Francase Place

How to celebrate properly

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:46:13 PST

For a while now, we've been trying to figure out a good way to celebrate Sammie's birthday, since it falls right in the glut of a bunch of other holidays and important days.

We've been trying to figure out how to balance the actual birthday with visiting family, taking time off work if we went to see family, doing something special, and so on.

I'd also thought about going to see family since they are, as usual, in crappy state health-wise and we don't know how many more visits there might be with those relatives.

So, we went ahead and finally made plans for the birthday.

We'll head to Arizona to see my father, who has had more health problems (different than the stage 4 lung cancer which somehow decided to up and quite and still in remission).

While there, we will also see my uncle and my cousin's family for a nice holiday get-together.

The next day, we will go ahead and celebrate Sammie's birthday.

OK, probably not clear enough...

All right, fine, I'll make it easier to understand.

No, we are not having a birthday party at Pure, Sapphire, or Rehab. But, we will all drive up, and take the kids to a few places, including the Secret Garden/Dolphin Habitat and other fun kid things to be determined, then begin heading back east.

We don't plan on staying long, but enough that the kids, their grandpa, and hopefully we will all have a good time without having to worry about any unexpected craziness. It's been a crazy and topsy-turvy few weeks, and we almost decided not to go out West.

Even though we won't be able to do some of the things we'd hoped, it will still be good for the kids to see some more evidence that yes, I do have relatives, and yes, this is where you got your silliness and craziness from, and yes, this is what you have to look forward to.

Hah.

Legendary conversations extended

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:06:54 PST

H/t sciforums.com because, well, because I can.

Darth Vader: Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Darth Vader: No … I am your father!

Luke: No. It can’t be. That’s not true. That’s impossible!

Darth Vader: Search your feelings, you know them to be true.

Luke: NOOOOOO!

Darth Vader: Yes, it is true… and you know what else? You know that brass droid of yours?

Luke: Threepio?

Darth Vader: Yes… Threepio… I built him… when I was 7 years old.

Luke: NOOOOO! … Wait, huh?

Darth Vader: Seven years old. And what have you done? Look at yourself. No hand. No job. And you couldn’t even levitate your own ship out of the swamp…

Luke: But… I destroyed your precious Death Star!

Darth Vader: But that was when you were 20! When I was 10, I single-handedly destroyed an entire Trade Federation Droid Control ship!

Luke: Well, it’s not my fault…

Darth Vader: Oh, here we go… “Poor me… my father never gave me what I wanted for my birthday… boo hoo, my daddy’s the Dark Lord of the Sith… Nobody loved me… waahhh wahhh!”
Luke: Shut up!

Darth Vader: You’re a slacker! By the time I was your age, I had already exterminated the Jedi Knights!

Luke: I used to race my T-16 through Beggar’s Canyon.

Darth Vader: Oh, for the love of the Emperor… 10 years old, winner of the Boonta Eve Open… the only human to ever fly a Pod Racer… right here baby!

Luke looks down the shaft. Takes a step towards it.

Darth Vader: I was wrong… You’re not my kid… I don’t know whose you are, but you sure ain’t mine.

Luke takes a step off the platform, hesitates, then plunges down the shaft. Darth Vader looks down after him.

Darth Vader: And get a haircut!

Ga-Ga meets Bruce Dickinson

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:00:02 PST

Yes, THE Bruce Dickinson.

H/T The Culture Spoke.

So Close

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:37:25 PST

Went out 2nd among our little group in our last longer bet.

Unfortunately, 2nd pays nothing.

On the bright side, I finished 5,691st, and 7,500 paid, for a profit of $7.50.

I had a set of eights, was called by 10-10, who then hit his two-outer on the turn.

Boo.

Las Longer - FTOPS Warm-Up

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:51:17 PDT

There is a Warm-Up tourney tomorrow at 3:15 EST which is expected to have 50,000 entrants.

Several of us are gong to do a last-longer bet.

Want in? Follow the link below. $5 from each loser to me...er, the winner...which will be me.

Click here.

--------------------------------

The FTOPS XIV Warm Up
Turn a small buy-in into serious cash and win your seat to the FTOPS XIV Main Event with The FTOPS XIV Warm Up.

There is $250,000 in guaranteed prize money up for grabs starting at 15:05 ET on Sunday, November 1st. As an added bonus, the winner will receive a free $535 entry to the FTOPS XIV Main Event.

Buy in directly for $5 + $0.50 or satellite your way in for as little as $0.50 or 50 Full Tilt Points. This tournament is limited to 50,000 players, so grab your seat as fast as you can.

To register for The FTOPS XIV Warm Up

1.Log in to Full Tilt Poker.
2.Set the filters in the browse area to Tournaments, then select FTOPS, Hold ‘em, No-Limit and click Low.
3.Look for the FTOPS XIV Warm Up tournament on November 1st at 15:05 ET.
4.Click Register Now.

Not the End of the World

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:29:25 PDT

Some people have compared the Yankees-Phillies World Series as a worst-case scenario, a woeful end to the season, and an ugly pairing of Goliaths.

I won't name names or anything.

I'll be honest and say that baseball has been mostly off my radar the last few weeks. The Braves choked in the final week in going for the wild card, and since then my attention has been on football and only football.

But this series actually interests me.

I'm looking forward to seeing the two best teams in baseball, and clearly the best team from each league, battle it out in a heavyweight fight. The past several World Series have featured one or even both teams with little appeal to the whole country (2005), or a foregone conclusion (2004, 2006) , or a plucky team whose fans barely support it (2008), or a team that just got hot at the right time but was severely outclassed (2007).

There, now that I've pissed off readers in every time zone, let's look at each series.

2008: While the Phillies generated a lot of interest, the Rays were an out-of-nowhere team than was miserable for its first ten seasons before catching lightning in a bottle - and even then it took most of the season before people actually started going to the games, and most people thought going into the Series that the Phillies would finish it quickly - which they did.

2007: Red Sox sweep the Rockies who pretty much went on a sizzling tear to capture a weak western division and somehow get to the Series before getting trounced by Boston in a sweep.

2006: Cardinals! Tigers! Egads. Both with devoted local followings, but the Cards were almost a lock to beat an in-over-its-head Tigers team that fell back to mediocrity as quickly as it had risen up from a 119-loss season, as they missed the playoffs in 2007. This was probably the first year I felt guilty about not watching every game - or even more than one game.

2005: The White Sox were notable for breaking the Black Sox curse, which would have probably gotten more play if they were not following the Red Sox. Besides, the other Chicago team has the national following. The Astros had the worst record of any playoff team, and as the wild card was another team that just got hot at the right time but was in way over its head.

2004: This was an exciting postseason, yes, but does anyone think the Cardinals had a chance after the Red Sox came back from 3-0 in the LCS? I don't know anyone who game them a chance. I still watched every game, but you knew how the Series would go.

The last series with this sort of excitement was probably the 2003 series between the Marlins and...the Yankees. Yes, the Marlins had the worst record of any playoff team, but with 91 wins still can lay claim to belonging - and this series may have been another crucial point in finally bringing a halfway decent stadium to Miami. Unlike 1997, they did not gut the team, and eventually plans finally went through to build a new stadium (which is still one year away).

This year, though, the two teams featured are far and away the best in each league. Neither one snuck into the playoffs. Neither one waned at the end of the year. Neither one let up in the playoffs, with each cruising to easy victories.

I'm looking forward to it. I actually plan on watching the games this year, which I don't think I've done much of since...2003, actually.

As for who I am rooting for...well, it'll be tricky to explain to the kids. I used to live in New York and was a huge Yankees fan, but being here combined with the way the Yankees were going (bringing in cancers like Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, etc.) made me turn on them entirely. I did make sure to take the kids to the old Yankee Stadium before it was turned down, but that was more for the stadium than to root on the Yankees.

I don't begrudge the Phillies much, and frankly I'd rather root for the team that beat the Braves and isn't completely full of steroid/HGH users.

Even though I think the Yankees will win (mostly due to the bullpen), I'd much prefer a Phillies repeat. If nothing else, it will shut them up about Donovan McNabb's piss-poor play lately.

Not Luck of the Irish.

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:03:00 PDT

DON'T MESS WITH ME.

All kidding aside, Andy Bloch is one of my favorite players.

However, I have no problem taking his or anybody else's money. Just because you've been on TV a bit doesn't mean I won't know what you're doing.

Full Tilt Poker Game #15477681092: Table Andy Bloch - $1/$2 - Limit Hold'em - 0:52:01 ET - 2009/10/21
Seat 1: Stoges5 ($21.65)
Seat 2: APOSEC72 ($63.20)
Seat 3: undeadmoney ($101.10)
Seat 4: Andy Bloch ($108.45)
Seat 5: staniv ($26.45)
Seat 6: dtowndestroyer ($13.85)
Seat 7: sc00ter80 ($46.95)
Seat 8: MunkeyPoker ($21.80)
undeadmoney posts the small blind of $0.50
Andy Bloch posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to APOSEC72 [Qs Kh]
staniv folds
dtowndestroyer folds
sc00ter80 folds
MunkeyPoker folds
Stoges5 raises to $2
APOSEC72 calls $2
undeadmoney calls $1.50
Andy Bloch calls $1
*** FLOP *** [5d Qd Jh]
undeadmoney checks
Andy Bloch checks
Stoges5 checks
APOSEC72 bets $1
undeadmoney folds
Andy Bloch raises to $2
Stoges5 folds
APOSEC72 calls $1
*** TURN *** [5d Qd Jh] [8s]
Andy Bloch bets $2
APOSEC72 calls $2
*** RIVER *** [5d Qd Jh 8s] [2s]
Andy Bloch bets $2
APOSEC72 calls $2
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Andy Bloch shows [Qc Ts] a pair of Queens
APOSEC72 shows [Qs Kh] a pair of Queens
APOSEC72 wins the pot ($19) with a pair of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20 Rake $1
Board: [5d Qd Jh 8s 2s]
Seat 1: Stoges5 folded on the Flop
Seat 2: APOSEC72 (button) showed [Qs Kh] and won ($19) with a pair of Queens
Seat 3: undeadmoney (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: Andy Bloch (big blind) showed [Qc Ts] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 5: staniv didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: dtowndestroyer didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: sc00ter80 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: MunkeyPoker didn't bet (folded)

Oh, THIS is why i don't play more...

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:23:55 PDT

In Daily Double - A tonight, with above average stacks in both tourneys.

*Sigh*

KK in BB for me, average stack
AA in UTG + 1 for short stack
QQ on button for big stack.

Fade the Q.

The Aces were a short stack, so if I fade the queen I chip up by about 40%.

Two-outer on turn.

Dealer: Hand #15279036656
Dealer: APOSEC72 shows
Dealer: Smelleh89 shows
Dealer: Weakette shows
Dealer: APOSEC72 shows two pair, Kings and Nines
Dealer: Weakette shows a full house, Queens full of Nines
Dealer: Weakette wins the side pot (4,690) with a full house, Queens full of Nines
Dealer: Smelleh89 shows two pair, Aces and Nines
Dealer: Weakette wins the main pot (6,050) with a full house, Queens full of Nines

Happy Chinchilla Day

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:32:38 PDT

I am so using this in the office.

H/t to the wife who does not have a blog, hence no link.

Cussing at Work

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:33:00 PDT

Stealing this from a friend because it is:

1) funny;
2) indicative of half the things I actually say in the office on a daily basis.

--------
Cussing at Work

Dear Employees:

It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals throughout the company have been using foul language during the course of normal conversation with their co-workers.

Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily offended, this type of language will no longer be tolerated.

We do, however, realize the critical importance of being able to accurately express your feelings when communicating with co-workers.

Therefore,a list of 18 New and Innovative 'TRY SAYING' phrases have been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can continue in an effective manner.

Number 1
TRY SAYING: I think you could use more training.
INSTEAD OF: You don't know what the f___ you're doing.

Number 2
TRY SAYING: She's an aggressive go-getter.
INSTEAD OF: She's a f___ing bit__.

Number 3
TRY SAYING: Perhaps I can work late.
INSTEAD OF: And when the f___ do you expect me to do this?

Number 4
TRY SAYING: I'm certain that isn't feasible.
INSTEAD OF: No f___ing way.

Number 5
TRY SAYING: Really?
INSTEAD OF: You've got to be sh___ing me!

Number 6
TRY SAYING: Perhaps you should check with...
INSTEAD OF: Tell someone who gives a sh__.

Number 7
TRY SAYING: I wasn't involved in the project.
INSTEAD OF: It's not my f___ing problem.

Number 8
TRY SAYING: That's interesting.
INSTEAD OF: What the f___?

Number 9
TRY SAYING: I'm not sure this can be implemented.
INSTEAD OF: This sh__ won't work.

Number 10
TRY SAYING: I'll try to schedule that.
INSTEAD OF: Why the f___ didn't you tell me sooner?

Number 11
TRY SAYING: He's not familiar with the issues...
INSTEAD OF: He's got his head up his a__.

Number 12
TRY SAYING: Excuse me, sir?
INSTEAD OF: Eat sh__ and die.

Number 13
TRY SAYING: So you weren't happy with it?
INSTEAD OF: Kiss my a__.

Number 14
TRY SAYING: I'm a bit overloaded at the moment.
INSTEAD OF: F__ it, I'm on salary.

Number 15
TRY SAYING: I don't think you understand.
INSTEAD OF: Shove it up your a__.

Number 16
TRY SAYING: I love a challenge.
INSTEAD OF: This f___ing job sucks.

Number 17
TRY SAYING: You want me to take care of that?
INSTEAD OF: Who the f___ died and made you boss?

Number 18
TRY SAYING: He's somewhat insensitive.
INSTEAD OF: He's a pr_ck.

Thank You,
Human Resources

Transfer needed

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:41:36 PDT

I may need, in the next couple of days (and perhaps sooner), to do a PayPal for Full Tilt transfer.

The good news: I've been able to triple my meager bankroll into something where I can actually play a bit.

However, I'm needing to pull some off for unexpected items, and don't have the time to wait 2-3 weeks given that it is still pretty small potatoes - only about $100 for now.

Considering my balance a week ago was at $1.85, that's pretty impressive. It actually is now between 150 and 200, after the $50 Take 2 bonus and some decent sessions at cash tables. I'm looking to leave about $50 and take the rest out.

So, if you are looking to gain some Full Tilt $ in exchange for transferring via PayPal, I would appreciate it.

Hit me up in the comments, or at aposec72 AT gmail.

A Brief History of Internet Time

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:39:43 PDT

H/T Julius Goat.

Easiest Bonus Ever

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:04:46 PDT

I started the month with $0.40.

I ended the month with $1.85.

Bonus won: $50.00. I think the highest I ever got, with limited play, was $5.

Easiest...clearing...ever. Thanks for the freebie.

Props to Cox after all

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:40:02 PDT

I've written a whole lot this year about how I expected 90 losses.

I've written about expecting a bottoming out and that the team should be blown up.

I've written it's time to start the rebuilding effort and time for old stalwarts (and managers) to go.

Time to write it....

I was wrong.

The Braves won their 82nd game Wednesday night, clinching a winning season due to a three-game sweep of the hapless, actual 90-loss Mets (well, 88 at the moment, but I don't think they're winning 9 of 11 to end the year and avoid 90 losses). I would have written this during the day yesterday, but got caught up and, well, stuff happens.

So, it's time for to admit that I was absolutely, completely wrong in my assessment. Not just a little wrong, but completely wrong in the preseason prediction of powerlessness.

As it stands now, the Braves sit 3.5 games out of the wild card, having jumped over Florida and San Francisco and trailing only Colorado.

I had thought, after two crushing defeats to the Marlins a couple weeks ago and the following five-game slide, that there was no chance at postseason play.

Apparently, the Braves players did not agree, having now won eight of their last ten.

It is possible that the Braves squeak into the postseason. Their remaining schedule has three games in Washington, three games at home against Florida, and four more at home against Washington.

They should win the series in Washington and may even sweep, since they do a lot better on the road and the Nationals are even more atrocious than the Mets.

I'm not sure if they will pull it off at home - especially in front of a fan base as quiet as a Sunday picnic - but the fact that they are still in it after tons of injuries and many, many rookies means I actually have to give Bobby Cox credit for a well-done job.

That sentence still makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Tickets are probably still available - I might just pick up a couple.

We'll see what happens - but at least it's become a close race to enjoy instead of mind-numbing defeat night after night - but again, enough about the Mets.

What's a cubit?

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:55:25 PDT

Wow, original content!

And so it was that the waters engulfed Atlanta for ten days and ten nights, and Michael rode the flood out with son and daughter and fish and computer.

Upon the eleventh day, Michael awoke to see the sun shining overhead and the waters receded.

Then the LORD spake to Michael "Cometh out of thine ark, made of brick and wood and stucco, and see all that I have given to you. This lawn shall be yours to make of it, and I shine the sun in the heavens as a sign to you that the waters have receded.

"For about two hours.

"Now, go forth, and mow thine grass so that it doth not grow so high from the mighty floodgates of heaven."

And Michael obeyed the LORD and did what he was told, for he knew the work must be done. With his mighty faith in the RAS connection which would allow him to work from home, he set out to fulfill the LORD's work.

And the LORD smiled upon him when the grass was cut, and spared him from the mighty plague of hay fever.

Not enough, however, to build the reservoir to hold all the rain. That would be foolish.

So let it be written...so let it be done.

Stand by for smiting in 3....2.....1......

(Bonus points for anyone who gets the title reference and the comedian who used it)

Truckin' Pimpin'

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:12:03 PDT

Read, enjoy, subscribe yourself. I'm taking off for the weekend. Peace.

----------

Truckin' -- http://mcgtruckin.blogspot.com

September 2009, Vol. 8, Issue 9
Welcome back to the September issue of Truckin'.

1. Tangerine Rockets by Paul McGuire
Lennie was an international legend. His father walked away from a plane crash and passed along some of those good luck genes over to Lennie.... More

2. The Red Pill by Sigge S. Amdal
She dropped the face and began to cry, as tensions rose around me. The waiters stopped waiting tables, people stopped talking; they were just exchanging knowing glances and judgmental comments... More

3. Fine Tuning by Milton T. Burton
He looked perplexed. I slipped my hand beneath my coat, came out with the little silenced .22 Magnum auto, and shot him right in the center of the forehead. The hollow-point bullet exited the back of his skull, making a colorful little jet of blood and brains as it went... More

4. On Scoring by Human Head
One look at the eyeliner, eyebrows, gold hoops and herringbone chains, and I knew this was the Angel we were supposed to see. As she drew closer to the door, the tattoo's left little doubt. She didn't say anything. She just looked at me... More

5. The Joys of Gambling by Johnny Hughes
Saratoga Springs, New York in August was the gambling capital of America in the 1920s, with the horses, the spa waters, large and ornate casinos, and America's wealthiest citizens in a gilded age, when money and wine were treated like water... More

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been...
From the Editor's Laptop:

The September edition of Truckin' marks the return of the Human Head after a four year hiatus. I'm enthralled to have him back in the mix. Everyone's favorite Norwegian word wanker, Sigge, returns for a second month in a row. We also have a couple of Texan scribes in Johnny Hughes and Milton T. Burton. And of course, I have a story inspired by a recent trip to Colorado.

Thanks for telling your friends about Truckin'. May you will increase your karma ten fold! The contibutors here write for free and you'll be doing me a huge favor by helping get the some publicity.

If anyone is interested in being added to the mailing list, or perhaps you are interested in writing for a future issue, then feel free to contact me.

I have to sincerely thank the writers for sharing their bloodwork. Thanks for taking this leap of faith with me. And a special thanks goes out to you, the reader, for your loyalty and support over the years.

--------------

Allez Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:25:00 PDT

I went to a cooking club event on Sunday, and decided to make several dishes after going shopping for the rest of the family and for the club gathering. So, let's report the details a bit differently...

Apologies for crappy pictures - I took them with my phone, so they didn't come out too good.

------------

台所競技場の今日の戦いのための主題はコショウである。鉄のシェフは私達の裁判官のために3枚の皿を準備した。私達の皿がいかになったか見直そう。

(No? Ok, back to English.)

The theme for today's battle in Kitchen Stadium is peppers. The Iron Chef has prepared three dishes for our judges - let's review how our dishes turned out.

The first dish prepared is a plate habanero/pineapple wings.

I combined habanero peppers, serrano peppers, cayenne pepper, and fresh garlic with balsamic vinegar, molasses, and pineapple juice. It allows for a nice, smooth, sweet taste at first which eventually gives way to the spice of the peppers, but is not too overwhelming. I didn't want anyone to be breathing fire, and wanted the taste of the peppers to really come through with the dish.

The second dish prepared by the Iron Chef is italian stuffed peppers with pancetta.

I took fresh pancetta and cooked it with finely chopped onion. I then combined this with freshly sliced chopped provolone, ricotta, and parmesan cheese, and added fresh green peas to the mix. I used this mix with some red bell peppers to really bring out some color and, well, you can't go wrong when adding bacon (which is essentially what pancetta is.)

The third and final dish prepared is a traditional common French dish,
ratatouille.

The kids found it funny when I removed the eggplant from the bag of groceries, as they had never had it before. It's traditionally a stewed dish, very common and not requiring many exotic ingredients. After the kids "helped" me chop the eggplant and season it with salt and spices, I added fresh garlic, basil, parsley, carmelized white onions, yellow and orange bell peppers, zucchini, and diced tomatoes while cooking it up with some wine and black pepper. I served it with rice and the kids definitely seemed to enjoy eating it.

Thank you, Iron Chef, We judge these dishes to be quite good, and tasty. But
could you explain your presentation to us?

Well, I had to drive for 40 minutes to bring the dishes. These exotic plating devices are called "aluminum foil" and "tupperware".

ありがとう。(Thank you.)

Get your degeneracy on

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:21:14 PDT

I'm just doing a straight re-post on this from Dr. Pauly, but some folks here who enjoy gambling (check) and fantasy football (check) might be interested.

Sundays with Dr. Pauly returns next Sunday on Fantasy Sports Live.

FantasySportsLive.com is proud to announce our annual Sunday's With Dr. Pauly promotion with $750 in free bonus cash added. Compete at fantasy football against one of the top gaming bloggers in the country, Dr. Pauly, and earn some free cash for your efforts. Last year Dr. Pauly had a rough time and it was pretty easy to get bonus cash with about 25 different winners. This year we expect him to snap back, and make it a bit more profitable for those out there who can consistently beat his score. Simply enter weekly $11 fantasy football leagues named "Sundays w/Dr Pauly" and compete for all of the free bonus cash shown below in addition to our normal 91% and higher cash prize payouts.

$500 in Free Bonus Cash Available to all FSL Users

1) Beat Dr. Pauly's fantasy football score for three straight weeks at any point in weeks 1-15 and gain entry into a season ending tournament of champions in week 16. $125 in bonus cash will be added to the TOC and anyone who beats Dr. Pauly's score in the TOC will get a prorated share based on the number of points above Dr. Pauly's score.

2) Win a 5 week mini-series (W1-W5, W6-W10, W11-W15) and get $25 in bonus cash and entry into the Super TOC with $125 in bonus cash added. Highest cumulative fantasy points over any 5 week series gets the immediate $25 bonus and entry into the Super TOC with Dr. Pauly (automatic entry). $125 in bonus cash will be added to the 4 player Super TOC and anyone who beats Dr. Pauly's score in the TOC will get a prorated share based on the number of points above Dr. Pauly's score.

3) Score a top three highest individual fantasy football score at any point in the series and win free bonus cash. The top three scores will earn a free bonus of $100/$50/$25.

$250 in Bonus Cash Available to FSL Users with a Sports or Gaming Blog for 1 Year

Eligible bloggers can compete for all of the prizes shown above and are also eligible for the for $250 in additional bonus cash.

1) Score a top three highest blogger individual fantasy football score at any point in the series and win free bonus cash. The top three scores will earn a free bonus of $75/$50/$25.

2) Gain entry into the Blogger Battle TOC and compete for $100 in added cash with $75 for first place and $25 for second place. Beating Dr. Pauly's score for three straight weeks, having the highest blogger score in a five week series, having the top individual blogger weekly score over the entire series, or ending in the top 5 in blogger points overall for the 15 weeks gets you in the the Blogger Battle TOC.

Bonus Cash Summary

All Users

TOC - $125 Added Cash
Super TOC $125 Added Cash
Highest weekly score $100 Added Cash
2nd highest weekly score $50 Added Cash
3rd highest weekly score $25 Added Cash
Week 1 Series Winner $25 Added Cash
Week 2 Series Winner $25 Added Cash
Week 3 Series Winner $25 Added Cash

$500 in total added cash

Bloggers

Blogger Battle TOC $100 Added Cash
Highest weekly blogger score $75 Added Cash
2nd highest weekly blogger score $50 Added Cash
3rd highest weekly blogger score $25 Added Cash

$250 in total added cash

Results and standings will be updated weekly here at the FSL blog. OK, now that I have explained all this, go out and get yourself some free cash already. .

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:54:48 PDT

With Labor Day comes another football season filled with crushing disappointment and agony for all but a few football fans across the country.

Professionally, I'm looking forward to the Falcons season, and I'm hoping they can at least get to their bye week at 2-1, with their first three games against the Dolphins, Panthers, and at the Patriots. I think they might be able to post another 11-5 season, and most people are expecting more than just a winning season - something which the Falcons have never done in consecutive years.

I haven't gotten too much back into the college game yet, and I'm not expecting much from Georgia this year after the loss of so many key players through the draft - Stafford, Moreno, etc. I'm interested to see what Florida can do but I'm obviously not rooting for them very much.

As we do every year, we have our fantasy league too - and this was an odd year drafting for me. I could have a five-win team or an undefeated team, it is really hard to tell. Hell, you tell me what you think.

My keepers were Anquan Boldin, Michael Turner, and Tomlinson. Here's how it ended up:

QB: Donovan McNabb (Rd. 6, which I chose over Matt Ryan, and might haunt me all year)
Backup: Carson Palmer (Rd. 8)
Backup: Chad Pennington (Round 16)

RB: Tomlinson (Keeper, Round 3)
RB: Michael Turner (Keeper, Round 1)
Backup: Jamal Lewis (Round 9)
Backup: Leon Washington (Round 12)
Backup: Ricky Williams (Round 13)

WR: Anquan Bolden (Keeper, Round 2)
WR: Roy Williams (Round 7)
WR: Wes Welker (Round 4)
Backup: Laverneaus Coles (Round 10)
Backup: Nate Washington (Round 17)

TE: Tony Gonzalez (Round 5, yay, another Falcon)
Backup: Tony Scheffler (Round 18, meh, it was the last pick of the draft)

Defense: New England (Round 11)
Backup: Dallas (Round 15)

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri (Round 14)

It might not be the best team, but it is probably the oldest. If healthy, it could be the best, who knows.

Considering there were two or three other teams that drafted horribly, it could have been worse. At least I have a sporting chance to defend my title.

Oh, and.....GO FALCONS.

Up Close with Vouchers

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:21:15 PDT

As some of you know, my oldest son started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. with this, there have been a lot of information sessions at church about activities related to his class, to the school, and to being involved in the parish more heavily as parents as well as parishioners.

One of the more interesting meetings, which I attended on Tuesday night, was a meeting to learn more about something called the GRACE Scholars Program. In 2008, Georgia passed a law allowing the diversion of tax dollars which would have gone to general purpose activities to specific Student Scholarship Organizations such as Grace Scholars. There have been about 15-20 of these specialized groups set up, and GRACE Scholars is directed at students who are attending and entering Catholic institutions.

It was an interesting presentation. It highlighted how it would help the church with general operations (by freeing up funds for other needs thanks to replacement funds arriving). It highlighted how students would benefit, as more students without the means to pay for Catholic school would be able to attend thanks to such donations.

Lastly (and most importantly for us), it highlighted how donors to the program would benefit, as all contributions made would qualify as charitable contributions. Since these SSO's are set up as non-profit organizations, any contribution to them can be included in itemized deductions on your tax return, thus decreasing your overall tax liability. Furthermore, once the forms are filed with the Department of Revenue, the amount of tax you wish to be redirected away from general coffers will be directed to programs you may care much more about, especially if one of your kids is attending such a school.

It was a very interesting presentation. Georgia is currently one of only a few states which has passed laws that authorize vouchers and a version of school choice available to families who would otherwise not have the resources. Georgia has set aside $50,000,000 of its expected tax revenue to be allotted to these sorts of programs, so hopefully there will be a lot of people who take advantage of this option.

We had about 60-70 people at the presentation Tuesday night, and there were a lot of questions, but it was very well received. Hopefully it means more of a benefit to taxpayers and to parishioners, while also enabling better access to such forms of education for those who may not otherwise be able to access it or afford it.

For me, it's one more reason to be glad to live in Georgia instead of back in the north - even if school starts about three weeks earlier here.

The Real Technical Help Flowchart

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:51:17 PDT

H/T Skidoo.

This method has worked for ages upon ages of tech support and bad service calls.

Can you name the U.S. Presidents?

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:25:44 PDT

Can you name the U.S. Presidents? - sporcle

Shared via AddThis

See if you can beat 1:27.

Time flies when parenting

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:33:11 PDT

At lunch today, we saw a baby that was not quite two months old. She was not able to hold up her head yet, and was still a tiny little thing.

It was quite adorable.

I remember when Alex was that size, and how we would always be constantly holding him in the same way, and how tiny he was then. We even talked about how he (and we) would always fall asleep in the rocker while putting him to sleep or feeding him

Today was his first day of kindergarten at St. Joseph's. No nerves or tears from him while we were there, but instead easgerly meeting new classmates, comparing Spider-Man backpacks, and already making new friends.

Time flies.

I need a map

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:49:23 PDT

It now looks like I won't be returning to New York until middle or late September, when I'll really think I should be back in school.

I was able to get the necessary paperwork to transport my mother's ashes back on a plane. I'm shocked that it took only a couple of weeks to move through the NYC Department of Health. They advertise a response time of eight to twelve weeks, so getting the needed paperwork in only 2-3 weeks seems like a minor miracle.

There's one problem, which I found out late last night...

No one knows where in the house the ashes are. It's still pretty stuffed, and it'll be difficult to find some things throughout the house, so I'll be spending a good couple of days helping to clear out as much of their stuff as I can while trying to find the urn.

I've been a bit tilted since this little revelation, but I think the folks up north finally understand why I've been pushing so hard to get back up there to help with a lot of cleanout.

Some closure would be nice.

Sorry for the rant and (aside from that) the lack of posts - I've just not been feeling it a lot lately, and most things I've been finding have ended up being re-posted on Facebook or shared on Google Reader instead of being re-posted here.

Beyond that, hopefully I can see some friends when I do finally make it to NYC, even if only for a little while.

Vegas Recap III

noreply@blogger.com (APOSEC72) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:32:26 PDT

Click here for part 1 and part 2. I'm combining the rest of the trip into one entry, otherwise I won't finish it until September.

I woke up at the gawdawful Vegas time of 9 AM. I didn't want to oversleep, so I actually set an alarm clock and woke up to it on the first try. As my family can tell you, that never happens.

I strolled over to the Venetian, and registered for the $550 Deep-Stack Extravaganza event around 10:30. Having some time to kill, I grabbed some brunch before the tournament started as I watched the registration line queue further...and further...and further, until it was out into the 100-degree heat.

Turns out the Rio stuck to its guns, and did not re-open registration Saturday morning, so anyone who had been looking to play in the WSOP was left out in the cold. A couple hundred of them came over to the Venetian to register, so instead of an expected field of 550-600, there were 780 people in the field.

I got my card and went to Table 89, Seat 9. My table was about as far off to the edge as possible, so it was a bit more on the quiet side. The others who were playing (a friend from local games here in Atlanta, Hoy, and Chad) were much closer to the middle of the floor, and I'm sure had a much better view of things from their tables.

The first level went very well, as I turned a flush on one hand and rivered a boat on another to quickly jump over 23,000 in chips from the starting stack of 15,000. However, it's generally not a good sign when the good hands hit in Level 1 - because the good hands don't show up in later levels when on display early.

That's exactly what happened here. By the first break at the end of Level 3, I'd slipped back to an average stack, as my table was playing very loose - almost no hands were won pre-flop.

I found out at the break from CK that Chad busted in the first couple of levels, and I found out my friend from here also busted.

I continued to not get many cards in levels 4-6, and even when I tried to steal blinds and antes had no luck pushing anyone off a hand. My stack continued decreasing in relation to the blinds, until just before the second break. With blinds at 300/600 and a 50 ante, I had a stack of about 11000 - a decent enough stack to come back with, still, but less than half of the average. The pushmonkey on my right, in middle position, raises to 2100. I re-pop it to 4500, and the rest of the table folds back aroiund to the push-monkey, who thinks for a few seconds and then decided to move all-in, having me covered.

I call instantly, knowing I am probably way ahead as he likes to play any ace.

I flip up my two black queens to his king-jack offsuit. Yes, JacKing Off, not even a raggy ace. I am way ahead.

The dealer must have played the Mookie previously, because the three-outer hits with a King on the flop.

I manage not to punch the dealer in the face as I gether my things to leave.

I went to cool down at Tao with a nice bowl of noodles. I met up with Matt and another of his friends who was also playing (and had busted).

While we were talking, I saw one of the craziest things I've ever seen in a poker room. One of the chip leaders is involved in a very loud dispute with another player and the dealer, and the floor has come over to investigate the situation. Apparently, another player had mucked his cards, but on top of the chip leader's hand (which was probably pocket aces). After about fifteen minutes of deliberation and review (including consulting the tape for a decision), the floor decided that he had not protected his cards - at which point, he pushed his chips all over the table, onto the floor, and into all the other stacks in one fell swoop before storming off.

Wow.

The dinner break began immediately, as the staff went to the tape again to try to reconstruct the other player's chip stacks and remove the one stack from play - since the dumbass-in-questions was ejected from the tournament.

I managed to shoot the shit outside with Hoy for a little while on the break, before play resumed again. He went on the chop for second-place money, which is far better than what any of us were able to do.

I spent the rest of the night at the cash tables at the Venetian and the Bellagio. I played the mixed game again for a little while, then moved to the Bellagio. Despite going to Vegas numerous times, I had yet to play in the Bellagio's poker room.

I only cashed out up about $10, but I did end up getting to see a whole bunch of players who had already left the Rio. Chau Giang, Barry Greenstein, and Erick Lindgren were playing Chinese Poker in Bobby's Room while Phil Ivey was playing against a couple folks I didn't recognize at the $4,000/$8,000 level. Marcel Luske was in the main poker area at the $30/$60 PLO table.

There may have been other notables there, but none were notable enough for me to recognize.

On Sunday, I got a message from Tuscaloosa Johnny that he and a couple others (including 1QueensUp1) were going to play at Binions in a $150 NLHE event which was starting at 2 PM. I decided that, instead of spending a bunch more on another cab ride (which i was sick of by this point) that I would take the monorail to Sahara and then cab it from there - since I probably wouldn't have another chance to catch the monorail and I'd never done it.

I ended up sharing a cab to Binions with a couple of already-drunk coeds (yes, on Sunday, at 2 PM, but it's Vegas) and making it to Binions just before the end of the first level. This game, unlike the Strip games, was full of mostly locals and regulars.

Nothing much to report from this tournament, as I went out early thanks to being crippled by aces being cracked AGAIN (#5) by A-10 offsuit with a runner-runner straight, and being out shortly thereafter. Meh.

I headed back downtown, got my camera, and walked around to snap a lot of pictures of the touristy stuff and record what shows I could - the kids really liked being able to see the Bellagio fountain show as well as the Mirage volcano show and a few of the couple hundred other pictures I managed to snap (yes, they were all suitable for younger eyes.)

I headed back to the Rio for one last session, which ended pretty quietly for a small loss of about $20. I decided to head back to the IP, pack up, and get ready for my early morning flight cross-country.

Unlike the trip out, we left on time and I made it home around 4 PM - just in time to turn around and be back at work sixteen hours later, after putting in about thirty hours at the poker tables over this trip.

It was time to go back to the grind...for a grand total of three days, before we packed up again and headed north. Since I've finally got pictures off my camera, that'll probably go up over the weekend, along with a photo and video dump from this trip.

So when is the next one?