This will be my last NY post. Fittingly, I have created a new G-Mail account to make the segue into a "real life" professional look, and with it, a new blog. I figure that nothing else will really change, the blog will be the same, but it should be linked to my new e-mail. Plus, it gives me a chance to put an end on this blog. It started while I was sitting filing papers in a real estate agency the summer after Freshman year, so it's a nice ending, I think.
So as my pizza is on its way over, I shall bid this blog and NY adieu.
Peace.
Oh, and follow my future adventures at the more appropriate http://goodbetash.blogspot.com
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Please Note
Jesse: While we're talking about topics that are taboo, can the future be one of them?
Please note that the next person who asks me, "so what are you doing now?" will get slapped in the face, either physically or emotionally.
That is all
Please note that the next person who asks me, "so what are you doing now?" will get slapped in the face, either physically or emotionally.
That is all
Saturday, May 17, 2008
For the record
I know the answers to the previously asked questions. They're really just food for thought.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Switching Gears
Dear Danny,
With my final of three graduations on the horizon tomorrow, it makes me think of this idea I've wanted to expand upon for a few days now. For those of you who aren't ask poker savvy as Feuer or Alex, the concept of which I'm thinking about these days is switching gears. Now this concept is a metaphor within a metaphor within a metaphor. So let me try and go at it simply.
When you play poker, there are different styles that you can chose. You can be aggressive which usually means betting frequently, a lot of bluffing, usually loud at the table. You can be conservative, which is of course, the opposite. Sitting tight, waiting for hands to come to you and not usually bluffing. When you ask some of the poker greats, they say you have to mix up your play. Sometimes you need to be firing away so people know you're willing to bet your chips and sometimes you need to let people try and bluff at you. Knowing when to speed up (become more aggressive) or slow down (play less hands) is known as switching gears. This is a skill that only the real pros have down, and still have trouble with with everyday play. It can be hard to know what the table is dictating, especially in tournament play when guys are coming in and out and you're just trying to survive. It can be even harder online when you have to rely on reads based on betting patterns and feel more than reading an actual player.
I'd like to bring up a hand I talked about briefly a couple weeks ago. It was my 37s vs. AKs, which I won when I hit my flush. I had said I played the hand completely wrong, which I did. But it came at a time when I was in a faster speed. Granted, I still should have folded preflop and misbet every step of the way, but I was in a more aggressive gear and wanted to play it out so people knew I could be reckless, so when I shut down I could induce more bluffs. It just so happened that I hit my flush and he hit his ace and I could profit from it.
So it all has me thinking. What gear am I really in right now? Am I speeding up towards graduation and eventual "real life"? Am I slowing down after a really fast aggressive session? Are my dreams of leaving the country a safe play or are they playing the 37s? Is my grant proposal submission a slow play or a bluff? Is there a play here at all? Maybe because there's no opponent to get a read off of, there is no answer. In "Psychology of Poker", it talks about being able to overcome yourself first and foremost before you can read anyone else. So I guess it's just a matter of using 3rd level reading on myself. 3rd level is the I know he knows I know I can read him...so what does he have?
I will leave you with this thought, or rather, my favorite poker quote --
Whether he likes it or not, a man’s character is stripped at the poker table; if the other players read him better than he does, he has only himself to blame. Unless he is both able and prepared to see himself as others do, flaws and all, he will be a loser in cards, as in life.
-- Anthony Holden
With my final of three graduations on the horizon tomorrow, it makes me think of this idea I've wanted to expand upon for a few days now. For those of you who aren't ask poker savvy as Feuer or Alex, the concept of which I'm thinking about these days is switching gears. Now this concept is a metaphor within a metaphor within a metaphor. So let me try and go at it simply.
When you play poker, there are different styles that you can chose. You can be aggressive which usually means betting frequently, a lot of bluffing, usually loud at the table. You can be conservative, which is of course, the opposite. Sitting tight, waiting for hands to come to you and not usually bluffing. When you ask some of the poker greats, they say you have to mix up your play. Sometimes you need to be firing away so people know you're willing to bet your chips and sometimes you need to let people try and bluff at you. Knowing when to speed up (become more aggressive) or slow down (play less hands) is known as switching gears. This is a skill that only the real pros have down, and still have trouble with with everyday play. It can be hard to know what the table is dictating, especially in tournament play when guys are coming in and out and you're just trying to survive. It can be even harder online when you have to rely on reads based on betting patterns and feel more than reading an actual player.
I'd like to bring up a hand I talked about briefly a couple weeks ago. It was my 37s vs. AKs, which I won when I hit my flush. I had said I played the hand completely wrong, which I did. But it came at a time when I was in a faster speed. Granted, I still should have folded preflop and misbet every step of the way, but I was in a more aggressive gear and wanted to play it out so people knew I could be reckless, so when I shut down I could induce more bluffs. It just so happened that I hit my flush and he hit his ace and I could profit from it.
So it all has me thinking. What gear am I really in right now? Am I speeding up towards graduation and eventual "real life"? Am I slowing down after a really fast aggressive session? Are my dreams of leaving the country a safe play or are they playing the 37s? Is my grant proposal submission a slow play or a bluff? Is there a play here at all? Maybe because there's no opponent to get a read off of, there is no answer. In "Psychology of Poker", it talks about being able to overcome yourself first and foremost before you can read anyone else. So I guess it's just a matter of using 3rd level reading on myself. 3rd level is the I know he knows I know I can read him...so what does he have?
I will leave you with this thought, or rather, my favorite poker quote --
Whether he likes it or not, a man’s character is stripped at the poker table; if the other players read him better than he does, he has only himself to blame. Unless he is both able and prepared to see himself as others do, flaws and all, he will be a loser in cards, as in life.
-- Anthony Holden
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
My Internship Paying Off...Sort of
I was featured, sort of, along with 3 other interns on the Late Night Underground blog yesterday
This is it here.
Check out the blog otherwise too, cause it's cool
This is it here.
Check out the blog otherwise too, cause it's cool
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Sk8er Boy
So I've had this problem the past couple days where the last song I'm listening to before I turn my iPod off has been a, well, bad song. Yesterday was Destiny's Child "Survivor", of course not a bad song per se, but you know what I mean. Catchy, poppy song that was stuck in my head all day. Today was Avril Levine's "Skater Boy."
Why, may you ask, is Sk8er Boy on my iPod? It was added for some reason one night when Sushi was over, I think that explains enough. But today, as terribly catchy as that song is, I decided to think about it a little deeper. Call it boredom. Call it going to an art school for the past 4 years and learning how to over analyze everything to the point of oblivion. Call it...boredom. But now I shall shed some light into the soul of Ms. Levine's hit.
He was a boy, She was a girl, Can I make it any more obvious?
Here we're being set up for a fairy tale, boy meets girl, they fall in love.
He was a punk,
She did ballet,
What more can I say
Alright, we've been introduced to characters now. We start to see the tension between social classes. One can assume that this story takes place in a high school context, or you can take the archatypes and apply them to modern day people we all know. A punk, a rebel, an out cast would contrast against someone proper, a dancer, something considered "right" by societal standards. So what's going to happen?
He wanted her,
She'd never tell, secretly she wanted him as well
But all of her friends,
Stuck up their nose,
They had a problem with his baggy clothes...
The Skater, as we shall call him, had no problem expressing his feelings. As more of a free spirit type, he has little shame and feels no need to hide behind his stereotype. She, the Ballet, on the other hand, lets her friends and society decide her emotions for her. So far we have two interesting characters and a twist. They don't actually get together. Then we get a nice little chorus to remind us of this
He was a skater boy,
She said "see you later boy",
He wasn't good enough for her
She had a pretty face,
But her head was up in space,
She needed to come back down to earth
The chorus is told through her perspective, so we really think that he isn't good enough for her. We're supposed to sympathize with her. She's the one with the pretty face, she's in space and we want her to come back down to Earth. We don't know what happened or will happen to him. Was he crushed by the rejection? Did he give up on life? Did he change his ways to conform to her life style? Let's see.
5 years from now,
She sits at home,
Feeding the baby, she's all alone
Whoa. There's a jump. Ok, first of all we jump 5 years in time. So this can tip us off that we were in high school, or even college before. Let's assume high school. Ballet is at home with a new born child seemingly in either an abandoned father situation or a loveless marriage sort of situation. Either way, we know instantly that she's not happy.
She turns on TV,
Guess who she sees,
Skater boy rockin on MTV
There's our boy. Rocking out on MTV. We can assume from this surprise, then this means a great deal of success to him and to her.
She calls up her friends,
They already know,
And they've all got tickets to see his show
She tags along,
Stands in the crowd,
Looks up at the man that she turned down
Yup, this is a level of success that he reached and she didn't. She's going to see his show. Now the reversal is that she could have had him all for herself, and now she not only has to pay to see him but she has to share him with an entire crowd. Here we also get the play that society isn't always right. The same friends who said he wasn't good enough for her now flocks to see him.
Now, a revised chorus --
He was a skater boy,
She said "see you later boy",
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a super star,
Slammin' on his guitar,
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Here we start to hear a narrator. Avril is calling out Ballet. Almost mocking her, angry at her.
Sorry girl but you missed out,
Well, tough luck that boy's mine now,
Ah, here we go. Avril picked up our hero. So this song that started out as a story book tale is now a song from an angry punk chick calling out her love's ex love. Is Avril angry for any reason? Let's see.
We are more than just good friends,
This is how the story ends
Too bad that you couldn't see,
See the man that boy could be,
There is more than meets the eye,
I see the soul that is inside
Well, so far this is all just Avril professing love and reasserting what was established before. A simple don't judge a book by its cover message, but I think there's more here.
He's just a boy,
And I'm just a girl,
Can I make it any more obvious
We are in love,
Haven't you heard,
How we rock each others world
Now a little book end for structural purposes. She's beating the love over the head a little much, wouldn't you say? Why would she have to overcompensate?
I'm with the skater boy,
I said see you later boy,
I'll be back stage after the show
I'll be at the studio,
Singing the song we wrote,
About a girl you used to know
Here is where we can look for some real interesting insight. Is her line "I said see you later boy" just there to rhyme? Earlier she was singing directly to Ballet, but now she's talking to a boy? I'm going to count out any hermaphroditic implications as this wouldn't be fitting in our analysis. Maybe we took another time jump and Avril has been hit on by a boy at a concert and has told this story to show how much she's in love with Skater.
But the last line is addressed to yet ANOTHER person - Skater himself. "The song we wrote, about a girl YOU used to know." Is it possible that Skater has been thinking back about his first love? Maybe he saw her at the show and he's been thinking about her, so Avril decided to write this song and make sure she's locked in her man. Is it possible that Avril is herself self conscious? Maybe she's worried their love really isn't that strong and needs to try and make herself feel better. Perhaps Avril isn't as well put together as she may seem, perhaps she's insecure.
So there's a little insight into Sk8ter Boy. There is much to learn from this song. We can learn about growing up and staying true to yourself. Just because a girl doesn't like you now doesn't mean she doesn't like you, your soul. You will always be you, no matter what judgements society will make. But success may not ease the pain of love. I don't know about you, but I'm not convinced that Skater is completely over Ballet. I think that the real message here is that you can never really change who you are, as much dress up as you think you've done. I also think the message here is that Avril Levine is a jealous bitch of a girlfriend. But that's just me.
Why, may you ask, is Sk8er Boy on my iPod? It was added for some reason one night when Sushi was over, I think that explains enough. But today, as terribly catchy as that song is, I decided to think about it a little deeper. Call it boredom. Call it going to an art school for the past 4 years and learning how to over analyze everything to the point of oblivion. Call it...boredom. But now I shall shed some light into the soul of Ms. Levine's hit.
He was a boy, She was a girl, Can I make it any more obvious?
Here we're being set up for a fairy tale, boy meets girl, they fall in love.
He was a punk,
She did ballet,
What more can I say
Alright, we've been introduced to characters now. We start to see the tension between social classes. One can assume that this story takes place in a high school context, or you can take the archatypes and apply them to modern day people we all know. A punk, a rebel, an out cast would contrast against someone proper, a dancer, something considered "right" by societal standards. So what's going to happen?
He wanted her,
She'd never tell, secretly she wanted him as well
But all of her friends,
Stuck up their nose,
They had a problem with his baggy clothes...
The Skater, as we shall call him, had no problem expressing his feelings. As more of a free spirit type, he has little shame and feels no need to hide behind his stereotype. She, the Ballet, on the other hand, lets her friends and society decide her emotions for her. So far we have two interesting characters and a twist. They don't actually get together. Then we get a nice little chorus to remind us of this
He was a skater boy,
She said "see you later boy",
He wasn't good enough for her
She had a pretty face,
But her head was up in space,
She needed to come back down to earth
The chorus is told through her perspective, so we really think that he isn't good enough for her. We're supposed to sympathize with her. She's the one with the pretty face, she's in space and we want her to come back down to Earth. We don't know what happened or will happen to him. Was he crushed by the rejection? Did he give up on life? Did he change his ways to conform to her life style? Let's see.
5 years from now,
She sits at home,
Feeding the baby, she's all alone
Whoa. There's a jump. Ok, first of all we jump 5 years in time. So this can tip us off that we were in high school, or even college before. Let's assume high school. Ballet is at home with a new born child seemingly in either an abandoned father situation or a loveless marriage sort of situation. Either way, we know instantly that she's not happy.
She turns on TV,
Guess who she sees,
Skater boy rockin on MTV
There's our boy. Rocking out on MTV. We can assume from this surprise, then this means a great deal of success to him and to her.
She calls up her friends,
They already know,
And they've all got tickets to see his show
She tags along,
Stands in the crowd,
Looks up at the man that she turned down
Yup, this is a level of success that he reached and she didn't. She's going to see his show. Now the reversal is that she could have had him all for herself, and now she not only has to pay to see him but she has to share him with an entire crowd. Here we also get the play that society isn't always right. The same friends who said he wasn't good enough for her now flocks to see him.
Now, a revised chorus --
He was a skater boy,
She said "see you later boy",
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a super star,
Slammin' on his guitar,
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Here we start to hear a narrator. Avril is calling out Ballet. Almost mocking her, angry at her.
Sorry girl but you missed out,
Well, tough luck that boy's mine now,
Ah, here we go. Avril picked up our hero. So this song that started out as a story book tale is now a song from an angry punk chick calling out her love's ex love. Is Avril angry for any reason? Let's see.
We are more than just good friends,
This is how the story ends
Too bad that you couldn't see,
See the man that boy could be,
There is more than meets the eye,
I see the soul that is inside
Well, so far this is all just Avril professing love and reasserting what was established before. A simple don't judge a book by its cover message, but I think there's more here.
He's just a boy,
And I'm just a girl,
Can I make it any more obvious
We are in love,
Haven't you heard,
How we rock each others world
Now a little book end for structural purposes. She's beating the love over the head a little much, wouldn't you say? Why would she have to overcompensate?
I'm with the skater boy,
I said see you later boy,
I'll be back stage after the show
I'll be at the studio,
Singing the song we wrote,
About a girl you used to know
Here is where we can look for some real interesting insight. Is her line "I said see you later boy" just there to rhyme? Earlier she was singing directly to Ballet, but now she's talking to a boy? I'm going to count out any hermaphroditic implications as this wouldn't be fitting in our analysis. Maybe we took another time jump and Avril has been hit on by a boy at a concert and has told this story to show how much she's in love with Skater.
But the last line is addressed to yet ANOTHER person - Skater himself. "The song we wrote, about a girl YOU used to know." Is it possible that Skater has been thinking back about his first love? Maybe he saw her at the show and he's been thinking about her, so Avril decided to write this song and make sure she's locked in her man. Is it possible that Avril is herself self conscious? Maybe she's worried their love really isn't that strong and needs to try and make herself feel better. Perhaps Avril isn't as well put together as she may seem, perhaps she's insecure.
So there's a little insight into Sk8ter Boy. There is much to learn from this song. We can learn about growing up and staying true to yourself. Just because a girl doesn't like you now doesn't mean she doesn't like you, your soul. You will always be you, no matter what judgements society will make. But success may not ease the pain of love. I don't know about you, but I'm not convinced that Skater is completely over Ballet. I think that the real message here is that you can never really change who you are, as much dress up as you think you've done. I also think the message here is that Avril Levine is a jealous bitch of a girlfriend. But that's just me.
Monday, May 05, 2008
It's Better to be Lucky than Good
Today I won a decent pot with 37s vs. AKs. I hit my flush. As discussed with Alex and Danny, it was possibly the most poorly played hand in the history of poker. I literally made the wrong move on every single street. But I won a little money and had some laughs, it was fun.
So I've just finished my final essay...ever. It's a history and a deep look into the horror genre. From Golem to Hostel, I went over every trend in horror and explained them all and even used words like "neurotransmitters." It was fun. If requested, I'll post it on here.
I've also recently decided to write a Great American Novel. I think it's going to have robots.
That's all
Asher
So I've just finished my final essay...ever. It's a history and a deep look into the horror genre. From Golem to Hostel, I went over every trend in horror and explained them all and even used words like "neurotransmitters." It was fun. If requested, I'll post it on here.
I've also recently decided to write a Great American Novel. I think it's going to have robots.
That's all
Asher
Thursday, May 01, 2008
School's Out Forever
I'm never going to a class again. I'm still writing a paper, but I'm never going to school again.
That's all.
Peace.
That's all.
Peace.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Such a Sunny Day for the 24th
Dear Asher,
Here is your horoscope
for Thursday, April 24, 2008:
You're just about the last person who needs to worry about dogmatic ideas, but today you may cling too tightly to some favorite old concept that has just plain worn out is usefulness.
Here is your horoscope
for Thursday, April 24, 2008:
You're just about the last person who needs to worry about dogmatic ideas, but today you may cling too tightly to some favorite old concept that has just plain worn out is usefulness.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Ads I Love
Dear Danny,
So I'm going to steal a segment from Larke and share with you my new favorite commercial :
It's so good for so many reasons. I love sports, I love inspirational soft music over montagey old footage, I love the voiceover, I love that this ad shows who Michael's been talking to, I love Michael saying, "Maybe I destroyed the game. Or maybe, you're just making excuses."
Maybe I led you to believe my game was built on flash, instead of fire
Asher
So I'm going to steal a segment from Larke and share with you my new favorite commercial :
It's so good for so many reasons. I love sports, I love inspirational soft music over montagey old footage, I love the voiceover, I love that this ad shows who Michael's been talking to, I love Michael saying, "Maybe I destroyed the game. Or maybe, you're just making excuses."
Maybe I led you to believe my game was built on flash, instead of fire
Asher
...and Into the Wild
A new post for a new story.
Dear Danny,
A few weeks ago at the beginning of Spring Break I came home and I told my parents that I didn't want to be in NY anymore. Then we talked for a long time about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, etc. I pitched my few ideas and eventually, we got into some good talks about why I want to go somewhere, etc.
Then, as fate would have it, a night later, my Mom had already rented Sean Penn's Into the Wild. For those of you unfamiliar, it's about a 22 year old who literally runs away from society and works his way from California up to Alaska and eventually dies alone in a bus. The movie was interesting for such a variety of reasons.
1) I'm in the same position as this kid, literally, just graduating (or about to) from college. Just on the base level.
2) I had just talked to my parents about doing a variation of what he did, sans the dying alone part.
3) It was an interesting film as a film, one which did some really great things and some things that I think were absolutely terrible. As a film that is
Right after the movie, my Dad turned to me and asked very sincerely, "So does some of this resinate with you?" My immediate answer was, "Some, but I don't want to run away to Alaska"
The more I've thought about it, the more I've talked about it, I don't feel like I'm running away from anything. I don't feel like I'm running from anything, really. I also don't feel like I'm just "taking time off to travel." I know exactly what I want to do, I know exactly who I am when I do it, and I almost feel too comfortable with that. I could so easily get a job with Ed at Technicolor, or find something at NBC, or some other production company. But I know I can do that in a year. 2 years. Guy Niccoluci over at Late Night told me, "You're young, you can get into this whenever you want. I did when I was 30." The last several years all I've thought in my head was that the sooner I start climbing the ladder the better, but I've come to realize that's not only not true but it's not what I need. I want to feel like I've done something, something for something, anyone else. Writing is great, but why can't I do it while I'm in Africa or India? Why can't I help clean up northern India or Costa Rica, or help refugees in Tibet?
Anyway, I've gotten off track. The point is, in Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch realizes that happiness should be shared and that his decision to run away was one of complete selfishness. Something I learned from the film, something everyone should always keep in mind, I think. I recommend this movie for the reasons I mentioned, and it has a great sound track.
I've rambled I think enough for one night. In closing, I wish I had won the WS in vMLB. I'll be sour about that for a while. Too many injuries.
Asher
Dear Danny,
A few weeks ago at the beginning of Spring Break I came home and I told my parents that I didn't want to be in NY anymore. Then we talked for a long time about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, etc. I pitched my few ideas and eventually, we got into some good talks about why I want to go somewhere, etc.
Then, as fate would have it, a night later, my Mom had already rented Sean Penn's Into the Wild. For those of you unfamiliar, it's about a 22 year old who literally runs away from society and works his way from California up to Alaska and eventually dies alone in a bus. The movie was interesting for such a variety of reasons.
1) I'm in the same position as this kid, literally, just graduating (or about to) from college. Just on the base level.
2) I had just talked to my parents about doing a variation of what he did, sans the dying alone part.
3) It was an interesting film as a film, one which did some really great things and some things that I think were absolutely terrible. As a film that is
Right after the movie, my Dad turned to me and asked very sincerely, "So does some of this resinate with you?" My immediate answer was, "Some, but I don't want to run away to Alaska"
The more I've thought about it, the more I've talked about it, I don't feel like I'm running away from anything. I don't feel like I'm running from anything, really. I also don't feel like I'm just "taking time off to travel." I know exactly what I want to do, I know exactly who I am when I do it, and I almost feel too comfortable with that. I could so easily get a job with Ed at Technicolor, or find something at NBC, or some other production company. But I know I can do that in a year. 2 years. Guy Niccoluci over at Late Night told me, "You're young, you can get into this whenever you want. I did when I was 30." The last several years all I've thought in my head was that the sooner I start climbing the ladder the better, but I've come to realize that's not only not true but it's not what I need. I want to feel like I've done something, something for something, anyone else. Writing is great, but why can't I do it while I'm in Africa or India? Why can't I help clean up northern India or Costa Rica, or help refugees in Tibet?
Anyway, I've gotten off track. The point is, in Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch realizes that happiness should be shared and that his decision to run away was one of complete selfishness. Something I learned from the film, something everyone should always keep in mind, I think. I recommend this movie for the reasons I mentioned, and it has a great sound track.
I've rambled I think enough for one night. In closing, I wish I had won the WS in vMLB. I'll be sour about that for a while. Too many injuries.
Asher
If You Stop...
Dear Danny,
So here we go, right.
In the home stretch and the question on everyone's mind for everyone, mostly, not just me is "So what are you doing after you graduate?" Or variations of said question. And I finally have an answer...for the most part. As of now, I know where it's not going to be and where it might be.
Not: NY. I've been in NY for 4 years now and they've been good years. I've learned a lot about myself and I've done plenty of weird and fantastic things. For the record, I bartended, I was a colorist, I work(ed) for a major network TV show, I was almost paid to write a screenplay for a gay fashion designer, I lived in the East Village, West Village and Chinatown, I lived without a home for 5 weeks in the city, I met famous people and some not famous people, I drove in and out of the city and to my count I've had 5,241 bagels.
Needless to say, it's time for me to move on. I don't feel like there's anything left here for me to learn about myself. I also don't feel like I'm really leaving anything behind. There's just nothing left for me here, and if I stay someplace that keeps me stagnant for too long, I lose it. So, it's time to leave. This decision was also easier to come to when I realized I really love the city of NY, so don't worry city, I'll be back.
So where to? LA? Home? Not so much. I don't really want to be around this culture any more. I've been to LA, San Francisco, Oakland, up to Boston, down to Florida. I've been to France, Italy, England, Ireland, Germany...eh. It's all basically the same. When you get right down to it. It's all too familiar for me. If I don't go somewhere challenging, what am I doing.
I'm looking towards different programs, mostly volunteer, in South America (where my parents are leaning) and India (where I'm leaning). Both places offer pretty much what I'm looking for. Something different, something that I can help with. Teaching English or environmental help or well, anything.
Where does this all come from? Why? What would a post be without a poker metaphor. This one might even be readable for the common reader (Larke). So I've been mixing up my play recently between cash games and tournements. Yes, I know Alex, not the best way to go about it. But I've realized something. I'm a much more consistent and overall better tournement player. And yeah Danny, I knew that before, I've known that always. But why? Because there needs to be a purpose to my play. If I sit at a cash game, it becomes much more about the short game because anyone can leave the table at any given moment. The game continues on until, well, you go to sleep or have to leave to return your mom's car by 7:30 AM so she can go to work. the point is, the game has no end point, no purpose. In a tourny, you know it has to end eventually due to the blind level increments. You have to pay attention to every play, every player, every hand. The reads become more important, taking any pot becomes more important, that big bluff can save your life. You know what you're aiming for and you take your shots. There's more of a purpose to it. That's what I feel I've been lacking lately and that's what I'm looking for.
So that's what I'm gonna do. Sign up for a multi table tourny. Out of the US.
Asher
So here we go, right.
In the home stretch and the question on everyone's mind for everyone, mostly, not just me is "So what are you doing after you graduate?" Or variations of said question. And I finally have an answer...for the most part. As of now, I know where it's not going to be and where it might be.
Not: NY. I've been in NY for 4 years now and they've been good years. I've learned a lot about myself and I've done plenty of weird and fantastic things. For the record, I bartended, I was a colorist, I work(ed) for a major network TV show, I was almost paid to write a screenplay for a gay fashion designer, I lived in the East Village, West Village and Chinatown, I lived without a home for 5 weeks in the city, I met famous people and some not famous people, I drove in and out of the city and to my count I've had 5,241 bagels.
Needless to say, it's time for me to move on. I don't feel like there's anything left here for me to learn about myself. I also don't feel like I'm really leaving anything behind. There's just nothing left for me here, and if I stay someplace that keeps me stagnant for too long, I lose it. So, it's time to leave. This decision was also easier to come to when I realized I really love the city of NY, so don't worry city, I'll be back.
So where to? LA? Home? Not so much. I don't really want to be around this culture any more. I've been to LA, San Francisco, Oakland, up to Boston, down to Florida. I've been to France, Italy, England, Ireland, Germany...eh. It's all basically the same. When you get right down to it. It's all too familiar for me. If I don't go somewhere challenging, what am I doing.
I'm looking towards different programs, mostly volunteer, in South America (where my parents are leaning) and India (where I'm leaning). Both places offer pretty much what I'm looking for. Something different, something that I can help with. Teaching English or environmental help or well, anything.
Where does this all come from? Why? What would a post be without a poker metaphor. This one might even be readable for the common reader (Larke). So I've been mixing up my play recently between cash games and tournements. Yes, I know Alex, not the best way to go about it. But I've realized something. I'm a much more consistent and overall better tournement player. And yeah Danny, I knew that before, I've known that always. But why? Because there needs to be a purpose to my play. If I sit at a cash game, it becomes much more about the short game because anyone can leave the table at any given moment. The game continues on until, well, you go to sleep or have to leave to return your mom's car by 7:30 AM so she can go to work. the point is, the game has no end point, no purpose. In a tourny, you know it has to end eventually due to the blind level increments. You have to pay attention to every play, every player, every hand. The reads become more important, taking any pot becomes more important, that big bluff can save your life. You know what you're aiming for and you take your shots. There's more of a purpose to it. That's what I feel I've been lacking lately and that's what I'm looking for.
So that's what I'm gonna do. Sign up for a multi table tourny. Out of the US.
Asher
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tom Fontana
Dear Danny,
I keep teasing a post, and it will come soon, I swear. In the mean time, suffice it to say that Tom Fontana came in and spoke to us today. Normally these speakers are mediocre at best, but Tom actually changed my life, I believe.
That's all for now.
Asher
I keep teasing a post, and it will come soon, I swear. In the mean time, suffice it to say that Tom Fontana came in and spoke to us today. Normally these speakers are mediocre at best, but Tom actually changed my life, I believe.
That's all for now.
Asher
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
New Motto
I have a new motto I want to live my life by. It shall be released with a new long post about the future of my life. Probably. Maybe not. We'll see.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I think this is cool
daer dnany,
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh?
i tihnk ist rlleay itnrsetnig hwo tihs wrkos
wrod
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh?
i tihnk ist rlleay itnrsetnig hwo tihs wrkos
wrod
That Time of Year
Dear Danny,
Here are my next 5 weeks -
Shoot Matt's movie
Organize my movie
Shoot my movie
Rewrite my "Earl" for Thesis
Reweite my "House" for Thesis
Write my 20 page paper about the Horror genre
Graduate
Well, at least I figured out everything else, now it's just time to get it all done.
Ready?
Set?
Here are my next 5 weeks -
Shoot Matt's movie
Organize my movie
Shoot my movie
Rewrite my "Earl" for Thesis
Reweite my "House" for Thesis
Write my 20 page paper about the Horror genre
Graduate
Well, at least I figured out everything else, now it's just time to get it all done.
Ready?
Set?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Learning and Decisions
Dear Danny,
Today I made a life decision and I learned something about myself.
That is all
Asher
Today I made a life decision and I learned something about myself.
That is all
Asher
Saturday, March 29, 2008
And sometimes there's a river 8
Dear Danny,
In poker, the decisions you make are often based on statistics or odds. You know how many cards there are in the deck, how many are exposed and you calculate the odds of a card helping or hurting you coming out. Basic odds are 30% chances of a flush hitting, 7% of an Ace coming out, stuff like that. And you can say the same thing Pre Flop. So AK up against JJ, the Jacks are favored 55% to 45%. You take into account the over cards, the straight and flush possibilities, etc.
So in today's session of poker, I missed every flush draw. I only won one coin flip (the 50/50 ones) and was constantly losing to 3 outers, such as AK vs AQ I lost, KQ vs K10 I lost, that sort of stuff.
A lot of you think I overuse the poker metaphor, but it's never more pertinent in life than in this concept. There are odds, there are assumption we can make, but in the end, they're all just odds. All that matters is what cards hit. It doesn't matter that I was a 93% favorite, the 7% hit and that's that. It stings and it makes you wince, but the sign of a real poker player doesn't let it affect his composure. Have a short pain memory and tack one more up to the mean poker Gods.
Because I'm a firm believer that after every downward spiral, after every slump is a redeeming upswing. As long as you keep fighting and keep making the right moves. And keep on playing.
In poker, the decisions you make are often based on statistics or odds. You know how many cards there are in the deck, how many are exposed and you calculate the odds of a card helping or hurting you coming out. Basic odds are 30% chances of a flush hitting, 7% of an Ace coming out, stuff like that. And you can say the same thing Pre Flop. So AK up against JJ, the Jacks are favored 55% to 45%. You take into account the over cards, the straight and flush possibilities, etc.
So in today's session of poker, I missed every flush draw. I only won one coin flip (the 50/50 ones) and was constantly losing to 3 outers, such as AK vs AQ I lost, KQ vs K10 I lost, that sort of stuff.
A lot of you think I overuse the poker metaphor, but it's never more pertinent in life than in this concept. There are odds, there are assumption we can make, but in the end, they're all just odds. All that matters is what cards hit. It doesn't matter that I was a 93% favorite, the 7% hit and that's that. It stings and it makes you wince, but the sign of a real poker player doesn't let it affect his composure. Have a short pain memory and tack one more up to the mean poker Gods.
Because I'm a firm believer that after every downward spiral, after every slump is a redeeming upswing. As long as you keep fighting and keep making the right moves. And keep on playing.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
"I am Dejesus!"
Dear Danny,
Alex, aka Dejesus, aka Hypotron, has inexplicably changed my life tonight. Almost. To an extent. I can't sleep, so I figure, let's get a blog post out and make Danny happy. So earlier today I posted a very whacky poker hand. Lemme run it down for those of you who can't decipher all that poker jargin listed below.
It was a single table tournement, which means that 3 place in the money. There were 4 of us left, and the blinds were getting high. I had 2700 in chips, 3rd place had 2500 and 4th had around 1000. Look below for the exact amounts. But basically, I'm in the big blind and get AK of hearts. The short stack UTG open pushes for about 1000, then the button, the big stack reraises around 1700. THEN SB, 200 less than me, CALLS so what do I do? I have a short stack push, ok any range of ace or low pair, I can beat that. Then a big stack reraise, so ok he probably has a pair he wants to isolate, I'll go against that 50/50 shot. Then the other guy calls, not pushes, calls, meaning...he also has a pocket pair? Hopefully not Kings, so I repushraiseshove...then both calls. Everything is revealed to - UTG K5, Button 44, SB JJ me AK. So basically, I was right. I guess. I had a 30% chance to win out. Flop comes K45, and the rest is history...I came in second. The set of 4s, 15% chance to win, won out and won 1st. So I came in 2nd. Not bad, right?
So I ask Alex what I should have done. And then the world exploded. He didn't know. Alex by the way is basically a professional poker player. He does this everyday. And it bogged him for a while, and basically, it's such a unique and weird position, no one really knows what to do.
Read about it here - http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthread.php?t=163573
Anyway, the sheer concept of being a part of a hand that's completely mysterious, now that's something weird. It's like I saw a UFO or I went on this amazing trip where I was kidnapped by natives and somehow escaped. Like I was part of something bigger than I was. It might just turn out to be a poker story, and things like this happen every day...but it doesn't feel like that. At least not now. So in the future, this is going to be my AK experience. My big blind Ace King story. Let it be known.
Alex, aka Dejesus, aka Hypotron, has inexplicably changed my life tonight. Almost. To an extent. I can't sleep, so I figure, let's get a blog post out and make Danny happy. So earlier today I posted a very whacky poker hand. Lemme run it down for those of you who can't decipher all that poker jargin listed below.
It was a single table tournement, which means that 3 place in the money. There were 4 of us left, and the blinds were getting high. I had 2700 in chips, 3rd place had 2500 and 4th had around 1000. Look below for the exact amounts. But basically, I'm in the big blind and get AK of hearts. The short stack UTG open pushes for about 1000, then the button, the big stack reraises around 1700. THEN SB, 200 less than me, CALLS so what do I do? I have a short stack push, ok any range of ace or low pair, I can beat that. Then a big stack reraise, so ok he probably has a pair he wants to isolate, I'll go against that 50/50 shot. Then the other guy calls, not pushes, calls, meaning...he also has a pocket pair? Hopefully not Kings, so I repushraiseshove...then both calls. Everything is revealed to - UTG K5, Button 44, SB JJ me AK. So basically, I was right. I guess. I had a 30% chance to win out. Flop comes K45, and the rest is history...I came in second. The set of 4s, 15% chance to win, won out and won 1st. So I came in 2nd. Not bad, right?
So I ask Alex what I should have done. And then the world exploded. He didn't know. Alex by the way is basically a professional poker player. He does this everyday. And it bogged him for a while, and basically, it's such a unique and weird position, no one really knows what to do.
Read about it here - http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthread.php?t=163573
Anyway, the sheer concept of being a part of a hand that's completely mysterious, now that's something weird. It's like I saw a UFO or I went on this amazing trip where I was kidnapped by natives and somehow escaped. Like I was part of something bigger than I was. It might just turn out to be a poker story, and things like this happen every day...but it doesn't feel like that. At least not now. So in the future, this is going to be my AK experience. My big blind Ace King story. Let it be known.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hand of the week
Full Tilt Poker Game #5783159395: $10 + $1 Sit & Go (44019783), Table 1 - 120/240 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:35:40 ET - 2008/03/25
Seat 1: Serioussnaps (7,280)
Seat 2: Moe Syslak (2,510)
Seat 7: movieman2g (2,740)
Seat 8: shockin (970)
Moe Syslak posts the small blind of 120
movieman2g posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to movieman2g [Ah Kh]
shockin raises to 970, and is all in
Serioussnaps raises to 1,700
Moe Syslak calls 1,580
movieman2g raises to 2,740, and is all in
Serioussnaps calls 1,040
Moe Syslak calls 810, and is all in
movieman2g shows [Ah Kh]
shockin shows [Kd 5d]
Serioussnaps shows [4c 4d]
Moe Syslak shows [Jd Jh]
*** FLOP *** [2s Kc 4h]
*** TURN *** [2s Kc 4h] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [2s Kc 4h 9d] [7c]
movieman2g shows a pair of Kings
Serioussnaps shows three of a kind, Fours
Serioussnaps wins side pot #2 (460) with three of a kind, Fours
Moe Syslak shows a pair of Jacks
Serioussnaps wins side pot #1 (4,620) with three of a kind, Fours
shockin shows a pair of Kings
Serioussnaps wins the main pot (3,880) with three of a kind, Fours
shockin is sitting out
shockin stands up
Moe Syslak stands up
movieman2g stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8,960 Main pot 3,880. Side pot 1 4,620. Side pot 2 460. | Rake 0
Board: [2s Kc 4h 9d 7c]
Seat 1: Serioussnaps (button) showed [4c 4d] and won (8,960) with three of a kind, Fours
Seat 2: Moe Syslak (small blind) showed [Jd Jh] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 7: movieman2g (big blind) showed [Ah Kh] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 8: shockin showed [Kd 5d] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 1: Serioussnaps (7,280)
Seat 2: Moe Syslak (2,510)
Seat 7: movieman2g (2,740)
Seat 8: shockin (970)
Moe Syslak posts the small blind of 120
movieman2g posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to movieman2g [Ah Kh]
shockin raises to 970, and is all in
Serioussnaps raises to 1,700
Moe Syslak calls 1,580
movieman2g raises to 2,740, and is all in
Serioussnaps calls 1,040
Moe Syslak calls 810, and is all in
movieman2g shows [Ah Kh]
shockin shows [Kd 5d]
Serioussnaps shows [4c 4d]
Moe Syslak shows [Jd Jh]
*** FLOP *** [2s Kc 4h]
*** TURN *** [2s Kc 4h] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [2s Kc 4h 9d] [7c]
movieman2g shows a pair of Kings
Serioussnaps shows three of a kind, Fours
Serioussnaps wins side pot #2 (460) with three of a kind, Fours
Moe Syslak shows a pair of Jacks
Serioussnaps wins side pot #1 (4,620) with three of a kind, Fours
shockin shows a pair of Kings
Serioussnaps wins the main pot (3,880) with three of a kind, Fours
shockin is sitting out
shockin stands up
Moe Syslak stands up
movieman2g stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8,960 Main pot 3,880. Side pot 1 4,620. Side pot 2 460. | Rake 0
Board: [2s Kc 4h 9d 7c]
Seat 1: Serioussnaps (button) showed [4c 4d] and won (8,960) with three of a kind, Fours
Seat 2: Moe Syslak (small blind) showed [Jd Jh] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 7: movieman2g (big blind) showed [Ah Kh] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 8: shockin showed [Kd 5d] and lost with a pair of Kings
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
test bracket
Click the Bracket Below to Enter or Update Your Bracket Picks
North Carolina
Play-in Winner
Indiana
Arkansas
Notre Dame
George Mason
Washington St.
Winthrop
Oklahoma
Saint Josephs
Louisville
Boise St.
Butler
South Alabama
Tennessee
American
North Carolina
Indiana
George Mason
Washington St.
Oklahoma
Louisville
Butler
Tennessee
North Carolina
Washington St.
Louisville
Tennessee
North Carolina
Tennessee
North Carolina
Memphis
UT-Arlington
Mississippi St.
Oregon
Michigan St.
Temple
Pittsburgh
Oral Roberts
Marquette
Kentucky
Stanford
Cornell
Miami (Fla.)
St. Marys (Ca.)
Texas
Austin Peay
Memphis
Mississippi St.
Michigan St.
Pittsburgh
Kentucky
Stanford
St. Marys (Ca.)
Texas
Memphis
Pittsburgh
Kentucky
Texas
Pittsburgh
Texas
Texas
Kansas
Portland St.
UNLV
Kent St.
Clemson
Villanova
Vanderbilt
Siena
USC
Kansas St.
Wisconsin
CS Fullerton
Gonzaga
Davidson
Georgetown
UMBC
Kansas
UNLV
Clemson
Vanderbilt
USC
Wisconsin
Gonzaga
Georgetown
Kansas
Clemson
USC
Georgetown
Clemson
Georgetown
Georgetown
UCLA
Mississippi Val.
BYU
Texas A&M
Drake
Western Ky.
Connecticut
San Diego
Purdue
Baylor
Xavier
Georgia
West Virginia
Arizona
Duke
Belmont
UCLA
BYU
Drake
Connecticut
Purdue
Georgia
Arizona
Duke
UCLA
Drake
Georgia
Duke
UCLA
Duke
UCLA
North Carolina
Texas
North Carolina
There are palm trees here
Dear Danny,
Sorry for not updating in a long long time. I do believe this is my first post of the new year. And it's March. A lot has been going on that I will update on periodically throughout the coming weeks. Right now I'm watching the produce guys unload grocery products into the deli next to Linda's apartment. I'll be out here for the rest of Spring break, so expect a long updated post early next week.
Until then, a short poker story. I was playing a $5 SnG with Danny and it had the most ups and downs we've ever seen in a measly little $5 SnG. At one point, with the blinds at, I believe, 150/300, there were 4 of us left. Me, Danny, and this other clown all had around 1500, while the other guy had around 6000. Somehow Danny survived to 3rd, and then it was me and this other goon. Blinds went to 200/400 and I had, I'm not kidding, 1300 in chips. Literally, every hand for the next, I'd say 7 hands, I pushed. And this goon folded, I'd say 6 of them. Then I doubled up, and suddenly had the chip lead. Then twice in a row when I had him all in and had a far better hand, he sucked out, putting me back to around 2000 in chips. Needless to say, I eventually caught back up and won. It was the most satisfying 17 dollars I've ever made.
Anyway, more later. Till then, push those aces and bet your draws, you never know when you're gonna suck out
Asher
Sorry for not updating in a long long time. I do believe this is my first post of the new year. And it's March. A lot has been going on that I will update on periodically throughout the coming weeks. Right now I'm watching the produce guys unload grocery products into the deli next to Linda's apartment. I'll be out here for the rest of Spring break, so expect a long updated post early next week.
Until then, a short poker story. I was playing a $5 SnG with Danny and it had the most ups and downs we've ever seen in a measly little $5 SnG. At one point, with the blinds at, I believe, 150/300, there were 4 of us left. Me, Danny, and this other clown all had around 1500, while the other guy had around 6000. Somehow Danny survived to 3rd, and then it was me and this other goon. Blinds went to 200/400 and I had, I'm not kidding, 1300 in chips. Literally, every hand for the next, I'd say 7 hands, I pushed. And this goon folded, I'd say 6 of them. Then I doubled up, and suddenly had the chip lead. Then twice in a row when I had him all in and had a far better hand, he sucked out, putting me back to around 2000 in chips. Needless to say, I eventually caught back up and won. It was the most satisfying 17 dollars I've ever made.
Anyway, more later. Till then, push those aces and bet your draws, you never know when you're gonna suck out
Asher
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