Cloud backup
I have a NAS at home, a Synology DS411J, which we use for backups, and to keep our family photos and videos. It works great, no complains here, but I am looking to keep an outside backup. A backup in the cloud, to be precise.

The choices are:

• Amazon Drive
  
• Amazon AWS S3
  
• Google Drive
  
• [Apple iCloud](https://w … ⌘ Read more

Four-way stop
Drivers in Orlando do not seem to know what to do when they reach a four way stop. It really makes me wonder how were they able to obtain a drivers license without that knowledge, as it is part of Drivers Handbook (search for “Stop Signs” on that page), the test, and occasionally encountered while driving.

For the record, and in case you live in Orlando, and do not know what to do on a four-way stop (also known as all-way stop) … ⌘ Read more

Specialization is for Insects
From Robert Heinlein’s science fiction book, _Time Enough for Love_:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure … ⌘ Read more

Cold winter morning small talk
We have 36 Fahrenheit degrees this morning (2.2° Celsius). That is mighty cold for almost-always warm, sunny Florida. I stressed it to my child yesternight: he must wear warm clothes the next day. Reluctantly he said “OK”.

Then comes this morning, and the iMessages exchange look like this:

Child:“Mama is trying to make me wear an incredibly uncomfortable shirt and is yelling like a siren.”Me:“Why? What’s going on?”Child:“She wants me to wear a … ⌘ Read more

The Sands of Time

“It is said that some lives are linked across time connected by an ancient calling that echoes through the ages. Destiny.”

— Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

I do not believe on such thing as destiny, but the line above from the movie is certainly touching. The movie itself is quite nice. Last night we watched it for the fourth time. ⌘ Read more

Happy MMXIV everyone!
Now that we have gone around the Sun one more time, we simply start doing it again. We don’t fool ourselves, it is not by choice. And with this new elliptical orbit we walk into age, which will lead, ultimately, to our demise. It is a simple concept.

Leaving the obvious behind, what’s left is to enjoy what we have. To try being nice to others, to the best of our abilities. To go the extra mile to bring the same happiness we want for us to the rest. Not a new year resolution, I don� … ⌘ Read more

It is all around us
Love. It really is.

“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there — fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Tow … ⌘ Read more

The joy of reading Hemingway
Recently, Kent had the misfortune of picking “ A Moveable Feast”, by Ernest Hemingway, for a school assignment. I know I am not the right person1 to judge anyone’s writing style, I am simply recollecting the comments Kent has made while reading the book.

So far, other than finding the book boring — mind it, he is barely 13 — he is puzzled at the use of French terms that he … ⌘ Read more

Films to watch during Christmas
Christmas is not the same without watching certain films. The ones that are always a must for me are “ National Lampoon’s European Vacation” and “ National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. As I type this I am getting ready to watch them both. Those are the ones to laugh to tears and have fun. The other favourite one – … ⌘ Read more

It is Christmas day
One of the many things to look forward to each year is, of course, the end of year holidays. Christmas, Festivus, or whatever you call it, the end of December is always a special time. My only complain, and that might be yours too, is that it comes and goes so fast! Kent has finished opening his presents, and somehow it feels “it is all over.” But we waited the whole year for this! We stayed up late wrapping gifts, gifts that are now open, and the “magic” gone. It should not be.

I … ⌘ Read more

T-Mobile and the iPad
I am not sure about the other mobile telephony providers, but this morning I went to T-Mobile with the intention of buying an iPad mini. They had only the dark colour in stock, and on 32GB capacity—I was wanting a 16GB. The transaction was almost finished, when I was asked for a telephone number. After stating that I just wanted the iPad, no connection, I was told they could only sell it, if it was with a mobile data plan. Bus … ⌘ Read more

Chuck Lorre Productions, 373
At the end of each episode of “ The Big Bang Theory” there is always something witty printed, that passes by so fast you can not read it. Today I saw, and remembered, “ … the prophet did not answer right away ….” I looked it up, and this came up.

A young woman stepped forward from the throng and asked, “0’ great prophet, tell us how we might find love that is unconditional, unwavering and unending.” The prophet d … ⌘ Read more

A Christmas tree small story
Last year we had a plastic Christmas tree. Wife was not happy. This year she wanted a real one, so this morning the child and I went on the quest of getting it. Most families in the States will get a Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, but I am used to get it the day before Christmas. Of course, if I wait for that day there will be none left. So it is today, or never1.

We purchased one, which is already soaking … ⌘ Read more

Hello world, or hello again!
This is the first post. It seems I have started writing occasionally again. I still conserve the old posts, from the previous weblog. Not sure many of them were worth of keeping, but I might browse through them and pick one or two to bring back here.

This time I will keep this simple. Well, as simple as a person with slight OCD can keep it. I promise, I think. This little site is generated by [Jekyll](http://jekyllrb.c … ⌘ Read more

Create files on GitHub
There is a new feautre on GitHub, and this one allows you to create files directly from the web interface. This is very handy, for those of us running Jekyll.

This is my first test of the feature, I had to try it right away. Only wishing now to have a friendlier Markdown/kramdown editor. But it’s a start. I like it! ⌘ Read more

Sprint crookery
I am not happy with Sprint, I think it is a bad company. That, of course, is my opinion.

I left them and took the hit of the early termination fee (ETF) because their service in my area was, and is, not usable. Even though I had documented the many times I called for not having reception, not able to make calls, and their “unlimited” data plan been unusable, I paid the ETF and decided to move on.

What I wasn’t counting on was the taxes they, or my local government, charged me. They cha … ⌘ Read more

Morale
Last week I wrote about Kent’s Spelling Bee, and how preparing for it was hard for him and I.

Well, the Bee came and went, and I forgot to come back to post the results. He misspelled “ _morale_” (he spelled it as “ moral”) and finished in 4th place—for me, it doesn’t make sense, as I have always considered first, second and third place relevant, but fourth?—, which still qualified him to go to the State competition. That, of course, means more pract … ⌘ Read more

Spelling bee
As a foreigner, trying to go over a Spelling Bee word list with my kid is nothing less than a challenge. For the both of us. First, there are the words I have never seeing; those I can’t pronounce. Second, there are the words I will mispronounce. And third, there are the ones I don’t know what they mean.

If you add to that the fact that the kid is learning them, hence bound to make many mistakes… well, yes, a challenge, to put it mildly. It gives me a headache. I will be glad when is over. 26 Oct … ⌘ Read more

On the meaning of life
Will Durant sent a letter to a few notable figures, asking them for the meaning of life.

Spare me a moment to tell me what meaning life has for you, what keeps you going, what help—if any—religion gives you, what are the sources of your inspiration and your energy, what is the goal or motive-force of your toil, where you find your consolations and your happiness, where, in the last resort, your treasure lies. Write briefly if you must; … ⌘ Read more

On AWS S3
I have moved from Linode (which I will be canceling soon) to Namecheap DNS management (I have all my domains on Namecheap) and Amazon S3. Transition went well, and painless. It should save me some money.

Nothing wrong with Linode, which I recommend to anyone looking to having their own Virtual Server. Their service rock, and their price is hard to beat. I used their services for a year and totally loved it. ⌘ Read more

Mi vieja

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She created me, all my flaws and gifts unintended. She nurtured and guided me through life the best she could, suffering for my mistakes—but always hopeful—and rejoicing on my victories. Always supportive she gave herself to me (and my siblings), selflessly.

After a lifetime mission, her time around here has expired. We knew it would come, but never fully prepared for it. And so we wept, sadness seeping throu … ⌘ Read more

Stephen Fry on Steve Jobs
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He is also an awesome human being.

As always there are those who reveal their asininity (as they did throughout his career) with ascriptions like “salesman”, “showman” or the giveaway blunder “triumph of style over substance”. The use of that las … ⌘ Read more

Steve P. Jobs, 1955 - 2011

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A great man has passed away. While mourning, we celebrate all he brought to us… his many accomplishments. He will not be forgotten.

February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011 ⌘ Read more

C.E.O. no longer, good bye Steve!
Steve Jobs “ resigns” as Apple’s C.E.O.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s C.E.O., I would be the first to let you know,” Mr. Jobs wrote. “Unfortunately, that day has come.”

The world needs more Steve Jobs. He will be missed. Get better Steve! ⌘ Read more

Non-Social
Almost over two years ago I left Facebook. A few months ago I left LinkedIn and Twitter. Two weeks ago I left Google+. I also left Groupon (I don’t even know why I ever sign up for that junk!). Next is to leave here. I guess this is my way to pursuit happiness.

As Mark weblog is gone1 —perhaps step 9 was, “ Get rid of the weblog“— I enumerate what he wrote:

1. Stop buying stuff you don’t need.
   
2. Pay off all … ⌘ Read more

The ritual of seduction

“The ritual —considered old-fashioned nowadays by just about
everyone under the age of 60— was traditionally a ceremonial, sacred
gesture; its history can be traced to ancient Greece and Rome. In the
Middle Ages, a vassal paid homage to his lord by kissing his hand. By
the 19th century, hand kissing had been reinvented to convey a man’s
gallantry and politesse toward a woman. Those men who still practice it
today know the rules: never kiss a gloved hand or … ⌘ Read more

Upcoming presidential elections
I really need to get into politics—as much as I hate it—to prepare for the upcoming presidential elections. I have the feeling that it’s going to be nasty… as always. ⌘ Read more

What I thought when my plane crashed
From CNN Opinion, this\
article, written by Ric Elias I liked. I liked it
so much, I decided to keep it here, for when it is not longer available
at CNN. As I did with a previous\
article I kept from the WSJ, if CNN
does not likes what I have done, let me know and I will remove it, or
adapt it to a compromise. Please do not sue … ⌘ Read more

U.S. credit rating lowered
It seems our credit “worthiness” (and hence our capabilities to acquired
loans in the future) has diminished:

S&P maintained its ‘AAA/A-1+’ credit rating on U.S. sovereign debt,
saying the nation’s “highly diversified” economy and “effective monetary
policies” have helped support growth.

But the ratings agency lowered its outlook for America’s long-term
credit rating to “negative” from “stable,” based on the uncertain
politi … ⌘ Read more

Find what you love
Steve Jobs commencement\
address at
Stanford University, in 2005:

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�� … ⌘ Read more

Drawing a blank, again
Drawing a blank.

• Lost in a search of identity, on a broader scale
  
• Consumed by the unknowns
  
• Overflowed by love; furious for not knowing why
  
• Feeling I am missing something
  
• Moving towards the end
  

Drawing a blank. ⌘ Read more

Many changes coming soon
Just very recently I wrote about me moving to Jekyll from WordPress:

After much thought, and tinkering, I decided to ditch my six year old
or so WordPress and start blogging like a hacker
with the awesome Jekyll.

I also wrote —fairly recently— about [living on a Linod … ⌘ Read more

Science Fair 1st place

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Kent did it again (and we are so happy and proud of him!). The last time he brought home an award was for being on Principal’s list. This time he has gotten first place on Elementary School Science Fair. His project was “How is Electricity produced?

Off topic, we need a new camera to replace our aged [Powe … ⌘ Read more

Japan earthquake and tsunami

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Japan’s destruction due to the recent earthquake and tsunami is
unbelievable. It is more than heartbreaking. Google has setup a page\
(Google’s Japan Earthquake Crisis\
Response)
with informational links, one of them being one to donate through the
[Red Cross Japan](http: … ⌘ Read more

St. Augustine

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Yesterday I went with Kent and classmates to St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European established city and port in the continental United States.

It was a great trip, we learned a lot, we saw a lot, it was cold, we came home tired. We will return… one day. The end. ⌘ Read more

Ricky Gervais - Why I’m an atheist
This is an article
written by Ricky Gervais, for The Wall Street Journal back in 2010.

Reproduced entirely here, as SpeakEasy seems not to be keep articles
around long enough. If WSJ does not like what I have done, let me know
and I will remove it, or adapt it to a co … ⌘ Read more

Happy birthday, viejo!

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Not a day goes by without me thinking of my Dad. Today he would have
being 92 years old.

I still remember him on his 90th birthday, doing push ups using only
three fingers on each hand. I will forever remember the endless stories
he used to tell, and his constant smile. He was the best father a son
can ask for, an example for many. It hurts so very much … ⌘ Read more

Route 53, wish I could have used you
Ever since Amazon announced it’s Route 53 service I have been dreaming on using it, but since I dislike to have services too spread out (got Google Apps and Linode now), I held up. Two days ago or so, Amazon announced new features tha … ⌘ Read more

Forget Hyde, moved to Jekyll!
After much thought, and tinkering, I decided to ditch my six year old or so WordPress and start blogging like a hacker with the awesome Jekyll.

I am still getting a few things in place, like making sure all entries are properly converted to markdown, but overall I … ⌘ Read more

Insignificant

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Do you see the pale dot on the dark image above? You don’t see it? Look carefully, it is there! That pale dot could be us, Earth; but you pick: Solar System, Milky Way, it doesn’t matter. We are that insignificant because of the vastness of the universe we live in. And vastness is an understatement. After all, the universe is infinite.

We might … ⌘ Read more

A good day
There is nothing sweeter than waking up and hear your kid say “Have a good day Papá. Good bye!” It made my day. Thank you, Super Duper! ⌘ Read more

Living on a Linode
TL;DR.

Moved to Linode. Love it, highly recommend it. They reward customers that bring referrals, but notice my links do not have any referral code. That much I like their product.

All my domains have resided on a ServerBeach dedicated server for over six years now. I have tried to find something else be … ⌘ Read more

The Brotherhood
Recently I got the PS3 game “ Assassin Creed Brotherhood” for my birthday and it has being very fun. My dad got me the Harlequin code, and playing him is very fun as well. I have already gotten the armor of Brutus, the very best on the game. Needless is to say, I already finished the game, but am still “renovating” things.

� … ⌘ Read more

Unknown Unknowns
It is all about the unknown unknowns, of course!

“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

— Donald Rumsfeld, DoD News briefing. ⌘ Read more

Steal everything

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother conceali … ⌘ Read more

A Christmas tree
After a small, but heated battle, on whether or not to buy a real tree for Christmas (Kent and I said no, Kim said yes), Kent and Alyssa are now decorating a Fraser pine tree. I am sure you guessed who won. ⌘ Read more

Mi viejo

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A steady, yet gentle, rain was falling over Miami on the night of 24th November 2010. Some say rain are tears from the sky. I was crying as well. On 24th November my father died.

Those who have lost an infinitely dear one will understand how I feel. Not only did I lose the best father a son could have, I lost a lifetime friend, a restless protector, a confidant. The many memories that I have of him continue to br … ⌘ Read more

Dragons can be killed

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”

— G. K. Chesterton

“By confining your child to blameless stories of child life in which nothing at all alarming ever happened, you would fail to banish the terrors, and would succeed in banishing all that can ennoble them or make them endurable. For … ⌘ Read more

Viva Spain!

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Woohoo! Spain, Champions of Europe and now Champions of the World! What an amazing match! So excited! Now I can’t hardly wait until the next World Cup! :-) Viva España! Viva España! ⌘ Read more

The Unthinkable

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Yesterday I did the unthinkable. Something I have never done — nor will I do again — before. I went very early (03:15) to stand at the Millenia all, to be one of the first (or so I thought) to buy the iPhone 4.

I don’t want to write long about something I am more than half way ashamed of. Suffice it to say that I got an iPhone 4 after standing in line for … ⌘ Read more