Friday, December 30, 2005

My Favorite Posts



I decided to place a link to my favorite posts this year. These posts have a couple of things in common, they all have something to do with Iraq, and they were written in a peculiar manner, I would be home minding my own business and then, I'd get this terrible mind itch, it's like my whole purpose in life is to write about it, I'd sit in
front of my laptop and start typing away, couple of minutes later these posts were born, it was a big burst, like I just trew it up, no edits, no reread, just write the damn thing, add some pictures or some links and there they were. I felt extremely relieved afterwards. It made me feel good.

A Diologe


This is a prime example of that, I just got up a saturday morning, feeling like this conversation had to take place, it had been taking place in my head for a while, so I decided to have the two Jose's have an arguement, I put Jon there because I can be a mean a**hole sometimes.

Communication


I never had the guts to tell that brave soldier that lost his arm in Afghanistan and kept on living like nothing happend how much admiration I have for him, not because he lost an arm, but because the way he lives. He is more alive than some people I know. Just thinking about that brings tears to my eyes. Seriously.

My Reaction to Jarhead the Movie


In this post I happily announce the slow death of Jose in Iraq, he is getting weaker and weaker, fading away in the confines of my memory. Good.

Confessions from the War


You have no idea how much I wanted to share this incident with somebody. I could never tell my fellow soldiers, but now anyone in the internet can know.

Well folks, this is it for now.

Happy New Year.
Be Good to each other.

J.V.

What a strange year this has been



2005.
New Baby.
New Job.
New House.
New Friends.

2006?
Graduate.
Move?
The End of the World?
Who knows.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Student Finds Stolen Thesis by Thinking like a Thief



This is an amazing example of how crazy Graduate School must be. A 43 year old student ended up digging through a dumpster in search of her thumb drive...lessons learned:

1. Back up your data, stupid!
2. Thesis? what the heck is that? It must be hard.

Which brings me to the my next question, what am I going to do with my life? All signs point to graduate school, but I don't know if I should go for a MBA so I can be a manager down the road, or get a MS in Engineering, so I can be more technical and maybe pursue a PHd later? If I ask my Manager he will probably suggest a MBA, If I ask my school advisors they will recommend a MS.

Decisions, decisions...

Some Hard Questions for You to Think about




What is important to you? Why?

Who do you love? Have you told that person that you love them? Today?

What worries you? Will that problem matter in one year? five? one hundred?

What are you doing? Is it important to you? Why are you doing something you don't want to do?

I was about to write that I wish life was simple, but on second thought I don't. I have many problems, many of which you probably wouldn't want to deal with, yet I want life to teach me, to beat me up, to make my laugh and cry.

I don't want to look back and think that I didn't try my best.

I don't want to have regrets when it's my time to check out.

I want my Son to think he had a good Dad, I want my Dad to think he had a good Son.

I want to gain wisdom. Surfing one blog at a time.

What do you want to do?

J.V.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Quote of the day


"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity"


-Friedrich Nietzsche

Friday, December 23, 2005

Is Kurt Vonnegut right?



Your guess is as good as mine

J.V.

Quote of the day



"Sometimes the quickest way is the longest route"

-Jose Villalta Jr.


Coined today at the Broward Mall parking lot, talking to my little sister.

J.V.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Music 2005



These are my favorite CDs that I listened to this year. I don't normally share my taste in music because I think I have generic (aka pop) taste, but then again, who cares?
Thanks to Johny for making the suggestion and for being a friend... all the way from Spain.


1. Un Metro Cuadrado by Jarabe de Palo


This Spanish rock group has always been my favorite band. I've been a fan since 1999 when I first heard Depende, I credit them with helping me get through Iraq with their Album bonito

2. Mi Sangre by Juanes


What can I say? I like Colombian products. No.... not that type of Colomibian products you dirty minded people.

3. Fijacion Oral Vol 1 by Shakira


Another excellent Colombian import.

4. In between Dreams by Jack Johnson


This is my definition of good music. Started listening to it just recently thanks to my trip to Northern Minnesota, thank you Aimless Ego suspended!

And when I am in my Getto moods


1. Barrio Fino by Daddy Yankee
2. M.I.A.M.I. by Pitbull
3. Red light distric by Ludacris

J.V.

Quote of the Day



"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

-Albert Einstein

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Earth, Water and Air







This is the Atlantic Ocean from the A1A between Spanish River and Palmetto Rd in Boca Raton, FL.

J.V.

Quote of the Day





"All the problems of the world could be settled easily, if men were only willing to think.”

-Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Invention worth mentioning



I am amazed at the creativity of some people. This is why I still have faith in the human race. To take something that's readily available, like cars passing through a section of the road, and convert it into energy? Great Thinking. Peter Hughes gets the very first STOP. THINK! award ever given for inventing a road ramp that uses passing cars to generate power. You can read about it here.
Thanks to slashdot for pointing it out. Slashdot rules!

J.V.

The Most Disputed Wikipedia Articles



If you have a bunch of people with different views writing the same article, there will be disagreements. No place like Wikipedia to make people aware of that. Since anyone can edit the articles there will be cases in which there will be attempts to sabotage, or that they will just post flat out wronf info. The good thing is that the users themselves regulate each other. Also, anyone can see the history of an article.
Unlike other reference sources, you can know when you are reading a disputed "fact".
It is possible to make a better decision, or have a better understanding of an issue when you can read the progression of an article. Most times is not so exciting. I guess common sense must be used before you can quote Wikipedia in, let's say, a Research paper. Ummm, maybe that's why I didn't get such a good grade on mine.....

By the way, if you didn't guess it already, I did my paper on Linux. What else? Still, my Proffesor did not like it. I am not sure why, but I am going to get a straight answer, he was evasive when I aproached him, I know that grading somebody else's writing is subjective to the grader's opinion. I know that TA's get overloaded with work and nobody wants to read all 20 pages of "research" on beat-up research topics. But still, I spent all summer making my papter perfect and some guy looked at it for 10 minutes and decided that a C+ was good enough, I am not bitter or anything, anyway, on with the list.


The following is taken out of a Wired magazine article:

SCI-FI



Example: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Are Ani and Respirator Breath actually two separate characters? When someone decided no and merged the two pages, a Forceful hullabaloo ensued. In time, the Jedi's bio was shortened to just one terse sentence and a link to the Sith Lord himself.

Other contested entries: Should the fiery Balrog in Lord of the Rings have wings? Does the novel/videogame Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire deserve as much prominence as the six films even though it never actually was, you know, a film?

HOT-BUTTON ISSUES


Example: Scientology. Even before Tom Cruise's on-air meltdown, this "pseudo-science" - as it has been called on Wikipedia - has long captivated site regulars. Three separate links are dedicated to -archived discussions on topics ranging from whether it's a cult to which celebrities are followers. Long story short: John Travolta still in, Jerry Seinfeld not so much.
Other contested entries: Is creationism credible? And (yikes!) are there examples of pedophilia that are legitimate relationships between adult and child?

POP CULTURE


Example: Celebrity birthdays. Nothing gets people's blood boiling like whether J.Lo was born in 1969 or 1970. After some vehement back-and-forth, fans dug up the true date from the police report filed after her infamous Manhattan nightclub shooting incident. (Answer: '69.)
Other contested entries: Was André the Giant actually 6'10", 7'5", or somewhere in between? Should the entry for Al Gore's new Current TV network be allowed to read like a press release?

TECHNOLOGY


Example: Ajax (programming language).In August, one user launched an all-out assault on this entry for asynchronous JavaScript and XML. If that is, indeed, what it is. The term was coined earlier this year by engineer Jesse James Garrett, and what it means (or should mean) is still unsettled. Eventually the assailant was temporarily blocked and stopped contributing.
Other contested entries: Is a blog a Web-based application or a static file? And is Web 2.0 old news or a new paradigm? If so, can it be explained in simple English?


Credit goes to Erik Malinowski who wrote the article for Wired magazine, I copied without his permission, I'm sure he won't mind the free publicity.

J.V.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Save the Chilndren, Switch to Linux







The one question you need to ask yourself besides all the nonsense we worry about endlessly is Have I accepted Linux as my personal Operating System?

I know what you're thinking, I may be preaching to the choir so to speak, but if you have not. Then let me give you a list of reasons to switch. For those of you who don't know what Linux is. Let me just say that Linux is to Microsoft Windows what Wikipedia is to The Encyclopedia Britannica. The only difference is that The Enc. Britannica is a godd product and Windows is, um, not so respectable.

1. Linux is free.
2. Linux is Open Source which means that anyone can look at the code and understand how it works and can edit it to make it better.
3. If you don't care to change anything, that's fine, Linux works well the way it is.
4. Linux is Cool.
5. Linux is forcing Microsoft to compete, which is good for us the end users.
6. Linux keeps getting better thanks to all the new users they get daily.
7. Linux runs faster.
8. There is plenty of help online in countless forums and documentation pages.
9. If you ask a Linux person a Linux question he or she will go to extremes to help you.
10. Switching to Linux will make you a better person, give you self-confidence, you will re-grow your hair, lose weight and your love life will be amazing.
11. Switching to Linux will piss off Bill Gates.
12. You can ask me any Linux question and I will help you, refer to # 9.

the internet gods


They have demanded pictures in sacrifice. I must comply. As soon as I find my camera.
I don't know where half my stuff is, I will be mad if I lost it, but then again Christmas is coming soon....

J.V.

Friday, December 16, 2005

So much to do



I made it to Florida safe and sound. Working right now. Will write more later.
It feels like I am waking from a long dream called Minnesota into the brutal reality that South Florida is. It's all good, it's a reality that I recognize. I was a little surprised the first time somebody drove 1 3/4 inches from my rear bumper doing 75 miles per hours in I-95 with their bright headlights on. But after a while I got back in my confort zone, and you treat it like an everyday thing because it is. I was saddened to see a lot of street signs torn down, and there are fewer trees around, you can tell there was a hurricane here . But this is home, and I work here. I can work from home, but I have an office in Boca that I can use, I am in that office right now, and I must say that it's nicer than the one I had before. Sorry Rochester, but I got my own window now! haha! I can think of a few people that have been in this company years longer than I that don't have a window in their office.I don't have to put any layers on when I step outside, I almost did that this morning, out of habit. But I will be cured of that by tomorrow.

J.V.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Trippin'



The only reason why Amirah is still alive is because my wife would never forgive me. She has been a terrible cat this whole trip, there was no way of calming her down, she kept on fighting Mohamed the other cat. Oh, what a trip, a Cavalier completely filled up with our possesions, two crazy cats and yours truly, I have a big scratch on my neck and my right arm. Amirah was very close to being trown off the window..But I couln't come up with a good story.

Honey I'm home!....Cat? What Cat?...I don't recall any cats...This scratch? Oh! this is from the strip club...

I am keeping the damn cats.

So, I'm resting at a hotel in Kentucky, all I have is Tennesee and Georgia to go and then I'll be in Florida.

Wikipedia and Open Source



What does the Register have against Wikipedia?
This article is yet another attack on my favorite website.
I have read the articles, but have not gotten to a conclusion yet.
Can one say that Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information? Or is there an agenda agaisnt it by the online mag The Register.
I was afraid some story like this will show up eventually.

My first impulse is to say that the Register must have something against it. Let's dig into this and see what comes up. There's always a story behind the story.

Ok, that's all I got. Till the next one

J.V.

Good bye Minnesota



I am leaving now, as soon as I close my laptop I am getting in my car and driving back home. Good bye for now Rochester. I shall return.

J.V.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Change is Good



Here I am, should be doing stuff around the apartment to get it ready, but I am tired of working, I am stopping soon. I have done enough. I want to see my family so bad. I miss them dearly. I miss my fat talking Monkey.

I have found a new mission for this blog. I want to challenge the people who vist this site to stop and question everything they know. If I can cause that grey matter between your ears to spark an intelligent thought, I have done my job. If I can change your mind about something, not because I said it, but because you THOUGHT about it, investigated it, and came to a Conclusion only after a careful analysis, then my blog has accomplished its mission.

Everyday I learn something new about myself. I have discovered who I am (again) after this trip. I will attempt to give you the world through my eyes. These very eyes that have seen the beauty of the Mississippi headwaters in December, but also the ugly face of despair in Iraq. I still believe in us. I still think that man can be better. I don't believe in any political system. I don't believe in anarchy. I am not a liberal. I am not a conservative, I don't believe in labels either, as a matter of fact, if you were to stereotype me as a Marine you'd be wrong, as a Venezuelan, you'd be wrong too. ditto for: American, Engineer, Floridian, Minnesotan, Computer Geek, insane, normal, hispanic, immigrant. Yet, I have traits associated with all the items in that list. My point. I cannot be defined with a word. Not even my name is unique, I am named after my Dad.

I love to think, I love to read. I love to solve problems. I love to write. I love to accomplish things. I love being happy. Above all I love my family.

Some things are going to change around here. If you don't like your point of view being challenged then I recommend that you type a different url in your browser and don't come back here ever again. If you'd like to discuss your view of the world here in a civilized manner, you are more than welcome to do that here. In fact, you are encouraged.

Oh, about Bemidji, I don't have the balls to publish my first draft of this posts, but let me thank you all for being so nice to me, no one called the INS. You are far too kind.

Froyd and Jon, you rule! Kamran, you can stop telling the abulance story now, I hope that this marks a new beginning for the Jose-Bemidji People relationship. I want to see you all again, next time I am bringing in the Calvary (Martha and Monkey) Amy thanks for going beyond nice. Natasjia, Julie, Jessica, Grubbs, Josh, Emily, Bill and his wife, all the dudes that I played Nintendo with at the froydstravaganza. It was a pleasure. If I said something stupid to you, please do forgive me.

Thank you all for reading this blog when you could be doing something useful. God bless you for that.

Love

Jose

Monday, December 05, 2005

IT IS TOO FREAKING COLD IN THIS PLACE!!!!




Why on earth would anyone want to live in a place where it gets this cold????? It's -8 degrees Farenheit, for crying out loud! This is crazy

President Carter


He just appeared on the Daily Show, he's a good man.

Linux


Is making me mad, I have been trying to get my Thinkpads wireless card to work for a long time, see, this is what I love and hate about Linux, everything is a challenge, a learning experience, an oportunity to grow my technical skills, this is cool for a guy who can use those skills to make a living, but when all I want is for my WIRELESS CARD TO WORK! it is not, don't get me wrong, I am all about open source, this post is being edited using firefox browser running SuSe Linux, but, it is frustrating when every little thing has to be a hack, why can't it be easy like Windows?

WORK


Lots of it, I have a lot to do, not to mention the fact that I have to pack my stuff and write me reports for school

FAU


Florida Atlantic University
Can't wait to go back, or maybe I can, after reading Kamran's blog entry for today, I don't look forward to that.

Fun fact about Minnesota #4465


With all this cold, it's really easy to shock the cats with ecstatic electricy, not like I do it on purpose, but I laugh when Amirah gets mad at me after I shock her. hehehehe! anyway...got to go.

J.V.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Food for thought



Have you ever asked a question that goes something like "Why do we do thing this way?" and the answer was "because that's how it's always been done" is that good enough for you? Are you satisfied with that answer?

Do you know why the Enter Key on your computer keyboard used to be called return? Because of the days of typewriters, that was the key to return the carriage to the beginning of a new line. The name just stuck, for years computers have had a return key that doesn't return anything.

Do you know why do you believer what you believe? Do you have evidence for this? Or do you believe it because somebody important, or someone you admire told you to believe it. Do you think that if I am a Christian I am right, but If I were a Budhist or Hindu I was wrong and therefore going to hell? Why? what do you base those beliefs in? Think about that. How do you know what you know? How do you judge what you are going to believe and what you are not?

One last thing:


rea·son
n.

1. The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction. See Usage Note at because. See Usage Note at why.
2. A declaration made to explain or justify action, decision, or conviction: inquired about her reason for leaving.
3. An underlying fact or cause that provides logical sense for a premise or occurrence: There is reason to believe that the accused did not commit this crime.
4. The capacity for logical, rational, and analytic thought; intelligence.
5. Good judgment; sound sense.
6. A normal mental state; sanity: He has lost his reason.
7. Logic. A premise, usually the minor premise, of an argument.



faith

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief. See Synonyms at trust.
3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
4. often Faith Christianity. The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
6. A set of principles or beliefs.




I hope I don't get burned at the stake for this one....


Love

J.V.