http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-worldseriesofpoker&prov=ap&type=lgns
Joe Cada, 21, became the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker tournament, winning the grand prize of $8.55mio. Wow! That is insane – to become a 21year old millionaire on one hand of poker. And it’s not just about the money – the fact that he can call himself the best of the best – the champion – is something to brag about. Cada is also a community college dropout. I guess it just goes to show you that higher education isn’t everything.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wild Weekend
This weekend was pretty crazy. This wild tale began with what happened last weekend. Last Saturday, we met a couple at this Italian Mafioso-looking restaurant in Little Italy – a place where the walls are decorated with hanging photos of celebrity Italians like Al Pachino and Tony Danza – a place where Tony Soprano would hang out and get his canoli on with his fellow guidos – you know, “leave the gun, take the canoli.” And damn do they make a good canoli. Anyway, the people that we met seem friendly enough and we decided to meet up this Saturday to go bar hopping and clubbing. I just want to note that I haven’t gone “clubbing” in like years. The only reason I went out was because it was to celebrate the completion of my Bschool applications.
We met our new friends at the same Italian restaurant and proceeded from there. We started with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant (one of my favorites), then headed to a sports bar to pre-game for the night. It was no surprise that the girls were comfortable and chatting it up right off the bat, but after a couple of drinks, the guys were having just as much fun. If you didn’t know by now, alcohol is the perfect social lubricant. After some drinks and a few rounds of patron shots, we went clubbing. I can’t recall too much of what happened or where we went since I was pretty wacked out myself – the night was pretty much a blur. But I do remember that for whatever reason, we ended up at a gay bar/club in the East Village. And when I mean gay, I mean really gay! There were naked guys wearing nothing but g-strings dancing on podiums and drag queens everywhere. I think they must’ve played “it’s raining men” like five times. As a guy living in Chelsea, the so-call gay neighborhood of NYC and who is secure in my own sexuality, this club was as gay as it can get - not that there’s anything wrong with that. But I did feel more comfortable with the girls around to protect us…hehe. And throughout the night, I lost count of how many times I had my butt pinched and my crotch grabbed. But it was all in good fun, I think. By the end of the night, I didn’t get home till like 3AM, a very late night for me in a very long time – not since my college days I think. I’m not as young as I use to be : (. I would post the photos that we took that night if it wasn't for the fact that they are a bit too raunchy and scandolous. So sorry, no visual aid this time. And by the way, I still can’t get the stupid club stamp off the back of my hand.
I also have been watching the World Series of Poker, specifically the game of Texas Hold’em – a game that I play and have been told on a few occasions, enjoy a bit too much. The guy that I was rooting for was Steven Begleiter, an ex-Bearn Stearns guys. Begs said that if it wasn’t for Bear Stearns collapsing, he would never have had the time to enter the tournament and make it this far. But unfortunately, he was knocked out by a pair of aces and placed 6th overall. But he did take home approximately $1.6mio which is not a bad return on his $10K buy-in. Kudos to him! As for me, if money wasn’t an issue, becoming a professional poker player and trying to win a poker bracelet would be one of my goals. One can dream right?
We met our new friends at the same Italian restaurant and proceeded from there. We started with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant (one of my favorites), then headed to a sports bar to pre-game for the night. It was no surprise that the girls were comfortable and chatting it up right off the bat, but after a couple of drinks, the guys were having just as much fun. If you didn’t know by now, alcohol is the perfect social lubricant. After some drinks and a few rounds of patron shots, we went clubbing. I can’t recall too much of what happened or where we went since I was pretty wacked out myself – the night was pretty much a blur. But I do remember that for whatever reason, we ended up at a gay bar/club in the East Village. And when I mean gay, I mean really gay! There were naked guys wearing nothing but g-strings dancing on podiums and drag queens everywhere. I think they must’ve played “it’s raining men” like five times. As a guy living in Chelsea, the so-call gay neighborhood of NYC and who is secure in my own sexuality, this club was as gay as it can get - not that there’s anything wrong with that. But I did feel more comfortable with the girls around to protect us…hehe. And throughout the night, I lost count of how many times I had my butt pinched and my crotch grabbed. But it was all in good fun, I think. By the end of the night, I didn’t get home till like 3AM, a very late night for me in a very long time – not since my college days I think. I’m not as young as I use to be : (. I would post the photos that we took that night if it wasn't for the fact that they are a bit too raunchy and scandolous. So sorry, no visual aid this time. And by the way, I still can’t get the stupid club stamp off the back of my hand.
I also have been watching the World Series of Poker, specifically the game of Texas Hold’em – a game that I play and have been told on a few occasions, enjoy a bit too much. The guy that I was rooting for was Steven Begleiter, an ex-Bearn Stearns guys. Begs said that if it wasn’t for Bear Stearns collapsing, he would never have had the time to enter the tournament and make it this far. But unfortunately, he was knocked out by a pair of aces and placed 6th overall. But he did take home approximately $1.6mio which is not a bad return on his $10K buy-in. Kudos to him! As for me, if money wasn’t an issue, becoming a professional poker player and trying to win a poker bracelet would be one of my goals. One can dream right?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
New York Yankees = Champions!!!
My beloved Yankees won Game 6 last night against the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series. And what a game it was – exciting up until the very last inning. Hideki Matsui put on a performance of a lifetime - WOW BRAVO BRAVO. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am. It’s feels almost just as good as getting accepted into bschool – well almost. The city will be throwing our champs a parade tomorrow at 11am, downtown at Broadway aka through the“Canyon of Heroes.” I’m thinking about shooting down there during lunch to take in the moment. Again, I’m on cloud nine…
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Refresh and Rejuvenated
Nothing like a four-day weekend to make one feel refresh and rejuvenated. If you’re wondering why I’m taking so many days off lately, it’s because we can’t roll over our vacation days due to our eventual shut-down or sell-off by year end. So basically use them or lose them. But I’m not complaining – this one right here is definitely going to use them!
Game 6 of the World Series is tonight at Yankees Stadium. I wasn’t too upset with the Game 5 loss. I prefer us winning the championship at home in the Bronx. But I gota say that the 9th inning of Game 5 was mighty exciting. What a comeback! It just goes to show you that it ain’t over until it’s over – this philosophy applies to bschool too. Philly fans were definitely shaking in their boots! And although I consider myself a die-hard Yankees fan, I heard that Philly fans are even crazier. They would riot in the strips and overturn cars. My brother told me that Police in Philly even had to grease the street poles so that people won't try to climb them. What a bunch of barbarians! I’m just teasing : ) - just a little friendly rivalry - I still luv my Philly cheesesteaks.
I’m also submitting my NYU application today. Everything is in perfect order and it’s as best as I can make it. Time to roll the dice once more and see where lady fate lands me. On a side note, I'm going to personally walk and hand over my essay three since the campus is only a few subway stops from my home. So that’s it - I am finally done with all my bschool applications. I realize that’s not saying much since it’s just two schools. But those two applications were put together with quite a bit of work and luv, definitely lots and lots of luv. They were a year-long culmination of effort, frustration, triumph, failure, etc….you get the idea. Whatever the ultimate outcome, at least I can say I tried my hardest and the rest is up to the gods…
Game 6 of the World Series is tonight at Yankees Stadium. I wasn’t too upset with the Game 5 loss. I prefer us winning the championship at home in the Bronx. But I gota say that the 9th inning of Game 5 was mighty exciting. What a comeback! It just goes to show you that it ain’t over until it’s over – this philosophy applies to bschool too. Philly fans were definitely shaking in their boots! And although I consider myself a die-hard Yankees fan, I heard that Philly fans are even crazier. They would riot in the strips and overturn cars. My brother told me that Police in Philly even had to grease the street poles so that people won't try to climb them. What a bunch of barbarians! I’m just teasing : ) - just a little friendly rivalry - I still luv my Philly cheesesteaks.
I’m also submitting my NYU application today. Everything is in perfect order and it’s as best as I can make it. Time to roll the dice once more and see where lady fate lands me. On a side note, I'm going to personally walk and hand over my essay three since the campus is only a few subway stops from my home. So that’s it - I am finally done with all my bschool applications. I realize that’s not saying much since it’s just two schools. But those two applications were put together with quite a bit of work and luv, definitely lots and lots of luv. They were a year-long culmination of effort, frustration, triumph, failure, etc….you get the idea. Whatever the ultimate outcome, at least I can say I tried my hardest and the rest is up to the gods…
Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy Halloween!
You gota luv Fridays. Especially if it’s a Friday right before Halloween. Everyone in the city seems to be gearing up for a Saturday night of partying and debauchery. Yes, NewYorkers are that serious about their Halloween. Especially after the sun goes down and people have liquored up enough. There are things that I’ve seen that I wouldn’t even be able to describe. So I won’t go into details. I’ve already seen some pretty cool costumes on my way to work this morning. There was a guy dressed up as Goldmember from Austin Powers. He even had the roller skates…haha. As for me, I don’t plan on dressing up this year. I know I know, I’m no fun. But with BSchool applications and changes going on at work, I haven’t had time to shop for a costume. I’ll go out for a little bit tomorrow but will probably call it an early night. Is this a sign of old age?
Besides it being the holiest of holidays, the Yankees won game two last night to tie the World Series 1-1. We definitely needed it too. It would have been demoralizing heading into game three in Philly, down two losses. It was a must-win and now all is right with the world. Just need three more wins till the Yankees are world champions. Also, Jay Z and Alicia Keys perform their hit song “Empire State of Mind” at the game last night too. The song is a very appropriate tribute to New York and our Yankees. Jay Z was all decked out in Yankees gear. Alicia Keys gave an amazing performance. Her voice was quite a presence. It was a standing ovation performance to a roaring deafening crowd. Even Derek Jeter starting bobbing his head…haha.
Anyway, happy trick-o-treating everyone!
Besides it being the holiest of holidays, the Yankees won game two last night to tie the World Series 1-1. We definitely needed it too. It would have been demoralizing heading into game three in Philly, down two losses. It was a must-win and now all is right with the world. Just need three more wins till the Yankees are world champions. Also, Jay Z and Alicia Keys perform their hit song “Empire State of Mind” at the game last night too. The song is a very appropriate tribute to New York and our Yankees. Jay Z was all decked out in Yankees gear. Alicia Keys gave an amazing performance. Her voice was quite a presence. It was a standing ovation performance to a roaring deafening crowd. Even Derek Jeter starting bobbing his head…haha.
Anyway, happy trick-o-treating everyone!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Done and Done!
My NYU essays are officially done. The general feedback that I received was pretty good I think. Without giving away any specific details, my critics/readers have said they like my style of writing and how I tried to spice things up to make it a fun read. They also like my creative essay. It gave the essays as a whole a running theme that is memorable. Also, I have already completely filled out the application itself. And obviously, I have checked, doubled checked, tripled checked (again you get the idea) everything. As with the Columbia application, I am going to let it sit there and every couple of days, go over it again. This is the plan until Monday when I finally submit.
I also want to add that the NYU community is very approachable and helpful. In the past month, I’ve emailed with and spoke to over the phone two officers of clubs that I’m interested in. One was a hook-up thanks to a NYU first year student and who is also one of my readers. And even though it’s midterms week, they still took the time to share with me insightful information and initiatives about their respective clubs and about NYU as well. I definitely get it now when NYU stress that they are a collaborative community, they mean it!
Also, first game of the World Series is tonight. You can be sure to find me downtown in the city at a bar somewhere, wearing my Yankees cap and jersey, rooting and chanting for his favorite hometown Bronx bombers. “Let’s go Yankees..dun dun dundundun…Let’s go Yankees…dun dun dundundun!”
But I hope it doesn’t get rain out. Although judging by the looks of it right now, that’s not a bad probability.
I also want to add that the NYU community is very approachable and helpful. In the past month, I’ve emailed with and spoke to over the phone two officers of clubs that I’m interested in. One was a hook-up thanks to a NYU first year student and who is also one of my readers. And even though it’s midterms week, they still took the time to share with me insightful information and initiatives about their respective clubs and about NYU as well. I definitely get it now when NYU stress that they are a collaborative community, they mean it!
Also, first game of the World Series is tonight. You can be sure to find me downtown in the city at a bar somewhere, wearing my Yankees cap and jersey, rooting and chanting for his favorite hometown Bronx bombers. “Let’s go Yankees..dun dun dundundun…Let’s go Yankees…dun dun dundundun!”
But I hope it doesn’t get rain out. Although judging by the looks of it right now, that’s not a bad probability.
Monday, October 26, 2009
GO YANKEES!
Sometimes I wish I had two tvs. Last night, I was furiously switching back and forth between the Giants game on NBC and the Yankees game on Fox. Anyway, the bad news? Giants lost…their 2nd straight loss in a row - boo : (. Their offense is just not playing well. Eli Manning needs to step up. But the good news? Yankees are World Series bound baby! They defeated the Angels and will face the defending champs, the Phillies. My brother, who lives in Philly, and I will be rooting for our respective teams, which will be a first. Game 1 is on Wednesday at Yankees Stadium. I can’t wait!
As for my NYU application, I plan on submitting next Monday, that’s a full two weeks before the Nov 15th deadline. I realize that NYU doesn’t do rolling admissions. But since my application is as best as I can make it already, might as well try to be the first one in the door. Maybe I’ll even have a quick turnover if anything. One of my proof-readers has already gotten back to me with feedback. Tweaking it accordingly as we speak. I’m just waiting for one more feedback and then I should be good to go.
As for my NYU application, I plan on submitting next Monday, that’s a full two weeks before the Nov 15th deadline. I realize that NYU doesn’t do rolling admissions. But since my application is as best as I can make it already, might as well try to be the first one in the door. Maybe I’ll even have a quick turnover if anything. One of my proof-readers has already gotten back to me with feedback. Tweaking it accordingly as we speak. I’m just waiting for one more feedback and then I should be good to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
