Ramblings from a writer, traveler, and insomniac

 
Re: Schanzer on Fox News

Read excerpts from an e-mail I sent Schanzer moments after his second TV appearance this week: "Good work. You're getting better at this everyday! Your first few appearances you were a little gunshy (and nervous, shit who wouldnt be!!!) Now you are an old pro. You stand up and disagree with stuff. Fuck yeah! During today's show my favorite line of yours was 'my source in Bagdad'! Who's your guy? A sixty year old used car salesman?

'Very good model. Only stolen once and can take a bullet from two blocks away.'

Did you call him before or after you did your football picks for the Pauly's Pub pool?

Friday Rib's to do list:
10:45 Call "source" in Iraq
10:55 Football Picks
11:15 Pedicure
12:15 pm Lunch
1:00 Fox News

The host cut you off a lot (not as bad as Bill O'Rielly did during your appearance on the O'factor)."
posted by Pauly at 8/29/2003 05:22:00 PM | Permalink |

 
My First Autograph

I signed my first autograph this week. Jessica shared Jack Tripper Stole My Dog with one of her co-workers, a woman from Brooklyn named Renee. I met Jessica for lunch and Renee asked me to sign the title page of JTSMD. I was psyched. It was my first autograph! She's a fan of the Baby and Winky stories as well. What a cool chick!

I wrote: "Renee, to my biggest fan. Peace, McG"
posted by Pauly at 8/29/2003 12:50:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Schanzer on TV again... today at 1:05 PM!

Jon Schanzer just sent me this note: "I got a last-minute call to appear on Fox News Channel today. I'll be on Linda Vester's "Dayside" shortly after 1pm EST. Topic: homeland security."
posted by Pauly at 8/29/2003 11:13:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Truckin' August 2003 (Vol 2., Issue 8)

The August edition of Truckin' has been posted! This month's issue includes five stories from your favorite author. I wrote some of these stories during the "Blackout"... can you tell which two? Sit back, enjoy, and please spread the good word about this site. Be sweet, McG.

1. What Yo-yo?
Across from me, three overweight kids all around nine or ten years old held onto Burger King bags... More

2. Baby, Winky, and the $1 Blowjob
Baby and I didn’t have regular jobs but we scratched together enough cash for our hefty cocaine habit. We ripped off drunk college kids in bars... More

3. Halibut, Cici's Pall Mall, and Blazing Saddles
A filterless Pall Mall hung off Cici’s bruised lip for a few moments before it tumbled off her chest and wedged itself in between the plush orange cushions.... More

4. How I Bet $8,000 and Lost a $16,000 Pot
There's a famous line from poker professional Doyle Brunson, "If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour... then you're the sucker." ...More

5. Summer Getaway with the Dead
I couldn’t stop myself from thinking… if Jerry didn’t die, these guys would still be playing! And I would have seen well over two hundred Dead shows by now... More

All stories written by Tenzin McGrupp © 2003
posted by Pauly at 8/29/2003 09:16:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail

1. Re: Greetings from Brazil

Armando wrote: "Hello Pauly, Long time since I've written you decently. I'm on business in Santiago and finally managed to find time to read the Tao which I'm ashamed to say I've neglected these past couple of weeks. It seems like you're on the mend and up and up. Good to see. Tough break on the poker game but coming in second is no chump change. Shit, that's impressive. Gambler, writer, painter.... is there a talent you don't have? I even heard rumours about your ability to pop ping pong balls out of a certain orifice.

Things here are hectic as shit to say the least. Barely arrived in Rio and I had to hightail it to
Chile on business. It's been crazy with the Transatlantic move but totally worth it. Pauly... I'm home man. I honestly didn't think I'd move back to Brazil but now I don't think I ever want to leave. It's funny how I've been all over the world to only end up right back in the country where I started. The smiling faces, the food, the ocean, the sheer beauty of Rio... it's a magical place. What's even sweeter is that Jeremy has fallen for it hard and has even been learning Portuguese at a breakneck speed.

We're still waiting for the owner to come back from vacation to see if we got the apartment we applied for but if so... it's got tons of room, right near the beach of Leblon (same as Ipanema just on the other side of the canal) and your name written all over it.

All my best, Armando"

Dear Armando, See you for Carnival! Hoooooooooo! Escreva para tras logo, McG


2. Re: TC in da House

Tom from Seattle wrote: "Hey Everybody in da House, TC will be takin' charge of the steel wheels next Tuesday (Sept. 2nd) for some post-Labor Day booty shakin' at the Contour (807 First AVE, Pioneer Square area, Seattle, WA). Hope to see you all there. Take Care. TC."

Dear Tom, I'll be there in spirit. Will you play some Lynard Skynard for me? Coolio, McG


3. Re: Colin Ader

Steve and Heather Ader sent me this: "We will never forget the day he came into our life... It is with great joy that we announce the adoption of Colin Edward on August 5, 2003... now we welcome him into our hearts."

Dear Steve, Heather & Colin, Congrats!! I know he'll grow up a Jets fan and a faithful Tao reader! Best of luck, McG


4. Re: Oh My Goodness!

Jessica wrote: "You say it when you're being flirty and nervous. It's your filler in that high-pitched voice cute Pauly kinda way. You know, along with that "hehehehehehehehe" giggle. Hey, did you curse Baffleck out for being a stupid putz?"

Dear Jessmiester, Oh my goodness. You know one of my "tells"... sneh! And I left Ben alone and let him play cards! If J. Lo were there, well, shit... it would have been a whole different story. Snoodles, McG


5. Re: Schanzer on TV

Schanzer wrote: "Thanks for watching, you're one of 412 Americans that caught my act this morning. Everyone else was hung over. Your new project looks pretty cool. How many blog sites you got?"

Dear Rib, I got at least fifteen different blog sites. Have you been to all of them?


6. Re: Thai Man Dies While Laughing in Sleep

Modeski wrote: "You guys might want to be careful of doing this!"

Dear Modeski, That link was hilarious. Keep up the good work! Later, McG


7. Re: Norwegian Girls Are Easy?

Sigge wrote: "Swedish girls ARE easier than Norwegian girls, statistically. But I guess you need to know where 2 look, the statistics are probably different from each part of the country. It wasn't meant as a joke, man. It's not that I've been that much in Sweden, but girls from the south of Norway and South of Sweden are pretty much the same. Bimbos all over the place:) Up here in the north, however, women are ice cold... pretty chilly around here."

Dear Sigge, I will take your advice and stick with the easy girls in the South! Thanks for the tip!


8. Re: Pauly Paintings

Senor wrote: "I am proud to announce that we have 7 Pauly Paintings on display in our apartment!!!!"

Dear Senor and Ang, I'm happy that I can help decorate the place! You currently own the largest collection of my works. Good. Very good! Thanks for the support. See ya, McG
posted by Pauly at 8/29/2003 12:42:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Man Molested by Penguin is a true and touching story. Check it out!

Here's what Sigge had to say: "A true story about a man and his childhood. Forgiveness isn't always possible. Only on Sigg3 dot net: 'I was molested by a penguin!'"

While you are there check out some of Sigge's other stuff. I am happy to announce that Sigge added Katie Holmes to his Female of the Year contest.
posted by Pauly at 8/28/2003 05:46:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Regis Alumni News... Annual Golf Outing

I got this e-mail the other day: "The Annual Alumni Golf Outing will once again be held at Westchester Hills Country Club. This event will be held on Monday, September 15th. The cost per player is $250 and in addition to greens fees it includes brunch, cocktails, dinner and door prizes."

posted by Pauly at 8/28/2003 08:45:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Been writing a heavy amount since my "bad beat" at Foxwoods exactly one week ago. Working on the new issue of Truckin' which will be out this weekend. My most productive writing day this previous week topped out at 8,000+ words. That might be the most I wrote in one session this year. I hope to keep up this nice run to close out the summer.
posted by Pauly at 8/27/2003 11:35:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Decks, Lies & Videotape is an article about the World Series of Poker and the recent spike in popularity of poker that appears in Time.

Here's a bit:"In an era when television is dominated by made-up competitions pitting brainless pretty people against other brainless pretty people — Fear Factor, Survivor, etc.--it is the brilliant uglies of the World Series who have provided some of the best human drama of the summer. On every episode, intelligence is rewarded, hubris is punished, millions of dollars change hands, and luck makes a cameo. Perhaps most shocking of all, people are watching."
posted by Pauly at 8/27/2003 11:22:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Speed Will Rule the NFL is an article written by Hunter S. Thompson and appears on ESPN.com.

Here's a bit: "And then there is Jets QB Chad Pennington, who went down and out on Sunday with his wrist broken in seven places. WHACKO! Now, only 40-year-old Vinny Testaverde is all that stands between the Jets and a 3-13 finish.

I always get mushy about Nixon when football season rolls around. He was the Real Thing, a genuinely educated football fan. I miss Nixon. Compared to these jerks we have in the White House now, Richard Nixon was a flaming Liberal."
posted by Pauly at 8/27/2003 10:19:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Ben Affleck Dropped $75 K at Foxwoods...

My "source" told me that "Mr. J. Lo" dropped $40,000 playing Blackjack at Foxwoods! That's before he went to the Poker Room for a $50-$50 Pot Limit Hold'em game. And they roped off Table 46 to keep the "rail hangers" back. When one guy did not have enough money for the buy-in for the game (He only had $2,000)... the story goes that Affleck tossed him $6,000 to play and sit. Later in the game that same guy was up $20,000. He took $6,000 in chips and put them in front of Affleck. That's when Affleck said something like, "Keep it. Don't worry about it."

And in case you were wondering, J. Lo was not "in da house". Ben frequents the $100-200 tables at the Commerce Casino in southern California. Is he a player? Affleck played loose and made a couple of flush draws.
posted by Pauly at 8/27/2003 08:23:00 AM | Permalink |

 
2003 World Series of Poker

The final episode will be aired tonight on ESPN at 8pm EST. Check your local listings for more details. I have been waiting for this episode all summer! We finally get to see how Chris Moneymaker wins the $2.5 Million first prize. Will I be there next year? I'm certainly going to try.
posted by Pauly at 8/26/2003 07:49:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Terrorism's Back Door is an article written by Jon Schanzer and appears in the L.A. Times. You need to register to view the article.

Here's a bit: "Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi, in a move designed to gain his country acceptance among the community of nations, agreed last week to pay $2.7 billion to the families of the 270 victims in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The move was seen as a dramatic step forward for a man known to have sponsored a wave of bloody international terror through the 1970s and 1980s. It even prompted discussions about whether Libya should be removed from Washington's list of state sponsors of terror and whether U.N.- imposed sanctions — in place for 11 years — should be lifted.

But though Kadafi's moves are a positive sign, a closer look reveals that he has merely switched to back-door channels to fund and lend his support to terrorists."
posted by Pauly at 8/26/2003 07:46:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Best of the Daily Dave 2002

Dave "Skippy" Simanoff recently posted links to the best blogs from The Daily Dave. Check it out!
posted by Pauly at 8/26/2003 06:35:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Schanzer on TV!

I'm currently watching Schanzer on Fox & Friends. Nice tie, Rib! Here are some blogworthy highlight's from his interview about the peace process in Israel and Iraq:

1. "Arafat is messing up the peace process as much as possible... he's able to pay off people on the streets with money he's pilferred..."

2. "We need to push Arafat out of the way."

3. "There's no need for the United States to get (involved) into this (peace process)."

4. "We need more boots, more people on the ground in Iraq..."

Al-Qaeda Enclaves is a new book that Schanzer is working on.
posted by Pauly at 8/26/2003 06:23:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Up at 6:15 AM? Schanzer Will Be on TV...

Jon Schanzer wrote: "Up at the crack of dawn tomorrow? If you are, then you can catch me on the Fox News Channel at 6:15am. We'll be chatting about the inner-struggles of the Palestinian Authority, which I believe is in the process of unraveling."
posted by Pauly at 8/25/2003 08:51:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Are you ready for some football?

Pauly's Pub 2003 Football Pool! Sign up today. It's free to entrer.

I will be having two leagues. The first one Pauly's Pub is where you just pick the teams and the second one Pauly's Pub Spreads is when you pick with the point spreads.

Group Name #1: Pauly's Pub
Password: pauly

Group Name #2: Pauly's Pub Spreads
Password: pauly

Best of luck.
posted by Pauly at 8/24/2003 05:57:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Poker Face

Here is an excerpt from Katy Lederer's novel Poker Face:

“This was as close as the family ever got, and so, even though the lot of us were violently competitive (if Annie lost a game, she’d throw cards; and if Howard lost, he’d glare as if you’d insulted his deepest, most delicate part, then slink around the kitchen table like a very proud cat), the atmosphere would seem to me incomparably congenial. Somewhere along the line I’d gotten it into my head that the playing of games was the same thing as civility and that friendly competition was the closest thing to love we’d ever know.”

Now check out: Book Review: Katy Lederer's Poker Face, written by Greg Dinkin and it appears in the current issue of Card Player Magazine. From what I read from the review and the excerpt, the book seems really good. Katy Lederer is the youngest sister of professional poker players Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, whom were both featured on ESPN's coverage of the 2003 World Series of Poker.

Here's a bit of the book review: "While I don’t know Howard Lederer and Annie Duke well, like most poker players, I know enough about them to want to know more. Aside from playing at the highest limits in cash games and having impressive tournament results, their very nature makes them compelling characters. Howard’s erudite style, critiquing hands and writing voluminous essays on RGP, has brought his poker intellect to the masses. Readers will be fascinated to learn about Howard as a youngster, including his fiercely competitive chess matches with his dad, his futile but thoughtful efforts to curb his mother’s drinking, and his time in New York as a homeless late teen. Annie’s character as a child isn’t as well developed in the book as her older brother’s, but you still get a glimpse of how the middle child in the Lederer family evolved into an aggressive poker player who never had any problem blending in with the boys — and taking their money.

Ultimately, this is a book about family. The author’s father, Richard Lederer, spend most of his adult life teaching English at an old-money prep school in New Hampshire called St. Paul’s. The middle-class family lived on campus, which raised issues for the kids of blending in with their more snobbish peers. When Katy started high school and began to live in the school’s student dorms, she got a taste of New England old money. From debutante balls at the Waldorf-Astoria to chronic anorexia and bulimia, she does an amazing job of taking the reader inside the living quarters at St. Paul’s and showing how it isn’t always easy for young women who seemingly have all the advantages in life."
posted by Pauly at 8/24/2003 08:56:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Ang Arrived!

Ang arrived in NYC yesterday afternoon and didn't spend too much time in the city. Ang wanted to get to Rhode Island, unpack, and meet Senor's parents right away. Alas, geographically my studio is on the way to Rhode Island. While I wrote, I got a call from Senor. He was driving north via the Henry Hudson Parkway (the street I live on) and stopped off. I met Ang and showed her my apartment. She looked adorable! She and the baby are healthy. Ang enjoyed the view from my terrace and seemed fascinated with some of my pictures of Senor, as well as a couple of my paintings. I let her pick one out (which was one of my favorites) as a "Welcome to America" gift.

The funniest moment: Apparently I say the phrase "Oh my goodness..." frequently. According to Senor, it's one of the my most popular sayings. I had no clue. Anyway, when I said "my catch phrase" one random time, Ang laughed and giggled hysterically. Senor told her on the way to my studio that I would definitely say that since I say "Oh my goodness!" all the time. Is it true?
posted by Pauly at 8/24/2003 08:51:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Nightmare in LA-LA Land is an article written by Hunter S. Thompson.

Here's a bit: "I had a truly horrible dream last night about how I blundered into a fight between Mike Tyson and Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. I was sitting next to Arnold (current betting favorite to be the next Governor of California) in the back seat of a black stretch-limozine. We were on our way to a TV studio for a debate about his long-time working friendship with the powerful Bush family from Texas and how it might affect the next Bush presidency when The Terminator seizes power in Sacramento and tries to hand over the state's 54 electoral votes by election day in 2004. That is the basic plan behind Schwarzenegger running. He doesn't want to be Governor, he just wants the electoral votes to go to Bush this time."
posted by Pauly at 8/23/2003 02:43:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Dave Simanoff wrote an excellent piece in yesterday's Tampa Tribune. Check out: Tampa's No San Francisco, Gay Travel Survey Finds... But Two Events This October Might Bring Turnaround.
posted by Pauly at 8/23/2003 02:42:00 PM | Permalink |

 
The Tao of Poker has been updated with a couple of new blogs about my trip to Foxwoods with Senor. I talked more in depth about the Act Two satellite that I played in, being more specific about the tournament structure and who I played against. Check it out!
posted by Pauly at 8/23/2003 01:09:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Reader Mail...

I added a new twist to the Tao of Pauly... every Friday there will be a specific post called Reader Mail in homage to the old school version of Late Nite with Letterman (when he was on NBC) and his Friday Viewer Mail. Here is the first edition. Enjoy!

1. Re: Tao of Poker

Molly wrote: "Ummm, the link you gave me takes me to some site called "Aaron's Bible", 'a mega-site of Bible and Christian information....'"

Dear Molly, You are the second person to tell me about that little glitch. I dunno why that happened. I think it's hilarious. Let me know if it happens again. See ya, McG


2. Re: Wearing Sunglasses at Poker Tournaments

Jerry Engel wrote: "I believe that it works - but don't you htink the good players know that and use it to their advantage? You would look great is those old 80s big black sunglasses like that Russian dude (Ralph Perry) who made it to the final table last year (at the 2002 World Series) and came in fourth or something? Maybe even a toothpick? You have to wear a Yankees shirt/jersey so thats how people will remember who you are - the guy in the Yankees Jersey, then just the Yankee gambler! And you will make it to a tv table... maybe not this year or next , but I see it in your future."

Dear Jerry, Thanks for the suggestions. If I ever make it to a final table I will consider the shades and Yankees gear! Thanks for you confidence in my play! Salukis, McG


3. Re: Howl Festival

Gil sent me this link: Howl Festival.

Dear Gil, Thanks for the link. Howl is my favorite Ginsberg poem. Word, McG


4. Re: Mike Gordon's Mom... Marge Minkin

Modeski sent me this message: " Hey - check it out! I stumbled on Mike Gordon's mom's website earlier today in search of more info about Mike's recent ordeal at The Dead show last week. His mom's an artist and has a site for her studio in MA. She has done some of the backdrops for their shows. Anyway, I dropped her a line earlier today expressing my condolences about Mike's situation, but mainly for her having to deal with her son being speculated about this crap. And she responded!"

To: Modeski@myway.com
From: Mike's Mom
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 21:33:43 EDT
Subject: Re: we know...

Thanks for the very thoughtful message. Of course you are right- Mike is innocent and would never hurt anyone. Wish I could say more-but can't right now. But it is nice to hear your kind words. Marge

Dear Modeski, Cool message! One guy was quoted in the NY Post that "Mike lives on another planet, but he would never hurt a soul. He's been taking pictures for decades...". To hell with Kobe... Free Mike! See ya, McG


5. Re: How I Bet $8,000 and Lost a $16,000 Pot!

Schanzer wrote: "Fucking bad ass story, McG. Love it. Keep em coming!"

Dear Rib, As long as I keep playing cards, I'll have plenty of bad beat tales! See you in Atlantic City soon! McG


6. Re: How I Bet $8,000 and Lost a $16,000 Pot!

Jerry Engel wrote: "Awesome - that story rocks - Sounds like you did really good and have built some confidence going forward. And despite your rebuff of validation from fellow players - you dug it and that also builds your confidence, which I am sure, somewhere in those books you are reading, is a key component to be a good card player. The real question is, what the fuck was Senor doing all this time???"

Dear Jerry, Thanks for your kind words! Senor missed his named being called for the Tournament and didn't get a seat. He played Roulette and won some money while I was in the tourney. He left towards the end because he had to get up early for work.


7. Re: How I Bet $8,000 and Lost a $16,000 Pot!

Jay Sheer wrote: "Yo congrats on the tournament man, that's awesome you were down to the final two. When I played (a tourney) at Mohegan Sun I got down to the final three tables and I thought that was pretty good. Nice job man!"

Dear Jay, Thanks! I got good cards and gained confidence as the tournament progressed. See you in Atlantic City for the Borgata Poker Open?
posted by Pauly at 8/22/2003 11:44:00 AM | Permalink |

 
SANAA DISPATCH: Basket Catch is an article wrriten by Jonathan Schanzer and will appear in The New Republic. Thanks to Schanzer who gave me permission to blog his entire article.

Post date: 08.21.03
Issue date: 09.01.03

Along the serpentine road that heads east from the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to the desert, the barrel of a tribe-owned tank peers out over rugged, lawless territory where heavily armed local patriarchs shun government authority and harbor Al Qaeda militants. In the governorate of Ma'rib, a cigarette-smoking 10-year-old carries a Desert Eagle handgun in his belt, one of some 60 million weapons scattered throughout this country of 20 million people. At arms bazaars, or souks, anyone with a fistful of cash and minimal bartering skills can buy rocketpropelled grenades and heavy machine guns. Yemen's ubiquitous weaponry is menacing and seems even more so when you consider that the country has been home to a string of terrorist attacks that began with Osama bin Laden's first in 1992 and culminated in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in October 2000, which killed 17 sailors. Recently, several alleged participants in that assault escaped an Aden prison by drilling through a bathroom wall, raising suspicions about government cooperation with terrorists.

Yemen, bin Laden's ancestral home, is widely considered a war-on-terrorism basket case. Last year, on the six-month anniversary of the September 11 attacks, President Bush even suggested that Yemen had the potential to become another Afghanistan. But, in recent months, Sanaa has made quiet but significant strides in cracking down on terrorist elements. In the war on terrorism, Yemen may yet emerge as an unlikely success story.

The first improvements came in the aftermath of the Cole attack, amid U.S. pressure for increased counterterror steps. The United States squeezed Sanaa even harder after September 11, 2001, especially when it learned that Ramzi bin Al Shibh, who Washington believes played a key logistics role in the attacks, was Yemeni. But it wasn't until the October 2002 attack on the French oil tanker Limburg that Yemen's gloves came off. That attack cost this poverty-stricken country dearly in environmental cleanup, tourist cancellations, and port usage, which dropped sharply after insurance rates shot up 300 percent for vessels wanting to dock here. According to a government report, "Investment projects which have been already implemented at the cost of several millions of dollars were suspended. Thousands of job opportunities were lost. The total loss could be estimated at 1.8 billion U.S. dollar [sic]." Such losses are disastrous in a country where the average yearly income is an estimated $840. The realization that it couldn't afford any more attacks--combined, perhaps, with some unease at Washington's ability to forcibly oust the Taliban and Saddam Hussein and push aside Yasir Arafat--drove Yemen to dramatically expand its anti-terror cooperation with the United States.

The following month, in November 2002, a U.S.-operated unmanned aerial vehicle incinerated a car carrying six Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen's badlands, including the wanted Ali Qaed Sinan Al Harthi, one of Al Qaeda's top leaders in Yemen and a suspect in the Cole attack. In December 2002, Yemen's rubber-stamp parliament published a surprisingly frank, 96-page account of Yemen's terrorism crisis, listing well-known attacks as well as smaller hits that had failed to make headlines. And now, nine months later, although two prominent Al Qaeda terrorists and dozens of lesser operatives remain at large in Yemen, there is a sense in Washington that Sanaa is genuinely cooperating. The CIA and Yemen's interior ministry have been working together, and FBI Director Robert Mueller and Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh shook hands in June over the establishment of a "Legal Office" in the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, formalizing an FBI presence that began in 2000. Yemen now ranks among other valued allies with FBI offices, including Jordan and Egypt. Contrast this with the obstinate Syria, which once provided the United States with great intelligence on Al Qaeda but turned on Washington during the recent Iraq war by allowing guerrilla fighters to cross its border. Yemen-U.S. coordination, on the other hand, is yielding growing dividends. Yemeni intelligence tips thwarted a recent plot against the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa--a move that reportedly earned the personal gratitude of President Bush. The London-based Arabic daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that the FBI office in Yemen is now looking for Anwar Al Aulaqi, an American of Yemeni descent who was mentioned in Congress's report on the September 11 attacks for his ties to two of the hijackers--Nawaf Al Hazmi and Khalid Al Mihdhar. In addition, military ties between Washington and Sanaa have expanded, beginning with increased coast guard cooperation. U.S. Marines are also training elite Yemeni forces to ferret out shadowy Al Qaeda elements, and, in late June and July, Yemeni forces arrested 37 militants in operations against the Islamic Army of Aden, a local group with known ties to Al Qaeda, in a village some 280 miles south of Sanaa. Yemeni officials say they have deported more than 5,000 terrorism suspects since 1998, and as many as 300 militants with known Al Qaeda links are in Yemeni jails.

Just as important, President Saleh appears eager to prove that he is not a typical Middle East autocrat à la Saddam, Arafat, or Bashar Al Assad. Thus, when Baghdad fell and Iraqi citizens were seen burning posters of their ousted despot, Saleh ordered his larger-than-life posters removed from Yemen's capital. Saleh has also de-emphasized the role of his son Ahmad, a 33-year-old colonel in charge of Yemen's Republican Guard whose military post and rank--which were incommensurate with his experience--were uncomfortably reminiscent of the roles played by Uday and Qusay Hussein. Although he had won a parliamentary seat in 1997, Ahmad was not nominated by his father's ruling party for reelection this spring. Instead, the General People's Congress lost Ahmad's constituency to Islah, the Islamist opposition party. Western observers still believe Ahmad is being groomed for the presidency when his father steps down in 2012, but Saleh now appears to be treading more carefully.

While Ahmad's political fate is yet to be determined, the internationally monitored elections that took place on April 27 represented a modest step toward democracy. Although Yemen's political system is nepotistic and rife with accusations of corruption, democracy watchers, such as the Washington-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, say it is one of the freest in the categorically undemocratic Middle East. And, although Yemen's self-censored press might be viewed as an indicator of severe repression, in daily qat chews (four- to six-hour sessions when Yemenites munch on a mildly narcotic leaf), politics are discussed freely. Opposition groups, such as Islah and the Socialist Party, freely criticize the president, albeit within unspoken limits. Stepping outside those limits may jeopardize your access to power, but it won't jeopardize your life. While opposition leaders bitterly accused the government of tampering with the April elections, most are still eager to continue participating in the country's deeply flawed but evolving democratic experiment.

This is not to say Yemen's problems are in the past. American diplomats are afraid to leave their heavily guarded compound because of recent violence, and the Yemeni government continues to undercut Washington's military and diplomatic efforts to varying degrees. Ahead of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Saleh called for several large demonstrations (turnout estimates ranged from 200,000 to one million people) to protest American "terrorism." Last December, Yemen was found importing Scud missiles from North Korea, and, in mid-May, Saleh met with Mohammed Khatami, president of Iran, the other remaining state in the "axis of evil." He also met last year with Khaled Meshal of Hamas. Such developments are undoubtedly alarming, but they do not overshadow Saleh's contributions to the war on terrorism. Insiders here say these moves represent not so much a turn against the United States as a balancing act they call "walking on the heads of snakes." As a survivalist leader in a weak state, Saleh knows he must not only cooperate with the West but also work with controversial Islamic leaders and a range of domestic actors. If cooperation with Yemen expands, Washington will be better positioned to curb Sanaa's more questionable activities. Indeed, this is already happening; Yemen has agreed not to purchase any more weapons from North Korea, according to one adviser. In that way, Yemen--once considered among the region's worst offenders--may one day become a case study in how to clean up a terrorism-addled country.

Jonathan Schanzer is a Soref Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Copyright 2003, The New Republic
posted by Pauly at 8/22/2003 11:23:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Little League World Series...

I watched a crazy game last night. The team from Saugus, MA beat a team from Texas in extra innings 14-13. Saugus was up 10-2 and blew the lead. Texas came back to tie in the sixth inning, only to get the lead in extra innings 13-10. Saugus, MA came back to win it all, on a close call at first base. Saugus plays Florida for the US Championships.
posted by Pauly at 8/22/2003 11:17:00 AM | Permalink |

 

How I Bet $8,000 and Lost a $16,000 Pot!

I played in a No Limit Tournament and came in second place!

Well the good news is that Senor and I played at not one, but two different casinos yesterday. We started off at Mohegan Sun and played Seven Card Stud ($1-$5) and $3-6 Hold'em for a couple of hours (we both lost around $200 combined). I lost a couple of close hands. Since the Mohegan Sun poker room is closing in two weeks, management decided that they would no longer hold daily tournmanets at 7PM. With that information, I told Senor that we should drive to Foxwoods and play there, since it was only 15 minutes away.

Long story short, I played in a World Poker Finals Act Two Satellite Tournament. The buy in was $120 and the winner was awarded a $1,100 Coupon for an Act Three Tournament. If you win the Act Three Tournament you get a $10,000 seat at the World Poker Finals in November, which will be televised on the World Poker Tour coverage on the Travel Channel. Basically I needed to win an Act Two and then an Act Three... in order to get a shot at over $1 Million purse and the chance to play with the big boys like Howard Lederer (last year's winner), Phil Ivey, Layne Flack, and Phil Hellmuth.

Alas, I got great cards but I only came in second place. And only first place gets a prize (a seat at an Act Three Tournament). The tournament was about two and a half hours long. There are ten players with $2,000 in tournamnet chips (not real money). The goal is to be the last guy with all the chips! Simple, huh?

I started out slow, but won two quick pots with Pocket Aces and Ace-10 of spades (I flopped the nut flush) and was the chip leader at one point with $3,600 in chips. Then I didn't get much in the middle levels of play. With six players remaining, I knocked out the guy next to me. He put his chips "all-in" with an A-3. I played right back at him and called him, "I'm all in!" I busted him with my A-9. He was pissed.

I know what you are thinking... "Pauly, how did you lose $8,000?"

I made it to the end, surviving until I was one of the last two players. "Steve" held almost $12,000 in chips and I had about $8,000. It was 11 pm and the blinds (forced betting) were $600 and $1200! (Again this is not real money, and realize I normally play low limit games like $2-4 or $3-6!) I had the little blind and called $600 more. I held A-9 of spades, a better than average hand, but playing heads-up, it's a great hand!! The flop came out... 9-9-8! I just flopped a set (or three) of 9s! I bet $1,200. Steve raised me $1,200 and then I made the toughest decision of my younger poker career. I went "all in". Steve called me and the pot was over $16,000! Steve turned over his cards... K-9. He was shocked to see that I held A-9 suited. Statistically speaking, I was the favorite to win the hand. I made a textbook play and I was winning the pot after the flop. However, the turn card came and it was a King! I was stunned. Steve made a full house with Nines and Kings. I was fucked! I was now a huge underdog, with only an Ace that could save me. Alas, the river card came, and it was a Seven. I lost all my chips and finished in second place. Steve was shocked at the results. He thought he was fucked. He should have been. If I won, I would have been in perfect position to win the entire tournament. I would have had $16,000 in chips, four times as much as Steve's $4,000. With the blinds at $1,200, I would have bullied him with raises and re-raises until I got all his chips. I blew it. I got fucked on the turn!!

Steve and the other players shook my hand and complimented me on my play. Steve said I only showed two or three hands all night (a sign that you are a strong player... that other players fold to you, because they think/know you have a better hand). I wasn't looking for any validtation from my fellow cards players. I know I'm a good player (just inexperienced). I lost on a bad beat. Every poker pro would salivate over the position I was in, to double up on chips against the chip leader. They would have pushed it all in with an A-9, so I know that I made the right play. But sometimes in life and in Texas Hold'em... the right play is not always the winning play.

Fuck! I lost $8,000 and a $16,000 pot! Just writing about this pisses me off! I would have fucking rocked that Act Three Tournament, if I got a shot.

I'll be back to play in at least two or three more Act Twos... World Poker Finals are in Novemeber. I'll try again in Septmeber, October, and in early Novemeber.

Anyway, this was my quick bad beat tale. I'll get into more logistics later. I need to sleep! Visit the Tao of Poker later tonight for the sordid deatils of my bad beat!

posted by Pauly at 8/21/2003 09:57:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Mohegan Sun...

I will be leaving soon. I'm driving up to Uncasville, CT to meet up with Senor. Will we play a round of golf this afternoon? Perhaps. But we are definitely going to play cards at Mohegan Sun for a couple of hours. They have $3-6 Hold'em tables. Later tonight, at 7 PM there is a No Limit tournament with a $50 buy-in.

I hope that I can make it to the final table (and at least make it into the "money"... meaning I placed high enough in the tournament that I'm awarded a percentage of the prize money.) We'll see how I play. I didn't get a good night's sleep probably because I had alot on my mind (been writing a heavy amount since the blackout), and OK... I'll admit that I'm a little nervous. Actually I'm more anxious than nervous. I just want to play! I did some prepping for tonight's tournament by reading books from David Sklansky, Ken Warren, and of course from the "Dude" himself Doyle Brunson and his epic book Super System.

Wish me good cards!
posted by Pauly at 8/20/2003 08:01:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Headlines...

1. At Least 20 Dead in Homicide Bus Bombing in Jerusalem
2. Many Bodies Still Buried at UN HQ in Iraq After Truck Bomb
3. Mike from Phish Arrested fo Child Endangerment
4. World Outrage Over UN HQ Bombing
posted by Pauly at 8/20/2003 07:41:00 AM | Permalink |

 
String Cheese Sues Ticketbastard!

Here's a bit: STRING CHEESE INCIDENT vs. TICKETMASTER... "String Cheese Incident's ticketing arm is suing corporate giant Ticketmaster in federal court in Denver, claiming it unfairly monopolizes the American ticket sales market and prevents independent ticketing companies from doing business. At a press conference in New York on Monday, members of String Cheese Incident and its management company Madison House charged that Ticketmaster, which is owned by Interactive Corp., unfairly restricts the band's ability to sell tickets directly to its fans by allocating an increasingly miniscule allotment of tickets to the band for that purpose."
posted by Pauly at 8/19/2003 12:55:00 PM | Permalink |

 
2003 World Series of Poker

ESPN will be airing the final episode (out of seven hours of coverage) of the 2003 World Series of Poker tonight at 9 PM EST. Check your local listings for more details. Tonight you'll find out how Chris Moneymaker wins the $2.5 Million first prize during the WSoP last May.

I am one of the few people who does not have the Travel Channel included in my cable package! Fuck Cablevision. Alas, I am unable to watch the World Poker Tour every Wednesday night! So the ESPN coverage is the only poker I have found on TV.
posted by Pauly at 8/19/2003 09:22:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Texas Dolly Diet

This was listed as Doyle Brunson's Bio... "Doyle Brunson quite literally wrote the book on poker. His "Super System" is the tome many other pros point to as the book that was most influential to them. Doyle was the first player ever to win $1,000,000 in a tournament. He recently lost 100 lbs. on a million dollar bet with a pool of friends."

Now that's a gambler! "Texas Dolly" Doyle Brunson won a million dollars and improved his health!
posted by Pauly at 8/18/2003 11:18:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Blackout

Here's a bit: The Blackout was "a Realization of Bin Laden's promise to offer the Iraqi people a present"

A communique attributed to Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the power blackout that happened in the U.S. last Thursday, saying that the brigades of Abu Fahes Al Masri had hit two main power plants supplying the East of the U.S., as well as major industrial cities in the U.S. and Canada, "its ally in the war against Islam (New York and Toronto) and their neighbors."

The communiqué assured that the operation "was carried out on the orders of Osama bin Laden to hit the pillars of the U.S. economy," as "a realization of bin Laden's promise to offer the Iraqi people a present."
posted by Pauly at 8/18/2003 10:48:00 PM | Permalink |

 

Tao of Poker

I am introducing a brand new blog called the Tao of Poker. It will be a poker web log where I can blog stories about poker and my poker games. It's a great place to find poker links, as well as information on upcoming World Poker Tour events and satellite schedules. So far I have gotten a couple of positive comments on the new template. What do you think?
posted by Pauly at 8/18/2003 08:46:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Ang Gets a Visa!

Senor just called with some great news... Ang (his wife to be living in Thailand) just secured a visa to come live in America! She'll be arriving within the next few weeks. Best of luck...!
posted by Pauly at 8/18/2003 07:20:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Re: Faded Celebrities Get a Gig Greeting Fans on the Phone...

Derek sent me this comment: "This is the funniest part in the paragraph ... Rerun has gone through six marriages to four women. Too funny!!!! I think Rerun missed his calling ... he should have been an NBA player. I wonder if he has as many kids as a Shawn Kemp!"

Derek is talking about this part:

"On the '70s television show "What's Happening!" Berry used to play that funny, heavy-set, dancing character named Rerun in a red beret and suspenders. In his real life over the years, Berry has experienced drug and alcohol problems, gone through recovery, gone through six marriages to four women and become an ordained minister."
posted by Pauly at 8/18/2003 07:20:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Girtz sent me a link to his new website: www.girtzlaw.com. Check it out.
posted by Pauly at 8/17/2003 09:54:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Telling the Truth in Iraq is an article written by Thomas Friedman and appears in today's NY Times.

Here's a bit: "But here's what is new and will have a big impact on inter-Arab politics, if Iraq can be rebuilt: Many Iraqis today express real resentment for the other Arab regimes, and even toward the Palestinians, for how they let themselves be bought off by Saddam. They feel that Saddam used the Iraqi people's oil wealth to buy popularity for himself in the Arab street — by giving Palestinians and other Arab students scholarships and nice apartments in Baghdad, and by paying off all sorts of Arab nationalist writers and newspapers. And then these same Arab intellectuals and media gave Saddam a free pass to torture, repress and starve his own people. In other words, "Arabism," in the minds of many Iraqis, is the cloak that Saddam hid behind to imprison them for 35 years, and now that they can say that out loud, they are saying it.

You'd never know this from watching Arab satellite television like Al Jazeera. Because although these stations have 21st-century graphics, they're still dominated by 1950's Nasserite political correctness — which insists that dignity comes from how you resist the foreigner, even if he's come as a liberator, not by what you build yourself."
posted by Pauly at 8/17/2003 09:59:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Hunter S. Thompson!

Here are three of the latest articles from ESPN.com that the Good Doctor wrote...

1. Speed Kills and other Football Wisdom (8.12.03)
2. The Nation's Capital: From Bush to Snyder (7.29.03)
3. Welcome to the Big Darkness (7.22.03)

Here's a bit: "Hi, folks, my name is still Thompson, and I still drink gin with ER Nurses at night -- but in one particular way, I am a New Man, a different man, a more dangerous man than I was the last time we talked...."
posted by Pauly at 8/17/2003 09:56:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Widespread Panic!

I just scored tix to WSP's two epic shows (including Halloween!) at Madison Square Garden later this fall. MSG is a venue they have never played. I think that those might be the last shows for the boys since they will be going on hiatus after the fall tour. Excited? You betcha!
posted by Pauly at 8/16/2003 09:16:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Happy Birthday, Senor!

Today is offically Senor Day on the Tao of Pauly as we celebrate the birth of the one and only Senor! If you would like to send Senor birthday wishes, send them Here! See you this week at the casino....!

Would you like to read some of Senor's Truckin' stories?

1. Chesire Grin
2. How High Can You Try?
3. Senor, Your Plane Is Waiting for You
4. Deep Thoughts: Myanmar
5. Furthur
6. A Cambodian Love Story
7. Angel of Death
8. Mysticism
9. Busted
10. Loveless Sex AND Sexless Love
11. I'm Taking Off My Pants!
12. Misadventures from the Philippines Part II
13. Laughing Laughing, Senor Falls Apart
14. Just Your Average Week in Nepal
15. Sisters
16. Graveyard Shift

All stories are written by Senor © 2002-2003!
posted by Pauly at 8/16/2003 08:23:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Blackout!

Funny things happen when all the electricty vanishes! Power was restored for me about 8:30 AM. Sixteen hours without juice. It wasn't too bad. I had a great time. I was prepared with candles and an amazing book to read written by poker legend Doyle Brunson called Super System: A Course in Power Poker, a book all the best poker playes consider "the Bible". It is a 600 plus page monster and I knocked out more than half of that fucker yesterday and last night. I had about two hours of power available on my laptop, but chose to conserve it (just in case we'd be in for the long haul). I am fortunate to have a typewriter at my disposal... add a few candles and I was set to write in the darkness. I listened to the Yankees game on the radio. They beat Baltimore. I got a faint signal of a classic rock station and they played a half hour straight of the Beatles, as well as plenty of Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead. Overall, I wasn't affected at all. My cell phone was unable to make calls to anywhere inside NYC, but I could get calls from out of state.

The coolest thing about the blackout was that for the first time ever, I got to see a cluster of stars above New York. Way cool.

I heard some horror stories about people stuck in elevators and subways. Geez. Well that's it for now. Gotta get some stuff done, just in case the power goes bacl out.

posted by Pauly at 8/15/2003 01:34:00 PM | Permalink |

 
Old Blogs, New Looks...

Have you seen these newly redesigned blog sites?

1. The Daily Dave (Dave Simanoff)
2. Sigge.net... Life In Between Stations (Sigge Amadal)

They look great. Keep up the good work guys!
posted by Pauly at 8/14/2003 10:58:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Bad Things are Happening Underground in the Gaza Strip

Tunnel Vision is an article written by Jonathan Schanzer and appears in the Weekly Standard.

Here's a bit: "WITH SO MUCH RECENT FOCUS on the West Bank "separation fence," the issue that prompted Israel to build a barrier in the first place has been obscured. But as this week's suicide bombings show, the threat of continued Palestinian terror lingers. And in some cases, that threat literally lingers just beneath the surface.

For a decade now, the arsenals of Palestinian terror groups have been armed and replenished by way of short smuggling tunnels that stretch across Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip. It is this Palestinian-made labyrinth, more than the Israeli-made fence, that poses a long-term threat to Middle East peace.

To be sure, this issue is not new. After the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, it was reported that the Palestinians had built a network of tunnels for smuggling black market items like cigarettes and drugs, as well as weaponry, explosives, and even people from Egypt to Israel.

In some cases, the tunnels are elaborate; media reports indicate that some have wood paneling, electricity, lighting systems, air ducts, communications equipment, rails, wagons--even elevators. Building them takes less than three months and costs up to $10,000. The better ones are burrowed well beneath the surface--sometimes more than 50 feet--so as to evade sonar detection by the Israeli engineer corps.

Shockingly, many of the tunnels lead into the homes of Palestinians in Gaza, concealed beneath bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms."
posted by Pauly at 8/14/2003 10:44:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Project Greenlight Winning Script... the Preview

Are you curious to see what film won the contest? Would you like to view the trailer of the winning script that beat out Charlie's Goldfish.

For non-MAC users: The Battle of Shaker Heights
MAC users: The Battle of Shaker Heights

Speaking of Charlie's Goldfish... a copy of the script finally made it's way to Senor! Last October, about ten months ago, I mailed Senor a copy of Charlie's Goldfish to his home on Samui, Thailand. I enclosed the script in a waterproof pouch and paid well over $20 to have it shipped (via air mail) in less than two weeks time. Of course it never got there!! A couple of weeks ago, I finally got him another copy of my script, the one that I wrote in less than one week to make the deadline for PGL.

Anyway... Senor called me the other night to tell me that he finally finished the script. And that of course, he loved it! Thanks... for the support.
posted by Pauly at 8/14/2003 10:35:00 AM | Permalink |

 
That's Where They Went! Faded Celebrities Get a Gig Greeting Fans on the Phone...

Hollywood's Version Of Caller Waiting is an article written by Libby Copeland and appears in the Washington Post.

Here's a bit: "If you ever find yourself wondering, perhaps while watching late-night television reruns or idly clipping your toenails, whatever happened to former Hulk Lou Ferrigno or former child actor Todd Bridges, puzzle no longer. It turns out they're waiting to hear from you.

That's right! At HollywoodIsCalling.com, a scrappy-looking two-month-old Web site, all that's required is your credit card number or electronic check in the amount of $19.95, and within seven days you can expect to hear from one bona fide, if slightly faded, celebrity wishing you Happy Halloween, get well soon, or congratulations on your retirement. The 15-second phone call works out to over a dollar a second, which is, if you think about it, a small price to pay for the privilege of knowing that, for example, hunky Lorenzo Lamas is incredibly excited that you're turning 40."

Here's a list of the "has-been" stars that will call you up for just $15!

Andrea Thompson
Christopher Atkins
David Naughton
Fred "Rerun" Berry
Greg Evigan
John De Lancie
John Fiore
Lana Wood
Lorenzo Lamas
Lou Ferrigno
Mitch Ryder
Peter Jurasik
Reginald Ballard
Richard Hatch
Rick Searfoss
Robert Fuller
Robert Hegyes
Shauna Sand - Lamas
Steve Monroe
The Barbi Twins
Tim Russ
Todd Bridges
Tom Candiotti
Tony Todd

Is everyone going to chip in and get Fred "Rerun" Berry or Greg "BJ and the Bear" Evigan to call me on my birthday??? That would be like... the coolest gift ever!



posted by Pauly at 8/14/2003 10:22:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Tao of Pauly on the Prom Blog!

Thanks to Alex the creater of Prom on Mars who recently gave the Tao a shout out on his Prom Blog. Keep up the good work.
posted by Pauly at 8/13/2003 10:07:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Dead at Jones Beach... a Few Afterthoughts

I think that Sunday's show was the best show (The Dead and the Other Ones) I have seen since Jerry died. There were one or two kick ass Phil and Friends shows that I got see over the last few years, but Sunday's show was up there with those gigs. All in all, I was happy to see a St. Stephen because I never saw the Grateful Dead perform it live. They stopped playing that in October of 1983. Terrapin Station was something I had been dying to hear. The acoustic set was mellow and Jone Beach is a nice place to see a show. I sat next to a guy named Jimmy who had seen well over 400 hundred Grateful Dead shows, since 1973! He smoked me out with some homegrown Maui Bsssssssss! And I was a flooded puddle for most of the second set!

Bruce Cohen e-mailed me his thoughts:

"I can say that the second night was definitely a better show than the opening night. The Sunday night show seemed like a more BREAKOUT VIBE. The weather was nicer. I caught the whole acoustic set. The Uncle John's Band opener was nice. Phil Lesh did a nice Mountains of the Moon. Jimmy Herring was chilling on a stool, finger picking out on an acoustic guitar. Sounded coolio. Must Have Been the Roses is always a nice ballad with Joan Osbourne singing, it was nice. She has a clean mellow voice. Well it seemed like the acoustic set was more like a paired down electric set. But, I kinda was expecting more like a Radio City Music Hall (Circa 1980) type of set.

The DEAD left no holds unbarred. Opening set 2 with the DRUMS was way cool and surprising all with breaking out into ST. STEPHEN which was freaking awesome. I have kinda missed all of the PHIL & FRIENDS shows that they played St. Stephen and the Eleven. For me, this was the night to finally get a shot at seeing them jam on this OLD STUFF!! They did not disappoint... the St. Stephen's > Eleven ROCKED! I was digging it... heavy POWER CHORDS and hi-energy jamming. They play most of the stuff I wanted to see, well i suppose doing a Viola Lee Blues or Alligator could have been added. But Morning Dew, TERRAPIN, UNBROKEN CHAIN, ST. STEPHEN, WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE and THE ELEVEN... NOT TOO SHABBY!!!!

They did US BLUES as an encore and they did not disappoint by doing a jamming TOUCH OF GREY to end the show. US SHMOOZ is kinda way played out so, I was psyched they didn't just bolt out after that.

Despite the bad karma on Saturday night (the smackup accident with the car entering the beach) and the off and on rainy flow at the Saturday show... all and all things were pretty COOLIO Sunday night with the Dead."

Alea commented:

"Out of four shows I have seen since the reunion, Sunday was the best show by far. The venue was very cool. Right up on the beach. You could see the moon and the waves rolling up onto the beach! Very cool!"


posted by Pauly at 8/13/2003 09:55:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Stu Ungar & Crsipy Lineta

Derek sent me this e-mail: "Hey, I was watching ESPN this morning and they had this extended cover story on a guy named Steve (Stu) Ungar. have you heard of him? He was this great poker player who died a few years ago at age 45. He last won a tourney in 1997. He won the World Series of Poker at Binions. He didn't have the entry fee b/c he was broke and spent all his money on drugs, so another poker player paid his fee and he ended up winning. He split the pot with the guy but spent all of it on drugs, etc before the 1998 (WSoP) tourney rolled around and he died shortly afterwards. He never entered the 1998 (WSoP) tourney . . . . he made it to Binions that year but couldn't make it out of his hotel room. Did you see the story? It was a good story piece on him, his drug abuse, his gambling and his daughter. Everyone said he was the best (poker player ever). His nose was all fucked up towards the end of his life. Too much cocaine abuse. They said he won over $300 million dollars in poker tourney (and side) games but died with only $800 in his pocket. Crazy story. It reminded me of your Crsipy Lineta stories in Truckin'."

Well, I saw that clip on ESPN and it's a sad story. I guess ESPN is hyping up their last 2 hours of the 2003 World Series of Poker coverage on Tuesdays nights at 9 PM EST. At any rate, the Crsipy Lineta story is loosely based on the life of Stu Ungar, a guy that I never met personally, but just like in the Truckin' story, I once saw the "Champ" at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1994. There is a serious dark side to the poker world and Stu Ungar was one of the casualities of a fast life and fast cash.

posted by Pauly at 8/12/2003 08:52:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Dead!

8.10.03 Jones Beach Amphitheatre, Wantagh, NY

Set I (Acoustic): Uncle John's Band > Mountains of the Moon, Blackbird > Me and My Uncle, It Must Have Been the Roses, Deal, Brokedown Palace

Set II: Drums > Self Defense > Mr. Charlie > Jam > St. Stephen > William Tell Bridge > The Eleven > All That We Are > Sugar Magnolia

Set III: All Along the Watchtower > Unbroken Chain > Space > Morning Dew > The Other One > Terrapin Station > Samson and Delilah > Turn On Your Lovelight

Encore: U.S. Blues > Touch of Grey

Notes: the best Dead show I saw this year!
posted by Pauly at 8/11/2003 08:37:00 AM | Permalink |

 
"There's a romance about being a young man, on the road in America and you had to do it... a right of passage and at the same time it was the material that you drew from to write about... starting to be real guys... and enjoying the hell out of it." - Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead
posted by Pauly at 8/10/2003 09:26:00 AM | Permalink |

 
The Dead Setlist

8.9.03 Jones Beach Theater, Long Island, NY

Set 1: (Acoustic Set) Strawberry Fields Forever > Friend of the Devil > Lazy River Road, Candyman, Stella Blue, Cassidy, Bird Song

Set 2: Shakedown Street > Minglewood Blues, Crazy Fingers > Loser, Tomorrow Never Knows > Playin in the Band

Set 3: Jam > Milestones > Playin > Mississippi 1/2 Step > Ramble On Rose > Jam > Drums > Space > Bird Song > Cassidy > Sugaree

Encore: One More Sat Night, Ripple
posted by Pauly at 8/10/2003 09:10:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Poker as a Life is written by Roy Cooke and appears in the current issue of Card Player Magazine.

Here's a bit: "Players often ask me if I think they should go pro in poker. The answer is almost invariably a resounding, “No!” But, as is the case with most difficult questions in both life and poker, the answer is always: It depends. Choosing any career is a very life-defining decision. Choosing one with the stresses and uncertainty of a life at the green felt is risky, daring, and perhaps even foolish. But, it’s certainly a decision I can understand someone making. Poker has been very good to many players who put together a successful formula, but it has not been good to everyone who has pursued the game as a career.

There are two clichés that are both true, sort of: Poker is a hard way to make an easy living. And, play poker for a living and sleep till noon."

posted by Pauly at 8/10/2003 09:08:00 AM | Permalink |

 

IT Pictures!

Visit the Bangor Daily News to see their cool gallery of 40 plus pictures random Phishy pictures from last weekend in Maine.
posted by Pauly at 8/10/2003 08:57:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Jerry Day?

Eight years ago today Jerry Garcia died. Fitting that I will be able to go see The Dead play three sets tonight!! I hope Jerry wisks the rain clouds away!
posted by Pauly at 8/09/2003 11:21:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Truckin' July 2003 (Vol 2., Issue 7)

Welcome to my monthly blog-zine and the late July edition of Truckin'! This month's issue includes three new stories. I brought back a crowd favorite, the infamous Baby and Winky for another incident. This issue represents another idea for a screenplay and one for a new novel. Sit back, enjoy, and please spread the good word about this site. Be sweet, McG.

1. Halibut by Tenzin McGrupp
With an annoying penetrating sweat that burned his right eye, Halibut raced down the street towards his destination, the grocery store... More

2. Baby, Winky, and Van Gogh's Ear by Tenzin McGrupp
Baby kissed me on the cheek, sat down on the couch, and sipped my Margarita. “How was work?” ... More

3. El Diablo Rojo by Tenzin McGrupp
I sipped my beer and stared at her necklace, a half inch unpolished silver cross attached to a slightly larger dark brown wood cross... More

posted by Pauly at 8/09/2003 11:07:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw Phisheads Reading on Phish Tour...

1. Run Diary by Hunter S. Thompson
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. You Can't Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe
4. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk
posted by Pauly at 8/09/2003 11:06:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Last 5 Books I Saw People Reading in Airports...

1. Unbearable Likeness of Being by Milan Kundera
2. The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith
3. Low Life by Luc Sant
4. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
posted by Pauly at 8/09/2003 11:06:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Congrats to the Aders!

Tuesday was a special day this week because a good friend, Steve Ader and his wife Heather welcomed home their new baby Colin! Congrats to the Aders and best of luck to Colin...!
posted by Pauly at 8/08/2003 09:33:00 AM | Permalink |

 

Prom on Mars!

Alex, a fellow writer from Project Greenlight started his own web based comic called Prom on Mars. Please check it out (everyday if you can, since it's a daily strip!).

Here's what he recently sent me in an e-mail:

In case you haven't heard it's going to take a year for the Seniors of Liberty High to get to their Senior Prom. Not to mention that the Prom's on Mars.

Melanie’s Pop: “Why can’t you go to Honduras?”
Melanie: “Everyone voted on Mars!”
Melanie’s Pop: “What if you run out of oxygen?”
Melanie: “I'll buy more!”

"Prom On Mars" is a new, free, web-only comic strip, running for just
one year at www.promonmars.com. Aptly dubbed “retro-future” by its original venue, www.popimage.com, "Prom" reads like an extra-terrestrial “West Side Story” with the Martians being the life-forms from the wrong side of the planet.

Melanie: “Is he cute?”
Liz: “Mel! He’s a Martian!”
Melanie: “So?”
Liz: “And he’s a food-worker!”

www.promonmars.com contains the entire run of the strip in its archives with new strips added weekly, until the series finale in June, '04. Additional Prom-related pages are added monthly and, before the year’s over, readers will even be able to vote for the Prom King and Queen.

So, grab your virtual cummerbund and catch the next shuttle to Mars!

Please check it out everyday if you can!
posted by Pauly at 8/08/2003 09:24:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Concertgoers Experience Phish Far Beyond the Stage is an article that appeared in the NY Times. Check it out.

Here's a bit: "In some ways, advanced digital technologies made the entire festival happen. While the record industry frets about the financial impact of music trading over the Internet, innovative bands like Phish are embracing the latest technologies to create spectacular live concerts and phantasmagoric festival experiences that are more like computer-controlled theme parks than like the rock festivals of yesteryear.

Digital systems may have been the farthest thing from the minds of most of the roughly 60,000 fans at the weekend festival, who paid $137.50 each to attend. But they were all served by advanced technology, whether they were listening to the crystalline sound system, gazing at the intense light shows, exploring the participatory art installations tucked into a forest grove, listening to the Bunny or burning custom CD's. Many bands use technology in their stage shows; Phish may be the leader in employing technology beyond the stage."

For more articles on IT visit: 40 Archived IT articles. Some of great stuff for sure which included articles about the Late Night Tower Jam and Increased Border Security from Canada.
posted by Pauly at 8/07/2003 12:02:00 PM | Permalink |

 
July Truckin' has been posted and published. Check it out...! I apologize for the delay.
posted by Pauly at 8/07/2003 10:47:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Charna, Guest Bartender...

Visit Charna tonight at Tavaru! Charna sent me this e-mail: "Hey there, I wanted to let everyone know that I'm bartending this Thursday night at Tavaru, which is in the Grammercy area on 3rd ave between 17 and 18th street. I'll be working from 6-10pm. Anyway, this Thursday should be really fun- I'm guest bartending and have worked there before. Please try to come! It's free and I know that have drink specials, plus I am working the bar. Please feel free to pass this along since as a guest bartender I'm supposed to help bring the crowd :)cHope you all can come!"
posted by Pauly at 8/07/2003 10:20:00 AM | Permalink |

 

IT!

I'm finally back from Maine and the summer ending IT festival featuring seven sets of Phish! The show was held on an abandoned air force base and the rumor was that Phish would play a fourth set a top of the control tower... which they did at 2 am on Saturday! It was an hour long set of funky ambient jamming. One of the many highlights indeed. I never did a year end Phish festival before and it was everything I expected IT to be and more!

Headaches? Traffic! The drive time from NYC is about twelve hours, but it took nearly 16 hours to get into the fairgrounds, due to the one lane highway leading upto nowhere. Plus security was tight. If you didn't have a ticket they wouldn't let you the parking lots inside. They also searched every vehicle... for pets (no DOGS allowed) and for excessive alcohol bundles (no personal beer vending). Plus since it was wicked wet from all the Maine rain, the organizers decided at the last minute to have everyone park on the runway... instead of on grass. That caused another back up. Traffic was not as bad as the Florida millenium show, but it was close!

IT Setlists

8.2.03 Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, Maine

Set I: AC/DC Bag, Ya Mar > Runaway Jim, Reba, Birds of a Feather, Meatstick, Two Versions of Me, Vultures, Limb By Limb, Cavern
Set II: Down With Disease > NICU, Brother, Lawn Boy, Discern, Waves, David Bowie
Set III: Rock and Roll > Seven Below, Scents and Subtle Sounds > Spread It Round, Bug
Encore: Dog Log, The Mango Song
Set IV: Tower Jam!

8.3.03 Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, Maine - IT Day 2!

Set I: Daniel, Saw it Again, Punch You in the Eye, Army of One, Chalkdust Torture, Wilson, Mike's Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Set II: Mellow Mood, Ghost, Mist, Pebbles and Marbles, You Enjoy Myself > Chariots of Fire, Loving Cup
Set III: 46 Days, Julius, Lizards, Secret Smile, Antelope
Encore: Good Times Bad Times

Show Notes: Trey said Wilson was "the shortest version ever!" Before Mike's song the crowd chanted for Fluffhead. Trey huddled with Mike, but Mike said "No". During Chariots of Fire, Trey introduced top three female and male finalists from the Runaway Jim 5K race held the day before. Fireworks went off during the encore.

More detailed reviews and I'll have plenty of odd and random stories to tell for sure. Stay tuned!

posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 10:05:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Philly Phish Setlists

7.30.03 Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ
Set I: My Friend My Friend, Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Scents and Subtle Sounds, You Ain't Going Nowhere, Spock's Brain, Chalkdust Torture, On Your Way Down, Fast Enough For You > Taste
Set II: Twist, Bug, You Enjoy Myself, Walls of the Cave
Encore: Secret Smile

Show Notes: This was one of the weakest shows this tour. I went with Gil and Spider and we had lawn seats. The highlights were the Dylan cover song of You Ain't Going Nowhere and the rare appearances of Spock's Brain and Lonesome Cowboy Bill. There were some nice moments in Set 2... including Bug and a hot YEM but as usual, Phish cheesed on the encore. I was pissed. Security was tight. Traffic getting out was a nightmare! We had a nice hotel in Philly somewhat closeby. Senor called me in the middle of the first set! Hoooooo!

7.31.03 Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ
Set I: Llama, Moma Dance > Divided Sky, Dirt, Seven Below, The Sloth, Water in the Sky, Wolfman's Brother, Possum
Set II: Piper > Mike's Song > Hydrogen> Weekapaug Groove > Free, Friday, Harry Hood
Encore: Frankenstein

Show Notes: We had seats this night and it rained the entire show. Was lucky that we didn't have lawn seats! A much better night than the previous show. I got very drunk with Spider for the show. The first set was smoking... MoMa Dance and Divided Sky were the best moments of the set. Second set (mostly all repeats for me this tour) was solid Phish. I had a great time in Philly!
posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 09:52:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Zobo's mini Phish Review (Deer Creek thru Atlanta)

Here's what the man said: "All three of those shows were smoking hot! I haven't felt as satisfied with Phish since the Japan tour three years ago. On the drive up to the Creek, I said I wanted to hear Gumbo, Cities, Slave, Lizards, and Sneakin' Sally. Trey must have been in the car with us because they played all five of them, and played them very well! The Atlanta show was also pretty good, but nothing compared to Deer Creek. I expected a lot more from Atlanta because it was the only sold out show of the tour."
posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 09:43:00 AM | Permalink |

 
Vegas Cabbies

Zobo sent me this comment: 'Dude, I swear I had the same cabbie in Vegas about two years ago. We were there one weekend in April and it was rainy and nasty the entire weekend. When we took a cab to the airport on Sunday morning, we also had a cabbie who I still do not know if it was a male or a female. The weather had finally improved and I said "Wow, you are lucky to get some nice weather now" and its response was something like, "I fucking hate it when it is sunny outside. I love it when it is raining and dark outside and I'd appreciate it if you stopped talking to me." EVIL!!!!'

Zobo is talking about the following passage I wrote in a post about my first week on the road... here's a bit (P.S. I like quote myself!): "We had another cabbie who's sex I'm still trying to figure out. It was one of those maybe a guy-maybe a woman persons... just like Pat! He/she looked like Oliver, the wacky younger cousin with a blonde butt-haircut and wire rimmed glasses who joined the cast of the Brady Bunch late in it's run on TV. Anyway, the he/she was bitching about how slow and rough the summer has been in Vegas. But she/he also shared my disdain for California drivers. "They're the fuckin' worst," I told Oliver as I handed him/her a nice tip." from 7.16.03


posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 09:41:00 AM | Permalink |

 
I'm Back! Summer Holiday, Phish, IT, and Gigli...

After a short two week hiatus (after almost seven weeks on the road) I'll be back to regular blogging.

Where have I been? I've been busy writing a review of the new J. Lo and Ben Affleck movie Gigli. I'll post my seventy thousand opus of a review if anyone else saw it. You must send me proof. I want to see your ticket stub!
posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 09:38:00 AM | Permalink |

 
ARAFAT'S VERY OWN TERROR BRIGADES is an article written by Jon Schanzer and it appeared in yesterday's NY Post.

Here's a bit: "If Washington is not careful, sidelined Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will build the Brigades into the strongest Palestinian rejectionist group - and emerge triumphant from his current isolation."

posted by Pauly at 8/06/2003 09:33:00 AM | Permalink |