PLO Diaries

Edit: Look like it may be patched

It looks like a MAJOR security vulnerability has been exposed in Skype which allows people to easily hijack accounts.

Links here:

http://pixus-ru.blogspot.ru/2012/11/hack-any-skype-account-in-6-easy-steps.html
http://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/136aa1/massive_security_hole_in_skype_virtulis_explains/

I know many of you use Skype and probably have exposed some of your information to poker forums, etc. Use the Reddit link (posted above) to see how you can prevent hijacking.

This is preaching to the choir for most poker pros, but it's worth watching regardless. Good stuff.

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Would recommend watching it at Youtube rather than here, so you can watch it in HD.

A month ago, I started participating in the Whole 30 challenge. I thought that by the end of it, I'd be sick of sweet potatoes, salads, eggs, and everything else I was sitting down to eat. Instead, I'm feeling amazing, I still love all of those foods, and I've made the following health marker improvements:

5lb lost (eating as much as I want - unfortunately due to injury I've been limited in exercise) - about 1% body fat lost
Energy levels are through the roof. I feel great pretty much all the time.

For the longest time, I thought I was an insomniac. As far back as I can remember, I've been staying up until midnight and waking up groggily the next morning. Under Whole 30, I was able to stop taking melatonin about a week in, and while I do take magnesium at night now (both as a general supplement and to help sleep quality), I fall asleep naturally and easily at around 9-10PM most nights. I can stay up later if I want to (last night I did to watch The Dark Knight Rises - so good) but when I want to sleep, I can. This is a HUGE difference in my overall quality of life.

Initially I thought I was going to bring beans & possibly dairy back into my diet. I don't think I will. I feel great, and every now and then I'll allow myself to consciously make a bad decision, but it's going to be a conscious decision. I'll be eating this way 99% of the time in the future.

If you decide to give it a try, here are the two things to know: 1) the first week is the hardest, by far. The first 3-4 days especially. 2) If you're routinely feeling sluggish during the day, you're probably not eating enough fat. I've added coconut milk in my coffee and avocado with pretty much every breakfast, and since then, I've been feeling amazing - only hungry at mealtime and energy levels are consistent throughout the day.

Feel free to post in the comments if you've got any questions about the process. It's certainly been a very worthwhile investment for me.

Ok, first off, obligatory apologies. It's been a long time - been busy with training and working on DC and haven't had as much time to blog.

Secondly - the main point of this post. I'm trying out the Whole 30 day challenge right now. It's basically Paleo, more strict on some things (no alcohol), less strict on others (some green legumes, like pea pods, are fine to consume). The goal is to perform a clean-slate experiment on my health - to see how my body and mind respond to a reasonable yet austere diet. The tl;dr version of the challenge is that I'm basically eating all whole foods with no processed foods allowed. Lots of grass-fed beef, chicken, fish, sweet potatoes & vegetables, some fruit, and tons of water. Coffee is allowed in moderation (thank god!) but none after 12PM, so my sleep habits are quickly getting back in check. I'm feeling better, though I won't pretend the first couple of days have been easy.

The reason I'm blogging about this? Partly for accountability, but also partly because I think there's not enough focus placed on personal health and poker habits. Our mental health and our physical health are inexorably linked, and while I think a lot of better poker players understand this now, it's something that is still neglected by the majority of poker players. So here we are. Will be posting regular updates (going to be running one marathon in the midst of the challenge, so that will be an interesting change-up).

As a whole, poker players are great when it comes to experimenting with different lines, different approaches to preflop and postflop play. Experimentation is considered a hallmark of great poker players. And yet, when it comes to our health, we do very little experimentation to see what works for us. Maybe it's time to expand our horizons, and see what kind of impact it has on our lives, our mental health, and our poker games.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

We'll miss you, Steve.

Can't believe I hadn't seen this before.

Requires headphones.

Put in 2mi today. 1MPH seems to be the magic pace for coding. Might be able to handle a bit faster with a trackball - typing is super easy up to 2MPH but it gets a bit harder to read lots of text & is definitely harder to use the mouse.