Chaiten is the volcano that keeps on giving...err, erupting. This volcano started erupting at the beginning of May and is still at it. It's clear in Chile today so you can see the plume quite well:



This is an especially long-lived eruption and there remains the remote possibility of a major explosion. This is also another reminder that volcanoes that are supposedly extinct aren't necessarily so; Chaiten's previous eruption was 9400 years ago.

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Meanwhile, I'm going to vent a little. Playing on Stars today I'm running 0 for 4 on flips, and running much worse when I have an overpair and the villain has an underpair (0 for 2). I could have had a huge stack in the donkfest but KK < 99... on the river. I'm writing some presentations I'm going to be giving over the next week so I have time to open a window or two while writing and editing.

I'm still alive in what I'll call the mega-donkfest (the Sunday Two Hundred Grand) with an above-average stack. Depending on how the writing goes I may play a couple of PLO8 tourneys this afternoon, too.

Ready for the Oklahoma City Tornadoes?

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Chaiten is the volcano that keeps on goin'.

Here's a picture from earlier in the eruption:



And here's a picture from June 30th:



The problem is that earthquakes are increasing under the volcano while the eruption plume has been decreasing. If the conduit opening gets plugged (a lava dome has been forming) but pressure continues to build you get an explosive eruption. Time will tell....

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Remember how Senator Obama said that all the smears would be coming from Republicans? Well, that hasn't been the case...

I finished my continuing education seminar on Saturday. During the morning break the winners of the door prizes were announced. Somehow their random number generator got messed up, and I won free registration for the 2009 SuperSeminar (about a $400 value). Yes, I'll have to declare it on my tax return....

Poker has gone good and bad over the last two days. Saturday was another good day; today wasn't. I have, as usual, held almost nothing. Today, for example, I had TT, and a short stack had KK, so there went some money. Yesterday, my free big blinds were quite good to me. Overall, I'm not going to complain. The play hasn't been particularly good, but I'm sick of seeing 62o, K3o, etc. in a ten-handed game where there's lots of action. Worse, when I have had anything I've been out-of-position.

Still, it could have been much, much worse. Can I, like Phil Hellmuth, just have slightly below average cards?

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Tomorrow, I'm likely going to play in the Venetian's 12noon tournament. I do need to play some tourneys before TARGET and the WSOP.

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Here's an article about how an earthquake in one location can trigger an earthquake on the other side of the world. Interesting....

The Chaiten eruption is continuing, with the volcanism blog reporting that a new dome is being built. Here's a picture from Chile showing the volcano:



When lava domes get built on volcanoes, one of two things tends to happen. Either (a)the dome solidifies, and the eruption slows down and stops; or (b) pressure from below (magma continuing to flow into the volcanic channels under the volcano) continues to build, and an explosive eruption occurs. In (likely) a few months we will know which way Chaiten goes.

Today was cold, gray, and windy in Chicago, though the sun made a late-day appearance. Today was supposed to be my touristy day (taking the architecture cruise on the Chicago River, etc.); however, a former co-worker asked if we could meet for lunch today rather than Monday, and I decided to swap days. So I headed to Oak Brook Terrace for a long lunch with her (we worked together for a telecommunications company years ago). Afterwards I drove by a Nordstrom Rack and decided why not see if they have any shoes that are my size. And they did--three pairs.

Later tonight I'm having drinks with yet another former co-worker downstairs in the hotel lounge. I had one of my more sinful pleasures for dinner tonight, a deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati. I remember going to Lou Malnati's in Lincolnwood many, many times.

Drinks in about three hours; until then I'm donking it up on Stars.

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Here's an interesting video of a flight to Chaiten, Chile. A possible cause of global cooling is visible throughout.