Random Thoughts 7/12/08

• Today is my grandfather's birthday. He passed away several years ago but his impact on the family is still felt.
• Here's a concise article on global warming – it's a good time to be skeptical about man-made global warming. Never mind the fact that man can do little or nothing to change the climate, temperatures have been steady for a decade and have even dropped a little in the last two years. More in-depth info can be had here if you want to know the facts.
• The World Series of Poker Main Event is well under way, today is day 5 of the multi-day tournament (the final table to be played later this year). From 6844 entrants, they are down to the top 180 players, including a few well-known professionals such as Phil Hellmuth, Alan Cunningham, Gus Hansen, Mike Matusow, James McManus, Hoyt Corkins, and many others. As a fan, I'm eager to see the pros do well (rather than some snot-nosed kid that learned to play last month on the internet). Hellmuth is the only former champion still in the field.
• We're leaving this evening to attend a wedding reception for Shannon's brother, Jason. Congrats, Jason and Erin!
• I love to play poker. I don't play for money. In fact, I've never gambled any money on anything; I don't even buy lottery tickets. But poker, specifically no limit Texas Hold'em, is one of the best card games out there. I like the challenge, the math, the patience, the psychology… it's fantastically balanced game. I adamently discourage anyone and everyone from gambling, you're just throwing away your money, but I'm always up for a good game of Hold'em.