By Jonathan Miller, on Fri Jul 5, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET  So first the good news: I made it to day two of the World Series of Poker’s Little One for One Drop event!
Out of the 4756 players who began the tournament, only 588 of us remain. And the 495 top players will “cash out”: winning at least $1797, with the top prize of $655,000.
And now the bad news: I am in real chip trouble. With only 950 chips remaining, I am probably the shortest stack left in the tournament; and if not, I am pretty close to the bottom. With blinds rising to 300/600 at the next level, I will have to go all-in very quickly, and hope that I either get a good pair of hole cards, or that my bad pair gets lucky on the board. And most likely, even if I prevail that first time, I will have to immediately go back all-in, with the same sort of prayers needed.
I had actually reached 18,000 chips with ten minutes to go before the end of Day 1. Several hours before, I made my first bonehead move of the week — I bluffed all-in against the guy with the nut flush, and was down to 2500. But like last year, I went all in with a Jack/small (last year it was the Jackson Five, this year, it was the Jackson Three — Tito and Jermaine must have been fired from the group). When no Jack appeared on the board, I stood up, thinking I was out, and was told that I had made a straight on the river. And then again, just like last year, I looked down to see a majestic pair of kings in the next hand. I went all-in, and shot up to 8000 chips.
 Damn You Three Jacks! I played great until the very end. I had a pair of jacks, and when the jack of spades appeared on the flop — as well as two other spades — I went all in to keep anyone from chasing a flush. Well, one guy did, and he caught it on the turn.
Damn you Three Jacks!
So I am now left with a tiny stack, and in the need of some incredible luck to survive.
But as they say, that’s poker. And who knows what is in store for me tomorrow? We sit down again at 1:00 PDT (4:00 EDT), and with the need to go all-in pretty quickly, I will know my fate pretty soon. So be sure to follow me on my Facebook Page or, better yet, on Twitter, to check in.
And if the poker gods really are smiling on me tomorrow, check in on this page for summary updates of the tournament and this page for chip counts.
Or if you could care less about me, many of the world’s biggest pros are in the tournament. And so is my math/baseball/politics man crush, Nate Silver. So please join us!
By Julie Rath, on Fri Jul 5, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET
I can’t believe it’s already been three weeks since my trip to Paris. I had a spectacular time wandering the city and checking out all the shops on my list.
When it comes to how the men over there style themselves, I will say this — French men wear scarves like nobody’s business. Even once indoors, the jacket comes off, but the scarf stays on.
It’s clearly an integral part of the outfit. Below are a couple mannequin shots I took outside Eglé Bespoke demonstrating different ways to incorporate a scarf into your look.
dressy
casual
Note in both images how the scarf doesn’t cover up the other detail at the neckline — tie knot or collars. It actually adds visual interest and dimension to the look, making it more sophisticated. Another nice thing about adding neckline detail is that it draws the eye upward making you look taller and flattering your chest. On top of that, the vertical lines created by the downward drape of the scarf are slimming…scarves for the win!
Read the rest of…
Julie Rath: Scenes from Paris
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Jul 4, 2013 at 3:00 PM ET Happy 4th of July.
And some personal reflections on a firecracker of a political race that just transformed from a cheap sparkler barely worth lighting into an expensive battle between a couple of souped up Roman Candles, so to speak, in the fireworks department.
Here’s my unsolicited and completely ignored advice to the two major candidates for Kentucky’s US Senate seat.
To challenger and current Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes:
You are getting an overflowing of detailed advice from every corner of the state and nation.
My advice to you would be to ignore all the advice you are receiving and trust your instincts. Your instincts have served you well to date and I think you should play to your strengths. When in doubt, dig down and go with your gut.
I don’t mean you should blithely and arrogantly ignore the advice and commentary about the race and your campaign. Listen. But don’t be transfixed by it and certainly don’t be transformed by other’s opinions of what they say you should say and do.
Alison, you should embrace that you are the endearing and energetic youthful candidate who is very bright and knowledgeable— but also unpredictable. It’s not your youth or political party or campaign style that distinguishes you most for Senator McConnell. It’s the fact that Sen McConnell is the most prepared, disciplined, and predictable politician on the political scene today. And Alison Lundergan Grimes is just the opposite—and will daily be a stark contrast on a visceral level to Kentucky voters of both the benefits and shortcomings of being the kind of ultra-methodical political personality Senator McConnell is.
Watching Mitch’s campaign will be like sitting through a long strategic low scoring baseball game controlled by good pitching.
Watching Alison’s campaign will be like watching a pick-up street basketball game, by comparison. You are drawn to watch the street basketball game not because you admire a well coached , managed and disciplined team strategy but rather you watch because of the chance that something amazing may happen….even if unintended. You feel young again and want more passion and conviction that you can believe in from your US Senator. Or at least you think you do.
As for Senator McConnell, on the other hand, I would suggest running a disciplined tight ship and not taking a day or even several hours for granted. Be light and funny not exasperated and bored with your younger opponent. You must show respect and you must show manners reflective of the sexes in the South. Real Men, as it were, needn’t go for the jugular and would be better off going for the funny bone. You can still be tough on Alison but not viciously or gratuitously. Southern gentlemen and ladies will be watching. Humor will serve you better than detailed side-by-side hard hitting comparisons.
Sen McConnell, you have to adeptly balance the perception of not taking Secretary Grimes seriously enough while simultaneously being careful not being viewed as taking her too seriously. You want to be confident but not cocky. Constructive but not reactive. Like you are going through a necessary exercise you cheerfully have agreed to that requires concentration– but not perspiration.
 Be the well oiled, disciplined and well-managed machine you know best how to be—and chip away methodically and relentlessly. Try to engage more and show your personality but only if natural and genuine. Don’t ever appear to be trying to out-Alison, Alison. Make her play your game on your playing field in your way without letting her be aware there are other options available to her.
Senator, unlike Alison, I would recommend taking my advice. But I realize that you are probably already 4 or 5 steps ahead of needing or wanting advice from a constituent from the other party explaining his suggestions to your US Senate campaign, which you’ve won now 5 times in a row. But approaching your campaign in the way I’ve described is playing to your strengths and you should, I believe, repeat the approaches from past campaign successes —but never count out your opponent’s intangible qualities or unpredictable style.
As a candidate, Alison has more potential than experience; more pluck than planning; and more personal appeal than detailed campaign strategy. Whether Alison is the underdog or not, she will be cheered as the strong and decisive lady who cut through all the political chatter and said “Yes” more as a matter of the heart than the head—- as contrasted with the seasoned and senior US Senator who is best recognized for saying “No” to new ideas with calculated élan and impunity
Sen. McConnell, your greatest strength, in gambling terms, is that you are essentially the House in this political gambit. Over time you may grind out your endearing and energetic opponent but will never be as appealing as she is in the process. The House never is. You play the odds and are a master tactician. But you’ll never be able to completely ground out your opponent. Alison will always be waiting in the wings and never seem to be winded while coming back to bat not with a long term strategy but willingness to swing for the fences time and time again
At the end of this race—returning to our earlier analogy— Team Mitch will be viewed as the solid and reliable master relief pitcher who is trying to close out a win in a game they have been ahead all 9 innings.
But Alison Lundergan Grimes will be walking, working and talking fast, frenetic and furiously just a few feet behind.
To borrow an analogy from another sport popular in Kentucky, boxing, Senator McConnell, if this political match is decided on points, you win. But if it’s decided by knockout, Alison is the likely winner.
This race will be decided largely, in my view, by voter mood during the final few months of the campaign. Voters–come next fall —may be in the mood for a masterful tactician relief pitcher to successfully take the field and close out another win. Or they may be a bit more restless and willing for change. And go with the up-and-comer just called up from the minors but taking the majors by storm. Only time and political, social and economic winds will tell.
The race won’t be about “Hope” or “Staying the course” or a dozen other political cliches. It will likely instead be about something more basic: To stick with what we know (sticking with the status quo) or trying something new (“rolling the dice,” so to speak). And how fitting it is that the race takes place in a state with a deep gambling tradition but today is ambivalent about expanding gaming.
And if both candidates completely and wisely ignore my unsolicited and free advice, we can expect to be witness to one of the smartest and dynamic; substantive and engaging political campaigns in the nation—and one that will be as difficult to predict as it will be reflective of emerging national trends. A bellwether, as they say up North. A doozy as we say down South.
And it will all happen right here in ‘lil ole Kentucky’s race for US Senate. The political race next year with something–in style and substance and symbolism—for everyone. And profound political meaning for our country.
Pull up a seat. And make sure you’re are registered. The nation is watching.
By Liz Roach, on Thu Jul 4, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET Few pleasures evoke childhood like the sticky sensation of licking popsicle juices off your fingers.
Whether enjoyed while lazing on a shaded veranda or dangling off the back of a speedboat, the frozen treat refreshes and revives the most heat-stricken of souls. Just in time for the Fourth of July, why not create your own with a grown-up twist? Scads of pop-up (no pun intended) shops have emerged in the past couple of summers to create eclectic new flavors, such as tangerine basil from King of Pops in Atlanta or chocolate gelato pops from popbar in New York City.
In honor of the classic pairing of that most American of spirits (bourbon) and ginger, I decided to blend the two for my popsicles.
The key for summer recipes is to stick with those that don’t keep you in the kitchen too long and away from the fun. So in the lazy spirit of the season, I went with a quick, effortless formula.
 The exact measurements will depend on the size and type of popsicle molds you’re using. For my four pop container, I used two tablespoons (one ounce) of bourbon to eight ounces of ginger ale. You’ll want to adjust the servings for your particular mold, but the general proportion should be one part bourbon to eight parts ginger ale. As tempting as it may be, make sure not to overdo the alcohol content or the popsicles won’t freeze as well.
Mix the two ingredients together in a small bowl, and perhaps add a sprinkle of water to taste. (This also depends on the spiciness of your ginger ale. If you have access to a quality regional ginger ale such as Kentucky’s Ale 8 One or South Carolina’s Blenheim Ginger Ale, put it to good use.) Pour your mixture into the popsicle tray and freeze.
After a few hours in the icebox, the pops will be ready to serve at your next barbeque or porch party. So kick back, cool down, and don’t let any of those juices go to waste!
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EDITOR’S NOTE: In the initial version of this story, due to an editor’s mistake, we used mistakenly a picture taken by Sarah Stewart Holland, whose bourbon popsicle recipe has been cited by several online sites. The author of this piece was unaware of this mistake or the Holland article.
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Jul 4, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET
Initial Reaction to Blue Lights Behind You (Phases over our lifetime):
16-35 : Panic because you immediately think of three things from your past that you could be pulled over for.
36-50: Irritation because you can think of four things it could be for and you don’t have time to get ticketed for any of them.
 51-69: Indifference because you know you probably did something wrong (you just don’t know what) and ypu don’t have anything to do until Wednesday’s dentist appointment appointment anyway.
70 and up: A sense of enchantment at the pretty blue whirling lights and a feeling of affirmation that you still matter– and hope that the officer is someone’s son or daughter you know and will feel like talking for a while.
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Jul 4, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET  The troublemaker It’s all Julie Rath‘s fault.
As you may have read yesterday, our otherwise amazing men’s fashion expert took me to task for dressing like a “dork” at previous World Series of Poker events. Her words:
I don’t mean to be harsh, but the words that come to mind are Fashion Train Wreck.
Jonathan, I suspect your reasoning was to dress like an amateur so the pros would think you were easy prey, but did you also want them (and everyone watching on TV) to think you were a dork? Now of course I know you are NOT a dork, but please make a note for future reference, wearing sports jerseys in general, much less on multiple days in a row, is not a good look.
So let’s put the past behind us. This year, I urge you to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and when to step away from the sports jerseys. Try a Hawaiian shirt instead. It has a lower dork-factor but still sends the message that you’re a casual player.
 So I listened. And I found a beautiful Hawaiian shirt in my casino’s galleria, and sent Julie a photo for approval. And I entered “The Little One for One Drop No-Limit Hold’em, the second largest competition of the World Series, behind the Main Event of course.
(This is really a special event. 10% of all proceeds are sent to One Drop—a non-profit organization established in 2007 by Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil. One Drop strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever by developing integrated water-access and management projects around the world. In the U.S., One Drop is a public charity that undertakes innovative activities in which water plays a central role as a creative force to generate positive, sustainable change worldwide.)
And I played really great. 30 minutes into the event, I ran into some horrible luck. I flopped a set of 9s; and there was an Ace on the board, meaning that I probably could extract a lot of money from an unsuspecting opponent with a good hand, like an Ace/King or an Ace/Queen. However, when I went all in, I was called by a set of 10s. Oops. My chip count went down to a pitiful 800 or so.
But I didn’t lose my composure. Over the next 8 hours, I slowly and methodically built up my stack, employing some ridiculous bluffs when I had good reads on my opponents, and eight hours later, I had a decent sized stack, around 8000 chips.
I was dealt an Ace/King, and when the first four cards were turned up, I had an ace high flush. Sirens! I went all in and was called by someone with a Queen high flush. Only one card could beat me — if a 9 of diamonds appeared on the river (final card) — my opponent would defy all odds and defeat me with the best hand of all, a straight flush. (He had roughly a one in 30 chance.)
And guess what? Straight flush. I was busted.
 My lucky outfit The good news, is that the One Drop tournament offers a second chance — a mulligan, in golf terms. I will rebuy in a few hours and start from scratch. And the One Drop charity gets a little more of my money.
Of course, I blame the bad luck entirely on Julie. So I will return to being a dork, and wear my luck Cincinnati Reds Joe Morgan jersey, with No Labels ball cap, the same outfit that I wore on my luckiest Day 2 from last year.
I’m also headed to the gym, to take on my third day of weight training under the long distance training of the world’s great poker physical fitness expert, Josh Bowen.
Check it out below, and I will keep you updated regularly as always on my progress at my Facebook Page and on Twitter.
By Josh Bowen, on Thu Jul 4, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET First things first, I am not an endocrinologist (only play one on TV J) and I am not a registered dietician. I like to think of myself as a problem solver, a MacGyver of sorts. Because in all reality that’s what we do as trainers, we solve problems with the knowledge base that we have, no matter how unconventional it is. With that said, there are a lot of theories out about people lose and gain weight. With the rise of obesity at an unparalleled high, people are trying to get healthy and lose body fat in record droves.
From Atkins diets to the Zone diet, to the weird tropical fruit diet and my favorite the carrot stick and apple diet (holy cow!), people are trying to find the quickest way to lose weight. The fact is there is no easy way, if it were easy the obesity rates would not be where they are now. We would not be spending billions of dollars on medications that control weight related diseases. This is not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination. However when I look at weight loss books and these fad diets, I rarely see anything about a person’s hormones. When in fact it is your hormones that decide where and how much fat you store. That’s a fact. Throw the calories in vs calories out out the window, your hormones are in the driver’s seat. Lets take a look at them:
Fat Burning Hormones- hormones that when present in your body, will help you burn body fat
Growth Hormone-released from the pituitary gland (brain), it travels down through and works in the liver. It has anabolic (building muscle) and lypolytic (losing fat) properties. A key function is building up collagen and cartilage. Without it your muscles fall apart. Stimulated by protein and intense exercise (not light exercise)
Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)- made by the liver and triggered by growth hormone. Function is to give the body fuel between meals and does it through releasing stored sugar and fat. Stimulated when the stomach is empty.
Glucagon-raises blood sugar by tapping into the fat reserves. Helps control blood sugar between meals and is stimulated by dietary protein and intense exercise
Adrenaline- main hormone that releases fat from fat cells. Triggered by exercise.
Thyroid Hormones (T3 and T4)- speed up the metabolism, increase the size and number of mitochondria
Testosterone- stimulated by exercise and countered by estrogen.
Read the rest of…
Josh Bowen: Hormone Sabotage
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 12:05 PM ET If you haven’t yet subscribed to The RP’s KY Political Brief – prepared every weekday morning by wunderkind Bradford Queen with links to all of the day’s Kentucky political news — now is the time. Click here to subscribe FOR FREE!
With Alison Lundergan Grimes’ announcement just a few days old, it seems like every news organization in the country is covering her challenge of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
From this morning’s KY Political Brief:
| AND THEY’RE OFF – “McConnell vs. Grimes: Let’s get ready to rumble,” CNN: “It’s game on in Kentucky, in what could end up being the most expensive and nasty 2014 Senate race in the country. One day after Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, who many in the Democratic party consider their best hope to unseat Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in next year’s midterm elections, announced that she’ll challenge the longtime GOP senator, and the emails from both sides are flying. … It’s part of a strategy by national Republicans and the McConnell campaign to tie Grimes to President Barack Obama, who lost Kentucky by 23 percentage points in last November’s election. … The Democrats strategy is just as clear as their Republican counterparts. They want to make this contest all about Mitch McConnell and his three decades in the nation’s capital.” [CNN]BEHIND THE SCENES – “‘Unorthodox’ and sometimes ‘surreal’ meeting prompted Grimes to reveal, and possibly to make, decision to run” by CN|2’s Ryan Alessi: “Even Alison Lundergan Grimes didn’t know what she would announce to the world late Monday afternoon when she arrived at the building she used as the headquarters for her campaign in 2011. Or, at least, she didn’t let on to the more than 100 supporters she called there that she had made a decision about running for the U.S. Senate until the very end of the meeting. Interviews with more than a half-dozen people who attended the meeting — several of whom asked not to be quoted — yielded descriptions of Grimes’ approach to the announcement as “unorthodox,” “unprecedented,” “fascinating” and, at times, “surreal.” Instead of telling supporters whether she was running for Senate, Grimes opened it up for them to tell her what they thought. After the first several people spoke, Grimes began calling on others by name to give their takes. After nearly an hour, a consensus emerged: she should run for the party’s nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. …”Grimes opened the meeting up by thanking her supporters for traveling from urban areas and more rural areas of western and eastern Kentucky. Without tipping her hand about which way she was leaning, she told the group she wanted to hear from them. … It was [State Sen. Julian] Carroll who got the meeting going with a fire-and-brimstone speech urging Grimes to carry the party’s mantle against McConnell. … Carroll, who has spent much of the last 50 years in state government, told the group that McConnell can be beaten – that he has lost touch with voters and the priorities of Kentucky and that he has been an obstructionist. He told Grimes that she has the smarts, personality and network to beat him.” [CN|2 Politics]
THE VIDEOS – “Mitch McConnell attacks Alison Lundergan Grimes with Auto-Tune,” WaPo: “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has responded quickly to his new Democratic opponent — with Auto-Tune. Over an autotuned beat, a new Web video from the senator’s campaign rhymes “Alison Lundergan Grimes” to various lines of attack — “Not Ready for Prime Time,” “Sticks to Party Line,” “Left Wing Mime.”” [WaPo] … SEE the auto-tune video [YouTube]
—In the McConnell campaign’s second video release of yesterday, it criticized Grimes’ announcement for being quickly arranged. “Checklist” was released on YouTube last evening.WATCH [YouTube]
ABOUT THAT ANNOUNCEMENT – “Alison Lundergan Grimes’s underwhelming launch — and what it means,” WaPo: “Alison Lundergan Grimes is taking on perhaps the most fearsome Republican campaign operation in politics: the team of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. That daunting task is what makes her formal announcement on Monday all the more puzzling. To wit: * At her press conference, Grimes was flanked by a banner for her 2011 secretary of state campaign rather than a new banner for her Senate campaign. … * Grimes’s announcement was not promoted on her Twitter account, her Facebook page or really by anyone other than her top adviser, who told the Associated Press about the 3 p.m. announcement on Monday morning. … * As of Tuesday afternoon, Grimes still had no campaign Web site, though GrimesforSenate.com and AlisonforSenate.com appear to have been snapped up by someone. That means that anybody who was excited by her launch and wants to contribute money to her campaign has no outlet to do so. …* Grimes showed up more than half an hour late for her press conference, after gathering with advisers and supporters to inform them of her decision.” [WaPo]
—“Grimes’ supporters pleased she is running but dread the attack ads” by CNHI’s Ronnie Ellis: “It wasn’t the smoothest of political announcements, although it would be hard to match for suspense. When Alison Lundergan Grimes, the 34-year-old Democratic first-term Secretary of State, entered the downstairs of the building on Democrat Drive here Monday, there was no guarantee she would tell supporters she was running for the U.S. Senate against Kentucky’s most powerful Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell. Even after the meeting began, most of the approximately 100 people in the room remained in suspense. Grimes didn’t tell them she was running – she instead asked them what they thought. …
“Reporters and television cameras were already camped out in a sweltering room upstairs, waiting for the promised 3 p.m. announcement when they heard a burst of cheers from downstairs, which most took as an indication Grimes had told supporters she would run. They grew impatient as 3 p.m. came and went. They heard another cheer from downstairs and several Grimes supporters began filing into the room with smiles on their faces. … Meanwhile, Grimes was apparently on the telephone, telling her mother and others of her decision. Upstairs, one of her advisors, Jonathan Hurst, stepped to the microphone and told the reporters she’d be coming to the podium shortly. By the time Grimes appeared, it was 30 minutes past the announced 3 p.m. time for the announcement. She stood before a Secretary of State banner because “that’s all we had,” according to one of her staff.” [CNHI]
—“An Awkward Start to McConnell-Grimes Race,” WSJ: “Senate campaigns aren’t decided 16 months before Election Day, but the race in Kentucky between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes has gotten off to a decidedly bizarre start. First, Ms. Grimes announced her candidacy in a hastily planned, poorly organized press conference in which the backdrop advertised her current post (Kentucky’s secretary of state) rather than the one she is seeking (U.S. senator). Befuddled reporters quickly panned her initial foray into national politics. The Grimes campaign drew another round of taunts for unveiling a campaign website that is so barebones it looks like a relic of the early Internet era. The website and the hastily arranged news conference fed the impression that the 34-year-old might not be ready for an expensive, hard-fought tussle with Mr. McConnell. Then, Tuesday afternoon, the McConnell campaign sought to seize on the bad buzz by trotting out its own catchy but somewhat nonsensical web ad mocking his newly declared Democratic opponent as a self-centered proxy for Washington liberals who is “not ready for prime time.” It ended with a disclosure that misspelled Mr. McConnell’s surname.” [WSJ]
ASHLEY JUDD jumps in to support Grimes’ bid, tweeting yesterday: “Even in thick woods outstanding news filters through. Thrilled for the people of KY & ready to fight beside @AlisonForKY @KySecofState”
DAYS UNTIL : Fancy Farm2013: 31 … Next fundraising deadline: 89 … Primary Election filing deadline: 209 … Fancy Farm 2014: 395 … Ky. 2014 Primary Election day: 321 … 2014 General Election day: 489
TEA PARTY TALK : “National tea party group urges Senator Mitch McConnell to consider retirement” by C-J’s Joe Gerth: “The head of a national political action committee with tea party leanings is urging Sen. Mitch McConnell to consider retirement from the U.S. Senate rather than face losing to Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes. … “Mitch McConnell is now the least electable Republican senator running for reelection in 2014,” Matt Hoskins, the executive director of the Senate Conservatives Fund, told the Washington Post on Tuesday. “He could lose this race and cost Republicans the majority. He needs to consider whether it might be time to hang it up.” … In an interview with The Courier-Journal, Hoskins said he’s concerned that McConnell will lose moderate Democrats and independents who have helped elect him in the past. …
“The Senate Conservatives Fund is a super PAC that was created by former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, who was an early leader of the tea party movement. He quit the senate earlier this year to become president of the Heritage Foundation and is no longer associated with the PAC. The group has never been in step with McConnell or the Republican establishment from where he comes. In 2010, the group, at DeMint’s direction, endorsed Rand Paul for the Senate while McConnell was backing then Secretary of State Trey Grayson.” [C-J]
MORE ANALYSIS – Jonathan Miller for HuffPost, “How Alison Lundergan Grimes Can Defeat Mitch McConnell”: “… Alison Lundergan Grimes can beat Mitch McConnell. But like most congressional campaigns, which often can be decided by the national political winds, Grimes’ success will be determined by several factors over which she will be able to exercise very little oversight. Here are a few that might make the difference between a Grimes victory and a McConnell sixth term … Barack Obama … The McConnell team has not merely hinted that it will be doing everything in its power to tie Alison Grimes to the president, who is quite unpopular in this deeply red state; it has whack-a-moled the theme in all of its early political advertisements. … Independent Political Organization Spending … While editorial pages and good government activists have pilloried the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United that provided corporations with the same political speech rights as individuals, there’s been no more prominent and passionate advocate for unrestricted (and undisclosed) campaign spending than Mitch McConnell.” [HuffPost]
—“Grimes faces tough odds in bid to unseat McConnell” by H-L’s Beth Musgrave: “Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes faces tough odds in her campaign to unseat U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, but the race remains competitive, political pundits said Tuesday. Grimes’ biggest problem: She must carry the political ball-and-chain that is President Barack Obama as she runs against a five-term incumbent who already has more than $8 million in his campaign war chest. In 2012, Obama collected just under 40 percent of the vote in Kentucky, winning only four counties. Voters in Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District also booted Democrat Ben Chandler out of office, leaving Louisville’s John Yarmuth as the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation. … “That’s a huge problem for Grimes,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Report, a nonpartisan political newsletter that handicaps political races. “Mitch is not widely popular. But the bigger problem for Grimes is she is a Democrat in a federal race in a Republican-leaning state.”” [H-L]
—“Kentucky U.S. Senate Race Pits Grimes Inexperience Against McConnell Unpopularity” by WFPL’s Phillip Bailey: “The entrance of Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in the race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Mitch McConnell makes the Kentucky contest one of the most closely watched in the country. And the early jabs appear to put up Grimes’s relative inexperience against McConnell’s wide unpopularity. After meeting with supporters, Grimes announced this week she intends to seek the party’s nomination to run against the GOP leader next year. Immediately, the McConnell campaign and GOP groups mocked Grimes’s rollout as a sign the first-term secretary of state isn’t prepared to run at the national level. The amount of attention spent on poking fun at Grimes could be further evidence this race will be the nastiest in 2014. But the Grimes team argues a full campaign rollout will be active by the end of July, and the criticisms are a petty distraction.” [WFPL] |
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By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET Travel tips for visiting NYC.
If you are meeting three male friends who are highly educated and they ask you to meet at MOMA at 5:30pm, you may have troubles if you assume too much.
I assumed that since it was 5:30 they wanted to eat dinner, albeit a bit early.
I further assumed, rather excitedly, that my friends had suggested an Italian restaurant. Pronounced MO-MA. Like Italian, I assumed, for MAMA.
I imagined big homemade meatballs from an Italian family recipe.
Then there is the problem of asking cab drivers to take you, please, to “Moma’s restaurant.” The first taxi driver pulled away without letting me in. I assumed he thought it was only a few blocks away and wanted a bigger fare.
Finally, when my exasperated taxi driver gave up on finding a Moma’s restaurant, he dropped me off at The 21 Club. I asked the kind doorman if there was a “Moma’s restaurant” nearby and apologized for not going to 21 Club. He politely told me one block over. Finally!!
And there I saw my three friends…although running a little late and by this time quite hungry. We were outside MOMA’s–which seemed to be more than just a restaurant (in fact it was big and long and seemed to include works of art as well). “Nice!” I thought to myself.
I asked someone working beside the entrance where the restaurant was. He laughed and said, “Restaurant?! This is the Museum of Modern Art! There’s no restaurant!!” And laughed again.
I alerted my friends they had mistakenly chosen an art museum that lacked a restaurant.
The friend who suggested MOMA’s said, “Oh, I’m not hungry.”
And it was about this time that I put two and two—really more like one and one–together.
We weren’t going to an Italian restaurant with homemade meatballs like I told my wife. We were going to the Museum of Modern Art. Which didn’t even have a concession stand.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Jul 3, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET  Photo courtesy of Thom Karmik One of the most critical bits of advice shared with me by my friend and nationally-celebrated mental performance coach Jim Fannin, was to never dwell on the past, keep my mind focused on the present, and when a setback occurs, say “Next!” and move onto the next challenge.
As a writer, I have to break the rule a little bit. After a nearly 13 hour ride in the $1000 no limit Texas hold-em tournament in the 2013 World Series of Poker — the same event last year in which I made the final table and won nearly $70,000 — I busted out when my Ace King suited (a very good hand) was beat by a pair of Jacks (a slightly better hand. I finished in the top 400 out of the nearly 3000 entrants — not too shabby, but far short of my goal of winning the championship bracelet.
I’m proud of how I played, and I don’t have any regrets. The trouble is that when you play the conservative “tight/aggressive” style I employ, you need to occasionally get dealt some good opening hands. And unlike last year, when a top hand appeared in my grasps when I really needed it, this year, in the 13 hours of play, I never was dealt any of the best 3 hands — Aces, Kings or Queens.
 So it is time to say “Next!” and prepare for the next challenge. That one starts at Noon PDT today (3:00 PM EDT), “The Little One for One Drop No-Limit Hold’em.” This will be the second largest competition of the World Series (behind the Main Event of course), and 10% of all proceeds are sent to One Drop—a non-profit organization established in 2007 by Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil. One Drop strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever by developing integrated water-access and management projects around the world. In the U.S., One Drop is a public charity that undertakes innovative activities in which water plays a central role as a creative force to generate positive, sustainable change worldwide.
I’m headed to the gym, to take on my second day of weight training under the long distance training of the world’s great poker physical fitness expert, Josh Bowen. Check it out below, and I will keep you updated regularly as always on my progress at my Facebook Page and on Twitter.
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The Recovering Politician Bookstore
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So first the good news: I made it to day two of the World Series of Poker’s Little One for One Drop event!
