Posted 1:15 PM by Andy
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18.

In recent days I have been toiling the soil of the land, so to speak, and have yet to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I am not upset, but I know God can open the floodgates of heaven if he so chooses and give me the cattle on a thousand hills. Torn between pursuing my vices and virtues, I continue to wait for the Lord.

Vice. I love to play poker. The game combines elements of strategy, chutzpah, and psychology. I’ve lost hundreds and won hundreds in one session playing $3-$6 hold ‘em. I’ve become acquainted with the ways of lady luck. When the cards are hitting, it’s possible to be up a hundred playing at these low limits. Conversely, if the cards are missing, you can be crushed by the rake and the action generated by the other players. The biggest pot I won was around $230 playing $3-$6 when everyone played a pot that was raised multiple times going to the river. I made a king-high straight with the final card and everyone else missed. Later I found out that was the only king left in the deck. The other hand I remember fondly was a full-house. I flopped two pairs, with a pair of 8’s on the board and a pair of 7’s in the hole. Another 7 comes on the turn, making my nut hand. There was heavy action as other people raised with possible straight and flush draws. I reraised whenever possible. I took down $150 that hand. Of course I’ve suffered the ill fate of holding second-best hands. My set of 8’s was destroyed by a set of 9’s. Pocket aces can be broken by a set of 6’s. I’ve raised into straights and full-houses with two pairs. You have to be willing to endure large fluctuations in your bankroll to sustain the bad runs. The game requires extreme discipline as you have to restrain yourself from playing marginal hands like 2-3 offsuit. Some situations demand courage as other players will resort to various tactics to separate you from your money including intimidation. A butcher once bet right into my set of queens while giving me a nasty stare. I held his gaze as I calmly bet back at him and took down the pot. The only bad thing about playing cards besides the possibility of financial ruin is the besmirching of your reputation. My mom has threatened to disown me if I continue to patronize the casinos.

Virtue. During my recent stay in SF, I’ve been part of a men’s group started by Mike T. The source material is a book called “The exemplary husband.” During our studies we discuss topics like loving God, serving your wife, and leadership in light of biblical teaching. Although most of us are single, the discussions serve to train our minds in proper thinking for our future lives. It’s also a good time to hang out with other men with similar outlooks.

Bob Rubin. The memoir of the former Treasury Secretary under Clinton refined my views on certain areas of life. The first is probabilistic thinking. He believes nothing is certain and approaches decisions as a series of tradeoffs with associated risks. My view slightly modifies that since I believe there are propositional truths. (Consider the statement, “There is nothing certain except for uncertainty.” Is this an oxymoron?” There are plenty of insights into his specialized area of finance, risk arbitrage, as well as the differences between the private and public sectors in modes of operation and effecting change. The memoir presents a possibility of how one man can segue between the two spheres at different points in his life and the idea of having a core platform from which to launch into other areas of involvement in society (e.g., finance to politics.)

Job hunt update. The most recent career prospects present three different possibilities. The first is a startup with an enterprise software company creating mobile directories and business productivity tools. The VC money that was promised to the founders has been withheld until next year, directly affecting my potential date of hire. (An interesting incident about this firm occurred during the interview, when I almost preached the gospel to the director of marketing. She asked me about a person I looked up to. I paused for five seconds before answering, “Jesus Christ.” Sensing a positive reception, I proceeded to launch into a description of his character and acts that I admire. Before I could finish, the director of product strategy interrupted us and concluded the interview. The lady smiled and commented, “We were just getting to the good parts.”) The second opportunity is with a media company that produces price lists and valuations for used construction equipment with goals of joining the Internet age. The senior product manager I interviewed with traversed a similar path that I hope to tread from software development to product management. The last firm I talked to is the ubiquitous northern California branch of AAA. The position is in a newly established program management office that acts as an internal consulting group to their lines of business. The analysts I talked to were friendly and collegial, conversely the managers were more formal. The director is Christian as we shared mutual friends. All of these jobs should close within the next couple weeks so I hope to be reintegrated into society soon

Ball scouting reports. To comply with Anthony L’s request to include him in my journal, I will write some profiles of the guys I have played ball with most regularly to offer some fodder for discussion and for my own amusement. The players are listed by city where they can most often be found.

San Francisco.
Leon K. 5’11’’, 165 lbs. Good jumpshot to 18 feet. Decent inside moves but layups can be disrupted. Exaggerated no-look passes. Likes the challenge of defending opposing centers.
Jimmy T. 6’3’’, 190 lbs. Good inside presence in the paint. Has interior passing skills.
Winchell C. 5’10’’, 160 lbs. Slasher. Strong rebounder. Hampered by injuries.
Dave. 6’2’’, 200 lbs. Range to 16 feet. Good athleticism to allow switching hands in mid-air after takeoff. Inside presence.
Roy. 5’7’’, 140 lbs. Good handles, play maker. Range to 16 feet. Fundamentally sound, doesn’t get rattled.

Palo Alto.
Anthony L. 5’11’’, 160 lbs. Improving inside presence. Range to 15 feet, but operates mostly in the paint. Competitive nature.
Will C. 5’7’’, 145 lbs. Jumpshooter. Can catch and shoot and score off his own dribble. 3-point range.
Alvin W. 5’8’’, 170 lbs. Funky jumpshot that drops surprisingly often. Post banger. Hustle player. Hard dribbler to initiate offense and run fast breaks. Known to offend some folks with his hard-nosed play.
Arthur L. 5’8’’, 150 lbs. Slasher. Drives and shoots off a jump-stop. Attacks the basket with reckless abandon.

Los Angeles.
John H. 5’11’’, 160 lbs. Slasher. Range to 16 feet. Great fast break finisher. Hustle player. Occasionally takes wild shots due to youthful exuberance.
Brent L. 6’2’’, 230 lbs. Banger. Range to 15 feet. Moves you out with a timely shoulder and then finishes around the basket. Slowed by knee injuries.
Phil L. 6’2’’, 190 lbs. Jumpshooter. Range to 22 feet. A smooth stroke coupled with some post moves and intelligence make him a dangerous player.
Dan L. 5’9’’, 150 lbs. Jumpshooter and playmaker. Range to 20 feet. Fundamentally sound point guard that can score in the paint, on the break, or from the wings.

Most memorable women. To continue the series of women that I will never forget in this lifetime, I will profile Angelia H. The sweetest God-fearing woman that I know. Purity and innocence define her. She once turned over a picture of a Renaissance nude to avert her eyes from the image. She loves the Bible and loves the Lord. Although she cannot study to save her life, her passion for God has led her to many adventures, the most current one as a teacher in Shanghai. She is all about the Kingdom and exudes joy. Too bad she is halfway around the world, otherwise I can bowl with her or just delight in her wisdom.

Christmas. This is the day our Lord came to this earth. Forsaking his throne, the comforts of heaven, Jesus came to assume the form of a baby, the helplessness of a child, the temptations of man, the vicissitudes of life among fickle friends and within a hostile nation. For what? Immanuel. God is with us. His death for my life. My rags in exchange for his robes of righteousness. Eternal life. Communion with God. Inheritance into His family. “That we may have life, and life more abundantly.”