This is not a man with a blog.

Support for healthcare reform this Saturday in the Bay Area

By Shabbir | August 18, 2009 | Comments Off on Support for healthcare reform this Saturday in the Bay Area

This Saturday many of the groups that organized the "teabagging" anti-tax day protests are going to stand in front of the local offices of members of Congress and protest anything having to do with reforming healthcare.  This isn't a difference of opinion (public option vs no public option?  funding children's healthcare?), the groups organizing these…

How you can help with healthcare during the recess: SF area

By Shabbir | August 11, 2009 | Comments Off on How you can help with healthcare during the recess: SF area

The healthcare reform debate is becoming very ugly, even by Washington standards.  Believe it or not, not all of our elected officials can be assumed to be pro-healthcare reform. If you live in the Bay area and want to make a difference, letters to Senators Feinstein and Boxer would be a great help, along with…

How you can help with healthcare this weekend: East Bay friends

By Shabbir | August 11, 2009 | Comments Off on How you can help with healthcare this weekend: East Bay friends

If you live in the East Bay, specifically in Rep. Pete Stark's district (CA-13), know that he's being targeted by the opponents of healthcare who have vowed to disrupt his town hall meetings this Saturday.  To see an overlay of the district on Google maps, look at Rep. Stark's interactive district map. He could really…

This is the last serious thing I will say publicly about the healthcare debate for months.

By Shabbir | August 7, 2009 |

August 7, 2009 Dear Rep. Speier, I am very happy to see that you have come out strong for a public option in healthcare.  Thank you for doing the right thing.  If you don't read the rest of this letter (it is long) please know that you have my support in pushing for universal healthcare,…

My first 5,000 hand experiment

By Shabbir | July 15, 2009 |

So to recap, as I work on improving my Limit Texas Hold'em game, I concocted an experiment with my coach.  I used my calculations of each possible preflop hand against tables containing one to nine opponents each.  I then built a very solid preflop strategy, taking into account position and opponents, and set out to…

Profit by position: What would you pay to be psychic in poker?

By Shabbir | June 29, 2009 |

So for several weeks I've been doing an experiment that Andrew and I came up with. I ran the math on all limit hold'em hands, and then constructed a set that I thought were playable for one bet, and another set playable for two bets. With a roughly repeatable preflop and postflop strategy, I set…

OneCause are spammers

By Shabbir | June 29, 2009 | Comments Off on OneCause are spammers

I signed up for OneCause, a group that claims to capture rewards from your purchases and give them to the school of your choice, in order to support my preschool.  Sadly, they don't even pretend to be obeying my email preferences, and are now spamming me for their new toolbar. I recently got this e-mail:…

I fucking draw the line at nudity.

By Shabbir | June 3, 2009 | Comments Off on I fucking draw the line at nudity.

A few weeks ago I had to fly to DC for some business.  I flew Virgin America.  If Virgin America was a woman, I’d cheat on my wife.  They understand the psychology of what frustrates people on planes so well, and have architected the experience so perfectly, that I’m in love. Anyway, I flew SFO…

Um, you really want my opinion?

By Shabbir | May 14, 2009 | Comments Off on Um, you really want my opinion?

The Bank of America chat help line is in fact, incredibly helpful.  They managed to transfer my chat window between two departments without losing me, and then they answered my questions patiently and solved my problem. The survey I was given at the end made me laugh though.  What kind of meaningful suggestion fits in…

Returning An Enterprise Rent-A-Car At JFK Airport

By Shabbir | May 10, 2009 |

[See update at bottom for Enterprise Rent-A-Car's response.] Be warned. If you ever have to return a car to Enterprise Rent-A-Car "at the JFK airport", here's a few things to note: Staff at both the Newark Penn Station Enterprise facility (where you might rent a one way rental and pay the $175 one way drop…