pol

pol [pol] noun Informal

a politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.

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Or, for about 97% of them: scum, dirtbag, whale poop, snake belly, crook, thief, liar, moocher, leech, idiot and a bunch more that aren't fit for print.

Hearts: Round Two

Here's my second go-around of playing a hundred games of Hearts (first one here: Half-Hearted); I did a little better this time.

Now, I'm sure this post doesn't interest many - if any -  of you reading it, and probably is boring to the rest, just as if I were to post about the dreams I have or what I had for supper, but please cut me some slack...you'd pity me if you knew just how boring my life is otherwise. (nearly as boring as my dreams) A close game of Hearts is about as exciting as it gets for me these days. (well, there ARE my thrilling Skip-Bo sessions)

I think I'll give Hearts a rest for a while, maybe have another go at a hundred games during this upcoming winter when it's too cold to do much else.  I'll post about that after I'm done.

Or not.  I may just have some sympathy for the pitifully few readers of this pathetic excuse for a blog.

Heart of Gold - Neil Young

Strange Hearts

I've been playing another 100 game set of Hearts (see: Half-Hearted) and just finished a game.  It started out with one of my computer opponents "shooting the moon", then I did, then another one did, all in the first three rounds.  I had never seen that before and was thinking "What if the fourth player does it, too?"

A little way into the hand it sure looked that way, but I couldn't be sure;  the computer game isn't like a real-life Hearts game where you can see who is catching all the tricks.  I've sometimes passed up the chance to catch a trick and ruin one of my computer opponent's chances of shooting the moon because I've been so intent upon my own hand I don't pay much attention to which of the others are catching the most tricks. 

This time, however, I was being a little more aware because of the extremely rare way the game was playing out.  Even though I didn't have to, I caught a trick in the middle of the hand and after it was over, saw that it was indeed going to be the fourth-in-a-row shoot the moon...and that it caused me to lose the game by a single point.

Shocking Fact

The electric eel can generate about 600 volts of electricity with the record being 650. By contrast, the standard U.S. wall socket is 120 volts.

Monk's Phobias

Monk was a comedy-drama detective mystery television series that aired from 2002-2009. I don't think I ever saw an episode of it when it was on in prime time, but recently started watching it in late-night reruns. Monk suffers from obsessive–compulsive personality disorder and while the real-life disorder really shouldn't be laughed at, Monk made it seem hilarious.

Monk seemed to display a new phobia (or two or three or more) in each episode. According to Wiki and fan sites, Monk has 312 fears, some of which are milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, imperfection,claustrophobia, driving, food touching on his plates, messes, frogs, germs, crowds, glaciers and risk, although in one later episode he managed to get a handle on his claustrophobia.

His obsessions were what made for the best comedy,though.