Category: Blog

My fascination with computers started as a teenager.  My Algebra teacher, Ms. Barba, also taught computer programming.  Initially, she guilted me for being so lackadaisical as a freshman, but eventually also encouraged me as I improved and eventually excelled.  As a senior, I intentionally took the Computer Math class because I knew she’d be teaching it.  Subsequently, she got me into two summer programs, one in my high school, the other at the University of Miami.  I do not hesitate to say that I would not be here had it not been for her, and I’m eternally grateful.

She automatically enrolled us into the ACSL (American Computer Science League) competitions.  I remembered the letters; it wasn’t until today when I realized that they stood for.  I’m delighted to learn that it continues today.  In some ways, those competitions piqued my curiosity around computer programming and drove my passion for the field.

Continue reading “The Founding Fathers and the Exclusive NOR” →

I grew up in the tropics.  Initially, I spent my early childhood in the sunny island of Puerto Rico.  I spent the years that followed in the south-east coast of Florida.  Palm trees and sand in my toes were an integral part of my childhood.  Beaches were a common destination and easily accessible.  Even as a young adult, postcards with the silhouette of palm trees on the backdrop of purple and orange sunsets puzzled me.  Why would you send someone a picture of something you see every day?

Naïvely, it wasn’t until I moved from Miami to Seattle that I finally understood that these stunning sunsets are not common, they’re spectacular.  This started my quiet fondness (read as ‘obsession’) with both beaches and palm trees.  Over the years, I’ve collected sand from the beach on my visits back to Florida and at one point even had a Bonsai palm tree in my office.

Continue reading “Snow on the beach” →

As a child of the 80’s, movies and music filled my young high school mind.  Stories of teen angst, conflict, and even victory fed my soul in ways that still linger today.  One such film that contained both inspiration and exceptional music was Vision Quest.  It tells the story of a young high school wrestler, Louden Swain (played by Matthew Modine), who aspires to do something great.  He aims to defeat another wrestler, Brian Shute, who has been undefeated for a number of years.  It’s the high school wrestling version of David versus Goliath.

They filled the movie with countless great tunes, though replayed too frequently.  It takes place in Spokane, Washington my new home state.  The often dark and dank setting matches what I know about Washington and what I have heard about Spokane.  There’s even a scene where Madonna sings live at a bar, possibly for the last time ever, though they never mention who she is.  The music by itself is worth the price of admission.

Continue reading “Athletics, competition, and fairness” →

As a child of the 80’s, my memories are painted by the music and film of the era.  Naturally, among those movies was a little film called Footloose.  There were a number of elements that drove this film’s popularity for those in my age group.  For us, the driving factors were the music and the dance.  While I won’t deny that I found them interesting, the music or dance didn’t persist in my mind.  Neither drove me to watch the movie subsequent times.  However, two scenes kept me coming back.

In recent years, we have learned a new word, allyship.  It’s when a member of a group with higher privilege assists a member of a group with lesser privilege.  Prototypical examples fall along race or gender lines.  For instance, if you watch the movie right around the 1:17 mark, you’ll get right to the scene at the council.  As Ren McCormick, a white male teen, tries to address the council, and a woman, Eleanor interrupts him.  Then the preacher’s wife, played by Dianne Weist, interjects:

Continue reading “Protecting our children” →

Since childhood I’ve had a fondness for superheroes.  The live action choices were poor, mostly decades-old television shows or poorly constructed cartoons.  Still, I learned scattered pieces of superhero lore from these and the occasional comic book.  However, these were the days before internet or even VCRs, so any such programming I’d need to track down from meticulously scanning the TV Guide.

On days when I travel, I’ll often wear a Superman or Captain America shirt that I’ve earmarked for precisely this reason.  An occasional flight attendant will give a nod of recognition with a comment like, “Thank you for flying with us!”  I don’t remember quite when I started this tradition for traveling, but it makes me happy and doesn’t hurt anyone.

Naturally, having always worked in positions where I may dress casually, I’ve worn these superhero shirts to work.  On one particular day, as I walked through our building, a development manager looked at me quizzically, stopped me, and asked me to follow him.  Next, he led me to Reuben’s office, who turned around to greet us.  And there we both were, two of us wearing Green Lantern shirts.  We were all very amused.

Continue reading “Dress-like-a-superhero Day” →

I saw on the news that George Newall died.  For most people, including myself, this name is unfamiliar.  It wasn’t until I read the footnote when I was saddened by this event.  George was a composer for Schoolhouse Rock!  In my childhood, my Saturday mornings were filled with short clips from Schoolhouse Rock interspersed within the regular cartoons.  They were pockets of actual learning filled with smiles and committed to memory through a catchy tune.

On an otherwise ordinary trip to Target, I browse through the t-shirts and find a gem with the Schoolhouse Rock logo.  I simply had to have it, and it’s among my favorite shirts.  Though honestly, many times, I forget that I’m wearing it.  On those days, I get unexpected smiles and compliments on it.  People tell happy stories of their childhood, much like mine, filled with tunes that persist today in our memories.  We don’t dread getting those songs stuck in our heads; we treasure them.

Continue reading “We, the people…” →

My dad passed away shortly after I turned nine in Puerto Rico; my mom carried on without him.  The four of us, my mom, my two sisters, and myself would move to Florida less than a year after that.  My mom barely knew any Spanish and didn’t know any English.  We moved to the United States with no family here and a handful of friends.  We were poor.  My mom worked two jobs, and all us kids worked by early teen hood.  All us kids attended college.  My mom never remarried in the twenty-nine years after my father’s death.

Continue reading “Woke literally means enlightened” →

Years ago, I was very distinctly a night owl.  I stayed up into absurdly late hours doing nothing of particular importance.  Honestly, I could’ve easily moved my entire schedule to sensible hours that might’ve allowed me to leave work before stark darkness.  However, I enjoyed, nay abused, the ultra-flex time policy to my advantage.  Many ‘nights’ I stayed up until I saw the sun peek from the edges of my black-out blinds.

However, there were still a handful of times when stress legitimately kept me awake.  The nights spent next to my mom, who’d never wake after a blood clot, kept me awake.  Similarly, those especially important interviews disturbed my sleep.  Occasionally, you make the best decision with all the information you have, and it may still haunt you.

Continue reading “Losing sleep over mass shootings” →

A number of years ago, a friend and I got into a fascinating conversation.  We chatted about the highest points of natural elevation in different states.  Since we both lived in Washington, that point was the top of Mount Rainier at 14,400 feet.  I have not been the top of that peak, nor do I have any interest if I have to endure the climb.

My home state of Florida is notoriously flat, and its highest point of natural elevation peaks at a few hundred feet, comparatively unimpressive.  However, it’s still of interest to some people; we call the activity highpointing.  While I’m certainly perplexed by this fascination, I pass no judgment on this activity.  I collect and build Lego sets; who am I to judge?  As long you don’t break any laws or harm people, do what you want.

Continue reading “Ownership is ten tenths of the law” →