Noise Machine

Happy Birthday!

2011-06-23T11:15:00.001-06:00

To a special star. I wish you knew how much I miss you!

2011-06-22T15:53:00.001-06:00

SONOIO - Enough from Alessandro Cortini on Vimeo.

Help Me

2011-05-23T13:17:00.001-06:00

Oh, lord, help me walk
Another mile, just one more mile;
I'm tired of walkin' all alone.

And lord, help me to smile
Another smile, just one more smile;
Don't think I can do things on my own.

I never thought I needed help before;
Thought that I could get by - by myself.
But now I know I just can't take it any more.
And with a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You please for help

Oh come down from Your golden throne to me, to lowly me;
I need to feel the touch of Your tender hand.
Release the chains of darkness
Let me see, Lord let me see;
Just where I fit into your master plan.

I never thought I needed help before;
Thought that I could get by - by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
And with a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You please for help
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You please for help

Man In Black

2011-05-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

I don't know where I'm bound
I don't know where I'm bound
Whistles calling me away
leaving at the break of day and
I don't know where I'm bound

Can't stand locks, bars or doors
mean cops insanity and wars
Gotta find a place of peace
Till then much travellin' on seas
but I don't know where I'm bound

There's gotta be a place for me
under some green growing tree
clear cool water running by
an unfettered view of the sky
but I don't know where I'm bound

When I die don't bury me
cause then I must be free
cremate my body with a grin
throw my ashes to the wind
cause I don't know where I'm bound

I don't know where I'm bound
I don't know where I'm bound
Whistles calling me away
leaving at the break of day and
I don't know where I'm bound

Got myself a little gall
she has been a damn right pall
that ol' highway's calling me
and free I gotta be but
I don't know where I'm bound

Just Breathe

2011-04-25T14:09:00.001-06:00

Yes I understand that every life must end, aw huh,..
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, aw huh,..
I’m a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love,..

Some folks just have one,
Others they got none, aw huh,..

Stay with me,..
Let’s just breathe.

Practiced are my sins,
Never gonna let me win, aw huh,..
Under everything, just another human being, aw huh,..
Yeah, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world
To make me bleed.

Stay with me,..
You’re all I see.

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one knows this more than me.
As I come clean.

I wonder everyday
As I look upon your face, aw huh,..
Everything you gave
And nothing you would take, aw huh,..
Nothing you would take,..
Everything you gave.

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one knows this more than me.
I come clean.

Nothing you would take,..
Everything you gave.
Hold me till I die,..
Meet you on the other side.

This Is The Last Song

2011-04-06T20:14:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been almost 10 years since I started this blog; however, due to my uncertain future, and HUGE challenge ahead of me, I feel it is now time to bring it to a close. While I'm scared as shit about it, I KNOW I can overcome it, whatever 'it' may be. It's going to be tough, and while it'd be nice to have a place to write about it, I don't think a public blog is the place. Thanks for joining me in my voyage through life. I wish you and yours the best.

Love & Peace!
Justin

This is the last song
This is the last song I'll sing for you
This is the last song
This is the last song I can give you
The roaring city sleeps
Metal fingers clutching dirty sheets
And no one comes for free
In this place where the angels sleep
This is the last song
My eyes are open wonder to this
As you hold the secrets
I count the minutes off so perfectly
The shards of broken glass
Sing the strains of a sad old tune
We've made it at last
But what we had is lost inside our past
This is the last song
Could you find away across me
To forgive and forget me
To appease and relent me
To deceive and detect me
To understand and release me
To the dawn
This is the last song

When It Rains, It Pours

2011-03-24T11:08:00.001-06:00

Agh!! Work stress on top of everything else is NOT what I need right now! My heart is about to burst!

2011-03-23T21:09:00.002-06:00

Today was hard. I really miss my Baby Shae. I miss hearing "hold you dada?". This weekend my 90 year old Grandma will be in town, and she has to see me separately from the rest of the family. Family is everything to me, so this is eating me up inside. It doesn't help that this is the time of year when Adara's star is readily seen. Walked out of my Aunts house today and there she was, shining away. I've never been in a darker place. If it weren't for her I don't think I'd have the will to live. I'm thankful I have such a supportive family, and maybe a couple friends. They have kept me going. I really didn't want to do it, but my family and my Therapists convinced me to go on antidepressants. I hate feeling like I belong in this dark place, or feeling guilty when I feel good. I feel like such a failure. Yesterday I got this little card and when I opened it it said "Love yourself unconditionally, no matter what". I thought it was a good message, but today I'm finding it hard to do. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

"as I descend from grace
In arms of undertow
I will take my place
In the great below"

A Great Day For America

2010-03-23T16:53:00.002-06:00

Yay! What a wonderfully historic day! Thank you Mr President! Thank you my man Kucinich, I will do what I can to help fight for the rights of states to offer Single Payer, and other issues you so elloquently rose to the forefront of this debate. Still a lot of work to be done, but it says alot about a country that is willing to take care of it's fellow citizens. Today, I'm especially proud to be an American!

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

Doing What They Do Best

2009-11-25T12:33:00.002-07:00

So the right is at it again, twisting the truth about Health Care Reform to scare you! The latest claim... Failure to purchase Qualified Health Care Insurance will result in 'a substantial fine' and even jail time! While I can't say this is completely false, it's about as accurate as someone saying 'If you go to work, you will have to pay fines and face possible jail time' because the REAL issue here that would cause the so called $250,000 fine and potential jail time is when someone doesn't pay their taxes. There is absolutely NOTHING in the bill that criminalizes those without insurance. What it DOES do is impose a 2.5% tax increase on excess taxes to those who aren't covered by a 'Qualified Health Plan'; however, there are limits on this tax that prevent one from paying more than the 'Median National Premium' or the average price a typical American is paying for his or her plan. They even go as far to claim that proof of this lies in Section 7201 of the Health Care Bill, and yet a search for those numbers in the bill yields no results. But, if you look at the IRS tax code, and specifically Section 7201, you will see this is where they are getting their 'proof', but the only proof here is that if you don't pay your taxes, you face hefty fines and potential jail time, which is nothing new, this has been law for decades.

Here are the INDISPUTABLE facts:
-Most people have insurance plans from their employer, so nothing to worry about there
-Many others will be covered by a multitude of other programs... VA, Medicare, etc.
-If you don't fall into the many categories provided in Section 59B, Subsection D of the bill, nor are you excluded by exclusions in Subsection C of the bill, then you could be 'imposed a tax equal to 2.5 percent of the excess of...' but this tax is limited in Subsection B to the 'National Average Premium'.

So yes, if you don't have Health Insurance, you could potentially (there are lots of exclusions here) face a 2.5% tax increase, but this hardly amounts to the $250,000 and potential jail time the right and other naysayers are claiming. That is unless you refuse to pay this, or any other tax for that matter.

The problem is, when this clarification is given to the right, they don't 'broadcast' out their mistakes, they just let the mis-truth continue to propagate because it serves their interests better. This is also proof of how they are counting on the right and others gullibility.

Which Side Are You On?

2009-09-02T13:47:00.002-06:00

Contrary to what those against Health Care Reform will tell you, evidence suggests the 'Mainstream Media' is also against reform. This is not surprising when you take into account the primary makeup of the advertisements being played on Mainstream Media... prescription drug commercials. The opposition claims that because the Media refers to them as "angry mobs", this is proof of the Media being in the pocket of those who support reform. However, not only are they reporting on what the opposition is doing & saying, but by referring to them as "angry mobs" they have made the opposition stronger, and my feeling is purposefully so. Let's bring up that famous Faux News claim of "Fair, and balanced". Where is the balance? Where are the reports on those who support the issue? Where's the report on the 1000+ person rally for support of Health Care Reform last Saturday in Times Square? If you watch Mainstream News alone, you would probably believe that there IS no support for Reform, and that our Elected Officials are going against what their constituents are saying. If you are FOR reform though, you KNOW that there are hundreds of thousands of people who support it, who are talking about it, who are fighting for it... but we aren't getting any attention. Is that because we aren't shouting, and hijacking the discussions? Or is it because Mainstream media has a close relationship to prescription drug companies? The more and more I read about reform the more I realize what reform TRULY represents... Common Man vs Insurance/Drug Co's. Unfortunately they have A LOT more money, and people are buying the lies that they're spreading. Some days I'm optimistic we can defeat these powerful interest groups, other days I'm not.

Unfounded Accusations Continue As Insurance Companies Plant Seeds of Deciet

2009-08-26T17:20:00.004-06:00

Video: Glenn Beck makes unfounded connection between health care reform and Nazi eugenics

August 6, 2:44 PMPolitical Buzz ExaminerRyan Witt

In the video clip below Glenn Beck recounts the history Nazi eugenics which ultimately culminated in the holocaust. Beck's recitation of Nazi history is fairly accurate. However, what is completely missing is any real justification for his connection between the current health care bill and the Nazi's programs.

Beck's claim is that government will be deciding who will live and die under the reform package. He further assumes that government will decide to kill of old people, the insane, and others deemed not worthy of living. Absent in all of Beck's discussion is any reference to any language in the health care bill which could justify such claims.

Furthermore, entirely missing in Beck's discussion is any reference to the "eugenics" of the current health care system. Does Beck not think that people are currently denied care on some basis of eugenics. Beck's daughter, who he refers to in this segment, could get the best care in the world because of the finances Beck has to pay for her health care costs. Someone who lacks such finances would have problems getting such care simply because they lack Beck's millions in cash. Millions are denied insurance and care right now based on pre-existing conditions or denials of care for those that are insured. Eugenics is happening already and it is the rich who are ultimately favored while the poor are killed off. If anything the health care reform plan would reduce eugenics by opening up health care to a larger population.

Beck acts as if government will take away medical decisions from the people and put them in the hands of the government. The truth is most people do not have the complete array of health care choices Beck has because of his finances. Most people are already severely limited because of their finances. Those that do have insurances have many decisions made for them already by health insurance companies. So the freedom Beck claims will be taken away is already being taken away for millions by the current insurance system.

The First Ammendment

2009-08-11T12:45:00.003-06:00

The greatest thing going about the Healthcare debate, is that Americans are freely exercising their rights under the 1st Amendment, even though the 'dissenters' would argue otherwise. People are contacting their Representatives, attending town hall meetings, and voicing their opinions of both like and dislike for the current few plans being discussed by the different committees. People aren't getting tasered, or arrested for it. Yes you have supporters on both sides, acting stupidly/immaturely and getting physical with each other at these Town Hall Meetings, but that is the fault of the individuals themselves, and neither group should be blamed for the few 'out of line' ers. We don't have 'free speech zones' for these dissenters, and I've seen MANY videos of them INSIDE the meeting. They aren't forced to leave, they aren't ignored. There HAVE been cases where things have gotten out of hand, but I believe BOTH sides are to blame. Too often, people just want to run their mouth and 'be heard', not allowing the other side their turn to comment like a true Democratic process. Does this excuse violent behavior? Absolutely not. Overall, most debates have been civil, and where it has gotten out of hand is more often then not between the ATTENDEES, and not the politicians. But of course, the other guys say that these 'supporters' are so-called 'brown shirts' who really work for Obama/Government and are just 'posing' as ordinary citizens.

I saw one blogger point to the recent picture of Obama as the Joker that's been flying around the internet, and how "Obamanoids" are crying "racist!". The blogger goes on to point out how George Washington said it was alright for people to post pictures of him as a villain, as it was their right. What the blogger fails to point out is that Obama isn't the one 'crying foul' here, it's his supporters. The fact that our First President even had to address the issue tells me that some of HIS supporters didn't like the pictures of him being portrayed as a villain, much like Obama's supporters not liking this representation of our current President. Washington didn't restrict peoples freedom of speech, nor has Obama said or done anything to suggest he feels that this type of expression should be suppressed.

Jake & Justin’s Excellent Adventure – Prologue

2009-05-17T20:31:00.001-06:00

While the ‘official’ Jake & Justin Adventure doesn’t start until tomorrow, 16 May, 2009, I’m getting a head start by heading to Phoenix, AZ to attend the NIN|JA show there tonight. I’m on the plane as I type this, and the excitement is quickly becoming uncontainable. I can’t believe I’ll be seeing Jane’s Addiction in a matter of hours. Yes, the icing on the cake is watching my favorite band NIN perform as well, but I’ve wanted to see JA for quite some time now, and am really MORE excited for their performance then for NIN’s.

I’m scheduled to arrive in Phoenix shortly after noon, local time, even after a short 15 min delay in Denver. Apparently the baggage system wasn’t functioning properly so they had to manually bring out our luggage. Sorry dudes! Not looking forward to the 100 Degree weather, but I guess it could be worse. My cousin Trinity is picking me up from the airport, and I don’t know where we’ll go from there, lunch and then to her house most likely. I intend to be to the venue between 3:30 PM and 4:00, as Will Call tickets will be available at 4:00. And then… the best part of the adventure begins! Don’t worry, you’ll hear all about it in my next post!

On deck for the rest of the trip is a flight from Phoenix to Detroit (with a lay-over in Chicago) tomorrow, where I’ll be meeting up with Jake at the Detroit airport in the late evening hours. We’ll stay 1 night in the Detroit area, and then head to Cedar Point Sunday morning. Not sure what we’ll do for the rest of the day, but Monday and Tuesday days will be spent at the Cedar Point Amusement Park. The park closes fairly early (7 PM), so not sure what we’ll do in the evenings yet. Our return flight to Denver departs Wednesday afternoon.

It should be a GREAT, and much needed vacation. Stay tuned for my review of the Phoenix NIN|JA show!

Farmers Take on HR 875

2009-04-08T15:04:00.003-06:00

Here's an interesting e-mail with some good facts on HR 875 from someone in the field of Agriculture. In short, yes we should be concerned, but no, organic and/or small garderning will NOT be banned.

Hi all,
I've had several recent queries about a current bill within the U.S. House, so I've done some digging to try and get up to speed while hopefully shedding some mostly objective light on the matter.
From reading through HR 875 - The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.875.IH:, and reading many other comments and commentary about it, a big concern with the bill is its one-size-fits-all approach to regulating food safety... especially for dairies selling raw milk products, meat producers who process at the farm, and other small-scale food processors, http://www.ftcldf.org/news/news-02mar2009.htm. But, there would also be inspection and other requirements for all farms.
HR 875 does not ban organic farming, as has been reported through several postings and blogs, but its language is quite broad regarding "preventive process controls to reduce adulteration of food." Some opponents fear that this could mean that organic growers will be made to spray / use chemicals to prevent foodborne contaminants on or in their crops. My sense is that this is unlikely, given that synthetic chemicals are banned by federal law for use by certified organic growers. How it could affect growers who aren't certified org. is less clear.
This bill putting an end to farmers' markets, which has also been claimed, seems unlikely as well. But, the legislation does include provisions which could place undo burdens on small growers regarding assessment of food safety hazards within their operations, especially for diversified growers with livestock and crop production.
Another concern with HR 875 is its heavy emphasis on microbial contamination, to the exclusion of any other potential food safety or contamination issue, or any practice that might be considered improper or excessive -- such as pesticide over- or mis-usage.
Some suggested provisions with this or any other comprehensive food safety bill include making exceptions and allowances for small-scale diversified farms and market garden operations, who'd likely incur a significant burden by having to comply with regulations which should be intended for reducing foodborne threats from an industrial food system.
For an excellent summary and background on HR 875, from a group who pays close attention to food safety and industrial ag, I recommend reading through this piece, http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/food...ound-on-h-r-875
The Organic Consumers Association also has some helpful info about the bill here, http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issue...lertid=12878056
There are also a few other food safety bills in congress at this time. Check here, http://www.lavidalocavore.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=1147 for a locavore's perspective and more info about them.
And lastly, for some insightful perspectives on food safety hazard analysis and GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) from a couple organic / sustainable grower organizations, see this page and those it links to, http://www.nofa.org/policy/safety.php
Doug
Doug Walton
Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
PO Box 588
Poteau, OK 74953
http://www.kerrcenter.com/
http://www.buyfreshbuylocalok.com/
doug.walton@suddenlink.net
918-686-6939 work/home

Now on Facebook

2009-03-12T15:18:00.004-06:00

Some family & friends have bugged me enough, so I finally created a Facebook page. However, do to the bad things I've been hearing about Facebook and it's security, I've opted to protect my account by making my information visable only to those I've approved as 'Friends'.

My Facebook Profile

Just Words?

2009-02-13T15:17:00.002-07:00

Gerra Gistand's winning Oratory on MLK:

A Colorado Poker Victory

2009-01-30T14:59:00.002-07:00

CO Man Acquitted From Illegal Gambling Charge

Excerpt:

The national Poker Players Alliance helped Raley, a software consultant, mount his defense, paying for an expert witness to testify that poker is a game of skill, not chance.
Under Colorado law, illegal gambling "means risking any money, credit, deposit, or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device, or the happening or outcome of an event, including a sporting event, over which the person taking a risk has no control, but does not include bona fide contests of skill."
The PPA's expert, professor Robert Hannum of the University of Denver, testified that poker isn't dependent primarily on chance but on each player's skill. Hannum is a professor of statistics and is the author of the book "Practical Casino Math."
Hannum said there are many factors that go into how a player plays a game of poker, and few of them are based on chance.
"There are a lot of facets to the skill, in terms of knowing the math and the odds, reading the people, trying to glean what other players' hole cards might be. But it's all expressed in the decision they make in how much money, if any, they are willing to invest," Hannum said.
He noted that a skilled poker player will beat an unskilled one "consistently and probably convincingly," but that true games of chance require no skill.

...and there was much rejoicing!

Button, Button, who's got the Button?

2009-01-30T11:03:00.004-07:00

Neil Gaiman is an interesting author. I've only seen a little of his work, but from what I've seen I've been REALLY impressed! Any who, I found this video, an odd promotional video for his movie CORALINE, from his twitter page. Follow him @neilhimself.

Great Story Being Told

2009-01-20T14:50:00.002-07:00

From 'Samwise the Brave' in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:

Sam: It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.

A Whitehouse Blog?

2009-01-20T12:13:00.003-07:00

Wow, "change has come" even to the Whitehouse.gov website.

Excerpt from Post 1:

Transparency -- President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.

Published Executive orders and proclamations?

P.S. Thanks for the tweet @scifri!

An Ending & A Beginning

2009-01-20T11:12:00.002-07:00

Wow! I can't believe this day is actually here! I still can't believe I just witnessed what will surely be one of our country's most historic moments. Granted, President Obama still has to put words to action, and I will reserve judgment of him until he starts doing this, but I am definitely optimistic. In some ways, he has it easy, as it's not going to be hard to be better than George W. Granted, the challenges he faces are huge, but Bush was such a failure that even a half-assed approach would seem monumental (not that this is what I expect from Obama). Any who, I thought his speach was pretty good, and here are some of my favorite parts:

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

I couldn't agree more. The size of our government should be completely irrelevent, rather our focus should be making it an effective, and efficient government.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

Amen, to a return to the Constitiution!

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

Back to being the responsible world leader, and out with the Bullyesque era of Forceful Democracy.

...that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

All I am saying is... give peace a chance.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

And so begins the repairing of the US image in the eyes of the Muslim world.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

An expansion of Kennedy's famous ideal, "Ask not what your country can do for you..."

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Our future relies on what we do now.

And lastly, yet another Presidential speech with a Poker refrence.

But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Now Tweeting

2009-01-14T15:12:00.002-07:00

You can now follow yours truly @ Twitter.

@Barlow43933

And The Award for Best Selling MP3 Album Goes To...

2009-01-06T14:06:00.004-07:00

Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I-IV!

That's right, an album you can legally download for free, is ranked the best selling MP3 album of 2008 on Amazon’s MP3 store. Who'd of thunk? I don't think even Trent had anticipated this kind of success for an 'experiment'.

Uncle Jay's Year In Review

2009-01-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Using NIN to Torture

2008-12-11T13:51:00.004-07:00

Recently, an article came out about songs that were being used for torture at Guantanamo Bay, including songs from Nine Inch Nails.

Musicians don’t want tunes used for torture

Obviously most of the musicians are pretty upset, and understandably so. Here's what Trent posted about the subject on the NIN website today:

12.11.08: Regarding NIN music used at Guantanamo Bay for torture

It's difficult for me to imagine anything more profoundly insulting, demeaning and enraging than discovering music you've put your heart and soul into creating has been used for purposes of torture.
If there are any legal options that can be realistically taken they will be aggressively pursued, with any potential monetary gains donated to human rights charities.
Thank GOD this country has appeared to side with reason and we can put the Bush administration's reign of power, greed, lawlessness and madness behind us.

Trent Reznor

Of course, there are those morons who think it's actually helping. Here's what Stevie Benton, bassist for Drowning Pool, had to say about the subject:

“People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down,” he told Spin magazine. “I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.”

Still, I think my favorite response, is that of Tom Morello:

“I suggest that they level Guantanamo Bay, but they keep one small cell and
they put Bush in there ... and they blast some Rage Against the Machine,”

Sounds Like A Good Choice

2008-12-10T15:00:00.003-07:00

I think this is the first Obama cabinet appoinment I'm actually impressed with. He's tapped a Physicist for Energy Secretary, Steven Chu. I can't wait to see how our new Energy Policy will progress!

Health Regression

2008-11-17T14:28:00.002-07:00

It's that time of year again, time for those in the field of Medicine to encourage influenza vaccination. For years I refused, mostly because I was undeducated about what was being injected into my body, but also due to a slight fear of needles. Earlier this year I (think I) had a mild case of the flu and it was NOT fun! Someone at the time had mentioned the flu vaccine and I had mentioned how I hadn't ever had one. This particular person got one every year and encouraged that I look into it more. As it was nearing the end of the season, I did not investigate further. Then, in September, I heard this Science Friday and was motivated to do the research, and as a result got my first flu shot last week. It's sad to hear that measles cases are on the rise due to misinformed parents resisting imunization in their children, due to unfounded concerns about mercury & aluminum. Did you know that a strickly breast-fed infant injests 15 times more mercury via breast milk than that contained in a single influenza vaccine?

It's On The Way

2008-11-12T12:00:00.003-07:00

Wow, already there's rumors of Obama closing down Gitmo. While I will need further comfort to be assured that the policies of Gitmo won't just be moved somewhere else, I do find comfort in the message that this sends to the world. Let's just hope it's well received.

11/4: Not All Results Were Good

2008-11-12T11:38:00.002-07:00

I was very disappointed to hear about the passage of Proposition 8 in California, it was a major setback. Keith Olbermann recently did another one of his 'Special Comments' on the issue, and I think it's the best one he's ever done. At times, he seems to be on the verge of tears. Any who, watch the video here.

Fuck the NFL!

2008-11-11T11:50:00.005-07:00

Not that I was a huge fan to begin with, but here's yet another reason to add to the list of things I dislike about football & The NFL:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Bush-Administration-Moves-Forward-Midnight/story.aspx?guid=%7B7EE30DB7-50FF-4B48-B0B8-01EE19BE3800%7D

Excerpt:

The Bush Administration is working to finalize regulations to enforce a ban on Internet gambling despite concerns raised by leading financial service companies that the regulations are ambiguous, burdensome and not likely to stop millions of Americans from gambling online. It is expected that the regulations, issued to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), will be finalized at the last minute before they can be stopped by the Obama Administration - an orchestrated move being linked to a former National Football League (NFL) lobbyist now working in the Bush Administration. The NFL has actively campaigned against clarifying UIGEA and has opposed legislation introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to regulate online gambling in order to protect consumers and generate billions for critical State and Federal programs.
"At a time when the financial system is in crisis, it is irresponsible for the Bush Administration to rush through a fundamentally flawed regulation that even representatives of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve have stated on record is unworkable," said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "We are skeptical of the Administration's motivation to get this done at the very last minute, especially given the apparent involvement of a NFL lobbyist turned Bush appointee."
Last week, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) asked White House Counsel Fred Fielding to detail what role Deputy Director of Public Liaison William Wichterman played in the Treasury Department's decision to send the proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget for final review on October 20. In a November 7 letter to Mr. Fielding, Rep. Cohen said he had been told that Mr. Wichterman "has been a source of considerable political pressure to speed this regulation through." The letter further stated, "The National Football League has been among the most vocal advocates for the proposed rule and the underlying law. I am sure you will agree that, at a minimum, the appearance of a conflict of interest is undeniable."
As recently as March 2008, Mr. Wichterman was a paid lobbyist for the NFL, which has been a strong opponent of all forms of Internet gambling except for fantasy sports - an activity that generates more than $1 billion a year in revenues. Mr. Wichterman recently left the law firm of Covington and Burling, which represents the NFL, to serve as a political appointee in the few remaining months of the Bush Administration.

...70 Days!

71 Days!

2008-11-10T16:01:00.004-07:00

"Fuck the naysayers cause they don't mean a thing / Cause this is what style we bring"

I can't wait until we finally get this country moving forward again! 71 Days!

A Letter To History

2008-11-04T13:45:00.002-07:00

Click here for more videos from Vote For Change

Dear History,
For too long have I pondered your meaning, memorized dates of battles, years of servitude, decades of injustice, named eras after movements, mourned the extinction of species, cursed founding fathers, worn vintage suits and cloaked myself with references of your hold on me.

I have walked through museums wondering how it is that greatness had lived and died all before my time. Parts of me feared becoming great because it seemed to include a price of death and a postmortem glory that my memory could never resurrect. I've stared at paintings dying to catch glimpses of the painter, closed my eyes to listen to songs that drunken ghosts dance to, and all the while I've fought to FREE the present to BECOME.

In 1995, I stood with poets in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, barking metaphors at the new moon of the summer solstice wedging words into it's craters, sewing seeds through nightly wind.

In 1996, I forced the ocean back with words, fathered planets, climbed pyramids, and began to decipher the sirens song to conjure the dream-filled Children of the Night.

In 1997, I stood with prisoners in our nations capitol bending bars with the power of thought as wordsmiths served sentences and Hip Hop diddy-dandified itself: stealing golden calves from the Old Testament to smuggle into the lavish crib of Pontius Pilate for it's birthday party

In 1998, I swallowed fear and sun-danced on film reels, projecting a me that had not been into a me that ever shall be.

And HERE I stand, ten years the difference and witness to changing hands.

Dear History,
I beat you. I stand a generator of generations bearing witness to a world that we are holding accountable for past actions. Me and my friends, we're changing our diets, re-inventing marriage, check-mating capitalism, re-defining ethics, replacing cruelty with compassion, and have sworn not to re-elect the sins of the father.

We are casting our votes for so much more than a lesser of evils, but for change, and greater insight, for wisdom out of the mouths of babes, for races that bleed into ONE.

Dear History,
You are behind us and we are no longer looking back. We are standing on the threshold of new times, new days, new worlds, and charging forward without battle cry or trumpet, while cynicism, apathy, and cowardice take their place beside you, behind us.

Dear History,
We no longer believe in you. We have invested our our thoughts and dreams into the present moment and opportunity to shift our reality into one that does not resemble your dog-eared books.

We stand on the shoulders of those who have dared to dream and on the necks of those who have wasted their time and ours proclaiming a past past its prime.

Dear History,
Blitz! It's my turn now. You can have your mounds of flesh, leather boots, cannons and sabers, nooses and guillotines, warships and fighter planes, trails of tears and blood, genocides, dungeons and dragons, ghost stories and fairy tales..........

Come on guys! Help me out! ~ Saul

Why my life currently sucks

2008-10-31T14:58:00.004-06:00

How do you think you'd feel with this inside you:

Add in disturbing thoughts of it's removal and you can start to get a sense of why I haven't been a pleasant person lately.

The whole horridness of stents can be learned here.

Kidney Stones Suck

2008-10-27T15:27:00.003-06:00

I get lithotripsy done tomorrow for my Ureter Stones (Kidney stones are only called kidney stones when their in the kidney), so I figure now's a good time to dig up this old poem...

lanciname

fleeting emotions,
begin to subside,
as control is lost,
pain overrides.
you do not know,
of the pain that I speak,
lest you've traveled,
this merciless creek.

red waterfalls,
rocks scraping walls,
as the mind clouds,
the body shrouds.
wishes are cast,
that this be the last,
alas it is not,
death is now sought.

Justin M. Barlow
30 January, 2002

Sing Fat Lady, Sing!

2008-10-22T15:36:00.006-06:00

Thank god we're down to the final two weeks, and thank god all indicators point to an Obama victory, and a significant one at that. I'm tired of all the bickering, the bullshit, the commercials, the accusations, the racists, the hatred, the ugliness of the biggots, the name calling and twisting of words, the lack of progress, the blame game... I could go on & on. Now I remember why I never really got into Politics until the 2000 Election, it's divisive by nature. I'm seriously contemplating regressing into my old ways after this Election Cycle. I mean c'mon, it's not like I'm the difference maker, shit I don't even know that the way I vote is the way in which my vote will be counted, or that my vote will even be counted at all. 'Being involved' is more stress than it's worth.

Downers

2008-10-08T12:15:00.004-06:00

This post will be full of upbeat remarks... NOT!!

First of all, I was completely card dead for the HPT, and was out of the tournament within the first 4 hours or so. I was just completely unlucky considering that I couldn't even play my position. They say this is what differentiates the pros from the amatures, being able to succeed when you don't have the cards, but this comes down to playing your position. Twice I tried to pick up the blinds and antes when it was folded to me in late position, and both times I was re-raised all-in. The first time I had nothing, so it was an easy (but frustrating) fold, and the guy shows his Kings. The second time, I had an A, but my kicker wasn't very good, so I didn't think I could call. The end of my tournament was actually similar. I was on the button and had just one person limp in ahead of me in late position. I had a little over 10 times the big blind which is considered 'short stacked', so when I look down at K-9 off suit, I figure this should be better than the limper and the blinds, and since the blinds were about to be raised I pushed with it. Small blind wakes up with Big Slick and insta-calls me. It was indicitive of my main event experience. Still, it was A LOT of fun!

Now the bad news. Monday morning I woke up with what felt like kidney stone pains. After about 10-15 minutes, when the pain REALLY began to intensify, I decided I needed to go to the Hospital. As it turns out, I was passing TWO stones in my left kidney/ureter and had a stone in each of the kidney's themselves. Either it's been so long that I had forgotten, or this one was worse than the others. The pain was just SO intense, and didn't seem to subside as it eventually did with the other stones. I get to start going back to the 'Dick Doctor' (my psudonym for urologist) in a couple weeks to see what we do next. Most likely more x-rays, ct scans, peeing in cups and through strainers, etc, etc. I can't fucking wait!

My First Major Tournament

2008-10-03T09:52:00.005-06:00

Last night I forked over $340 to play in a 'Qualifying Event' for the Heartland Poker Tour's stop in Blackhawk, which is also being called The Mile High Poker Open. Due to Colorado law, and the ($5) limits associated to betting, you can not buy directly into the 'Main Event'. One way to get into the main event, and the way in which I did, is to buy directly into one of these 'Qualifying Events'. The way the Qualifiers work is you buy in for $340, and then the top 20% of these players 'Qualify' for the main event. In last night's qualifier, they maxed out the participation at 154 people, so 31st and above all qualified for the Main Event. As I've already stated, I qualified, and actually fairly easily. I mean, I was all-in a couple of times early-on, and I made a BIG mistake early on, but I just re-foucsed and it wasn't long before I had built my stack back up to a 'playable' amount. At that point, there was really no looking back. As the tournment progessed the Blinds & Antes really started to build, and I was being very observant as to who was folding blinds, and there were A LOT. In addition, the deeper into the tournament we got, the 'tighter' people started to play, it was a PERFECT situation. I was able to steal many blinds and antes uncontested, and as my stack got bigger, more and more people didn't want to play with me as I could easily play for all of their chips and it wouldn't do much damage to my stack if I lost. I knocked out A LOT of people in this tournament, and while I'll totally admit I didn't always have the best of it, in most cases it was just do to my sheer agression, and the fact that people were folding so much and just letting their stacks whittle down so much that they weren't a significant threat. And those who were threats, I just stayed away from. I mean I didn't just give up, but I didn't try to get fancy with these guys. The great part is the feeling seemed to be mutal, I stayed out of their way, and they stayed out of mine. It was a perfect combination, big stacks working together to whittle down the stacks of all the tight players. I even took out the last player, "bubble girl", #32, and was hailed for an outstanding play. It wasn't just me though, and this other guy got some well deserved credit as well. Here's how the final hand played out.

Bubble Girl, who I should mention claimed to have folded A-K & 10-10 in two hands played shortly before the hand she went out on, which given the fact that someone moved in in front of her and had her crushed both times (K-K, and A-A) one could argue were 'good laydowns', but at the same time, another guy and I were discussing it, and when your as short stacked as she was, you HAVE to take a chance with those kinds of hands as it's not very likely you'll see such good cards before the blinds come back around and eat you up. But I digress. Any who, Bubble Girl moves all in from early position, and it's folded around to me. I look down at 9-9 and make the easy call. It's then folded around to the small-blind who also makes the call. It's just the three of us, and I look at the button and it looks like it's in front of the small-blind so I think he's the button, so to sort of send a 'signal' that I wasn't going to bet I checked before the flop came. The dealer didn't take long to throw me a 'warning chip' (my second I might add) for 'acting out of turn', but it seems to me that the message was either received, or not neccessary (i.e. the guy knew the 'check it down' philosophy) as we both proceeded to check it down. What makes this so special, is that the small blind had A-A, and there are A LOT of players who would've wanted to raise here, and in a 'typical' tournament, that would be the right move, but what you have to realize is that it wasn't neccessary for him to win the hand, we just needed to knock out this one player and then we're all in the Main Event. I deserve just as much credit though, as I was pretty certain I was in the lead when I spiked another 9 to give me a set, but again, there was no need to bet. Everyone at the table (aside from Bubble Girl of course, who got all sad and got someone to feel bad enough to start collecting $5 from everyone, ending up with around $100, including $5 from me which I kind of regret now) was so happy, and thankful for the way we played the hand, it was great. Bubble Girl showed A-J, which kind of goes to show you why those previous folds may not have been so great, as she finally moved in with a hand WORSE than the 2 she folded.

The whole experience was AMAZING! It was a blast, it was exciting, and I'm happy I get to go back for more and that I have a chance now of winning a nice sum of $$! I drew Flight 1B of the Main Event, so I get to start all over Saturday morning. While I made some mistakes early on in the qualifier, I adjusted accordingly and didn't panic, and proceeded to play one of the best games I've ever played. As long as I continue to play good, minimize my mistakes, and capitilze on others, I think I have a pretty good shot of at least making 'The Money'.

Wish me luck!

Scary Times

2008-09-22T16:30:00.006-06:00

A site I frequent, Electoral-Vote.com, said the following in regards to the latest Government bail out and I couldn't agree more:

The Paulson-Bernanke solution is the largest transfer of taxpayer money to private individuals in history and once people wake up to it, could become a very hot potato.

Two things I like what I'm hearing in regards to the Obama (here's what he had to say about the situation) campaign's position on the Economy.

The company he keeps. In July, Obama met with several experts on the Economy. This wasn't a cherry picked group of 'Yes' men that subscribed to an 'Obama Vision'. There were experts from both ends of the politcal spectrum, even including some former Bush (W) officials. THIS is the epotomy of what a TRUE leader is. You get all the view points, and then YOU decide which course to persue based on the information you've learned from the experts. You hear arguments on several resolutions, and then decide which one you think is the best overall.
Austan Goolsbee - Obama's main advisor on the Economy. The more I learn about this guy, and his work, the more I like him. He has a Ph.D. in Economic's, was a Professor for the same subject at the University of Chicago (I'm curious to see if he subscribes to the "Chicago School of Economics"), and focuses a lot on the middle-class.

Lights In Your Face!

2008-09-15T13:29:00.006-06:00

Surprisingly enough, I never posted anything here about the latest NIN show I saw, September 2nd at Red Rocks. For a while, I was struggling with how to describe the show, especially since I had often told people that the Roger Waters Dark Side of the Moon show I had seen in April, had raised the bar significantly for live performances and that "it was the best show I would ever see", alluding to the belief that it would be hard for any artists to do better within my lifetime. Although I always had that thought that if anyone, Trent would be the one to push the boundries even more, but I never could have imagined it would be so soon. As a matter of fact, initially I was saying how it was closer to the Dark Side... tour than I had thought was possible, but as I reflect more on the show, and read about how 40% of the LITS show was rendered live on the fly, unlike the typical pre-rendered visuals for most shows, I've come to the conclusion that this is THE BEST show around, period. Not only is it remarkable in the sense that NO ONE is doing anything like this, it brings a certain element of 'art' into the production. What they did with this tour is nothing short of amazing, and truly innovative.

Click here for the article, of which this is an excerpt:

For the band's current Lights in the Sky tour, Reznor has not only raised the bar for what's possible in an arena tour, but has also produced what could arguably be one of the most technologically ambitious rock productions ever conceived. Unlike most rock shows, the visuals for about 40 percent of the show (including "Only") aren't pre-rendered. There's no staging, no pantomiming by band members: It's all interactive, live and rendered on the fly.
With more than 40 tons of lighting and stage rigging, hundreds of LED lights, a daunting array of professional and custom-built machinery running both archaic and standard commercial VJ software, three different video systems and an array of sensors and cameras, the tour is nothing if not a lavish display of techno wizardry.
According to Reznor, it all started with a relatively simple idea.
"I wanted to see how I could use video as an instrument," he says, "and try to really make the stage feel like it's organic -- like it's part of the overall set."
Judging from initial reactions to the show, the band has done just that.
Reviews have called LiTS everything from a "vision of splendor" to "the pinnacle of video art," and nowhere is Reznor's showmanship and willingness to tinker with new technologies more apparent than in the band's current tour.

Just Another Empty Promise?

2008-09-04T14:19:00.004-06:00

Obama might pursue criminal charges against Bush administration.

Excerpt:

When asked during a campaign event in Deerfield Beach, Florida, whether he would "pursue the violations that have been made against our Constitution by the present administration", Biden answered in the affirmative.
"We will not be stopped from pursuing any criminal offence that's occurred," he continued, going on to praise congressional committees for the deliberate pace of their inquiries into alleged Bush administration misdeeds.
Members of Congress are "doing the right thing, they're not making false accusations about anything … they're collecting data, subpoenaing records, they're building a file", Biden said.
"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued – not out of vengeance, not out of retribution, out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law."
Obama sounded a similar note in April, vowing that if elected, he would ask his attorney general to initiate a prompt review of Bush-era actions to distinguish between possible "genuine crimes" and "really bad policies".
"[I]f crimes have been committed, they should be investigated," Obama told the Philadelphia Daily News. "You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt, because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve."

Obama Kennedy?

2008-09-04T13:37:00.003-06:00

Is Obama the next Kennedy? Obviously, no one can answer that question definitevly, and there are some very clear differences between the two; however, I think there are some similarites that indicate how similar an Obama Presidency would be to a JFK Presidency. Here's an interesting blog on the comparison:

TDR opened the door, so I’m walking through. It’s time for a legitimate analysis.

First, let’s get some differences out of the way, right off the bat. They’re mostly biographical.

1. Obama’s Muslim-turned-atheist father, Barack Obama Sr., left his family when Barack Jr. was 2 years old. JFK’s father was Joseph Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. at the start of WWII. Not only would Joe Kennedy stick around for JFK’s childhood, he and Rose would produce 7 more children to go along with Joe Jr. and John, the two oldest. The kids attended mostly private schools in Boston and the Bronx, where they lived in a 20-room mansion. They spent a good deal of time at a second home in Florida. From an early age, Kennedy had privilege and connections. Obama, on the other hand, was raised by his single mother in Hawaii until the age of 6, when he moved with her and his Indonesian stepfather to Jakarta, staying there until age 10. He then returned to Hawaii, living with his maternal grandparents until he graduated high school.

2. JFK had eight siblings. His only older brother, Joe Jr., died in WWII. One of his sisters, Rosemary, was institutionalized in 1945, and passed away in 2006 at the age of 86. Of course two of his younger brothers are famous to us: RFK, who served as attorney general during JFK’s administration and was assassinated after winning the California primary while running for the Democratic nomination in 1968; and Teddy, who’s the third-longest-ever serving member of the U.S. Senate. Obama’s siblings are a much more complicated story, best explained by this Chicago Sun-Times article. He has no full-blooded siblings, his parents only having been married for a short time. After Barack Obama Sr. returned to Kenya, however, he took several wives and had many children, Barack Jr.’s half-siblings.

3. Obama is black. Of course, this is where some people start to make the analogy. Not that JFK was black, but he was Irish Catholic. Before JFK, no one of that background had ever been president. This issue was of such importance in the 1960 election that JFK was forced to give a speech explaining his views two months before the November vote. “But because I am a Catholic, and no Catholic has ever been elected president, the real issues in this election have been obscured — perhaps deliberately.” How being a white Catholic politician in 1960 compares to being a Protestant black politician in 2008 is impossible for me to say. I can only say that the two are dramatically different. Let’s just hope Obama does not have to give a speech explaining his blackness before he can be elected.

4. JFK had more health problems than Dick Cheney. Before becoming president, JFK was hospitalized for jaundice, possible leukemia, appendicitis and colitis. But perhaps the worst of his troubles was his back. The U.S. Navy originally rejected him because of his weak back. Only a call from Daddy the Ambassador got him into the military in time for WWII and war hero status. (He did that on his own, rescuing one of his fellow sailors in the water and swimming several miles to shore.) Ironically, of course, JFK died not of any of these health problems, but of bullet wounds. Obama’s worst health problem seems to have been his smoking habit. His wife Michelle made him promise to quit before she would agree to his running for president.

OK, now the similarities:

1. First-term senators running for president. In the 20th century, only two sitting senators were elected president: JFK and Richard Nixon (they ran against each other in 1960). Of course, JFK had also been a member of the House for three terms before his election to the Senate, but Obama served seven years in the Illinois State Senate, prior to his U.S. Senate election in 2004. Obama ran for a U.S. House seat, in 2000, but he got crushed in the primary by a fellow Democrat, Bobby Rush.

2. Youth. JFK was 43 when he was elected president; Obama will turn 47 on August 4, three months before the 2008 election. Coincidentally, Obama was born during JFK’s presidency. When JFK became president, he was the first president born in the 20th century (1917, in fact), 27 years after his predecessor, Eisenhower (1890). Obama would be the first president born after 1950, and the first president born after 1960.

3. Policy Point #1: Civil Rights. The reasons for JFK’s assassination were probably many, but his push for Civil Rights had to be among them. The funny thing about the MLK-LBJ conversation, if there is anything “funny” about it, is that if not for JFK, LBJ wouldn’t have done jack-shit about Civil Rights. LBJ was an old-school Southern Dixiecrat, back when Strom Thurmond was still in the party. When LBJ ran for the nomination against JFK in 1960, the struggle was largely about whether Democrats would remain the party of the Segregationist South or become a party of inclusiveness. JFK won, and he helped draft the legislation that MLK forced LBJ to sign after JFK was shot. As a community organizer and later as an associate attorney for a Chicago law firm, Obama worked on housing rights, voting rights and discrimination issues. He can fairly be called a product of the Civil Rights Movement, becoming the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review, a rare black constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago and the only sitting African-American member of the U.S. Senate. But he does not emphasize his own race. Many say Obama is the first “postracial” candidate, attempting to move past the Civil Rights-era battles of the 1950s and 1960s.

4. Policy Point #2: Diplomacy. JFK learned this one the hard way: by screwing up. He listened to the CIA and instigated the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in the spring of 1961, cementing Fidel Castro as the Communist leader of the West. But unlike our current president, JFK did a public mea culpa. And in the fall of 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he did not let his trigger finger get the best of him. Instead, JFK worked back channels to deal directly with Soviet leadership, avoiding nuclear war. Obama has taken that idea a step further, offering to meet directly with directly with leaders of enemy countries like Iran, Syria and even Cuba (though I hear Fidel’s brother is in power now). This worldly ideology, shared by JFK and Obama, can probably be traced to similar patterns of world travel. JFK’s father, the ambassador, led him on trips to South America and throughout Europe, and JFK obviously spent time abroad during WWII. Obama actually lived in southeast Asia for five years during his impressionable youth, and he famously toured his African roots before writing his 1995 memoir, Dreams of My Father, written more than a decade after Barack Sr. died. Obama’s three sets of grandparents hail from Indonesia, Kenya and Hawaii, though his mother was from Kansas.

5. Policy Point #3: Inspiration. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” We’ll put a man on the moon by the end of this generation. Well, just read JFK’s inaugural address, and see if you don’t get the chills. Ted Sorensen, his speech writer, has endorsed Obama because he hears many of the same ideas delivered with the same kind of authenticity and passion that JFK
had. Many people remember JFK fondly because he was able to unite a country while working on extraordinarily divisive problems. Obama speaks of uniting a country that has split its presidential vote almost cleanly in two of the last three presidential elections. For a bit of Obama inspiration, check out his 2004 keynote speech, the one that brought him to prominence, the one where he first spoke of the “politics of hope.” As an aside on the inspiration front, JFK is the only president to have won the Pulitzer Prize for literature, for Profiles in Courage, his book about U.S. senators who risked their political careers taking difficult stands. Obama has written two books
that became New York Times bestsellers, earning such reviews as “that rare politician who can actually write.”

As for accomplishments, I believe the comparison is impossible. JFK served less than 34 months in office, but he deserves much of the credit for Civil Rights and Voting Rights legislation. He also deserves credit for avoiding nuclear war with the USSR. He also stayed out of war in Vietnam, an accomplishment that gets overlooked because as soon as LBJ took office, he started sending troops across the Pacific. JFK also gave the country a mission to rally around — Apollo, the race to the moon. You’re right, Tommy; JFK’s legislative history is spotty. Obama did wonderful things for health care in Illinois, and he wrote the most extensive Ethics Reform law passed since Watergate, as a first-term U.S. Senator. I, for one, believe he could accomplish quite a bit more as president. But then, that’s why we’re having these elections, isn’t it?

The Charismatic Clinton

2008-08-28T09:51:00.004-06:00

If the Democrats have made one mistake during their convention, it was not giving President Bill Clinton a 'Prime Time' speaking spot. He was amazing last night! Everyone talks about how Obama can't talk 'off the cuff', but a lot of people know how Clinton would scare the shit out of his aides when he didn't follow his pre-written speech. I think he really brought in a lot of people unsure about Obama, when he compared the critique that he's too young and inexperienced to be President to those same critiques when he was running. My favorite line, and now one of my favorite quotes:

"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power."

I hope he campaigns hard for Obama between now and the election, and it sounded like he will since he said "First we have to get him elected".

Poker Update

2008-08-15T11:24:00.002-06:00

I figured it's time for a status update on how my poker play has been as of late. In a nutshell, I've been playing a really good game of H.O.R.S.E., but everything else has suffered. I lost about $100 in Blackhawk almost 2 weeks ago. The last live cash game I played in, I lost about $50, and to make matters worse $30 of it was on the last hand when my opponent caught a gut shot straight draw on the river. My game at The Platte has suffered as well. In the games that I am able to attend I'm often one of the first 10 people eliminated. I played a decent game for 1 session last Monday, so that should help some, but as of Monday I was in 49th (Top 20 qualify for the final tournament). I think my problem has been a bit of over confidence and too much reading. I've been reading Negreanu's latest book, and it's given me a lot of ideas to try out. I just need to get back to just being really focused, I think that's why I was so successful early this year, I was VERY focused! I actually haven't been doing too well in the cash games on-line either. Initially I was doing really well in these games, but again I think I've been less focused in them and that's usually because I'm more focused on the H.O.R.S.E. tournaments I've been entering. Here are a few e-mails from pokerstars that can attest to my success in this area:

PokerStars Tournament #100348374, HORSE
Buy-In: $3.00/$0.40
8 players
Total Prize Pool: $24.00

Tournament started - 2008/08/05 - 19:30:22 (ET)

Dear XXXX,

You finished the tournament in 2nd place.
A $7.20 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 24 Sit & Go Leader Board Points for the Mars Division in
this tournament. For more information about our Sit & Go Leader
Boards, see our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/

Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

And...

PokerStars Tournament #101819419, HORSE
Buy-In: $5.00/$0.50
8 players
Total Prize Pool: $40.00
Tournament started - 2008/08/13 - 00:04:14 (ET)

Dear XXXX,

You finished the tournament in 2nd place.
A $12.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 24 Sit & Go Leader Board Points for the Venus Division in
this tournament. For more information about our Sit & Go Leader
Boards, see our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/

Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

But wait, there's more:

PokerStars Tournament #101988645, HORSE
Buy-In: $6.00/$0.50
16 players
Total Prize Pool: $96.00
Tournament started - 2008/08/14 - 22:18:01 (ET)

Dear XXXX,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $38.40 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 55 Sit & Go Leader Board Points for the Venus Division in
this tournament. For more information about our Sit & Go Leader
Boards, see our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/

Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

I think a lot of this has to do with my growing love for the game. The more I play HORSE, the more I love it. The last, and most recently played, is the one I'm most proud of. It had a bigger Buy-In than the other 2, AND had twice as many people (16 as opposed to 8). I almost didn't win it too. When we were down to the final 2, my opponent had less then the blinds for 3 or 4 straight hands. He managed to at least split EVERY ONE of these hands and mounted quite the comeback. Although he got pretty damn lucky to get to the point where he had at least a few bets, once he did get back in it it wasn't long before he had taken the lead from me. Although I was pretty furious, I tried to not let it affect my game, and just took a deep breath and focused. I was determined to not place 2nd yet again! It was one of the funnest games I've EVER played on-line.

The Media Loves Obama?

2008-07-28T10:49:00.004-06:00

All of the Obama haters are now talking about Obama's "free ride" from the "liberal media". I'll admit that it had appeared to me that the media was favorible to Obama, but The Center for Media & Public Affairs at George Mason University, who have tracked network news content for 20 years, found that ABC, NBC, and CBS were tougher on Obama than John McCain during the first 6 weeks of campaigning.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-onthemedia27-2008jul27,0,6802141.story

During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.

Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center.

There was another study (Tyndall Report) which showed Obama receiving more than twice as much network air time as McCain, but this latest study has shown that more does not always mean better.

Negreanu Meets Obama

2008-06-30T10:32:00.001-06:00

Letting You... Rock My Shit

2008-06-24T09:16:00.005-06:00

Since I already posted the lyrics to this song, all I'll say is Trent and the boys rock the shit out of this one!

Wings For Marie

2008-06-19T10:22:00.005-06:00

Ok, I'm a day late but...

From toolband:

"Today Marks the 5 year anniversary of Judith Marie's surrender to a 29 year struggle against time and gravity. Take a moment to count your blessings. Remind yourself that life is short. (In Judith's case, long and painful.) Take a deep breath and allow the petty stuff to disintegrate into dust and blow away. It's all gonna work out. Judith's last wishes were that her final resting place be near me. So I brought her ashes to my home in Arizona and spread her across the South East facing slope so every morning she could watch the sunrise with me. Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, her new wings are these estate vines. And like her, these vines are tenacious, vigorous, stubborn, and the fruit is sexy and complex. I'm going to name this wine "Nagual del Judith, Judith's Cabernet Sauvignon." Now she gets finally to travel around the world, meet new and interesting people, and be around lots and lots of great food. Pure Heaven." - MJK

Think I'll listen to her song today.

We Can Do It!

2008-06-06T09:06:00.002-06:00

Carl Sagan said the following at the end of one of his Cosmos episodes entitled "A Journey Through Space & Time". I really liked what he said so decided to share here.

"Our small planet, at this moment, here we face a critical point in history. What we do with our world, right now, will propagate down through the centuries and powerfully affect the destiny of our descendants. It is well within our power to destroy our civilization and perhaps our species as well. If we capitulate to superstition or greed or stupidity, we can plunge our world into a darkness deeper than the time between the collapse of classical civilization and the Italian renaissance. But we are also capable of using our compassion and our intelligence, our technology and our wealth to make an abundant and meaningful life for every inhabitant of this planet. To enhance enormously our understanding of the universe, and to carry us to the stars."
-Carl Sagan, 1980.

The Lights In The Sky Over North America

2008-06-05T10:50:00.007-06:00

Lights In The Sky

She's mostly gone
Some other place
I'm getting by
In other ways
Everything they whispered in our ear
Is coming true
Try to justify the things
I used to do
Believe in you

Watching you drown
I'll follow you down
I am here right beside you
The lights in the sky
Have finally arrived
I am staying right beside you

I tried to stay away
Just in case
I've come to realize
We all have our place
Time, time has a way, you know
To make it clear
I have my role in this
I can't disappear
Or leave you here

Watching you drown
I'll follow you down
And I am here right beside you
The lights in the sky
Are waving goodbye
I am staying right beside you

And Now It Begins

2008-06-03T09:52:00.002-06:00

Well, thanks to this news, I can now 'officially' say...

The Slip

2008-05-05T15:03:00.004-06:00

He's done it again. Trent has released ANOTHER album under the Nine Inch Nails moniker, this one is entitled 'The Slip', and has been made available completely free!

Roger Waters - Rocky Mountain News Interview

2008-04-28T12:01:00.001-06:00

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/rocky_mountain_music/2008/04/read_the_complete_roger_waters.html

Pig On The Wing

2008-04-28T11:16:00.002-06:00

Worth Every Penny

2008-04-24T22:17:00.001-06:00

One of these is mine. :-)

That's a kick ass song!

Untimely Meditations - Actual Text

2008-04-24T15:59:00.008-06:00

The text I posted below the YouTube video from my previous post is pretty much exactly what is said in the video; however, this is not the entire text of the poem. Saul actually performed this at his recent show in Boulder, and it was amazing to watch him do it, but when I found the YouTube video it seemed like parts were missing. Well I found the full text of the poem in Saul's The Dead Emcee Scrolls, which I purchased after the show. Here is the actual, full text:

Untimely Meditations

Chapter 1
Time is money. Money is time.
So, I keep seven o'clock in the
bank and gain interest in the
hour of God. I'm saving to buy
my freedom. God grant me wings.
I'm too fly not to fly. Eye sore
to look at humans without wings.
So, I soar. And find tickle in the
feather of my wings. Flying
hysterically over land. Numerically,
I am seven mountains higher than
the valley of death, seven dimensions
deeper than dimensions of breath.

Chapter 2
The fiery sun of my passions
evaporates the love lakes of my
soul, clouds my thoughts and
rains you into existence. As I take
flights on bolts of lightning.
Claiming chaos as my concubine
and you as my me. I of the sotrm.
You of the sea. We of the moon.
Land of the free. What have I done
to deseve this? Am I happy?

Chapter 3
Happiness is a mediocre standard
for a middle-class existance. I see
through smiles and smell truth in
the distance. Beyond one dimensional
smiles and laughter lies the hereafter.
Where tears echo laughter.

You'd have to do math to divide a
smile by a tear, times fear, equals
mere truth, that simply dwells in the
air. But if that's the case all I have
to do is breath and all else will follow.
That's why drums are hollow.

And I like drums. Drums are good.
But I can't think straight. I lack the
attention span to meditate. My attention
spans galaxies. Here and now are immense.
Seconds are secular. Moments are mine.
Self is illusion. Music's divine.

Chapter 4
Noosed by the strings of Jimi's guitar,
I swing, purple-hazed pendulum. Hypnotizing
the part of eye that never dies. Look into my:
eyes are the windows of the soul is fried chicken,
collards, and cornbread is corn meal, sour cream,
eggs, and oil is the stolen blood of the earth, used
to make cars run and kill the fish.

Who me? I play scales. The scales of
dead fish of oil-slicked seas. My sister
blows wind through the hollows of fallen
trees. And we are the echoes of eternity.
Maybe you've heard of us.
We do rebirths, revolts, and resurrections.

We threw basement parties in pyramids.
I left my tag on the wall. The beats would
echo off the stone and solidify into the
form of lightbulbs, destined to light up
the heads of future generations. They
recently lit up in the form of: BA BOOM
BOOM OM. Maybe you've heard of us.

Chapter 5
If not then you must be trying to hear us
and in such cases we cannot be heard. We
remain in the darkness, unseen. In the center
of unpeeled bananas, we exist. Uncolored by
perception. Clothed to the naked eye. Five
senses cannot sense the fact of our existence.
And that's the only fact. In fact, there are no
facts.

Fax me a fact and I'll telegram a hologram
or telephone the son of man and tell him he
is done. Leave a message on his answering
machine telling him there are none. God and
I are one. Times moon. Times star. Times sun.
The factor is me. You remember me.

Chapter 6
I slung amethyst rocks on Saturn blocks
until I got caught up by earthling cops. They
wanted me for their army or whatever. Picture
me: I swirl like the wind. Tempting tomorrow
to be today. Tiptoeing the fine line between
everything and everything else. I am simply
Saturn swirling sevens through sooth. The sole
living heir of air. And I (inhale) and (exhale) and
all else follows. Reverberating the space inside of
drum hollows. Packaged in bottles and shipped to
tomorrow, then sold to the highest NGH. (NGH = nigger/nigga)

I swing from the tallest tree. Lynched by
the lowest branches of me. Praying that
my physical will set me free 'cause I'm
afraid that all else is vanity. Mere language
is profanity. I'd rather hum. Or have my
soul tattooed to my tongue. And let the
scriptures be sung in gibberish. 'Cause
words be simple fish in my soulquarium.
And intellect can't swim.

Chapter 7
So, I stopped combing my mind so my
thoughts could lock. I'm tired of trying
to understand. Perceptions are mangled,
matted, and knotted anyway. Life is more
than what meets the eye and I.

So, elevate eye to the third. But even that
shit seems absurd when your thoughts
leave you third eye-solated. No man is an
island. But I often feel alone. So find peace
through OM.

Untimely Meditations

2008-04-22T11:16:00.003-06:00

The fiery sun of my passions evaporates the love lakes of my soul
clouds my thoughts and rains you into existence as i take flight on
bolts of lighting claiming chaos as my concubine and you as my me i of
the storm you of the sea we of the moon land of the free what have i
done to deserve this? am i happy? happiness is a mediocre standard for
a middle-class existence i see through smiles and smell truth in the
distance beyond one dimensional smiles and laughter lies the hereafter
where tears echo laughter you’d have to do math to divide a smile by a
tear times fear equals mere truth. that simply delves in the air, but if that’s
the case, all i have to breath and all else will follow, that’s why drums
are hollow, and i like drums drums are good but i cant think straight i
lack the attention span to meditate my attention spans galaxies here
and now are immense seconds are secular, moments are mine, self is
illusion, music’s divine. noosed by the strings of jimmy’s guitar i swing
purple hazed pendulum hypnotizing the part of i that never dies, look
into my eyes are the windows of the soul. it’s fried chicken collies and
cornbread, its corn milk flour sour cream eggs and oil. its the stolen
blood of the earth, used to make cars run and kill the fish. who me? i
play scales. the scales of dead fish of oil slicked seas my sister blows
wind through the hollows of fallen tress and we are the echoes of
eternity, echoes of eternity, echoes of eternity maybe you heard of us,
we do rebirths, revokes and resurrections we threw basement parties in
pyramids, i left my tag on the wall, the beats would echo off the stone
and solidify into the form of light bulbs, destined to light of the heads
of future generations they’re releasing it up in the form of ohm. Maybe
you heard of us. If not then you must be trying to hear us, in such
cases we can’t be heard we remain in the darkness unseen, in the
center of unpeeled bananas we exist uncolored by perception, clothed
to the naked eye, five senses cannot sense the fact of our existence
and that's the only fact, in fact there are no facts, fax me a fact and i’ll
telegram i’ll hologram i’ll telephone the son of man and tell him he is
done. leave a message on his answering machine telling him there are
none. god and i are one. times moon times star times sun, the factor is
me, you remember me, i slung amethyst rocks on saturn blocks ‘til i
got caught up by earthling cops. they wanted me for their army or
whatever. picture me, i swirl like the wind tempting tomorrow to be
today, tiptoing the fine line between everything and everything else. i
am simply saturn swirling sevenths through sooth the sole living air of
air and I, and, and all else follows. reverberating the space inside of
drum hollows. package and bottles and chips and tomorrow then sold
to the highest nigga. i swing from the tallest tree, lynched by the lowest
branches of me, praying that my physical will set me free cause i’m
afraid that all else is vanity mere language is profanity, i’d rather hum
or have my soul tattooed to my tongue and let the scriptures be sung
in gibberish cos words be simple fish in my soulquarium. and intellect
can’t swim so i stopped combing my mind so my thoughts could lock.
i’m tired of trying to understand. perceptions are mangled matted and
knotted anyway. life is more than what meets the eye and I, so elevate I
to the third and even that shit seems absurb and your thoughts leave
you third (eye)solated. no man is an island but i often feel alone, so i
find peace through OM.

Like A Rock

2008-04-08T16:14:00.002-06:00

The game of poker has many terminologies, and not just inside the game but also in reference to the players themselves. People are labeled “Tight”, “Loose”, “Aggressive”, “Solid”, “Donkey”, or “Fish” to name a few. I’m not going to get into the meanings of each of these (there are plenty of poker sites for that), but I would like to explain a little bit about the term I feel best describes my overall play as of late, which is “Solid”.

While many... (to be continued)

NIN Coming Back To Red Rocks

2008-03-27T16:17:00.006-06:00

From nin.com:

27 March 2008: We are coming!
Lots going on in the world of nine inch nails...
Confirming a very poorly kept secret, the band has been reformed (details coming!) and we are about to embark on an extensive tour. The first wave of dates I can mention at this time appear below.
Many more to come!
See you soon.

July 25 Pemberton BC Pemberton Festival
July 26 Seattle WA Key Arena at Seattle Center
July 28 Edmonton ALB Rexall Place
July 29 Calgary ALB Pengrowth Saddledome
July 31 Winnipeg MAN MTS Centre
August 2 Minneapolis MN Target Center
August 5 Toronto ONT Air Canada Centre
August 7 Uncasville CT Mohegan Sun Arena
August 8 Worcester MA DCU Center
August 12 Knoxville TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
August 13 Duluth GA Gwinnett Arena
August 15 Oklahoma City OK Ford Center
August 16 Houston TX Toyota Center
August 18 Dallas TX American Airlines Center
August 20 Saint Louis MO Scottrade Center
August 22 Cleveland OH Quicken Loans Arena
August 23 Auburn Hills MI Palace of Auburn Hills
August 27 East Rutherford NJ Izod Center
August 29 Philadelphia PA Wachovia Center
August 31 Lexington KY Rupp Arena
September 2 Morrison CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
September 3 Salt Lake City UT The E Center Of West Valley
September 5 Oakland CA Oracle Arena (formerly Oakland Arena)
September 6 Inglewood CA The Forum

posted by Trent Reznor at 2:34 PM pst, from los angeles.

Earth Hour: 03/29/08 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM

2008-03-27T13:51:00.004-06:00

Plastic Problem

2008-03-25T13:33:00.005-06:00

Wow, I just heard about this 'Trash Swirl' in the Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of Texas. I couldn't believe it, and yet it's not surpising when you think about all the plastic you encounter throughout your typical day. We throw out SO MUCH plastic at our house, and after hearing about this I'm really going to have to look into doing something to curb that. Here's an interesting little video on the subject:

Ghosts I-IV

2008-03-03T12:25:00.012-07:00

On Sunday, Nine Inch Nails released a new album entitled Ghosts I-IV. It's very interesting, and not your typical release. A "36 track instrumental collection" that is "the result of working from a very visual perspective". Since the site is running slow due to high volume, I'll post the info that's on the official site.

From the Main page:

Nine Inch Nails presents Ghosts I - IV, a brand new 36 track instrumental collection available right now. Almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last fall, Ghosts I - IV sprawls Nine Inch Nails across a variety of new terrain.

Trent Reznor explains, "I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I'm very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts."

From the More Info page:

This music arrived unexpectedly as the result of an experiment. The rules were as follows: 10 weeks, no clear agenda, no overthinking, everything driven by impulse. Whatever happens during that time gets released as... something.
The team: Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder and myself with some help from Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew and Brian Viglione. Rob Sheridan collaborated with Artist in Residence (A+R) to create the accompanying visual and physical aesthetic.
We began improvising and let the music decide the direction. Eyes were closed, hands played instruments and it began. Within a matter of days it became clear we were on to something, and a lot of material began appearing. What we thought could be a five song EP became much more. I invited some friends over to join in and we all enjoyed the process of collaborating on this.
The end result is a wildly varied body of music that we're able to present to the world in ways the confines of a major record label would never have allowed - from a 100% DRM-free, high-quality download, to the most luxurious physical package we've ever created.
More volumes of Ghosts are likely to appear in the future.
- Trent Reznor, March 2, 2008

EDIT 03/07/08: Peaked your interest? Go to the Ghosts site, and click on the 'Listen' button at the top (or use the embeded player in my sidebar). If you like what you hear, or want a free download, go to the Order page for various options for purchasing (Free, $5 digital download, $10 2xCD set, $75 Deluxe Edition pkg, ~~$300 Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition pkg~~ -sold out).

On Fire!

2008-02-19T14:37:00.006-07:00

I’ve noted here in the past about the weekly poker tournament with NPPL that I play in Monday nights at The Platte. Well this tournament recently got a whole lot better, and I’ve been doing VERY well in it. There are two tournaments (7:00 PM & 10:00 PM) that are run by NPPL, and, up until about 7 weeks ago, the bar offered up cash & bar tabs to the top 3 finishers. The cash prize was $50 for first place for the 7:00 session, and $100 for a first place finish in the 10:00 session. About 7 weeks ago, the owner of The Platte decided to drop this to $25/$50 respectively, while devising a separate point system (the NPPL point system was still maintained by NPPL, but separately) in which the top 64 point leaders at the end of something like 10-12 weeks get to play in a special tournament for The Platte where the first place price is a seat into one of the early $1,500 Buy-In WSOP No Limit Hold’em Events. The final 8 will all receive some sort of payment/reward, but only first wins the WSOP seat. This tournament will be sometime in late March.

I was off to a rocky start initially, and had missed 3 of the earlier sessions (both sessions 1 day, and the late session on another), but I’ve more than made up for it over the last 3 weeks. Out of the last 6 sessions (again, 2 sessions each week) I have made the final table 5 times; placing 6th or better every time, topping it off with a 1st place finish in the first session last night (followed by a 4th place finish in the second session last night). As for my rank on the ‘leader board’, after Week 4 I was sitting in 32nd. I won’t get the results from last night (Week 7) until this weekend, but as of the completion of Week 6, I have moved up to 13th. After my performance last night, I can pretty much guarantee I’ve made the Top 10. Now the trick is to maintain it, which really shouldn’t be that difficult. I’ve kind of taken on the Phil Hellmuth strategy of not really getting fancy, just playing solid and waiting for your opponents to make a mistake. I’ve also had a bit of luck, but the fact that I know my opponents so well has made these lucky situations more profitable. For instance, last week I had pocket A’s, and while most people would slow play this once they flopped quads, I did nothing of the sort. In most cases, checking to induce a bluff, or in an effort to help your opponent hit his/her draw is the right play since you more than likely have your opponent drawing dead. However, given the fact that I knew that if anyone DID have a draw, they’d call a bet anyway, why not bet and make that extra $$? Even if I bet big, giving them improper odds to call, they’d call anyway, so I knew the best way to make the hand profitable was to bet it. Sure enough, I had one caller all the way to the river, and when she missed her draw I checked behind her so that I could win the extra chips they give out for Quads or better (you have to showdown to get these). I’ve even told Aaron, that for the most part I won’t slow play anything, because you really don’t need to. Now, as many a poker books will tell you, there is nothing definitive about poker, it’s actually one of it’s best qualities, so I don’t hold true to that statement no matter what, but more often then not I won’t be slow playing at The Platte.

One more little story before I leave. Last night, I had one of my best suck-outs ever!! For the most part I don’t like sucking out on people, but I’ve improved my game so much that I’m rarely the suckee, and am often the one sucked out on. It felt like sweet vengeance, and since it was such a big pot it made up for all of the times I’ve been sucked out on. Any way, here’s how the hand went down. An early position player raises the pot about 3x Big Blind, the player immediately behind him calls, it’s folded to me in the small blind and I have J-10 off suit. I call. The flop comes A-J-10 rainbow. The initial raiser moves all-in fairly quickly, and it doesn’t take long for the player behind him to call. I had a tough decision, but started to work things out. The two players all-in I know their style VERY well. I don’t think the initial raiser has K-Q, because there isn’t a flush draw or anything that he’d need to protect his hand against. I put him on a weak A, as he is the type of player that overplays any A. The second guy can play pretty good, but can also be very loose, and my read puts him on a big pair with a straight draw (like K-J, A-K, Q-J or something like that). I had extra chips from winning the first session, so even if I called I’d still have chips left, so decided to stick with my read. Boy was I off!! Both players flopped the nuts with their K-Q hands, and I was in bad shape!! That is until the 10 I requested showed up on the river giving me a full-house! In retrospect, I was the only one left in the pot who could win out right; the other two would have had to split it, but it still was the wrong move. I actually think I could’ve laid this hand down in this situation, under the right circumstances, but not against the types of players these guys fall under.

I'll See You On The Dark Side Of The Moon

2008-02-09T16:29:00.001-07:00

April 30, 2008

I Wonder...

2008-02-06T11:58:00.001-07:00

As fascinating as "Super Duper Fat Tuesday" was, I wonder what rights the Bush Administration trampled on while the country was so focused elsewhere. I wonder what further damage will be done the rest of this year while the country is so focused on getting him the hell out.

Time To Get Dry

2008-02-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

"...the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race"

How sad is it that whenever I hear the word Caucus, I think of this part of Alice In Wonderland? Any who, I will get to experience my first Caucus tonight when I go to Caucus for Obama. It should be an interesting experience!

Niggy Tardust Is Coming To Town

2008-01-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

You better watch out, you better not pout... Niggy Tardust is coming... to town:

April
21 Fox Theatre, Boulder CO
22 Belly Up, Aspen CO

When I Say Niggy...

2008-01-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

I removed my iLike thingy on my side bar. I also canceled my iLike account. I wasn't really using it, and it didn't match my iTunes. I think that's cause I got a new computer last year, and when I moved everything over to the new machine, I lost some things like play count, rating, etc. Any how, so things like my Top 25 list were different in iTunes then what was shown on iLike. I guess iLike was the more accurate one, since it probably had both totals, but it was still annoying. I might sign up again, but we'll see, like I said, I didn't really use it much.

So, with that gone, how are you supposed to know my latest Top 10?? Well, I'll just post them! :-) So, here is the list of my Top 10 most played songs. The funny thing is, all of these songs are from just 2 albums, but they happened to be my 2 most favorite albums at the moment. Well, without further ado, let the count down begin:

10. "God Given" - Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero
09. "Raw" - Saul Williams' The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of Niggy Tardust!
08. "NiggyTardust" - Saul Williams' ...Niggy Tardust!
07. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" - Saul Williams' ...Niggy Tardust!
06. "Me, I'm Not" - Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero
05. "The Good Soldier" - Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero
04. "WTF!" - Saul Williams' ...Niggy Tardust!
03. "No One Ever Does" - Saul Williams' ...Niggy Tardust!
02. "DNA" - Saul Williams' ...Niggy Tardust!

And the #1 most played song by Justin is...

01. "The Great Destroyer" - Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero