The PePe Show

Me in Times Square, NY

Originally uploaded by jmorale9

Just in case you have not noticed, I did not do a show from New York this past trip.

It’s amazing that you would think that there would be time after work to work on the show, however, believe me that that the hours long and you are practically left with just enough time to eat, sleep, and get ready for the next day.

That was the case this trip. All work, some fun, but no show. I say some fun, because the co-worker I was with and I went to Manhattan the first night. That trip cost us the entire night as we got didn’t get back to the hotel until midnight. Of course, that was to late to do the show.

Yet, I still managed to work on picking out some songs. I already had an oxymoron of the week and also a pick of the week. So really, I had everything I needed to do the show. Except for one thing: a USB hub. I couldn’t connect all the equipment since the computer only has two USB ports. I need at least three.

Each night, we would not leave work earlier than 9:00 pm. That really just gave us enough time to get some dinner. It didn’t give us enough time to go to an office supply store that was nearby. And so, the days went one-by-one until it was time to come home.

But, with everything ready to go, I should be able to do a show this weekend. So expect Episode 34 soon!

117/365 A is for “Agnostic”

Originally uploaded by spring_peeper

As I was going through some old email, I came across this message I sent to an old friend. It amazed me at what I have to say. I wrote it almost a year ago, and had forgotten about it. But I truly feel what I said, and I feel it is well written. I thought I’d share it with everyone.

July 26, 2007

I want to start by saying that I respect your beliefs. However, I truly feel that when I went seeking for God and God’s way, I found out I was deceived.

I will tell you what opened the door for me. Ironically, it was in the Bible: Matthew 13:12-14. Just as you may not be able to distinguish red from green (due to your color blindness), we as human cannot possibly understand God. Just because red and green may seem the same color to you doesn’t mean both colors don’t exist. Taking it a step further, how can you be sure that our senses are capable of perceiving the truth? We can’t. The truth cannot be perceived by us, and that’s what Jesus was referring to in the passage above.

At birth we are giving a reflective lens. We see the world through this reflective lens. You lens will differ from my lens. Genetics and experience define your lens. What you see is not what I see. My “reality” is different than your “reality.” “But how can that be?” you may ask, “Reality is reality and there can only be one reality by definition.” The fact of the matter is that reality can only be perceived. We will never know what reality is. As such, we are left to fill in the blanks.

The Bible is a great resource to fill in the blanks. John 14:1 tells us we must believe in the Lord. Despite any and all contradictions or loop-holes that may be found in the Bible, we must believe in the Lord. Why? It is the only way we consume the “blue pill”. Only by consuming the “blue pill” can society be controlled. That is how we are “kept in check.”

I don’t propose anarchy. I feel I understand the purpose of the Bible and the belief in the Lord. History has shown us that religion and government came hand-in-hand. Why? Because the government needed to impose something on the people so they may listen. I myself have been able to take advantage of this powerful weapon. While experiencing trouble with my own children, I have found that nothing is as effective as imposing God onto them. Imposing God onto them makes me a very powerful father since I can get my children to do what is right for them. It helps me keep them in line. The powers-at-be understood that many, many years ago. And so with government came religion.

Yet, why is it that there are different versions of God throughout the world? Governments around the world were not capable of being “in-sync” with each other. As such, different beliefs and different religions emerged.

But, you don’t have to listen to what I have written. Perhaps I am the “dreamer of dreams” mentioned in Deuteronomy 13:1-5. If that’s the case then erase this email and never think about it again! Take the blue pill and drink up on your glass of water. Return to the Living Church of God. They will help shape your lens that you use to view the world.

Differences aside, my message from my heart to you is: Live Happy.

I hope the move to Charlotte shapes your lens so that you do not see evil, but joy. Life is beautiful.

I will keep you in my daily thoughts. I do believe in the power of attraction. So with my thoughts, I hope to attract a great new life ahead of you.

Your agnostic liberal friend,
Justo.

Leave me some comments. Tell me what you think.

Let me tell you that in recently, I am being impressed more and more by the Internet. It is amazing that the Internet can be just about anything.
Some time ago, I kept telling everyone that computers where going to take over your phone, TV, radio, and any other device that provided some sort of information or entertainment. However, we all know that computers cannot do anything without the right programs.

Enter Microsoft and their whole slew of applications. One of the reason (and I am only speculating here) that Microsoft has been so successful has been because of core programs that are necessary to provide functionality to the computers. Their mothership, of course, being Windows and shortly followed by their Office Suite. Yet, as much as Microsoft is trying to conquer the ‘net with live.com and their whole .net experience, a community of GPL developers is emerging as producing more practical applications.

So I am sure you are aware of how ecstatic I am about finding WordPress. Several months ago, I had discovered Writely, an online word processor. Just today, I found out that Google now has an online spreadsheet application. A friend of mine turned me on to PHP-Nuke, a GNU/GPL licensed system that can easily be loaded onto a webserver. All these applications are 100% web based. Meaning you can fully utilize the application without having to use any applications that would require you to install, or download anything on your computer. All you need is a computer connected to the Internet. Heck, I just updated my blog site at the Skate Park (while my son was skating) using my company laptop tethered to my cell phone. And as is most company’s they are very sensitive when it comes to installing software.

The bottom line is that we don’t need companies like Microsoft to provide useful tools. Well, we probably still need them to run the OS at least. Then again, currently I am using my Linux computer to write this blog. As a matter of fact, I am using Writely to write this blog entry. The lines of OS/app are completely blurred. I could be on any computer that is connected to the Internet and have the same experience.

Now, everything I have talked about so far is just on app/business side of computing. Yet, on the entertainment side, well, there is lots of development there too. My biggest discovery in recent weeks is online video sites. The three that come to mind are Google Video, iFilm, and YouTube. Forget TV. You can be entertained for hours watching these videos. By the way, if you want to check out my five-year-old son skating, click here. And again, all free.

Don’t forget the PodCasts! There are tons and tons of PodCasts you can subscribe to and listen on your computer, or even better, transfer them to your portable music player.

Next, there is telephony. Thank you Skype, for providing free phone calls until the end of 2006. Well, if you count Skype-to-Skype calls, then thanks for the free phone service! I myself am using Vonage in my home. Still, while working at the computer, I have opted to use Skype to make all my calls.

I feel as if I can go on and on about all the services/applications that are available online. This is why I ask the question if the web has been upgraded to 2.0. The web is now at a new level when it comes to connecting computers to transfer data back and forth.

So now that I have my blog/podcast site up and running, I started going through all the old published blogs.� Wow!� How interesting.� I am so intrigued by what I have written about.� These timeless postings have proven to be quite entertaining to me.

Then again, I say the same thing about the PodCasts.� So far, I still like to listen to my first two PodCasts.� I am entertained so much listening to myself.� Boy, am I a narcissist?

Well, whatever the case, I hope I am providing some kind of entertainment to you.� I keep telling myself that if I take too long to post anything, I will not have an audience.� As you can see I have been blogging for over a year.� Well, I should say I started blogging over a year ago.� Yet, I only have, what, fourteen posts?� And I starting podcasting three months ago and have only managed to do two PodCasts.

Well, now that I have everything the way I like it, perhaps I will blog or PodCast more often.� I know it has been months since I have not blogged and it’s been almost two months since I have last recorded a PodCast.� Still, one of the main reasons I have not done neither is because I did not have a website to my liking to continue posting.� Now that I have everything just the way I want it, and I have absolute control over my website, let’s see what excuse I put next.

Still, thanks for hanging in there.� That is, if you are still there.

I wonder. How much does history hurt us?

I was taught that we must learn history in order to learn from the mistakes that have been made in the past. And so the same mistakes are not repeated.

Really?

So, knowing that there was a World War I would’ve prevented World War II?

I wonder how much do we really benefit from knowing the history of the world. Quite the contrary, I feel as if knowing the history of the world hurts us more. Didn’t the Nazi’s have a grudge on the Jews because of what happened two millennia ago? Would they have had the same grudge had they not known of the Jews?

Still, forgetting about the past is impossible. As humans, we are intrigued about knowing what has happened. We will never forget.

And so, the grudge lives on. Transferred from generation to generation.

This entry was originally posted on MSN Spaces.