I’m changing careers

I’ve decided I’m going to give up web development indefinitely in favor of playing poker full-time.

Most folks think this sounds crazy, but it’s only crazy if I fail. And I don’t think I will. I’ve built up a small bankroll over the last couple years of playing casually. Now I’m going to slowly build that bankroll into something I should be able to pay myself a small salary with in the next 6 months or so.

Nobody really reads this blog, but I wanted to post this decision out to the innertubes to make myself somewhat committed.

I hate to admit it

But I got myself a new desktop with Windows 7, and I actually like the OS.

I’d be the last one to give MS any credit, believe me. But they seem to have got it right this time. OK, I’ve only been using the computer for a couple of days, but that is ample time to experience at least several dozen OMFG moments where things break or corrupt or crash or otherwise do not do what you want them to do.

In fact, I haven’t had one complaint so far!

And the machine itself is just amazing. It’s a Dell XPS that I picked up at Best Buy. 8G RAM, that fancy new Intel i7 quadcore monster processor. This is the first computer I’ve ever had that truly wowed me.

I picked up the computer and a couple LG 23” monitors for $1800, which I consider a very good deal. My only complaint is that the LG monitors do not come with DVI cables!? So Best Buy did jack me for nearly $90 for two cables. But I wasn’t about to run around town looking for them. Aside from the overpriced cables and the unwillingness of the manager to cut me a break when spending nearly $2k, the Best Buy experience was positive.

The only bad news is that Quake Live is so ridiculously awesome on this machine that I’m going to waste a ton of time playing that now.

Freshbooks vs. Harvest vs. Blinksale

Thank you to those who take the time to post their experiences with the many apps out there to sort through :)

in reference to: Freshbooks vs. Harvest vs. Blinksale Online Invoicing | Locomotion (view on Google Sidewiki)

This app rocks

I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft, but they do occasionally get something really right.

Live writer meets a demand that's been mostly unfilled for a while and that is an ability to publish content to the web from the desktop without having to use an icky, browser based WYSIWYG editor.

in reference to: Windows Live Writer 2009: Now Available for Download - Windows Live (view on Google Sidewiki)

Poker Stats

The best poker stats tracking software that I'm aware of...

in reference to: PokerTracker - Online Poker Tracking & Analysis Software Tool (view on Google Sidewiki)

Deadbeat Client

Did contract work for this guy and he never paid.

in reference to:

"Byron Mignanelli"
- Luke Vinci │ Byron Mignanelli (view on Google Sidewiki)

Live Writer actually works?

Wow, it’s not often that I get to see a Microsoft product function properly. This thing actually seems to work.

Is Microsoft actually coming around and developing useful and free tools kinda like Google does? That would be smart.