Thanks to Wil Wheaton for turning me toward Ficlets, a really fun place to play. Ficlets is a website that indugles in "collaborative short fiction." The brains behind the mayhem is John Scalzi.

The idea is this: you write a short fiction and post it to the site. Then others can read your work, comment on it, or if they choose, they can write a "prequal" or a "sequal" to your story. All kinds of various story lines can then develop as people add to your work.

Did I mention your story had to be short? You only get 1,024 characters.

On the site you can write prequels and sequels to stories from other writers, or just comment on their work. It's a lot of fun, actually.

I submitted my first "ficlet" tonight. Here's a glimpse of my first story:

"I trailed him to a bookstore in Tucson. He was wearing a sweater vest made of wool for some reason. He sat there looking like a statue, a cane resting between his legs like a third appendage hanging below his waist. He was reading a Time Magazine, the issue about the new iPod that Apple just released.

I did not care because I was sent to track him down and kill him."

To read the whole story, go here.

Tucson Casino Poker Rooms: There's Only Two

I've been in Tucson for a couple of weeks now and I'm beginning to settle in. My "headquarters" is the Casino del Sol, owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui tribe. The poker room at the del Sol is well run, has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and many of the regulars consider it a second home. With about 14 tables, it's large enough to host tournaments and the usual run of cash games.

On day one I noticed there were no "no-limit" games. Why? Apparently, the Arizona Department of Gaming has placed a $150 cap on any bet, thus no-limit games are impossible. However, the del Sol does run a popular 2-20 split game that is essentially a "no-limit" type of game with a $20 cap. The blinds are $1 and $2, and you can bet up to $20 at any time on any betting round. They also have a $2/$4 limit game that is popular, plus $3/$6 limit. One group of "high rollers" usually meets on Tuesday nights for a $75/$150 limit game that attracts a few onlookers. It's as close as the del Sol gets to a high-stakes game.

In 1964, with the aid of Congressman Morris K. Udall, the Pascua Yaquis received 202 acres of desert land where Indian identity and sovereignty can be asserted and maintained. On September 18, 1978, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona became federally recognized: the Pascua Pueblo Pueblo of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation officially came "into being".

The Pascua Yaquis have a status similar to other Indian tribes of the United States. This status makes the Yaqui eligible for specific services that the United States offers Native American peoples who have suffered land loss.

The other casino poker room in Tucson is at the Desert Diamond Casino. The Desert Diamond is run by the Tohono O'odham Nation. I've not visited their facilities yet, but hope to get by there this week.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona casinos are having a record year in earnings. The revenue that tribes contribute to the state went up almost 5% in the third quarter. In fiscal 2007 that ended in June, gross revenue from all tribal casinos in the state totaled $1.9 billion, with $92 million going to the state of Arizona. Wow! That's a lot of old ladies and retirees playing nickel slots.

Although no official revenues are released from individual casinos, information from local agencies and governments have estimated that the Tohono O'odham casinos raked in an estimated $196 million in fiscal 2007. The estimated gross revenue of the Pascua Yaqui last year is $104 million.

"A Mountain" and the Tucson Visitors Center

The locals call it "A Mountain" and when you see it you know the reason. It has huge letter "A", the logo of the University of Arizona, embedded on it so large that you can see it from throughout the city.

Actually, the small mountain (large hill?) is a volcanic mound thousands of years old that is in the heart of the city's west side. It's referred to by historians as the place the city of Tucson was founded.

I drove to the top of Sentinel Peak, it's real name, and looked at the gorgeous panoramic views from on high. I had a 360-degree view of the Tucson area from high above the city. The drive up was a little scary, with only a narrow two-lane road leading the way.

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I took these photos from the top of Sentinel Peak.

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The Tucson Visitors Center

In downtown, the Visitors Center is a funky looking place located off a shady park area in the heart of the city. I was happy to see "Visitors Center" signs posted from the highway showing me the way.

This is Mickie (right) and friend, volunteers at the Visitors Center. Mickie was helpful in pointing out local attractions and gave me some Halloween candy (candy corn). She took a map of the city, and armed with a highlighter, marked it up with all kinds of suggestions for me as a newcomer. I took her picture and told her I was going to post it on my blog. "We're going to be famous," she said.

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Much is being written locally about the revitalization plans for downtown Tucson. The downtown area is nothing to brag about, yet. They hope to bring life back to it through residential development, an entertainment and retail district, plus improving their art and museum sites. So far, according to local papers, the business community has failed to get on board with the city to make things happen. Like many cities around the country, the major growth of the city is occurring in the surrounding suburbs and developers have abandoned the downtown area.

Canyon Street Art Galleries, Santa Fe

Canyon Street is the center of the art district near downtown Santa Fe. The narrow street is home to numerous art galleries. Parking on the street is limited, so arrive early or be prepared to walk.

Shidoni Gallery, Teseque

Teseque is a small indian pueblo north of Santa Fe. I visited the Shidoni Gallery located there the first day I was in the area. The Shidoni has a foundry, artist studio, gallery, and two sculpture gardens with large bronzes and iron sculptures.

Slideshow of Santa Fe Trip

Before leaving the ABQ area I took an overnight trip to Santa Fe. These photos were taken during the trip.

Slideshow of Scenic Beauty from ABQ to Silver City

Here are a few photos I took while traveling to Tucson from ABQ. I took the scenic route, traveling seven hours on New Mexico's state highway system. I spent the night in Silver City, then drove on to Tucson.

(Hint: move your mouse over the picture to activate the control for pausing, forwarding, and reversing the slides.)

How about them Cowboys? Beating the Philadelphia Eagles is always a pleasure. Now the Pokes are in position to wrap up the NFC East if they'll take care of the Giants. Tony Romo's new contract for $67 million appears to be a good investment. He's playing really well.

I watched the game at a sports bar near the Parks Place Mall, east of downtown Tucson. The place is appropriately called "Touchdown Restaurant and Bar." I first ate lunch, however, at Marie Callender's Brunch buffet located next door. After lunch I made it to the Border's Bookstore at the mall to do some work prior to the game. I made it to Touchdowns Bar in the middle of the Patriots/Colts game. It appears the Patriots are heading for the Super Bowl to play against the Cowboys!

I was updating my monthly tracking sheets last night and I'm still trying to get a handle on my game: am I getting better or worse? Part of the fun for me is tracking my sessions. I log the time, place, wins, losses, winning rate per hour, etc. on a spreadsheet.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is a legitimate way to track my progress as a player in this game. The amount of money I win and add to my bankroll is not a very accurate judge of my skill. One lucky tournament, one big cash payoff, and my numbers are all skewed. If I track my cash game wins only, this too can be deceiving in the short term. I suppose if I can look back over a five year period and show that I've made money each of those years, that would be an indication I am playing well. But even the best of professionals have off years. Does having an "off year" mean I am less skillful, less of a player?

If earnings are not an accurate guage, then what is? The best I can come up with is an hourly win rate. At least if I track my win rate per hour over time it will be analogous to having a regular paying job. For example, if I can check my win rate per hour during a month and see how it compares to a regular job's salary, then maybe I can judge how I'm doing as a player. If I'm losing money each hour, then what I have is a hobby. I'm being entertained, but it's costing me money. If I begin to make money each hour consistently over time, however, then my hobby is beginning to pay off and it may become a source of regular income.

Is earning a regular income from playing poker a sign of my skill? I suppose it is, especially if I can show I've earned money consistently over a long period of time. And the key phrase here is "over a long period of time." It's not particularly relevant to track my win rate per hour for a month and convince myself I am making money. More than likely, the next month I will lose money. It seems to me a year's time is the minimum requirement. I need to track my hourly win rate for a solid year, then see where I am.

Another idea: log 1,000 hours of playing time, then check my win rate per hour. I heard a professional say that a cash game player needs to put in at least 3,000 hours of play before they can judge their skill level. That seems reasonable. Poker is a game, a gamble, with edges and variances that play themselves out over time. Thousands of hours need to be tracked before these variances begin to reveal themselves. This is one reason online players develop their skill far quicker than live game players. An online player will play many more hands per hour, and will also play more hours per day, than live game players. Online poker is live poker on steroids.

So, I guess what I'm suggesting is that:

1. I consider the long term, not the short term, when I'm tracking my progress as a player,
2. I track my win rate per hour, over time, and look for signs of improvement
3. I set a goal to play 1,000 hours at the felt before I assess my skill level and try to determine how well I'm doing.

So far this year, with two months remaining, I've played 510 hours. I suppose this is why I'm a little frustrated in defining my skill level as a player: I've just not played enough to determine where I am as a player.

By the Time I Get to Tucson

For the winter I think I'll live in Tucson. Why not? My only goal for the Winter of 2007 is to skip it. I want to stay warm. Tucson almost never gets cold, so I'm here to stay for a while.


I left Texas in a funk back in August and have not looked back. I spent 74 wonderful days in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area of north central New Mexico, but when the night time temps began to fall into the sub-comfortable range I decided to head south.


My blog "1100 Miles to Vegas" has daily (or almost daily) updates of my trip across the Southwest.


While in Santa Fe I attended the Filmmakers Intensive open house at the College of Santa Fe. It's a new program for anyone interested in the film business, offering three tracks of study in screenwriting, directing, and producing. I'm looking at 2009 as a possible time frame to apply for the screenwriting track. Students spend nine months to a year learning from professional filmmakers on the College of Santa Fe campus.


The College of Santa Fe is evidently the only college in America that has a professional film studio attached to its campus, providing film students the opportunity to observe films being produced and shot in the Santa Fe area. Internships on various productions are possible as well.


The film industry in New Mexico has exploded, with numerous films and TV shows being filmed all around the state. New Mexico began in 2001 providing financial incentives to lure Hollywood film producers, and it's working.


Among the films being shot in New Mexico recently is Kevin Costner's Swing Vote. A new professional studio in Albuquerque, plus one being planned for Santa Fe, will see plenty of Hollywood business in the future. Russell Crowe's 3:10 to Yuma was filmed in New Mexico last year and the new Indiana Jones movie is coming to the state next year. In October, there were 19 movies being filmed around the state, and numerous commitments being made for 2008 and beyond.