Soon after I joined facebook back in August, I tried an experiment.
I had discovered "groups" on facebook, and joined a few myself. These were either poker-related groups like "gutshot" or ones to do with Bear Stearns like "Equity Division alumni."
It got me thinking that it would be interesting to form a group for those who had played in one or more of the 8 BSPT (Bear Stearns Poker Tour) events.
I could see that quite a few of my friends would qualify for the group, and that probably a good proportion of the "qualifiers" were facebook members.
One approach would have been to invite all those people into the group. This would probably have resulted in quite a strong take-up, and then the long tentacles of facebook could get to work.
I opted for a minimalist approach. I didn't announce the group at all and relied on the idea that someone would notice (from my profile, or those facebook alerts) that the group had been created and that once a couple of people had signed up, it could start the ball rolling.
I was pleased to see that one person did do this - within about 48 hours - but the next step never happened.
It was tempting to now kick off the invites, but I decided to be really patient. I think about 3 months must have passed now with the membership stuck at 2 !
So, I think I will now deem that the experiment in mode1 was a relative failure. It is still possible that it might spark off at any time but I will probably go to mode2 where I invite people to the group and see how quickly and how far that takes things.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
And The Winner Is ...
A post from the poker world here. On 17th December, the world-famous (well, it depends what world you move in) GOSCARS awards were held at The International club.
Awards of a poker nature, obviously. Best tournament player, best "moodies" (that's speech play designed to confuse, intimidate or coax your opponents into making mistakes), best woman player (controversial one that !) and so on.
I was nominated (controversially!) for best internet player, but I actually won in the category of Forum Poster of the Year 2008. To be fair, I did deserve that award on quantity (and grammar) of posts !
Anyway, I am pleased to have won as a little recognition is always welcome no matter how parochial the award.
The evening itself was tremendous fun - firstly the champagne, buffet and awards. Then the Tag-team tournament (I played with Mat) and then the 10 hour PLO session ....
More details now, and more to follow, on Poker Actually.
Awards of a poker nature, obviously. Best tournament player, best "moodies" (that's speech play designed to confuse, intimidate or coax your opponents into making mistakes), best woman player (controversial one that !) and so on.
I was nominated (controversially!) for best internet player, but I actually won in the category of Forum Poster of the Year 2008. To be fair, I did deserve that award on quantity (and grammar) of posts !
Anyway, I am pleased to have won as a little recognition is always welcome no matter how parochial the award.
The evening itself was tremendous fun - firstly the champagne, buffet and awards. Then the Tag-team tournament (I played with Mat) and then the 10 hour PLO session ....
More details now, and more to follow, on Poker Actually.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
No Further Interest
So, the US Fed has cut official interest rates to zero. The BoE has been cutting like there's no tomorrow (they may be right about that).
I am not an economist, but as far as I can imagine this will not work.
They are obviously all following the mantra "desparate times call for desparation".
Or perhaps they just want to be seen to be doing something. Now, of course, they have left themselves with nothing more that they can do.
I can empathise with their collective desire to do this, but I'm still a bit surprised.
Firstly, it obviously hurts savers and pensions considerably and that's not a good thing.
Secondly, it is far from obvious that it helps anyone that much when it is the availability of credit, not the price of it, that is the problem.
Insofar as the price of credit is a concern, lowering the official rate does not directly help anyway. The actual rate at which individuals and companies borrow is far divorced from the base rate and to a great extent, cutting the base rate just de facto increases that gap.
Inasmuch as the cut is designed to help/encourage people to borrow money, it's not entirely obvious that it's a valid aim as all economies need to reduce borrowing dramatically.
Meanwhile, the cut doesn't necessarily help the banks that much if the real objective is to make them lend money at extremely low rates. It may help them carry their assets at a less punitive rate, I suppose but only if credit is more available (not likely to be a direct result) or if they can borrow from the Government at the new lower official rates (more likely).
The US market jumped on the rate cut yesterday, which is the usual first reaction to a rate cut. I would be surprised if that rally lasts a single day.
About the only way this cut actually works directly is that it does lower the outgoings of most mortgage borrowers, so it operates as a Government subsidy to all those households and that will have some impact, just like the VAT cut makes some impact. Like that cut, however, it leaves a big headache for later.
Overall, this move seems to me to indicate a state of denial. The assumption is that the credit problem can be fixed by dramatic steps whereas in fact it's mainly going to take time. About the best that can be said for this approach is that it might possibly shorten the time it takes, although I have a feeling it might do the opposite !
I am not an economist, but as far as I can imagine this will not work.
They are obviously all following the mantra "desparate times call for desparation".
Or perhaps they just want to be seen to be doing something. Now, of course, they have left themselves with nothing more that they can do.
I can empathise with their collective desire to do this, but I'm still a bit surprised.
Firstly, it obviously hurts savers and pensions considerably and that's not a good thing.
Secondly, it is far from obvious that it helps anyone that much when it is the availability of credit, not the price of it, that is the problem.
Insofar as the price of credit is a concern, lowering the official rate does not directly help anyway. The actual rate at which individuals and companies borrow is far divorced from the base rate and to a great extent, cutting the base rate just de facto increases that gap.
Inasmuch as the cut is designed to help/encourage people to borrow money, it's not entirely obvious that it's a valid aim as all economies need to reduce borrowing dramatically.
Meanwhile, the cut doesn't necessarily help the banks that much if the real objective is to make them lend money at extremely low rates. It may help them carry their assets at a less punitive rate, I suppose but only if credit is more available (not likely to be a direct result) or if they can borrow from the Government at the new lower official rates (more likely).
The US market jumped on the rate cut yesterday, which is the usual first reaction to a rate cut. I would be surprised if that rally lasts a single day.
About the only way this cut actually works directly is that it does lower the outgoings of most mortgage borrowers, so it operates as a Government subsidy to all those households and that will have some impact, just like the VAT cut makes some impact. Like that cut, however, it leaves a big headache for later.
Overall, this move seems to me to indicate a state of denial. The assumption is that the credit problem can be fixed by dramatic steps whereas in fact it's mainly going to take time. About the best that can be said for this approach is that it might possibly shorten the time it takes, although I have a feeling it might do the opposite !
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Snow Business
This is the Christmas Snowman that has been passed down in Karen's family for three generations so far. It is still the original snowman (in somewhat the same sense that Trigger's broom in Only Fools and Horses was still the same one he had for 20 years).
Last year, I understand Hazel performed a cotton-wool graft.
This year, I have just completed a base transplant and also HRS (hat reconstruction surgery) whereby the hat was stripped to its components and re-assembled using original crepe bindings that were salvaged during the base-change operation.
With luck and TLC, the Gough Snowman may survive a few more decades !
Last year, I understand Hazel performed a cotton-wool graft.
This year, I have just completed a base transplant and also HRS (hat reconstruction surgery) whereby the hat was stripped to its components and re-assembled using original crepe bindings that were salvaged during the base-change operation.
With luck and TLC, the Gough Snowman may survive a few more decades !
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Out on the tiles
Lately, there has been little excuse not to tackle some loose ends of a DIY nature around the house. One such niggle has been the floor tiles in the kitchen/utility. The sound made each time a cat stepped on a loose corner was a regular reminder that some were no longer secure.
Using a toilet plunger as a makeshift tester, I discovered that a total of 20 tiles (in sections of 2, 4 and 14) were in need of attention.
Perhaps I should have opted for the "quick-fix" - a few dabs of some wonder glue. However, the existing tile cement was very brittle, so it seemed only right to remove it all and re-do it properly. How hard could it be ?
As usual, I had underestimated the great complexity of all-things-DIY. So many different tile adhesives, with only the merest clues at what the real and important differences might be. The wrong kind of notches on trowels. The difficulty of measuring a "thick and creamy consistency" for the cement mixture.
However, the re-fixing of the smaller sections seemed to go smoothly. I was going along well with the 14-tile section when, with 2 left, I found I was 2mm out at the end of the row. These porcelain tiles are rock-hard so 2mm might as well have been 2 feet. No way were the last two going in, and the rest of the tiles were too firmly fixed to budge.
It was a major conundrum !
In the end, the least-worst option seemed to be to take up all 12 tiles and start again. At this point, I was hoping for the quantum theory of glue to work in my favour. That's where you want glue to be unbreakable when you want the thing to hold together, but for it to be easily unstuck when you want to pull it apart !
No such luck, although it could have been worse. Just about 6 hours to chip away all the new-old cement and do the whole thing from scratch !
The finished tiles can now be viewed on location in Bedford.
Using a toilet plunger as a makeshift tester, I discovered that a total of 20 tiles (in sections of 2, 4 and 14) were in need of attention.
Perhaps I should have opted for the "quick-fix" - a few dabs of some wonder glue. However, the existing tile cement was very brittle, so it seemed only right to remove it all and re-do it properly. How hard could it be ?
As usual, I had underestimated the great complexity of all-things-DIY. So many different tile adhesives, with only the merest clues at what the real and important differences might be. The wrong kind of notches on trowels. The difficulty of measuring a "thick and creamy consistency" for the cement mixture.
However, the re-fixing of the smaller sections seemed to go smoothly. I was going along well with the 14-tile section when, with 2 left, I found I was 2mm out at the end of the row. These porcelain tiles are rock-hard so 2mm might as well have been 2 feet. No way were the last two going in, and the rest of the tiles were too firmly fixed to budge.
It was a major conundrum !
In the end, the least-worst option seemed to be to take up all 12 tiles and start again. At this point, I was hoping for the quantum theory of glue to work in my favour. That's where you want glue to be unbreakable when you want the thing to hold together, but for it to be easily unstuck when you want to pull it apart !
No such luck, although it could have been worse. Just about 6 hours to chip away all the new-old cement and do the whole thing from scratch !
The finished tiles can now be viewed on location in Bedford.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Thumbs Up
Matt has been adding bulges as the training regime for rowing makes an impact. However, he has recently been suffering from a bump in the wrong place. The cause of his infected thumb has been variously attributed to biting his nails and/or the duck-poo laden waters of Bedford's river.
In any case, we hope the antibiotics prescribed today will see amputation being averted.
Monday, 29 September 2008
3 and 2, and 1
Yesterday was the third "Brickhill golf" game. The first was back on FA Cup Final day when 6 of the "Brickhill dads" turned out to play 18 holes at Mowsbury organized by Derek.
Actually - Derek, Andy & I played 18 whilst Len, Alan and Boz skived off after 9 on that occasion.
In the game that went all the way, Derek beat me by about 3 shots or 2 holes despite a rearguard effort by myself.
On the second occasion, which I arranged, everyone but Derek and I dropped out before tee-off ! Derek had been taking lessons and they obviously worked, as he crushed me.
This time, I intended to do better but my poor matchplay skills were to the fore. Derek played a solid opening three holes - easily going two up before I halved in 5 at the 3rd. He then played a poor 4th hole and I (just) managed to win one back. I parred the 5th to square the match.
Now Derek handed me a golden opportunity - he scored 8-7-10 on holes 6 through 8 and I managed to win only one of those !
When Derek parred the 9th, he took a 1 hole lead into the back 9 where it was actually very close in a matchplay situation but a poor 13th hole from me saw me fall 2 behind with 5 to play.
Derek finally wrapped the mach up with a 5 on the 16th for victory 3&2.
It was now fairly dark (we had teed off at 3:15 at the twilight rate). Derek had left his glasses at home so was playing in prescription sunglasses, so he had only the dimmest view of what now happened at the dead-rubber 17th.
It's a downhill 162 Yard par3 and Derek opted for an optimistic 9-iron which went slightly left and well short.
I looked at the card and the flag and the dramatic drop to the green and my first thought as usual is "no way is that 160 yards, looks like a sandwedge to me" but I know from experience that usually the numbers don't lie and that my efforts to get there with the lofted club often result in a half-way landing.
With a big green and no particular danger behind, I opted for a 7-iron. I assume I can hit a 7-iron 145 yards which seemed in theory the right distance with the flag at the front.
It would not be unfair to say my tee-hitting was poor on the day. Perhaps the pressure was off, or the knowledge that I had plenty of club allowed me to swing more comfortably. In any case, it was a beautiful strike - it sounded great, it was dead straight, and it soared up beautifully in the way it's supposed to. It looked like it would go for miles.
"Back of the green" declared Derek (whose ball-spotting skills are not the greatest !)
I followed the ball as it descended almost vertically and seemed to make landfall just at the very front edge and in the gloom rolled out of sight but apparently in great shape. Clear birdie shout.
"Hole in one" I countered.
We made our way down and as we passed Derek's ball 20yards short of the front-edge, there was still no sign of my ball on the green.
Now, how many times have you thought "I can't see it, it must be in the hole".
I asked Derek to accompany me to the flag. Even now I couldn't tell you whether I really thought it was in but - yes - unbelievably there it was.
Hole 17, Mowsbury Golf Course at 18:45 on 28th September 2008. Won in One.
I held up the ball for the imaginary crowds to cheer.
After that, it didn't seem worth playing the 18th. Doubtful whether it's ever worth playing again !
Actually - Derek, Andy & I played 18 whilst Len, Alan and Boz skived off after 9 on that occasion.
In the game that went all the way, Derek beat me by about 3 shots or 2 holes despite a rearguard effort by myself.
On the second occasion, which I arranged, everyone but Derek and I dropped out before tee-off ! Derek had been taking lessons and they obviously worked, as he crushed me.
This time, I intended to do better but my poor matchplay skills were to the fore. Derek played a solid opening three holes - easily going two up before I halved in 5 at the 3rd. He then played a poor 4th hole and I (just) managed to win one back. I parred the 5th to square the match.
Now Derek handed me a golden opportunity - he scored 8-7-10 on holes 6 through 8 and I managed to win only one of those !
When Derek parred the 9th, he took a 1 hole lead into the back 9 where it was actually very close in a matchplay situation but a poor 13th hole from me saw me fall 2 behind with 5 to play.
Derek finally wrapped the mach up with a 5 on the 16th for victory 3&2.
It was now fairly dark (we had teed off at 3:15 at the twilight rate). Derek had left his glasses at home so was playing in prescription sunglasses, so he had only the dimmest view of what now happened at the dead-rubber 17th.
It's a downhill 162 Yard par3 and Derek opted for an optimistic 9-iron which went slightly left and well short.
I looked at the card and the flag and the dramatic drop to the green and my first thought as usual is "no way is that 160 yards, looks like a sandwedge to me" but I know from experience that usually the numbers don't lie and that my efforts to get there with the lofted club often result in a half-way landing.
With a big green and no particular danger behind, I opted for a 7-iron. I assume I can hit a 7-iron 145 yards which seemed in theory the right distance with the flag at the front.
It would not be unfair to say my tee-hitting was poor on the day. Perhaps the pressure was off, or the knowledge that I had plenty of club allowed me to swing more comfortably. In any case, it was a beautiful strike - it sounded great, it was dead straight, and it soared up beautifully in the way it's supposed to. It looked like it would go for miles.
"Back of the green" declared Derek (whose ball-spotting skills are not the greatest !)
I followed the ball as it descended almost vertically and seemed to make landfall just at the very front edge and in the gloom rolled out of sight but apparently in great shape. Clear birdie shout.
"Hole in one" I countered.
We made our way down and as we passed Derek's ball 20yards short of the front-edge, there was still no sign of my ball on the green.
Now, how many times have you thought "I can't see it, it must be in the hole".
I asked Derek to accompany me to the flag. Even now I couldn't tell you whether I really thought it was in but - yes - unbelievably there it was.
Hole 17, Mowsbury Golf Course at 18:45 on 28th September 2008. Won in One.
I held up the ball for the imaginary crowds to cheer.
After that, it didn't seem worth playing the 18th. Doubtful whether it's ever worth playing again !
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