Pictures from two weeks ago

Pictures from two weeks ago

This are the some of the few pics we took when we went to Naples on our break. The weekend before the Summer term started, good thing we have this Monday off, next Friday I am off for my yearly Reserve Training, Two fun-filled weeks.. NOT!

Today some friends are supposed to come over to work on our HW, but so far they are all sleeping, I feel bad waking them up, but time is running.

Anyway, here are the pics, hope you like them.

Loralee, thanks for the comments, you didn't have to. But Thanks.

Ok Everyone, take care, be good to each other.

Is going to be a while before I post again

Is going to be a while before I post again

I know you understand, I barely have time, when the first half of this semester ends it may free me up a bit more, I was a little stunned with a comment an annonymous reader made in my post about Joel P Smith, could it be the guy that article is about? If I had more time I could get into that, but Joel does not need anyone to defend him, it comes with being a journalist I guess.


J.V.

Flashback

Flashback

As you may know from reading my profile, I spent a year of my life in the city of Ramadi, I am glad to announce Ramadi's first ever music video, Lazy Ramadi
Enjoy:




Ok, so it's not exactly a professional video, but, you got to give up to them. They are good!

J.V.

FIRE

FIRE

There was a huge fire at FAU today. The funny thing is that nobody noticed!

J.V.

Today

Today

The summer semester starts, this is it, basically this is the last stretch for me, after this semester it's one month or so in Minnesota then the Fall Semester then Graduation, no brakes in between, the next time I can say I am on break is when I am done with my degree.

Well, here I go.

J.V.

George W has a blog!

George W has a blog!

That's hilarious. Check it out.

J.V.

Weekend!

Weekend!

Anyway, I am off for the weekend. Take care of yourselves, don't do anything I wouldn't do.

We are going to the West Coast of Florida, for a break, the beaches there are much nicer, and the pace is much more laid back.

We'll bring pictures.

Joel Preston Smith

Joel Preston Smith

When I was in Iraq, I made an unusual friend, his name is Joel and he's a liberal journalist, he's as radical as they come, but we share a taste for literature and books, (Bushism intended) Anyway, he took lots of pictures of Iraq, he had the guts to go there before the ground war started, then about 5 months later he came back to Iraq,
if I remember right, he took a flight to Jordan, then took a cab to Iraq, he just showed up to our base, he was like, Hi, I'm Joel! so instead of just shooting him, we let him stay with us, we have kept in touch, he's a true friend of mine, even though we do not share the same point of view all of the time, he's an awesome person to carry a conversation with, this is why I'm happy to announce he has a blog now!

His blog is here, I will post a link to his blog, I hope is not all anti-war, let's burn Bush at the stake type of blog, there's also a rational side to him.

My wife updated!

My wife updated!

After all this time! She posted some pictures and she talks about the work she's been doing in the house. Martha went on vacation last Sunday and she has been a busy bee, she painted the kitchen and the bathroom downstairs, made the house look really nice. I admit, she's the one with style and taste, when it comes to those things I have the sophistication of a caveman. Her blog is here.


J.V.

So Effing depressed

So Effing depressed

I feel down, like never before, suddendly I woke today feeling lower than whale excrement, Can't seem to cheer up, maybe it is because:

My son was diagnosed with asthma yesterday, he has to use a nebulizer three times a day now. (seeing him like that really bothers me, I can't explain it)
My wife and I argue about stupid stuff.
My wife and my Mom will never get along.
Even though we make more money than ever before, we are more broke than ever before.
I have no idea how I am going to pay for college tuition now that the GI Bill and my scholarship ran out.
I suck at being a Computer Engineer working remotely, I used to be ten times more productive when I was at the office in Rochester instead of working from far away.
I guess I could keep going whining about every little thing that bothers me. But what's the point?

All those problems I mentioned have a solution, I am just reacting in a pathetic way. I need to pick myself up. I hate acting so lame.

J.V.

List of Countries I've lived in or visited

List of Countries I've lived in or visited

I don't why I feel like making a trite list like this. But I feel like doing it.

In Chronological order

1.Venezuela (born there!)
2.United States
3.Puerto Rico
4.Spain
5.Greece
6.Malta
7.Turkey
8.Romania
9.Ukraine
10.Italy
11.Albania
12.France
13.Croatia
14.Slovenia
15.Tunis
16.Ireland
17.Jordan
18.United Arab Emirates
19.Kuwait
20.Iraq
21.Germany


Funny enough, I've never been to Canada or Mexico. Also, I don't know Latin America.
I want to visit Brasil and Argentina, and the Andes Mountains, most of all I'd love to go back to Europe, especially England which, I have never been to, and would love to see it. Oh well.

Another thing, with the exception of The first two countries in that list, I have been to all those places thanks to the Military. That's the one thing I do like about it is all the traveling, even though it is never a five star experience, it is always interesting to say the least.

Personality Test

Personality Test

Since everyone else was doing it. Why not?

Attentive Idealist

Ft. Lauderdale Air and Sea Show

Ft. Lauderdale Air and Sea Show

Yesterday we spend all day at the beach at the Air and Sea show. We got there at 8:00AM and we pretty much saw everything, the place was packed! Thousands of people crammed up in a relatively small place. But it was worth it. We took a lot of bottled water and snacks and prepared for a day seeing the might of the U.S. Military.

Here are some pictures taken from the Sun-Sentinel






The Blue Angels






The Marines have landed...hide all the women




It was a little too crowded, but most people were cool about it, I didn't like it when I got my towel stepped on but, at the end you couldn't fit anything else on the beach, I was less than thirty feet from the water, but the trip there kept getting longer and longer as more people packed it in.

Anthony was an awesome sport, he slept through the best part of the show, during the day he was more concerned with being fed than watching the show.

I get mixed feeling about it, I wish the military was as fun as it seems in these shows, but I was also proud to be part of this organization. I am glad that despite the war being so unpopular most people show support for those who serve, it would be a lot crappier if that weren't the case.

These are some pictures I took early in the day when it wasn't as crowded





Anthony thinks he can eat the "Apple" Ipod.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Until the next one.



J.V.

Depressed Web server

Depressed Web server

If you think you have a bad day, try being this web server.

J.V.

A morning babysitting

A morning babysitting

Ok, This weekend I decided to break the normal routine. Usually, Anthony spends Friday nights at his grandma's while Martha and I go out to watch a movie or something. But Yesterday I decided I'd spend all Saturday with Anthony, since I don't have to study for once, I thougth I will spend some "quality time" while my wife is working.

It's ten thirty AM and I am already tired, I have changed him three times (not a pleasant sight) I fed him, (which is weird, he cried the whole time, I don't know if he hated the food, which I can't blame him for that, or that I wasn't giving the stuff fast enough) and now he is taking a nap, I am so glad that I have a free minute, I don't know what to do with it. So I decided to update my blog.

Also, there are things going on at work that I wish I could write them here, but if I did it would defenetly cost me my job...such a shame, there's nothing like sharing good gossip.

As far as books I have read, Two weekends ago I read Baghdad Express, Then last week for my birthday I bought Tuesdays with Morrie, wich was an excellent read. The next day Arthur gave me Uncle Tungsten a memoir about a kid in love with Chemistry, very interesting in a scientific sort of way. But the geek in my is screaming for a book on Computer Science, but not a textbook, I wish there were more books like "Godel Escher, Bach, and Eternal Golden Braid" that's the type of read I am craving for.

I still have some money on that gift card Martha gave me, after Anthony wakes up we're going to the bookstore.

Anthony has been napping for a good hour, I better go check on him.

J.V.

Today I learned..

Today I learned..

"To err is human, but to really screw up, you need a computer"

These days

These days

Been Spending time with the fam. These are the most recent pictures of Anthony.

Some things of interest:

Some things of interest:

Did
Stephen Colbert do a good job? Some say he did, some disagree, I think he has a big brass pair, but he wasn't that funny. Disclaimer: I am a fan of the Daily Show and the Colbert report, I actually watch comedy central, but that was not his best performance, I know that Bush haters will disagree, but oh well.

The Immigration Protest, is making news, I like what Carlos Mencia has to say about it.

I love it when science and philosphy meet. This article by Seed Magazine is pretty interesting.

Also, Apple's new commercials are funny.

J.V.

A day without immigrants

A day without immigrants

It's all over the news, immigrants today want to show the country how they are part of the U.S.

I support them. I want to highlight the fact that even though I am a U.S. Citizen I am also an immigrant, our family came to this country looking for a better life, we came to this country because our Venezuela could not cut it. I love my birth country, as much as I love the United States. But not the same way, you see, the United States is my country now, I live here, this is where I learned to be the person that I am now, and this is the country that has given us many opportunities, yes, it is not perfect, and yes, it is hated by other countries for their world policies, but I still love it.

This is why, I have to point out that some of the protesters are going about it the wrong way. If you want to become part of this system, this American Nation, then why are you flying flags from other countries? Why do you have to be ignorant about it?

My dear friends. Please show the rest of the nation how much you are needed and how you are part of this country not the violent way, but the peaceful way, do not cause riots, and do not go out there with other flags. Remember that your message is saying that you want to be part of the U.S.

I have family that is still waiting to get their legal status resolved, but they work hard, they apreciate this country more than anyone I know, I know, I know, they were not smart enough to choose what country they were born, but they came here to build a better life. And I think that if you fall in that category, why not let them stay? Is that so hard to do?