How many of you out there are into poker? Have you been playing regularly for more than 3 years? Or did you get bitten by the bug when Chris Moneymaker became famous for winning the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event? A large percentage of people have obviously been bitten by the poker bug since it became popular on TV. I've been playing fairly regularly for about 8 years, but became serious about my game when the boom hit. I have played alot of tournaments over the last 3 years, at low-level buy-ins of anywhere from $20 up to $100. Friendly, yet competitive tourneys, always wanting to play for more, but never really willing to part with $1000 to get invloved with a serious tournament.
The best I ever finished in a large tourney (larger than I'm used to) was 2nd place in a 76-person tourney. Believe me, after outlasting that many people, I was on cloud 9. The 2nd place finish was good, around $1600. Most times I play in 24-40-person tournaments which are played in someone's home. They are usually VERY competitive, with around 90% of the players being very experienced. The other 10% are usually fish or donkeys (if you play you know what that means).
TODAY'S HOME POKER GAMES
If you came to the game of poker over the last couple of years, and you've become involved with home games, especially if you're younger, the game you're playing at your friend's homes is most likely No-Limit Texas Hold-'Em. And you're all probably throwing in $20 per player and playing 2 or 3 quickie tournaments per night. Teens, college students, young marrieds, and even guys between the ages of 30 and 50 are sitting down and playing Hold-Em tourneys every weekend while socializing with the guys (or girls).
Why is the tourney the main game being played nowdays? Simple. You can sit down and play cards for 3-5 hours and not lose that much money. It's relaxed, it's fun. The camaraderie, the food and drinks, the laughs. No one's taking it too serious. I mean how much fun is it when a guy goes All-In with 3-4 unsuited, because he's bored, gets called by a guy with Jacks in the hole and the table watches a 2-5 and Ace come up on the board making a straight sweet enough to put up the butt of the guy with Jacks without lubrication. I suppose that's kind of crude. And truly, it gets me a little steamed when people play stupidly and sloppy and beat me. But with these home tourneys, when you've got 5-10 guys sitting around, it makes for stories that you'll remember for a long time.
Stories? Who needs that shit? Well, if you've got stories to recount from times when you were with your buds, it ensures that good times will always be remembered. That's the real purpose of these games. To hang out and share some life with your friends. So, for the casual player who goes to friends houses to hang out once a week or every couple of weeks, it's relaxation.
IS THAT ALL THERE IS THESE DAYS?
Well, of course not. There's larger weekly tournaments at the local Knights of Columbus. There's trips to the closest casino or card room to try your hand against 150 other players in weekly tournaments. There are alot of different options. But let's not forget one very important thing...
It ain't all about tournament poker. How many have forgotten the game called 7-card Stud? Do we remember how fun it is to watch the pot grow when someone calls Jacks or Better/ Trips to Win? Is there a problem with playing Limit Texas Hold-Em? I mean it's a lot different game from the No Limit game played in tourneys. And really, it's every bit as challenging, depending on what level you're playing at.
Do we want camaraderie or do we want serious competition in order to beat our friends brains in, hoping to be the guy who walks out of your buddy's house $300 richer? I've got to admit that I can honestly answer YES to both questions.
HOW CAN YOU BE ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS?
Very easy. I was always a cash game low limit Dealer's Choice player before the craze hit. When I first learned about the ins and outs of Texas Hold-Em, it was the Limit version that I was taught. As time went, I started playing tournament-style No Limit Hold-Em. Then, one day I was reading a poker magazine or book, and the author was speaking with poker superstar Phil Ivey. Phil said the most important thing about playing poker that I think I've ever heard. He said, "Don't spend all of your poker playing time playing just one game. It's the better player, the winning player that becomes well versed in as many styles of poker as possible." Now when he talks about as many styles as possible he means, I believe, No Limit Hold-Em, Limit Hold-Em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha regular and Hi/lo, 5-card draw, 5-card stud, and the like. Even, maybe, a silly game like 7-card No Peek.
I don't believe, however, he was talking about Queer games. Excusing my lack of P.C.-ness, a queer game is one that uses wild cards ( I freakin' HATE wild cards). Or games where you have to pay to see cards turned up on the table and you aren't allowed to raise till the last card is turned over. That's not poker to me. That's Scratch-Off Lottery. I might as well go and buy a scratch off ticket. It's about as much fun and as challenging. I mean, at least make your friends do some thinking before they throw their money in.
Last night was small home tourney night with 3 friends. I came in 2nd the first tourney, 1st in the 2nd tourney (both times I played some really great cards), and then busted out early in the last 2 tourneys because I got sloppy, making calls when I knew I was beaten. I had a great time either way, and was unconcerned about the money. I was there to relax and have a few laughs with my friends.
You'll never believe what the main topic of conversation was during the evening. Why, none other than the illustrious Len Is Right blog. They wanted to know what future topics would be discussed. They wanted to chime in with comments about certain blogs they disagreed with. And they wanted to just bust my balls about Len being Right. Now, we all know that Len Is Right, don't we? If you didn't know that, then you wouldn't be here reading this, would you?
A NEW MANTRA
I've got a new one to celebrate all of you reading my blog. Since you are reading Len Is Right, YOU MUST BR RIGHT, right? So let's give ourselves a little credit for once. Let's acknowledge the fact that not only is Len Right, but so are the rest of you, my faithful readers. In light of that theorem, we must start a new mantra...a new chant, which should now be lifted, loudly, to the heavens for all to hear. "I, (state your name), Am Right!!"
Say this 5 times loudly every day and the world will start to feel right again. This exercise can only help to boost our self-esteem. Try it. Remember, 5 times very loudly................
I,(state your name), AM RIGHT!!"
Remember, by saying this, not only will you be right, but you will prove forevermore that.......
LEN IS RIGHT.
Peace, my Brothers and Sisters.
I am,
Len Tollerton
p.s. To the Edge of Darkness, the Dot Com Destroyer, and the G. B. King, thanks for the game fellas, I had a ball.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
LAKE VERSUS OCEAN
Greetings everyone. Today is a gorgeous day in upstate NY. Sunny, breezy and in the low70's. Very comfortable, though the damp spring has brought alot of small green worms and skinny caterpillars dropping out of the trees. A nuisance to be sure. I'm wondering if they are gypsy moth caterpillars. These are tree destroyers, but I haven't heard about any problems from the news, so it's probably not. Anyway....
The end of the school year is upon us and with that brings vacation season. So here's the question of the day. I hope you'll post a comment with your opinion.
ARE YOU LAKE OR OCEAN, OR BOTH?
For the most part, I think people really do prefer one or the other. Now, I live in upstate New York, very close to famous Lake George. And besides this 32-mile body of summer fun there are a ton of other lakes in the Adirondack Mountains. All of these are within a 1 1/2 hour drive from the Capital District (Albany). Along with that, New York State boasts the Finger Lakes region, Thousand Lakes, and Western New York has access to Lake Erie. Safe to say New York is rife with lakes.
But I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. If you're from Minnesota, you're from the land of 10,000 Lakes. Face it, if you're a fresh water fan, you don't have to travel very far to find a beautiful lake setting to relax and have fun just about anywhere in the country.
Boating, fishing, jet skiing, and camping. And to tell you the truth, I can't stand it. I've never been a fan. I mean, I like the scenery. But I'm not a woodsy-type person. I'm not big on swimming in a lake, and I hate sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground. I realize you don't have to sleep on the ground, but it just isn't for me.
I am an ocean person to be sure. Now, I've never been west if Indiana or Chicago, so I've never been to the Pacific. And truly most of my ocean time has been spent in New England. Cape Cod and Cape Ann/Gloucester is where I've spent the most time. My family and I absolutely love the beach. And sure, you can say that many lake areas have beaches. But c'mon folks, there's no comparison. Ocean beaches are the bomb. The sand is nicer, the ocean breeze is to die for, and the scent of salty ocean air induces relaxation, as does the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Plus, chances are, if you're visiting a beach, you're staying at a hotel or condo, or resort, so there ain't no sleeping on the ground in a tent, having to hang your damn food in a tree so bears don't wreck your campsite.
Oceans aren't perfect, however. I've found that while the girls, suntans, and warmth are better in Florida, the ocean water is so warm down there that it's hardly refreshing. Realize, please, that I'm coming from the Northeast and am used to cold ocean water. I suppose that if I lived in Florida the water would be perfect. I've found that people in Florida are generally bundled up in sweaters and coats when it's in the 40's, where as people from the Northeast can generally get by with a light jacket. So I guess it's all your environment.
Obviously, some people are in love with both the ocean beaches AND woodsy lakes. Fresh water or salt water, it doesn't matter as long as they are communing with nature. The great outdoors is the thing. We spend so much time indoors working and doing normal rat-race things, that we really need the break that the outdoors give. And in truth, we stay healthy by spending time outdoors (unless you're in a heavy urban area where it's just fumes and noise). But I digress......
SO, HOW DO YOU FEEL?
So tell me America how do you feel? Where do you stand on Lakes versus Oceans? I realize that the majority of the country lives closer to a lake than the coasts, and getting to an ocean is a once a year thing, where the lakes may be an every weekend thing.
Get back to me with your vote and maybe write a little opinion of why you like one over the other. The world awaits your response, America. Let's hear from you.
I vote Ocean...and of course you know, Len Is Right.
I am,
Len Tollerton
The end of the school year is upon us and with that brings vacation season. So here's the question of the day. I hope you'll post a comment with your opinion.
ARE YOU LAKE OR OCEAN, OR BOTH?
For the most part, I think people really do prefer one or the other. Now, I live in upstate New York, very close to famous Lake George. And besides this 32-mile body of summer fun there are a ton of other lakes in the Adirondack Mountains. All of these are within a 1 1/2 hour drive from the Capital District (Albany). Along with that, New York State boasts the Finger Lakes region, Thousand Lakes, and Western New York has access to Lake Erie. Safe to say New York is rife with lakes.
But I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. If you're from Minnesota, you're from the land of 10,000 Lakes. Face it, if you're a fresh water fan, you don't have to travel very far to find a beautiful lake setting to relax and have fun just about anywhere in the country.
Boating, fishing, jet skiing, and camping. And to tell you the truth, I can't stand it. I've never been a fan. I mean, I like the scenery. But I'm not a woodsy-type person. I'm not big on swimming in a lake, and I hate sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground. I realize you don't have to sleep on the ground, but it just isn't for me.
I am an ocean person to be sure. Now, I've never been west if Indiana or Chicago, so I've never been to the Pacific. And truly most of my ocean time has been spent in New England. Cape Cod and Cape Ann/Gloucester is where I've spent the most time. My family and I absolutely love the beach. And sure, you can say that many lake areas have beaches. But c'mon folks, there's no comparison. Ocean beaches are the bomb. The sand is nicer, the ocean breeze is to die for, and the scent of salty ocean air induces relaxation, as does the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Plus, chances are, if you're visiting a beach, you're staying at a hotel or condo, or resort, so there ain't no sleeping on the ground in a tent, having to hang your damn food in a tree so bears don't wreck your campsite.
Oceans aren't perfect, however. I've found that while the girls, suntans, and warmth are better in Florida, the ocean water is so warm down there that it's hardly refreshing. Realize, please, that I'm coming from the Northeast and am used to cold ocean water. I suppose that if I lived in Florida the water would be perfect. I've found that people in Florida are generally bundled up in sweaters and coats when it's in the 40's, where as people from the Northeast can generally get by with a light jacket. So I guess it's all your environment.
Obviously, some people are in love with both the ocean beaches AND woodsy lakes. Fresh water or salt water, it doesn't matter as long as they are communing with nature. The great outdoors is the thing. We spend so much time indoors working and doing normal rat-race things, that we really need the break that the outdoors give. And in truth, we stay healthy by spending time outdoors (unless you're in a heavy urban area where it's just fumes and noise). But I digress......
SO, HOW DO YOU FEEL?
So tell me America how do you feel? Where do you stand on Lakes versus Oceans? I realize that the majority of the country lives closer to a lake than the coasts, and getting to an ocean is a once a year thing, where the lakes may be an every weekend thing.
Get back to me with your vote and maybe write a little opinion of why you like one over the other. The world awaits your response, America. Let's hear from you.
I vote Ocean...and of course you know, Len Is Right.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Saturday, May 20, 2006
PREAKNESS RESULTS AND METS/YANKEES
Welcome. It is the evening of 5/20 and the Preakness and the 2nd Mets/ Yankees game is over. I've got some comments and complaints
THE PREAKNESS
What an absolute shame. Poor Barbaro broke his ankle (sesmoid bone) apparently coming out of the gate and pulled up lame on the front stretch. As I write this the horse is undergoing surgery to see if they can even save him. What a terrible turn of events for such a great athlete. I really think this horse had a chance today, but we'll never know. The jockey of the winning horse, Bernadini, who didn't know that the horse brike down, said he kept witing for Barbaro to come, so he could spur his horse into action. When Barbaro never came, he decided to make his move anyway. Something like this reminds us of how fragile life can be and how fragile race horses can be. Over 1000 pounds of animal running on such thin legs, pounding along trying to keep pace or set one.
This reminds me of The Breeders Cup Distaff race of 10 or 12 years ago when the 2 best fillies at the time Go For Wand and Bayakoa raced each other. They broke from the gate and quickly took the lead, leaving the other horses far in their dust. The two great fillies dueled neck and neck the whole way. As they came around the last turn and started down the stretch, the crowd at the track and at the OTB Teletheater where I was watching it, stood, realizing that this was a race for the ages, a classic. They were tied the whole way, with neither horse pulling ahead by more than a nose. 50 yards from the finish line, pounding down the stretch, giving their all, when suddenly Go For Wand's front leg snapped almost in two and the beautiful horse went down. The crowd gasped loudly and then became absolutely silent. The television cameras showed the horse trying to stand and flopping around before falling back down. The poor animal was terrified, and the horse ambulance sped towards her so they could put her down humanely. It was an absolutely heartbreaking sight and many people had tears in their eyes. It is something I wish I had never experienced, and something I'll never forget. Go For Wand is now buried at Saratoga race track in upstate New York.
Hopefully Barbaro will not need to be put down and can be saved with surgery. Either way, he'll never race again. Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?!
On a lighter note, I truly showed why I am not a handicapper. The two other horses I really liked, Like Now and Diabolical finshed 7th and 8th in the 9 horse field. The horse I said was never going to impress, Sweetnorthernsaint, finished 2nd. I hope you didn't bet your mortgage payment on my recommendation.
METS/YANKEES GAME 2
After last night's thrilling come-from-behind victory by the Mets in the bottom of the 9th, I was encouraged to be watching the Mets/Yankees go to the top of the 9th with the Mets leading 4-0. Pedro Martinez had pitched very well again, and his team gave him support. Mets manager Willie Randolph had Duaner Sanchez pitch the 8th inning and he got thru with no problems. Unfortunately, Willie thought it necessary to bring in fireballing closer Billy Wagner to pitch the 9th. Sanchez pitched well in the 8th, why take him out and have Wagner pitch the 9th? It was not a save situation. The game wasn't tied and wasn't a 1-run game.
Wagner proceeds to give up a couple of hits, walks a guy, then hits a guy and all of a sudden it's Mets 4 Yanks 3. That was enough for Randolph, who removes an ineffective Wagner and brings in another guy who promptly induces a double-play ground ball from Johnny Damon. Unfortunately Damon beats the throw and the tying run scores. The game stays that way till the 11th, when the Yanks push across a run and win 5-4.
Willie, what the freak were you thinking bringing in Wagner at that point? Sanchez was doing fine. Why didn't you just have Sanchez start the 9th and THEN if he got in trouble, you go to Wagner to save it. Now you've possibly allowed Wagner to lose confidence and effectiveness. We don't need another year of Braden Looper or Armando Benitez. You, Willie, you lost that game today, not Wagner. Yes, he pitched like crap, but he was clearly brought in at the wrong time. That's your fault. We could have swept those guys and now they (the Yankees) could end up winning 2 out of 3, instead of the other way around. It's not always necessary to flex your muscles. Sometimes finesse and confidence in what's working is the way to go. We had the Phils and Braves down, and you gave them new life, or at least gave back what we gained last night. Nice job.
More later this week folks. Horseracing aside...Len Is Right.
Our good friend John Pitcheralle passed away today of pancreatic cancer. We at Amtrak in Rensselaer, NY will miss our very good friend, especially his love of the ponies and baseball. Rest In Peace my friend...we will not soon forget you.
I am
Len Tollerton
THE PREAKNESS
What an absolute shame. Poor Barbaro broke his ankle (sesmoid bone) apparently coming out of the gate and pulled up lame on the front stretch. As I write this the horse is undergoing surgery to see if they can even save him. What a terrible turn of events for such a great athlete. I really think this horse had a chance today, but we'll never know. The jockey of the winning horse, Bernadini, who didn't know that the horse brike down, said he kept witing for Barbaro to come, so he could spur his horse into action. When Barbaro never came, he decided to make his move anyway. Something like this reminds us of how fragile life can be and how fragile race horses can be. Over 1000 pounds of animal running on such thin legs, pounding along trying to keep pace or set one.
This reminds me of The Breeders Cup Distaff race of 10 or 12 years ago when the 2 best fillies at the time Go For Wand and Bayakoa raced each other. They broke from the gate and quickly took the lead, leaving the other horses far in their dust. The two great fillies dueled neck and neck the whole way. As they came around the last turn and started down the stretch, the crowd at the track and at the OTB Teletheater where I was watching it, stood, realizing that this was a race for the ages, a classic. They were tied the whole way, with neither horse pulling ahead by more than a nose. 50 yards from the finish line, pounding down the stretch, giving their all, when suddenly Go For Wand's front leg snapped almost in two and the beautiful horse went down. The crowd gasped loudly and then became absolutely silent. The television cameras showed the horse trying to stand and flopping around before falling back down. The poor animal was terrified, and the horse ambulance sped towards her so they could put her down humanely. It was an absolutely heartbreaking sight and many people had tears in their eyes. It is something I wish I had never experienced, and something I'll never forget. Go For Wand is now buried at Saratoga race track in upstate New York.
Hopefully Barbaro will not need to be put down and can be saved with surgery. Either way, he'll never race again. Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?!
On a lighter note, I truly showed why I am not a handicapper. The two other horses I really liked, Like Now and Diabolical finshed 7th and 8th in the 9 horse field. The horse I said was never going to impress, Sweetnorthernsaint, finished 2nd. I hope you didn't bet your mortgage payment on my recommendation.
METS/YANKEES GAME 2
After last night's thrilling come-from-behind victory by the Mets in the bottom of the 9th, I was encouraged to be watching the Mets/Yankees go to the top of the 9th with the Mets leading 4-0. Pedro Martinez had pitched very well again, and his team gave him support. Mets manager Willie Randolph had Duaner Sanchez pitch the 8th inning and he got thru with no problems. Unfortunately, Willie thought it necessary to bring in fireballing closer Billy Wagner to pitch the 9th. Sanchez pitched well in the 8th, why take him out and have Wagner pitch the 9th? It was not a save situation. The game wasn't tied and wasn't a 1-run game.
Wagner proceeds to give up a couple of hits, walks a guy, then hits a guy and all of a sudden it's Mets 4 Yanks 3. That was enough for Randolph, who removes an ineffective Wagner and brings in another guy who promptly induces a double-play ground ball from Johnny Damon. Unfortunately Damon beats the throw and the tying run scores. The game stays that way till the 11th, when the Yanks push across a run and win 5-4.
Willie, what the freak were you thinking bringing in Wagner at that point? Sanchez was doing fine. Why didn't you just have Sanchez start the 9th and THEN if he got in trouble, you go to Wagner to save it. Now you've possibly allowed Wagner to lose confidence and effectiveness. We don't need another year of Braden Looper or Armando Benitez. You, Willie, you lost that game today, not Wagner. Yes, he pitched like crap, but he was clearly brought in at the wrong time. That's your fault. We could have swept those guys and now they (the Yankees) could end up winning 2 out of 3, instead of the other way around. It's not always necessary to flex your muscles. Sometimes finesse and confidence in what's working is the way to go. We had the Phils and Braves down, and you gave them new life, or at least gave back what we gained last night. Nice job.
More later this week folks. Horseracing aside...Len Is Right.
Our good friend John Pitcheralle passed away today of pancreatic cancer. We at Amtrak in Rensselaer, NY will miss our very good friend, especially his love of the ponies and baseball. Rest In Peace my friend...we will not soon forget you.
I am
Len Tollerton
Friday, May 19, 2006
The Preakness Stakes and Gasoline In America
Hello and Welcome. Today is a rainy Friday (in upstate NY), May 19. First, I'm going to give you my take on this Saturday's Preakness Stakes from Baltimore, the second jewel in horse racing's Triple Crown. Then, a little humor as I will give you my solution to our country's gas problem.
THE PREAKNESS STAKES
On Saturday, Barbaro, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby, will attept to get the second leg of the Triple Crown. Now as many of you know, I liked Barbaro in the Derby. And just as Smarty Jones last year, Barbaro is also an undefeated race horse. Is Barbaro Smarty Jones? Well, I'm not sure. Since there are only nine horses entered in the Preakness, post position will not be a factor in this mile and 3/16 race. The reason I bring that up is that before Derby day, there were alot of people who thought that Brother Derek was the horse to bet on. And in truth, he made a valiant effort to get 4th in the Derby after starting in the 18th hole.
I really think that Barbaro can do it again. Now I generally don't like betting the chalk because there's no money in it. At this time, Barbaro is Even Money. I don't know how you can go against him until he loses. Are you willing to bet that this is the time he DOES lose? Well, that's your choice. With Brother Derek in the 5 hole this time, I think we're going to have a close race. So, prove me wrong. Barbaro's my horse. I think we're hoping that these two fine animals will wage a fierce and classic battle down to the wire. I think in any combination bet you make, you should throw the both of them in there, especially in Triple and Superfecta box combos.
Obviously if you play an Exacta of the two horses, you're not going to make any money (unless you throw $500 on it). You will be able to show your friends you had the winning ticket, but that's about it. It probably won't even cover a nice dinner out.
WHAT ABOUT A LONGSHOT?
So, if you're going to play a Triple, or throw higher odds horses in in some Exacta wagering, you need to find one that actually has a chance. There are 3 other horses out of the remaining 7 that are worth looking at. Sweetnorthernsaint is the 3rd favorite right now, at 4-1. I personally believe this horse is going to be one of those racers that just can't get it done in the Crown. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd at Belmont, but not this time. I think he's the Teaser who ends up making people go broke. Lots of potential then poof, nada.
The horse I think is going to cause some trouble is Like Now, coming out of post position #1. This horse has won and had a second at a mile and 1/16. He's also won at 6 furlongs. I think if he gets out of the gate well, he's got a chance to put his 2-cents in and at least get into the money. At 12-1, he's my Longshot pick.
Finally, if you're going to throw a deep longshot into your combos, I would be using Diabolical. Yes, he's 30-1. Yes he's coming out of the 9 hole. Here's an interesting stat. He's been in the money in 7 of his last 8 races, and has won 2, including his last one at Delmar (1 mile). Now I don't profess to be any kind of smart handicapper, and my record can certainly prove that. But to me, a horse that gets his nose into the money 7 out of 8 times, has a chance to do it again. And with the right trip, this horse could pull a stunning upset if Barbaro and Brother Derek tire each other out down the stretch. Could chaos rule the day? With a name like DIABOLICAL, you bet.
THE POSSIBLE GASOLINE SOLUTION FOR AMERICA
Gas prices near ar at $3 per gallon. The search for alternate fuels. Hybrid cars. Dependency on foreign sources and a madman in Venezuela (where gas is around 15 cents/gal.--they are one of the OPEC nations) who wants us and our government dead. Exxon/Mobil makes a record corporate profit ($360 billion in 2005 on the backs of the American public) and their CEO retires and gets a retirement package of $600 million. Where does it end?
It ends right here my friends in the good old USA. How? I have a plan to not only help the American consumer, but to help the American farmer as well. And we, each and every one of us can do our part. We have the technological minds in our country. We have scientists who've come up with great, miraculous things. So I have what I think is the answer to the high gasoline prices. Someone just needs to find a way to implement it.
The answer? METHANE. What's that you say? Methane? Yup. Good ole bowel gas. We all have it. Our creator gave us all the things on our Earth to survive, right? ( Iknow...that doesn't sound very atheistic of me.....work with me for a bit, okay?) There must have been a real reason besides comfort that we all fart. Do we fart purely for the purpose of childish humor? Do we fart to gross other people out? Is it just merely a kind of check-valve to get rid of impurities? NO!! I say, NO!!
My friends, I know people who have harnessed incredible power in their bowels and have unleashed rips that could be registered on a Geiger counter. You know who you are. And whether it's just an early morning innocuous Air Fart with little or no smell, or a pre-bowel movement blast that peels the paint off of walls or causes a person's afro to straighten, it's all good methane. We've all got it. Let's use it for good, not as a weapon.
HOW DO AMERICAN FARMERS FIGURE INTO THIS?
This is the simplest part ant the beauty of the whole plan. For a couple of decades the American farmer has needed help, right? Farm-Aid and such have been going on to supplement the incomes of thousands of American family farmers. It's a shame this has had to go on for so long. If we can harness the power of bowel gas, a.k.a. methane, we could reduce our foreign dependency on gasoline. How do we make methane? Easy. Repeat after me. "CABBAGE, BEANS, AND FRUIT!! OH MY!!.......CABBAGE, BEANS, AND FRUIT!! OH MY!! These are the basic things that get people tooting. Broccoli, corn and peanuts do, too. I believe the U.S. could be the world leader in supplying these commodities to ourselves and the rest of the world. How great would that be? If we could find a way to power our vehicles on bowel gas supplied by the ingestion of fruits and vegetables, we would not only ELIMINATE our need for foreign help, but the rest of the world would become DEPENDENT ON US!! I can see my Nobel prize being mailed out already.
THE PROBLEM
How, exactly, do we get the bowel gas out of us and into a usable form for our vehicles? How can we get this new form of energy into use for home heating? (Boy is NIMO and Con Edison going to hate me). The Answer? I have no freakin' idea. I'm not paid to come up with the technological solution. That's for the egg-heads that went to Engineering school. There's a ton of them out there. RPI in Troy has graduated thousands of techie nerds, and gadget freaks who would probably LOVE the chance to work on this project. We need some kind of pump and recepticle to harvest, or gather the methane. Then some kind of hose and pump to deliver it to a tank. Finally, an engine that will use it efficiently.
THE OUTCOME
Gas will be inexpensive, since we will supply it with our own bodies. The American farmer will flourish because of the need for their crops. The car companies will make money from the sale of new cars. Methane is not damaging to the environment. If it was we'd have found a way and made it illegal to fart. The world will need us to live. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
Let the chanting start!! "LEN IS A GENIOUS! LEN IS A GENIOUS!! LEN IS A GENIOUS!!" Make it happen Number One!! You know this can work. It's a well-thought out plan. And above all else..........LEN IS RIGHT!!!
Please visit my sponsors' links on the right side of the page. Thank you and good luck.
THE PREAKNESS STAKES
On Saturday, Barbaro, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby, will attept to get the second leg of the Triple Crown. Now as many of you know, I liked Barbaro in the Derby. And just as Smarty Jones last year, Barbaro is also an undefeated race horse. Is Barbaro Smarty Jones? Well, I'm not sure. Since there are only nine horses entered in the Preakness, post position will not be a factor in this mile and 3/16 race. The reason I bring that up is that before Derby day, there were alot of people who thought that Brother Derek was the horse to bet on. And in truth, he made a valiant effort to get 4th in the Derby after starting in the 18th hole.
I really think that Barbaro can do it again. Now I generally don't like betting the chalk because there's no money in it. At this time, Barbaro is Even Money. I don't know how you can go against him until he loses. Are you willing to bet that this is the time he DOES lose? Well, that's your choice. With Brother Derek in the 5 hole this time, I think we're going to have a close race. So, prove me wrong. Barbaro's my horse. I think we're hoping that these two fine animals will wage a fierce and classic battle down to the wire. I think in any combination bet you make, you should throw the both of them in there, especially in Triple and Superfecta box combos.
Obviously if you play an Exacta of the two horses, you're not going to make any money (unless you throw $500 on it). You will be able to show your friends you had the winning ticket, but that's about it. It probably won't even cover a nice dinner out.
WHAT ABOUT A LONGSHOT?
So, if you're going to play a Triple, or throw higher odds horses in in some Exacta wagering, you need to find one that actually has a chance. There are 3 other horses out of the remaining 7 that are worth looking at. Sweetnorthernsaint is the 3rd favorite right now, at 4-1. I personally believe this horse is going to be one of those racers that just can't get it done in the Crown. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd at Belmont, but not this time. I think he's the Teaser who ends up making people go broke. Lots of potential then poof, nada.
The horse I think is going to cause some trouble is Like Now, coming out of post position #1. This horse has won and had a second at a mile and 1/16. He's also won at 6 furlongs. I think if he gets out of the gate well, he's got a chance to put his 2-cents in and at least get into the money. At 12-1, he's my Longshot pick.
Finally, if you're going to throw a deep longshot into your combos, I would be using Diabolical. Yes, he's 30-1. Yes he's coming out of the 9 hole. Here's an interesting stat. He's been in the money in 7 of his last 8 races, and has won 2, including his last one at Delmar (1 mile). Now I don't profess to be any kind of smart handicapper, and my record can certainly prove that. But to me, a horse that gets his nose into the money 7 out of 8 times, has a chance to do it again. And with the right trip, this horse could pull a stunning upset if Barbaro and Brother Derek tire each other out down the stretch. Could chaos rule the day? With a name like DIABOLICAL, you bet.
THE POSSIBLE GASOLINE SOLUTION FOR AMERICA
Gas prices near ar at $3 per gallon. The search for alternate fuels. Hybrid cars. Dependency on foreign sources and a madman in Venezuela (where gas is around 15 cents/gal.--they are one of the OPEC nations) who wants us and our government dead. Exxon/Mobil makes a record corporate profit ($360 billion in 2005 on the backs of the American public) and their CEO retires and gets a retirement package of $600 million. Where does it end?
It ends right here my friends in the good old USA. How? I have a plan to not only help the American consumer, but to help the American farmer as well. And we, each and every one of us can do our part. We have the technological minds in our country. We have scientists who've come up with great, miraculous things. So I have what I think is the answer to the high gasoline prices. Someone just needs to find a way to implement it.
The answer? METHANE. What's that you say? Methane? Yup. Good ole bowel gas. We all have it. Our creator gave us all the things on our Earth to survive, right? ( Iknow...that doesn't sound very atheistic of me.....work with me for a bit, okay?) There must have been a real reason besides comfort that we all fart. Do we fart purely for the purpose of childish humor? Do we fart to gross other people out? Is it just merely a kind of check-valve to get rid of impurities? NO!! I say, NO!!
My friends, I know people who have harnessed incredible power in their bowels and have unleashed rips that could be registered on a Geiger counter. You know who you are. And whether it's just an early morning innocuous Air Fart with little or no smell, or a pre-bowel movement blast that peels the paint off of walls or causes a person's afro to straighten, it's all good methane. We've all got it. Let's use it for good, not as a weapon.
HOW DO AMERICAN FARMERS FIGURE INTO THIS?
This is the simplest part ant the beauty of the whole plan. For a couple of decades the American farmer has needed help, right? Farm-Aid and such have been going on to supplement the incomes of thousands of American family farmers. It's a shame this has had to go on for so long. If we can harness the power of bowel gas, a.k.a. methane, we could reduce our foreign dependency on gasoline. How do we make methane? Easy. Repeat after me. "CABBAGE, BEANS, AND FRUIT!! OH MY!!.......CABBAGE, BEANS, AND FRUIT!! OH MY!! These are the basic things that get people tooting. Broccoli, corn and peanuts do, too. I believe the U.S. could be the world leader in supplying these commodities to ourselves and the rest of the world. How great would that be? If we could find a way to power our vehicles on bowel gas supplied by the ingestion of fruits and vegetables, we would not only ELIMINATE our need for foreign help, but the rest of the world would become DEPENDENT ON US!! I can see my Nobel prize being mailed out already.
THE PROBLEM
How, exactly, do we get the bowel gas out of us and into a usable form for our vehicles? How can we get this new form of energy into use for home heating? (Boy is NIMO and Con Edison going to hate me). The Answer? I have no freakin' idea. I'm not paid to come up with the technological solution. That's for the egg-heads that went to Engineering school. There's a ton of them out there. RPI in Troy has graduated thousands of techie nerds, and gadget freaks who would probably LOVE the chance to work on this project. We need some kind of pump and recepticle to harvest, or gather the methane. Then some kind of hose and pump to deliver it to a tank. Finally, an engine that will use it efficiently.
THE OUTCOME
Gas will be inexpensive, since we will supply it with our own bodies. The American farmer will flourish because of the need for their crops. The car companies will make money from the sale of new cars. Methane is not damaging to the environment. If it was we'd have found a way and made it illegal to fart. The world will need us to live. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
Let the chanting start!! "LEN IS A GENIOUS! LEN IS A GENIOUS!! LEN IS A GENIOUS!!" Make it happen Number One!! You know this can work. It's a well-thought out plan. And above all else..........LEN IS RIGHT!!!
Please visit my sponsors' links on the right side of the page. Thank you and good luck.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
STILL HERE
I just wanted to leave a short note and apologize for not posting in a few days. I have been without a topic that I wanted to expound on for a few days. I will post tomorrow, hopefully. I think it's time I carry a notepad and jot down ideas as they come into my brain, so I can remember later that I want to write about them.
For now I will say that I hope all the Moms out there had a great Mother's Day. I wish the weather was a bit nicer, so we could have all gotten outside and cooked on the grill. The weather here in New York was rainy and cool, more geared for April than May. We had a mild winter so I shouldn't complain. Hopefully the Northeast summer won't be a rainy one. Last year was excellent all summer. If you have a pool, you got a lot of use out of it last year.
Better weekends are coming, obviously, and we'll all be out there cooking up a storm. And what do we need when we cook outside? Sauce, folks, we need sauce. Barbecue, or BBQ sauce is what we need. May I suggest taking a look over at the right hand side of the page and clicking on The Sauce Site? When you enter the main area, you will find links on the left side for several places and sauces. Today, I'd like to suggest clicking on the link for Hot Sauces (even though we're looking for BBQ sauces), which will bring you to a list of sites. Try clicking on the link for Cosmic Chile. This is a website and mail order catalog that you can get that features a TON of great hot sauces and barbecue sauces.
Though I know alot of people are wary of hot sauces, I'd like to point you to their BBQ sauce section. Now, they don't sell my personal favorite, Sweet Baby Ray's Original. But they have some REALLY great sauces you can experiment with. Cosmic Chile includes a little flame symbol next to certain products that gives you an idea of its heat index. Let me help you choose a couple to try. These are Barbecue sauces that I've tried myself and enjoyed. First for those of you looking for something with a Mild heat index, please try Cowtown BBQ Sauce. There's a reason it won an award in 2001. Very nice. Next, for those of you who like a little kick to their grilling, try Stubbs Legendary BBQ sauce. You can find this in local grocery stores, occasionally. Also, for something a little less ordinary, one of my favorites is Roadhouse Hot & Spicy BBQ sauce. Now it's not extremely hot, but it does have a kick. But what makes this sauce exceptional is its sweetness. What's that you say? Sweet and hot? Yes. Roadhouse is made with raisins and pineapples, and you can see the chunks right in the sauce. If you're not afraid of a little heat, this is a great sauce to experiment with. Finally, for those of you that like thinks with a bigger kick (c'mon, don't be afraid), try Billardello Brothers BBQ sauce. This is a 2-time State Championship winner and is one of my all-time favorites. There's none in my fridge right now because I ate it all. Go figure.
Remember, these are not marinades, but grilling sauces. Meaning, that as you grill your meats, you keep brushing on the sauce and turning the meat. Brushing and turning, brushing and turning.
Often times we get into a rut with the same old, same old. I think cooking and food, in general, is something that you should keep experimenting with. Life is an adventure, don't you think? Why not have some fun when we do our cooking and try some new things? A great place to try new things is with Barbecue, or BBQ, Sauces. And you can find a ton of them by exploring the world of sauces at www.thesaucesite.com Just look to the right, there's a link right there.
Thanks for stopping by. You show how smart a person you are by reading this blog when published. Why? Because, my friends, Len Is Right.
I am Len Tollerton
Peace and Good Health to all.
For now I will say that I hope all the Moms out there had a great Mother's Day. I wish the weather was a bit nicer, so we could have all gotten outside and cooked on the grill. The weather here in New York was rainy and cool, more geared for April than May. We had a mild winter so I shouldn't complain. Hopefully the Northeast summer won't be a rainy one. Last year was excellent all summer. If you have a pool, you got a lot of use out of it last year.
Better weekends are coming, obviously, and we'll all be out there cooking up a storm. And what do we need when we cook outside? Sauce, folks, we need sauce. Barbecue, or BBQ sauce is what we need. May I suggest taking a look over at the right hand side of the page and clicking on The Sauce Site? When you enter the main area, you will find links on the left side for several places and sauces. Today, I'd like to suggest clicking on the link for Hot Sauces (even though we're looking for BBQ sauces), which will bring you to a list of sites. Try clicking on the link for Cosmic Chile. This is a website and mail order catalog that you can get that features a TON of great hot sauces and barbecue sauces.
Though I know alot of people are wary of hot sauces, I'd like to point you to their BBQ sauce section. Now, they don't sell my personal favorite, Sweet Baby Ray's Original. But they have some REALLY great sauces you can experiment with. Cosmic Chile includes a little flame symbol next to certain products that gives you an idea of its heat index. Let me help you choose a couple to try. These are Barbecue sauces that I've tried myself and enjoyed. First for those of you looking for something with a Mild heat index, please try Cowtown BBQ Sauce. There's a reason it won an award in 2001. Very nice. Next, for those of you who like a little kick to their grilling, try Stubbs Legendary BBQ sauce. You can find this in local grocery stores, occasionally. Also, for something a little less ordinary, one of my favorites is Roadhouse Hot & Spicy BBQ sauce. Now it's not extremely hot, but it does have a kick. But what makes this sauce exceptional is its sweetness. What's that you say? Sweet and hot? Yes. Roadhouse is made with raisins and pineapples, and you can see the chunks right in the sauce. If you're not afraid of a little heat, this is a great sauce to experiment with. Finally, for those of you that like thinks with a bigger kick (c'mon, don't be afraid), try Billardello Brothers BBQ sauce. This is a 2-time State Championship winner and is one of my all-time favorites. There's none in my fridge right now because I ate it all. Go figure.
Remember, these are not marinades, but grilling sauces. Meaning, that as you grill your meats, you keep brushing on the sauce and turning the meat. Brushing and turning, brushing and turning.
Often times we get into a rut with the same old, same old. I think cooking and food, in general, is something that you should keep experimenting with. Life is an adventure, don't you think? Why not have some fun when we do our cooking and try some new things? A great place to try new things is with Barbecue, or BBQ, Sauces. And you can find a ton of them by exploring the world of sauces at www.thesaucesite.com Just look to the right, there's a link right there.
Thanks for stopping by. You show how smart a person you are by reading this blog when published. Why? Because, my friends, Len Is Right.
I am Len Tollerton
Peace and Good Health to all.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
MORE YOUTH SPORTS STRUGGLE
Saturday afternoon 5/13. We just returned from my son's soccer game. Earlier this week I posted some of my thoughts on Youth sports and commitment. I had been somewhat angered by the fact that last week's soccer practice was attended by 2 kids, mine and the Asst. coach's. When I got home I fired off an email to the Head coach, who had stated that he didn't intend on holding any practices for these 3rd graders because it was only a REC (recreation) league. Since no wins and losses were kept, there was no need to hold any practices. I expressed my frustration at the low turnout for practice, and I asked him to please ask the other parents about bringing their kids to practice, which the Asst. coach and I agreed to run. I apologized in the letter for putting him on the defensive, but that after years of coaching baseball, I was really tired of seeing parental apathy when it came to this type of thing. My thinking....if you sign your kid up for the sport, bring the kid to practices and the games.
So we get to the game today and I see the Head Coach showing my email to the Asst. coach, and I overhear him saying that this is REC soccer and I'm being unreasonable to think that these kids need to practice, since it's just for fun, and that he's not going to put up with this sort of thing.
So, I walk over to him and say, "Hi, my name is Len Tollerton and that's my email." I go on to tell him that I understand it's ONLY REC soccer, but ask how are the kids supposed to get better to see if they want to go further with this sport. I tell him I've coached baseball for years and I wrote the letter because I'm tired of apathy. He proceeds to tell me that REC soccer is completely different from baseball or football, where you have to practice often. This is just for fun and many of these kids are just here to run around. He then tells me that if I'm so adamant about my kid practicing, that he'll contact the travel team coach and I can have my kid go and practice with the travel team.
Now, my kid is not that talented that he needs to be working with the travel team. But I don't think it's alot to ask that a coach takes an interest in helping develop talent and helping to get his players to improve, no matter if it's for recreation or in a league. His flippant answer made me want to smack the guy...which of course is not a good idea in front of children. So I just told him that the Asst. coach and I would hold a practice every Tuesday evening, regardless of whether he wanted to take part and show an interest, or not.
So, my question to you is.....Am I being too intense for my own good? I mean, am I wrong to expect a coach to show more interest than this guy is? I would think that as a coach of youth sports you would want a parent who shows up for everything and is willing to help out. Instead, I'm being told to take my kid to another team if I don't like it. I have typed this blog WITHOUT any expletives, though I would have used plenty if I had been speaking to you in person. After the conversation with the coach, I went over to my wife and said I thought the guy was a (expletive) a**ho**. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, the coach's parents were sitting in close enough proximity to hear that and spent the whole game talking about me (badmouthing me). Perhaps I deserved some of that, but c'mon. I've had enough cutesie crap bringing up my kids to last a lifetime. Dude, how about acting like a coach? The kids don't understand what you're saying on the field if you don't reinforce it with practice. I await your responses America.
Ah...forget it!! Never mind.....I'm obviously the bad guy here.
But make no mistake people.
LEN IS RIGHT!!
Don't forget to check out www.thesaucesite.com for the best recipes and links to sauce retailers around. It's barbecue season, folks. Go getcha' self some goooood lip-smackin' barbecue sauce, or some hot sauce that you can't find in them thar grocery stores. You'll be very glad you did.
I am,
Len Tollerton
So we get to the game today and I see the Head Coach showing my email to the Asst. coach, and I overhear him saying that this is REC soccer and I'm being unreasonable to think that these kids need to practice, since it's just for fun, and that he's not going to put up with this sort of thing.
So, I walk over to him and say, "Hi, my name is Len Tollerton and that's my email." I go on to tell him that I understand it's ONLY REC soccer, but ask how are the kids supposed to get better to see if they want to go further with this sport. I tell him I've coached baseball for years and I wrote the letter because I'm tired of apathy. He proceeds to tell me that REC soccer is completely different from baseball or football, where you have to practice often. This is just for fun and many of these kids are just here to run around. He then tells me that if I'm so adamant about my kid practicing, that he'll contact the travel team coach and I can have my kid go and practice with the travel team.
Now, my kid is not that talented that he needs to be working with the travel team. But I don't think it's alot to ask that a coach takes an interest in helping develop talent and helping to get his players to improve, no matter if it's for recreation or in a league. His flippant answer made me want to smack the guy...which of course is not a good idea in front of children. So I just told him that the Asst. coach and I would hold a practice every Tuesday evening, regardless of whether he wanted to take part and show an interest, or not.
So, my question to you is.....Am I being too intense for my own good? I mean, am I wrong to expect a coach to show more interest than this guy is? I would think that as a coach of youth sports you would want a parent who shows up for everything and is willing to help out. Instead, I'm being told to take my kid to another team if I don't like it. I have typed this blog WITHOUT any expletives, though I would have used plenty if I had been speaking to you in person. After the conversation with the coach, I went over to my wife and said I thought the guy was a (expletive) a**ho**. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, the coach's parents were sitting in close enough proximity to hear that and spent the whole game talking about me (badmouthing me). Perhaps I deserved some of that, but c'mon. I've had enough cutesie crap bringing up my kids to last a lifetime. Dude, how about acting like a coach? The kids don't understand what you're saying on the field if you don't reinforce it with practice. I await your responses America.
Ah...forget it!! Never mind.....I'm obviously the bad guy here.
But make no mistake people.
LEN IS RIGHT!!
Don't forget to check out www.thesaucesite.com for the best recipes and links to sauce retailers around. It's barbecue season, folks. Go getcha' self some goooood lip-smackin' barbecue sauce, or some hot sauce that you can't find in them thar grocery stores. You'll be very glad you did.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, May 12, 2006
RELATIONSHIPS AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
Today is Friday, May 12. And today I'd like to send you into the weekend with some thoughts about our relationships with others. I mean our loved ones, our friends, those we work with, and even those people that we don't really like. Bear with me, because this could get a little deep. At the end, I'd like to hear from you or see some comments on your thoughts on this matter.
"LEN, WHY WOULD YOU BLOG ABOUT THIS?"
A fair question, and I'll get right to the point. In the last few years, I've experienced the deaths of a number of people in and around my life. I'm sure many of us have experienced their share of passings over the last few years. There's nothing strange about that. But for me, some of these deaths have come in the blink of an eye. You know, someone you just saw the other day just drops dead of a heart attack or brain anneurism. Or, you all of a sudden get a call that a close friend whom you haven't talked to in a while, got sick and died suddenly. When something like that happens, we're left, after the shock, wondering what we would have said to that person, given the chance, if we only knew. I often wonder what people would say, or how they would feel if they knew what you were really thinking. Would they appreciate knowing how you feel? Would a person feel sheepish or uncomfortable knowing how they are thought of by others? Would they even care?
"WHAT ARE WE TO DO?"
Let me explain a little. I know this girl (girl?,she's 43.) who happens to be my youngest son's godmother. This is ironic only because my mother is her godmother and her late mother was mine. So, suffice to say, I've literally known her all my life. Although I am an only child, I have always considered her my "adopted" sister. For a short time in my life I wanted to date her and have a romantic relationship with her, but quickly realized that she would always view me as one of her brothers. For as close as we are as friends, we had not been in contact with each other in about 5 years, save for Christmas cards. Back in January, she found out she had 2 tumors on her brain. In February, she had one of them removed and recovered well enough that, in April, she had the other one removed. She was recovering extremely well in the hospital, and was about to get moved to another room, and sent home shortly after that. For reasons unknown, she suffered a stroke while in the hospital, and it was so massive that all her brain function ceased. They harvested her organs the next day, then she died.
I was left with shock and grief upon hearing of her passing. But as the days passed leading up to her funeral, I was left feeling ashamed that I hadn't known she was sick, and sorry that we hadn't spoken over the last few years.
Similarly, my neighbor across the street, who I was friends with, dropped dead in his living room one afternoon after mowing his lawn (this happened 2 summers ago). I had just been shooting the shit with him that day before he mowed his lawn.
I am not writing this to gain anyone's pity. Instead I write this to bring you a message. And it is a message of hope. What are we to do when something like this happens? Well, instead of having to ever as that question again, be proactive and DO something instead.
...AND WHAT IS THAT, OH GREAT SAGE?
We often go through our lives trying not to be noticed. Or, we get so caught up in our daily routines and dramas that we forget the important things. This is not just cliche, but truth. And truth be told, we ARE busy. Our lives are more complicated these days, because of the way the world has become. In our haste to make our lives easier with modern conveniences, we've made our lives more hectic by having more time to do other things. We get so attached to our cell phones that we feel naked if we are without them.
What do we need to do? We need to remember to tell the people in our lives how we feel. We need to stop being afraid of closeness. Is it so hard to hug your kids every day and tell them that you love them? Is it difficult to look at spouses and tell them how much you love them and that you think they're still beautiful after all this time? Is it really so difficult to tell your friend that your friendship is important and that they mean something in your life? I think for alot of people these things ARE difficult. Some people just generally assume that their loved ones know how they feel. Men don't want to let their guards down and seem less than masculine by hugging their sons, or telling their buddies that they enjoyed their round of golf, or that they look forward to hanging out and having a couple of beers. "I can't say that to those guys, they'll think I'm queer. They'll think I'm too feminine to hang around. They'll think I'm going through a mid-life crisis."
Well, does it feel any better asking yourself if the person who just died knew how you felt about them? Wondering if your aunt knew how much you loved those ice cream sodas she'd make for you every time you visited when you were a kid? Does your grandfather or father know how much it meant to you that they took time to teach you how to fish, or play golf, or tell jokes? Does your friend know how much you appreciate them for letting you vent when you're pissed off? Does the old lady down the street know that you think she does a beautiful job with her garden every year, and that you love walking by her house just to see how nice it looks?
Is this too sappy for some of you? Too damn bad. Why? Because Len is Right. People, I think it's time for us all to take the time to tell people how we feel. On a daily basis you need to hug and kiss your kids. You need to spend quality time with them before they grow up and are gone. You need to make sure to give them lasting memories of your time together, before they grow up and move away and on to their own lives. We need to make sure that our spouses, or significant others, know how highly we think of them. Do we still think our wives are sexy? Do we still think our husband looks good in that suit? (maybe not in a Speedo, but in that tailored 3-button business suit) These are the most important people in our lives. We need to make sure that they, above all, know how we feel.
When someone goes out of their way to do a great job for you, do you just assume that it was their job, or do you show your appreciation by telling them, "Hey, that was really great work." Do we leave a waitress extra tip money because she took care of your table so well? In short, I don't think it's alot to tell those around us how we feel.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WE DISLIKE?
What about them? "You know, I try and try, but I can't warm up to that guy." "I'm sorry, but it's all I can do to be in the same room with that bitch." I know we've all gone through that, too. It's only natural that we don't get along with everyone. I guess the best we can do in those situations is to bear-up, get along as best we can, and try not to show outwardly our utter disdain for those folks. It's not easy to focus on the positives all the time, and with some people we worry about encouraging them by going out of our way to be nice. But I guess we have to do the best we can and put on a good show.
"OH, IS THAT RIGHT, MR. EXPERT?"
I think I'm on the right track. So, let me ask you these questions. How do you feel when someone comes up to you and compliments you on something? If you're a guy and another guy says, "Hey...cool shirt.", or, "Dude, where'd you get that team jacket? I'd like to get me one of those." If you're a woman and a man came up to you in a store and said, "Excuse me, I've seen you in here before, and I wanted to tell you how lucky I think your husband or boyfriend is to be able to wake up every day and see you lying next to him. It must be a great way to start the day.", how would you feel? Would you be offended? Or would it make you feel good about yourself? Women compliment each other all the time. "Those shoes are WICKED cute." So that's really nothing new. But I think you get my point.
MY FINAL DECLARATIVE STATEMENT ON THIS SUBJECT
It's not enough to go through life on auto-pilot. We need to take the time to let others know how we feel. Even if it is to constuctively criticize our close friend or loved one about something. I really believe we should take the time to let folks know how we feel, how we appreciate the things they do, how we get a little annoyed at that sound they make.
To my good friend and "adopted" sister Kathy, I'd like to say this. It's been a month since I was shocked at hearing of your passing. I've lost close friends and family, including a parent, but I've NEVER cried so hard as I did when we left the funeral home and headed to the church on the day of your funeral. I will never forget your voice, your smile, and your infectious laugh. You always made sure the people around you felt important, felt special. I will never forget your biting, sarcastic wit, and that it was all said with humor and love. You knew the real secret of life and you lived it every day. For those of you who missed my post on Youth sports, the real secret of life is this: MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. Let people know that you think they're important. Kathy, we never had the chance to talk before you died. I hope, wherever you are now, that you know how fantastic a person I thought you were. I always smiled when you were around and always felt better about myself when you were around. You were, hands down, THE BEST person I have ever known. And I really believe that everyone who ever knew you felt that way too. The millions of tears that were shed by everyone when you died were not for you, but for ourselves, because we will feel a little lost without you. We will always love you and I, for one, will always try to keep you in mind when dealing with others. I will hopefully make a positive impact on people I run into. And I dedicate this post on my blog to you, my very, very good friend.
Kathryn Marie Geddes D'Andrea 2/22/63--4/8/06 Rest In Loving Peace.
I am, as always,
Len Tollerton
and Len Is Right
"LEN, WHY WOULD YOU BLOG ABOUT THIS?"
A fair question, and I'll get right to the point. In the last few years, I've experienced the deaths of a number of people in and around my life. I'm sure many of us have experienced their share of passings over the last few years. There's nothing strange about that. But for me, some of these deaths have come in the blink of an eye. You know, someone you just saw the other day just drops dead of a heart attack or brain anneurism. Or, you all of a sudden get a call that a close friend whom you haven't talked to in a while, got sick and died suddenly. When something like that happens, we're left, after the shock, wondering what we would have said to that person, given the chance, if we only knew. I often wonder what people would say, or how they would feel if they knew what you were really thinking. Would they appreciate knowing how you feel? Would a person feel sheepish or uncomfortable knowing how they are thought of by others? Would they even care?
"WHAT ARE WE TO DO?"
Let me explain a little. I know this girl (girl?,she's 43.) who happens to be my youngest son's godmother. This is ironic only because my mother is her godmother and her late mother was mine. So, suffice to say, I've literally known her all my life. Although I am an only child, I have always considered her my "adopted" sister. For a short time in my life I wanted to date her and have a romantic relationship with her, but quickly realized that she would always view me as one of her brothers. For as close as we are as friends, we had not been in contact with each other in about 5 years, save for Christmas cards. Back in January, she found out she had 2 tumors on her brain. In February, she had one of them removed and recovered well enough that, in April, she had the other one removed. She was recovering extremely well in the hospital, and was about to get moved to another room, and sent home shortly after that. For reasons unknown, she suffered a stroke while in the hospital, and it was so massive that all her brain function ceased. They harvested her organs the next day, then she died.
I was left with shock and grief upon hearing of her passing. But as the days passed leading up to her funeral, I was left feeling ashamed that I hadn't known she was sick, and sorry that we hadn't spoken over the last few years.
Similarly, my neighbor across the street, who I was friends with, dropped dead in his living room one afternoon after mowing his lawn (this happened 2 summers ago). I had just been shooting the shit with him that day before he mowed his lawn.
I am not writing this to gain anyone's pity. Instead I write this to bring you a message. And it is a message of hope. What are we to do when something like this happens? Well, instead of having to ever as that question again, be proactive and DO something instead.
...AND WHAT IS THAT, OH GREAT SAGE?
We often go through our lives trying not to be noticed. Or, we get so caught up in our daily routines and dramas that we forget the important things. This is not just cliche, but truth. And truth be told, we ARE busy. Our lives are more complicated these days, because of the way the world has become. In our haste to make our lives easier with modern conveniences, we've made our lives more hectic by having more time to do other things. We get so attached to our cell phones that we feel naked if we are without them.
What do we need to do? We need to remember to tell the people in our lives how we feel. We need to stop being afraid of closeness. Is it so hard to hug your kids every day and tell them that you love them? Is it difficult to look at spouses and tell them how much you love them and that you think they're still beautiful after all this time? Is it really so difficult to tell your friend that your friendship is important and that they mean something in your life? I think for alot of people these things ARE difficult. Some people just generally assume that their loved ones know how they feel. Men don't want to let their guards down and seem less than masculine by hugging their sons, or telling their buddies that they enjoyed their round of golf, or that they look forward to hanging out and having a couple of beers. "I can't say that to those guys, they'll think I'm queer. They'll think I'm too feminine to hang around. They'll think I'm going through a mid-life crisis."
Well, does it feel any better asking yourself if the person who just died knew how you felt about them? Wondering if your aunt knew how much you loved those ice cream sodas she'd make for you every time you visited when you were a kid? Does your grandfather or father know how much it meant to you that they took time to teach you how to fish, or play golf, or tell jokes? Does your friend know how much you appreciate them for letting you vent when you're pissed off? Does the old lady down the street know that you think she does a beautiful job with her garden every year, and that you love walking by her house just to see how nice it looks?
Is this too sappy for some of you? Too damn bad. Why? Because Len is Right. People, I think it's time for us all to take the time to tell people how we feel. On a daily basis you need to hug and kiss your kids. You need to spend quality time with them before they grow up and are gone. You need to make sure to give them lasting memories of your time together, before they grow up and move away and on to their own lives. We need to make sure that our spouses, or significant others, know how highly we think of them. Do we still think our wives are sexy? Do we still think our husband looks good in that suit? (maybe not in a Speedo, but in that tailored 3-button business suit) These are the most important people in our lives. We need to make sure that they, above all, know how we feel.
When someone goes out of their way to do a great job for you, do you just assume that it was their job, or do you show your appreciation by telling them, "Hey, that was really great work." Do we leave a waitress extra tip money because she took care of your table so well? In short, I don't think it's alot to tell those around us how we feel.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WE DISLIKE?
What about them? "You know, I try and try, but I can't warm up to that guy." "I'm sorry, but it's all I can do to be in the same room with that bitch." I know we've all gone through that, too. It's only natural that we don't get along with everyone. I guess the best we can do in those situations is to bear-up, get along as best we can, and try not to show outwardly our utter disdain for those folks. It's not easy to focus on the positives all the time, and with some people we worry about encouraging them by going out of our way to be nice. But I guess we have to do the best we can and put on a good show.
"OH, IS THAT RIGHT, MR. EXPERT?"
I think I'm on the right track. So, let me ask you these questions. How do you feel when someone comes up to you and compliments you on something? If you're a guy and another guy says, "Hey...cool shirt.", or, "Dude, where'd you get that team jacket? I'd like to get me one of those." If you're a woman and a man came up to you in a store and said, "Excuse me, I've seen you in here before, and I wanted to tell you how lucky I think your husband or boyfriend is to be able to wake up every day and see you lying next to him. It must be a great way to start the day.", how would you feel? Would you be offended? Or would it make you feel good about yourself? Women compliment each other all the time. "Those shoes are WICKED cute." So that's really nothing new. But I think you get my point.
MY FINAL DECLARATIVE STATEMENT ON THIS SUBJECT
It's not enough to go through life on auto-pilot. We need to take the time to let others know how we feel. Even if it is to constuctively criticize our close friend or loved one about something. I really believe we should take the time to let folks know how we feel, how we appreciate the things they do, how we get a little annoyed at that sound they make.
To my good friend and "adopted" sister Kathy, I'd like to say this. It's been a month since I was shocked at hearing of your passing. I've lost close friends and family, including a parent, but I've NEVER cried so hard as I did when we left the funeral home and headed to the church on the day of your funeral. I will never forget your voice, your smile, and your infectious laugh. You always made sure the people around you felt important, felt special. I will never forget your biting, sarcastic wit, and that it was all said with humor and love. You knew the real secret of life and you lived it every day. For those of you who missed my post on Youth sports, the real secret of life is this: MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. Let people know that you think they're important. Kathy, we never had the chance to talk before you died. I hope, wherever you are now, that you know how fantastic a person I thought you were. I always smiled when you were around and always felt better about myself when you were around. You were, hands down, THE BEST person I have ever known. And I really believe that everyone who ever knew you felt that way too. The millions of tears that were shed by everyone when you died were not for you, but for ourselves, because we will feel a little lost without you. We will always love you and I, for one, will always try to keep you in mind when dealing with others. I will hopefully make a positive impact on people I run into. And I dedicate this post on my blog to you, my very, very good friend.
Kathryn Marie Geddes D'Andrea 2/22/63--4/8/06 Rest In Loving Peace.
I am, as always,
Len Tollerton
and Len Is Right
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
YOUTH SPORTS
I am posting for a second straight day, much to the delight of those of you who feel that a 5-day gap between postings is too long. You people are obviously like crack addicts when it comes to Len Is Right. It may be time to develop an Ezine. But I get ahead of myself. LOL I have just returned from soccer practice with a couple of thoughts on the do's and don'ts of Youth sports.
YOUTH SPORTS AND COMMITMENT
I returned a short while ago from my son's soccer practice in a frustrated state. I am not one of the coaches, but I do go to every game and practice, and try to help out when I can. So here is the situation. We show up for practice and it ends up being my son and one other kid who is the daughter of our Asst. coach. 45 minutes of having 2 kids pass the ball back and forth and shoot on net, make for a frustrating practice, I can tell you. So, in typical Len fashion, I will go over the needs and courtesies of parents who involve their children in Youth sports.
LEN'S STEADFAST RULES FOR YOUTH SPORTS
Now listen up folks, because this is kind of serious. I'm tired of showing up to practices and games and seeing parents who'd rather be laying on the couch than showing an interest in their children's activities.
First off, you need to determine why your kid is playing a sport. Is the kid interested in that sport? Are you getting the kid involved in sports for A). the physical exercise, B). the fun and love of playing a sport, C). learning the team dynamic and helping to learn how to get along and work with others. Are you doing it to foster other interests besides TV watching and video game expertise? All of these are admirable and good reasons to have your kids in sports. But be honest with yourself. Do you get your kid involved with sports because you want the kid out of your hair, or because you're so busy with your career and your other personal dramas to spend the necessary quality time with your kid?
After determining your reasons, you need to decide how much of a commitment you're willing to make to this activity or activities. Nothing is worse than a parent who just drops their kid off at practice or a game and shows up at the end.
Are you the kind of person who says you'll coach and then just shows up for games hoping the kids "just have fun". Look, here's one of the things about Youth sports, and this is important. Yes, it's all about the kids having fun. Yes it's about trying to instruct kids in how the game is played. But at a certain point, you need to know that the fun and happy times of Tee Ball or Kindergarten soccer, or whatever, changes drastically as kids get a little older and they progress through certain sports programs. Does winning and losing matter? In the long run, no, because they're not doing it for money, and they're not doing it for glory. However, there comes a point when competition increases (in Little League baseball it's around the age of 9), and the "Oh look how cute, who cares who wins" mentality needs to fade out. Why? Pay attention, because this is important. Because to some of the kids, winning DOES matter, getting better IS important, and paying attention to what's going on shows courtesy to your teammates. Can you understand that? Can you wrap yourself around that thought and embrace it? To many of the kids, IT DOES MATTER.
What does this mean to you, as a parent? Here's a list of things that really should be adhered to if you're going to get your kid into Youth sports.
1.--If you're going to sign up as a coach, you need to be at EVERY practice and EVERY game. Alright, I'll relent a little. You can miss ONE of each. But really, if you're going to sign up, then you need to commit to hold regular practices and show up early for the games. If you don't show a commitment, your players are going to know right away that you don't really care. If you're the coach or manager, then act like one!!
2.--If you are the manager, or lead coach, then you need to communicate well with all of the parents of your players. You need to make sure that they know exactly when practices will be held, and remind them of when the games are. Down leave any stones unturned in this regard, or you give people the chance to hit you with a whole slew of LAME excuses.
3.--If you're not a coach, then you need to make darn sure that you get your kid to 90% of the practices. Why is this so important? Imagine that you're coaching a kids baseball team and you go to practice and 5 kids show up. What kind of quality baseball practice do you think you're going to have? You as a parent need to respect the coaches and the other players enough to know that the team needs to practice in the way it would play real games. All the positions need to be covered. This applies to all sports. When I managed a baseball team, if you regularly missed practice, then you didn't get as much playing time as the kids that did show up all the time. And if that meant sitting one of my better players because he missed 3 practices in a row, in favor of a kid who had no talent, but showed up to every practice, so be it. And if it caused us to lose, then maybe the parents of the kids would get the message.
4.--It really helps if you, as a parent, hang out during practices. Why? If your kid is acting up and is being disruptive, it shouldn't be on the coach's shoulders to discipline your kid and then have you find out, second-hand, what happened, or why little Bobby isn't going to be playing all 6 innings, or starting at running back this week. It's your kid, you are responsible.
5.--As I said earlier, to some kids winning and losing does matter. Getting better and improving your skills does matter. And when they see kids on the team dogging it, or not paying attention and having no clue as to what the situation is during the game, it is disrespectful to the kids that are trying to play hard and learn the game. It's like disrupting a class in school and making the teacher go back and do the whole lesson all over because you wanted to screw around with the kid in front of you. Now the rest of the class has to sit throught the whole thing all over again. What a waste of the teacher's and the rest of the class' time. So if your kid is going to play a sport, you need to make sure you tell your kid, "Hey, it's time to get into (insert your kid's sport here) mode. I need you to focus on this activity for the next hour or so. No video games, no Pokemon, no Green Day. Let's pay attention to our sport and then you can go back to that other stuff afterwards, okay?"
6. If you run the team, you need to try to keep practices to less than 90 minutes TOPS. After 1 hour, kids' attention starts to wane. So make the bulk of instruction and hard practice take place in the first 45-60 minutes. Then, after that you need to have some kind of fun activity related to the practice you just did. It gives the kids something positive to go home with and helps them look forward to the next game or practice. Give them a reason to want to come back.
7.--Fun is important. But, other factors weigh heavier as years go on and players and their talents develop.
What is the bottom line of all this? A STRONGER BOND WITH YOUR CHILD. The rewards you will reap because you take an active interest in your kid's life will pay dividends almost immediately and will carry on long into your old age. It will make your kids WANT to be around you. They will want to spend time with you and will look forward to trying new things, new activities, and will lead to them being better parents one day also.
Because here is the secret of life, my friends. MAKE A POSTIVE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE. SHOW YOUR KIDS THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
Trust me when I tell you...LEN IS RIGHT. Thus endeth the lesson.
I am
Len Tollerton
YOUTH SPORTS AND COMMITMENT
I returned a short while ago from my son's soccer practice in a frustrated state. I am not one of the coaches, but I do go to every game and practice, and try to help out when I can. So here is the situation. We show up for practice and it ends up being my son and one other kid who is the daughter of our Asst. coach. 45 minutes of having 2 kids pass the ball back and forth and shoot on net, make for a frustrating practice, I can tell you. So, in typical Len fashion, I will go over the needs and courtesies of parents who involve their children in Youth sports.
LEN'S STEADFAST RULES FOR YOUTH SPORTS
Now listen up folks, because this is kind of serious. I'm tired of showing up to practices and games and seeing parents who'd rather be laying on the couch than showing an interest in their children's activities.
First off, you need to determine why your kid is playing a sport. Is the kid interested in that sport? Are you getting the kid involved in sports for A). the physical exercise, B). the fun and love of playing a sport, C). learning the team dynamic and helping to learn how to get along and work with others. Are you doing it to foster other interests besides TV watching and video game expertise? All of these are admirable and good reasons to have your kids in sports. But be honest with yourself. Do you get your kid involved with sports because you want the kid out of your hair, or because you're so busy with your career and your other personal dramas to spend the necessary quality time with your kid?
After determining your reasons, you need to decide how much of a commitment you're willing to make to this activity or activities. Nothing is worse than a parent who just drops their kid off at practice or a game and shows up at the end.
Are you the kind of person who says you'll coach and then just shows up for games hoping the kids "just have fun". Look, here's one of the things about Youth sports, and this is important. Yes, it's all about the kids having fun. Yes it's about trying to instruct kids in how the game is played. But at a certain point, you need to know that the fun and happy times of Tee Ball or Kindergarten soccer, or whatever, changes drastically as kids get a little older and they progress through certain sports programs. Does winning and losing matter? In the long run, no, because they're not doing it for money, and they're not doing it for glory. However, there comes a point when competition increases (in Little League baseball it's around the age of 9), and the "Oh look how cute, who cares who wins" mentality needs to fade out. Why? Pay attention, because this is important. Because to some of the kids, winning DOES matter, getting better IS important, and paying attention to what's going on shows courtesy to your teammates. Can you understand that? Can you wrap yourself around that thought and embrace it? To many of the kids, IT DOES MATTER.
What does this mean to you, as a parent? Here's a list of things that really should be adhered to if you're going to get your kid into Youth sports.
1.--If you're going to sign up as a coach, you need to be at EVERY practice and EVERY game. Alright, I'll relent a little. You can miss ONE of each. But really, if you're going to sign up, then you need to commit to hold regular practices and show up early for the games. If you don't show a commitment, your players are going to know right away that you don't really care. If you're the coach or manager, then act like one!!
2.--If you are the manager, or lead coach, then you need to communicate well with all of the parents of your players. You need to make sure that they know exactly when practices will be held, and remind them of when the games are. Down leave any stones unturned in this regard, or you give people the chance to hit you with a whole slew of LAME excuses.
3.--If you're not a coach, then you need to make darn sure that you get your kid to 90% of the practices. Why is this so important? Imagine that you're coaching a kids baseball team and you go to practice and 5 kids show up. What kind of quality baseball practice do you think you're going to have? You as a parent need to respect the coaches and the other players enough to know that the team needs to practice in the way it would play real games. All the positions need to be covered. This applies to all sports. When I managed a baseball team, if you regularly missed practice, then you didn't get as much playing time as the kids that did show up all the time. And if that meant sitting one of my better players because he missed 3 practices in a row, in favor of a kid who had no talent, but showed up to every practice, so be it. And if it caused us to lose, then maybe the parents of the kids would get the message.
4.--It really helps if you, as a parent, hang out during practices. Why? If your kid is acting up and is being disruptive, it shouldn't be on the coach's shoulders to discipline your kid and then have you find out, second-hand, what happened, or why little Bobby isn't going to be playing all 6 innings, or starting at running back this week. It's your kid, you are responsible.
5.--As I said earlier, to some kids winning and losing does matter. Getting better and improving your skills does matter. And when they see kids on the team dogging it, or not paying attention and having no clue as to what the situation is during the game, it is disrespectful to the kids that are trying to play hard and learn the game. It's like disrupting a class in school and making the teacher go back and do the whole lesson all over because you wanted to screw around with the kid in front of you. Now the rest of the class has to sit throught the whole thing all over again. What a waste of the teacher's and the rest of the class' time. So if your kid is going to play a sport, you need to make sure you tell your kid, "Hey, it's time to get into (insert your kid's sport here) mode. I need you to focus on this activity for the next hour or so. No video games, no Pokemon, no Green Day. Let's pay attention to our sport and then you can go back to that other stuff afterwards, okay?"
6. If you run the team, you need to try to keep practices to less than 90 minutes TOPS. After 1 hour, kids' attention starts to wane. So make the bulk of instruction and hard practice take place in the first 45-60 minutes. Then, after that you need to have some kind of fun activity related to the practice you just did. It gives the kids something positive to go home with and helps them look forward to the next game or practice. Give them a reason to want to come back.
7.--Fun is important. But, other factors weigh heavier as years go on and players and their talents develop.
What is the bottom line of all this? A STRONGER BOND WITH YOUR CHILD. The rewards you will reap because you take an active interest in your kid's life will pay dividends almost immediately and will carry on long into your old age. It will make your kids WANT to be around you. They will want to spend time with you and will look forward to trying new things, new activities, and will lead to them being better parents one day also.
Because here is the secret of life, my friends. MAKE A POSTIVE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE. SHOW YOUR KIDS THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
Trust me when I tell you...LEN IS RIGHT. Thus endeth the lesson.
I am
Len Tollerton
Monday, May 08, 2006
THE DERBY, BONDS,AND THE NEW SITE
Hello all. It sounds like a day late and a dollar short but I did try to post on Saturday the 6th, just before post time of the Derby. Unfortunately, there was a server problem and I failed to save the post.
THE DERBY
My picks for the Derby were only a Triple Box wager of horses 2-Steppenwolfer, 5-Point determined, 8-Barbaro, and 10-A.P. Warrior. If you were to ask my friends Kevin Koehler and Brian Van Alstyne, they would tell you that I picked Barbaro earlier in the week. The early odds on this horse had been 12-1. I never like favorites in this race, so I look for a horse that would pay something. Well, as it turned out, Barbaro went off at 7-1 (I believe) and ended up being one of the favorites. Pretty high odds for a favorite, wouldn't you agree? If I had played an Exacta, it would have been Barbaro and Steppenwolfer. So, it's a good thing I didn't actually bet, cause I would have lost the Exacta, cause Steppenwolfer finished 3rd, and I wouldn't have had the Triple, because a huge longshot finished 2nd. But I did love Barbaro and had I bet him to win.....
LIVING LUCKY
I have determined from a lifetime of study and observation that there are those people in our society who actually live lucky. What does that mean? That's someone who always seems to hit their bets when they need to, realize a profit whenever they make an investment, or just happen to be in the right place at the right time consistently. For those of us who live a normal life and need to either make our own luck by persevering, in order to take the luck factor out of the equation, watching someone who LIVES LUCKY can be very frustrating. When the person is someone we're friends with, we are generally happy for their success, hoping to occasionally ride their coattails to win for ourselves, and hoping NOT to jinx them by giving them bad luck because we are what's known as the MUSH. If the person who is living lucky is someone that you don't like, then you spend endless hours trying to root them down and hoping with every fiber of your being that they lose miserably. Unfortunately, this is kind of making what's called a maloic (spelling is probably wrong---the word is pronounced "muh-loyk"), thus bringing more bad luck on to yourself. It's a viscious cycle. Anyway...
The reason I bring this up, is that one of my closest friends, Kevin Koehler, who I work with at Amtrak, and is the godfather of my oldest son Connor, is one of these people who lives lucky. Though I know he studies the sports page on a daily basis, I don't know if he's any more talented a handicapper for horseracing, or prognosticator in other sporting fields, than any other guy who does the same stuff. I remarked to my wife, Patty, that the payout for the Triple at the end of the Derby was $11,400. We both said "Wow," and then she followed it offhandedly with, "Watch, Kevin probably hit it." Sunday afternoon, like clockwork, I get a phone call from my pal Kev, who proceeds to tell me that yes, in fact, he had played a series of $1 Triple wagers, one of which was a 8-13-2 combination and hit for half of the payout, so around $5500. He also had $20 to Win on Barbaro, which paid, like, $14.60, so he won another $140. Kevin was able to hear Patty's screams of "I KNEW IT! IF ANYBODY HIT IT, IT WAS GONNA BE HIM! I KNEW IT!" I know, you're saying. "Right." Buth this is about as true as it gets. For those of you who know me, you probably know Kevin, so go ask him. Is it better to be lucky than skilled? In some things, yes, absolutely. Not in poker. Skill usually wins out. But what's best is to be skilled AND lucky. That would be my friend Kevin. This is the minute tip of the iceberg for this guy. Actually it's the cherry on the sundae of life for this guy. We're left feeling VERY happy for him, but would like to know if everyone could experience the "Lucky Life" once in a blue moon. You know...a month or two of outrageous luck, before going back to our lives of mediocrity. Oh well, we can dream can't we?
BARRY BONDS PURSUES BABE RUTH
Love him or hate him, and judging by what I hear most people say, you hate him, we all know Barry Bonds is a Hall-Of-Famer. If he hit all those homers over the last 6-10 years because he was on steroids, then I think his records, and those of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa have to be given the asterisk treatment. It may be time to acknowledge that, just like the "Dead Ball" Era and the "Juiced Ball" Era, that we need to make room for a "Steroid" Era for the sake baseball record integrity.
I would like to say one thing about Bonds. I have never been a fan. He started out with the Pirates in a time when Pittsburgh was the main rival in the NL East to my beloved NY Mets. However, I could never deny the fact that he was an awesome talent. He won a few MVP awards before steroids came into the picture. He was going to the Hall anyway. The thing about steroids that no one ever seemed to mention was, yes, it gives you alot more strength, but you STILL have to be able to put the bat on the ball. I mean, all the juice in the world isn't going to let you hit 60 HR's if you're striking out 200 times and hitting grounders. You gotta hit. Is it a racial issue that makes everyone want to see Bonds fail? Alot of people are saying that. But I believe it's just because Bonds is an unlikeable fellow, who has always been arrogant, surly and aloof. No one wants to see a pain-in-the-ass break the most hallowed record in sports. And although Henry Aaron received death-threats and alot of racial hate mail when he was chasing the Babe, I think most people were thrilled to be watching this pursuit and were really rooting for the guy because he seemed to be a regular fellow and good teammate.
The real shame of this chase, in my opinion, is that the guy who should be approaching the record, who never took steroids, was the BEST player in the 90's, and was well-liked will never be mentioned in the same breath because he went through a series of injuries that decimated his career numbers. His name is Ken Griffey Jr. And if you were watching any baseball in the 90's, you know that Griffey was head and shoulders above the rest of baseball. He was an awesome talent, and if you see him now, when he's healthy, you can see the brilliance that once was, because when he's healthy, he's still got it. Earlier this year he passed Mickey Mantle on the All-Time home run list. Unfortunately, with in a week of that accomplishment, he go hurt again, reminding us of what could have been if not for.... Griffey wasn't a juice-head, is well liked, talks to people, and was the closest thing to Willie Mays since the Say Hey Kid left the game. He'll get into the Hall-Of-Fame with no problem. But it would have been nice to see him getting cheered on, like we cheered on McGwire and Sosa, as he pursued immortality. My hat will always be off to Ken Griffey Jr. However, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, and Rafael Palmiero can all go pound salt, in my opinion.
THE SAUCE SITE, BABY!!
Well everyone, it's finally a reality. www.thesaucesite.com is up and running. If you are a lover of hot sauces, barbecue sauces, pasta sauces, dessert sauces, or any other kind of cooking sauce, I invite you to visit my new website. On it you will find links to recipes, sites for retailers of all sorts of different kinds of sauce, and articles about sauces.
UNFORTUNATELY, I am having trouble getting my new LOGO to load properly onto the site, so forgive me if it's not the most visually stimulating site to look at, YET. But please DO visit the site and bookmark it so you can go back whenever you need to check something out in the land of sauce. Whether you're looking for a new kind of pasta sauce to make for dinner, or you'd like to find a barbecue sauce that's not sold in the grocery store because you're bored with what's out there, or you're having friends over and want to thrill them with a new sauce for wings, you can find it all at www.thesaucesite.com As time goes on I will contribute some thoughts on sauce to the site, so please sign up for future newsletters.
And hey, please email friends on your address list and give them the link to the site. It's very easy to navigate and I'm sure there's something there for most everyone. I'll thank you in advance for the traffic. If you have a website and would like to link up, that option is available also.
Well, that's all for today, May 8, 2006. I hope to post more often, like daily, this week. Make sure to check it out. I'll leave you with this thought. Sometimes we all look for a mantra that we can chant when times are tough, to get us through the difficult periods. I find that by chanting "Len Is Right", usually does the trick. If you, too, would just try chanting "Len Is Right", "Len Is Right" during these rough times, these hard spots in your journey through life, I'm sure you will feel the healing powers that so many happy and successful people have already felt.
Until the next time, I am,
Len Tollerton
Be At Peace, my friends.
THE DERBY
My picks for the Derby were only a Triple Box wager of horses 2-Steppenwolfer, 5-Point determined, 8-Barbaro, and 10-A.P. Warrior. If you were to ask my friends Kevin Koehler and Brian Van Alstyne, they would tell you that I picked Barbaro earlier in the week. The early odds on this horse had been 12-1. I never like favorites in this race, so I look for a horse that would pay something. Well, as it turned out, Barbaro went off at 7-1 (I believe) and ended up being one of the favorites. Pretty high odds for a favorite, wouldn't you agree? If I had played an Exacta, it would have been Barbaro and Steppenwolfer. So, it's a good thing I didn't actually bet, cause I would have lost the Exacta, cause Steppenwolfer finished 3rd, and I wouldn't have had the Triple, because a huge longshot finished 2nd. But I did love Barbaro and had I bet him to win.....
LIVING LUCKY
I have determined from a lifetime of study and observation that there are those people in our society who actually live lucky. What does that mean? That's someone who always seems to hit their bets when they need to, realize a profit whenever they make an investment, or just happen to be in the right place at the right time consistently. For those of us who live a normal life and need to either make our own luck by persevering, in order to take the luck factor out of the equation, watching someone who LIVES LUCKY can be very frustrating. When the person is someone we're friends with, we are generally happy for their success, hoping to occasionally ride their coattails to win for ourselves, and hoping NOT to jinx them by giving them bad luck because we are what's known as the MUSH. If the person who is living lucky is someone that you don't like, then you spend endless hours trying to root them down and hoping with every fiber of your being that they lose miserably. Unfortunately, this is kind of making what's called a maloic (spelling is probably wrong---the word is pronounced "muh-loyk"), thus bringing more bad luck on to yourself. It's a viscious cycle. Anyway...
The reason I bring this up, is that one of my closest friends, Kevin Koehler, who I work with at Amtrak, and is the godfather of my oldest son Connor, is one of these people who lives lucky. Though I know he studies the sports page on a daily basis, I don't know if he's any more talented a handicapper for horseracing, or prognosticator in other sporting fields, than any other guy who does the same stuff. I remarked to my wife, Patty, that the payout for the Triple at the end of the Derby was $11,400. We both said "Wow," and then she followed it offhandedly with, "Watch, Kevin probably hit it." Sunday afternoon, like clockwork, I get a phone call from my pal Kev, who proceeds to tell me that yes, in fact, he had played a series of $1 Triple wagers, one of which was a 8-13-2 combination and hit for half of the payout, so around $5500. He also had $20 to Win on Barbaro, which paid, like, $14.60, so he won another $140. Kevin was able to hear Patty's screams of "I KNEW IT! IF ANYBODY HIT IT, IT WAS GONNA BE HIM! I KNEW IT!" I know, you're saying. "Right." Buth this is about as true as it gets. For those of you who know me, you probably know Kevin, so go ask him. Is it better to be lucky than skilled? In some things, yes, absolutely. Not in poker. Skill usually wins out. But what's best is to be skilled AND lucky. That would be my friend Kevin. This is the minute tip of the iceberg for this guy. Actually it's the cherry on the sundae of life for this guy. We're left feeling VERY happy for him, but would like to know if everyone could experience the "Lucky Life" once in a blue moon. You know...a month or two of outrageous luck, before going back to our lives of mediocrity. Oh well, we can dream can't we?
BARRY BONDS PURSUES BABE RUTH
Love him or hate him, and judging by what I hear most people say, you hate him, we all know Barry Bonds is a Hall-Of-Famer. If he hit all those homers over the last 6-10 years because he was on steroids, then I think his records, and those of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa have to be given the asterisk treatment. It may be time to acknowledge that, just like the "Dead Ball" Era and the "Juiced Ball" Era, that we need to make room for a "Steroid" Era for the sake baseball record integrity.
I would like to say one thing about Bonds. I have never been a fan. He started out with the Pirates in a time when Pittsburgh was the main rival in the NL East to my beloved NY Mets. However, I could never deny the fact that he was an awesome talent. He won a few MVP awards before steroids came into the picture. He was going to the Hall anyway. The thing about steroids that no one ever seemed to mention was, yes, it gives you alot more strength, but you STILL have to be able to put the bat on the ball. I mean, all the juice in the world isn't going to let you hit 60 HR's if you're striking out 200 times and hitting grounders. You gotta hit. Is it a racial issue that makes everyone want to see Bonds fail? Alot of people are saying that. But I believe it's just because Bonds is an unlikeable fellow, who has always been arrogant, surly and aloof. No one wants to see a pain-in-the-ass break the most hallowed record in sports. And although Henry Aaron received death-threats and alot of racial hate mail when he was chasing the Babe, I think most people were thrilled to be watching this pursuit and were really rooting for the guy because he seemed to be a regular fellow and good teammate.
The real shame of this chase, in my opinion, is that the guy who should be approaching the record, who never took steroids, was the BEST player in the 90's, and was well-liked will never be mentioned in the same breath because he went through a series of injuries that decimated his career numbers. His name is Ken Griffey Jr. And if you were watching any baseball in the 90's, you know that Griffey was head and shoulders above the rest of baseball. He was an awesome talent, and if you see him now, when he's healthy, you can see the brilliance that once was, because when he's healthy, he's still got it. Earlier this year he passed Mickey Mantle on the All-Time home run list. Unfortunately, with in a week of that accomplishment, he go hurt again, reminding us of what could have been if not for.... Griffey wasn't a juice-head, is well liked, talks to people, and was the closest thing to Willie Mays since the Say Hey Kid left the game. He'll get into the Hall-Of-Fame with no problem. But it would have been nice to see him getting cheered on, like we cheered on McGwire and Sosa, as he pursued immortality. My hat will always be off to Ken Griffey Jr. However, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, and Rafael Palmiero can all go pound salt, in my opinion.
THE SAUCE SITE, BABY!!
Well everyone, it's finally a reality. www.thesaucesite.com is up and running. If you are a lover of hot sauces, barbecue sauces, pasta sauces, dessert sauces, or any other kind of cooking sauce, I invite you to visit my new website. On it you will find links to recipes, sites for retailers of all sorts of different kinds of sauce, and articles about sauces.
UNFORTUNATELY, I am having trouble getting my new LOGO to load properly onto the site, so forgive me if it's not the most visually stimulating site to look at, YET. But please DO visit the site and bookmark it so you can go back whenever you need to check something out in the land of sauce. Whether you're looking for a new kind of pasta sauce to make for dinner, or you'd like to find a barbecue sauce that's not sold in the grocery store because you're bored with what's out there, or you're having friends over and want to thrill them with a new sauce for wings, you can find it all at www.thesaucesite.com As time goes on I will contribute some thoughts on sauce to the site, so please sign up for future newsletters.
And hey, please email friends on your address list and give them the link to the site. It's very easy to navigate and I'm sure there's something there for most everyone. I'll thank you in advance for the traffic. If you have a website and would like to link up, that option is available also.
Well, that's all for today, May 8, 2006. I hope to post more often, like daily, this week. Make sure to check it out. I'll leave you with this thought. Sometimes we all look for a mantra that we can chant when times are tough, to get us through the difficult periods. I find that by chanting "Len Is Right", usually does the trick. If you, too, would just try chanting "Len Is Right", "Len Is Right" during these rough times, these hard spots in your journey through life, I'm sure you will feel the healing powers that so many happy and successful people have already felt.
Until the next time, I am,
Len Tollerton
Be At Peace, my friends.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
SAUCES
As some of you know, I am a sauce addict. Especially hot sauces and barbecue sauces. I've always liked putting stuff on my food. This probably began when I was a kid and started, like alot of people, by putting ketchup (I hate the word "catsup") on scrambled eggs. As time went on, I developed a love for cocktail sauce for shrimp cocktails. This is nothing strange.
However, when I was in my late teens and early twenties, my friends and I would sit around and smoke dope. We would invariably develop the munchies. This was the early 80's and the convenience stores in our area started carrying frozen burritos in their freezers. Well we couldn't just sit and eat a plain burrito, could we? So, we started experimenting with, don't gag, Russian dressing! I know, it sounds terrible. But it was really good, especially in the state we were in. Of course, I'm a fan of peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, so take that for what it's worth.
I guess my first foray into barbecue and hot sauces was grilled barbecue chicken. When my parents cooked chicken on the grill, there would always end up being burned, blackened areas on the drumsticks. Obviously, this detracted from the enjoyment of the meal. But I could always taste a hint of the barbecue sauce. So, I started asking for sauce on the side to dip the burned chicken in. This was a home run and it continues to this day.
Now, as many of you know, you're not supposed to put the sauce on at the beginning of the grilling process. You're supposed to season the meat and let it cook part way, then begin to brush the sauce on as a baste, turning the chicken or ribs often, so as not to let the sauce become charred. As the meat cooks, the sauce gets baked on and the interior of the meat cooks without getting burned. In my opinion, except for steak, meats should be turned often on the grill for evenness of cooking. As we all know, steaks are only supposed to be flipped once. As a last resort, to cover up any burning, or to go over the top as a lover of certain sauces, I'll occasionally throw the chicken or cut up ribs in a large Tupperware container and toss them up with more sauce, like you'd do if you were making Buffalo chicken wings.
Barbecue sauces I'd recommend are Sweet Baby Ray's Original (my present personal favorite), Bullseye and KC Masterpiece (mass produced for your grocery store shelves, but still good), Roadhouse, and Billardo Brothers. There are obviously a ton of other barbecue sauces, many of which you can get in any grocery or specialty store. However, I suggest trying to find a sauce catalog, either by mail or online and try some sauces that you never hear about. Many are locally produced and can only be found at farmers' markets in the summertime. I suggest that you try and be adventurous. One thing you may find is that some sauces experience a change in taste when cooked. The sweet tanginess of Sweet Baby Ray's changes dramatically (and not for the better in my opinion) when baked in an oven. Therefore, I use it to brush on in the latter stages of the grilling process and to toss or dip with.
HOT SAUCES
My introduction to hot sauces came in two forms, but in the same medium. Bloody Marys. Horseradish and Tabasco were used to make the first Bloody Marys I ever had. Now I know horseradish is more of a condiment than an actual hot sauce, so I'll leave that for another post. I'll just suggest one horseradish sauce, available in your grocery store. Woebber's Horseradish sauce. It comes in a squeeze bottle and will REALLY tickle your nose. Be careful. It's hot, but EXTREMELY addicting. If you buy it and w/in a week you find yourself using it at every meal, you'll know you're hooked. 'Nuff said.
I would think Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot sauce are usually the first hot sauces most people encounter. Tabasco is everywhere, and Frank's Red Hot is used by most places that make their own Buffalo chicken wing sauce. Buffalo wings have been big in most taverns and restaurants in the Northeast for 20-25 years. Red Hot has the most important aspect of a good hot sauce. Heat AND Flavor. To me, this is of utmost importance.
Obviously, if you like hot sauce, you enjoy heat in varying degrees. Some people can only take a little heat, like from Red Hot, whereas some people like the full-blown searing heat and pain of Dave's Insanity sauce or Endorphin Rush. There are many levels in between the two. Since I prefer taste and flavor to complement the heat, I eschew sauces like Dave's because there is only flavor for, like, 1 1/2 seconds before the surface of your tongue starts to blister. To me that's not fun. However, I do like to sweat a bit.
My personal favorite is Melinda's XXX Habanero sauce. The heat is relatively high (If Red Hot is a 3 and Dave's is a 10, I'd put Melinda's at 7.5), but the flavor is where this sauce really shines. The mixture of habaneros, carrots, and other vegetables makes for a uniquely enjoyable taste that lasts almost as long as the burn. I have been known to take this sauce by the teaspoonful for medicinal purposes (It makes you sweat out any impurities or inner demons you may have in your system. And hot sauce will unplug a stuffed nose). If you get a chance to try Melinda's (see the link on the right), and you like it, I suggest buying it by the 1/2 gallon or gallon.
Soon, I will have a website up and running called www.thesaucesite.com At this site I will discuss different kinds of sauces and there will be links to sauce recipes and sauce sellers from around the country. The site should be up and running by 5/10 and I will keep everyone posted when it is a go.
I will have more takes on hot sauces in future posts. Feel free to become a member and post what kinds of barbecue and hot sauces you enjoy. I'd like to hear from you.
Until next time, please remember, Len Is Right.
However, when I was in my late teens and early twenties, my friends and I would sit around and smoke dope. We would invariably develop the munchies. This was the early 80's and the convenience stores in our area started carrying frozen burritos in their freezers. Well we couldn't just sit and eat a plain burrito, could we? So, we started experimenting with, don't gag, Russian dressing! I know, it sounds terrible. But it was really good, especially in the state we were in. Of course, I'm a fan of peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, so take that for what it's worth.
I guess my first foray into barbecue and hot sauces was grilled barbecue chicken. When my parents cooked chicken on the grill, there would always end up being burned, blackened areas on the drumsticks. Obviously, this detracted from the enjoyment of the meal. But I could always taste a hint of the barbecue sauce. So, I started asking for sauce on the side to dip the burned chicken in. This was a home run and it continues to this day.
Now, as many of you know, you're not supposed to put the sauce on at the beginning of the grilling process. You're supposed to season the meat and let it cook part way, then begin to brush the sauce on as a baste, turning the chicken or ribs often, so as not to let the sauce become charred. As the meat cooks, the sauce gets baked on and the interior of the meat cooks without getting burned. In my opinion, except for steak, meats should be turned often on the grill for evenness of cooking. As we all know, steaks are only supposed to be flipped once. As a last resort, to cover up any burning, or to go over the top as a lover of certain sauces, I'll occasionally throw the chicken or cut up ribs in a large Tupperware container and toss them up with more sauce, like you'd do if you were making Buffalo chicken wings.
Barbecue sauces I'd recommend are Sweet Baby Ray's Original (my present personal favorite), Bullseye and KC Masterpiece (mass produced for your grocery store shelves, but still good), Roadhouse, and Billardo Brothers. There are obviously a ton of other barbecue sauces, many of which you can get in any grocery or specialty store. However, I suggest trying to find a sauce catalog, either by mail or online and try some sauces that you never hear about. Many are locally produced and can only be found at farmers' markets in the summertime. I suggest that you try and be adventurous. One thing you may find is that some sauces experience a change in taste when cooked. The sweet tanginess of Sweet Baby Ray's changes dramatically (and not for the better in my opinion) when baked in an oven. Therefore, I use it to brush on in the latter stages of the grilling process and to toss or dip with.
HOT SAUCES
My introduction to hot sauces came in two forms, but in the same medium. Bloody Marys. Horseradish and Tabasco were used to make the first Bloody Marys I ever had. Now I know horseradish is more of a condiment than an actual hot sauce, so I'll leave that for another post. I'll just suggest one horseradish sauce, available in your grocery store. Woebber's Horseradish sauce. It comes in a squeeze bottle and will REALLY tickle your nose. Be careful. It's hot, but EXTREMELY addicting. If you buy it and w/in a week you find yourself using it at every meal, you'll know you're hooked. 'Nuff said.
I would think Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot sauce are usually the first hot sauces most people encounter. Tabasco is everywhere, and Frank's Red Hot is used by most places that make their own Buffalo chicken wing sauce. Buffalo wings have been big in most taverns and restaurants in the Northeast for 20-25 years. Red Hot has the most important aspect of a good hot sauce. Heat AND Flavor. To me, this is of utmost importance.
Obviously, if you like hot sauce, you enjoy heat in varying degrees. Some people can only take a little heat, like from Red Hot, whereas some people like the full-blown searing heat and pain of Dave's Insanity sauce or Endorphin Rush. There are many levels in between the two. Since I prefer taste and flavor to complement the heat, I eschew sauces like Dave's because there is only flavor for, like, 1 1/2 seconds before the surface of your tongue starts to blister. To me that's not fun. However, I do like to sweat a bit.
My personal favorite is Melinda's XXX Habanero sauce. The heat is relatively high (If Red Hot is a 3 and Dave's is a 10, I'd put Melinda's at 7.5), but the flavor is where this sauce really shines. The mixture of habaneros, carrots, and other vegetables makes for a uniquely enjoyable taste that lasts almost as long as the burn. I have been known to take this sauce by the teaspoonful for medicinal purposes (It makes you sweat out any impurities or inner demons you may have in your system. And hot sauce will unplug a stuffed nose). If you get a chance to try Melinda's (see the link on the right), and you like it, I suggest buying it by the 1/2 gallon or gallon.
Soon, I will have a website up and running called www.thesaucesite.com At this site I will discuss different kinds of sauces and there will be links to sauce recipes and sauce sellers from around the country. The site should be up and running by 5/10 and I will keep everyone posted when it is a go.
I will have more takes on hot sauces in future posts. Feel free to become a member and post what kinds of barbecue and hot sauces you enjoy. I'd like to hear from you.
Until next time, please remember, Len Is Right.
Monday, May 01, 2006
The NFL Draft and Online Poker
Hey: I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today is another beautiful day in upstate NY. I work the midnight shift at the railroad, soI'm posting a quickie before I get some sleep. I just wanted to chime in with my take on a couple of things.
The NFL Draft
This weekend the NFL held their annual draft. There had been alot of news last week about the top player in the draft, USC's Reggie Bush, possibly being in violation of amateur rules for getting free rent for his family over the last year or two. How would this affect the draft? Would the university be punished? Would he be sent to another planet?
You know what? WHO CARES?! As much as I like and watch ESPN and other sports networks, it was just another example of NEEDLESS HYPE. Hype, Hype, Hype. The sports world, the world of entertainment, and in reality, the whole world, especially the United States revolves around hype. What did Shaq say to Kobe? Did you hear about Mel Gibson's new movie? Did Paris Hilton have another sex scene filmed? The new XBOX 360 will take your gaming, and your life to a whole other life-changing level. You nerds out there might actually be able to get a date.
There's been alot of talk recently about how we can put pressure on the gasoline companies to drop the prices of gas. If we all just band together and don't buy from Exxon/Mobil on Wednesday, or if we only buy $10 at a time, or if we don't buy any gas for a day or two, we can make 'em cave. Know what? I'd just be happy if ALL media could band together for a couple of days or a week and have a "No Hype Day" or a "Hype-less Week." Kind of like when they say no sales tax on clothing purchases for the month of February (or whenever). Can we POSSIBLY just go a short time without the white noise of hype?
We get bombarded by Super Bowl hype in January. Like we need help to get up for the game. Like people are not already going to stand in line to see the next hot movie, like Harry Potter or Star Wars. Like I need to fret and discuss the possible penalties levied for an NCAA rules violation. Do I care that the Duke Men's lacrosse team took a few liberties with their female party guests? Hey, it's unfortunate and stupid on their part. But c'mon. Breaking news every hour because a stripper got treated like a hooker? You're going to break into the middle of my Mets game to tell me there's been an arrest made? Thanks. It gives me some time to use the john and get a drink.
Please, people. Stop the hype. Along with Insurance companies, the Medical industry, and the havoc lawyers have wreakled over the last 30 years, HYPE, especially in the U.S., has been a major contributor to the downfall of our country and world. Shut the FREAK up! (the word freak has been substituted for another word that starts with "f" and ends in "k").
By the way, my Kansas City Chiefs drafted a Liberian Defensive End from Penn State. Dude, how 'bout living up to the hype.
ONLINE POKER
This won't take long. Millions of people have been bitten by the poker bug over the last 2 years. I, myself, run small poker tournaments (10-40 players) every so often. I love to play, and have played ALOT online, both for play money and real funds. I have some news for you, if you already don't know. Live poker is the only way to go.
If you've spent any time studying this game, be it by book, video, class, or online practice, you should know that there's NO SUBSTITUTE for a live game with real people. Sure it's fun to sit in your underwear, eating Oreos and drinking a couple of Molsons, playing a $20 or $100 tournament with 1000 of your closest friends. You whoop and holler and make snide comments when your card comes up or your opponent pulls a winning hand out of his ass on the river. But playing live with other people, staring them down, trying to get a read on their play, fighting to keep your composure when you take down a monster pot or trying not to go on tilt when you get it up the butt for the 3rd consecutive hand is where it's really at.
If you're into poker, but only play live 1 out of 25 or 50 times you play, then you are cheating yourself out of really improving your game. Why? Because for the most part, online players are what's known as "maniacs". They like to impress themselves by playing ultra-aggressively. It's pretty much an all-or-nothing game, especially in the world of No-Limit Texas Hold-Em tournaments. People have spent so much time learning the game from watching on TV, and actually think that the hands they see played are the whole game and the only way to play. Certainly, it IS one way to play. But if you play like a maniac consistently, you will lose when it comes to live games.
So as not to beat a dead horse with a ton of other examples, I will just say that Live poker, at a casino, or in a friendly home game, is definitely the way to go. How do you think the VAST majority of the pros on TV made their fortunes and fame? By grinding it out year after year, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day at a table with real people. You want to get better at poker. Try that.
THANKS
Thank you for taking the time to stop and read my rant for today, May 1. Please bookmark this site and check back each day or every other day as I have ALOT of things to talk about. Hopefully something new every day. Hopefully never dull. I hope to incite the occasional riot with my musings.
Be forewarned, it won't always be politically correct. Not by any means. I'm going to give you my take on Religion, Racism, politics, pizza, sports, and more of why I hate people who insist on acting like sheep.
DON'T BUY INTO THE HYPE!! DON'T BE A SHEEP!!
Until next time, I am Len Tollerton, and all you need to know is that
LEN IS RIGHT!!!!
Learn it. Live It. Love It.
The NFL Draft
This weekend the NFL held their annual draft. There had been alot of news last week about the top player in the draft, USC's Reggie Bush, possibly being in violation of amateur rules for getting free rent for his family over the last year or two. How would this affect the draft? Would the university be punished? Would he be sent to another planet?
You know what? WHO CARES?! As much as I like and watch ESPN and other sports networks, it was just another example of NEEDLESS HYPE. Hype, Hype, Hype. The sports world, the world of entertainment, and in reality, the whole world, especially the United States revolves around hype. What did Shaq say to Kobe? Did you hear about Mel Gibson's new movie? Did Paris Hilton have another sex scene filmed? The new XBOX 360 will take your gaming, and your life to a whole other life-changing level. You nerds out there might actually be able to get a date.
There's been alot of talk recently about how we can put pressure on the gasoline companies to drop the prices of gas. If we all just band together and don't buy from Exxon/Mobil on Wednesday, or if we only buy $10 at a time, or if we don't buy any gas for a day or two, we can make 'em cave. Know what? I'd just be happy if ALL media could band together for a couple of days or a week and have a "No Hype Day" or a "Hype-less Week." Kind of like when they say no sales tax on clothing purchases for the month of February (or whenever). Can we POSSIBLY just go a short time without the white noise of hype?
We get bombarded by Super Bowl hype in January. Like we need help to get up for the game. Like people are not already going to stand in line to see the next hot movie, like Harry Potter or Star Wars. Like I need to fret and discuss the possible penalties levied for an NCAA rules violation. Do I care that the Duke Men's lacrosse team took a few liberties with their female party guests? Hey, it's unfortunate and stupid on their part. But c'mon. Breaking news every hour because a stripper got treated like a hooker? You're going to break into the middle of my Mets game to tell me there's been an arrest made? Thanks. It gives me some time to use the john and get a drink.
Please, people. Stop the hype. Along with Insurance companies, the Medical industry, and the havoc lawyers have wreakled over the last 30 years, HYPE, especially in the U.S., has been a major contributor to the downfall of our country and world. Shut the FREAK up! (the word freak has been substituted for another word that starts with "f" and ends in "k").
By the way, my Kansas City Chiefs drafted a Liberian Defensive End from Penn State. Dude, how 'bout living up to the hype.
ONLINE POKER
This won't take long. Millions of people have been bitten by the poker bug over the last 2 years. I, myself, run small poker tournaments (10-40 players) every so often. I love to play, and have played ALOT online, both for play money and real funds. I have some news for you, if you already don't know. Live poker is the only way to go.
If you've spent any time studying this game, be it by book, video, class, or online practice, you should know that there's NO SUBSTITUTE for a live game with real people. Sure it's fun to sit in your underwear, eating Oreos and drinking a couple of Molsons, playing a $20 or $100 tournament with 1000 of your closest friends. You whoop and holler and make snide comments when your card comes up or your opponent pulls a winning hand out of his ass on the river. But playing live with other people, staring them down, trying to get a read on their play, fighting to keep your composure when you take down a monster pot or trying not to go on tilt when you get it up the butt for the 3rd consecutive hand is where it's really at.
If you're into poker, but only play live 1 out of 25 or 50 times you play, then you are cheating yourself out of really improving your game. Why? Because for the most part, online players are what's known as "maniacs". They like to impress themselves by playing ultra-aggressively. It's pretty much an all-or-nothing game, especially in the world of No-Limit Texas Hold-Em tournaments. People have spent so much time learning the game from watching on TV, and actually think that the hands they see played are the whole game and the only way to play. Certainly, it IS one way to play. But if you play like a maniac consistently, you will lose when it comes to live games.
So as not to beat a dead horse with a ton of other examples, I will just say that Live poker, at a casino, or in a friendly home game, is definitely the way to go. How do you think the VAST majority of the pros on TV made their fortunes and fame? By grinding it out year after year, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day at a table with real people. You want to get better at poker. Try that.
THANKS
Thank you for taking the time to stop and read my rant for today, May 1. Please bookmark this site and check back each day or every other day as I have ALOT of things to talk about. Hopefully something new every day. Hopefully never dull. I hope to incite the occasional riot with my musings.
Be forewarned, it won't always be politically correct. Not by any means. I'm going to give you my take on Religion, Racism, politics, pizza, sports, and more of why I hate people who insist on acting like sheep.
DON'T BUY INTO THE HYPE!! DON'T BE A SHEEP!!
Until next time, I am Len Tollerton, and all you need to know is that
LEN IS RIGHT!!!!
Learn it. Live It. Love It.
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