What a Slacker.
I am officially a slacker. I have been out of touch with family, friends, blog, and world. I have no excuse, I only ask forgiveness. Very little has changed, other than Christine moving back to NYC with me for the summer and me starting a new job. Google is treating me well, although I am no longer #1 when searching for “Ammon Brown.” The job is good and I am surrounded by great people. The office is awesome, we have a balcony that we can eat lunch on. I have been adjusting to a new schedule and am just now starting to feel that I am back on track for the full work day. Beyond a few weekend trips I really have no plans this summer. Kind of sad, but it is difficult to take time off from a new job. Pathetic update, but that’s all you get.
Yearly Archives: 2004
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/05/new-gig-sincerest-apologies-to-all-of/
New Gig Sincerest apologies to all of my fans for my dereliction in blogging duties. I have been doing very little in the last month, so I have no excuse for not updating this thing. On the other hand, I have been doing very little in the last month so I have had no reason to update this thing. Now I have some news. I started a new job yesterday. I am now working with Google (as if I needed to link it). I will be working in their ad sales department. So far it has been a few days of training and learning about the company. Nothing too exciting yet. The company is very impressive, both in its structure and in its people. I think I will like it here a lot, as the work environment is very conducive to making happy little googlers. It is a daunting change of pace to suddenly be the new guy, but I am adjusting. More to come later. Please do not ask me questions about the company here, I will have to delete your feedback. Needless to say, I am very happy to be here!
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/04/transitions-for-those-of-you-who-dont/
Transitions For those of you who don’t know, I left my job at IndustryBrains a few weeks ago. It was time to move on. I have other opportunities in the works, more to come on that later. Yeah, yeah, it has been three weeks since my last blog. Find a new hobby if you had a void in your life. I have been splitting my time between NYC and Ithaca, and enjoying myself immensely. Living the simple life, sans Paris Hilton. Not a whole lot to report, other than leaving my job. Brief and to the point.
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/04/passing-on-thursday-i-received-call/
Passing On Thursday I received a call that my Grandma Fenstermacher was in the hospital, likely for the last time. I got to Connecticut on Saturday afternoon, enough time to speak to her and hold her hand. She passed away early Sunday morning. I was asleep in an adjacent room when she passed. She had survived cancer three times, survived the great depression, and a number of other trials. She worked full time to support her family after her late husband suffered a stroke. While she was not really my grandmother, I had grown up calling her Grandma. She met my parents when they had a flat tire in front of her house in the late seventies. Her kindness that day led to a lasting friendship that turned into adoption into our family. She looked after me and kept me in line for the first 15 years of my life. She was a great woman, and when she chose to stop fighting against her failing health at the age of 88, we knew it was the right choice. She never made bad choices. She will be missed greatly by our family. We love you, Grandma!
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/04/dark-day-in-blogdom-another-casualty/
A dark Day in Blogdom Another casualty of the internet age… Jared has allowed his blog to slip into the great beyond. Apparently it cut into his making-faces-in-the-mirror time and his sitting time. It is indeed a sad day. I hope to be the conduit through which Juan Castillo can make himself head on the web.
Update: Leave it to me not to check the date before posting about this. There is one born every minute.
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/03/google-on-my-mind-recent-article-in/
Google on my Mind: A recent article in Newsweek about Google has gotten me thinking. It has substantially changed my life. I cannot count how many times someone asked me a question on the phone and I immediately answered their arcane query because I searched Google. I get kudos for being smart, but I store more and more of my knowledge online, accessible through some well placed quotes, hyphens and other boolean artifacts. My site gets lots of referrals from Google, and I know that many sites depend on traffic from them for their very existence. Granted, I could care less if I am well indexed (even though I am #1 and darn proud of it), and in some cases I would rather NOT be available. But these are the risks we take when we blog under our own, rather unique, name. One final point; Anyone who knows me knows that if you ask me to go rollerblading I will slap you silly. Inline skating is fine. A brand is not a verb, and such colloquilaisms dilute the brand to the point that it becomes public domain. Just ask the makers of yo-yos, aspirin, escalators, and cellophane. So you do not “Google” me. There is no googling. You search me or query me. Get it right or patent lawyers shall descend upon you like a pack of hungry vultures. But if you searched me and got here from Google, welcome to my site. I hope you enjoy my banal ramblings. I have a feeling there are a few interested parties who will be “querying” me in the near future.
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/03/i-am-back-at-work-and-have-huge-load/
I am back at work and have a huge load of things to get done, so I will keep this brief. Yes, I went out on the first day. I was probably the 40th out of 270 on the first day due to poor cards and a few poor plays. Here is the view from my seat:
Intimidating, no? I will try to get more posted before too long, but I have a lot of work to do.
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/03/party-poker-this-may-not-make-much/
Party Poker! This may not make much sense to you non-poker folks…
Well, it looks like I will not be coming back a millionaire. Here is how my day went in the Party Poker Million:
First, I was seated at a table with Chris “Jesus” Ferguson directly on my left. I also had Dan Supa(?) in the 10 seat. Dan was at the final table last year if you recall. I lasted until the fourth level, 200/400 limit. I saw exactly 7 pocket pairs:
44: Flopped a set and crushed Dan Supa’s KK.
99: Folded on the flop
99: Folded on the flop
99: Folded on the flop
99: Paid off the nut flush
99: Won on a 10 high board
99: Folded on the flop
I think we have discovered the new “Ammbo!” Just call me “pocket nines.” There were an awful lot of overcards on each flop that I folded.
Other notable hands:
Hand 1: All fold to the SB. I am in the BB with QcJc. SB raises, I call, assuming a blind steal. The flop comes Jack high. He bets, I raise, he reraises. Hmm… I called him down only to see his AJ. This was right before the first break and put me in a bad way.
Hand 2: Second position raises from the other side of Chris Ferguson. He is a wild player who has raised with JT, 55, and a variety of other hands. I am on the BB with Qh9h. I decide to call (UGH!). We check on the flop, the turn is a queen. He bets I raise, he calls. He shows down QsTs. Ugh again.
I am UTG with only enough to post my blinds. Desperation time. I see AK and raise all in. BB calls with Q4 off. I survive my blinds. Next time around the table, I am on the SB with AK and raise all in. MP has QQ and I get no help.
All in all it has been a blast so far. I met (or saw) Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Gus Hansen, Eric Seidel, Men Nguyen, TJ Cloutier, Maureen Fedunaik, Humberto Brenes, and a bunch of other pros. I have made more than $100 in the 4/8 sidegames, too.
This one goes on my resume… I BEAT PHIL HELLMUTH! He was the second person eliminated!
Matthew is playing in the second group, today. Last I saw he is up a little bit, playing tighter than I did in the early rounds.
More to come!
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/03/leaving/
Leaving… On a Jet Plane… Tomorrow morning I am off to seek my fortunes on the high seas. I will be playing in the World Poker Tour’s Party Poker Million III (I hate sites that resize your browser) for my shot at a ton of money. I hope to turn my $25 lark into a $1 million windfall. Wish me luck, and I will be posting updates here from the ship!
https://ammonbrown.com/2004/03/application-well-i-have-oficially/
Application Well, I have oficially submitted my application to the MBA Program at the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University. All I can do now is wait. It is my assumption that I will be Googled by admissions representatives at the Johnson School, and since this site is unavoidable when searching my name on almost any search engine, I welcome you to my personal site. Feel free to browse around and learn more about me. Just bear in mind that this is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect upon my professional capabilities. I guess this is the point at which I should give myself a perfunctory plug: I am a straight-shooter with upper management potential. A born decision maker who exhibits strong leadership qualities in high-pressure situations. Should I mention when I am available for the interview or would that be too assumptive? OK, enough of the shameless self-promotion. I will let my frequent commenters extol my virtues. *ahem* That is your cue, guys!