Hallettsville

So Friday, I went to Hallettsville, TX with Jeff, Mike, and Jordan. We met up with Aaron and Terry. It was Aaron's bachelor party, and I must say it, was the oddest bachelor party I've ever been to. Actually, I think this is the only bachelor party I've ever been a part of. That's sad. Oh well... I guess it means that relatively few of my friends are hitched, which, in my current situation, is pretty cool. Not that wives aren't cool, but they do tend to hamper the fun-factor of their husbands. (Don't take this as an indictment of women, but rather as an indictment of the whole married couple mentality, i.e. "no, I don't think I'll come with y'all on (insert random act of fun here)... I think I'll go home and hang out with my wife...")

Anyway, back to the bachelor party. We drank ourselves silly on $1.50 lonestars and played dominoes until all hours of the morning. Oddly enough, the only sober man was the bachelor. I found this out when I offered to buy him a beer. He declined politely, saying he'd given it up. Once during the night, I asked him if he was having fun, and with a big grin, he replied he was having the time of his life. He wasn't kidding either. Whoop for him.

Anyway, we woke up at 7 on saturday and stumbled across the street to the Knights of Columbus Hall in bustling Hallettsville, Texas. We paid our $40 entry fee and immediately jumped into the round robin. We ended up with a 3-2 record in the round robin, which was almost but not quite good enough to get us into the championship bracket. So, instead, we were in the consolation bracket, which dampened our spirits a little bit. However, we won our next two matches before getting eliminated in the final 8. Of all the teams the Austin 42 club sent to the team, we lasted the longest, which was heartening.

Anyway, there were two incidents of note during the tournament. If you're not domino literate, you may not understand everything in the next few paragraphs, but I encourage you to try. If all else fails, ask me, I'd love to teach you how to play.

The first happened during the round robin. We were playing some frat boys who, according to Jeff, were completely trashed during the last tournament. They were real class acts this time, let me tell you.

The incident involved a 2 mark hand, which I called because we were down and running out of time. We played the first three tricks normally, stacking the third trick on top of the first. I was just about to play my fourth domino on top of the second trick when, out of no where, I'll be damned if frat tool #1 didn't reach over and pick up the third trick to look at the dominoes it was covering. I don't care where you learned how to play dominoes, or even if you're just playing for fun. You cannot ever under any circumstances look under the stack. (Stacking the dominoes makes it more difficult b/c you've gotta remember what's been played by who). It's supposed to be more difficult because the hand is worth 2 marks.

Anyway, Jeff and I look at each other incredulously and then Jeff calls him out, awarding us the hand by default. For some reason, he can't believe it and then turns into a real asshole. Jeff shakes the dominoes for the next hand, and once he finishes shaking, both I and frat tool #2 draw our dominoes. Frat tool #1 doesn't draw, and immediately calls me on drawing bones out of turn, demanding Jeff to give his team a mark. To be fair, the rules for the tournament do state that players will draw their dominoes clockwise from the dealer, and he was sitting on Jeff's left. However, this is total bullshit for two reasons: A) In the previous hands, we did not follow this particular rule. (Usually, the only rule on drawing dominoes is the shaker must draw last... this was the rule we were adhering to for the previous hands) B) His partner drew before I did, so I could just as easily have called that on him.

Luckily, the tournament judge saw it our way, and we played the hand out. Frat tool #1 was fuming though. I was too. I wanted to play him again later so Jeff and I could stomp them.

If you're skimming, I'd suggest reading the next section a little more carefully. There's some tricky moral/ethical/gamesmanship issues here...

The second incident occured after our second win in the consolation bracket. The old guys we were playing caught onto our bidding scheme. I won't bore you with the semantics, but basically, during the bidding portion of the game, we had a little pre-arranged system worked out so we could provide information to the other partner as to what dominoes we're holding in our hand.

For example, a bid of 30 meant "I have doubles" A bid of 32-33 meant "I have a 10 point piece and help". This last bid was particularly helpful, because there are only two 10 count dominoes in the game. Knowing that your partner has one of them can be a huge help in deciding if/what/how much to bid.

The way it would work, I would look at my hand, see that I have the 5-5 and maybe another double. I don't necessarily have a strong trump suit, but I bid 33. My partner, who bids after me, looks at his/her hand, and if it contains the 6-4 (the other 10 count), knows that I've got the 5-5. (S)he no longer has to worry about any 5 offs, making the bidding process much simpler, usually allowing my partner to bid quite high.

One of the rules of the game is that there can be no physical indications of what is in your hand. In tournament play, you can't move your dominoes around, you can't tap your finger on the table, you can't do anything which might possibly be used as a signal to your partner. You CAN, however, indicate which dominoes you have remaining in your hand by the order you play. For example, playing a 5-4 on your partner's trump to let him/her know that you have the 5-5 is perfectly legitimate.

So, on one hand, it appears to be table talk, because you are communicating information about your hand to your partner. On the other hand, it seems a perfectly valid strategy within the confines of the game.

What do y'all think?

Diversity: Why Bother - Opinion article by Dr. Robert Gates, TAMU Prez.

Recently, yet another international grad student was assaulted behind Northgate by some rednecks scared of anything/different than themselves. They see a turban and get offended, much the same way they get offended when they hear someone speaking spanish. Dammit Aggieland, why do there have to be so many ignorant people living there?

Anyway, Dr. Gates (president of TAMU) wrote this in the opinion section of the batt... I thought I'd share...

Every now and then, there is an exchange of opinions in "The Battalion," or I get an email from a student, that reminds me that what I learned in CIA and the White House about diversity as a source of strength has yet to be learned by too many Americans, including some students at Texas A&M.

The belief that a diverse population bound together by a common spirit and shared ideals and principles is a source of great national strength is as old as the American Republic. Look at every coin in your pocket; it carries on it testimony to that belief. "E Pluribus Unum" - One from Many. Its meaning is unambiguous. Our national motto is both an enduring challenge and an enduring promise.

Further, the belief that each and every person has value is the touchstone of our democracy. The role of men and women from every race, ethnic group, nationality, religion and socio-economic background in building and safeguarding America - and in creating our unprecedented prosperity as a people - is the stuff of legend (and of history).

How, then, can anyone argue that exposure to a rich mixture of people and human experience is not an essential part of one's education? Surely a decent education must include getting to know and learn from people from different parts of Texas and the United States, from more than 120 countries, from different economic and social circumstances, from different political and cultural backgrounds, from different religions and yes, from different racial and ethnic groups.

I score pretty low on the "political correctness scale. I believe recognition, privilege - and admission to Texas A&M - should be based solely on personal merit, i.e., earned. And, that is, in fact, our admissions policy.

Accordingly, everyone here deserves to be here and deserves to be treated as a full-fledged member of the Aggie Family. That also means everyone of every background, belief and point of view deserves to be treated with civility.

Accepting diversity as contributing to one's education does not mean everyone has to agree on everything - or even that we all have to like each other. It does mean treating other members of the Aggie Family and our guests on campus with respect. It means making the "Aggie Family," the "campus community," real - not just rhetoric.

In this regard, as I have said before, being part of the Aggie Family also means looking out for each other. Frankly, I'm fed up with one or another our international students - Aggies all - getting assaulted every few months in the Northgate area. We've done a lot to step up police patrols and provide rides to students late at night. And, I refuse to believe that any of our students are the criminals who carry out such acts. I do believe, however, that every Aggie who passes through or lives in Northgate has a responsibility to keep an eye out for and report those who prey on members of our Aggie Family. The only place in Aggieland for these predators is in jail.

My bottom line: when you graduate, you will enter a world full of diversity. Knowing how to interact with and treat people who are different from you will play an important role in determining whether you are successful, whatever your career path. So, take advantage of your time here to learn about that world, make new friends from different backgrounds, learn how to deal with different points of view. That was my world in CIA and the White House. You have the advantage of unlimited opportunity to do that right here in Aggieland.

If you don't agree with what I have said, that is your right. But know this: We will not tolerate intolerance or incivility on this campus. Such behavior is not an Aggie tradition.

Gig 'em Dr. Gates.

From The Batt.

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan."

Somehow (can't remember how), I ran across this article early in the spring this year. How prophetic it was.

Of course, it's not hard to be prophetic when the same damn thing happens again and again.

The Rangers are off on their final road trip of the season, hoping to stay above .500 for the season.

Damn you Rangers, why must I love you so?

heard on ESPN

in reference to Notre Dame's loss last week to Michigan:

"Happiness is a poor memory. If you can't remember what happened last week, you'll never be discouraged."

I like it :-D

Iran-ium

Transcript of press conference with the Iranian President...



He sounds coherent. I wish it were not naieve to believe him.

razors

I'm sitting here watching TV and doing a little bit of research...

There was just a commercial for some razor on TV. It had 4, count them 4, blades. I can remember a few years back, three was the magic number. Pretty soon, we'll all be shaving with venitian blinds. Not sure what the extra blades do, other than make it more expensive.

reciprocity

Ok readers...

I have been doing my part. I posted not one, not two, but six (6) posts this past week. With the exception of Caroline, not a one of you has commented.

Comments are half the reason I maintain this blog. C'mon, throw me a bone here :-P

Y'all are slackin...

mohawk

That's right, folks, I have a mohawk.

Canoe Racing!

Yes folks, I have ventured into the high paced world of canoe racing.

My friend Ginger asked me to be her paddling partner for the TX. Junior Water Safari race this saturday. It was a 16 mile race on the San Marcos River. We put in near the Lions' Club tube rental and ended up in Martindale 3 hours and 45 minutes later.

We got off to an excellent start and were ahead of most of the pack. We kept getting passed by people in single kayak-like canoes. I asked Ginger if this was something to be worried about, and she said no, they are usually much faster than 2-man canoes.

We managed the portages over the two dams pretty well, and were making good time, even keeping pace with a few kayakers.

Then, as we went under a bridge just underneath the Martindale Dam, I heard a distinct crack. We then ended up running aground on a rock and had to get out to get it unstuck. We took on a little bit of water, but it wasn't a whole lot so we kept going.

A few hundred yards downstream, Ginger suggested we pull over to dump the water. Quickly, we did and got back in the canoe and kept going. A few hundred more yards, Ginger notes how much water there still is in the boat, and wonders if we've got a hole. I turn around and look at the hull, and sure enough, we've got a sizable gash letting river water in.

We pull the canoe out of the water to quickly patch it with a food wrapper and some foam we cut off of the water-jug holders. Sadly, the patch is not very effective. It slows the flow of water into the boat, but it does not stop it. We continue to have to pull over every half mile to dump the water from our boat. We can't even go over shallow parts for fear that our makeshift patch will come undone.

All in all, we finish just 5 minutes behind our competition. We would have easily smoked them if we hadn't been towing half the river along with us. The hole in the boat makes for some lively conversation once we've pulled it from the river.

Free chilidogs are provided for all race participants. I eat waaaay too many... Life is good.

crack whores in Austin

Ok, now I've seen everything...

Vince and I had some friends staying with us in Austin for ACL and the Sufjan concert. Kit and I were in the living room watching some TV, and Daniel was outside talking on his cell phone. I went into the restroom. While I was in there, there was apparently a knock at the door.

Thinking it was Daniel, Kit opened the door. Standing outside was a woman in hippie garb (burka, sandals, etc...) She asked if she could come in. Thinking she was one of my friends, Kit let her in.

About this time, I walked back into the room. Her back was to me, so I thought that this was one of Vince or Kit's friends, but it soon became apparent she was not.

Her feet were dirty and she had a kinda desparate look on her face. Something right out of Requiem for a Dream.

She (probably) concocted a story about a black lady who was hassling her and how she just wanted to come in to get away from her. Being the naieve person I am, I kinda sorta believed her. I offered to let her use a phone or call the cops or something. She didn't seem to respond to that. She kept asking if there was a party going on, to which we responded we were headed to bed.

She then started repeating that she "could pay," and that she "was cool," and kept offering to turn us on. At this point we flat-out, categorically denied that ANY of us needed to be turned on by her. She was kinda agitated at this point and was walking further into the house, looking in all the rooms. I got her turned around and corralled her to the living room, right next to the front door. At this point, she sat down on the couch and started reaching in her bag.

By the time I figured out what she was doing, it was too late. A vagrant hippie crack whore was smoking a rock on our couch in our living room! I really didn't know what to do. Vince had retreated into the back room hoping the problem would fix itself. Kit was in the kitchen with an apologetic expression on his face mouthing the words "no physical contact," with which, I heartily agreed.

The moment she was done, I hurried over to the door and asked her to leave. Thankfully, she did. I locked the door behind her.

She kept wondering around the neighborhood for at least an hour, stoned out of her mind...

Was she casing the place? I hope not, but I think she was too high to do much of anything.

Should I have called the cops? Probably. Of course, she probably got picked up soon after.

I hope she's getting help. Drugs can f-up your life. For the rest of the evening, I kept thinking what her family must think about her... whether they know she's a druggie, if they even care, or if they even keep in touch.

Kinda sad really.

Menage a trois

And then there were three...

So.... I'm beginning to collect quite a harem... of bicycles...

Quite by accident, Josh told me of the UT bicycle auction which was, fortiutously (sp?), this afternoon. He was looking for a road bike, and I tagged along to possibly purchase another mountain bike, thus allowing me to take friends out mountain biking who don't have their own bike.

I ended up winning the first bike in the auction. Well, it's half a bike, because it's missing the back wheel, has gunk on the handlebars, and needs a new chain and gearset, but, all in all, I think I got a pretty good deal. It's fairly new and with a paltry $100-$150, I can have a totally decent bike. It's a Trek 4500, which new, goes for $450+. I paid $70. I kinda almost feel bad, because there was a guy who was bidding on it before I was, and he really wanted the bike. Every time someone bid, he'd up it by $5. His final bid was $45, and then I bid $70, which was apparently out of his price range. He didn't look like a starving student though...

When the auction ended, the lady wrote the wrong price on the ticket for me to go pay, so I COULD have walked out of there with my spoils of victory for $45. I really considered it, I really did. Especially since I'm doing UT a favor by taking this bike off their hands. But, it wouldn't have been fair to the dude I outbid. If he hadn't wanted the bike so much, I probably wouldn't have said anything.

Even still, I got a great deal.

In other news, I've come up with a name for my current mountain bike: Bruno. Bruno's a hoss and can take quite a beating. And he's not pink like Gertie.

We'll see what kinda name I come up with for this new franken-bike once I get him/her all put together again.

We'll miss you, you tough old boot

From Wikiquote

Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:

1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.


2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.


3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.


4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.


5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.


6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.


7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.


8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.


9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.


10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.


11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.


12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.


13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.


14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.


15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.


16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.


17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.


18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher.

We'll miss you Ann... I remember being in 1st or 2nd grade when Ann Richards was running for Governor. I can't really remember who I was wanting to win, but all the other guys in my classes wanted Clayton Williams to win for no other reason than he was a guy and Ann Richards was a girl. So, being the little conformist that I was, I said I was pulling for Williams too, even though it didn't sit quite right with me. I remember Williams won the mock election we had in our elementary school by a pretty large magin...

I think we need more people like Ann Richards in politics... It keeps it interesting. Kinky anyone?