Damn Technology and Computers

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I about threw this computer through a wall or window this past week and a half. I hate computers sometimes. I haven’t been able to get online for the past week and have had the cable company out here several times to look at the “problem.” I have a router in the house to have my computer and Xbox connected at all times. I play online video games, mostly football, against other people across the country…and I haven’t even been able to do that for a week or so.

Turns out that the “problem” was a combination of the route and cable feed. Apparently the signal coming into my house was not strong enough to support both being on-line at the same time any longer. Why it picked now to stop working, I do not know. So the frustration of not being able to surf anything at home was coming a boiling point when I finally just checked to see if I only had one plugged in at time. Now everything is working perfectly, and I even have a couple months free Internet from the cable company because they couldn’t diagnose the problem!

Also to make this even more frustrating, my work has this Websense program that blocks anything that isn’t work related. I used to look at some of the blogs online at work, but I can’t even do that now. My internet usage has gone down dramatically over the past couple weeks at work and overall for the entire organization. Damn technology!

Well after that and a week or so passing…I have plenty to talk about, so bare with me.

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Now, the last time I checked, I am a grown man capable of making my own decisions of what to listen to or what to watch. This Indecency Act crap is exactly that – crap! It is bullshit that the FCC and Congress can tell me what is obscene and what is not. Howard Stern should not be pulled off the airwaves as far as I’m concerned. If I don’t like his show a particular morning, then I turn the station to another airwave! Now I am no longer allowed to determine what offends me and what doesn’t.

The other thing that really pisses me off is that all this talk about being offensive is geared around sexual topics. Have you watched the shitty soap operas on television during the day? Nobody is putting a stop to them for their simulated sex scenes! Sex sells. It certainly sells to me. I am the target audience that the FCC is affecting. This is all incredible bullshit and I wish Clear Channel had the fucking balls to stand up to the government and tell them to fuck off – we will air whatever the hell we want to air.

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Played poker last Thursday night, Feb. 19th and came in fourth again. Only thing disappointing about this one was only the top three were paid out. I had a bad beat that killed 98% of my stack and then was forced out on the next hand. Sitting on JTs and the flops comes 8s 9h Qc, I moved all in and the guy called me. He called me with a straight draw on the table with three clubs. You can see where this is going. Fourth street was 4c and the River was the Kc. I was immensely pissed off. I couldn’t believe he called be with three clubs with the possible straight on the table. Talk about a real kick in the nuts. The next hand deal me an 89s, and I moved all in preflop. Didn’t really have much choice since the blinds were so high. Of course the guy who just kicked me in the nuts calls me again. Flop was 7T2 and I began to get a little excited. Fourth street was 5 and River was T. He won with three of a kind and I retired to the kitchen for some food.

I really didn’t have very good hands to start with all night. I was getting crap and having to play K3 just to see some flops. I had a small run of five hands without anyone calling me and that was about the end of my excitement for the night. I don’t remember the number of hands that were dealt, but I never once had pocket pairs that night.

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2003 WSOP has been on ESPN2 all week. I love it. No matter how many times it airs, I find myself sitting in front of the TV amazed at some of the shit that Moneymaker did. I am beginning to wonder if the WPT or the WSOP are coming out on DVD soon. For some reason I think I read someone on another blog mention that the WPT was already on DVD, but I don’t remember. If it is, I wonder what it is selling like and if I can get a copy of it.

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Since I was without computer at home and work for the week, I was able to catch up on the shows I TiVo’ed recently. I am now firmly convinced the best show on television is The Shield. It is amazing. The show is brutal at times and the writing is spectacular. I was one of those people pissed off that James Gandolfini didn’t receive the Best Actor award for Tony Soprano, but I think Michael Chiklis earned that thing. He is awesome! I used be so excited about The Sopranos debut, but right now the date marked on my calendar is March 9 for the third season of The Shield. I have already asked my wife for the Season One and Season Two on DVD of The Shield. My birthday isn’t for another month and a half.

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“The Passion of The Christ” is receiving much airplay and attention. As a Catholic, I will most likely go see this movie. I am curious to see it mainly because of all the media attention it has received. I have been trying to compare this movie to “The Last Temptation of Christ” from years ago. I don’t ever remember “TLToC” receiving as much negative media attention as “TPoTC” has received. I will wait until the lines die down and the misses and I can catch it on a Sunday morning matinee (I’m cheap) before I see it. I doubt I will be coming out of the theater with tears running down my face, but I will certainly give my review of it whenever I do see it.

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I had to read the archives to get the updates on the World Poker Blogger Tour. Congrats to all those who participated. It sounded like it was a lot of fun. The Fat Guy’s take on it was the best. I look forward to reading all about the future games and maybe one day will think about signing up to play in it. I know that I am not good enough to play with the caliber players in the past one yet.

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I apologize for being so long winded, but since this is the first time I have had a chance to post in over a week, I had plenty to get off my chest.