majorleag's exploits

Blackjack and I guess I should update huh?

2006-08-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I doubt that anybody has ever read this blog other than a couple of people that I have told that it exists. One of the things I loved about the process of writing a blog when I first decided to do so was that I can write as much or as little as I want or not at all. It's pretty obvious that I have been exercising that right! LOL

I have a goal to satellite into and play a few major events this fall. If the wind is at my back and I am successful in doing so I am confident that I will cash in one or more and then I will have plenty more to write about.

I figured its been so long since I wrote anything that I should put down a few thoughts. I have been posting a few times again in the FCP forum and read a story about a guy who made some money in Vegas and then proceeded to blow it all playing Blackjack.

I was really amazed that pretty much everybody on the forum felt that Blackjack was a lousy game and understood why he lost all his money. What nobody pointed out was the fact that he played horribly and had a disastrous betting system.

I speak from experience that Blackjack can be a very profitable game if you know what you are doing. I won my very first Blackjack tournament and came back 2 years later to win again, both times winning $25k for first place.

At the time that seemed like a fortune, of course today in the era of many, many Poker tournaments where you can win hundreds of thousands of dollars just for making the final table and millions for winning, $25k pales in comparison.

That's why I have been playing Poker for the past 3 years and have not played Blackjack, but I have been inspired by the poster in FCP to begin playing Blackjack again.

Also I have thought about the possibility of writing a simple strategy guide for playing Blackjack as well as a simple betting system. I realize that many, many books have been written on the subject, but most are too intimidating for the average person.

This would be something simple that a tourist could pick up and have a shot of breaking even or making money. In any event I have many more thoughts to put down here in the blog and may do so in the near future. I will be going to Atlantic City next week for a satellite that if I am very, very lucky could net me 4 seats in major WPT events.

Stay tuned because if I win one of the packages I plan to sell two of the seats at a decent discount to somebody interested in playing in a WPT event at a discount. Until next time, Thanks for reading!!!

Carpe Diem!

Atlantic City bound!

2006-03-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

I am going to Atlantic City on Friday morning to enter the $220 satellite into the Sunday morning $1000 Super satellite at the Borgata, the nicest casino in Atlantic City. For every 5 entrants they get in this tourney they will award one seat into the Sunday event. Not to shabby at all if you ask me.

For every 60 people in the Sunday tourney they will award an awesome $60k plus prize package that includes 3 $10k buy in tournies including the WSOP main event and the WPT $25K Championship event at the Bellagio in April plus $4,500 in expense money.

I really am hoping that there are over 200 people at this event since they will also award the remaining cash to the next player after all the $60 packages have been awarded.

Any way you look at, you will have to make the final table to make anything but you start with $10k in chips with blinds starting at $25/50, this is a very good structure.

I will report back on the results next week. Hopefully I will take down one of the packages and then you will see me in at least 3 main events this year.

Not that I am counting my chickens before they are hatched here, but if I were to be so skillful and lucky to win a package I would almost certainly sell my WSOP seat. 3 of the 4 tournament entries including the WSOP main event ARE transferable. The only one that is NOT is the Borgata Poker Open next September, which I would want to play anyway.

So if you are interested in a discounted seat to the main event of the WSOP check out this page next week.

As always thanks for reading!

Carpe Diem

Biggest laydown I have ever made, still not enough!

2006-03-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

Well I am finally feeling very good about my Poker game and really am confident that I am on the cusp of a major win that will put me in a good bankroll position to start really making some significant money.

I have really focused on my strengths and weaknesses and have been doing quite a bit of reading and watching Poker and really paying attention much more then I ever have and I firmly believe it will pay off.

One thing that I in the past did not pay proper attention to was my position in relation to the other players when deciding what to do next. I also was not spending enough time evaluating my opponents before deciding how to play.

Well on Friday night I went to Atlantic City and entered a $200.00 NL tournament. I really like the structure at the Taj, you start with $5k in chips with blinds of $25/50 and the Ante doesn't kick in until the 3rd level.

I was confident that I could/would do well, there were only 82 entrants with first place paying about $6,800. Well I played pretty tight and lost a few races and was down to about $2,800 when I had the hand that ended up being the best laydown I have ever made!

Afterwards I had the other players complimenting me, saying no way they could make that laydown. I know for certain that as little as a few months ago I would not have been able to make the laydown and I would have gone broke. I had pocket Queens, the best hand I have seen all day, by the way.

Flop comes Q, J, 10. Blinds were $100/200 with a $25 Ante, and the player 2 spots to my right raised to around $600.00. Then a gentleman in his late 50's or early 60's raised it, to around $2k. Now it is decision time for me!!

Now I couldn't call this raise, I either had to go all in, because if I call I leave myself around $200.00 or I fold. I really do not want to let the set of queens go. Now the old me would have not spent time analyzing the situation, would have called and gone broke.

I decided to really think about the situation and what had happened leading up to the gentleman making this large raise. Well after I went in the tank for a minute or so, I gave this some thought and remembering that this man had not played many hands, and when he did he had the goods, I quickly became 99% certain that he had Ace, King and had flopped the straight.

I wanted to show this hand so badly as I laid it down but remember that the first player was to act on the raise after me, so I couldn't show. So the only thing I could do to indicate that I was making the most painful laydown of my life without affecting the game for the other two players, was to say "I am making a huge laydown right here" as I tossed them in to the muck.

Well the original raiser folds and the older man mucks his cards as he rakes his chips. I said you had Ace, King right? He confirms for me that yes he did. Yes he could have been lying but you will just have to trust my judgment that I am 99% certain that he was telling the truth. At this point is when I told him and the rest of the table that I mucked a set of queens.

The older gentleman just about fell out of his chair and made a comment that "That laydown will go in my book, that's the most amazing laydown I have ever seen" I would have rather won the hand of course, but this still made me feel that I may finally be getting to the point in my game where I can play at a level where I should be able to make money and hold my own.

I also had a young player to my left that commented that no way he doesn't go broke in the same position. Well I thought okay I ducked a major bullet and I still have plenty of chips to get right back in this thing when I got what I thought was just the hand to do it, but it was not meant to be my day.

Pre-flop a few hands later same blinds $100/200 $25 Ante, same two gentleman. Now the younger player, who I find out during this hand is playing his first tournament, this will play into the story, raises to $700.00, the older gentleman calls. Now between the blinds, Antes and the raise and call there is almost as much in the pot as I have left in front of me so I push all in with Aces making it around $2,400 to go, fully expecting at the very least to take everything down right then and there and double up or even better to get one or both of these guys to call tripling me up or more.

Well the newbie is agonizing on whether or not to make the call, now just to give you dear reader more information he has a pretty large stack, I would say around $8k or a little more.

Well, now something happens that the dealer should stop but doesn't and is very bad tourney etiquette. An Asian player who has already folded, and therefore has no business discussing the hand starts to complain and badger the already flustered newbie.

While the newbie is moving his chips around deciding on whether or not to call he has some of his chips partially in front of his cards, which can be viewed as an all-in or at least a call of the chips in front of the cards, so the Asian player starts to say "that's a call, that's a call, your chips are in front of your cards.

Now when I play in a live game and I have made a push I become a statue regardless of whether or not I am strong and welcome a call or am making a bluff and want the player/s to go away, so I can't say anything about this exchange.

The poor newbie doesn't really understand what's happening and so the dealer snaps at him just call or fold. Well obviously I did want a call but the outcome did not go my way and ironically enough he commented that he was going to fold, but called because the Asian player had been badgering him and he thought he had broken a rule and was obligated to call.

Well he calls and flips over the Ace, 7 of hearts and catches 2 hearts on the flop and one on the river and I am on the rail! Well as strange as this sounds even though I lost I felt really good for the first time in quite some time because I felt that I had really been in the zone and played some fantastic poker and just got unlucky. So I hope that if you are struggling with your game, this little story will give you some encouragement. Good luck and thanks very much for reading. Carpe Diem

I am Back!

2006-03-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't really leave per se, I just haven't updated this blog in quite some time. Now odds are that little to anyone reads this, and since I have been lazy and haven't updated it, if anyone did read it they certainly don't anymore.

Let's face it at this point I am just a regular guy. Now I assure you that I am a very interesting guy, but not a famous guy which seems to be where most people gravitate when they want to read a blog.

I got on a big 24 craze after watching the premiere this year, I finally broke open Season 1, which had been sitting on my shelf in my ever growing DVD library. Well that was it, I was hooked. I call 24 Crack TV, since I find it soooooo addicting.

In any event since I started watching Season 1 I have purchased Seasons 2-4 from the place I work. We are a wholesaler of Books, Music, DVD and Video Games, a great place to work and go broke with since I like all of those things so much.

I whipped through Seasons 1 & 2, and am now just into Season 3. Isn't DVD great? This is how a show, especially a show like 24 is meant to be viewed, without commercial or any other kind of interruptions.

Music, I just started to add music to my collection that I love but for some reason or other had never owned. I just bought a fantastic Greatest Hits CD of The Who! Man is this some great music. I find many CD's where I like a few songs but many I don't. This is one of those CD's that is just the opposite. It is almost all fantastic. I also bought a Beach Boys greatest hits CD. I don't know about you but that is some feel good music to me.

Since I can buy pretty much any book, CD, etc., and just have it deducted from my paycheck I also went on a nice Poker book buying binge. I bought several including Small Stakes Hold Em', The Making of A Poker Player by Matt Matros' and Erik Lindgren's Making the Final Table.

I finished Erik's book like in 2 days. I felt I knew most of what I was reading but I did pick up a few cool tips that gave me some insight and make me think a little differently about a couple of things during a tournament.

I am going to Atlantic City on Friday night and will report back how well it goes, good, bad or indifferent.

Well enough for now, I hope to update this more often going forward.

As always if any of you out there are reading this thanks I appreciate it.

Xbox 360 and Poker

2005-12-07T14:55:00.000-05:00

I need to start updating this a little more often, but things have been so crazy and hectic with the season. Trying to keep up with all of the new game releases and keeping them in stock is a daily challenge.

Well being in the industry has its perks. I was going to hold off on getting a 360 but since I know they will be next to impossible to get for the next month or two I decided to breakdown.

I am really excited because I told my son, who is dying to get one that we wouldn't be able to get one until next year, so he will be shocked to find one underneath the Xmas tree. Now I just hope that it does not have some of the reported glitches.

Well I am finally happy with my performance and most importantly new found peace with Poker. I came to terms with all the mistakes that I had been making and I pulled out a few books that I had read and kind of broke my game down and got back to basics.

Since that time I have been going deeper and deeper into tourney's and making some money. Not retirement kind of money mind you but my confidence level is higher then it has every been.

I am now looking at entering some upcoming land based tournaments and am feeling really good.

Thanks as always for reading!!!

Carpe Diem

60th out of 629!!

2005-11-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

Well I got very unlucky and sucked out on, on several tournaments last night. I did pretty well in one tournament coming in 60th out of 629 people, which is certainly respectable.

Unfortunately it doesn't pay much. For those of you that play poker you know that unless you make it to the final table you really don't make much.

It is amazing how you can play almost perfect poker for several hours and then in the span of minutes you can be out. I went from hovering in the top ten to being out in 2 hands flat!!!

I feel I played correctly but it still stings. Here it is in a nut shell.

I had about 24k in chips with 65 people left, the tourny paid 63 places. I had Ace, Queen of suit, and depending on several variables I will raise, call, fold etc. I guy with his last $4,700 goes all in and it folds back to me.

Well, not only is Ace, Queen fairly strong heads up here is a chance to add a significant amount of chips to my stack at low risk and knock someone out of the tourney so I call.

He has pocket 5's so I am slightly behind but feeling okay with two over cards with 5 cards to come. Flop comes and I hit my Ace, so I am way ahead now. Of course you probably know what's coming and the turn is a blank and he hits one of his two outs to make trip 5's on the river.

Okay no big deal I lost almost $5k but I have around $19k. The very next hand I get Ace, 4 of hearts.

Now before all of you arm chair quarterbacks tell me about how I should or shouldn't play these, again it depends on chip stack, position, who the players are, where we are in the tourney, etc. etc.

So I decide to play them and see the flop, and if the flop misses me then I shut down and muck them to any pressure. The flop comes and is a seemingly nearly perfect flop for yours truly.

Ace, 9, 4.

So here I am with two pair, and I am not taking any chances so I move all in for my last $15-16k. I guy who has almost $40k calls and of course I am drawing completely dead unless of course I get runner, runner 4's for quads.

He has pocket Aces. He catches a nine not that he needs it and I am gone in 2 hands!!!

Oh well tonight is another night.

Thanks for reading.

Carpe Diem!

Happy Birthday 2 me, Atari Flashback, Variance etc.

2005-11-15T14:59:00.000-05:00

Well actually my B-Day was on the 7th of this Month. Day before Election day. God I feel old in years 42! Actually though I don't feel 42 most of the time.

I am a little kid at heart, kind of like that old Toy's R Us commercial, I feel like a Toy's R Us kid.

I enjoy video games, cartoons and all kinds of shit that "the Man" says I should have outgrown by now. Life is waaaay to short, I refuse to grow up!!!! I will god willing be 90+ playing video games and watching South Park season 87 etc. etc.

My good friends at Atari sent me the Atari Flashback 2.0. How fucking cool is this thing? 40 classic video games including Pitfall, Asteroids, Adventure, Combat, River Raid etc. etc. All of these games in one very cool plug and play system that is a miniature version of the original Atari 2600 with two original size joysticks.

Can't wait to fire this bad boy up this weekend.

Well I have been on a horrendous, horrendous run of cards where the cards were really spitting in my face. I won't go in to all the gory details because you have all been there.

I can tell you that I was really beginning to wonder what the hell I should do? Quit playing? I am NOT a quitter.

I have beat Cancer among other things in my life, so I sure as hell wasn't going to let this fucking game beat me, but I was really down.

I took a couple of days off after taking some beatings, and even told my wife I "might" not play again until after the new year.

Well who the hell was I kidding? So I played last night and I felt like I was back!

I didn't get rich but I won 1 SnG and qualified for Sunday's big tourney on PS. I also cashed in the 256 person Heads Up.

I am going to try and qualify for the WSOP circuit event in Atlantic City in 2 weeks. I also may play on Monday the 28th of November in the $300.00 NL buy in first event.

Enough rambling for today, for any of you FCP'ers that may have stumbled here, see you tomorrow in the tourney.

Thanks for reading!!

Are all forum's obnoxious or just FCP?

2005-11-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

There are a few cool people on the FCP forum but unfortunately the complete Assholes far out weigh the cool people.

A couple of weeks ago I had decided I wouldn't post there anymore. Well I didn't for almost 2 weeks then someone asked a question about the Stacked video game.

Well since I work in the game industry and folks seemed genuinely interested in when the game was coming out I tried to be a nice guy and post factual information as to when it would be released. Even something as simple as that post got some flames.

Well today I posted the same Aces cracked hand that I posted here, and yes I was about 98% certain that I played it correctly and couldn't have done anything else.

However, I have posted other hands in the past that I also was pretty certain I played correctly and I still got torn to shreds by people explaining in excruciating detail how I screwed up, so I was looking for a little validation.

I really contrary to some folks belief was not looking for pity, just a little validation during a time when next to nothing is going right for me.

I really thought that the forum might be the place, and I would try one last time to post there. Well I already acknowledged that I posted in the wrong place to get more people to read it.

Other then that heinous crime, I thought I did nothing wrong by posting and still I get crushed. The kindest remarks from my detractors was that I wanted pity and attention. Others say I am a pretentious Asshole for posting. I certainly admit I can be an Asshole but in this instance I was sincere in my motives, and I still get shit on.

Shit who needs that in their life?

So while I am on a rant let's continue. When I posted about Daniel's play I got beat up and had people say I should have sent Daniel a PM.

Well guess what folks I have, and he does not bother to respond. Before I played in my first major tourney and during the tourney, I pm'd the man himself, sincerely looking for advice from a seasoned pro on lasting in multiple day tournies and he deleted the messages without even reading them.

There was someone on the forum who whined that he had not received his PSP. Well I sent Daniel 2 pm's offering to set him up with an account so he could purchase Books, Music, DVD's and Video Games wholesale to use a prizes on FCP and no response.

Yeah I know he is busy, but give me a fucking break, he can take a couple of minutes to say hey yeah we could use a place to get our stuff for the site.

It isn't the money he would save, although that could add up, but simply the convenience of knowing that when one of his FCP member's wins something he could call us and we would ship it directly to the winner without Daniel's people having to do anything.

Now is this not worth taking a couple of moments, when apparently his people so far have been too damn busy to run down to their local store and buy a fucking PSP and ship it to the winner?

So the point of this second entry in my blog today is this.

I am done with FCP! No more posting on that forum for the foreseeable future.

Who knows I may change my mind in the future but at this point I don't think anything short of Mr. Negreanu himself would get me to comeback. Yeah I know most/many of you are applauding this turn of events.

Well those of you that are applauding, you can go and fuck yourselves!! I have tried be an asshole on that forum and I have tried being a nice guy and it seems no matter what I say or do I end up being torn to shreds.

All of you that jump to criticize and abuse the posters on the forum should really think before you post and should be ashamed of the way you behave.

What a bunch of fucking juveniles!!

Yes I can and many times am a jerk, but I try very hard to be helpful and as objective as possible when posting on that forum. I have read many, many stupid posts but I don't go on and tell people how stupid, arrogant, pretentious etc., etc. they are.

Why do so many of you feel compelled to do so?

Carpe Diem!

Sigh, Aces cracked again!!

2005-11-04T10:23:00.000-05:00

Well I am really trying very hard to keep a positive attitude while playing Poker but man is it getting tough.

Besides a limit tourney that I played yesterday where I had pocket Aces and had some clown stay all the way to the river with 10, 7 off-suit to end up with a flush to knock me out, I also lost in a tourney where I was in very good position to money with this hand.

http://www.pokerhand.org/index.php?page=view&hand=160491

Don't really know what I could have done in either case, and I guess I should feel a little vindicated knowing I am playing well but hell that doesn't pay the bills!

Anyway enough for today.

Thanks for reading.

Carpe Diem!

2005-11-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

Kings, Queens, 7's and your out of there! Plus a warning to spammers!

Okay first the warning to any of you Motherfucker's who think it is cool to try and sell your bullshit on MY blog!!! Don't do it unless you want to give away whatever the hell you are peddling.

Some Asshole put an advertisement on my blog yesterday as a comment selling some bullshit program for $40 bucks.

Here is the deal for anyone who does this. I will buy a copy of your program then I will keep your original solicitation on my blog, and will then offer to sell the very same program that you are peddling for $40.00 bucks, for $1.00 to the first 40 people to cover my costs, then after I get 40 people I will give the very same program that this shitbag is trying to sell for $40.00 for FREE!

That's right if you spam on my blog, I will take your program and give it away here and will also advertise elsewhere and give it away.

You have been warned! Now on to Poker.

So last night I decide to play a little poker and go in with a positive attitude. I played a $3.00 +.30 rebuy $10k guarantee on Pokerstars and then the Negreanu Open with my fellow FCPer's.

In the rebuy I play very well and get my stack up to just over $5k about 20-30 minutes prior to the break. I get Kings and 3-4 people go all in, and as those of you who have played rebuy's know people play any two cards so I figure my Kings might be good, and I might get a huge stack IF I am right.

Well I am sure you know what happened, one of the 4 people has Aces and that is that!

Playing the Neg-O I get pocket queens twice in a row! Again I have been playing pretty well and I am in the top 15 with 100 plus people left and the first time I get the Queens I make a small raise and everyone folds.

The very next hand I get them again, make the same raise and it gets around to Marion Sauce and she raises to $400 I think. Can't remember but I think we had 1 or 2 callers before me so when it gets to me I push all in.

Wouldn't you know it, Marion has Kings and now I am crippled down to about $900. I am patient and fold my next 2-3 hands then I get pocket 7's, and with the blinds at $25-50, I will have to make a move sooner or later so I go all in.

Here I am hoping to just take down the blinds, but figure if I get a caller I might just get lucky and be good with my 7's. One caller and he of course has 8's, so pre-flop I am dead to one of the 2 remaining 7's, but the flop comes with an 8 and I am drawing dead!

Well if I have to get crippled, nice to be crippled by the one and only Marion Sauce, I am sure Smash won't mind her crippling me.

Oh well it was fun while it lasted and I feel like I played pretty well overall last night.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!!

Carpe Diem!

2005-11-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

Lost a ton the other day and the laws of Pennsylvania suck ass!!!

Well one thing about this whole blog thing is that it is very liberating knowing I can say what I want when I want, or nothing at all!

So I put more money in my online account then I should have and played too many tournies, and cash games at the same time and felt like I had a hangover when the smoke cleared.

How much? Sorry not saying but it was enough to cause me some pain.

I am going to play tonight in the Neg-O open and hope to make a better showing than last week.

So now on to the state of PA or as I like to call it the state of stupidity.

I won't go into all the gory details but suffice it so say that I owed for a small traffic ticket for an expired fucking safety sticker.

Well this lead from one thing to another and next thing you know you would think I was on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list.

Well, not sure if any of you have ever dealt with a constable, but they are basically broken down old pieces of shit who can't get a job and have very limited powers.

This piece of crap comes to my house when I am not home and terrorizes my fifteen year old daughter.

So the next day I go to the court and go a little postal.

Next thing you know charges are filed against me and I have a court date.

The whole thing is finally behind me but not before another $250 fucking fine.

God I hate this fucking state.

Okay I will start to post more often, and more about Poker.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!!

Carpe Diem!

2005-10-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

I think I have always been a bit of a frustrated writer deep down and have never really done anything about it. I have thought about and wanted to write a book for years, but have never done anything to move forward in that regard.

Who knows this may very well be the beginning of that journey.

By design I am not going to write too much today and will add information to this blog, initially probably every couple of days and then more often.

I will be 42 years old in less than 2 weeks. I am fortunate to have been married for more than 15 years to a woman who is a wonderful and tolerant woman and a fantastic mother to our two children. I am lucky that she has put up with me for this long. We have a 15 year old daughter and a 9 year old son. Yes 15! Do the math! LOL

We are truly blessed and not a day goes by that I am not appreciative and aware that we are fortunate.

I was born in Argentina and I fondly remember my father commenting many times as I grew up, about how great this country is. Regardless of what your politics, religion or beliefs are, I am confident that overall this is the best country in the world in terms of all the opportunities that it affords people who are willing to put forth an effort.

America is far from perfect but it is a great country, and I also feel very strongly that immigrants to this country as a general rule tend to appreciate this country more than native born Americans do. Again NOT everybody but most Americans that are born here, I believe tend to take this country for granted. Just for the record I am a Naturalized Citizen of this great country and proud to be so. I have all the rights of a native born son, except that I cannot become President of this great country.

Yeah I know what your thinking, thank god for that! LOL

I hate the tax system in this country and there are other things that I am not crazy about, but all in all I am still pretty sure that I wouldn't be as happy in another country as I am here.

I really started this today on a bit of a lark, after reading another fellow blogger's blog!

For those of you that play Poker I was a fairly frequent poster on the FCP forum and decided that I needed a different/better place to post my lunatic ravings! I stopped posting there because it became a very juvenile place with ridiculous dialog that was increasingly becoming a waste of my time.

This is that place. I will eventually create my own website and most likely move everything there.

I have found other folks blogs to be a combination of many descriptions, and I have outlined some below:

Funny
Sad
Inspirational
Interesting
Mundane
Thought Provoking
Infuriating

There are many more descriptions but those are just a few. The bottom line is this, we all lead very different lives but I believe very interesting ones for the most part.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this first post, I am not a professional writer, but I will try my best to keep this blog interesting and hopefully entertaining.

I already have written much more than I thought I would. I will cover many, many topics, Poker is what prompted me to start this, but I think it would get very boring if Poker were the only topic.

Therefore I will cover many things, movies, tv, music, video games (I work in the video game business) cool, crazy funny things my kids say and or do and many, many more.

For those of you interested in Poker, I play primarily on Pokerstars but also play on Party Poker, Paradise and a few others, but those are the 3 that get the most of my time and money. I am majorleag on all 3 and would love to see you at the tables.

I also go to Atlantic City to play Poker on average once a month sometimes twice.

Most importantly while I welcome comments and opinions, this is MY blog and I will say what I want when I want and cover what I want.

I will listen to suggestions but at the end of the day this is my baby, for good, bad or worse.

I also want to add that I will always respond to email. One thing that I found to be very frustrating and discouraging when I send private messages or emails to the Poker pro's that I have played with online or had small dialog with, is that they don't bother to even respond. Yes I know they are busy and get quite a bit of correspondence, but I am confident that they don't get so much that they can't at least make some kind of quick reply.

I will never, ever be that guy!!!! Whether I remain a completely unknown and obscure individual or more well known, I will not change in that regard.

It may take me a day or two or three, etc, but be sure that if you email me with a question you WILL get a response. If you are just making a comment that doesn't look like it requires a reply then maybe not, but if you ask a question you will get an answer.

I know that this last comment may seem trite, especially after you read it each time I close a post but I assure you that I mean it sincerely, and from the bottom of my heart. I realize that we live in a very crazy, busy, noisy world and you have many things that can grab your attention, so the fact that you are here reading is very, very humbling to me.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog, I appreciate it!!!