Monday, May 31, 2004
The supermarket closed today at 10pm. That was a shame because I didn't get there until 11:30. And I really need some milk.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Another ugly fat middle-aged white guy from the Internet wins the World Series of Poker:
The Moneymaker Effect: put on about 120 lbs, spend 16 hours a day in front of a computer, and forget everything you knew about probability, and you too have a chance to be a poker legend. By the way, I read that Moneymaker got knocked out on the first day of the tournament this year. I'm telling you -- give it a couple more years: this thing is going to be bigger than NASCAR. (It's already bigger than baseball and hockey.)
For more on long odds and poker dreams, see this site: Send Robert Cohen to the World Series of Poker
Call it the Moneymaker Effect. For the second straight year, an Internet unknown won the famed World Series (news - web sites) of Poker on Friday, ravaging a field of professional players on his way to glory and riches.
Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, a patent lawyer from Stonington, Conn., earned a spot in the 35th annual No-Limit Texas Hold'Em event after winning a $150 satellite tournament on PokerStars.com. (AP Article)
The Moneymaker Effect: put on about 120 lbs, spend 16 hours a day in front of a computer, and forget everything you knew about probability, and you too have a chance to be a poker legend. By the way, I read that Moneymaker got knocked out on the first day of the tournament this year. I'm telling you -- give it a couple more years: this thing is going to be bigger than NASCAR. (It's already bigger than baseball and hockey.)
For more on long odds and poker dreams, see this site: Send Robert Cohen to the World Series of Poker
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Happy Birthday Buddha!
To mark the occasion, Beijing gives Hong Kong the finger. The BBC reports:
"China flies Buddha's finger to HK" (BBC)
No confirmation on the report that the Bush Administration will be flying one of Satan's toenails to Baghdad for ceremonies connected with the June 30th transfer of power.
My birthday tribute to the big guy:
To mark the occasion, Beijing gives Hong Kong the finger. The BBC reports:
The Buddha's finger is believed to bring peace and luck. China is lending Hong Kong one of its most important relics, to mark the anniversary of the Buddha's birthday.
A relic purported to be the Buddha's finger has been flown to the territory in time for the celebrations on Wednesday.
"China flies Buddha's finger to HK" (BBC)
No confirmation on the report that the Bush Administration will be flying one of Satan's toenails to Baghdad for ceremonies connected with the June 30th transfer of power.
My birthday tribute to the big guy:
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Recognition is a little slow in coming but if there is an album that belongs in the album title hall-of-fame, it is Ramsay Midwood's debut, Shootout at the OK Chinese Restaurant.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Will Michael Moore be bigger than Jesus?
He's certainly fatter.
There would be some much needed cosmic readjustment if Farenheit 911 did even a quarter as well as The Passion.
A day after the film won the top Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival in France, industry observers on Sunday predicted the controversial movie would be a box office hit, even if some early reviews have hardly been favorable. (Reuters)
He's certainly fatter.
There would be some much needed cosmic readjustment if Farenheit 911 did even a quarter as well as The Passion.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Saw Troy (well, I saw the trailer): barbarians wasting my time. What the hell is going on with Achilles? I thought Brad Pitt was playing Paris. Or Patroclus. He should be sucking James Gandolfini's cock. There's your Achilles. Or maybe Willem Dafoe. And why isn't Brando playing Agamemnon? Or Menelaus? Or Zeus?
Incidentally, my brother told me that when he saw it, most the audience was surprised when the Greeks jumped out of the Trojan Horse. Honest to god, surprised! That's why Netsky kicked ass and took numbers.
Incidentally, my brother told me that when he saw it, most the audience was surprised when the Greeks jumped out of the Trojan Horse. Honest to god, surprised! That's why Netsky kicked ass and took numbers.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
This place is falling apart:
Actually, it doesn't sound much different from church in the real world, from my experience.
The world's first Internet church has fallen victim to a plague of virtual demons, some of whom have been logging on as Satan and unleashing strings of expletives during sermons.
"We're increasing security day by day to eliminate the disruptive behavior, such as the profanity, but we're determined to carry on...At least we're not preaching to the converted," he added.
The Church, sponsored by the Methodist Church but organized by the multi-denominational "Ship of Fools" project, said it had removed a "shout" function where people could speak to the whole congregation. Some were using it to hurl abuse or yell: "Satan loves you."
The pulpit, altar and lectern areas will be closed to the public after some worshippers walked their animated character into those areas during sermons.
Actually, it doesn't sound much different from church in the real world, from my experience.
Monday, May 17, 2004
This New York Times article confirms what I've always suspected: social status is the true currency of happiness.
Some economists disagree:
But then what do they think all that putting each other down and Prozac's about? The suggestion that status is unrelated to good genes probably misses the point. Grossly misses the point. Status, properly quantified, is just a more sensitive marker of genetic fitness among social animals than health or disposable income -- and one to which we are acutely responsive even while we remain to a surprising extent unconscious of it, mistaking it for other things like health, wealth, and moral virtue. Our brains have the tools to measure it, even if economists don't.
Anyway, the writing's on the wall: I've gotta get out of Amway.
The notion that status in and of itself - not just as a stand-in for money, education or nutrition, quality of medical care, bad habits or good genes - largely determines how healthy you are has become a cutting edge of public health research. Biologists, neurologists, economists, psychologists, primatologists and more have been trying to pinpoint precisely what links the two. "The whole issue of health disparities is very hot now," said Nancy Adler, a professor of medical psychology at the University of California, San Francisco. "There is a meeting every other minute."
Some economists disagree:
Critics have a different lament. Economists in particular are extremely skeptical that anything besides money and education - and the material advantages and lifestyle they bring - are at work. Angus Deaton, a professor of economics and international relations at Princeton, who says he is probably more sympathetic to the argument than many of his colleagues, still thinks the supposed links between prestige and health are fuzzy. "I'm sure there's some effect of social status. But I don't know how strong it is."
But then what do they think all that putting each other down and Prozac's about? The suggestion that status is unrelated to good genes probably misses the point. Grossly misses the point. Status, properly quantified, is just a more sensitive marker of genetic fitness among social animals than health or disposable income -- and one to which we are acutely responsive even while we remain to a surprising extent unconscious of it, mistaking it for other things like health, wealth, and moral virtue. Our brains have the tools to measure it, even if economists don't.
Anyway, the writing's on the wall: I've gotta get out of Amway.
Friday, May 14, 2004
Speaking of voodoo powers, how about that shot by Derrick Fisher last night? I admit (rather heretically, having come from Southern California and grown up in the era of Magic and Jamaal Wilkes) that I'm not a big Lakers fan. I don't hate them as much as say the Yankees, but it's part of that same constitutional aversion to bullies and overwhelming favorites. Nevertheless, that was quite a shot. If I was a major Spurs fan, it'd be at the top of my shit-your-pants list. That Phil Jackson is a fucking Zen master.
Speaking of zen, your Moment of Zen:
Speaking of zen, your Moment of Zen:
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Ann "Low" Coulter opens her latest tantrum :
I have a good idea, however, who the lifetime achievement honoree is going to be.
And while you're at it, why don't you start polishing up your speech for the Academy of the Shit List awards ceremony in October? I have a feeling it's going to be a big night for you, darling.
Last week, John S. Carroll, editor of the Los Angeles Times, delivered a lecture during "Ethics Week" of the Society of Professional Journalists. The speaker has not yet been announced for "Abstinence Week" of the Society of Professional Whores.
I have a good idea, however, who the lifetime achievement honoree is going to be.
And while you're at it, why don't you start polishing up your speech for the Academy of the Shit List awards ceremony in October? I have a feeling it's going to be a big night for you, darling.
Initially, I was atwitter about Gmail simply because I figured it opened up a whole new territory in cyber-space on which to stake a claim. I thought of a friend of mine who said he had a friend from college who had the ucigirl hotmail identity. If she was the ucigirl -- and not ucigirl6 or or ucigirl39 or ucigurl (which I imagine is also coveted property) -- I figured she must have got that in the very early days of hotmail. I wanted to make sure that I got the tidokoro@gmail address. (And am I worried about spam bots scanning my address from this page? No, because I have 1 GB of space and born-again Christian-level faith in the power of Gmail's spam filters -- though I have yet to receive a piece of spam, filtered or unfiltered.)
But when I started using Gmail, I saw that there was much more to it than just another free email account id to toss in with the yahoo and hotmail accounts. I declared Gmail was fantastic almost from the moment I started using it. David Pogue, in the New York Times today, agrees:
In short, it's almost as good as WD-40.
Pogue mentions the utility and serendipidity of some of the random links that are included with the inbox advertising paraphernalia. But he forgets to mention that odd human little pleasure in the random that the ads occasion. As I've said before: I like the ads -- I miss them when they're not there. As Pogue notes, they're discreet. And seeing what ads come up for a particular message is like cracking open some kind of techno-futuristic fortune cookie. Maybe that's an optional service Gmail should offer -- email horoscopes based on a scan of the text in your message:
But when I started using Gmail, I saw that there was much more to it than just another free email account id to toss in with the yahoo and hotmail accounts. I declared Gmail was fantastic almost from the moment I started using it. David Pogue, in the New York Times today, agrees:
Like Yahoo Mail and Hotmail, Gmail is a free, Web-based e-mail program, which means that you will be able to check or send e-mail from any computer on the Internet, wherever you go. Even if you already have a traditional e-mail account, a Web mail account makes a great backup.
But otherwise, you wouldn't even peg Gmail as being from the same planet as Yahoo and Hotmail. The most important difference is the amount of storage: one gigabyte. That's 250 times the amount you get on a free Yahoo account, 500 times the amount on Hotmail.
...Gmail is infinitely cleaner, faster, more useful, more efficient, less commercial and less limiting than other Web-based e-mail services. Once Gmail goes live, Hotmail and Yahoo won't know what hit them.
In short, it's almost as good as WD-40.
Pogue mentions the utility and serendipidity of some of the random links that are included with the inbox advertising paraphernalia. But he forgets to mention that odd human little pleasure in the random that the ads occasion. As I've said before: I like the ads -- I miss them when they're not there. As Pogue notes, they're discreet. And seeing what ads come up for a particular message is like cracking open some kind of techno-futuristic fortune cookie. Maybe that's an optional service Gmail should offer -- email horoscopes based on a scan of the text in your message:
It's easy to pay attention when you've surrounded yourself with wise, loving, fun people. Go ahead and order the more expensive item on the menu. But leave the digital camera at home.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
At last, I sing the completed epic of man:
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCAA
CCCTAACCCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCTAACCCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCTAACCCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAA
CCCTAAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
CAACCCCAAC
CCCAACCCCA
ACCCCAACCC
CAACCCTA...
It goes on for another 300,000,000 lines or so.
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCAA
CCCTAACCCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCTAACCCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCTAACCCT
AACCCTAACC
CTAACCCTAA
CCCCTAACCC
TAACCCTAAA
CCCTAAACCC
TAACCCTAAC
CCTAACCCTA
ACCCTAACCC
CAACCCCAAC
CCCAACCCCA
ACCCCAACCC
CAACCCTA...
It goes on for another 300,000,000 lines or so.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
From an article in the New York Times magazine this Sunday:
Because love is the ultimate gambling disorder and we're all raised by emotional slot-machines. Some simply dribble more cherries than others.
The makers of slot machines may rely on the lure of life-changing jackpots to attract customers, but the machines' ability to hook so deeply into a player's cerebral cortex derives from one of the more powerful human feedback mechanisms, a phenomenon behavioral scientists call infrequent random reinforcement, or ''intermittent reward.'' Children whose parents consistently shower them with love and attention tend to take that devotion for granted. Those who know they'll never be rewarded by their parents stop trying after a while. But those who are rewarded only intermittently -- in the fashion of a slot machine -- will often pursue positive outcomes with a persistent tenacity. ''That hard-wiring that nature gave us didn't anticipate electronic gaming devices,'' says Howard Shaffer, director of the division on addictions at Harvard Medical School and perhaps the country's foremost authority on gambling disorders.
Because love is the ultimate gambling disorder and we're all raised by emotional slot-machines. Some simply dribble more cherries than others.
Monday, May 10, 2004
A friend just forwarded the two items below to me:
Guardian UK : Oral sex lessons to cut rates of teenage pregnancy
(My friend felt we deserved a citation on this one.)
CNN : Judge orders couple not to have children
Judicial activism at its finest.
Guardian UK : Oral sex lessons to cut rates of teenage pregnancy
(My friend felt we deserved a citation on this one.)
CNN : Judge orders couple not to have children
Judicial activism at its finest.
Friday, May 07, 2004
Brigitte Bardot lives!
Another self-loathing gay man in denial? See photo.
Brigitte Bardot, the French former film goddess turned animal-rights activist, broke down in tears Thursday when she left a Paris courtroom after testifying at her latest trial on charges of inciting racial hatred. Bardot, 69, previously convicted of similar offences, is on trial over her book "A Scream in the Silence," an outspoken attack on gays, immigrants and the jobless which shocked France.
Another self-loathing gay man in denial? See photo.
This arrived yesterday:
Lovely. Picture me in Citibank commercial sitting on the toilet, voice dubbed by some 15 year-old Slovakian geek.
CAMPUS NOTICE
OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER
May 6, 2004
ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT Campus (including Campus Healthcare)
ALL STUDENTS AT Campus
SUBJECT: Computer Security Incident on Campus Campus
Business and Financial Services (BFS) is in the process of notifying
approximately 380,000 individuals that computer intruders may have
illegally accessed computers storing their private information. A web
server and three workstations containing names, Social Security numbers
and/or driver's license numbers were breached. Included in the total
approximate number of individuals impacted by this illegal intrusion are
2,400 current and former faculty, 1,400 current and former staff, and
178,000 current and former students. An additional 198,000 individuals
who applied to Campus but were never enrolled are also among those being
notified.
While there was evidence on one computer that an unauthorized intruder
was using disk space for DVD storage, there were no indications on any
of the machines that the private information had been accessed or
stolen. Regardless, we have taken the precautionary step of mailing
notification letters to all affected individuals. This notification
process began on Wednesday, May 5. Given the large number of individuals
involved and our desire to obtain accurate mailing addresses, we expect
the process to take two to three weeks. To assist us in spreading the
word, the University Communications Office is sending a press release to
news media across the state informing them of the incident.
If you do not receive a notification and are concerned that you could
have been affected, please take one of the following actions:
* Consult the incident web site, http://idalert.campus.edu
* Send any questions you may have about your private information to
idalert@campus.edu, or
* Contact the Telephone Call Center with specific questions about your
private information: On campus 5-2830, local at 555-2830, or
toll-free (866)555-5560
We sincerely regret that this illegal intrusion has occurred, and we
have taken immediate steps to significantly strengthen our security
against potential future attacks. We have also referred this incident to
local law enforcement agencies for investigation.
Controller
OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER
May 6, 2004
ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT Campus (including Campus Healthcare)
ALL STUDENTS AT Campus
SUBJECT: Computer Security Incident on Campus Campus
Business and Financial Services (BFS) is in the process of notifying
approximately 380,000 individuals that computer intruders may have
illegally accessed computers storing their private information. A web
server and three workstations containing names, Social Security numbers
and/or driver's license numbers were breached. Included in the total
approximate number of individuals impacted by this illegal intrusion are
2,400 current and former faculty, 1,400 current and former staff, and
178,000 current and former students. An additional 198,000 individuals
who applied to Campus but were never enrolled are also among those being
notified.
While there was evidence on one computer that an unauthorized intruder
was using disk space for DVD storage, there were no indications on any
of the machines that the private information had been accessed or
stolen. Regardless, we have taken the precautionary step of mailing
notification letters to all affected individuals. This notification
process began on Wednesday, May 5. Given the large number of individuals
involved and our desire to obtain accurate mailing addresses, we expect
the process to take two to three weeks. To assist us in spreading the
word, the University Communications Office is sending a press release to
news media across the state informing them of the incident.
If you do not receive a notification and are concerned that you could
have been affected, please take one of the following actions:
* Consult the incident web site, http://idalert.campus.edu
* Send any questions you may have about your private information to
idalert@campus.edu, or
* Contact the Telephone Call Center with specific questions about your
private information: On campus 5-2830, local at 555-2830, or
toll-free (866)555-5560
We sincerely regret that this illegal intrusion has occurred, and we
have taken immediate steps to significantly strengthen our security
against potential future attacks. We have also referred this incident to
local law enforcement agencies for investigation.
Controller
Lovely. Picture me in Citibank commercial sitting on the toilet, voice dubbed by some 15 year-old Slovakian geek.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Just read the Seymour Hersh New Yorker article on the Abu Ghraib prison abuses. With the hooded prisoners in the photos, it's like the sequel to the Blair Witch Project -- disturbingly eerie and horrific. One M.P.'s testimony, quoted by Hersh:
You get the impression that the male soldiers at the center of the scandal, Frederick and Graner (like Tom Delay), have serious sexuality issues.
I saw two naked detainees, one masturbating to another kneeling with its mouth open. I thought I should just get out of there. I didn�t think it was right . . . I saw SSG Frederick walking towards me, and he said, �Look what these animals do when you leave them alone for two seconds.� I heard PFC England shout out, �He�s getting hard.�
You get the impression that the male soldiers at the center of the scandal, Frederick and Graner (like Tom Delay), have serious sexuality issues.
I had the most uninspired Chinese food the other night. It was surprising because the restaurant is in a very nice part of La Jolla and has been around for a while. But I should have been on my guard as soon as I walked in. They did not accept credit cards, the decor looked like it was lifted from a Chinese restaurant in an Elvis dream, and everyone in the place was white and over 60. Both the hot sour soup and the walnut chicken tasted like chicken pot pie. Bland but affordable. Made Pick Up Stix look like haute cuisine. The owners had obviously adapted the menu to all those cheapskate Midwesterners who had moved to La Jolla back in the 50s. The service was friendly enough, so no one's throwing around the "Shit List" word here. Just impeccably mediocre.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Just came across this on the New York Times website:
Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
From the article:
"We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That decision stands."
I hope those mouse-earred bastards are just doing this to generate some publicity for the film. (It could be the thinking man's Passion. Or, at least, the self-righteous liberal's.)
They'd better be. Cause I'll throw their furry asses on the Shit List faster than you can say "Supercalifragilisitic-expialidocious." I don't care how many times I've been on Space Mountain.
Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
From the article:
"We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That decision stands."
I hope those mouse-earred bastards are just doing this to generate some publicity for the film. (It could be the thinking man's Passion. Or, at least, the self-righteous liberal's.)
They'd better be. Cause I'll throw their furry asses on the Shit List faster than you can say "Supercalifragilisitic-expialidocious." I don't care how many times I've been on Space Mountain.
Thinking about a hand I lost on the other night. The situation:
I'm big blind with suited 2-5. There's a raise, but it's pretty small -- like 50 cents on a $10 buy-in game. Maybe the 10th hand of the game? I haven't won yet but haven't lost big either and am probably at $6 or $7. So I decide to hang around for the flop, thinking that if something does come through for me, it will be on such piss-poor cards no one will suspect I've actually got it. And what is the flop?
7(?)-2-5 (don't remember exactly the first card, but it was something crappy like that)
I figure I have it locked up. And what makes it sweeter -- the chip-leader goes all in. I figure he's got high cards, maybe even a pocket pair. I call, cards get turned up. He's got A-J. Looks good for me, except for one thing: they're hearts and the 7-2 are hearts also. He's got a flush draw. I confess I didn't even notice the hearts -- not that it would have mattered. I'd still have made the call.
Nevertheless, I figured the odds were still in my favor, so when the turn was a 9 of hearts, I felt robbed. But it occurred to me today that maybe I shouldn't have and that my hand wasn't the sure thing I took it for.
Let's see: I think there were 4 other players at this point beside me him. That's 8 hole cards we didn't see. Straight odds predict that 2 of those should be hearts. I've got no hearts, he has 2 and there are 2 on the board. That leaves 7 (13-6) for him to make his flush. Apply the 4-2 rule (at this point the 4 rule), he's got a 28% chance of drawing his flush. (What were his actual odds based on the unseen cards? 9 in 45 or 20%? Does it matter that he has two chances? This is where blind faith comes in handy for me.)
Of course, the 9 of hearts was on the table before I could begin to figure any of this out. And I still had my full-house draw (which didn't come through.) I guess I made the right call and just got shit-listed on the turn. Maybe now I can let it go.
I'm big blind with suited 2-5. There's a raise, but it's pretty small -- like 50 cents on a $10 buy-in game. Maybe the 10th hand of the game? I haven't won yet but haven't lost big either and am probably at $6 or $7. So I decide to hang around for the flop, thinking that if something does come through for me, it will be on such piss-poor cards no one will suspect I've actually got it. And what is the flop?
7(?)-2-5 (don't remember exactly the first card, but it was something crappy like that)
I figure I have it locked up. And what makes it sweeter -- the chip-leader goes all in. I figure he's got high cards, maybe even a pocket pair. I call, cards get turned up. He's got A-J. Looks good for me, except for one thing: they're hearts and the 7-2 are hearts also. He's got a flush draw. I confess I didn't even notice the hearts -- not that it would have mattered. I'd still have made the call.
Nevertheless, I figured the odds were still in my favor, so when the turn was a 9 of hearts, I felt robbed. But it occurred to me today that maybe I shouldn't have and that my hand wasn't the sure thing I took it for.
Let's see: I think there were 4 other players at this point beside me him. That's 8 hole cards we didn't see. Straight odds predict that 2 of those should be hearts. I've got no hearts, he has 2 and there are 2 on the board. That leaves 7 (13-6) for him to make his flush. Apply the 4-2 rule (at this point the 4 rule), he's got a 28% chance of drawing his flush. (What were his actual odds based on the unseen cards? 9 in 45 or 20%? Does it matter that he has two chances? This is where blind faith comes in handy for me.)
Of course, the 9 of hearts was on the table before I could begin to figure any of this out. And I still had my full-house draw (which didn't come through.) I guess I made the right call and just got shit-listed on the turn. Maybe now I can let it go.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Really like my new Gmail account. Definitely goes on the Not-Shit List.
Some people and organizations have expressed concern over the insertion of ads in the message window based on a scan of the message. Actually, I find it kind of cool. It's like a smart fortune cookie or something. (The ads look just like the ads on the Google search page, for what it's worth. Pretty discreet.)
Sometimes an ad doesn't pop up and I'm disappointed.
Some people and organizations have expressed concern over the insertion of ads in the message window based on a scan of the message. Actually, I find it kind of cool. It's like a smart fortune cookie or something. (The ads look just like the ads on the Google search page, for what it's worth. Pretty discreet.)
Sometimes an ad doesn't pop up and I'm disappointed.
