Get the Glass - A Wonderful Time Waster
Posted by Ronald Huereca 
If you have nothing better to do, head over to GetTheGlass.com and help the Adachi’s get a glass of milk. Fun stuff. 
A Weird Month of Ups and Downs
Posted by Ronald Huereca
This past month was full of weird things happening to me. This month I started a new job. The last time I started a new job, my Grandmother died and my wife left me.
So starting a new job this time had me on edge. And then it happened. Some bastard broke into my apartment (and the one across from me) and stole my brand new Mac Book Pro. I was just a little more than upset because I had been waiting for it for so long. And (to my shame) I picked up the cancer sticks again after quitting for 10 months.
But, not all was lost. My new job is turning out to be quite stellar. I had renter’s insurance, so I got “most” of my money back from the theft. And I immediately began taking Chantix to kick this habit that keeps consuming me. I quit today, and then ran four miles at the gym. So I feel rather good about myself.
This past month has been tough, but this time the good outweighs the bad. I paid off my car today, so no more monthly car payments. And I’m typing on a newer MacBook Pro (in an undisclosed location).
As a side note, I know I haven’t been posting much on here lately. It’s really because I don’t have much to say. Just think of it as a break from my rantings and ravings.
Take care and thanks for reading as always.
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It’s Been a While
Posted by Ronald Huereca
“I have to admit. It’s been a while.”
“That’s okay. It happens to the best of us.” He said.
“It’s just embarrassing to admit.” She confessed, “Because I was so good at it once.”
“Like I said, don’t worry about it. I bet you’ll catch on quickly.”
“I’m just scared. I don’t want to screw up.”
He smiled at her and whispered softly, “Even the best screw up. Constantly.”
“Yeah. I always thought it was one of those things that once you do it, you never forget. But I’ve forgotten. A lot!”
“Yes, it is one of those things you need to keep practicing at. And it’s helpful to learn new techniques to keep things fresh. But it’ll come back to you.”
She leaned over, her face a little closer to his, “But where do you learn these new techniques?”
“Well, the Internet is a great resource. There are many sites dedicated to this topic alone. And I’ve found that reading books help too.”
“Don’t you feel silly buying the books?”
“Oh,” the man confessed, “I never buy them. I just usually glance over them at the bookstore. If a book seems helpful enough, I’ll go ahead and buy it and use it for reference.”
“I just feel so stupid buying them. I hate not knowing enough about it.”
“But it’s the only way to stay on top of things. You either keep up or get left behind.”
“So,” she began pressing for more information, “Has there ever been a situation that you’ve been way out of your league?”
His expressed a puzzled look, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” she adjusted her hair as if embarrassed, “You seem to be a guru at this kind of stuff. Have you ever felt like you were overwhelmed?”
“Hmmm,” he began laughing, “Well, college comes to mind.”
“What happened?”
“Well, some of the guys just showed me things I didn’t think were possible at the time. It became a contest of who could top who.”
“So what did you do?”
“I had to compete. I wouldn’t have felt like much of a man if I didn’t.”
“But don’t you regret it somewhat?” She looked away and down momentarily, “That perhaps you could have spent your time and energy better elsewhere?”
“No.” He confessed. “Because it taught me what to look for, what to avoid… And I figured out what I really wanted to do with my life at that point. I needed the fun and games in order to prove to others that I had what it took.”
“Well, could you give me an example of one of the competitions?”
“Oh, no. They were pretty involved and got a little dangerous sometimes.”
“Please?” She begged.
“I’m afraid I can’t. It would totally impact the way you see me.”
“C’mon. How am I supposed to learn from you then?”
“Trust me. The way I learned how to do things is a lot different from most people. I’m afraid we’ll have to stick to more traditional means.”
“Ok…” She said disappointed. “But I’m hoping that maybe someday we’ll know each other well enough so you’ll share with me. I find this very interesting.”
Trying to change the focus of the conversation, he asked, “So enough about me. What about you?”
“What about me?” She asked.
“You’ve said it’s been a while. When did you first get started?”
“Well, I got my first taste of it in high school. And got really into it in college.”
“And then what?”
“Once I graduated, I just stopped. I’m not sure why. It just wasn’t into it after that.”
“But you’re into it now.” He smirked.
“Yes, but now it’s different. Before it had no purpose. But here, and with you, I see a future.”
“Good.” He replied in confidence. “So are you ready to get started?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “I appreciate your help.”
Alex, as lead programmer, was happy to assist Alice in her fears of getting back into programming.
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A Mac Event Six Years in the Making
Posted by Ronald Huereca
I last bought a computer for myself in January of 2001. Back then my Dell was the top of the line. Now it’s a sluggish piece of… computer parts.
As my contempt towards Dell grew, and with buggy Vista now released, I found myself in a dilemma over what my next computer would be. I vowed never to buy a Dell again. And all of the computers I saw at other stores has Vista on them. What to do?
Rather than upgrade my sinking ship to another sinking ship, I decided to jump to a completely different vessel. Two 1/2 weeks ago I ordered a 15″ MacBook Pro and today it finally arrived.
I admit it’ll be a challenge learning a completely different OS and finding the software that does what I’m used to, but I know I’ll eventually make it work.
The quality control kitty inspects the box for defects.
The MacBook Pro box is fully featured. It even comes with a tail.
I’ve never seen a laptop so well packaged.
Define irony: a cat taking refuge in a box shipped from China.
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Did General Petraeus Betray Us?
Posted by Ronald Huereca
This week, United States Army General Petraeus testified in front of Congress that the US is making gains in Iraq and that we can actually pull some troops out (about 30,000) by mid-2008.
MoveOn.org has called Petraeus’s testimony a betrayal to the country and that he has fabricated the figures to make the White House look good:
General Petraeus testified in front of Congress that we are making progress in Iraq. He won’t admit what everyone knows: Iraq is mired in an unwinnable religious civil war. He is just trying to cook the books for the White House. So we are running an ad in the New York Times.
You can see the ad for yourself (pdf). Petraeus states, however, that his views are his alone and not the Pentagon’s or the White House’s.
MoveOn is clearly biased and is basing most of its accusations on statistics gathered from multiple sources, none of which have direct on-the-ground intel. Petraeus had this to say on the MoveOn critique and stats:
Some of it was just flat, completely wrong. The rest was at least more than arguable.
To see for yourself what General Petraeus presented to Congress, please check out these two files:
Although I can’t defend Petraeus’s stats, I have to at least have faith that a man on the ground in Iraq knows a hell of a lot more than a left-wing organization who’s hiding behind Washington Post and Associated Press reports. Furthermore, who is to argue that a General is betraying his country? Isn’t that defamation?
I agree with the views of one of my readers who has stated that accusing the General of betraying his country is treasonous conduct:
I cannot believe what moveon.org will be able to get away with. Impugning the integrity of any officer of the United States military without some proof of wrong doing should be punishable as treason, especially in time of war (or millitary action, as is the case in Iraq). To accuse a serving member of the military of betraying his country while he is serving said country on foreign soil is one of the worst, non-lethal actions I can think of we could condone.
I do not believe General Petraeus betrayed the United States. If anything, organizations such as MoveOn are the ones betraying the American public.
Thank you for reading.
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September 11th, Six Years Later
Posted by Ronald Huereca
I had the awesome privilege of attending a September 11th (Patriot Day) tribute today. It’s been six years, but it still seems like yesterday. And a lot has changed. I’d like to lay out some quick thoughts on September 11th.
My Thoughts on September 11th, Six Years Later
If you listen to the news enough, you would think that September 11th had never happened. You hear stories of corrupt lobbyists, celebrities without underwear, or the recent sex scandal involving a politician. You hear stories of Generals speaking against their own leadership and how senior public officials are deserting the Bush Administration.
It’s easy to be discouraged when reports come in of a few hundred Iraqi civilians targeted by yet another homicide bomber. And it’s equally discouraging to hear about more Soldiers’ deaths. Some are quick to cry, “Come home and stop the carnage”, or, “Come home and end this unjustified war.”
But for every politician taken down by scandal, and every Soldier and civilian killed, the cost of ending the war against terror increases. And for those who have died in New York, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, ending the war would send a message: we’re willing to fight, but we’re on a timetable.
Will it take another attack to justify the war against terror? Or will that attack just persuade the politicians to force this country into an isolationist country (a plan that got us nowhere in the beginning of the 20th century)?
We need to continue to take the fight elsewhere, otherwise the fight will be on our cities, our neighborhoods, and on our doorsteps.
Conclusion
As an American citizen, I am proud of our fighting men and women who fight for our freedom in far-off places. I’m able to sleep in an air-conditioned home and eat a warm meal and not really have to worry about what might happen. But the freedom I experience has a high price, and I’m reminded everyday when I hear a news report that more Iraqi civilians have been killed by a homicide bomber, or more Soldiers will not return alive to their families.
September 11th is about remembering the victims of terrorism on that day. But it’s also about remembering those who continue to fight the terror that grips too many parts of the world.
Thank you for reading.
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My Troubles With Time Management
Posted by Ronald Huereca
The following is my response to a group project regarding time management.
There’s the alarm again. And there I go hitting the snooze. And before I know it, it’s about thirty minutes until I’m supposed to be at work. I scramble to get some clothes on, brush my teeth, and rush out the door. I’m elated that I’m only five minutes late.
After work, I rush to the gym, do my weight routine, and go for my three-mile jog.
By the time I’ve taken a shower and eaten my dinner, it’s about eight o’clock. It’s almost time for bed. But I have blog posts to write, WordPress plugin bugs to debug, comments to reply to, feeds to read, and people to e-mail back.
I keep telling myself I’ll write some more posts on the weekend. But when the weekend comes, there’s a new movie out, and a six-pack of beer waiting in the fridge. I promise myself I’ll wake up early on Saturday and get some chores done and write a few posts. But the six-pack of beer did me in and I sleep well past my deadline.
As I recover from my drinking mis-adventure, I decide to play a video game or watch yet another movie. I decide to trouble-shoot a plugin bug, rather than write a post I’ve been promising for weeks.
There’s a million things I could be doing rather than sitting on my couch watching a movie with the Spanish sub-titles on. But I’m spent. And I’d rather relax on my weekend. But I also have obligations to meet. Can’t I find a happy medium?
I could work during the day, and play at night. But I’d rather sleep during the day, and play at night. What gives?
By the time Sunday has come around, the posts I’ve promised myself to write, I haven’t written. So while doing laundry, chores, and a host of other activities, I finally crank out a few blog posts. But I’m ashamed. And I tell myself, “Next weekend will be better.”
So let’s hope it is. Thanks for reading.
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The Door Closes
Posted by Ronald Huereca
“Nobody ever gets married expecting to divorce.”
“Unless you’re Britney Spears.” I replied with a smile trying to break the awkwardness.
“The papers are in the car.” She said looking at me, trying to form a smile.
A few moments later, she returned, opening my apartment door for the last time.
“Everything should be there.” She said handing them over to me.
I opened up the manila folder and confirmed what she had told me.
Not really knowing what to say, I extended my hand and said, “Have a safe trip back.”
She grabbed my hand, but the handshake turned into a farewell hug that both of us didn’t want to end. But it did.
She walked out the door, the papers still in my hand.
The door closed. The car engine started up. And she was gone.
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The High and Low Points of Learning a Foreign Language
Posted by Ronald Huereca
It was July of ‘06 when my grandmother passed away. She was one of the last of the Huereca family who spoke Spanish as a first language. Times are indeed changing, but it is regrettable that so few of the Huereca clan can speak fluent Spanish. Thus, my goal is to learn Spanish to at least honor my Mexican heritage and where I came from.
In Huntsville, Alabama, there are a lot of Latino restaurants, but not so many places to fully immerse one’s self into the language. I had the privilege of actually visiting a tienda (store) where the lady who was helping me confessed she was still learning English and knew very little. I also confessed I knew very little of Spanish.
In all truth, I am less than a third done with my Rosetta Stone course in Latin America. I have immersed myself in Latino música (Spanish music) and have turned on Spanish subtitles for every single película (movie) I have watched. I even watched a movie called Freedom Writers, which ironically doesn’t have subtitles en Español.
I took Spanish in high school, but I paid little attention. It wasn’t until around October/November of 2006 that I decided that I wanted to try to learn the language. I enrolled in some online courses and started the slow journey.
Around March (2007) I quit. I was unmotivated and I had convinced myself that I couldn’t learn this language. Every time I went to a Mexican restaurant, I was pained because I couldn’t speak to the staff in a language I knew they were familiar with.
When I made the trip to Austin, Texas in June of 2007, a lady approached me in desperation asking if I spoke Spanish. I told her no. I was so disappointed in myself. I vowed to keep it up.
I asked a friend of mine if I could learn Spanish without actually having anyone around me speaking Spanish. She said no. So I thought to myself, “What is the best way to earn Spanish friends?” It is to learn their language, and slowly break into their inner-circle.
And I have been doing just that. I’ve been listening to nothing but Latino music, starting to read Spanish graphic novels, and renting Spanish movies. It is regrettable that the cable networks here do not carry Latino channels, but hopefully that’ll change soon.
Huntsville, unfortunately, is not too friendly to the Latino community. When I went to Austin, practically everywhere there were at least some Spanish speaking people. Here in Huntsville, it’s mostly English.
But it’s important to keep going, and to stay motivated. The trip today to a Mexican restaurant where I could talk to the staff in mostly Spanish was a great motivator. When I told the waitress I wanted some water without lemon (quiero agua sin limón), I enjoyed a small victory.
The waitress then asked me, “¿Te gusto español?”
I didn’t understand her at first because she spoke so fast, but then it clicked, “Yes, I do like Spanish.”
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You Were Gay? No Christian Funeral For You.
Posted by Ronald Huereca
There are a few things I despise about my religion that is Christianity. Wait, let me rephrase. There are a few things about people who call themselves Christians that I despise. One particular thing I don’t like is Christians who automatically are repulsed when they find out someone is a homosexual.
In Arlington, Texas, a megachurch called HighPoint was to conduct a funeral for a fallen veteran named Cecil Howard Sinclair.
The church new Sinclair was gay before agreeing to the funeral, but backed out after some questionable videos and photos depicted him as being openly gay. The Pastor (Reverend Gary Simons) claimed that nobody in the church knew he was gay until just before his funeral. My question is, so what?
I know there are some Christians out there who will argue that anybody who is gay cannot possibly be Christian. However, it is not for us to judge who is Christian and who is not. Granted, some people are obviously not Christians, but I don’t believe homosexuals fall into this category as an absolute.
Simons was quoted as saying:
We did decline to host the service — not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle.
Which principle would that be? Because you won’t find it in the Bible. Do not give Christian funerals to homosexuals? Where is that written?
Simons was also quoted saying:
Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness.
Well, the church could have performed one more act of kindness and had a funeral regardless of sexual orientation. Granted, the church probably had to “protect” its Christian image or risk losing funds from the Sunday offering plate. However, the church, by reaching out to this guy and his family, would have shown immense love and appreciation towards all homosexuals and potential non-Christians.
Refusing this guy was beyond a bad move and I am disgusted.
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