ztraffer

Merry Christmas! Though most historians seem to agree that the date is off by several days, Christmas is supposed to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. My birthday gift was to volunteer at a shelter for the homeless on Christmas day. I'd been thinking about volunteering for a long time; then I realized that thinking about being good doesn't make me a good person -only what I do. I also got some gifts for myself -a stereo bluetooth headset and a subscription to The Economist . Cheers!

After "upgrading" my blog to the new beta, my URL was gone. I could edit and manage everything through the dashboard, but the blog address was not found. After a few days of messing around and thinking about moving to MSN's Myspace, I was able to recover it by changing the URL to something else, saving the settings, and changing it back. I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner. It feels good to be back in blogland -like a reunion with an old friend.

A great storm affecting Washington and Oregon states has left me -and about a million and a half others- without power. Since everything at my place runs on electricity -including the heating- I cannot stay there. It's been 3 days, and over half the service has been restored -though I am still waiting, so I have to depend on the hospitality and kindness of others, for which I am very thankful. But I wonder if I've been especially lucky; excluding camping trips I have never in my life until now been without electrical power for more than a few hours at a time, even in the developing world. It makes me reflect on how much we take the comforts and easy life of civilization for granted, and how fragile it really is.

There is no greater power than that of the human mind. It took me almost four decades to understand that simple sentence. Well, better late than never.

There is much talk about how much evil there is in the world, and how in this materialistic society everybody cares about nothing but themselves. But there are many -many- who shine like suns, casting light all around them. Rachel is just one of them who made it to the news. I am thinking about all those who, unknown, redeem humanity's soul every day.

It's already tomorrow and I am tired and I have to get up in less than five hours. And I can't sleep.

Do you wish sometimes, to live in a world where everybody was truly honorable? Do you ever think how much better life would be, if giving your word was more reassuring than signing a contract? Imagine you could leave your door open at night and only have to worry about animals taking anything that is yours. Yes, I can do my part, but that is not enough -I want everybody to be this way, every last person in this world... I take some comfort in the knowledge that there are many, many people lke this in the world today, and I know some of them.

It is a concept almost impossible to define. The word is derived from "city". But how are the two related? When humans learned to cultivate the land and became sedentary, they began to concentrate, and cities were born. Grouped in far larger numbers than the original nomadic clans, humans had to develop new social rules in order to sustain successful coexistence in this new environment. Out of necessity, these rules were quite different from the ones of those who did not live in cities. Thus, for those humans part of the city-culture, civilization -in this case defined as “living in cities” became synonymous with a higher, more evolved culture. It so happens that written history also had its birth in cities; so we can easily see the very causal connection between the concept of civilization and that of city. (As a side note, it is interesting to consider that nomadic cultures may also have the same concept, but based in a completely different word). Back to the birth of civil...

The world's biggest sports event, hosted by Germany, is commanding the attention of soccer fans accross the globe. I am no exception. Here are my predictions for the results: Semi-finals: Germany - Italy Brazil - England Final: Brazil - Germany World Cup Winner: Brazil

In the 5 years I lived in Florida I managed to never visit Key West, or to ride an airboat on the everglades. In all my time in Caracas, I never hiked to the top of mount Avila . I have never visited the Acadia national park, even though I lived in New England for several years. I intend to change this trend. I promise myself that I will explore the Puget sound and visit the San Juan islands, travel along the Pacifc coast, and stand upon the rim of Crater lake . The Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful corners of Earth, and I refuse to let it slip through my fingers...

There's nothing like a nice conversation to rest from a long walk. After the excitement of a bright day filled with interesting sights, sitting in a quiet room while speaking with a kindred soul and basking in the tropical heat, can be relaxing and also entertaining. In almost total darkness, broken only by small LED lights barely bright enough to see by, we considered the simple pleasure of a quiet conversation, as the bats crawled on the ceiling, and lazily stretched their wings.

Possibly the best Web creation ever conceived, the ultimate cyberspace that no one can enter. At first, you may wait for it; with time, you may come to understand it. Perhaps the simple mind cannot grasp the purest simplicity. I call it... the Purple .

There is a perfect, peaceful state. Budha knew where it was. Rocks can feel it. Sometimes, I see it when I am not looking. On the opposite side is emotion. This is a place of chaos and danger; a loud maelstrom, overwhelming, terrible, darkly bright and seducing... like a siren's song in the sea. Beware.

What are the elements of effective communication? Lack of ambiguity. A clear signal. Redundancy, error-checking. Language and protocol, for sure. Timing has to be a big one. Encoding and encryption. None of that matters of course, if you're not really sure what it is you are sending out. And of course, all is subject to meta-communication factors. Could it be that the only perfect communication is absolute silence?

I have been invaded and am currently under attack by microscopic entities. During the next few days the invaders will steadily infiltrate and subdue my own cells, forcing them to produce more and more copies of the invaders, steadily tipping the balance of the battle in their favor. My own microscopic defense force will target and destroy my own cells in a fruitless effort to stop the enemy. The battle will continue to worsen, and the enemy's victory will seem just a matter of time. Collateral damage will translate into pain and other macroscopic symptoms, worsening over time. While this fearful battle is taking place, however, my own microscopic intelligence agents will gather data on the enemy, perfecting smart weapons as they are tested on the invaders. Eventually, a lethal countermeasure will be found that will effectively neutralize one of the enemies. This smart weapon will soon begin rapid mass production. Released into my bloodstream, they will quickly home in on the enemy,...

Making entries in this blog is not as present in my mind as it used to be. Though I am not predicting its demise yet, it is clear that I am not so interested in it as I once was. Whether this is a temporary or a permanaent thing, I do not know. Perhaps I need to be more spontaneous with my entries, and take less time thinking about them. As always, time will tell.

His name, is Robert Poulsen

We are a social species, so we are all social individuals at a basic level. In everyday speech, however, we refer to social people as those who thrive and seem happier when in the company of others. Usually talkative, these people prefer to spend their free time with others rather than alone. Many consider me to be very sociable because I attend social events and get along well with others. But if you look around, you'll find the truly sociable people -they prefer to spend their lunch time in the company of others, rather than reading a book. They always adapt to the needs of the group they're in, rather than go their separate way. They are always comfortable in the company of others, happy to do nothing but chat, and they see all strangers as potential friends. I like sociable people a lot -I'm just not one of them.

When all else fails, read the user manual.

As I never tire of explaining to anyone who will reluctantly listen, the answer to all of life's questions can be found by reading science-fiction . If that's true, why don't I know all the answers to life's question's? Obviously, I haven't read enough.

I remember with deep nostalgia the gloomy coffee shops of yore; they were places where one could sink down in the not-so-new furniture, and feel an enveloping privacy bubble protecting one from the harshness of social interaction. Not that the other patrons had the slightest interest in anything outside their own books, papers, or laptops. No, the dissheveld professor with the mysterious books, the researcher with the odd-format document stacks, the sleep-deprived student -always different, always there- they had not the slightest interest in me or anyone else. I miss them terribly. Reading my favorite book to the incesant background chatter of hyperactive teenagers at a shinny-new Starbucks... well, it just isn't the same.

Today I implemented stage two of my startegy for a healthier life. I walked home from work. 3.5 miles. Under the pouring rain. I feel good. Actually, I feel great. This is my first step towards getting back in shape. Cheers, champagne toast, a pat in the back...

The thing about presentations is that they almost invariably make your brain want to doze off... Unless you've just had, say, a venti mocha with an extra shot to try to prevent that exact situation, and the darkened room and monotone of the presenter aren't enough to put you out. So you actually pay attention to it, or try to. Of course, after the first 30 seconds or so of each slide, there isn't any new information for your brain to absorb, no matter how hard the presenter tries to repeat the same thing in different ways. That's when you start trying to remember when was the last time you saw that particular background, and getting annoyed by the corny "appear from top" effect for the bullet points... I mean, please... doesn't everybody know that the "fade in" effect looks much more professional? And you should use the same effect through to the last slide... and at the end there is yet another meeting, so of course, another day working OT just...

by Sentimiento Muerto Mirando sombras en la pared Gritado por su encierro Todo es, alguna vez, los ecos Lagrima que corta el vidrio en dos Se lleva en ella un mar De sentimientos; los ecos Looking at shadows on the wall From their confinement, shouting Everything is, sometimes, the echoes Tear that cuts the glass in two It carries with it a sea of feelings; the echoes Mirada resquebrajada Hay un vacio frente al espejo Soy transparente, no me veo, Soy transparente, no me encuentro Broken glance there is a void in front of the mirror I am transparent, I dont see myself I am transparent, I do not find myself Al fondo se ve un murmullo Que que flota entre vapores de bano Y notas, que le huyen al sol In the backround a whisper is seen Floating among bath steam And music notes that flee from the sun Lagrima que corta el vidrio en dos Latigo rompe el silencio, rompe con el Tear that cuts the glass in two Whiplash breaks the silence, brakes away Mirada resquebrajada Hay un vacio frente al esp...

Apache vs. Lotus Win Mac

A few days ago I was thinking about what I like. What is the common denominator of most things I like? The apparently equivocal answer eluded me for quite some time. I consider myself a simple person. I like simple, elegant solutions. My thought process could be described with the following question: "what is the minimum number of words needed to enunciate a thought accurately?" I dislike ambiguous situations. I favor freeways over city roads, open space over clutter. My behavior in general seems to indicate a preference for directness and simplicity. However, when it comes to my tastes, I almost always tend to favor complexity. My favorite books have multiple plot lines, many characters in many locations, and multiple perspectives, both personal and historical. I like movies with very unpredictable plots, unique characters, great photography, outstanding and mood enhancing soundtracks, an unusual "angle" to the story, etc. I prefer dishes that combine many flavors ...

The Five Secrets of a Perfect Relationship It’s important to have a woman who helps at home, who cooks and cleans from time to time, and has a job. It's important to have a woman who is smart and can make you laugh. It's important to have a woman who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you. It’s important to have a woman who likes you and is good in bed. It’s VERY, VERY important that these four women don’t meet each other! I found this in an Arabian blog and I thought it was too funny, and quite to the point... sometimes it seems that finding someone with the right attributes is somewhere between unlikely and unreal. But not to worry! There is always something new to learn, a new friendship to be made, an unexpected thrill around the corner...

I was just reminded of a parable I learned in school. The subject was anthropology. The question was not new: at what point in our evolution did our ancestors become human? This is how the teacher answered it (well, close enough): "A group of primates was moving in search of a better life. After several years of drought, life was hard, and many had starved in the arid land. Propelled by hunger and hope, they traveled towards the setting sun. Eventually they reached a place where some food could be found, but it was not enough to sustain the clan for long. After a few days, they continued forward -they had no choice. Further on, the promise of abundant water and fresh pastures was carried by the wind blowing from the west. The clan was given renewed hope and marched on. As the sun set, the scent of water was very strong, so they were reluctant to stop even after the first stars shone. Eventually, exhausted but hopeful, they slept. The next morning, most of the clan was woken by the...

Today was the one-week anniversary of my new carless existence. I have not driven a vehicle in 7 days. I am in good health, and have experienced no withdrawal symptoms so far. Amazingly, I have been driving almost daily since I was eighteen. There was a period of a few months, when I took the subway to work, back on the east coast. Even so, I would drive at least 3 or 4 days a week for errands or other reasons. Driving was almost therapeutic too; whenever I felt stressed or ill at ease, I would go out for a scenic drive and listen to my favorite music, and I would immediately relax and find peace. But I can accomplish the same by walking or biking. I have the utmost confidence that in eight days time I will be breaking my previous record, which I will exceed by orders of magnitude. My goal is a minimum of six months. I have decided that if I accomplish my goal, I will reward myself with an exotic two-seater with a nice manual transmission; perhaps I will even start my own restoration p...

For no particular reason, I found myself reflecting about the modern workplace. From my experience in the IT industry at least, things are very progressive. Micromanagement is discouraged, individual initiative is rewarded, cooperation encouraged, and mobility unrestrained. Employee well-being is seen as a key to high productivity, and so corporations strive to pamper their employees with perks of all sorts. Power structures tend to be horizontal rather than vertical. Horizontal structures make for more dynamic teams, bring the decision-making closer to the stakeholders and ensure subject matter experts' voices are heard. Everybody (personality conflicts aside) working in happy synergy for the common good -and the stock's upward trend. Horizontal (cross-functional) teams can make quick decisions without going all the way up and down the corporate ladder. This is a good thing. There are of course, drawbacks -PMs know these well; but those belong in another posting.

My New Year's resolution: to give up my car. I will donate it to a charity, and bike, walk, or bus to wherever I need to go. The advantages: helping the environment, saving money, improving my health by exercising more, and perhaps most importantly, find out if I have enough self-discipline to do it. Disadvantages: increased travel-time and reduced mobility. No late-night social events. Innability to give my friends rides, no large-bulk cargo hauling ability. My last attempt lasted two weeks. I am determined to make this second try last longer. P.S.: This isn't entirely an intellectual decision. I have never liked this car, even though I've owned less appealing vehicles in the past, I just could never entirely befriend this one. Sorry, car. I guess that makes it in part an emotional decision.