Simpatico

simpatico,-a adjetivo
1 (agradable) pleasant, nice, likeable: tu amigo me cayó simpatico, I really liked your friend
2 (divertido) amusing

Last night was exceptional.

Cynthia and I received an invitation to attend a wine tasting party hosted by some friends.
The theme was South American.

The initial reception was located at the Sabine Lofts just outside of downtown and featured Ceviche and sparkling and white wines.

This was followed by a limousine ride to a downtown residence where more wines were served with dinner on the rooftop above the 10th floor. Dinner was beef tenderloin and plantain encrusted snapper that was quite delicious.

Great conversations with wonderful friends old and new.

Not only is there no God, but try finding a plumber on Sunday.

It occurs to me that there are two ways one might make the decision to replace their water heater.

The first would be a concious awareness that the appliance may be reaching the end of it’s service life and make the proper arrangements.

The second would be to come home and think to oneself; “What is all this water doing on my floor?”

I am thinking the second is the most common.

Space Shuttle connection

We have returned to space with STS-114 and America is beaming with pride. A few distressing images caught by the launch cameras have us a bit pensive as we await more information about what fell off of
Discovery when she took off Tuesday and if it will have any negative impact on her mission. It seems that we, as a nation, are united in our desire for this mission to be a success.

A while back I was doing some searching on Google and came across this on the www.jsc.nasa.gov site:

Houston Chronicle’s JSC News From Home

This appears to be a PDF file of the Houston Chronicle sent to STS 107 (The Columbia) on Wednesday Jan 29th, 2003. It contains a collection of articles from that day’s publication including my Help Line column. It’s humbling to me to know that they might have read my work as they orbited the earth. I know some bands who have had their CD’s carried into space and I was somewhat envious of that prestigious honor. Of course my pride is overshadowed by the tragedy that befell that mission.

Still, as a self proclaimed “geek” and Houston raised space nerd I treasure all of my experiences with the space program. From my childhood when my dad would give me mission photos of the various Apollo flights to the times he used to take me and my brother to Ellington Field to watch the jet trainers come and go. And of course my fondest memory, the time my parents let me stay up late to watch the moon landing when I was 8 years old.

Like so many others, I am caught up in the excitement of our return to space and I wish for nothing but success for the crew of STS 114 and everyone associated with the mission of Discovery.

God speed!

Hi-tech cop: cantennas are illegal to possess

In this scare-mongering article from the Sacramento Bee about people who use open WiFi networks, a cop from the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force makes a remarkable statement about homemade WiFi antennas:

Last month in Elk Grove, a high-school student faced eight felony computer-theft charges for allegedly hacking into his school’s computer system and changing his grades. When police searched his home, they found aluminum-lined, cylindrical potato-chip containers that some hackers use as crude antennas to help them intercept wireless signals.

Known as “cantennas,” they consist of a Pringles can and some hardware worth $5 to $10 but can be used to amplify a wireless signal several miles away.

“They’re unsophisticated but reliable, and it’s illegal to possess them,” said Lozito of the Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force.

Then the reporter goes on to note:

It’s also illegal to access wireless networks that aren’t public. In other words, if you’ve ever been pleasantly surprised to open your laptop, pull up your browser and have Internet access, that likely means you’ve just intruded into someone else’s unsecured network “” and really aren’t allowed to be there.

Original story is here

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping…

This Wednesday is our 13th anniversary. It’s hard to fathom.

I almost backed out on our first date. Just a few hours before I was to pick her up I called her to make some lame excuse. She answered the phone and when I identified myself she asked “Is this the dead grandmother call?”

I stuttered and asked “What?” thinking to myself “How did she know?!?”

She asked “Isn’t this where you tell me your grandmother died or tell me some reason why you can’t go out tonight?” I emphatically denied the accusation and explained lied that I was just calling to confirm the time I was to pick her up.

QR Code Business Card