Smack down on the boys! Predator 10 Ball Open.

Wow - All I can saw is Wow for Yu Ram Cha. She beat Shane Van Boening in the World 10 Ball Predator tournament.

One of the most difficult come back performances ever...Yu Ram Cha fought through a 8-4 deficit (race to 10) to defeat the former World 10-Ball and US Open Champion Shane Van Boening. Cha was one of the only three remaining women left in the event with the monumental task of qualifying for the final stage of the event. Ozone Billiards presented the 112 top players from around the globe along with top sponsor JBETpoker.net on the Dragon Promotions production at the Riviera Hotel & Casino May 11-16,2009 during the BCAPL’s National 8-Ball Championships. The 9th Annual Predator International 10-Ball Championship features live scoring of the entire event on www.Predator10ball.com.

The match started out shaky for Cha and routine for the impressive Van Boening. Shane took an early 4-1 lead, which Cha later narrowed to 5-4. Shane then took the next 3 games to lead a comfortable 8-4. The valiant Cha never gave up and fought her way to close the gap at 8-6. After a smashing break, which she switched from the middle to the side rail, she made a tricky off angle combo on the 10-Ball to get within 8-7. The next game was cat and mouse with Van Boening with him leaving Yu Ram a half table length jump cut shot. Cha jumped a ball and sliced the 4ball down the rail in an amazing shot and proceeded to run the rack out to tie 8-8. The crowd was going wild.

In game 19, Cha broke and ran out. On the hill leading 9-8 now, Cha broke and made another ball on the break and faced a jacked up shot as the cueball lay over a ball and she had to shoot length of the table off angle shot on the 1ball. She nailed it perfectly.

“That was a helluva shot”, murmured Johnny Archer watching the match from a distance.

Cha was set up for an open table run, and she executed the run perfectly down to the final 10-Ball. Looking at the shot, getting down, and then up ne more time the nerves were showing. The steely eyed Cha then regrouped and stroked an off angle shot on the 10-Ball for the win. A big smile formed on her face and she was overcome with emotion as she had to sit down. She got up to embrace her mentor and coach Charlie Williams as he paused his own match to come over and congratulate her victory.
In an amazing comeback performance, Yu Ram Cha overcame a 8-4 deficit to defeat former World 10-Ball and US Open Champion Shane "The South Dakota Kid" Van Boening.

In an amazing comeback performance, Yu Ram Cha overcame a 8-4 deficit to defeat former World 10-Ball and US Open Champion Shane "The South Dakota Kid" Van Boening.

“That girl is going to be a force to be reckoned with”, said Nesli O’hare, former top WPBA womens pro.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's

Every day we live & love is a miracle. Wishing all the mother's a very lovely day that is only yours. Make sure you do something for your mom - make her favorite cookies, take her to her favorite restaurant, spend the day with her...let her know how amazing and strong she is.

I want to send a very unique and special wish to my beautiful mom. I know that you are always near to me although I cannot physically see you. You are always in my heart and thoughts.

Always hope and eternal love~

Need help to keep from wasting time?

Are we really busier than our parents were when they were our age? Do you ever find yourself making an excuse to friends or family that you cannot make a dinner or party because you are really tied up on emailing, twittering, visiting social websites or spending hours or cools sites like digg....you know what I mean!

As different social networks and/or social websites are created, we have part of ourselves that feel an obligation to respond to others, check in the updates of friends and family that we don't always get the chance to visit or even pick up the phone to call.

I remember in my early teens, there was no "www". Yes, there were Bulletin Boards where you could dial in on your external 56K modem and post on subjects and maybe do a little coding magic to make words show up, disappear, and show up again. After an hour or so, you hit all the BBs and read the posts. Heck it was so slow, that sometimes you would just get fed up and go back to playing video games on that Commodore64. Yikes.

Now, there are tons of addictive online social networks, such as YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc. Although these are great sites, and the technology behind them is pretty darn good, they are all time consumers that can impact you from doing other things that may be a little more productive.

We have all been there and get caught up on site and bam, hours are gone. Sometimes we just need a little kick in the arse to keep us disciplined. If you can't do that, then here's the perfect tool to manage that. It's called, MinutesPlease.

MinutesPlease is an online app which allows you to set up time restrictions for any website you visit where you know you spend um, too much time on.

I'm am guilty of this. I won't name the sites, but they are sites that I could (and do) splend hours and hours at night. I could be sleeping!

So, here's how this nifty little innovative site works:

1. Go to www.minutesplease.com and enter the URL of the website you want to minimize your time on. Set the time limit and that site will only stay open for the amount of time you specify. It's even got the option to give you warnings when your time is about to be up. Kind of like when you are at the car wash and it starts beeping at you to feed it more quarters if you want to finish rinsing your car from all the soap suds! Once your time is up, the window (or tab) is closed.

What I really like about the site is that, there is not signup, no account information, no email to submit and it's FREE. Check it out!

Lastly, take a day or two off from email, websites, blogging, updates and just take the time for yourself to enjoy things that matter to you outside of the web world. Spend time in person with the family that loves you, the true friends that will always be beside you, pets that will always look up to you and take a nice walk in your neighborhood (get that fresh air). Heck, pick up the phone and just give them a call to let them know you are thinking about them. That means more than any email, twitter, or update about yourself.

Mother's Day is tomorrow, so remember all the friends and families that are mothers and be sure to let them know they are in your thoughts.

Wanna watch a movie with me? How Bout' Star Wars?

If you are at your computer working and and want to run Star Wars in the background to pass the time, you are in luck my friend.

You can telnet to a server to watch it now. Let's start the fun:

1. Go to your start menu and type run
2. Type in: telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
3. Click ok!

Enjoy Star Wars in ASCII (pronouces Ask-ee). It's the acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a widely used standard for encoding text documents on computers.

For those of you that say this is a complete waste of time, we'll you are partially correct. It's a darn cool waste of time. *This has been out there for awhile, but thought I'd post a reminder for those of you who have never experienced it.*

My pets playin' poker.

Womens World 10 Ball Tournament going to be a live broadcast this year on TV!

Check this out. The Women's World 10-Ball Championship is going to air live this year on ABS-CBN.

Dragon Promotions and Filipino broadcast television giant ABS-CBN have entered into an agreement to air the Women's World 10-Ball Championship June 2-6, 2009. ABS-CBN will be airing the Women's World 10-Ball Championship live over the five days of the event with a guaranteed 25 hours live coverage as well as delayed taping of other feature matches. With this kind of media and $20,000 at stake for the champion, as well as an additional $50,000 for the top finishers, this will be the biggest women's sporting event in the Philippines this year.

The historic event will be aired nationally throughout the Philippines as well as internationally on ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel which covers the USA in New York, Illinois, California, Florida, New Jersey, and 30 other states, with additonal coverage in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and many more. Fifteen countries on three continents will air the matches.

"ABS-CBN is very pleased and excited to give national and international coverage to this event. The Women's World 10-Ball Championship is a historic event and will be the biggest women's sporting event of the year in the Philippines. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Dragon Promotions and billiards," said Peter Musgni, Vice President for ABS-CBN Sports.

New Radio Poker Show!

There's a new Live Radio Call-In Show for Poker!

Jesse May, the former host of the television series Late Night Poker and author of Shut Up and Deal, has signed on to co-host an interactive radio show with Matt Broughton and Irish poker champ Padraig Parkinson. It's based in the UK.

The first show is this Sunday! The boys will be talking to a host of big names from the poker world, including internet master (I bow to him), Tom "Durrrr" Dwan, Neil Channing who'll be announcing his all-new Blackbelt Poker team on the show. To top it off, there will be an interview with Dan Harrington. Great way to start off the new show.

The show is going to be live and listener generated - a soundtrack to your online poker evening. It will be a central hub for online poker players to all share ideas and thoughts.

What's really cool about The Poker Show is it's live nature, interactiveness and listener feedback.

If you want to be part of the show, here is more info on how to do that: http://thepokershowlive.com/contactus.htm

The show will air Sunday through Tuesdays from 8pm - 11pm.

To see more about it: http://thepokershowlive.com/

Bugged, Bug'd, Bug.gd

I spend a good portion of my day doing support and when I am home, always trying to break applications. Anyone who is in a support role runs into all types of errors/bugs with systems and software. There's a great site out there, called Bug.gd (cute name) and it's a really cool site that has a community of other users that posts errors and the users help eachother find working solutions. This site is basically a database of errors and solutions, posted by people for the people *smiles*.

People love to share their knowledge and new posts get answered very quickly.

The beauty of this site is that users vote on the solutions to posts so you can decide if it's a solution that is worth trying. What more could you ask for?

Check it out and enjoy - it's a site you can spend weeks, err, hours on.

Unbelievable, but true.

I came home the other day and there were two stray cats in my house. They were sitting in front of the television and watching some Star Wars movie. I sat down to join them, and realized it was Sugar and Pumpkin starring in the movie. Who know my cats could kick some Darth Vader arse?

I must say, I am very proud of them. Sugar is on the right and although looks very sweet, was prolly the one that pushed Pumpkin (on the left) into playing so aggressive in this scene. How to make a mom proud. *sigh*

Grand Restaurant Specials in April - Listen up!

For those that know me, you already are aware of how extremely lazy I am with cooking and love to dine out in Austin. We have so many delicious choices in our city, that it's absolute temptation on every corner. Eating out all the time can get expensive, so always got my eye out for great deals and love to spread the word.

Here are some amazingly, fantastic specials going on this week.


1. TGIFs: $.01 Appetizers and buy one meal, get one for $1!

- Buy any beverage at the bar and get any appetizer for .01 (yes, one cent). One per person.
- Buy any entree and get the next one for $1.00

You can either sign up for their Stripes club (free) at: http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx

or you can print the coupons from this link here and use them as well:
http://www.eatdrinkdeals.com/tag/tgi-fridays-coupon/

These expire on April 20, 2009

2. Threadgills on North Lamar - FREE dinner (one per person)

This is an Austin classic. It's where Janis Joplin got her start. It's an amazing piece of Austin's history. They recently shut down for a few months to remodel and they are open. It's great food, great service, and great atmosphere. You'll see.

Eddie Wilson (owner) is convinced that if you go there, just once, you'll fall in love with the food, the folks, and the heritage that is Threadgills and you'll be back over and over. He made a special announcement on KGSR this morning...

One week only: Monday April 13 through Sunday April 19, 2009 (as seen on the inside front cover of INsite Magazine) - Wilson is going to buy you dinner when you visit the North Lamar location. No strings attached. Just go in anytime after 4:00pm and sit down for a great dinner. Don't forget to tip your waitstaff!

On the same note, here are some specials that are at our local restaurants all the time. Check them out if you haven't been there before.

1. Docs Motorworks on S Congress: 2 for 1 Hamburgers all day on Mondays.
2. Hut's Hamburgers on W 6th Street: Enjoy two-for-one burgers at Hut’s from 6pm to 10pm on Wednesdays.
3. Boulevards Sports Bar & Grill on Far West Blvd: 2 for 1 Hamburgers on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays. They are very yummy.
4. Boulevards Sports Bar & Grill on Far West Blvd: 2 for 1 Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken on Thursdays.
5. El Mercado Mexican Restaurant: 2 for 1 enchiladas on Wednesday night. Great food. Check em' out.

I'm hungry now. *smiles*

Taken care of that cue...

We all go through this. You play all the time and tend to take your cue for granted. It's important to keep that baby clean! It's your number one tool in the game and never forgot that it's kind of like a life long partner. Treat it well and take care of it, and it will take great care of you.

How To Clean A Pool Cue

Pool cues often become sticky because of a build up of chalk and oil from our hands. If they are not cleaned regularly, they can become permanently damaged or even warped.

There are serveral different ways to clean your cuestick. Choose a preference and make sure you clean your cue at least once every few weeks, more often if you play daily.

Materials Needed

Cleaning detergent (dish soap or orange oil diluted 5:1 with water), 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper, and a piece of Simonis cloth or cotton cloth.

Cleaning Options

Apply your chosen cleaning solution to a cloth. Dampen the cloth, getting too much liquid on the cue may cause warping, so be careful. Clean the cue from the bottom to the ferrule. Then lightly sand the cue with 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper. This will remove any excess chalk that may be left on the surface. Wipe down the cue again with the damp cloth and dry immediately.

Check out how beautiful it becomes...*smiles*

Alright Ladies...Women Poker Events coming up

June is just creeping up around the corning and the month will be full of poker events for the gals.

Things for women to keep tucked away in the back of their minds:

1. Learn the Game: Read books, do hand simulations, study the rules of the game, play with friends, and learn all you can about the game of poker. If you are new to the game, you should learn and understand the hand rankings, the flow of the action, and the options of folding, calling, betting, and raising.

2. Start with low stake games and graduate to higher stakes: Put in time at the tables in low limit games where you can learn proper game skills as well as table etiquette. Once you beat the game on a regular basis, move up a level and repeat. Before long you will have earned your way to high limit games and proven that you have the skills and the knowledge to be a contender.

3. Keep sex out of it: Don’t play the sex kitten game at the table. It may work for you, but long term you want to play straight up and show that you are a player. The same holds true for online play and poker forums. You can make a logical statement about poker, but if your avatar is a girl that's in a bikini, you can kiss all respect from good players goodbye.

4. Male intimidation: If you feel like you are not prepared to handle male intimidation, create a unisex screen name and play online until you feel more confident in your abilities.

Here are some upcoming events that you can play in while you are in Vegas during the WSOP this year.

7:00pm - June 4, 2009 [ Golden Nugget Casino - Vegas ] [ Poker Gives Charity Tournament ] [ $200 +$30 with $50 rebuys. 50% of prize pool to charity ]

ALL DAY - June 5, 2009 ] [ Golden Nugget Casino - Vegas ] [ Friday Sit N Go Frenzy! ] [ SNGs for all the Grand Series Events & Satellites for LIPS event on Monday ]

6:30pm - June 5, 2009 [ Golden Nugget Casino - Vegas ] [ 2009 Women in Poker Hall of Fame Ceremony plus Dancing and Dinner ] [ Induction Ceremony ]

ALL DAY - June 6, 2009 [ TBD ] [ LIPS WiPHoF Super Satellite ] [ $150 + $25 Satellite winners get certificate into one of the Grand Series events or the LIPs Championship in August + Cash ]

ALL DAY - June 7, 2009 [ The Rio - Vegas ] [ WSOP Ladies Event ] [ $1000 ]

Noon - June 8, 2009 [ Golden Nugget Casino - Vegas ] [ Poker Queen Ladies Event - It's a bracelet event and winner gets a LIPS Championship seat! ] [ $200 + $30 ]

Texas BCA State Tournament 2009

Just got in from our annual state BCA Billiard team tournament at the E-Center in Harker Heights, TX (right outside of Killeen). There were 99 teams competing this year and it definitely was a learning and humbling experience.

I consider our BCA teams in Austin to be pretty strong and we had 5 Austin teams representing our city in the event. We went up and played as Crazy 8's. It was a double elimination format, with race to 13 on both the winners and losers side. We lost both our matches in the tournament and even with the solid play of our team, we got killed in the tournament.

The format of this tournament is straight up. There is not handicap, just playing one game at at time for a win. The first team to pull in 13 wins, and the match is over. It really forces you to bring your best game because all the other teams are - it's amazing play by every single player. They also had the Master's division playing -- now those are some pool players!

It was a great event overall though. Met some really nice people, had a great time with the team, got some work done at the hotel, ate at some great restaurants and had many good laughs. I wish we could rewind and step into the tournament all over again. It just ended to quickly.

They also ran mini tournaments for singles and had the speed pool event going on. The goal was to run the table of 15 balls (no particular order, as long as the 8 ball was last). You had to wait for the cue ball to come to a stop before shooting the next ball. The best time I saw was a player doing that in 1 minute and 2 seconds. Frakkin' nuts! Can you fathom doing that?!

I missed my little ones when I was gone. I had some friends come over (thank you!) to make sure they were staying out of trouble when I was away. They tend to get into everything and have a little party if they can. Pumpkin and Sugar will find the cat food and have a grand 24 hour non stop feast. Jordan will make himself king of the home and hang out on the sofa, my bed, play with my shoes and also find anything and everything to eat.

Weekend of pool is over and I miss it already. *sigh* Back to reality and the real world. *smiles*

2009 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters at Riviera

Billiard event sponsered by a Poker Site - pure beautifulness!

Following the success of the 2008 event, the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will return to the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino in May. A total of 16 of the finest players from around the world will be competing in the event, which will be staged over three days during the annual BCAPL National 8 Ball Championships.

Promoted by Matchroom Sport the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will be running for the 17th year consecutive year and its roll call of champions reads like an international who's who of 9 ball. Defending champion Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines will be back, as will runner-up Mika Immonen (Finland), the reigning US Open champ and P&B's Player of the Year.

Other players confirmed include World 10 Ball Champion, England's Darren Appleton; Mosconi Cup star Tony Drago (Malta) and former World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines. Representing United States hopes will be the top two American ranked players on the BCA Men's Point List, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer. Montreal's Dancing Bear, Alain Martel, will be flying the flag for Canada.

The European vanguard of five-times Masters champion Ralf Souquet (Germany) and Holland's multi-titled Niels Feijen will both be in attendance. They will be joined by top ranked European stars Nick van den Berg of Holland, England's Imran Majid, who KO'd Van Boening in this event last year, and teenage Russian sensation Ruslan Chinakhov who will be making his Masters debut. Challenge of Champions winner and '07 World Cup winner Fu Jianbo will arrive from China and 2005 World Pool Masters victor Raj Hundal, now representing India, will return to the fray at the Riviera.

There is one female in the 2009 Masters line-up and that honor this year goes to the rising star of the women's game, 21 year-old Korean Yu Ram Cha.

Once again, the Masters will be promoted in partnership with Mark Griffin's BCA Pool Leagues and the opening first round matches take place on the evening of Friday, May 8, culminating in the championship match on Sunday, May 10. Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said: "The event was a big success for us last year at the Riviera and we're looking to build on that in May. The crowds at the Masters were good and with the outstanding line-up we have assembled this year, I am sure that we will have bumper crowds."

There will be a $66,000 prize fund, with the winner collecting $20,000. Tickets will be made available in March on the Playbca.com website.

BCAPL's Mark Griffin added, "BCA Pool League players love professional action. They are excited the World Pool Masters will return to the Riviera for 2009, and they hope that Matchroom will continue to honor our tournament with their participation for years to come."

Visit POOLMAG.COM for more details as the event get's closer.

Our Ladies Poker Tournament Site is Live!

Sorry I've been out of touch. Tons going on and not sure why the 24 hour days are flying by in 10 hours. Just dont' get it!

We just started our Spring Gals Poker Tournament, which is a qualifier for the Ladies WSOP in June of 2009 in Vegas. I've been working on creating a website for everyone to keep up with what is going on with the tournament and also provide some cool poker links and information. Check it out AustinPokerGirls and if you are interested in playing, let us know. The only requirement is that you are a female, and no, dressing up like a female will not be accepted. It's a great group of women and we always have a good time.

"Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult." -- Charlotte Whitton.

Best Valentine's Day Ever!

Today was our Tri-Cup tournament for 8-ball. Our team got first place last session, so we got a seat at Tri-Cups this year. Just walked in from an amazing 14 hour day at Slick Willies.

The place was packed when I walked in about 9:30am this morning. Today was single elimination for the teams, so if the teams didn't when 3 out of their 5 matches, they were out. The first round started at 10:00am and half the field was eliminated. We won our first match 3 - 1. It was an extremely tough match, but the team really focused and brought their best game out. The team shot lights out and that put us in to play at 2:30pm. We started out strong and pulled another victory of 3 - 0 against our opponents who played very well.

We took a dinner break for about an hour, then our next match started at 7:00pm. Our opponents were tough this round, as it get tougher as teams are eliminated and you are playing winning teams. The team pulled together and won 3 - 1 to put us into Sunday's bracket. If we win our 10:00am match tomorrow, that seats us for regionals, which is the tournament to go to Vegas to compete.

Today was such a great Valentine's Day. Spent it with people I adore, we had chocolate covered strawberries (I'm in heaven) and we shot solid the whole day. Tough to beat that! I wanted to send my thanks out to those who wished me well at the tournament today -- you are all so thoughtful and your good wishes carried us through. Thanks again (you know who you are). *Hugs*

Heading to sleep now, morning will be here soon.

Turn the River

There are not many movies that are about billiards -- guess it is kind of hard to do a film that can keep an interest from the audience. There have been some great movies such as The Hustler and The Color of Money that will always be known.

There was another billiard movie that was released in 2007, but never made it big. The title of the movie is, "Turn the River" - that definitely peaked my interest. It sounds like a poker movie and it seems to have a "Rounders" feel to it on the previews.

Framke Janssen (also in X-Men) stars in the movie as a pool hustler. She's a really gorgeous brunette, but has a down to earth look about her as well. I could see someone like her as a real hustler type, the kind that noone would suspect. She looks like a badass on the table too! The preview looked great, so I am in the process of downloading it now (at 30%), so should be able to watch it in the next hour or two. It's a little slow since there are not many seeds.

While it's downloading, I'm going to make a fruit salad with mandarin oranges, grapes, apples, kiwi, pineapple and strawberries with a splash of OJ in it to keep it yummy. Then I can curl up on the sofa, play the movie and enjoy a nice chilled salad. I'm looking forward to it.

Moving on to good times -- Tri-Cups

The team did awesome last week, so we are playing in Tri-Cups on Feb 14th. Yes, I know what day this is - it's the same day that Space probe Voyager 1 takes photograph of entire solar system on Feb 14, 1990. Can you believe it? We are playing Tri-Cups on the same day in history! We are missing our secret Weapon, Tanya, in this photo since she was out of town working last week. We sure did miss her, but she was with us in Spirit. We'll get another team photo taken so we have one of all 7 of us to put up on the wall. If we do well in Tri-Cups, we are heading to Regionals which qualifies us to compete in Sin City. That's what I'm talkin' about.

This is our team, Cue's Your Daddy! Left to Right, starting from the top.

Totally Amazing Tanner, Rolling over the other players Ronnie, Noone can stop him Nick, Jack the ball up Jen, Preying on the weak Phil, Totally killer Travis and our missing anchor (who will be in the new photo), Tear them up' Tanya!

How can we not appreciate a President that plays pool?!

Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, surely you can appreciate this image of President-elect Barack Obama which appeared on the cover of the New York Daily News in early December. New York Daily News photographer Scout Tufankjian followed Obama throughout his campaign photographing the Presidental candidate from a different perspective.

According to the Daily News article, "He's a really good pool player," says Tufankjian, "and he comes up to me and goes, 'I bet you thought I was going to suck at this. I bet you thought this was going to be like the bowling. I got some game.'"

Billiards aside, today was a great day. How wonderful for each one of us to be a part of this monumental day in history. His inaugural speech was not only articulate, but truly moving. I, along with many others, wish him and his administration great success.

One of my favorite parts of his speech today which included the word "Grand" (I love that word):

"And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more." B.Obama

My blessings to our new President and the United States of America.

FRAK!

Say it ain't Frakkin so!

I FORGOT to record the first episode of Season 4.5. I knew I needed to do something this evening and it was bugging me all day. Just now it hit me and hit me hard *ouch*. The sad part is that there is ONLY ten episodes left of the show and this is the last season. So dreadful.

I'm sure many are feeling the same as I do. I bet there was even Frak parties around Austin for the first episode of 4.5. Gah - I missed out.

I can download this episode from iTunes, but I really love sitting down with a pizza, fruit punch gatorade, turning the lights out, grabbing a blanket and relaxing on the sofa as I watch Battlestar Galactica. Did I mentioned, that I missed it!

I'll record the rest of the episodes so there shall be no excuses for me not watching it. This is by far, one of the greatest shows to ever air on television (Sci Fi channel). If you have never watched it, I highly recommend you watching all 4 seasons. You'll be hooked. Let's find out who the final Cylon is (although there's much more to the series than that).

Team did it!

The pool gods were definitely with us tonight. We went 3-0 as a team and each match was solid. There were some unbelievable rolls, shots, and opportunities that we couldn't have had without them. I often joke about "pool gods", but I really do believe in the idea of them. Not an actual God that support billiards, but the spirit of believing in something although it's not really there. We all walked in the pool hall tonight with the thought that something was going to carry us through this -- well, that "something" is each person's own mental thoughts that they are going to play the best they can and with the combination of skill and opportunities, they will win.

They all did. Phil went up first and his match went hill/hill. Phil was definitely in the "zone" tonight and he felt it, and more impressively, he played it. His opponent was tough and shot extremely well, but Phil shot lights out for a solid win. He set the momentum for whole evening.
Great way to start off the play off match and thanks for the win!

In the blind spot, we put up Ronnie, one the most solid players in the league. He's the type of player that opponents know is solid on the table and when Ronnie walks into a room, everyone knows he's there and is a danger to be reckoned with. Ronnie's strengths, among many, is his break and flow on the table. He's got a good rhythm, solid stroke and very tough to play against. His match went hill/hill as well and he won his final match to bring our 2nd win in. It's the first team to win three matches and the game is over.

We then put up Travis, who recently went up to a skill level 7. In APA, that is the highest skill level there is, and once you reach that level (and he very much earned and deserved it), you are a fierce player. He made some impressive shots and kept great cue ball control on that games. He shot beautiful and brought in another win for us in his match.

Since we won the first three matches, no one else needed to play and we ended with a victory. I'm really amazed with the level of play on the team and I'm pretty lucky to have them as my teammates. Tri Cups are next month, so that gives a month to sharpen our skills and play our best in that tournament. It will be tough, but I really like tough *smiles*

Oh, we are also changing our team name after having the same one for years. It's "Cues your Daddy?" Pretty cute and every time I hear it - I giggle. Fun to giggle...

Gotta Pray to those Pool Gods tonight

"Dear Pool Gods, I ask that you help carry us tonight. Please give us good rolls on the felt, let all of us be in the "zone", keep our cue ball on the table on the break (we all know who I am referring to on that), give us a few break and runs, an 8-ball on the break, and make sure the rails are not dead for those unpredictable bank shots that we may have to do. Keep the billiard devils away from us, no matter how tempting they are and let us make the Pool Gods proud. BTW: Is there a pool table in Heaven? If not, then I'm not going!" *smiles* Seriously, I'm looking forward to tonight and we are all going to have fun no matter what.

Tonight's our final play off game for the Fall season. Last week we won, so that allowed us to get qualified for Tri-Cups in February. Tonight is for the title - either 1st or 2nd. The main differences between the two:

1. Braggin' rights
2. A nice 2" thick billiard plaque with our team picture on it that hangs in Slick Willies. It's quite nice, solid wood backing with the names engraved.
3. 3 Inches...The smaller trophy is 3" smaller than the first place one. Important.
4. It's just plain cool to come in first as a team. We play as a team, win or lose -- we do it together. We'll have fun either way (but hope to win) *smiles*

Let the action begin!

The 11th Annual Derby City Classic Event is at the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel this year. It's the largest billiard event which includes 9-Ball, One Pocket and 9-Ball Banks tournaments. Those are three main events and off course, there is tons of action for those side games. If you are not playing, then you can bet on players with some side action. This event is open to all players, pro or amateurs, so anyone can play in these events.

Here is the list of events:

2009 Event Dates

9-Ball Banks
$110.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $10.00 registration fee)
Total: $110.00
Entry Jan. 23rd, 10am $50.00 Buyback
Players Meeting,12 Noon
Match Play Begins at 1:00pm

One-Pocket
$135.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $10.00 registration fee)
Total: $135.00
Entry: Jan. 25th, 10am $75.00 Buyback
Players Meeting,12 Noon
Match Play Begins at 1:00pm

9-Ball
$160.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $10.00 registration fee)
Total: $160.00
Entry: Jan. 28th, 10am $100.00 Buyback
Players Meeting, 12 Noon
Match Play Begins at 1:00pm

9-Ball Banks Mini-Tournament Player Entry
$25.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $5.00 registration fee)
Total: $30.00
Limited to first 64 players Race to 5
Tuesday, January 27th
Match Play Begins at 12:00am

9-Ball Mini-Tournament Player Entry
$25.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $5.00 registration fee)
Total: $30.00
Limited to first 64 players Race to 5
Saturday, January 24th
Match Play Begins at 12:00am

One-Pocket Mini-Tournament Player Entry
$25.00 Entry Fee(Entry fee includes a $5.00 registration fee)
Total: $30.00
Limited to first 32 players Race to 2
Friday, January 30th
Match Play Begins at 12:00am

Keep an eye out for these dates: WBPA Tour 2009

WPBA Regional Tour Championship
Dates:
February 21st - 22nd, 2009
Tournament Venue:
The Parlor Billiards & Spirits
Location:
700 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 300 - Bellevue, WA 98004

Phone:
425-289-7000

Website:
http://www.parlorbilliards.com/

San Diego Classic
Dates:
April 1-5, 2009
Tournament Venue:
Viejas Casino
Location:
Alpine, CA

Phone:
1-800-847-6537

Website:
http://www.viejas.com/

Great Lakes Classic
Dates:
June 17-21, 2009 **Tentative**
Tournament Venue:
Blue Chip Casino
Location:
Michigan City, IN

Phone:
1-888-879-7711

Website:
www.bluechipcasino.com/

U.S. Open
Dates:
July 29 - Aug 2, 2009
Tournament Venue:
Riverwind Casino
Location:
Norman OK

Phone:
1-405-322-6464

Website:
http://www.riverwind.com/

Carolina Classic
Dates:
Sept. 9-13, 2009 **Tentative**
Tournament Venue:
American Tobacco Campus
Location:
Durham, NC

Website:
http://www.americantobaccocampus.com/

Pacific Coast Classic
Dates:
Oct. 14-18, 2009 ** updated as of 12/18/08***
Tournament Venue:
Chinook Winds Casino
Location:
Lincoln City, OR

Phone:
1-888-CHINOOK

Website:
http://www.chinookwindscasino.com/

WPBA Championship
Dates:
November 11-15th, 2009 ***Tentative***
Tournament Venue:
Seminole Hard Rock Casino
Location:
Hollywood, Florida

Website:
http://www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/

I think I have corrupted my nephew

My goodness, where do I start. My nephews came to stay with me for a couple weeks this summer and I had the best time with them here. My youngest nephew, who is 6, was so facinated by my video games, my adorable pets, my hours on the computer, e-mail, billards and saw a bit of poker. We played lots of video games (and yes, he um, well, um, beat me), he paid so much attention to my pets, was on my computer anytime I wasn't watching, and went with me to pool league to watch and learn how to play.

He asked if I would show him how to use e-mail, so set him up a gmail account. I didn't really think he would use it since he could only type at a minimal. Gosh now, I get e-mails from him, and more recently he figured out how to use gmail's IM client. He's got this incredible mind where if he learns about something, he digs to find out exactly what it is capable of and how it works. I am amazed.

How this began...I'm checking my e-mail, then all of a sudden a chat window pops up and it's him! We chatted for a bit and I was so impressed how he could carry on a conversation and his spelling was perfect. He figured out how to change the status message on his chat profile. As witty as he is, he changes them periodically. I was logged in yesterday and saw this:

I laughed so much and thought it was adorable. Miss. Pool - that's how he refers to me. About an hour later, it said this!

Again, he always spells my name right - it's the little details that never cease to impress me. He's very thoughtful and always puts a smile on my face when I hear from him.

Now, he knows I have a passion for billiards and poker, so he likes to ask me about it. Today, I was viewing his profile and saw this. What?! Online poker?! He likes to call himself Mr. Sly.


If he ever reads my blog, I hope that he forgives me that I have corrupted him. I should be the aunt who teaches him how to play baseball, soccer, karate, build tree houses, create kingdoms with legos and build go carts. I need to change my own habits to be a better aunt. Hmm, maybe not *smiles*

He's impressive.

Cute things about kids

I got the most pleasant e-mail from my nephew today. He's recently become a internet and computer guru and loves technology. He's had tons of experience at the amazing age of 6!

Seriously, he's turning 7 tomorrow and I got this e-mail from him today.

"hi jennefer im going to be 7 tomrrow im going to behappy"

This made me smile ear to ear. I love that he always spells my name correctly - always. He types unbelievable without looking at the keyboard and his spelling is at 98%.

I missed the days when we are turning another year older and we are happy about that. As we get older, we tend to shun away from turning another year older. I should adopt his belief. I'm going to be another year older and I'm going to be happy. Think I need to make a t-shirt that says that.

I don't get to see him as much as I would like. Geez, sure do miss him.

100 Ways

Afrikaans - Geseende Kerfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar
Albanian - Gézuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri!
Amharic - Melkam Yelidet Beaal
Arabic - I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida
Aramaic - Edo bri'cho o rish d'shato brich'to!
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Aromunian - Crãciunu hãriosu shi unu anu nãu, bunu!
Azeri - Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia - Selamat Hari Natal
Basque - Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Belorussian - Winshuyu sa Svyatkami i z Novym godam!
Bengali - Shuvo Baro Din - Shuvo Nabo Barsho
Bicolano - Maugmang Capascuhan asin Masaganang Ba-gong Taon!
Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce
Brazil (Portuguese) - "Feliz Natal" or "Boas Festas
Breton - Nedeleg laouen na bloav ezh mat
Bulgarian - Vasel Koleda; Tchestita nova godina!
Burmese - Pyaw Shwin Thaw Christmas Par!
Catalan - Bon nadal i feliç any nou!
Cantonese - Seng Dan Fai Lok, Sang Nian Fai Lok
Cebuano - Malipayong Pasko ug Bulahang Bag-ong Tuig!
Choctaw - Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Cornish - Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsican - Bon Natale e Bon capu d' annu
Cree - Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Creek - Afvcke Nettvcakorakko
Croatian - Sretan Bozic
Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish - Glædelig Jul og godt nytår
Duri - Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
Egyptian - Colo sana wintom tiebeen
English - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Eskimo - Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian - Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi Head uut aastat
Euskera - Zorionak eta Urte Berri On
Faeroese - Gledhilig jól og eydnurikt nýggjár!
Farsi - Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish - Hyvää Joulua or Hauskaa Joulua
Flemish - Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French - Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
Frisian - Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Friulian - Bon Nadâl e Bon An Gnûf
Gaelic - Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ur!
Galician - Bon Nadal e Bo Ani Novo
German - Froehliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!
Greek - Kala Christougenna Kieftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos
Greenlandic - Juullimi Ukiortaassamilu Pilluarit
Hausa - Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shana Tova
Hindi - Shub Naya Baras
Hungarian - Kellemes Karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog Új Évet!"
Iban -Selamat Ari Krismas enggau Taun Baru
Icelandic - Gleðileg Jól og Farsaelt Komandi ár!
Ilocano - Naimbag a Pascua ken Naragsac nga Baro nga Tawen!
Indonesian - Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish -Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jèrriais - Bouan Noué et Bouanne Année
Kadazan -Kotobian Tadau Do Krimas om Toun Vagu
Karelian - Rastawanke Sinun, Uvven Vuvenke Sinun
Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Krio - Appi Krismes en Appi Niu Yaa
Kurdish - Seva piroz sahibe u sersala te piroz be
Ladin - Bon Nadel y Bon Ann Nuef
Lappic - Buorit Juovllat ja Buorre Oddajahki
Latin - Natale hilare et Annum Nuovo!
Latvian - Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian - Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu ir laimingu Nauju metu
Livian - Riiemlizi Talspividi ja pagin vonno udaigastos
Low Saxon - Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Luxemburgish - Schéi Krëschtdeeg an e Schéint Néi Joer
Macedonian -Streken Bozhik
Malay - Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru
Malayalam - Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal
Maltese - Nixtieklek Milied tajjeb u is-sena t-tabja!
Mandarin - Sheng Dan Kuai Le, Xin Nian Kuaile
Manx - Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori - Meri Kirihimete
Marathi - Shubh Naveen Varsh ( Happy New Year )
Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye
Monogasque - Festusu Natale e Bona ana noeva
Norwegian - God Jul og Godt Nyttår
Occitan - Polit nadal e bona annada
Oriya - Sukhamaya christmass ebang khusibhara naba barsa
Pampamgo - Malugud Pascu at saca Masayang Bayung Banua!
Papiamento - Bon Pasco y un Feliz Aña Nobo
Papua New Guinea - Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pashto - De Christmas akhtar de bakhtawar au newai kal de mubarak sha.
Pennsylvania German - En frehlicher Grischtdaag unen hallich Nei Yaahr!
Polish - Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku.
Portuguese - Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo
Punjabi - Nave sal di mubaraka
Pushto - Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Raeto-Ramance - Bella Festas da zNadal ed in Ventiravel Onn Nov
Rapa-Nui - Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian - Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche - Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Romani (GYPSY) - Bachtalo krecunu Thaj Bachtalo Nevo Bers
Romanian - Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit!
Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom
Sambal - Maligayang Pasko at Masayang Ba-yon Taon!
Sami - Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan - La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardian - Felize Nadale e Bonu Cabuannu
Sardinian - Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Scots Gaelic - Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serbian - Hristos se rodi
Serb-Croatian - Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Sicilian - Bon Natali e Prosperu Annu Novu !
Singhalese - Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Sorbian - Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto.
Somali - ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican.
Slovakian - Vesele Vianoce a stastny novy rok
Slovak - Veselé Vianoce a šťastný nový rok
Slovene - Vesele bozicne praznike in srecno novo leto
Sorbian - Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto
Spanish - Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Surigaonon - Malipayon na pasko sanan bag-on tuig!
Swahili - ºKrismas Njema Na Heri Za Mwaka Mpyaº
Swedish - God Jul och Gott Nytt År
Sudanese - Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal
Tagalog - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
Tamil - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai
Tok Pisin - Meri Krismas & Hepi Nu Yia
Tongan - Kilisimasi Fiefia & Ta'u fo'ou monu ia
Trukeese - Neekirissimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Tswana - Keresemose o monate le masego a ngwaga o montsha
Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian - Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku!
Urdu - Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vepsi - Rastvoidenke i Udenke Vodenke
Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Giang Sinh - Chuc Mung Tan Nien
Waray-Waray - Maupay nga Pasko ngan Mainuswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig!
Welsh - Nadolig LLawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Xhosa - Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi EmnandI Nonyaka Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo Namathamsanqa
Yayeya - Krisema
Yiddish - Gute Vaynakhtn un a Gut Nay Yor
Yoruba - E ku odun, e hu iye' dun!
Zulu - Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

Round of Cats

Lots going on the the cat world. Here are a few pictures that I came across that are pretty darn adorable. You know I can't resist cool cats playing billiards or a good game of cards. The Christmas cat is unforgettable! Wishing you, your family, and your loved ones a cherished holiday season and wonderful 2009 to come!

Trail of Lights Austin

Just got in from going to the Austin Trail of Lights. If you haven't gone this year, I highly recommend that you put it on your "to do" list before the end of the year. It takes about an hour to walk the trail and it's absolutely gorgeous out there. There have been thousands of man hours to create the setting and set up the lights.

The Trail of Lights is a continuous 1.25 mile long display of over 40 lighted scenes. There are some craft booths, some yummy food vendors selling turkey legs and funnel cakes (to die for) and there's even Santa waiting to visit with you. When you first arrive, you'll see the amazing 155 ft tall tree, that has over 3000 bulbs and is gorgeous.

Tonight was the perfect night to go. Texas weather is so unpredictable - we were in the 70s today and tomorrow it takes a dive to the 30s. Walking that trail when it's that cold would be quite painful. It was crowded tonight, but it moved very smoothly. There were some lights set up that were not there in the past, so if you haven't been in a few years, you'll be pleasantly surpised.

They also have a great train that you can ride around the trail if you do not feel like burning a few calories by walking. The train is 3.00 a person for Adults and the kiddos can ride for $2.00 - not a bad deal! You can even bring your dog out - there were tons of our little K-9 buddies out there.

After I finished the trail, it made me think about how wonderful Austin is and how the community keeps traditions running year after year. Thank you to all the workers and volunteers that make this event a beautiful one to remember.

Again, if you haven't gone, take a couple hours out of your evening and head down there to share the experience with your family and friends. I promise it will be a memory you'll keep for a very long time.

Do not read this if you are short on time

Want a new addiction. Check out Flixter. It's a great site that you can rate movies, compare them with your buddies, take fun quizzed and play games. The beauty of this site is that you can also watch moves free from your computer and they stream pretty well. They do not have a huge amount of movies to choose from, but a pretty good selection that is completely free (~200).

This site is perfect for movie buffs. It's been out since 2006 and it's kinda like a social network that is devoted to movies and actors. I'm warning you though, it's highly addictive and can consume your free time. *smiles*

Check it out though - you can watch movies without registering. If you do register, you can create your own profile, start rating movies, see how other rate movies and even have fun creating quizzes for others to complete.

I forgot to mention that you can also watch some great television shows - Family Guy, Alf, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (highly recommend), Lost in Space, Naruto, Alfred Hitchcock, and the list goes on. There's even Battlestar Galactica, the greatest show ever on television! Note that not all episodes are on this site for each series, but they are always adding.

Enjoy the site.

It's been awhile

It's been over a month since I have posted and have missed taking some time out of the day to post my random thoughts and experiences. Alot of great things have been going on and not sure how the weeks fly by so quickly.

I'm finally settled into my home - took me a couple months to get unpacked and still have a little more to do, but 95% of it's done. Pumpkin, Sugar and Jordan have been getting used to the space. When we first moved in, they were not sure about the whole stairs thing and how to walk on stairs. They could make it up, but going down, they run down, slip and slide and end up sliding into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Good thing for cats is that they are invincible and get right back up. They love the lighting since there are a ton of windows and are first to greet me at the door as I pull up. *smiles*

On the billiard front, I haven't been playing as much as I would like due to other commitments, but starting in January 09, I am going to put a focus on improving my game. I want to play with confidence and elevate my game to the next level. Always something to learn, and I want to be ready to play in the Texas Open in 09. I'm really fortunate to play on some great teams and have excellent coaches. With their guidance, I can get to the next level. By the end of the year, I want to be at a skill level 6, but it's going to take a ton of practice to get there. Gotta set goals.

Our team tonight is in a 4 way tie. Crazy. If we do well tonight, we can seal our seat in the play offs. Goal is to go 4-1, but a 3-2 should be ok to get into the play off. We have a solid team, so I am pretty confident everyone will do well tonight.

Our BCA team on Tuesdays is going to complete in Vegas for the BCA Nationals in May. It will be at the Riviera Casino again. Tough competition out there, but we are going anyway. *smiles*

Wrapping up for now, going to get some practice in before league starts. Till later...

Cute Cats

I have the cutest pal. Pumpkin is my little feline buddy that likes to be where ever I am at. He's like a dog, but with whiskers. He pretty much rules the house as well.

First Mama Fu's Video Clip to play at a JumboTron!

Look for this at the JumboTron in Bentonville, Arkansas - I dabble in things and the manager at our location in Bentonville asked for a little 30 second clip to have played during football games on their JumboTron. I LOVE doing things that are creative and that gets my heart a pumpin'. Anything from drawing, designing websites, painting, creating sculptures, photography, videos, building cool lego stuff, anything that gets you using your creative juices.

You ask what a JumboTron is? Greeeeaaaat question. When I first heard the term, I automatically thought it was a HUGE video game console with Tron on it. How awesome is that? For those of you that spent your evenings in the local arcade - you know what I'm talkin' about. It was a game made by Bally Midway in 1982 and it involve 4 games in one -- 1. The grid bugs, 2. The light cycles, 3. The MCP cones, and 4. The Tanks (the one I hated). It was definitely one of the greatest coin op games from the early eighties. Ah good times...spending your allowance dumping quarters into a machine. Heh, wouldn't trade it for anything.

Anyway, a JumboTron is not an enlarged Tron console. Too bad. *smiles* It's actually a large screen that is displayed at sports stadiums. I created this at work today so that Mama Fu's in Bentonville can advertise how awesome they are. It's fantastic pan asian cuisine that combines wonderful food with a great atmosphere. You should try them out if you haven't. For locations - visit http://www.mamafus.com/. This clip was created in Windows Movie Maker and it makes it easy for folks to create cute little videos from images. You can even add audio , have the images on specific timelines and control the way the images flow.

Try Mama Fu's Asian House out - I think you'll really enjoy the experience and make you want to come back for more! My favorite items are the Dynamite Shrimp and the Mongolian Beef.

He's a little jealous

Jordan was nudging me to include him - I wrote about the cats earlier and he wouldn't let me be about it. So here's a few of the handsome fellow.

Packin' and Unpackin'

Today has been a fun filled day of packing. I've got some pretty loyal pets that like to follow me around and check on everything I am doing. I just realized how darn cute (i mean darn darn darn cute) they are and how lucky I am to have them in my life. Their names are Pumpkin and Sugar. When I'm mad at them I threaten to make a sugar and pumpkin pie! It's rare that I could be mad at them - lemme list what they have done to get on my "gonna bake a pumpkin & sugar pie" list:

1. Sugar claws the heck out of my furniture. He loves to show off how he can climb furniture and leave his marks. Yeah, real nice Sugar.


2. Sugar chews up my cables to everything - nice again.


3. Pumpkin kneading and forgetting he's kneading right into me! Ouch.

That's about it - they are pretty close to perfect. They both purr like a motor mount and give me their undivided attention. They love sleeping next to me and won't get up until I put one foot out of bed.

I owe both of these lovely boys to one of my greatest pet clients. They found both of these boys and offered them to my home. I am thankful each day.

XAMPP

You've probably heard folks mention "Apache," "Perl," "PHP," and "MySQL." When I first heard the terms, this is what I thought:

Apache: Native American Indian Tribe with mad skills!

Perl: My neighbor's dog - Perl.

PHP: My old insurance company, Physicians Health Plan.

MySQL: Why is it your SQL? Does it always have to be about you? Why not call it RSQL...*grins*

Now you ask, what the heck do they do?

Apache is a web server. When you view a web page, good odds are that Apache is the program that sent it to your computer since it is the most widely used.

Perl is a powerful scripting language. Among other things, it creates dynamic content for web pages very easily.

PHP is similar. PHP is a web-mature language which has its primary purpose on the web. The difference is Perl is a rich, powerful language that can be used for almost anything. Perl is also a scripting language that can also be used on the web but this is not its only purpose. The syntax of these two languages is quite similar but not identical.

MySQL is a database. It can hold and organize grand amounts of data. Customers, product information, records, invoices, etc. and is commonly used for a database on an e-commerce web site.

Each of these utilities are very robust, well developed and sophisticated. Setting them up correctly one-by-one can be quite a chore itself. Heh, getting them to talk and work with eachother is even a greater task.

XAMPP is a free software package that ties them all together for you. With one single download and a simple installation, you are ready to create just about any web site you can fathom. Even if you just want to try it out or test your own HTML, PHP, or Perl CGI programming, XAMPP is a very easy, excellent and helpful tool. It's available for Windows, Linux, MAC & Solaris.

Enjoy and start developing!

Home Video

New Austin Home

I'm moving in this week to my new place and can't wait to get settled in. It's in a nice little neighborhood in South Austin, near downtown. It's got tons of natural lighting, a zillion windows and a perfect layout for what I like in a place. Not sure which is worse, packing or unpacking, but the end result is worth it 100 times over. Jordan, Pumpkin and Sugar are pretty excited and helping me pack, well, more like climbing in the boxes and peeking out. *smiles*

Sue & Dead Stroke

I just got in from a full day of billiards at GCue. I went up around 4:00pm to meet an old friend that I used to play with years ago. He's coming back into the billiard world and it seems like he never put a stick down. He's playing strong and preparing for the Texas Open next year. He's the type of person that is not just playing to "play", he's playing to take the tourney down. I like the confidence and he can back it up with continous practice.

Soon after, my girlfriend Sue showed up and a few other players, Angie, RJ and Melody. We all were playing 9-ball and winner remained on the table as we rotated the matches. Sue was on Dead Stroke and impossible to beat when she's in this zone. She's one of the most solid players I know and when she's on - she's unbeatable unless the pool gods step in and give you a win or two. Out of the 100s of games that were played today, she won at least 90 of them. Incredible.

When I say Dead Stroke -- the meaning of it. Similar to playing on autopilot where a player is at peak playing level and is playing without any conscious effort or thought. Dead Stroke is a sustained period of play where the specific player is in stroke. In simple terms, dead stroke is where a player is performing so flawlessly that he or she just cannot miss. To a player who is experiencing dead stroke, the game seems effortless.

I had a great time tonight with everyone and it's amazing how playing a good game of pool with good friends makes for an excellent day. It's a natural buzz. We all plan to play in the Texas Open next year, so that gives us 340 days to prepare *smiles*.

Nice job Sue - you inspire me to get to another level.

"I once quit pool. It was the most terrifying weekend of my life."

Goodnight all.

Railbirds won the play off match tonight!

Tonight was a great night. The team shot well and the pool gods were on our side. We won play off and advance to Tri-Cups, September 27th and 28th. That gives us about 3 weeks to sharpen our games and get some practice in before that event. If we do well in that event, we'll qualify for regionals (which is the event to go to Vegas to compete). Both teams tonight that were in playoffs will advance since it was the summer session and two teams advance. Tonight was really about playing for the title and the bigger trophy.

Both teams did well and it was a pleasure to play them. They shot well and we ended up going to the rubber match - always happens that way. That is a sign that both teams are shooting well.

Nice job everyone and I'm excited about Tri-Cups!

Just got home from a day/night of watching the Texas Open

I'm still in awe about the caliber of play I have seen the past two days. You watch these players and it makes you want to become a better player. I've had the opportunity over the past two days to see Pros play within 15 feet of me. It's pretty surreal and anyone that attends one of these events would agree with me.

Tonight at 7:30pm Rick Stanley played Cliff Joyner. This was prolly one of the toughest matches I've seen so far. Both players shot lights out and it really depended on who got on the break to run the table. Neither player missed shots or made any mistakes. It's crazy to see two players at this level compete against each other. I was impressed with both.

Updates: Bastrop is still dominating in the winners bracket. Watching him is an honor and I expect him to keep going until the end. After two days of watching everyone and seeing all this amazing talent, it's hard to predict who will take this title. Out of the initial seeds I chose, they are all still in this.

This has truly been one of the most amazing weekends I've had in a very long time. I can't wait until tomorrow to see more matches...will update later. Goodnight all.

Bastrop wins 9 - 6

Noon update: Bastrop played Chelo in the winner's bracket and took the win with 9 - 6. Good match to watch. The noon rounds are about to start and some good matches are lined up. Al Mason is playing this round -- but late on his table. There is a 10 minute window for him to show...He's in the winner's bracket, so if he is not able to make it, he'll still be in the tournament. More to come...

Rick Stanley & Cliff Joyner

Both won their 9:00am matches solid (as predicted) -- so that means they will match up on their next match. Gah! This will be an extremely great match to watch. Cliff won 9 - 1 against his opponent and Rick won 9 - 6. It is double elimination, so one will move on in the winner's bracket and the other will play in the loser's bracket.

Shane Van Boening won is match - continuing on.

They play their next match at 7:30pm. You all should come out to watch...

Sunday Morning - 9-Ball continues

Morning everyone...it's 8:30am and the first round starts at 9:00am for the winner brackets. I'm very much looking forward this round. Gotta get ready to head out. Will update as events evolve...

Good shootin' and skill everyone.

Mr. David Escobedo - Buy up all da' players

11:01pm - David just finished up his match and won the game against his opponent. He's a "natural" according to Sue and his performance reflected that. He's the player that bought every great player that was seeded to win. I never got into a bid with him during the calcutta since he'd outbid me! Seriously, he's a great player and a owns half the players (thief) *smiles* in this tournament. I asked him how many players he bought in the auction and he shows me a full notepad. Gah!

All the players are still going strong even though it's been an extremely long day for all of them.

Ah, guess what? Wendy just showed up in her Disney Store attire with her "Wendy Manager" name tag and her Mickey Mouse lapel pin. How cute is that. Wait...why in the heck is she not playing in this event? Ah, her and Sue have the same problem...darn work. Work is such an imposition on the great things in life.

Also, the ladies event is underway and some really impressive shooting. They all must be playing with "female" cues instead of the "male" cues. They are on autopilot.

More to come...

Texas 9 Ball Update - Saturday Evening

It's been a great event so far, lots of talent and strong play throughout the day. One of the first matches I watched was Shane Van Boening play and he swept the match 9-1. He would of won 9-0 if there wasn't a scratch on the 9 on one game. This guy played unbelievable and controlled the table throughout the match.

Rick Stanley, one of my top picks, played against Shawn Putnam and both played amazingly well. It was a tough match, but Rick took control over the table for a 9-6 win. During this match on another table was Cliff Joyner, another top pick. He went against Randy Smith and it was another sweeping match of 9-1. Cliff is a very controlled player, has a perfect stroke, and dead on with his shots. I was fortunate enough to meet him earlier this morning and he was a perfect gentleman and shook my hand.

I'm glad both of these players won their matches, but if they both win their next matches -- they will be matched up against each other and this will be a verytough match. It's one of those matches I want to watch, but on the same token, would hate to watch. The beauty of this tournament is that it is double elimination, so no matter what happens, both will continue in the tournament, just in different brackets.

Also more importantly - SUE is HERE. She's not playing in the ladies event since she had to work. I can't believe they made here work today. If she didn't have to work, you know who would of SWEPT the ladies event. Yes, Sue. Ask anyone.

More updates to come...

35th Annual Texas Open

So excited.

Today starts the 35th Annual Texas Open (9-Ball) and has a total of 128 players competing in the open division. There are some strong players competing this year, including Shane Van Boening, Jeremy Jones, returning champion Sylver Ochoa, Gabe Owen, Justin Bergman, Charlie Bryant, Rafael Martinez, Ismael Paez, Glenn Atwell, Shawn Putnam and Cliff Joyner.

I went up to the event last night for the calcutta and to see the brackets. A calcutta is an auction of the players at the start of the tournament. All the proceeds from the auction are put into a pool and if the player you "bought" wins, you win the money in the calcutta pool. There were some players that went for a pretty high price, so the prize pool is substantial this year.

I saw a player shooting last night and didn't know who he was. He had stepped outside to make a call and when I was outside to get a breath of fresh air (yep, smoke-fest in the billiard hall), I asked him his name. He said his name was Cliff Joyner - wow, this guy will also be a top contender in this event. He had the most amazing control on the table and perfect stroke. If I had to choose the top winners of the event, it would be Shane Van Boening, Jeremy Jones, Shawn Putnam, Cliff Joyner, Rick Stanley, James (Bastrop) Sr., or little David.

We'll see how on or off I am.

I am getting ready to head out there soon and will update this blog as the matches are played.

This is a really amazing event that only happens once a year here, so if you get a chance, stop by and you'll see some of the most amazing live pool with the talent here this year.

Also, the ladies event starts tomorrow and there are some strong women in this event too. I'll update you as that unfolds as well. My goal - play this event one day. It's open to pros and amatuers, but it's not an event to play in unless you have been practicing day and night to prepare for this 2.5 day event.

I do wish all the players good skill - after watching them for 4-5 hours last night, it could be anyone's title to take. Good luck all.

You wonder how Chris Ferguson slices those bananas?

I think I have it figured out. I found these cards today and as soon as I saw them, they were a must have. Not a "I will think about it", or "I'll come back later", or "Do I really need these?". It was a very simple decisions - MUST have.

You've seen the Chinese throwing stars in those Kung Fu movies or at a local "Kick your butt because I'm a Ninja" shop. The Chinese stars have been around for centuries and mainly used by ninjas. The way that the starts differ from a knife being tossed is that the Chinese stars are supposed to provide the same impact, but with the option to hit your target no matter which side it lands on. These are just like those, but disguised extremley well to master the art of deception and concealment.

These are 5-pc Stainless Steel throwing cards designed as a "Royal Flush" in hearts. These cards are incased in a black nylon carrying case with see through window that folds for small compact carrying and with Velcro closure.

So the next time one of you peeps steal my money on the table, I might need to get it back when I turn into a ninja and toss the Royal Flush cards your way. So if you want to use one, just let me know - I have 5 of them with 4 to spare *smiles*. Note: Chris Ferguson didn't really use these cards. He really uses a deck of cards - he's just really swift with his throw!