbitch inspects the piles. There's a small one for Alex, a large one for goodwill, and hardly anything in the throwaway pile.

Jawbitch: What's up with the giveaway pile? Most of these toys are broken. Other kids shouldn't get broken toys.
Max: That's ok, the church kids don't know any better anyway.

Tire Swing

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:24:00 +0000

Circuit City --Where the streets are paved with bargains?

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Gram found a pile of gift cards that had been laying around, one from Circuit City. I drove to East Northport, which the store locator still indicated was open, a couple of weekends ago with the kids to use it, because they closed the store in Bayshore. It was closed.

So late last week, I decided to bring it into the city. The store was completely picked through. They were selling the fixtures. No joy.

So I walked over to a couple of sales associates remaining and asked them what I could do. They just ignored me, and continued their conversation reminiscing about the past.

Did you get any bargains at Circuit City? I would like to know -- please comment.

Ask for me, I tossed the card down at the associates' feets, grabbed a cart, and walked out. There's a bum I'd seen, hanging out at Bond45 who could probably use it.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Please Don't Release the Detainees, Mr. President!

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:28:00 +0000

NYT reports that a Saudi militant, Said Ali al-Shihri, is suspected of involvement in a deadly bombing of the United States Embassy in Yemen's capital, Sana, in September, 2008. He was released to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists, that our country pays for in part, before resurfacing with Al Qaeda in Yemen. His status was announced in an Internet statement by the militant group and was confirmed by an American counterterrorism official. "The lesson here is, whoever receives former Guantánamo detainees needs to keep a close eye on them," the American official said. Yeah, right.

Tell me, dear ACLU bleeding hearts, how can you "rehabilitate" a terrorist? This proves that you can't.

Mr. Obama, please allow our courts to try the terrorists, and when they are found guilty, sentence them accordingly.

G-man

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

What a dummy

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:10:00 +0000

I think the Verizon tech fixed a cabling problem that led to my Internet woes. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, the cleaning folks knocked out power to my clock. I reset it last night. This morning, I felt especially tired. Then I noticed the kitchen clock was off by an hour. Then I noticed all the clocks were off by an hour. Then I noticed my watch was off by an hour. Too many clocks to be a coincidence. Boy am I tired.

Go Nuclear and Fix My Internet

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:27:00 +0000

When asked about nuclear power, Dr. Chu, Obama's prospective Energy Secretary said it had to be "part of our mix." He favored tapping loan guarantees to restart the nuclear industry.

Verizon meanwhile has rescheduled my appointment. We'll see if they show up today.

At least 24 taped. Too bad you can't watch the DVR on any of the STBs in the house. That sux, its not like they aren't networked together.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Fix My Internet

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:37:00 +0000

Just after Thanksgiving, I switched my Internet and television service from Cablevision to Verizon, just so I can arbitrage. Verizon promised cheaper service with more features. Instead, I got a more expensive service with more channels of shit, and worse customer service.

Because my Internet goes out, so goes my telephone (I have Vonage). The government should mandate 24 hour repair for broadband Internet, just like it does for telephone service, since many now use VoIP. Hello?

Obama has made the deployment of high-speed Internet networks as a central part of his plan to create jobs and better compete with global economies offering much faster broadband Internet speeds, often at lower prices.

But we have to have working Internet first.

Next year, I may try Direct TV. In the meantime, fix my Internet, please.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Split Atoms, Not Wood

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:37:00 +0000

In light of the Russian gas crisis, French government-owned electricity giant EDF is now marketing its expertise, as demonstrated by high-profile moves into Britain and the United States over the past few months.

Meanwhile, back at home, our federal government gives more money to the unscrupulous bad actors that line their own pockets with bonus money.

Senate Democratic leaders said a vote could come as early as this week on providing a second $350 billion for the financial industry. The incoming Obama team has undertaken an effort to obtain the money from reluctant lawmakers, to have it waiting for Obama when he's sworn in Jan. 20. Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama and Obama's economic adviser, Larry Summers, made assurances that the for roughly $800 billion in spending and tax breaks to spur the economy for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, would be better monitored and spent.

But banks and other financial institutions have received billions from the government with few rules, and most won't say where the money has gone. Yeah, we knew that would happen.

Instead of our government helps the private sector to rape the public. The government should remember its history of public works programs from the last depression, and should be building infrastructure like the French have.

G-Man

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Mayor Mike Routs Hamas

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Asked about the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, Mr. Bloomberg replied sharply: "That they [Hamas] are putting people at risk is an outrage. If Hamas would focus on building a country instead of trying to destroy another one, then those people would not be getting injured or killed."

My sentiments exactly, Mr. Mayor. I'd even take it a step further and say that if people elect a terrorist organization as their government, then they shouldn't complain about being in terror.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:45:00 +0000

I'm sure the next year will be better than the last!

Love,

G-Man

Re: Made where ?

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Dear whole host of others:

Sorry to disturb you, especially since I don't know most of you, but I'd like to add my 2 cents to my stepfather's email chain.

Ever since the U.S. entered a global economy, as you well know, the U.S. has lost most of its manufacturing capacity. Why? Because it is impossible for U.S. businesses to cost-effectively produce goods here. It is cheaper to employ inexpensive, overseas labor and materials to make the things that we consume in the U.S. This is bad if you have a manufacturing job, but good if you buy things, because you get them at the lowest possible cost.

The global economy is capitalism at its finest. It will help to raise the standard of living for everyone that participates in it. It also promotes world harmony and deterrence from waging war on each other, because we trade with each other.

So, if you want to buy American, that's fine, but if you're paying a higher price out of patriotism, your money will not be well spent, because if we can't sell it to you at the lowest price, then we won't be selling to you for much longer.

And if you want to manufacture something here, you ought to automate so that you can produce it cheaper than those working for slave wages overseas, or produce something that they can't, e.g., provide a service here that can't be imported.

Best regards,

G-man
http://sneezing.blogspot.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Cousin Lou
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:54:23
To: A whole host of others
Subject: RE: Made where ?

No really - see http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp - especially the last paragraph " In any case, the bar codes used in the United States are almost exclusively based on the Universal Product Code, type A (UPC-A) standard, not the EAN-13 standard, so most Americans don't even see the three-digit prefixes that indicate the code's point of origin. In determining the country of origin of a product sold in the U.S., consumers should still look for "Made in [country name]" labels on the packaging."

-----Original Message-----
From: Stepdad
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 3:41 PM
To: A whole host of others
Subject: Fw: Made where ?

----- Original Message -----
From: Sally Cable
To: Harry Broadband
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 12:56 PM
Subject: Made where ?

PRODUCTS BAR CODING

For your Information ... the first 3 digits of the barcode is the
country code wherein the product was made.

Sample: all barcodes that start with 690 to 695 are all MADE IN CHINA .
471 is Made in Taiwan .

Error! Filename not specified.
This bar code is 471 – Made in Taiwan

This is our human right to know, but the government and
related department never educate the public, therefore
we have to RESCUE ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers
avoid products 'made in china', so they don't show
from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if
the first 3 digits is 690-695 then it is Made in China .
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 ~ Taiwan
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
690-695 ~ China
740 ~ 745 - Central America
All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.

Slammed by the LIRR

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:52:00 +0000

You may have seen the news about the accident, that they term a "bump." Click the title of this blog for video. I was on the 6:42 a.m. Babylon train that was hit by the Port Jefferson train outside of Jamaica in the morning. My train is normally 8 cars long, but was six this morning, and was packed to the gills with people, standing room only. WABC-7 seems to have the best reporting and video of this incident. WABC-7 reports that LIRR admitted it was human error -- perhaps the engineer of the Port Jeff train was too busy texting on his blackberry instead of looking at his signals. Here's News-12 video too.

It could have been much worse -- it could have been like this.

G-man

Better Luck Next Time

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

Game started at 6 p.m., 114 players, 22 got $10K seats, 23rd got $8K in cash. Went on third break at 12:30 a.m., 28 players left. I'm sitting 2 away from button, blinds are 3000/6000 with 500 ante, I have 21K in chips.

Action folds to me, I look down at AQ clubs, figure 3x$6K = $18K, so I shoved. Action folds to small blind, who has $32K, and is known to me to be a donkey. He asks for a count, then calls with 77.

Flop comes Q64, I cheer, but one of the other players says to put the celebration on hold, all cards were diamonds, and so was one of his 7s. Turn is 2s. He rivers the 2 outer, and I finish 28th, basically at or near the bubble yet again.

Maybe one day soon I'll get paid.

The Rush Continues

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:14:00 +0000

I lost my first Act III last Saturday. Came in 51st out of 152. But I decided to play another Act II, and did quite well in that game to earn yet another entry in an Act III.

I played my second Act III almost flawlessly. There were 164 entrants. I made one big all-in move against another player that joined our table about half-way through the tournament. I had a stack of about $25K chips, and he had me covered. Blinds were 1000/2000 with an 200 ante. I limped in UTG with AsKs, another guy limped too, and he raised to $8000. Action folded around to me, so I smooth called, and the other guy folded.

The flop came Qs7d3s. He looked worried, so I decided to check, with the intent that I would come over the top of him if he showed weakness. He laid out another $8,000, so I thought he might have had a small pair (below a Queen), or he was trying to milk me with an overpair. In any event, I proceeded with my plan, and shoved all-in. He insta-called me and flipped over aces.

The turn came spade, making me a chip monster, and virtually wiping the poor guy out.

I won a few hands along the way, and had a $60K stack when we got down to two tables. Then I started to bleed chips, as others were going all-in almost every hand, and the blinds and antes went up fast. I had about $32K in chips, when we approached the bubble. 18 players left, 16 places win the $10,000 seats, and two of them had much smaller stacks that I did. I did not get any cards up until that point, and made one steal with garbage. I needed to pick a spot to steal again, but couldn't with all the action on the table -- I just never got the opportunity.

The two other shorter stacks went all-in on the next two hands. One busted, but the other quadrupled up. Now, I'm the short stack with $29K, the blinds of $6000/12,000 with $1000 ante were approaching, and I still wasn't getting cards. Plus, savvy players were limping in, hoping to catch me and knock me out.

The blinds passed through my stack, and I would have had to call PF raises all-in with crappy cards, so I folded. My stack was now devastated, down to a big blind or less. I anted off two more hands, and had $9K in chips, then realized I was going out on the bubble, and there was nothing I could do about it. The others behind me would just limp in to call. I couldn't beat that many hands unless I got lucky. I looked at my cards, AsTc. Then someone tried to broker a deal. I could accept $100 from each of the remaining players, and give up.

But I didn't do it. I announced to the 16 other remaining players that I came to play for a seat, not for their charity, and tossed my $9K in chips into the pot.

Needless to say, everyone behind me called. The board came out J8J28. I had hope, but one of the players had a jack.

However, I did win a $1100 ticket to play in the Act III yet again. But I couldn't do it, because I had to work. So I called the Tournament Director the next day to ask for a check instead, and he said no. But he did say that they would credit my winning toward an entry in the Final Act, which was played yesterday, and today at 6 p.m.

I'm taking the Port Jeff Ferry across the sound at 1:30. Wish me luck....

G-Man

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:52:00 +0000

The last two Saturdays, I've been making a run up to Foxwoods to play in some satellite games for a seat in the World Poker Finals in November. It costs $10K to enter directly, which is way above my price range. Besides, if I can't win the satellite, I don't deserve to be in the main tournament.

The Saturday before last, I played three tournaments, and busted out in every single one of them. I came in 12th out of 57 in the $150 multitable event -- six got seats. The bubble got $43, so I'm actually glad I didn't bust out then.

But I won last Saturday. First, I played in the $150 super satellite again, and didn't catch a hand until blinds were 100/200, and I picked up AQ. The guy in the small blind re-raised all in after I raised for about half my stack, so I called. I was up against KK, and couldn't catch an ace. I ended up crippled, and then waited three more hands until the antes kicked in and I reached the big blind, then went allin with motown J5, got protected by a 77, caught a jack, but he flopped a set.

So I bought into another Act 2, figuring this would be my last game, except for maybe a few Act 1 satellites. Well, there was this old man across the table who was extremely aggressive. My ability to read people was really on time. Eventually, I became short stacked, and raise in late position with AJ for about half my stack. He called in the small blind, calling station that he was (and boy did he get lucky catching cards against people). Anyway, flop was Q rag rag, so I figured I could either push or go, but instead, I checked to see what he would do. He made his standard 1200 chip bet. I knew he had an ace, but I figured he didn't pair, and perhaps I had him dominated, so I shoved for my remaining 1500, and he of course called, then flipped over Ace three (with no threes on the board). I turned a jack and doubled up against him.

Very next hand, I catch AA, and with his doubling of me, I was healthy, so I put in a 3X raise to 1200. He called, and all others folded. Great, I'm thinking, now to play this right. Flop came King rag-rag rainbow, and since I was first to act (him on the button now), I checked, and he bet 1200. I think for a while, see no danger on the board, so I smooth call. Turn is a blank also, but now two clubs. So I check, counting precisely on his aggression. He again bets 1200. I had 3000 left, so I raised him allin. He thinks for a good long while, then folds. I never showed the rockets.

After that, people got desperate because the blinds were so high, and I either had drawing hands with tons of outs (like 14 in one instance for the nut flush, which I caught), or had them beat, so I called every instance and mowed down three of them. Now, I'm the massive chipleader. After it got down to three, and the bubble was yet to pop, I started shoving people around. I bluffed one hand (the only one in the game) for like 4000 chips (about 1/3 of my stack) against the middle stack, and he folded. I stole about three orbits of blinds. I really put the heat on them. Then the guy who was short proposed we all chip in $80 for the loser to rebuy into Act 2. I thought it was a bad proposition for me, since I had most of the chips, and figured I could let the other two beat each other, but then I acquiesced, because it could have been a long, pitched battle. Sure enough, the next hand I catch 99 on the button, so I raise, and the dude in the SB goes allin for like 800 more than my 3.5X raise. I instacalled, he had A8, and my nines held. I won a $1100 entry into the final satellite game for a $10000 seat in the WPT Foxwoods Poker Finals.

There were virtually no entrants for Act 3, so I figured I have to go back next weekend, or the following weekend for Act 3. Wish me luck.

After I took that down, Jawbitch told me she was taking the kids into the city to see a show, so I might as well stay and play. So I did. I took down another $500 in the cash games. Not bad for a day's work!

See You In Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:33:00 +0000

Jawbitch went to Seattle for her national OMFS meeting. She sent me a picture on a ferry ride. Notice the space needle in the background:

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a self-portrait. Nice work, my lady!

My worst day of poker, ever

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:49:00 +0000

Click the title link, then watch the last or key hand of each of these games, or watch here:

Max Takes a Bubble Bath

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:32:00 +0000

I think he left the jets in the tub on too long.

His Name is True

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:22:00 +0000

I knew this guy was not a good player, because he wet an unopened side pot after the flop in a hand against me in the BB and the SB all in (same config shown here). I decided to exact revenge, but boy was my timing off.

Pre-flop, I raise 6X thinking he's got ace baby, and I don't want him to call. Then he re-raises me after his UTG limp. I go all-in and am psyched because I have him dominated. At the flop, I fret that I'm going to be the one who catches the set of Kings, making him broadway. But he does so on the turn, and I'm elated -- until the river one-outer.

They Just Keep Messing with Me

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:42:00 +0000

After two totally dissatisfying sucked-out $11 tourney, I decide to play one more. Thirsting for victory, I find five way action, and me on the short stack yet again. After a steal, I reach UTG with QsJc, so I raise 3X BB. All fold except the BB. Flop comes Jh4h7h, and BB checks. I got a little more than pot, and so I go allin. He calls, flips over the 8h3h. I go to bed.

Don't Mess With G-Man

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:28:00 +0000

I had enough of this guy's stuff in our heads-up battle, so I decide to trap him and limp in on the button with AA at 300/600. He checks, then goes all-in on the flop. I got 2950 left and, as I said, I'm tired of him, so I call. Watch what happens:

The quality of Blogger video is just as bad as YouTube. He has 6s9s and catches the flush on the turn. Unfortunately for him, the third queen rivers him.

Buy My Box

noreply@blogger.com (G-man) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:08:00 +0000

Check out my latest offering -- after four years, we're back in business, just click the title link.