I know, I know. Sorry. I didn't know it was gonna take so long to get this up (everyone all together: "that's what HE said!"). It seems my teachers and my boss haven't gotten the memo that I need some free time to get my creative juices flowing and work on my blog. After all, don't they know I have readers? But don't fret, fair reader for despite the time at which I currently posting, I'l do my best to give you your typical Monday morning fix on time, as scheduled. If you think about it, all you're doing is cutting down on the time you have to wait between posts. Less refractory time. Nice.

Anyway, I just got back from work and then seeing 21, the movie about the MIT students who count cards in Las Vegas under the tutelage of Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey). The film is based on the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, which details the true accounts of Jeff Ma, Mike Aponte and other MIT students, collectively known as the MIT Blackjack Team, many of whom walked away with millions at the end of the team's run. And while the movie took some liberties with the film (like the fact that in reality, most of the team was Asian...which makes sense) the main aspects of the story were kept intact. These kids were brilliant and they cashed in on it. Literally. Partying with the rich and famous, playing for high stakes, living double lives, and then going to class on Monday (I, too, live a double life: poor college student by day, poor student manager at the Maryland Golf Course by night).

This story is a swift kick in the nuts to every wise-ass (me) who ever raised his hand in math class and said "When am I ever going to need this? I'm just gonna buy a calculator!" If my 7th grade teacher had responded that it would come in handy if I ever decided to take down Vegas casinos for millions, I would have studied a hell of of a lot harder. Instead I got a B. Thanks for nothing Ms. Beal. Then again, I'm not that good at math. I wasn't born with the raw talent (and by "with the raw talent" I mean "Korean"). Plus, I have my suspicions that just being good at math isn't going to make someone as cool as the movies protagonist Ben Campbell (based on Ma). The guy goes from being an $8/hr earning math nerd who rarely speaks to girls to earning 200k/night & nailing Kate Bosworth (his way too hot to be that smart "teammate") up against a floor to ceiling window overlooking the Las Vegas strip. C'mon. That's movie magic, not the power of math.

Leaving the movie theater though, I already knew how I was going to spend the next hour of my day upon returning home. Flipping cards one at a time at my desk trying to keep count. Why? Because that's what guys always do after we see a movie where the characters do something sweet that we wish we could do in real life. We either quote it, or try to do it ourselves. Take for instance, the first time I saw the Matrix. I almost went cross-eyed staring at a spoon for 3 hours trying to bend it with my mind, all the while telling myself "there is no spoon." Or the time I saw Blade and seriously considered taking a year off before college to hunt vampires (you know, for the life experience). It's just something guys do.

After 10 minutes of counting cards I'm certain the count is at +9. Unfortunately for me, I am equally certain the count is +7...and +11. Shit.

-Adam