Hooray.

I've moved the database that runs the site and now the site is actually running at a reasonable speed.

Full steam ahead for more blogging :-)

Quick Idea - a city wide radio station (from the Edge of the Forest of Dean in the west, to Brockworth in the east, to Churchdown to the north to Hardwicke and Quedgeley in the south), set up on a RSL (Restricted Service License) to broadcast for the duration of the summer festival that takes place in July/August. Content designed to appeal to a broader audience than Gloucester FM caters to.

A bit of randomness here.

Been listening to a bit of music recently and there is one album and a couple of other tracks at the moment that I like and keep coming back to.

The two tracks are:

Suzanne Vega - No Cheap Trill (from the album Nine Objects of Desire), and

Eliza Carthy - Oranges and Seasalt (from the album Dreams of Breathing Underwater)

The album is the Camp Rock Soundtrack Album! (I think I'm becoming a Disney addict!)

With the Suzanne Vega track, have loved the album and the song since the first time I heard it a few years ago and the song No Cheap Trill now has added meaning for me as it is a song about poker, which I now play (I didn't realise it was about poker initially until I saw the video for it on Youtube).

The Eliza Carthy song I came across on last.fm and I think it great due to the fact that it is a modern song with a old style tune to it.

The Camp Rock soundtrack I like as although the film has the word 'Rock' in it, the soundtrack shows that there was more that Rock music that was used in the film (that and the fact this is a bit of a feel good film, which is nice given the problems of the world at the moment).

There has been a lot of comment in the UK press (TV, Radio and Newspapers) recently regarding MP's expenses on their 2nd homes in London. One of the more recent reports is regarding some of the expense claims made by the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, with regard to some Adult DVD's.

This has opened up a whole debate on what MP's claim on their second home allowance, an allowance given to them so they can have a second home in London, close to the House of Commons, to allow them to do their job when the House of Commons is in session.

Personally speaking I have no problem with those MP's whose constituencies are outside the London area having this allowance. Certainly this is more environmentally friendly that having to commute large distances. But, when you look at some of the things claimed on this allowance, you can't help but wonder if they are taking the mick.

Using Jacqui Smith as an example, the report in yesterday's Guardian newspaper lists the following as some of the items that she has apparently claimed on this allowance:

a £550 stone sink and console for the kitchen
£568.95 on two washing machines
a £575 armchair
£511.20 for a sofabed

Why someone would need two washing machines for one house, for example, seems strange, as is the luxurious sounding stone sink and console for the kitchen instead of a standard stainless steel or ceramic sink.

I caught some journalists discussing this on Sky News last night and the comment one of them made, struck me. He said that she had not broken any laws by claiming these things on her allowance.

The thing is, that is not the point. What a lot of people want from their MP's is a sense of responsibility and restraint, particularly in these "credit crunch" times. Just because they can get away with this, doesn't mean that they should.

Just finished the tournament with a chance to win a seat to the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

After 3 hours and 48 minutes I, unfortunately, didn't win it, and got knock out in 34th place with a modest win of $25. Not bad I suppose given that the starting field was 760 players.

The hand I got knocked out on was unfortunate and runs as follows:

PokerStars Game #26764854248: Tournament #144792874, Freeroll Hold'em No Limit - Level XIV (800/1600) - 2009/04/05 18:02:20 ET
Table '144792874 32' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Phil_Meboots (19986 in chips)
Seat 2: ordinarymark (21539 in chips)
Seat 3: Womaniser35 (24072 in chips)
Seat 4: halfjobjoe (30147 in chips)
Seat 5: smudgeordie (26988 in chips)
Seat 6: the bosun (38020 in chips)
Seat 7: bubbaloo2 (51360 in chips)
Seat 9: feedthegoat (47814 in chips)
Phil_Meboots: posts the ante 150
ordinarymark: posts the ante 150
Womaniser35: posts the ante 150
halfjobjoe: posts the ante 150
smudgeordie: posts the ante 150
the bosun: posts the ante 150
bubbaloo2: posts the ante 150
feedthegoat: posts the ante 150
halfjobjoe: posts small blind 800
smudgeordie: posts big blind 1600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ordinarymark [Ts Qs]
the bosun: folds
bubbaloo2: folds
feedthegoat: folds
Phil_Meboots: folds
ordinarymark: raises 2400 to 4000
Womaniser35: folds
halfjobjoe: calls 3200
smudgeordie: folds
*** FLOP *** [8d 6s Qh]
halfjobjoe: checks
ordinarymark: bets 4800
halfjobjoe: raises 21197 to 25997 and is all-in
ordinarymark: calls 12589 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (8608) returned to halfjobjoe
*** TURN *** [8d 6s Qh] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [8d 6s Qh 4h] [3s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
halfjobjoe: shows [Js Qd] (a pair of Queens)
ordinarymark: shows [Ts Qs] (a pair of Queens - lower kicker)
halfjobjoe collected 45578 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 45578 | Rake 0
Board [8d 6s Qh 4h 3s]
Seat 1: Phil_Meboots folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: ordinarymark showed [Ts Qs] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 3: Womaniser35 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: halfjobjoe (small blind) showed [Js Qd] and won (45578) with a pair of Queens
Seat 5: smudgeordie (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: the bosun folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: bubbaloo2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: feedthegoat folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Not bad I suppose for a 2nd try. Maybe next year

After playing small stakes poker for about a year now, last night I finally won my first multi-table tournament.

Over the course of the last year I have won numerous single table sit 'n' goes (at the $1, $2 and $3 levels) and a few 45 handed sit 'n' goes but this is the first time I have won a large field MTT and it has given me my biggest win to date. It's no were near the level of a Pokerstars Sunday Millions or PKR Masters win but certainly a step in the right direction.

The other good news was that as well as being a tournament with a cash prize pool, it was also a satellite to another tournament. This tournament has a bigger prize pool and the winner will get a seat at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo at the end of April.

It looks like the final field for this tournament will be in the region of 700 players so it is unlikely that I'll be the one heading for Monte Carlo, but you never know (God willing)!

Screenshot of the tournament results

Although I've been a Christian for many years I still have problems/issues 'hearing' God in my day to day life. This is an ongoing issue and one I'm sure will get better over time, especially given that I'm am spending more time studying the bible these days.

One thing I do think God has spoke to me recently is one phrase which I was left feeling related to this Monday just gone (ie. the 23rd March 2009). The one phrase was:

And today, everything changes.

The only obvious thing of note that did change on Monday was that the local radio station was re-branded from 'Severn Sound' to 'Heart Gloucestershire' but I'm sure 'everything' has a more profound meaning than that.

I guess I'll have to wait to see how it pans out!