Paying attention to th.. look! Shiny!

A typical night of online poker has me tucking the kid and wife into bed at around 9:30ish, checking e-mail and stuff for half an hour, and then hopping online and playing for an hour or so.

Last night, though, I hopped on at about 8, cause the kid was done with homework and watching TV and the wife was reading, and I was mildly surprised that the 25¢/50¢ tables were full. I hopped on a waiting list, and was in within a few minutes. Normally, there's only one table with 8 or 9 people at it.

The players were weaker, I think, because I was up $9.95 at one point, and when I quit at 9:00 to do the nightly tucking, I was up $8.05, my best night in several months. With the kid in bed, the wife reading in bed, I decided to watch a little Twilight Zone and Good Eats.

At about 10:00, I hopped back online and, to my greater surprise, both tables were still full. I waitlisted, and got on to both of them in a few minutes. This was my first time playing simultaneous 25¢/50¢ tables, and it required a bunch of concentration.

Then, at about 10:30, very unusually, the wife came in and asked about the kid's school fundraiser and finances in general. My attention was split between the two tables and my conversation with her, and all three suffered. I hardly listened to what she was saying, she had to repeat things three times, and I finally quit once I dropped $5.00 across the two tables and another $1.50 waiting until the blinds came around. I distinctly recall having pocket fives and calling bets with two overcards on the board.

Why wait for the blinds in such a bad situation? Why not just get up and pay attention to the more important thing? Michael Craig explains it with a story out of The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King.

Generally, if a player leaves a game other than before being required to post the blinds, it is safe to assume that player is (a) new to the game, or (b) in serious physical distress. And the physical distress had to be pretty serious.

The following account is typical in Las Vegas poker rooms. A player moves from one game to another. Asked about why he moved from the other game, he explains, "This big gross guy sat next to me. You can see him over there. [Players turn to look.] Geez, don't draw attention to him. I feel bad enough already. When the guy sat down, he was so big that he he just overflowed onto my seat. He had the worst body odor ever. His sweat was just percolating onto me. Then he had these sores all over his arms that he was scratching and picking. [Players act nauseated.] So you see why I had to get out of that game. As soon as it was my turn to post the big blind, I got up as fast as I could and came over here."

Bad boat beat

Monday, playing the 25¢/50¢ tables again, I went up another $4.67. I was up a bit, then down a bit, then ended up.

Yesterday, I was down, then up, then down, then up, and then got dealt A4s on the big blind. With three other players in, I call. The flop comes 445 rainbow, and I'm giddy, but this has been a fairly tight table, so if I go big, I'll scare away the others. I check, expecting someone to bet. The guy to my left checks, the next guy checks, and the button bets 25¢. He's obviously trying to buy this one, but if I raise to 50¢, I'll scare off the two checkers, and might just get a call from the button (which would be a net gain of 25¢). If, instead, I just call, the other three players might call, too. I call, the guy to my left folds, and the other two call (good move, I tell myself. +50¢ instead of +25¢).

The turn is an A. Full boat for me. I bet 50¢, middle position folds, and the button calls. He's gotta be sitting on something small, maybe he hit the 5 for two pair. I figure if he's got an ace, he does more than call here.

The river's a J. I'm hoping this hit his hand. I bet 50¢, he raises, I re-raise, he caps it, and I call.

I show my 444AA.

He shows his pocket fives, for 55544, and takes the pot.

Here I was trying to trap, yet he was trying to do the same. If either one of us had been more agressive, I'd have lost a lot more money. Whew.

I ended up down 24¢ for the night, which I think I made back in rakeback. It could've been a lot worse.

Dude, it's free money

This is gonna end up sounding like an ad; sorry about that.

I was playing my standard 2¢/4¢ game at Noble Poker on Friday, and the chatter around the table had to do with how much people had funded their accounts with. Some folks -- including me and my $23 -- were merely building on freeroll winnings. One guy, though, said he was playing on a free $20 that pokerinside.com had given him (he suggested I use the access code "CARDLIFE"). (full disclosure: link pays bonus to me)

I checked out the site, and yup -- they're literally giving away money. Once you sign up with PokerInside, you get a "sponsorship," and in my case, I was given a five step process to go through:

1) Download CDPoker.com's site software, install it, and create an account. I was pleasantly surprised to see that CDPoker.com was on the iPoker network, meaning that it uses the same network of tables and players that Noble Poker does, so the interface and some of the players are familiar.

2) Enter my CDPoker.com login name on PokerInside's site

3) Enter my Neteller.com account information on PokerInside, so they can make the deposit. Neteller is a PayPal like company, except that they seem to specialize in online gambling site funds transfering. I've had a Neteller account for about two years.

4) Verify, on PokerInside, that the $20 was received in my Neteller account.

As this point, before I went on to step 5, I investigated a bit more. CDPoker offers a 50% first deposit bonus (payable after a certain number of raked hands are played), plus a 10% Neteller deposit bonus (again, payable after a certain number of raked hands). It made sense, therefore, to make the biggest first deposit I could, so I needed to withdraw my funds from Noble Poker, and combine these funds with the $20 for a bigger first deposit.

I went to Noble to withdraw my funds to Neteller, but in order to do so, I had to make a Neteller deposit to Noble first. I pretty much expected this, so I took the $20 and put it into Noble, then withdrew the full $43 balance.

36 hours later, the $43 was available in my Neteller account. In the meantime, however, I got an e-mail from CDPoker.com's online manager. It said, in part:

After signing up for an account, I noticed that you decided not to make your first deposit.

In order to express you our gratitude for choosing CDPoker, I would like to offer you an EXTRA $30 on top of the already generous Welcome Bonus when you make your first deposit.

Coolness. I deposited the $43 with CDPoker.com. It looks like I have until late June to get the required number of raked hands. On to step 5.

5) Confirm that I deposited the $20 with CDPoker.com.

Assuming it works for anybody the same way, this is a great way to start playing online for real money. No cost, $20 (+ $10 + $30 after rake req's met) for free. Plus, they credit you with 30% of your rakeback.

So, because I now have to play hands with rakes, I moved away from the 2¢/4¢ game, and started at the 25¢/50¢ table. It's a thing of beauty. I played for an hour, and ended up +$7.25. Unlike the 2¢/4¢, you can actually put people on hands. More importantly, you're able to represent a hand, and they notice. Of the five hands that I bet on the river, three of them ended with the other player correctly folding. One I got beat by a rogue flush. And one I killed some poor guy's Queen-high flush with an unexpected rivered 8-over-9 full house (although he called my raise instead of re-raising). Yay, suited connectors.

Rammin and jammin with Big Slick

I'm dealt Ah Kc in middle position at a 9 player table (2¢/4¢ limit). Play has been very loose, with multiple players going to a river showdown.

The first three players fold, so I open with a raise. The player to my left folds, JeanLouisGV raises me, the button folds, and the blinds both call. I reraise to cap it. JeanLouiseGV and the blinds call. 32¢ pot.

The flop is 4s 7c Kd.

Small blind checks, big blind bets, I raise, JeanLouisGV raises. Small blind calls (weakness!), big blind caps it, I call, JeanLouisGV calls. 64¢ in the pot.

At this point, I can tell that the big blind and JeanLouisGV think they have decent hands. The small blind -- maybe a K with a weak kicker.

The turn is 3c.

This round of betting is identical to the last, except it's doubled, at check-4¢-8¢-12¢-call-16¢-call-call-call. The raggy turn didn't change anyone's style. $1.28 pot.

The river's a Td.

This round of betting is the same, except this time the big blind doesn't cap it. Weakness? It doesn't matter. I cap it and the other three call.

I show my K-K-A-T-7

I've out kicked JeanLouisGV, who had KJ for K-K-J-T-7

I've stomped the small blind's pocket 8's, which gave him 8-8-K-T-7

And the big blind? With his 75, he missed his set and missed inside straight draw, giving him 7-7-K-T-5.

After the 5¢ rake, I take down a $1.87 pot, +$1.39 for the hand.

Juicy. Any normal table, I'd have figured someone for at least two pair, but here... yum.

Celeb Poker Showdown gets new host: OMFG

Remember last week when I quoted Phil Gordon:

After 42 episodes of Celebrity Poker, I just want to see people play in turn, bet more than $200 into a $5K pot, and know when they have the nuts. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than saying ‘Phil Hellmuth loses another big pot, and it looks like he’s ready to implode!’ on national television.

Well, here's the important bits of Bravo's press release:

NEW YORK -- March 22, 2006 -- In support of the victims of hurricane Katrina and the City of New Orleans, Bravo's hit series, "Celebrity Poker Showdown," is set to film the next season in the ravaged Louisiana city. Joining the production will be poker champion and winner of nine World Series of Poker bracelets, Phil Hellmuth, who will serve as the series' new poker commentator and co-host, along with comedian Dave Foley. The all-new eighth tournament, featuring a million dollar prize pool will premiere this spring. ...Frances Berwick, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for Bravo: "In Phil Hellmuth we have found an engaging, proven and renowned poker champion who we are confident will complement Dave Foley's comedic commentary and provide the insight our viewers rely on."

Hours and hours of "how can they play that crap?" Joy.

Yawn.

He really is just a geek

From Wil Wheaton's blog this morning: getting one's life back on the road of doing what you love to do.

My Road is paved with d20s and TRON DVDs and Atari 2600 games. It's lit by the glow of TNG and BSG episodes and the soundtrack is by Vangelis. It's patrolled by Rover and they sell Soylent Green in the rest stop vending machines. The speed limit is 42, but if you flash your Bavarian Illuminati card, you can use the FTL drive to make it to Milliways in time for dinner.

I'm back on my Road, and nobody can take the sky from me.

Washington Erases Park Day-Use Fees

And there was much rejoicing:

komo news | Washington Erases Park Day-Use Fees:

March 20, 2006

OLYMPIA - Washington is removing the $5 day-use parking fee from its 120 state parks. The much-maligned fee had caused park attendance to plummet during the past three years since it was imposed.

Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the repeal bill on Monday, and state parks Director Rex Derr announced that rangers will no longer ask that day users pay the fee.

Now, I'm as much in support of user fees as the next libertarian, but when there's so many alternatives to choose from (e.g., city and county parks with no fees), it's no surprise that the state parks were seeing significant drops in attendance. State parks are neat spots, but not $5 neater than some other nearby spots to stop and eat lunch.

Don't trust Dell Axim x3i battery power meter

A public service announcement; hoping some search engines will pick this up to help others who have had the same thing happen.

I've had a Dell Axim x3i for about two years now, and recently, I thought the battery was reaching the end of its life. The battery meter would say 100%, but within an hour of use, it'd be giving me a warning about being low on power. Over the course of a weekend, with three or four missed reminders, the thing would often be dead by the time I brought it back to work to recharge on Monday. Beam receive was off, wireless internet was off, but still, no more than an hour of juice. One change I made was to prevent button presses from turning on the power (the wireless-ON button is an easy bump in a pocket), but it didn't seem to help.

I figured I'd have to get a new battery, but a posting on PDAStreet.com got me to thinking. I'd been tossing it on the charger on Friday afternoon, letting it charge for an hour or so, and pulling it off the charger on the way out the door. The meter said 100%, but what if the meter, for some reason, was wrong? So, two Thursdays ago, I left it on the charger all day, and continued all Friday morning. I left for a "camping" trip on Friday at noon, but by the time Monday rolled around, I still had 40%+ power.

I got myself back in the habit of placing it on the charger for a full day, and when I checked the meter this morning, after a weekend of occassional use, it was still at 65%.

So, before you go out and buy a new battery, try leaving it on the charger, even when the charger says it's at 100%, 'cause it's not really at 100% when it says it is.

(More search engine hit terms: battery life dell battery module type X1111 rechargeable li-ion battery rating:3.7v w1359 rechargeable 950mAh)

Wearing Powerpuff Girls Underoos at the WSOP

So what superhero will you be dressing up as when you play at the WSOP?

Details are sketchy, but it seems that there will be a cumulative WSOP '06 points clash in all hold 'em events. The two players [Joe Sebok and Gavin Smith] will tally their total points in limit, pot-limit, and no-limit hold’em events beginning 6/27, and concluding 7/25...

For the first day of the Main Event '06, the losing player will be forced to dress up as anything that the winning player comes up with. You read that correctly. Anything.

For all subsequent days of the Main Event '06 that losing player is still alive with chips, they must dress up as different Superheroes picked out of a pre-approved hat by both parties. Said Superhero will be revealed each night before on both player’s separate blogs. Costumes for loser will not be enforced for last three days of the Main Event for possible marketing opportunities.

(Man, I felt like such a perv trying to find that image...)

Lewis and Clark poker: tourney win drops me $10

On our annual "camping" trip to a state park Environmental Learning Center Retreat Center, a group of friends play a lot of board games, strategy games, and a bit of poker. On Saturday night, eight of us sat down for a no-money no-prize NLH tournament. If I'd thought about it ahead of time, a Sacajawea dollar would have been an amusing (but politically incorrect*) prize.

My experience in six-player online sit-n-go tournaments really helped, especially when we got down to three players (me, Tres, and Beaker). I was on the big stack at this point, and bullied them around with hands like Ax or even Kx. I lost a few hands, but won a few bigger ones. And when the blinds were about 1/3 of Tres' and Beaker's respective stacks, they can't wait for a good hand any more. The aggressive play, good cards, and somewhat inexperienced opposition helped me win the tourney.

Four of us then sat down for our typical 10¢/25¢ ring game: Tres, Darthslumlord, Kevin, and me. How incredibly dull. All four of us played like we were on auto pilot; we've played each other so much, we could tell when someone had a hand, we could tell when someone knew we had a hand, and played accordingly. In retrospect, I should have done a better job at shifting gears -- I probably could have bought a few more pots. It ended when I lost the rest of my $10 buy-in to Tres with a bad card on fourth street. I could have re-bought, but why? In the final tally, Tres and Darthslumlord broke even, Kevin ended up $10, and I ended up down $10. Yawn.

* Some accounts of Sacajawea's life say:

[A] French Canadian fur trader, Tousaint Charbonneau won [Sacajawea] in a poker game. By then, she probably spoke the Minnetare language, as did Charboneau. Charboneau was hired by Lewis and Clark November 4, 1804 as an interpreter, and because Sacajewea could guide the Corps of Discovery to Northern Shoshoni country.

Phil Gordon leaving Celebrity Poker Showdown

A link from a link from a link says that Phil Gordon's contract with Celebrity Poker Showdown is up, and he won't be back for another season. He's quoted in All In as saying:

I no longer have any contracted obligations to the producers of Celebrity Poker Showdown, so I am ready to move on… After 42 episodes of Celebrity Poker, I just want to see people play in turn, bet more than $200 into a $5K pot, and know when they have the nuts. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than saying ‘Phil Hellmuth loses another big pot, and it looks like he’s ready to implode!’ on national television.

CardSquad.com is pushing for Wil Wheaton to replace him. That'd be hawesome.

Lakewood 3, slumlords 0: Vagabond shut down

The health department just shut down the Vagabond Motel, up near SR-512 and I-5.

As reported in Friday's edition of the Business Examiner Daily: The state Department of Health has immediately suspended the license of the Vagabond Motel, 10005 South Tacoma Way in Lakewood. Investigators discovered the motel has been violating construction, maintenance, electrical, fire and safety codes and operating under unsanitary conditions.

Conditions in the motel rooms included rats inside and outside the units. cockroach and ant infestations, mold, exposed electrical wiring, broken smoke detectors, garbage piled inside the rooms and outside the motel.

(Last November, I reported that the Colonial Motel got shut down for similar violations, and that the Fort Clark got burned out in the Cafe 99 fire.)

Twilight Zone episode reviews

Jumping completely off-topic for this post...

At our group campout this weekend, Raindweller mentioned that she’d never seen an episode of The Twilight Zone. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time, so I volunteered to make her a top 10 list. Well, that idea kind of grew when I sat down to write it up.

Below is my top 20, followed by my review of every episode I’ve seen (sorted by airdate), followed by the same reviews, alphabetically by episode title.

Note that this doesn't include anything about the The New Twilight Zone (1985-1989) nor UPN's Twilight Zone (2002-2003). And when I say a show is "just OK" or "mediocre", that's in comparison to other TZ episodes. They're still probably better than most of the other shows out there.

(Thanks to the Twilight Zone Episode Guide, and to Marc Scott Zicree's Twilight Zone Companion)

A list of upcoming episodes on SciFi can be found at tv.yahoo.com.

Another complete list, with plot details, is at Wikipedia's Twilight Zone Episodes page.

Edits: constant. I'm using this as my personal "need to see" list.
3/16/06: Updated "The Jungle", "Still Valley", and "A Game of Pool"
3/20/06: Updated "Stopover in a Quiet Town", "Showdown with Rance McGrew", "To Serve Man", "One More Pallbearer", and "Little Girl Lost"
3/21/06: Updated "Execution", "Mirror Image", "What You Need", and "Escape Clause"
3/22/06: Updated "The Gift", "The Trade-Ins", "The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine", "I Am the Night - Color Me Black", and "What's In the Box?"
3/23/06: Updated "Person or Persons Unknown" and "The Dummy". Added Wikipedia link at top.
3/29/06: Updated "Elegy", "A Nice Place to Visit", "Young Man's Fancy", "I Sing the Body Electric", "Uncle Simon", "The 7th Is Made Up Of Phantoms", "The Changing of the Guard", "A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain", and "The Old Man In The Cave" 4/25/06: Updated "The Lonely", "Night Call", and "Spur of the Moment"

---

Top 20:

1. The Hitch-Hiker, 1/22/60 – I get goosebumps just thinking about this one. Classic.
2. Time Enough At Last, 11/20/59 – This is the one I think is most memorable. Burgess Meredith in a great role with a tragic twist.
3. It's A Good Life, 11/3/61 – Babylon 5’s Bill Mumy stars as the scariest kid ever on TV. What happens when a 6-year-old has ultimate god-like powers? Yeah, it’s that unnerving. They did a sequel to this in UPN's Twilight Zone a few years ago, where Bill Mumy stars as the same character, 35 years later, with a daughter (played by Mumy's daughter) who has the same power. Worth a watch, if you can find it.
4. A Kind Of Stopwatch, 10/18/63 – One of the best episodes ever. Very similar in the end to “Time Enough at Last.”
5. Twenty-Two, 2/10/61 – Creepy. Completely unexpected ending. Wow wow wow.
6. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, 2/28/64 – One of the best ever, often shown in film classes.
7. Nothing In The Dark, 1/5/62 – Robert Redford stars, one of my all time favorites, dealing with the fear of death.
8. The Howling Man, 11/4/60 – TMIB’s favorite. I like it too. Very TZ.
9. Little Girl Lost, 3/16/62 – I had to have been about 10 years old the fisrt time I’ve seen this episode, but it was so scary, I still remembered it. Saw it again recently, and even though there's some really forced plot points (quick! your kid's missing! call 911 a physicist!).
10. The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, 3/4/60 – Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. A wry commentary on suburbia and paranoia, just as true 46 years later. This was re-made a few years ago on UPN's Twilight Zone, and would be worth watching there, too.
11. Nick Of Time, 11/18/60 – Your future is whatever you make it. Fail to realize this, and… well… you gotta see this one. William Shatner hams it up.
12. Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up, 5/26/61 – One of my favorites. A cast of the usual suspects, and an ending that doesn’t disappoint.
13. The Silence, 4/28/61 – Another of my daughter’s favorites. Double freaky ending. Wow.
14. Long Distance Call, 3/31/61 – Bill Mumy, who played Lenier on Babylon 5, was a scary kid. He’s scarier in “It’s a Good Life,” but this whole episode is a bit offsetting, if you can suspend disbelief long enough.
15. A Penny For Your Thoughts, 2/3/61 – This one has got a huge plot hole, is pretty illogical, has quite a stretch to reach the happy conclusion, but is still one of my favorites.
16. Eye Of The Beholder, (Originally titled "A Private World Of Darkness") 11/11/60 – Wow. Good suspense, good twist, cinematography is stellar.
17. A Most Unusual Camera, 12/16/60 – Normal criminals + supernatural situation = great episode, but with a weak, almost slapstick, final 30 seconds.
18. Nightmare At 20,000 Feet, 10/11/63 – “There’s a man on the wing of the plane!” William Shatner at his Shatnerest. Amusing, good ending.
19. The Invaders, 1/27/61 – Horroresque. Scary. Typical great TZ ending.
20. The Man In The Bottle, 10/7/60 – The classic story of the problem of getting exactly what you wish for.

In order of air date:

First Season:

Where Is Everybody? 10/2/59 – Mediocre. A plot twist that’s repeated in several of episodes.
One For The Angels, 10/9/59 – Feh. Not worth watching.
Mr. Denton On Doomsday, 10/16/59 – A nice one. Good plot twist, good resolution. Gives you a grin.
The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine, 10/23/59 – Where's the TZishness? Oh -- it's there, in the last 30 seconds. Yawn.
Walking Distance, 10/30/59 – Kind of eerie. Again, just OK.
Escape Clause, 11/6/59 – OK. Not too memorable. The biggest flaw is when Cadwallader points out that "governments crumble." If that's true...
The Lonely, 11/13/59 – Good premise, strangly unsatisfying ending.
Time Enough At Last, 11/20/59 – This is the one I think is most memorable. Burgess Meredith in a great role with a tragic twist. Number 2 on my top 20 list.
Perchance To Dream, 11/27/59 – Sounds good, but I’ve never seen it.
Judgment Night, 12/4/59 – Good, but something about it bothers me. Maybe it’s just too illogical at the end.
And When The Sky Was Opened, 12/11/59 – Spooky. An ending that’s both expected and unexpected.
What You Need, 12/25/59 – It's OK. No real explanation, nor a satisfactory conclusion, and a pointless soliloquy at the end. Serling's voiceovers are OK; don't try and let the characters do it.
The Four Of Us Are Dying, 1/1/60 – Overacted, chewing on the scenery, but worth watching once.
Third From The Sun, 1/8/60 – Bah. Yes, it’s got a twist at the end, but one they used frequently in the show. Not too memorable.
I Shot An Arrow Into The Air, 1/15/60 – OK. One of my favorite (but often used) plot twists.
The Hitch-Hiker, 1/22/60 – I get goosebumps just thinking about this one. Number 1 on my top 20 list. Classic.
The Fever, 1/29/60 – Horroresque commentary on gambling addiction. Worth a watch.
The Last Flight, 2/5/60 – I vaguely remember this one, and that it was good, but not one of the best.
The Purple Testament, 2/12/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds bad.
Elegy, 2/19/60 – Hmmm... didn't expect that to happen. A mediocre story, but a plot that I never saw coming.
Mirror Image, 2/26/60 – An intriguing story, a strange unresolved ending.
The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, 3/4/60 – Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. A wry commentary on suburbia and paranoia, just as true 46 years later. This was re-made a few years ago on UPN's Twilight Zone, and would be worth watching there, too. Number 10 on my top 20 list.
A World Of Difference, 3/11/60 – Deals with the theme of “what is reality”, but doesn’t do a great job wrapping it up. Just OK.
Long Live Walter Jameson, 3/18/60 – Saw this a long time ago, and barely remember it.
People Are Alike All Over, 3/25/60 – Strange, unlikely story, but a good unexpected ending.
Execution, 4/1/60 – Gilligan's "Professor" invents a time machine which metes out temporal justice. Good one.
The Big Tall Wish, 4/8/60 – Feh. Serling was a boxing fan. I’m not. Haven’t seen it, but it doesn’t sound great.
A Nice Place To Visit, 4/15/60 – I wish I didn't know the ending before seeing this one. I think this could be close to the top 20. It's good.
Nightmare As A Child, 4/29/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds good.
A Stop At Willoughby, 5/6/60 – Tivoed it twice, but never got around to watching.
The Chaser, 5/13/60 – A valentine’s day story for people sick of their SO, in the Twilight Zone. Good one.
A Passage For Trumpet, 5/20/60 – Saw this a long time ago, and it was OK, but not top 20 worthy.
Mr. Bevis, 6/3/60 – Dull.
The After Hours, 6/10/60 – Mildly spooky. Mannequins are often mildly spooky. Worth a watch.
The Mighty Casey, 6/17/60 – OK, kinda fun.
A World Of His Own, 7/1/60 – Another “what is reality” tale, again, just OK.

Second Season:

King Nine Will Not Return, 9/30/60 – OK story, with a very Twilight Zoney twist at the end.
The Man In The Bottle, 10/7/60 – The classic story of the problem of getting exactly what you wish for. Number 20 on my top 20 list.
Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room, 10/14/60 – Well acted, good story. Just not top 20 caliber.
A Thing About Machines, 10/28/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds kinda weak.
The Howling Man, 11/4/60 – TMIB’s favorite. I like it too. Very TZ. Number 8 on my top 20 list.
Eye Of The Beholder, (Originally titled "A Private World Of Darkness") 11/11/60 – Wow. Good suspense, good twist, cinematography is stellar. Number 16 on my top 20 list.
Nick Of Time, 11/18/60 – Your future is whatever you make it. Fail to realize this, and… well… you gotta see this one. Number 11 on my top 20 list.
The Lateness Of The Hour, 12/2/60 – Saw this one just a few days ago. I could see the ending coming a mile away, but it was still an OK episode.
The Trouble With Templeton, 12/9/60 – Sounds dreadful, but I haven’t seen it.
A Most Unusual Camera, 12/16/60 – Normal criminals + supernatural situation = great episode, but with a weak, almost slapstick, final 30 seconds. Number 17 in my top 20.
Night Of The Meek, 12/23/60 – Santa Claus versus the Twilight Zone. It’s a good one.
Dust, 1/6/61 – Slow, a bit disappointing, but still not bad.
Back There, 1/13/61 – A classic, well done time travel story, with Russell Johnson (Gilligan’s Island’s Professor)
The Whole Truth, 1/20/61 – So dull, I couldn’t really finish watching it.
The Invaders, 1/27/61 – Horroresque. Scary. Typical great TZ ending. Number 19 on my top 20 list.
A Penny For Your Thoughts, 2/3/61 – This one has got a huge plot hole, is pretty illogical, has quite a stretch to reach the happy conclusion, but is still one of my favorites. Number 15 on my top 20 list.
Twenty-Two, 2/10/61 – Creepy. Completely unexpected ending. Wow wow wow. Number 5 on my top 20 list.
The Odyssey Of Flight 33, 2/24/61 – Saw this a long time ago, and still remember it a bit. Good, obviously memorable, but not quite top 20.
Mr. Dingle, The Strong, 3/3/61 – Burgess Meredith again, in a really cheesy part with cheesy story and cheesy ending. But the cheese is still pretty good.
Static, 3/10/61 – Forgettable. Not bad, but not great, either.
The Prime Mover, 3/24/61 – Sounds fun. I need to see this one.
Long Distance Call, 3/31/61 – Bill Mumy, who played Lenier on Babylon 5, was a scary kid. He’s scarier in “It’s a Good Life,” but this whole episode is a bit offsetting, if you can suspend disbelief long enough. Number 14 on my top 20 list.
A Hundred Yards Over The Rim, 4/7/61 – My daughter’s favorite. I think it’s in part because of the time difference between today and the time period of the story.
The Rip Van Winkle Caper, 4/21/61 – Classic TZ. It’s a good one. Not quite top 20, though.
The Silence, 4/28/61 – Another of my daughter’s favorites. Double freaky ending. Wow. Number 13 on my top 20 list.
Shadow Play, 5/5/61 – Saw this just a few days ago, for the first time in decades. Good story, great ending.
The Mind And The Matter, 5/12/61 – Amusing, but not great.
Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up, 5/26/61 – One of my favorites. A cast of the usual suspects, and an ending that doesn’t disappoint. Number 2 on my top 20 list.
The Obsolete Man, 6/2/61 – Preachy, wordy, long – even Burgess Meredith can’t save this one. Skip it.

Third Season:

Two, 9/15/61 – Yawn. Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched’s Samantha) can’t help this boring story.
The Arrival, 9/22/61 – OK, but nothing special. A below-average story, saved by an above average twist at the end.
The Shelter, 9/29/61 – Another commentary on the Lord-Of-The-Flies like tension in suburbia, but weakly concluded.
The Passersby, 10/6/61 – Run, don’t walk, from this dull, dull, predictable, dull, dull story. Probably the worst episode ever.
A Game of Pool, 10/13/61 – The ending, and the twist, come surprisingly quick, during Serling's voiceover. A good story, though.
The Mirror, 10/20/61 – Haven’t seen this Fidel Castro story.
The Grave, 10/27/61 – Good story, good drama, double-twist at the end. Pretty good.
It's A Good Life, 11/3/61 – Babylon 5’s Bill Mumy stars as the scariest kid ever on TV. What happens when a 6-year-old has ultimate god-like powers? Yeah, it’s that unnerving. They did a sequel to this in UPN's Twilight Zone a few years ago, where Bill Mumy stars as the same character, 35 years later, with a daughter (played by Mumy's daughter) who has the same power. Worth a watch, if you can find it.
Deaths-Head Revisited, 11/10/61 – Haven’t seen it, but it’s supposedly a very good TZ story set in a German concentration camp.
The Midnight Sun, 11/17/61 – It’s been a long time, but the twist at the end make this one memorable.
Still Valley, 11/24/61 – A morality tale, hardly TZish at all. Not bad, but below average.
The Jungle, 12/1/61 – Odd. It drags. The lead actor isn't beliveable. Skip it.
Once Upon A Time, 12/15/61 – Haven’t seen it.
Five Characters In Search Of An Exit, 12/22/61 – Very, very strange. You’ve gotta see it, and judge for yourself.
A Quality Of Mercy, 12/29/61 – Saw this for the first time about a month ago. OK, but not great.
Nothing In The Dark, 1/5/62 – Robert Redford stars, one of my all time favorites, dealing with the fear of death. Number 7 on my top 20 list.
One More Pallbearer, 1/12/62 – Bah. Unlikely setup, badly acted. You get a twist at the end, but it has no emotional impact.
Dead Man's Shoes, 1/19/62 – Haven’t seen it.
The Hunt, 1/26/62 – Haven’t seen, but sounds cheesy.
Showdown With Rance McGrew, 2/2/62 – Better than I expected, but not stellar.
Kick The Can, 2/9/62 – It’s been a long time, because I keep telling the Tivo to skip it when it comes up. Not so good.
A Piano In The House, 2/16/62 – Haven’t seen it.
The Last Rites Of Jeff Myrtlebank, 2/23/62 – Plodding, strange, unlikely ending. Skip it.
To Serve Man, 3/2/62 – A classic. The “pow” line of the show has been repeated in several other places, including a Simpson’s “Treehouse of Horrors” episode. A must see, just outside my top 20.
The Fugitive, 3/9/62 – Cute, good story, but ultimately forgettable.
Little Girl Lost, 3/16/62 – I had to have been about 10 years old the fisrt time I’ve seen this episode, but it was so scary, I still remembered it. Saw it again recently, and even though there's some really forced plot points (quick! your kid's missing! call 911 a physicist!). Number 9 on my top 20 list.
Person Or Persons Unknown, 3/23/62 - An interesting story, except for the clichéd elementary school ending. Maybe it wasn't such a cliché half a century ago.
The Little People, 3/30/62 – A blah story with blah characters, but with a good ending.
Four O'Clock, 4/6/62 – Very strange. About average story, below average ending.
Hocus-Pocus And Frisby, 4/13/62 – An amusing “Boy Who Cried Wolf” story. Good one.
The Trade-Ins, 4/20/62 – Sappy, cute story about aging.
The Gift, 4/27/62 – Los Monstruos Están en el Camino del Maple. The same story, different neighborhood. Some consider it racist, but the Mexicans are treated no worse than the Americans in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."
The Dummy, 5/4/62 – 20 minutes of your life wasted, never to be seen again. This is one of the worst. I think the title must refer to someone who thinks they should watch this episode more than once.
Young Man's Fancy, 5/11/62 – As Norman Bates said, "mother... isn't quite herself." Unusual, and fairly good.
I Sing The Body Electric, 5/18/62 – It's a lego grandma! It's a good story, not quite at TZish as I like, but good.
Cavender Is Coming, 5/25/62 – Yawn. Carol Burnett doesn’t do much to save this dull story.
The Changing Of The Guard, 6/1/62 – I like this one. .yteicoS s'teoP daeD

Fourth Season:

Shows went to an hour-long format; they’re rarely shown now.

In His Image, 1/3/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Thirty-Fathom Grave, 1/10/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Valley Of The Shadow, 1/17/63 – Haven’t seen it.
He's Alive, 1/24/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Mute, 1/31/63 – It would have been a great half hour show, but it drags.
Death Ship, 2/7/63 – Haven’t seen it. Supposedly takes place in 1997 :)
Jess-Belle, 2/14/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Miniature, 2/21/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Printer's Devil, 2/28/63 – Haven’t seen it.
No Time Like The Past, 3/7/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Parallel, 3/14/63 – Haven’t seen it.
I Dream Of Genie, 3/21/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The New Exhibit, 4/4/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Of Late I Think Of Cliffordville, 4/11/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Incredible World Of Horace Ford, 4/18/63 – Haven’t seen it.
On Thursday We Leave For Home, 5/2/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Passage On The Lady Anne, 5/9/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Bard, 5/23/63 – Haven’t seen it.

Fifth Season:

Back to 30 minute shows.

In Praise Of Pip, 9/27/63 – A mediocre, forgettable episode.
Steel, 10/4/63 – Another (dull) boxing story.
Nightmare At 20,000 Feet, 10/11/63 – “There’s a man on the wing of the plane!” William Shatner at his Shatner-ist. Amusing, good ending. Number 18 on my top 20 list.
A Kind Of Stopwatch, 10/18/63 – One of the best episodes ever. Very similar in the end to “Time Enough at Last.” Number 4 on my top 20 list.
The Last Night Of A Jockey, 10/25/63 – A one man show (Mickey Rooney) that just never gets off the ground.
Living Doll, 11/1/63 – Haven’t seen it, but it’s supposedly one of the best.
The Old Man In The Cave, 11/8/63 – Huh? I don't get it. Blah.
Uncle Simon, 11/15/63 – Danger, Will Robinson! Slightly above average story ahead!
Probe 7-Over And Out, 11/29/63 – Please don’t make me watch this one ever again.
The 7th Is Made Up Of Phantoms, 12/6/63 – Classic TZishness. A good one.
A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain, 12/13/63 – Mediocre, average story. Nothing to really get excited about, except for the description of racing an elevator to the ground.
Ninety Years Without Slumbering, 12/20/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Ring-A-Ding Girl, 12/27/63 – A great Twilight Zoney story, with a TZ-ish ending. Very good one.
You Drive, 1/3/64 – A well acted engaging story, although without the classic twist at the end.
The Long Morrow, 1/10/64 – I saw this one a long time ago. It’s so sad. Good story, though.
The Self-Improvement Of Salvadore Ross, 1/17/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Number Twelve Looks Just Like You, 1/24/64 – You WILL be happy. A decent story, good ending.
Black Leather Jackets, 1/31/64 – Weird, and ultimately dissatisfying.
Night Call, 2/7/64 – Just when you thought it got spooky, it gets spookier. Very good.
From Agnes-With Love, 2/14/64 – Computer dating, circa 1964. Amusing, but not very believable.
Spur Of The Moment, 2/21/64 – A horsey time machine. Could have been better.
An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, 2/28/64 – One of the best ever, shown in film classes. Number 6 on my top 20 list.
Queen Of The Nile, 3/6/64 – Kinda dull. Never watched it all the way to the end.
What's In The Box, 3/13/64 – Why watch an episode where both main characters are dispicable? One reason: Sterling Holloway has a bit part as a TV repairman; I finally got to see the Disneyfied voice of Winnie the Pooh (and Kaa (Jungle Book), the Cheshire Cat, and the Peter and the Wolf narrator).
The Masks, 3/20/64 – Some people have said that this one is really good. It’s merely OK in my book.
I Am The Night-Color Me Black, 3/27/64 – If they'd just listened to Bill and Ted: be excellent to each other. Mediocre.
Sounds And Silences, 4/3/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Caesar And Me, 4/10/64 – Weird, and not very good.
The Jeopardy Room, 4/17/64 – Entertaining and OK.
Stopover In A Quiet Town, 4/24/64 – Saw this just a few days ago. It seems a bit long, and the ending is a not-too-special surprise. It's not mentioned anywhere on the web, but I think this episode was one of Straczynski's favorites (Babylon 5), with the background character of Rev. Kosh Gleason, and the menacing nature of the dark shadows.
The Encounter, 5/1/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Mr. Garrity And The Graves, 5/8/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Brain Center At Whipple's, 5/15/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Come Wander With Me, 5/22/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Fear, 5/29/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Bewitchin' Pool, 6/19/64 – Haven’t seen it.

Alphabetical (including “The” and “A” in the title):

A Game of Pool, 10/13/61 – The ending, and the twist, come surprisingly quick, during Serling's voiceover. A good story, though.
A Hundred Yards Over The Rim, 4/7/61 – My daughter’s favorite. I think it’s in part because of the time difference between today and the time period of the story.
A Kind Of Stopwatch, 10/18/63 – One of the best episodes ever. Very similar in the end to “Time Enough at Last.” Number 4 on my top 20 list.
A Most Unusual Camera, 12/16/60 – Normal criminals + supernatural situation = great episode, but with a weak, almost slapstick, final 30 seconds. Number 17 of my top 20.
A Nice Place To Visit, 4/15/60 – I wish I didn't know the ending before seeing this one. I think this could be close to the top 20. It's good.
A Passage For Trumpet, 5/20/60 – Saw this a long time ago, and it was OK, but not top 20 worthy.
A Penny For Your Thoughts, 2/3/61 – This one has got a huge plot hole, is pretty illogical, has quite a stretch to reach the happy conclusion, but is still one of my favorites. Number 15 on my top 20 list.
A Piano In The House, 2/16/62 – Haven’t seen it.
A Quality Of Mercy, 12/29/61 – Saw this for the first time about a month ago. OK, but not great.
A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain, 12/13/63 – Mediocre, average story. Nothing to really get excited about, except for the description of racing an elevator to the ground.
A Stop At Willoughby, 5/6/60 – Tivoed it twice, but never got around to watching.
A Thing About Machines, 10/28/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds kinda weak.
A World Of Difference, 3/11/60 – Deals with the theme of “what is reality”, but doesn’t do a great job wrapping it up. Just OK.
A World Of His Own, 7/1/60 – Another “what is reality” tale, again, just OK.
An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, 2/28/64 – One of the best ever, shown in film classes. Number 6 on my top 20 list.
And When The Sky Was Opened, 12/11/59 – Spooky. An ending that’s both expected and unexpected.
Back There, 1/13/61 – A classic, well done time travel story, with Russell Johnson (Gilligan’s Island’s Professor)
Black Leather Jackets, 1/31/64 – Weird, and ultimately dissatisfying.
Caesar And Me, 4/10/64 – Weird, and not very good.
Cavender Is Coming, 5/25/62 – Yawn. Carol Burnett doesn’t do much to save this dull story.
Come Wander With Me, 5/22/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Dead Man's Shoes, 1/19/62 – Haven’t seen it.
Death Ship, 2/7/63 – Haven’t seen it. Supposedly takes place in 1997 :)
Deaths-Head Revisited, 11/10/61 – Haven’t seen it, but it’s supposedly a very good TZ story set in a German concentration camp.
Dust, 1/6/61 – Slow, a bit disappointing, but still not bad.
Elegy, 2/19/60 – Hmmm... didn't expect that to happen. A mediocre story, but a plot that I never saw coming.
Escape Clause, 11/6/59 – OK. Not too memorable. The biggest flaw is when Cadwallader points out that "governments crumble." If that's true...
Execution, 4/1/60 – Gilligan's "Professor" invents a time machine which metes out temporal justice. Good one.
Eye Of The Beholder, (Originally titled "A Private World Of Darkness") 11/11/60 – Wow. Good suspense, good twist, cinematography is stellar. Number 16 on my top 20 list.
Fever, 1/29/60 – Horroresque commentary on gambling addiction. Worth a watch.
Five Characters In Search Of An Exit, 12/22/61 – Very, very strange. You’ve gotta see it, and judge for yourself.
Four O'Clock, 4/6/62 – Very strange. About average story, below average ending.
From Agnes-With Love, 2/14/64 – Computer dating, circa 1964. Amusing, but not very believable.
He's Alive, 1/24/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Hitch-Hiker, 1/22/60 – I get goosebumps just thinking about this one. Number 1 on my top 20 list. Classic.
Hocus-Pocus And Frisby, 4/13/62 – An amusing “Boy Who Cried Wolf” story. Good one.
I Am The Night-Color Me Black, 3/27/64 – If they'd just listened to Bill and Ted: be excellent to each other. Mediocre.
I Dream Of Genie, 3/21/63 – Haven’t seen it.
I Shot An Arrow Into The Air, 1/15/60 – OK. One of my favorite (but often used) plot twists.
I Sing The Body Electric, 5/18/62 – It's a lego grandma! It's a good story, not quite at TZish as I like, but good.
In His Image, 1/3/63 – Haven’t seen it.
In Praise Of Pip, 9/27/63 – A mediocre, forgettable episode.
It's A Good Life, 11/3/61 – Babylon 5’s Bill Mumy stars as the scariest kid ever on TV. What happens when a 6-year-old has ultimate god-like powers? Yeah, it’s that unnerving. They did a sequel to this in the New UPN's Twilight Zone a few years ago, where Bill Mumy stars as the same character, 35 years later, with a daughter (played by Mumy's daughter) who has the same power. Worth a watch, if you can find it.
Jess-Belle, 2/14/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Judgment Night, 12/4/59 – Good, but something about it bothers me. Maybe it’s just too illogical at the end.
Kick The Can, 2/9/62 – It’s been a long time, because I keep telling the Tivo to skip it when it comes up. Not so good.
King Nine Will Not Return, 9/30/60 – OK story, with a very Twilight Zoney twist at the end.
Last Flight, 2/5/60 – I vaguely remember this one, and that it was good, but not one of the best.
Little Girl Lost, 3/16/62 – I had to have been about 10 years old the fisrt time I’ve seen this episode, but it was so scary, I still remembered it. Saw it again recently, and even though there's some really forced plot points (quick! your kid's missing! call 911 a physicist!). Number 9 on my top 20 list.
Living Doll, 11/1/63 – Haven’t seen it, but it’s supposedly one of the best.
Long Distance Call, 3/31/61 – Bill Mumy, who played Lenier on Babylon 5, was a scary kid. He’s scarier in “It’s a Good Life,” but this whole episode is a bit offsetting, if you can suspend disbelief long enough. Number 14 on my top 20 list.
Long Live Walter Jameson, 3/18/60 – Saw this a long time ago, and barely remember it.
Miniature, 2/21/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Mirror Image, 2/26/60 – An intriguing story, a strange unresolved ending.
Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, 3/4/60 – Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. A wry commentary on suburbia and paranoia, just as true 46 years later. This was re-made a few years ago on UPN's Twilight Zone, and would be worth watching there, too. Number 10 on my top 20 list.
Mr. Bevis, 6/3/60 – Dull.
Mr. Denton On Doomsday, 10/16/59 – A nice one. Good plot twist, good resolution. Gives you a grin.
Mr. Dingle, The Strong, 3/3/61 – Burgess Meredith again, in a really cheesy part with cheesy story and cheesy ending. But the cheese is still pretty good.
Mr. Garrity And The Graves, 5/8/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Mute, 1/31/63 – It would have been a great half hour show, but it drags.
Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room, 10/14/60 – Well acted, good story. Just not top 20 caliber.
Nick Of Time, 11/18/60 – Your future is whatever you make it. Fail to realize this, and… well… you gotta see this one. Number 11 on my top 20 list.
Night Call, 2/7/64 – Just when you thought it got spooky, it gets spookier. Very good.
Night Of The Meek, 12/23/60 – Santa Claus versus the Twilight Zone. It’s a good one.
Nightmare As A Child, 4/29/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds good.
Nightmare At 20,000 Feet, 10/11/63 – “There’s a man on the wing of the plane!” William Shatner at his Shatner-ist. Amusing, good ending. Number 18 on my top 20 list.
Ninety Years Without Slumbering, 12/20/63 – Haven’t seen it.
No Time Like The Past, 3/7/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Nothing In The Dark, 1/5/62 – Robert Redford stars, one of my all time favorites, dealing with the fear of death. Number 7 on my top 20 list.
Number Twelve Looks Just Like You, 1/24/64 – You WILL be happy. A decent story, good ending.
Odyssey Of Flight 33, 2/24/61 – Saw this a long time ago, and still remember it a bit. Good, obviously memorable, but not quite top 20.
Of Late I Think Of Cliffordville, 4/11/63 – Haven’t seen it.
On Thursday We Leave For Home, 5/2/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Once Upon A Time, 12/15/61 – Haven’t seen it.
One For The Angels, 10/9/59 – Feh. Not worth watching.
One More Pallbearer, 1/12/62 – Bah. Unlikely setup, badly acted. You get a twist at the end, but it has no emotional impact.
Passage On The Lady Anne, 5/9/63 – Haven’t seen it.
People Are Alike All Over, 3/25/60 – Strange, unlikely story, but a good unexpected ending.
Perchance To Dream, 11/27/59 – Sounds good, but I’ve never seen it.
Person Or Persons Unknown, 3/23/62 - An interesting story, except for the clichéd elementary school ending. Maybe it wasn't such a cliché half a century ago.
Printer's Devil, 2/28/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Probe 7-Over And Out, 11/29/63 – Please don’t make me watch this one ever again.
Purple Testament, 2/12/60 – Haven’t seen, but sounds bad.
Queen Of The Nile, 3/6/64 – Kinda dull. Never watched it all the way to the end.
Ring-A-Ding Girl, 12/27/63 – A great Twilight Zoney story, with a TZ-ish ending. Very good one.
Shadow Play, 5/5/61 – Saw this just a few days ago, for the first time in decades. Good story, great ending.
Showdown With Rance McGrew, 2/2/62 – Better than I expected, but not stellar.
Sounds And Silences, 4/3/64 – Haven’t seen it.
Spur Of The Moment, 2/21/64 – A horsey time machine. Could have been better.
Static, 3/10/61 – Forgettable. Not bad, but not great, either.
Steel, 10/4/63 – Another (dull) boxing story.
Still Valley, 11/24/61 – A morality tale, hardly TZish at all. Not bad, but below average.
Stopover In A Quiet Town, 4/24/64 – Saw this just a few days ago. It seems a bit long, and the ending is a not-too-special surprise. It's not mentioned anywhere on the web, but I think this episode was one of Straczynski's favorites (Babylon 5), with the background character of Rev. Kosh Gleason, and the menacing nature of the dark shadows.
The After Hours, 6/10/60 – Mildly spooky. Mannequins are often mildly spooky. Worth a watch.
The Arrival, 9/22/61 – OK, but nothing special. A below-average story, saved by an above average twist at the end.
The Bard, 5/23/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Bewitchin' Pool, 6/19/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Big Tall Wish, 4/8/60 – Feh. Serling was a boxing fan. I’m not. Haven’t seen it, but it doesn’t sound great.
The Brain Center At Whipple's, 5/15/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Changing Of The Guard, 6/1/62 – I like this one. .yteicoS s'teoP daeD

The Chaser, 5/13/60 – A valentines day story for people sick of their SO, in the Twilight Zone. Good one.
The Dummy, 5/4/62 – 20 minutes of your life wasted, never to be seen again. This is one of the worst. I think the title must refer to someone who thinks they should watch this episode more than once.
The Encounter, 5/1/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Fear, 5/29/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The Four Of Us Are Dying, 1/1/60 – Overacted, chewing on the scenery, but worth watching once.
The Fugitive, 3/9/62 – Cute, good story, but ultimately forgettable.
The Gift, 4/27/62 – Los Monstruos Están en el Camino del Maple. The same story, different neighborhood. Some consider it racist, but the Mexicans are treated no worse than the Americans in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."
The Grave, 10/27/61 – Good story, good drama, double-twist at the end. Pretty good.
The Howling Man, 11/4/60 – TMIB’s favorite. I like it too. Very TZ. Number 8 on my top 20 list.
The Hunt, 1/26/62 – Haven’t seen, but sounds cheesy.
The Incredible World Of Horace Ford, 4/18/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Invaders, 1/27/61 – Horroresque. Scary. Typical great TZ ending. Number 19 on my top 20 list.
The Jeopardy Room, 4/17/64 – Entertaining and OK.
The Jungle, 12/1/61 – Odd. It drags. The lead actor isn't beliveable. Skip it.
The Last Night Of A Jockey, 10/25/63 – A one man show (Mickey Rooney) that just never gets off the ground.
The Last Rites Of Jeff Myrtlebank, 2/23/62 – Plodding, strange, unlikely ending. Skip it.
The Lateness Of The Hour, 12/2/60 – Saw this one just a few days ago. I could see the ending coming a mile away, but it was still an OK episode.
The Little People, 3/30/62 – A blah story with blah characters, but with a good ending.
The Lonely, 11/13/59 – Good premise, strangly unsatisfying ending.
The Long Morrow, 1/10/64 – I saw this one a long time ago. It’s so sad. Good story, though.
The Man In The Bottle, 10/7/60 – The classic story of the problem of getting exactly what you wish for. Number 20 on my top 20 list.
The Masks, 3/20/64 – Some people have said that this one is really good. It’s merely OK in my book.
The Midnight Sun, 11/17/61 – It’s been a long time, but the twist at the end make this one memorable.
The Mighty Casey, 6/17/60 – OK, kinda fun.
The Mind And The Matter, 5/12/61 – Amusing, but not great.
The Mirror, 10/20/61 – Haven’t seen this Fidel Castro story.
The New Exhibit, 4/4/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Obsolete Man, 6/2/61 – Preachy, wordy, long – even Burgess Meredith can’t save this one. Skip it.
The Old Man In The Cave, 11/8/63 – Huh? I don't get it. Blah.
The Parallel, 3/14/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Passersby, 10/6/61 – Run, don’t walk, from this dull, dull, predictable, dull, dull story. Probably the worst episode ever.
The Prime Mover, 3/24/61 – Sounds fun. I need to see this one.
The Rip Van Winkle Caper, 4/21/61 – Classic TZ. It’s a good one. Not quite top 20, though.
The Self-Improvement Of Salvadore Ross, 1/17/64 – Haven’t seen it.
The 7th Is Made Up Of Phantoms, 12/6/63 – Classic TZishness. A good one.
The Shelter, 9/29/61 – Another commentary on the Lord-Of-The-Flies like tension in suburbia, but weakly concluded.
The Silence, 4/28/61 – Another of my daughter’s favorites. Double freaky ending. Wow. Number 13 on my top 20 list.
The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine, 10/23/59 – Where's the TZishness? Oh -- it's there, in the last 30 seconds. Yawn.
The Thirty-Fathom Grave, 1/10/63 – Haven’t seen it.
The Trade-Ins, 4/20/62 – Sappy, cute story about aging.
The Trouble With Templeton, 12/9/60 – Sounds dreadful, but I haven’t seen it.
The Whole Truth, 1/20/61 – So dull, I couldn’t really finish watching it.
Third From The Sun, 1/8/60 – Bah. Yes, it’s got a twist at the end, but one they used frequently in the show. Not too memorable.
Time Enough At Last, 11/20/59 – This is the one I think is most memorable. Burgess Meredith in a great role with a tragic twist. Number 2 on my top 20 list.
To Serve Man, 3/2/62 – A classic. The “pow” line of the show has been repeated in several other places, including a Simpson’s “Treehouse of Horrors” episode. A must see, just outside my top 20.
Twenty-Two, 2/10/61 – Creepy. Completely unexpected ending. Wow wow wow. Number 5 on my top 20 list.
Two, 9/15/61 – Yawn. Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched’s Samantha) can’t help this boring story.
Uncle Simon, 11/15/63 – Danger, Will Robinson! Slightly above average story ahead!
Valley Of The Shadow, 1/17/63 – Haven’t seen it.
Walking Distance, 10/30/59 – Kind of eerie. Again, just OK.
What You Need, 12/25/59 – It's OK. No real explanation, nor a satisfactory conclusion, and a pointless soliloquy at the end. Serling's voiceovers are OK; don't try and let the characters do it.
What's In The Box, 3/13/64 – Why watch an episode where both main characters are dispicable? One reason: Sterling Holloway has a bit part as a TV repairman; I finally got to see the Disneyfied voice of Winnie the Pooh (and Kaa (Jungle Book), the Cheshire Cat, and the Peter and the Wolf narrator).
Where Is Everybody? 10/2/59 – Mediocre. A plot twist that’s repeated in several of episodes.
Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up, 5/26/61 – One of my favorites. A cast of the usual suspects, and an ending that doesn’t disappoint. Number 2 on my top 20 list.
You Drive, 1/3/64 – A well acted engaging story, although without the classic twist at the end.
Young Man's Fancy, 5/11/62 – As Norman Bates said, "mother... isn't quite herself." Unusual, and fairly good.

Geo-security: three is now four

The old adage is that there's only three ways to secure a system: something you have (e.g., a key), something you know (e.g., a password), or something you are (e.g., a fingerprint).

There's now a fourth: somewhere you are. Garmin's new Street Pilot c510 has an "anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific 4-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location."

Coolage.

Bad night; plus, NLH gives me the jibblies

Something just wasn't clicking last night. I was getting my two pair beat with sets, was getting sets cracked by obscure straights, and wasn't hitting the flop with my big blind rags in a seven-person pot.

Result: down $2.11 at the 2¢/4¢ limit tables yesterday. Bah.

So, feeling that, yeah, I'm a better player than this, I headed over to the 1¢/2¢ NO LIMIT table (maxbuy-in of $5) and sat down with $5. Ten minutes later, I'm down about another two bucks, and feeling like I should get out, but Oleg, a guy three to my right, has been in every pot, winning several with big 50¢-75¢ bets, but showing complete crap hands when it gets to the river. 50¢ bets at a 1¢/2¢ table give me the jibblies, and with my paltry $20 $18 bankroll, that's a significant chunk. It's time to bail.

But before the blind gets to me so I can leave the table, I get dealt pocket aces under the gun. I raise to 10¢, two callers, Oleg raises to 70¢, the button calls. If I'm gonna win this one against four players, I've got to buy it now, or at least eliminate most of them. I raise to $2. The callers fold, and Oleg thinks for a long time, then folds. The button folds. I flash my aces, and get the hell outta dodge, down only 21¢ after seeing my table balance showing as low as $1. Eeep.

(Yeah, values are rounded and guessed, so they won't add up right. Not like I can look it up from here.)

C'mon, get in the boat, fish

I heard about this on the Lord Admiral Card Club podcast yesterday. Poker Fish Tracker lists the fishiest players at all the major sites. Might be useful.

(e-mail test post, kinda, via PocketPC to blogger.com)

(Edit: and the test looked crappy. Fixed.)

Up, up, up

Twas a good weekend. I previously mentioned breaking the online $20 mark on Saturday morning, but then I walked 6½ miles with my daughter, exploring town just for the heck of it. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, a rarity for early March.

Saturday night, eight of us got together for our irregular home game. No particular hands stand out, although I learned several things:

1) that if you wear these, DarthSlumlord will laugh so much that he'll fold;

2) The Hammer (deuce-seven) can be an amusing hand to play, particularly when the flop comes T74, and the turn's a 2;

3) Trestin is the master of the slowplay. He flopped a set of fives, but gave the rest of the table two chances to draw out on him before making the big bet and bringing in an even bigger pot. I don't know that I'll ever be able to put him on anything.

4) TMIB plays a good tight game. He had the advantage (frustration?) of sitting to my left all night, and other than overvaluing small pairs post-flop, he held his own, up 15¢ for the night.

5) Shadowe played better than I expected, too. It wasn't until he got tired and a little on tilt that he began seeing bluffs that weren't there and pushing it with middle pair.

6) Beaker played the part of the quiet analyst, the Howard Lederer at the table. There were times that he acted as if he wanted to fold, but the pot odds obliged him to stay, and it paid off, with him ending up ahead on the night. I should have made odd raises like 85¢ to see what kind of mental gymnastics he was capable of.

I ended up $39 for the night, which gives me some good working capital in my bankroll, although I'm still down about $70 for the year (curse you, Commerce limit $1/$2)!

And yesterday? Up another 81¢ online, and spent a lazy two hours just sitting at Starbucks, reading the Sunday paper. The (yawn) Oscars are also much more yawn-less when you've got it Tivoed and can zip past the parts of the speech where the backup sound editor thinks that now would be a good time to show off his parenting skills and tells young Zephyr that it's time to go to bed.

Broke the $20 mark

This morning, after a particularly successful run at the 2¢/4¢ tables (four tables simultaneously), I broke the $20 mark for online play for the first time since my big online run in 2004. I've been doing poorly at tournaments (e.g., losing w/AK to A3), and although I've tried the 5¢/10¢ tables, the players there are incrementally smarter, meaning I have to pay more attention, meaning I can't do four tables at once effectively. I stand a better chance making money at two 2¢/4¢ tables than at one 5¢/10¢ table. Plus, the variance is less.

I think I've mentioned this before, but this is all off of a $2 win in a freeroll. It's real money, although my cost (other than time) has been $0. I suspect I'll have to make a deposit at some point in order to make a withdrawl, but that's not a problem.

So long, and thanks for all the caches

I should have done this several months ago, but this morning I finally cancelled my Geocaching.com membership. I haven't gone out caching much since last summer, and my desire to hunt for film canisters in the woods really isn't there any more. When I was in Orange County in January and February, there was a series of caches just a few blocks from my training classroom, but I didn't bother to discover they existed until I was there for a few days, and I never did bother to go hunting for them.

If my interest peaks again in the future I can always re-sign up, but I won't have "charter member" status ever again. Kinda sad. :-(

(Sigh: see? I'm not even interested enough to go chase down links to drop into the first paragraph.)