Favorite Poker Players to Watch on TV:

1. Daniel Negreanu – How can he not be? Just to watch him call out his opponent’s hands… Damn.
2. Erick Lindgren – OK. So he’s my poker crush. That pushes him to the top of the list.
3. Jennifer Harman – Even though the nose twitch can become tedious, I still think she’s fun to watch.
4. Gavin Smith – He’s completely fearless. Better yet, he’s got a great sense of humor.
5. Doyle Brunson – Duh.
6. Howard Lederer – He was really the first player I remember following. I haven’t actually seen him play in a long time.

Obviously, I’m not a big fan of the drama queens (Phil Helmuth, Humberto Brenes, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, etc.) I appreciate the people who spend more time on the game than playing to the camera.

Not that anyone cares.

Why I Cannot Vote For Hillary…

I tend to wear my political beliefs on my sleeve. I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing, to be honest. But it always leads to some interesting conversations. Lately, a lot of people who know me well are curious why I am not supporting Hillary Clinton. Why am I not completely excited about the potential of the first female president?, they ask.

Because it has nothing to do with gender, I tell them. Yes, I would love to see a female president. Yes, I was a big supporter of Bill Clinton. (In fact, there is still a campaign poster of him with a sax from 1992 on my childhood bedroom wall.) And yes, I do think this country is ready for a female president.

But none of that matters. I simply cannot vote for her. Period.

I consider myself very liberal, very progressive. And if she is the Democratic candidate, I will be completely torn. As much as I loathe the thought of voting for her, I loathe the Republican candidates equally.

So, why do I dislike her as a candidate? Lots of reasons, most of which have been well covered by many others: I don’t think she has the experience that she claims; I don’t want to continue a Clinton dynasty; I do think we need real change.

But, mostly, I do not trust her motivations. Why does she want to be President? Is it to change the lives of Americans for the better? Is it to move our country in a positive direction? Is it to repair our self-image as a nation? Sure, all of these things will be claimed as goals, as long as it reflects well on her. As long as the numbers are good.

I don’t get any impression that she truly cares about anything more than the power and glory. About the title and the respect and the chance to show that she can get the office.

True, all politicians are inherently somewhat vain and self-righteous, but she quietly takes it to another level. It seems that she is so caught up in the machine that she might have just lost sight of what the machine was created to do. She has mastered the rhetoric and the game so completely that she has forgotten that the game is not just about winning, but about learning, growing and developing. A true all-star not only shows themselves to be great, but also improves their teammates, the coaches, the field of play, and the foundations upon which the game was created.

Hillary Clinton is not an all-star. She may put up the big numbers, but she does nothing to inspire those around her.

Obama is an all-star. He has completely changed the field of play. He has taken the game to a new level, simply by inspiring millions that change is possible and having the intelligence and vision to look in new (or long-forgotten) directions.

He seems to truly care about the will of the people and be willing to serve. Our nation’s leader should be our servant, willing to sublimate his or her desires to the greater needs of our people. I cannot see Hillary putting me first in any decision-making process. Barack Obama would probably lend me his car, if I asked nicely and made a good case for its use.

I know that someday a female will also rise to this level of the game. (Many have been near there and have been overlooked.) But Hillary Clinton is not the one. Nor can she ever be. She has been a dutiful office-holder, and I commend her for that. But she will never be the leader our country needs so desperately.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, already is that leader.

I do not share all of his views. Nor will I ever completely agree with one candidate on every single issue. But, I have faith in him as a person, in his motivations and in his desire to facilitate progress. That’s all I can ask for.

I pray that everyone will vote for the candidate that inspires them, that they believe can guide this nation-community in a positive direction, that they can see putting the needs of the people before their own. I pray that the ridiculous media attention placed upon race, gender and religion can be redirected towards the more important issues of character, community, honesty, vision, and ethical leadership.

And I pray that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

Yes, We Can (Part Duex)

The first time I heard this speech, I got chills.
Now every time I see this, I feel a rush of excitement all over again.
Way to go, will.i.am!

Another Quote

I’m currently reading The Wild Trees and this line stopped me cold:
“We do know that whatever happens to the great systems of nature will also be what happens to us.”
Shivers down my spine.

Long Time Gone

It feels like it’s been forever since I posted. Quick rundown:

Feeling better, even though I was completely misdiagnosed at the ER. Still undergoing some diagnostic tests to figure out what the heck is going on, but I haven’t had any major pain in over a week. Having been raised by a professional patient, I’m pretty comfortable diagnosing myself. And I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out the situation, even though my doctor is still a few steps behind. But tomorrow, after he gets his hands on Friday’s CT scan, I’m sure he’ll agree with me.

So, I have completely altered my diet, which I think has been the reason I have been feeling so much better. But, we’ll see. The good side effect is that I’ve already lost a few pounds!

What else? I completed my training to be an adult literacy tutor. I am completely excited about what the organization is doing and I can’t wait to get started. My first student got scared and dropped out before I ever met him, but I’ll meet my new student this week.

I’ve joined another group that I’m reluctant to even describe, for fear that it will brand me the old fart librarian lady. But, it’s a musical group, and I’m having a great time playing music again. It’s amazing how fast old skills can return given the chance.

Holy crap. The Giants just won the Super Bowl. In the final minute. Didn’t see that one coming.

Anything else? Hmm… Talked to my friend D. the other day, and we commiserated about our shared social situations. At least she has the excuse that she’s fairly new to town. I have to admit that I wasted over 10 years hanging out with assholes and losers. No one to blame but myself. But it would be nice to meet a few people who aren’t insane.

I heard from my old friend M. the other day. It’s been at least 2 years since we’ve communicated at all, and it was nice to catch up a bit. M. is a guy that I really treated unfairly at times. He’s very sweet, and at some point I think he was really interested in me, but I continuously used him and tossed him aside. How do you apologize for behavior like that? I don’t know, but I’ve got to find a way. Of course I’d love to be able to call him a friend again, but more than that–I respect him and he deserves an apology. Even if he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.

So, I guess that’s all for now. Must find something girlie to watch after all these hours of football. There’s gotta be a crappy romantic comedy on somewhere.