Stuff XXX People Like

And no, I don't mean stuff porn stars and strippers like, though that would be a good one too.

Stuff White People Like has really taken off.  I've been forwarded posts by several people I know and it's even been a topic of conversation in the GVPT grad lab (though what hasn't been, really?). 

Well, one of my friends just sent me the link to another blog: Stuff Hill People Like...  and he questioned how long they would have their jobs.  Firing aside, it is pretty hilarious.  Check it out.

I am tempted to start one for grad students.  Two things that can't be on that list: sleep and money.

21 - not terrible, but not good, either

I had kind of a bad day today.  Getting out of the house always makes me feel better, and as tempted as I was to drive up to AC and hang up there for 36 hours, I figured it would be cheaper to go see a movie and grab some drinks.  So against the advice of everyone I know, I went to see 21.  The first hour is actually pretty decent, but then the plot kinda devolves in the second half.  Still, they clearly had a good technical (degenerate) advisor and it is fun to see a movie about Vegas and gambling.  It was entertaining and I suppose that is all one can ask for from a movie these days. 

Afterwards, went to Barking Dog for drinks and bar games.  It was good to get out of the house for a few hours.  :)

Ch-ch-changes

When I first started my blog back in 2004 (yes, check the archives...it's been that long) I didn't give a lot of thought to the name of my blog.  For one, I thought mostly my family would be reading it (so contact was appropriate) and for another, I didn't necessarily WANT random people finding it on my website easily.  Well, times change.

So, welcome to Katie über alles.  I haven't changed my folder name for fear of creating broken links galore, but you can link here without the contact appendage - just point to http://kbaxter.typepad.com.  Both google reader and bloglines will allow you to edit page names.  My google reader does not appear to update automatically.  So feel free to edit...or not.

My personal website links and the masthead will be updated as I have time.

Alewife Cove

Picture of my parents' backyard.  Was thinking about going kayaking the other day -- I can hardly wait til it is Summer!

Fall 2008 schedule

Well, I'm definitely not going to ICPSR at Michigan this summer for stats classes.  They run two sessions, and the only one of any use to me in terms of classes they are offering is the latter one.  Unfortunately, this session ends 5 days before the American politics comprehensive exam (my primary field exam) that I am taking in August.  On top of ICPSR eating into my time for comp studying this summer, I cannot imagine having to deal with the logistics of finals, moving out of a sublet apartment, driving back home, etc., etc. right before comps.  The exam is a 36 hour take home exam...and even the saner older students who have taken it tell stories of not eating, sleeping, or showering for the entire 36 hours...and then needing at least a week of doing nothing before they feel human again.  The comp I had to take for my MA was closed book and 7 hours in a computer lab.  I am not sure that open book for 36 hours is a better (or less stressful) system.

But I digress...

Since I am not going to ICPSR, I'm gong to have to load up on methods classes this fall.  The plan is to take my second field comp (aka my methods comp) in January 2009, but it might be pushed back to next August.  I need to take at least three more methods classes between now and that comp.

Just registered for classes the other day and here is what my Fall schedule looks like so far:

Monday: nothing

Tuesday: 3:00-5:40pm SURV 632 - Social and Cognitive Foundations of Survey Measurement:
Major sources of survey error-such as reporting errors and nonresponse
bias-from the perspective of social and cognitive psychology and
related disciplines. Topics: psychology of memory and its bearing on
classical survey issues (e.g., underreporting and telescoping); models
of language use and their implications for the interpretation and
misinterpretation of survey questions; and studies of attitudes,
attitude change, and their possible application to increasing response
rates and improving the measurement of opinions. Theories and findings
from the social and behavioral sciences will be explored.   

6:30-9:30pm GVPT 743 - Contemporary political theory:
Theorists from Nietzsche (1884-1900) to the present will be covered
with a focus on the apparent failure of the Enlightenment to usher in
an age of peace and reason.
 This is a requirement that I have been putting off forever.  I don't really enjoy theory classes at all, but at least I don't have to take ancient.  I read way too much Plato as an undergrad.  I actually enoyed the Nietzsche and more modern stuff I was exposed to in college, so hopefully this won't be that bad.  Class until 9:30 at night might be interesting though. 

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: 4:15 - 7:00pm EDMS 657 Factor Analysis:
Development of models for factor analysis and their practical
applications. Treatment of factor extraction, rotation, second-order
factor analysis, and factor scores. Introduction to linear structural
relations models.

Friday: probably TA-ing.  There is a survey design course I would also like to take but it's Friday from 1-4 which will likely conflict with work.  If it doesn't, I'll drop the factor analysis class and take that one instead.

Bonus: my earliest class looks like it starts at 3pm.  :)

Hooray

Made just under $1200 profit at pink, after buying in for $200 (and tipping A LOT).  Imagine that... playing good actually works.  So does getting good starting hands and getting there, but while I wasn't running bad, I certainly wasn't getting hit over the head with the deck.  I had several good hands turn to crap on the flop/turn/river.  I did succeed in getting paid on the big hands I had.  It's also amazing how playing tighter will keep you out of stupid situations.  I certainly don't expect this to happen every week, but it is a nice incentive to PLAY GOOD!

Anyways, that is my first big win at pink in 2008.  Every other week there this year has been <$100 win, even, or shipping it.

Poker, discipline, and being your own worst enemy at the table

Towards the second half of last year, I started to keep more detailed records on my poker play.  It really shed a lot of light on things that I really already knew but tried not to think about: some major holes in my game.

One of the biggest is discipline.  My personality is definitely at odds with good play in some respects.  I get angry too easily, I get bored too easily, and even though I definitely got over the fact that life isn't fair years and years ago in real life, for some reason I seem to suffer from the delusion that outcomes should be fair at the poker table.  I don't mean cheating or rules violations.  I mean, sometimes I feel that AA should always beat dominated hands like AK or KK...not just be the huge favorite that it is.  And I will also admit to falling prey to feeling like sometimes "math is wrong" and that I run unluckier than other people, when in actuality that is probably not true at all. 

I've always played the pink game (5/10 with a half kill rotation game of Tahoe, O8, Stud8) for fun.  I certainly don't go into it with the same mindset I do when I play no limit (i.e. I am here to make money and I'm going to try to play the best technically correct game I can).  There was a month towards the end of last year where I did play pink with that mindset and I actually made money at the game (shocker).  But there is something about that game that makes it really difficult for me to stick to the game plan I set out with.... way more difficult than no limit.  Maybe it's the fact that you can be stuck two buyins and scoop one pot and be essentially back to even.  Maybe it's the fact that everyone else is also playing SO badly that I want to play badly and get there too.  Or maybe it's the fact that you can see a flop for just two or four chips.  And then I have the odds to try for my gutshot, so....

At any rate, two weeks ago I played good for while, built up a stack, then started to play badly, then got stuck, then played good again and got even, and then had variance kick me in the ass and take a lot of my chips.  I ended up leaving just short of even, but was really frustrated...mostly with myself.  I decided I was going to take a break from pink.  Conveniently I had a happy hour and birthday party to go to the next Friday.  Unfortunately, I still found myself at pink around 2am.  I didn't stick to my game plan (like NOT playing the stupid stuff like 238), shipped $200, but then did something I have never had the discipline to do before...  Got up and left after being in the game only $200.

I've started to view playing good in pink as a personal challenge.  I know how to do it, I just have to do it. 

Really I just have to find my discipline again in Tahoe (there was a time when I played a VERY LIMITED selection of hands in that game) and in O8 (again, I know that I shouldn't play KKK6 or JT98 and I used to be able to throw that shit in the muck).  I always do well in Stud8 because for some reason I can play with discipline in that game and not get myself into trouble spots.

I couldn't find anything to do tonight (i.e. all my non-poker friends are working or out of town), so of course I will be showing up at pink.  *sigh*  I'm going to try my best to play well tonight.  Even if I don't make money, I will be happy if I can just play well.