Mean Gene

Nonsense, Administrative and Other

I've been trying to think up ways to increase my blog traffic. The most obvious tactic--posting thousands of pictures of attractive naked women--is to my mind passe. It's been done, especially on the Internet. I could start posting more, posting shorter stuff, and I have been meaning to do that. I could start posting better stuff, been meaning to do that as well.

But one quick fix (the best kind) I've been chewing over is moving this site to a different URL. Some of my friends say they can't read this at work because it's listed as "meangenepoker", and those final five letters bring about the wrath of the firewall. I've also had problems leaving comments on other blogs and getting rather nasty popups telling me I can't leave my URL because it's for a unapproved activity. As though I was a pornographer, or a liberal. I also want to start writing more about subjects other than poker (you might say the last year I've done just that) and having a non-poker URL might keep people from feeling ripped off when they have to sit through a 3,000-word post about my favorite ice cream flavors.

If I do switch I think I'm just going have it mirror the one you're reading now. I'll copy the template exactly, move it the new URL, and as I start posting on the new site just double-post stuff so I don't lose any readers. And then, in ten, maybe fifteen years, complete the move.

So if that happens I'll let you know. Let's see, what else...I think I know what laptop I'm going to get when I finally move forward and make the kill. Lots of people recommended Toshiba, and I test-typed a couple models and liked the keyboard well enough. I know folks said to stay away from the Celeron chip, so I will probably go with one sporting a Pentium M, which is supposed to use battery power only in moderation. I can't tell you how exciting is the idea of having an actual LAPTOP again instead of what amounts to a bivalve server.

Going to the lake this weekend, this evening in fact, play a little poker, bomb around the lake a bit, read a little. Maybe the last trip this year. Summer has flown by, even though it's been a brutally hot summer here in the 'Burgh. Especially the last few days, as our air conditioner chose a stretch of three 90+ days to conk out. You know what's nice? You call the people who installed your air conditioner, and they look up your address, and they say, "Oh, that's still under warrenty". That's nice.

Let me close with some actual poker content. I watched the most recent WSOP Circuit event, and I'm still having trouble believing the hand where the guy holding pocket tens FOLDED after making a set on the turn. I didn't tape the episode, but did he call a bet on the flop or was it checked around? I mean, if you have pocket tens, the flop comes and you don't make your set, and you call a bet...exactly what card are you hoping to see? He makes a set on the turn...and NOW he decides he's beat. If I recall there was an ace and jack on the board, so it's possible someone has a better set or KQ for the straight...but you'd better have a Nostrodamus-caliber vision of the other guy's hand to lay down three tens. If a guy at the table has a tell where he has an all-over palsy when he holds the nuts, OK. Beyond that...I don't know.

Making things worse is that his laydown was shown on friggin' national TV, meaning his name is now officially Fishy McDonkadonk. And he TOLD EVERYONE AT THE TABLE what he did. That episode is worth re-watching just to see the looks of pure, unadulturated astonishment on Phil Ivey and David Pham's faces. You don't see that too often.

Today is my last day as a temp. Passed the drug test and everything. So I think I'll bust my tail through rest of the day, pick up a book on tape to listen to on the way home (I think "Carlito's Way" by Edwin Torres, if you like books on tape it's a must-listen), grab some grapes and potato salad, and head to the lake. Have a good weekend, and wish me luck. After the last trip up there, I'll need it.

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