Chip InChip InLife and Poker in Japan. Follow me through my journey as a foreigner in Japan and read about my experiences of the culture and of playing poker. Articles
Incredible video
2007-06-22 07:45:00 This is some of the most amazingly eventful footage I have seen of the natural world. Just being able to watch nature in full swing is a real blessing. It is quite long but worth watching the whole thing: More About: Video , Incredible , Edible
Low limit SnG's
2007-06-21 15:58:00 I like these. The level of play is invariably quite poor and with some patience and tight play it is not such a hard task to cash and more than likely win.Today I decided to play the $250 guaranteed MTT and was busted out within 5 hands when someone called a pot sized bet with bottom pair against my top pair and managed to hit a two outer to make his set...grrrrrrr.After this i felt tilty to say the least but went straight into the blackjack tables to get my buy-in back or go broke (luckily the first hand was a 20 against the dealers 17 and I was slightly up in profit for the night).After I had calmed down I played a 6 handed SNG as I didn't want to be up too late and took it down without too many scares. I only netted about $8 but it puts me up by $10 for the night which is good enough for me. The heads up was against a guy called xxxx96 and who kept saying "kool" so I figured I was playing a great actor or an 11 year old. It wouldn't surprise me if he was 11 as there is not rea...
Unsigned UK Music
2007-06-21 04:34:00 I think nowadays there is a plethora of musical talent out there that never gets noticed because the bands/artists don't fit the profile for mainstream music companies. The independant scene is rife with such talent and now a website has collected them together online.Tourdate.co.uk is an online music site that has an unsigned chart with free music downloads so that you can now get access to these bands that don't get the mainstream publicity they deserve.As a music lover sites like these are great for me as I can not only expand my musical tastes but also get to listen to stacks of new music without having to pay a penny. They also have tour dates and gig info.If you are into music then have a look.Here is their press release:tourdates.Co.UK, Britains fastest growing new music website, has launched a chart for unsigned bands.The site allows new bands to upload promotional tracks, announce gig dates and create profiles to promote themselves alongside major artists such as the Arti... More About: Music , Unsigned
??
2007-06-21 04:25:00 It is Rainy Season here! Things are a touch wet. Everyday it is raining pretty hard. I quite like it although it is a bit of a mixed blessing.I love laying awake at night and listening to raindrops falling. It is such a hypnotic sound. But then it is super humid too so I can't really sleep anyway. My bedroom doesn't have any air conditioning so I am making do with an electric fan. The breeze is nice but it doesn't do much to alleviate the heat.Maron is having a ball. Every morning when I take her for a walk she can jump in puddles and get generally messy! While this is great fun for her...she is making my apartment a real mess too. I have never done the vacuuming and washed the floor so much!The grandmas are all still out in the rice fields though. Soon it is going to be all finished planting and then the rice is just left to grow. I think it is called ??? (taue) in Japanese. At the end of the planting there will be a lion dance festival which I hope to watch. Only a few more wee...
Celebrity Gossip
2007-06-21 03:46:00 Everyone likes a bit of gossip now and then and the celebrities in the world set themselves up for this by their ability to get into the limelight and lead such eventful and controversial lives. A new site has been set up dedicated to celebrity news and gossip that features all of the latest goings on in the world of the rich and famous. All your favourite celebs are on here and you can find out what is what. Once you have an account set up you are eligible for loads of promotions and you can vote on the celebrity gossip and leave your own comments as part of the Celebrity Gossip .com community. Go have a look for all your gossip needs. More About: Celebrity Gossip , Ossi
Categories
2007-06-21 02:08:00 Often I can't help my mind from wandering and then when I put it down on paper it seems like a rant as opposed to a dialogue. I am going to try to avoid that in this post as I usually write things down as a way of exploring the thoughts that go through my head.Todays discourse is to be about categories and the innate tendancy we have to categorise every single thing there is. Just think about when you meet someone for the first time. Instantly you indulge in a game whereby you try to withdraw as much information from the other person in order to place them into a well defined category. This game is harmless and revolves around questions such as "Where are you from?" or "What do you do?". Each time you ask something you are able to narrow down the options until you have a clear picture of them.This happens in so many things. Everything is categorised...nothing is just allowed to be. By this I mean exist in anonimity as what it is individually. When you ask someone their religion yo... More About: Categories , Cate , Tego
I'm a Survivor
2007-06-19 02:29:00 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be stuck in a city with no money and no place to stay? I often think about surviving in the wild and how I would keep myself going and whether I could really do it. When I think about it though I often place myself in the wilderness but have never really thought how I would cope if I were to be stranded in a foreign city with nothing but the clothes on my back. I guess you have to start at the bottom of Maslow?s Hierarchy of Needs at the physiological level; food, clothing and shelter. I reckon if you were in big trouble, the back door of Macdonalds has got to be a great place to get some food. I had a friend who worked their at University and he said they used to throw away stacks of burgers at the end of a night. It might not be a healthy diet but when you have no choice? Shelter is a more difficult proposition. Not only do you have the dangers of the city at night but you are at the mercy of the elements too. I am pretty rubbi... More About: Survivor , Vivo
10 things to be grateful for
2007-06-13 04:02:00 I have a touch of Bronchitis again and I am feeling crap. I was walking Maron this morning and you could have cracked a metal pole on my shoulders I was so tense. I don't know why but my tension is soaring at the moment and I am brimming with anger and frustration at something. God knows what.The stomach is in a down spot at the moment and a day doesn't go by without me getting grief from it. I found some relief from some hypnosis tapes I listened to before but it is a 100 day course and I wanted to coincide it with the wedding which means I shouldn't start for another month or so.Anyway I decided that since I feel so crap I should try and list some of the good things in my life to bring me out of this funk:1. I am getting married to a great girl in September2. After 3 years of waiting I finally got me a dog3. I live in a nice new apartment4. Whilst I don't see them often I have the support and love of my family5. Got some great friends on and offline6. I get to eat three meals ... More About: Things , Atef , Thing , Rate
PayPerPost gets $7m
2007-06-13 02:26:00 If you don't already know, PayPerPost is an online company that connects advertisers with bloggers by offering the advertisers a chance to advertise on blogs. Well recently they received an astounding $7 million in an investment to further the business and improve the services they offer.They have already updated their website to celebrate the news but what else should they do with the $7 million? They are running a 'lucky 7s' campaign for bloggers whereby a number of posts sponsored by PayPerPost themselves are available ranging from $10.77 to $700.As a blogger I would like to see the money spent on attracting new advertisers as the more advertisers there are the more opportunities I have to select posts more relevant to me and my blog. Whilst the number of opportunities is always good and I am able to take one most times I log on, I would like to see a wider range of topics available for blogging. Sure this is not under the control of PayPerPost, but a wider advertising scheme... More About: Payperpost
SirSkinski Benefit Games
2007-06-12 15:47:00 Well this weekend just gone saw two games for the benefit of the SirSkins ki website and Earl in his battle with cancer.The first one was an event for 5th Street Forum members with $100 added to the pot courtesy of DW. It was a great fun game and everyone who cashed donated their prize money to Earl. I actually played quite well and managed to come in first to earn me another star over at the forum. I have four now...one more and I will be getting me a shark.The second was held by SirWilliam at the Online Players Union and had a massive field of over 50 people. The rebuys and addons all helped raise the pot to a great total. I only managed to come 16th in this one bt it was a fun game all the same. Ended up going out when my JJ came up against the chip leaders AA on a board of rags and I was busted. It was a good fun game again though and was some help to a good casue.After these games the toal we have managed to raise for Earl is a great $1429!!!!This has been such a wonderful testa... More About: Games , Bene , Benefit , Ames
Slow PC?
2007-06-08 04:11:00 Nowadays the internet is as common in a family household as baked beans on toast. Eveyone uses it from mum to gran to the kids. I personally couldn't live without the internet. It is my link back to my family in the UK and to all my online poker friends. I get my news and entertainment from the net and spend about 2 or 3 hours surfing everyday.When I surf I often come across interesting things that are quirky and fun but require a download to run a program or something. I tend to just click the download button and off I go. I play the game or use the gadget for a while and then forget it is on my pc before moving on to the next little download. Eventually I have loads of these little fellows taking up my hard disk space and my pc begins to run like a real dog. The internet take ages to load a page. When I turn my pc on I am waiting for about 5 minutes before I can even open a program because all sorts of stuff is going on in the background. This is annoying and I found out largely ... More About: Slow
The Tao of Poker
2007-06-08 03:47:00 Whenever I feel spiritually empty I go on a search for wisdom and am invariably led down the path of religious texts. I am not a religious person in any way and have my own beliefs about life and death that revolve around nature and our part in the universe. But I do enjoy discovering the thinkings of established belief systems. I come from a predominantly Christian country but tend to avoid the religious dogma of the various Christian denominations. I think the systems that most clearly fit with my own beliefs are the Eastern religions/philosophies of Taoism (Daoism - however you want to write it) and Zen Buddhism.The primary texts of Taoism are the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, and the writings of Chang Tzu. In the Tao Te Ching there is this passage:When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arisesWhen it knows good as good, evil arisesThus being and non-being produce each otherDifficult and easy bring about each otherLong and short reveal each otherHigh and low support each other... More About: Poker , Poke
Why wait when you can borrow?
2007-06-08 03:24:00 The number of people with debt problems is on the rise and has been for the past two years. It seems we have adopted an attitude whereby we want things immediately and are prepared to risk our financial security to achieve this. In this article on debt in Britain found on the IVA website, it states how the stigma attached to bankruptcy has losts it potency and people realise that the worst case sees them out of a home and without any form of credit for a year. Stick that out and you can dive straight back into the game again and start borrowing your socks off.I am also caught up in this concumer frenzy of borrowing. I have a student loan (more about these here), a car loan, and more than likely a wedding loan come september. When I look at these things I have to say that I feel these loans were unavoidable to get to where I am now. The student loan was necessary to get me through University, the car loan was needed to provide me with transport for work, and the wedding loan is somet... More About: Borrow , Wait
People Are Funny
2007-06-06 11:41:00 Rieko has recently begun a correspondence University course in an attempt to get a degree as a teacher. Part of the degree is an English module for which she is studying from a textbook called People Are Funny by Basil Lechatt. I thought I would flick through it to see what it was all about and it is hilarious. I now realise why the Japanese try to keep such a homogeneous society...it is because they are taught this stuff and don't realise it is being sarcastic lol. I am going to serialize some of the more funny passages. Each unit is about a specific nationality and being English will start with that....enjoy:People all over the world belive that their country is the best in the world. The English pity these people because they live in an illusion. The English know that England is the best country in the world. In fact, the English know that God is an Englishman who speaks English with an Oxbridge accent.So English is the language of Shakespeare and God. That makes it the best lan...
Where is Orion's Belt
2007-06-04 03:26:00 I have always had a penchant for the sky at night and the world of Astronomy but have never really explored the feeling to a deeper level. I know the constellation of Orion and often have a chat with him when I am looking up at the night sky but that is as far as my knowledge of the constellations and planets go. I have never really had the spare cash to be buying telescopes and gadgets to learn about the sky.One of the opportunities on payperpost was for a new gadget called the Meade MySky which is a tool for learning about the sky at night. Basically you point it at the stars you are looking at and it will give you details about the constellation and location of the stars; kind of like a personal astromomer stood next to you. I think if I weren't in the process of preparing for our wedding I might consider purchasing one of these things.As summer approaches and the skys are clearing up it is nice to spend some time sat outside as night falls with a drink and some company just sta... More About: Belt , Where
Humour is regional
2007-06-04 03:15:00 I went to watch Pirates of the Caribbean - At Worlds End the other day. I was a good fun movie. I think Johnny Depp is my favourite actor. He is good at a variety of roles and isn't shy about making lower budget movies if the role appeals to him which to me strikes of a person who likes their job as an actor as opposed to a hollywood star looking for the big buck movies.Anyway POTC is a kind of comedy action movie and although there is very little subtlety to the comedy it is still light hearted enough to get some chuckles out of me. However I noticed something very strange while I was watching it. Most of the times I was laughing everyone else in the theatre was stony faced. I was the only foreigner in the cinema so I am guessing that humour doesn't breach continents as easily as you might think.As my japanese improves I can also start to read some of the subtitles as well and I have to say there is a great deal lost in translation. I can't think of a great example now but most ... More About: Humour , Regional , Gion , Humo
Pay Per Post - Rewarding Bloggers for their efforts
2007-06-02 14:49:00 Some people may have noticed my blog has had some paid reviews appearing on it recently and this is due to the fact that I have joined PayPerPost . PayPerPost is a company that offers advertisers the chance to acquire blog marketing by renting space on blogs created and maintained by Joe Public. Since signing up to the scheme a little over two weeks ago, I have made almost $100 in paid reviews. I am hoping by September I will have made a bit more and possibly even enough to cover one of our wedding rings. The process is really simple and the interface of the website is very user friendly. The thing I like the most about PayPerPost is that the opportunities that are available to you are displayed clearly and if you qualify there is no waiting around for an advertiser to accept your bid and you can write the post instantly and then as long as you follow the guidelines in the advertisers instructions, the post is approved in a few days. I recommend that people out there with establis... More About: Bloggers , Pay Per Post , Ward , Logger
Don't touch the Maguro
2007-06-02 14:37:00 Rieko and I had a falling out the other day and ended up not speaking for a few hours until I had some severe stomach cramps from my IBS and we contemplated a quick trip to the hospital.Anyway we fell out during trip to the local department store and after buying some sushi for dinner came home, silence all the way. In one of the packs of sushi we bought there were four pieces of salmon, a piece of squid, a piece of sea bream, and one piece of maguro (tuna). Out of those I refuse to eat the squid and the sea bream is a tough bugger to get through so I was left with the salmon and the maguro. I love maguro sushi and it is quite a popular one over here too so I knew that it was more than likely Rieko wanted it.As dinner progressed, still in silence, the sushi gradually disappeared until we were down to the one piece...the maguro. At this point I had to laugh and I knew that we weren't past the point of no return. We wouldn't speak to each other but both of us were considerate enoug... More About: Touch , Ouch
1800nodrugs
2007-06-02 04:14:00 Following up on my previous post about drug rehabilitation, I came across another site that has recently been opened in an attempt to promote awareness and combat the effects of drug addiction called 1-800nodrugs.com. This is an international referral program that aims to find a rehab centre for anyone who is in need of drug treatment. You can just call the number to talk to a drug counselor or submit the form online to be contacted by one of their staff members. The service is free and they have a database of many recognized drug rehabilitation centers across the globe. Their website is full of other information regarding rehab, aftercare, addiction and much more. This is a sponsored post.
Games for SirSkinski
2007-06-02 03:57:00 Over at the forum the SirSkins ki site has created enough of a buzz to encourage some games to be set up with half of the buyin going to Earls fund.The first of these has been set up by Dw10806502 and is being held on June 8th at 18:00 Poker.com lobby time. It is a $2.20 buy-in with $100 added to the prize pool. People are free to donate their winnings to Earls fund aswell by emailing Poker.com. This game is only open to 5th Street Forum members.The second game has been donated by SirWilliam over at the OPU (Online Players Union) and is on June 9th at 16:30 Poker.com time. This game is already open for registration and is a $3 buyin again with half of the buy-in going to Earl. This game is a rebuy/addon game aswell. This is open to anyone so get over to Poker.com and register now.It is good to see people banding together to help Earl out and I hope these games will bring in some good cash for Earl. More About: Games , Ames
CRM Software
2007-06-01 04:08:00 Aim Promote are a company that specializes in sales lead management. With their crm (customer relationship management) software, they have created an application that allows for streamlining the sales process and improving on follow-up by using features within the software such as sales force automation and sales management. This frees up sales teams from having to spend time learning reams of functions in turn giving them more time to focus on actually making sales and not on CRM software. The software can be set up within the space of days and should help your company to maximize its efficiency by offering a total CRM solution.This is a sponsored review. More About: Software
Random thoughts
2007-06-01 03:56:00 I am feeling restless just recently. I don't know why but it comes and goes. I feel like escaping. I don't know from what though. It's not Rieko or Maron as they are both in my escaping daydreams so I think it must be work and the general ratrace.The last few months have been rough financially because I am trying to save for our wedding and it has been the time of year when a lot of the big bills like the car tax etc roll in. I have survived but have always felt like I am watching my wallet and every decision I am making is centered around money. I think this is a bit of a soul killing thing to have to do. But then I can look at it and say well it isn't anyone's fault but my own...I wanted a car so I got the car loan and everything that comes with owning a car like insurance, gasoline and tax...I want to have the internet so I got to pay for that...I want to watch TV and understand some of it so I pay for satellite TV...I wanted to get married so I have to pay as much as I can... More About: Random Thoughts , Random , Thoughts
Mint Credit Cards
2007-06-01 03:43:00 If you are looking to apply for a credit card then why not check out Mint Credit Cards . They have a selection of credit cards and at the minute they have a number of offers which can help you manage your finances. These include 0% on purchases until January 2008 (that is almost 7 months of interest free credit purchases), 0% on balance transfers until August 2008, and 0% on balance transfers debited to your account in October 2008 until April 2009. This is all in addition to a typical APR of 14.9%. You can also manage your account online and a whole range of other features. This is a sponsored review.
The run continues...
2007-05-27 09:49:00 Things just seem to going well for me at the poker table recently...4 tournaments and 4 cashes.This one was pretty safe for most of the way through. There were 45 players and I was at the average chip stack fo most of the tournament.The bubble was a bit hairy with myself and one other person the short stacks with around 3000 chips to the 400/800 blinds but I managed to hang on and then get some cards to stay in it until third.I almost pulled of a nice double up in the last hand when I was all-in with KJs against KQ. I managed to hit my Jack on the river and would have won if it weren't for the 9 and 10 that fell on the flop to make his straight.I had fun though and that is what counts the most I think, especially at such a low level (I am never going to get rich from poker!).Lets hope the run continues. More About: Conti
Stop Your Addiction
2007-05-27 01:40:00 I used to do a lot of voluntary work in the UK and came across many people with addiction problems. Addict ion can be a crippling thing and there comes a time when it has to be faced and often this involves a stint in a rehab clinic.Stop Your Addiction have launched a new website about their drug rehab clinic in Michigan. It has a lot of detailed information about types of addiciton and about their program for rehabilitation, along with extenive details of drugs and their effects on a person.I hope it never happens, but if you or anyone you know are the victim of addiction then knowing about sites that can help is of a great advantage.This is a sponsored post.
The law of Athena in Poker
2007-05-26 03:40:00 When I was at University I majored in English Literature. Of all the books and plays I read in those three years I enjoyed nothing more than the classical Greek Tragedies by authors such as Sophocles and Aeschylyus (that is the geezer in the picture).In my final year I wrote my dissertation on Aeschylus' trilogy "The Oresteia". The dissertation was entitle 'The Disruption and Restoration of Human Order in Greek Tragedy'. It centered around themes such as dike (justice), hubris (difficult to define but kind of like pride...) and revenge.In a simplified and easy version in the plays Agamemnon returns home from war to find his wife, Clytemnestra, with another man, Aegithus. His wife is mad because to ensure safe travel from Greece, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to the gods. So when he comes home there is a big argument and eventually Clytemnestra kills him and his fancy lady.Then Agamemnon's son, Orestes, comes into the picture and decides to seek revenge on his mother for ki... More About: Poker , The Law , Poke
Rev It Up
2007-05-26 03:14:00 Do you ever wonder were your food comes from? Well there is a good chance some of it comes from Florida.Florida agriculture is an industry worth $87 billion and is sent all across the globe. Fresh from Florida is a company that markets Florida produce across the globe. They also have some mean looking cars and are a sponsor in the florida races.Check out this video to see what I mean.Rev it Up!!!This is a sponsored review.
Sir Skinski Update
2007-05-26 02:28:00 Well it seems things are going well for the first day. The shoutbox on the site is getting a lot of messages and best of all the donations have been coming in.After one day we are at an amazing$268That is more than we had hoped for and I have to thank everyone who donated for their generosity and kindness.Brad aka Hacksaw2000 unveiled the site to Earl when he arrived in Canada and I think Earl was moved and happy to see that everyone was banding around to help him and Glenda out.The donations will probably slow down with time and the main hope for continued support is the poker percent scheme and I urge all poker players to have a look and sign up. Remember you only give when you are winning.Thanks again everyone. More About: Update , Skins
SirSkinski.com
2007-05-25 04:23:00 Recently we found out that our 5th Street forum host Earl was gravely ill. This shocked and upset us all.Over at the forum we decided to do something to try and help Earl out with his medical costs as the drugs are what keeps the pain at bay and without insurance the expense is incredible.We have come up with SirSkins ki.com.This little website is there to try to help Earl and his family out with their medical bills and to help keep Earls quality of life bearable.Please come and check it out. There are many ways to help out. Either give a small donation, sign up to out poker percent scheme, or simply leave some words of encouragement on the shoutbox as well wishes can go a long way to lifting the spirits.Earl is a fantastic guy who has made me feel welcome and proud to be a part of the forum and it's poker games. I just hope we can all do something to give back the kindness he shows every day.
PayPerPost Direct
More articles from this author:2007-05-25 03:17:00 The site where I have begun doing sponsored reviews has just announced the release of an upgraded website and a whole new feature known as PayPerPost direct. This is a feature that now allows those people with blogs to attract advertiser directly through their blog. By including the necessary code in your blog you can be targeted for specific posts by specific advertisers. The advertiser simply clicks on the banner and the negotiation process can begin. The software pretty much handles everything and it is easy for you to decide whether to take an offer or not. The whole process is secure and safe with the middle man essentially cut out. How is the middle man cut out? That is what makes this program so different to the many other programs like it across the net with the biggest difference being your profit margins! Other sites with charge as much as 50-100% mark-up on your post. If the advertiser offers $200 you only get $100. But with PayPerPost direct there is only a 10% ch... More About: Direct , Payperpost , Dire , Rect 1, 2, 3 |
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